_@Afghanistan *Geography #_Total area: 647,500 km2; land area: 647,500 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 question with Pakistan; Baloch question with Iran and Pakistan; periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand water rights; insurgency with Iranian and Pakistani involvement; traditional tribal rivalries
_#_Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
_#_Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, coal, copper, talc, barites, sulphur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and woodland 3%; other 39%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: damaging earthquakes occur in 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/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 20 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 28 migrants/1,000 population (1991); note—there are flows across the border in both directions, but data are fragmentary and unreliable
_#_Infant mortality rate: 164 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male, 43 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/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 other
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim 84%, Shia Muslim 15%, other 1%
_#_Language: Pashtu 50%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%; much bilingualism
_#_Literacy: 29% (male 44%, female 14%) age 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: some small government-controlled unions
_*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, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, Zabol; note—there may be a new province of Nurestan (Nuristan)
_#_Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: adopted 30 November 1987, revised May 1990
_#_Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Saur Revolution, 27 April (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 30 November 1987); First Vice President Abdul Wahed SORABI (since 7 January 1991); Prime Minister Fazil Haq KHALIQYAR (since 21 May 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 NA April 1988 (next to be held April 1991); results—Hizbi Watan was the only party; seats—(192 total, 128 elected) Hizbi Watan 128;
House of Representatives—last held NA April 1988 (next to be held 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: Hizbi Watan Homeland Party (formerly the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan or PDPA) claims 200,000 members and no longer considers itself a Communist party
_#_Other political or pressure groups: the military and other branches of internal security have been rebuilt by the USSR; insurgency continues throughout the country; widespread antiregime sentiment and opposition on religious and political grounds
_#_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 given 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; telephone 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 superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands; similar to the flag of Malawi which is shorter and bears a radiant, rising red sun centered in the black band
_*Economy #_Overview: Fundamentally, Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on farming (wheat especially) and livestock raising (sheep and goats). Economic considerations, however, have played second fiddle to political and military upheavals, including the nine-year Soviet military occupation (ended 15 February 1989) and the continuing bloody civil war. Over the past decade, one-third of the population has fled the country, with Pakistan sheltering about 3.3 million refugees and Iran about 1.3 million. Another 1 million have probably moved into and around urban areas within Afghanistan. Large numbers of bridges, buildings, and factories have been destroyed or damaged by military action or sabotage. Government claims to the contrary, gross domestic product almost certainly is lower than 10 years ago because of the loss of labor and capital and the disruption of trade and transport.
_#_GDP: $3 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate 0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): over 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 (c.i.f., FY90 est.);
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); accounts for about 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 480,000 kW capacity; 1,470 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper
_#_Illicit drugs: an illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; world's second-largest opium producer (after Burma) and a major 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
_#_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 hard surface, 1,650 km bituminous-treated gravel and improved earth, 16,550 km unimproved earth and tracks
_#_Inland waterways: total navigability 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles steamers up to about 500 metric tons
_#_Pipelines: petroleum, oil, and lubricants pipelines—USSR to Bagram and USSR to Shindand; natural gas, 180 km
_#_Airports: 40 total, 36 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: limited telephone, telegraph, and radiobroadcast services; television introduced in 1980; 31,200 telephones; 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 fit for military service; 166,135 reach military age (22) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $450 million, 15% of GDP (1990) %@Albania *Geography #_Total area: 28,750 km2; land area: 27,400 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 question with Yugoslavia; Northern Epirus question with Greece
_#_Climate: mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
_#_Ethnic divisions: Albanian 90%, Greeks 8%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians) (1989 est.)
_#_Religion: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990 Albania began allowing private religious practice and was considering the repeal of the constitutional amendment banning religious activities; estimates of religious affiliation—Muslim 70%, Greek Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
_#_Language: Albanian (Tosk is official dialect), Greek
_#_Literacy: 72% (male 80%, female 63%) age 9 and over 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: nascent democracy with strong Communist party influence; basic law has dropped all references to socialism
_#_Independence: 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire); People's Socialist Republic of Albania declared 11 January 1946
_#_Constitution: an interim basic law was approved by the People's Assembly on 29 April 1991; a new constitution is to be drafted for adoption in four to six months
_#_Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 November (1944)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister of the Council of Ministers, one deputy prime minister of the Council of Ministers
Chief of State—President of the Republic Ramiz ALIA (since 22 November 1982);
Head of Government—Prime Minister of the interim Council of Ministers Ylli BUFI (since 5 June 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 allowed new political parties to be formed in addition to the AWP for the first time since 1944
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 30 April 1991 (next to be held spring 1992); results—President Ramiz ALIA was reelected with token opposition;
People's Assembly—last held 31 March 1991 (next to be held 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 came mostly from the countryside while the DP won majorities in the six-largest cities;
_#_Communists: 147,000 party members (November 1986); note—in March 1991 the Albanian Workers' Party announced that it considered itself no longer Communist but 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 reestablish diplomatic relations to be effective from 15 March 1991 and to exchange diplomatic missions at the level of ambassador
_#_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 lags behind even the least favored areas of the Yugoslav economy. For over 40 years, the Stalinist-type economy has operated on the principles of central planning and state ownership of the means of production. In recent years Albania has implemented limited economic reforms to stimulate its lagging economy, provide incentives, and decentralize decisionmaking. In an effort to expand international ties, Tirane has reestablished diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and the US. The Albanians have also passed legislation allowing foreign investment. Albania possesses considerable mineral resources and, until 1990, was largely self-sufficient in food; several years of drought have hindered agricultural development. Numerical estimates of Albanian economic activity are subject to an especially wide margin of error because the government until recently did not release economic information.
_#_GNP: $4.1 billion, per capita $1,250; real 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)
_#_Agriculture: arable land per capita among lowest in Europe; one-half of work force engaged in farming; produces wide range of temperate-zone crops and livestock; claims self-sufficiency in grain output
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA (1988) $5.8 million
_#_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 total; 509 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track and 34 km narrow gauge, single track (1990); line connecting Titograd (Yugoslavia) and Shkoder (Albania) completed August 1986
_#_Highways: 16,700 km total; 6,700 km highway and roads, 10,000 km forest and agricultural (1990)
_#_Inland waterways: 43 km plus Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Albanian People's Army, Albanian Coastal Defense Command, Air and Air Defense Force, Frontier Troops, Interior Troops
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 900,723; 743,594 fit for military service; 33,497 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: 1.0 billion leks, NA% of GDP (FY90); note—conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results %@Algeria *Geography #_Total area: 2,381,740 km2; land area: 2,381,740 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
_#_Climate: arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
_#_Terrain: mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 63%, female 36%) age 15 and over 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 labor force claimed; General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) is the only labor organization and is subordinate to 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, Alger, 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: 5 July 1962 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976
_#_Legal system: socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Chadli BENDJEDID (since 7 February 1979);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Sid Ahmed GHOZALI (since 6 June 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Liberation Front (FLN), Chadli BENDJEDID, president; Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), Abassi MADANI; the government established a multiparty system in September 1989 and as of 31 December 1990 over 30 legal parties existed
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 22 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results—President BENDJEDID was reelected without opposition;
National People's Assembly—last held on 26 February 1987 (next were to be held 27 June 1991 but postponed indefinitely because of 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 the voters participating
_#_Communists: 400 (est.); Communist party banned 1962
_#_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); telephone [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 within a red crescent; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)
_*Economy #_Overview: The exploitation of oil and natural gas products forms the backbone of the economy. Algeria depends on hydrocarbons for nearly all of its export receipts, about 30% of government revenues, and nearly 25% of GDP. In 1973-74 the sharp increase in oil prices led to a booming economy and helped to finance an ambitious program of industrialization. Plunging oil and gas prices, combined with the mismanagement of Algeria's highly centralized economy, have brought the nation to its most serious social and economic crisis since independence. The government has promised far-reaching reforms, including giving public-sector companies more autonomy, encouraging private-sector activity, boosting gas and nonhydrocarbon exports, and proposing a major overhaul of the banking and financial systems, but to date has made little progress.
_#_GDP: $54 billion, per capita $2,130; real 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, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Italy, France, US
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GDP and employs 24% of labor force; net importer of food—grain, 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
_*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 concrete or bituminous, 20,000 km gravel, crushed stone, unimproved earth
_#_Airports: 145 total, 134 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 66 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international service in the north, sparse in the south; 693,000 telephones; stations—26 AM, no FM, 113 TV; 1,550,000 TV sets; 3,500,000 receiver sets; 6 submarine cables; coaxial cable or radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; satellite earth 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 15-49, 6,142,818; 3,780,873 fit for military service; 293,175 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $857 million, 1.8% of GDP (1991) %@American Samoa (territory of the US) *Geography #_Total area: 199 km2; land area: 199 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages 124 inches; rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited 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 common from December to March
_#_Note: Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location about 3,700 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
_#_Religion: Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant denominations and other 30%
_#_Language: Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages) and English; most people are bilingual
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 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 #_Long-form 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 1966, in effect 1967
_#_National holiday: Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
_#_Executive branch: President of the US, governor, lieutenant governor
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989);
Head of Government—Governor Peter Tali COLEMAN (since 20 January 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 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results—Peter T. COLEMAN was elected (percent of vote NA);
Senate—last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held 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 NA November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results—representatives popularly elected from 17 house districts; seats—(21 total, 20 elected and 1 nonvoting delegate from Swain's Island);
US House of Representatives—last held 19 November 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 (territory of the US)
_#_Flag: blue with a white triangle edged in red that is based on 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 citizens of the US
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic development is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa does 90% of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private-sector economy, with canned tuna the primary export. The tuna canneries are the second-largest employer, exceeded only by the government. Other economic activities include meat canning, handicrafts, dairy farming, and a slowly developing tourist industry.
_#_GNP: $190 million, per capita $5,210; real 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)
_#_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: US currency 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 telephones; stations—1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; good telex, telegraph, and facsimile 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: slightly more than 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: temperate; snowy, cold winters and cool, dry summers
_#_Terrain: rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys
_#_Natural resources: hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 56%; forest and woodland 22%; other 20%
_#_Ethnic divisions: Catalan stock; Spanish 61%, Andorran 30%, French 6%, other 3%
_#_Religion: virtually all Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Catalan (official); many also speak some French and Castilian
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: Principality of Andorra
_#_Type: unique coprincipality under formal sovereignty of president of France and 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 pareatges and decrees, mostly custom and usage
_#_Legal system: based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Mare de Deu de Meritxell, 8 September
_#_Executive branch: two co-princes (president of France, bishop of Seo de Urgel in Spain), two designated representatives (French veguer, Episcopal veguer), two permanent delegates (French prefect for the department of Pyrenees-Orientales, Spanish vicar general for the Seo de Urgel diocese), president of government, Executive Council
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General Council of the Valleys (Consell General de las 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 21 May 1981), represented by Veguer de Franca Jean Pierre COURTOIS; Spanish Episcopal Co-Prince Mgr. Joan MARTI y Alanis (since 31 January 1971), represented by Veguer Episcopal Francesc BADIA Batalla;
Head of Government—Oscar RIBAS Reig (since NA January 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: political parties not yet legally recognized; traditionally no political parties but partisans for particular independent candidates for the General Council on the basis of competence, personality, and orientation toward Spain or France; various small pressure groups developed in 1972; first formal political party, Andorran Democratic Association, was formed in 1976 and reorganized in 1979 as Andorran Democratic Party
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
General Council of the Valleys—last held 11 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(28 total) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Member of: CSCE, INTERPOL, IOC
_#_Diplomatic representation: Andorra has no mission in the US;
US—includes Andorra within the Barcelona (Spain) Consular District and the US Consul General visits Andorra periodically; Consul General Ruth A. DAVIS; Consulate General at Via Layetana 33, Barcelona 3, Spain (mailing address APO NY 09286); telephone [34] (3) 319-9550
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the coat of arms features a quartered shield; similar to the flags of Chad and Romania which do not have a national coat of arms in the center lar to the
_*Economy #_Overview: The mainstay of Andorra's economy is tourism. An estimated 12 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its summer and winter resorts. Agricultural production is limited by a scarcity of arable land, and most food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising. Manufacturing consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. The rapid pace of European economic integration is a potential threat to Andorra's advantages from its duty-free status.
_#_GDP: $727 million, per capita $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 capita (1989)
_#_Agriculture: sheep raising; small quantities 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
_#_Telecommunications: international digital microwave network; international landline circuits to France and Spain; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 17,700 telephones
_*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: slightly less than twice 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 11 November 1975; on 31 May 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 termination of outside military assistance
_#_Climate: semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
_#_Constitution: 11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August 1980, and 6 March 1991
_#_Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently modified to accommodate multipartyism and increased use of free markets
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 11 November (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Assembleia do Povo)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal da Relacao)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Jose Eduardo dos SANTOS (since 21 September 1979)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only one party exists—the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola-Labor Party (MPLA), Jose Eduardo dos SANTOS—although others are expected to form as legalization of a multiparty system proceeds; National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) lost to the MPLA and Cuban military support forces in the immediate postindependence struggle, but is to receive recognition as a legal party
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections: first nationwide, multiparty elections to be held between September and November 1992
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle)
_*Economy #_Overview: Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for 80 to 90% of the population, but accounts for less than 15% of GDP. Oil production is the most lucrative sector of the economy, contributing about 50% to GDP. In recent years, however, the impact of fighting an internal war has severely affected the nonoil economy, and food has to be imported. For the long run, Angola has the advantage of rich natural resources, notably gold, diamonds, and arable land. To realize its economic potential Angola not only must secure domestic peace but also must reform government policies that have led to distortions and imbalances throughout 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., 1990 est.);
commodities—oil,liquified petroleum gas, diamonds, coffee, sisal, fish and fish 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; substantial military deliveries;
partners—US, USSR, Cuba, Portugal, Brazil
_#_External debt: $7.0 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for about 60% of GDP, including petroleum output
_#_Electricity: 506,000 kW capacity; 770 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: petroleum, diamonds, mining, fish 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 accounts for 20%, fishing 4%, forestry 2% of total agricultural output; disruptions caused by civil war and marketing deficiencies require 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 trackage in use because of insurgent attacks; sections of the Benguela Railroad closed because of insurgency
_#_Highways: 73,828 km total; 8,577 km bituminous-surface treatment, 29,350 km crushed stone, gravel, or improved earth, remainder unimproved 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 over) totaling 66,348 GRT/102,825 DWT; includes 11 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
_#_Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 315 total, 183 usable; 28 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 58 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of wire, radio relay, and troposcatter routes; high frequency used extensively for military/Cuban links; 40,300 telephones; stations—17 AM, 13 FM, 2 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force/Air Defense, People's Defense Organization and Territorial Troops, Frontier Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,080,837; 1,047,500 fit for military service; 92,430 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP %@Anguilla (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 91 km2; land area: 91 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 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 of coral and limestone
_#_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, other tropical storms (July to October)
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainly 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%) age 12 and over 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 (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 April 1982
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Anguilla Day, 30 May
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Brian G. J. CANTY (since NA 1989);
Head of Government—Chief Minister Emile GUMBS (since NA March 1984, served previously 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 27 February 1989 (next to be held 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 triple width) and light blue with three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design centered in the white band; a new flag may have been in use since 30 May 1990
_*Economy #_Overview: Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on lobster fishing, offshore banking, tourism, and remittances from emigrants. In recent years the economy has benefited from a boom in tourism. Development is planned to improve the infrastructure, particularly transport and tourist facilities, and also light industry. Improvement in the economy has reduced unemployment from 40% in 1984 to about 5% in 1988.
_#_GDP: $23 million, per capita $3,300; real growth rate 8.2% (1988 est.)
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and 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 permanent-surface runways of 1,100 m (Wallblake Airport)
_#_Telecommunications: modern internal telephone system; 890 telephones; stations—3 AM, 1 FM, no TV; radio relay link to island of Saint Martin
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK %@Antarctica *Geography #_Total area: about 14,000,000 km2; land area: about 14,000,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary below); sections (some overlapping) claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France (Adelie Land), New Zealand (Ross Dependency), Norway (Queen Maud Land), and UK; Brazil has noted possible Latin claims; the US and USSR do not recognize the territorial claims of other nations and have made no claims themselves (but reserve the right to do so); no formal claims have been made in the sector between 90o west and 150o west
_#_Climate: severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has most moderate climate; warmest temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing
_#_Terrain: about 98% thick continental ice sheet, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to 4,897 meters high; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of coastline and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
_#_Natural resources: none presently exploited; coal and iron ore; chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum, and hydrocarbons have been found in small uncommercial 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 uninhabitable; katabatic (gravity) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise around the coast, as does a circumpolar ocean current; during summer more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; in April 1991 it was reported that the ozone shield, which protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation, had dwindled to its lowest level ever over Antarctica; subject to active volcanism (Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica); other seismic activity rare and weak
_#_Note: the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest continent
_*People #_Population: no indigenous inhabitants; staffing of research stations varies seasonally;
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 total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 3, China 2, France 1, Germany 2, Greenpeace 1, India 2, Japan 2, South Korea 1, NZ 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 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, established for at least 30 years a legal framework for peaceful use, scientific research, and deferral of legal questions regarding territorial claims. Administration is carried out through consultative member meetings—the last meeting was held in Madrid (Spain) in April 1991.
Consultative (voting) members include seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and nonclaimant nations. The US and other nations have made no claims, but have reserved the right to claim territory. The US does not recognize the claims of others. The year in parentheses indicates when an acceding nation was voted to full consultative (voting) status, while no date indicates an original 1959 treaty signatory. Claimant nations are—Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are—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 (nonvoting) members, with year of accession in parenthesis, 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—area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for peaceful scientific and logistics purposes;
Article 2—freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue;
Article 3—free exchange of information and personnel in cooperation with the UN and other international agencies;
Article 4—does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force;
Article 5—prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes;
Article 6—includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60o 00%19 south, but that the water areas be covered by international law;
Article 7—treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all activities and the introduction of military personnel must be given;
Article 8—allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states;
Article 9—frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations;
Article 10—treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty;
Article 11—disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ;
Articles 12, 13, 14—deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations.
Other agreements: more than 150 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified 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 subsequently rejected by some signatories and is likely to be replaced in 1991 by a comprehensive environmental protection agreement that defers minerals development for a long period.
_*Economy #_Overview: No economic activity at present except for fishing off the coast and small-scale tourism, both based abroad. Exploitation of mineral resources is unlikely because of technical difficulties, high costs, and objections by environmentalists.
_*Communications #_Airports: 37 total; 27 usable; none with permanent hard-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 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: slightly less than 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; little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands with some higher volcanic areas
_#_Natural resources: negligible; pleasant climate fosters tourism
_#_Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 16%; other 59%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); insufficient freshwater resources; deeply indented coastline provides many natural harbors
_#_Ethnic divisions: almost entirely of black African origin; some of British, Portuguese, Lebanese, and Syrian origin
_#_Religion: Anglican (predominant), other Protestant sects, some Roman Catholic
_#_Language: English (official), local dialects
_#_Literacy: 89% (male 90%, female 88%) age 15 and over having 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), membership 500; Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU), 10,000 members; Antigua Workers Union (AWU), 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: 1 November 1981 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 November 1981
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 November (1981)
_#_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 Representatives
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Wilfred Ebenezer JACOBS (since 1 November 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 1994); results—percentage of vote by party NA; 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), headed by Noel THOMAS
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Edmund Hawkins LAKE; Chancery at Suite 2H, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-5211 or 5166, 5122, 5225; there is an Antiguan Consulate in Miami;
US—the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, and in his absence, the Embassy is headed by Charge d'Affaires Bryant SALTER; Embassy at Queen Elizabeth Highway, Saint John's (mailing address is FPO Miami 34054); telephone (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 primarily service oriented, with tourism the most important determinant of economic performance. During the period 1983-89, real GDP expanded at an annual average rate of about 7%. Tourism's contribution to GDP, as measured by value added tax in hotels and restaurants, rose from about 14% in 1983 to 16% in 1989, and stimulated growth in other sectors—particularly in construction, communications, and public utilities. Antigua and Barbuda is one of the few areas in the Caribbean experiencing a labor shortage in some sectors of the economy.
_#_GDP: $350 million, per capita $5,470 (1989); real growth rate 3.0% (1991 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; expanding output of cotton, fruits, vegetables, and livestock sector; other crops—bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, 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 0.760-meter narrow gauge and 13 km 0.610-meter gauge used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane
_#_Highways: 240 km
_#_Ports: Saint John's
_#_Merchant marine: 86 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 319,477 GRT/497,194 DWT; includes 61 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 multifunction large load carrier, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 chemical tanker; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 10 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways less than 1,220 m
_#_Telecommunications: good automatic telephone system; 6,700 telephones; tropospheric scatter links with Saba and Guadeloupe; stations—4 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (includes the Coast Guard)
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense expenditures: $1.4 million, less than 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 tributary water bodies
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 1.5 times the size of the US; smallest of the world's four oceans (after Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean)
_#_Coastline: 45,389 km
_#_Climate: persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow
_#_Terrain: central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack which averages about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure ridges may be three times that size; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight line movement from the New Siberian Islands (USSR) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the ice pack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling land masses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonsov Ridge); 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 break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean and lasts about 10 months; permafrost in islands; virtually icelocked from October to June; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage
_#_Note: major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May; strategic location between North America and the USSR; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western USSR; floating research stations operated by the US and USSR
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including crude oil, natural gas, fishing, and sealing.
_*Communications #_Ports: Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (USSR), Prudhoe Bay (US)
_#_Telecommunications: no submarine cables
_#Note: sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Asia) are important waterways %@Argentina *Geography #_Total area: 2,766,890 km2; land area: 2,736,690 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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 depth of exploitation;
_#_Disputes: short section of the boundary with Uruguay is in dispute; short section of the boundary with Chile is indefinite; claims British-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); claims British-administered South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica
_#_Climate: mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest
_#_Terrain: rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along 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: Tucuman and Mendoza areas in Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike Pampas and northeast; irrigated soil degradation; desertification; air and water pollution in Buenos Aires
_#_Note: second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)
_#_Capital: Buenos Aires (tentative 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, Cordoba, Corrientes, Distrito Federal**, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego, Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur*, Tucuman; note—the national territory is in the process of becoming a province; the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
_#_Independence: 9 July 1816 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 1 May 1853
_#_Legal system: mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989); Vice President Eduardo DUHALDE (since 8 July 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 14 May 1989 (next to be held October 1991); results—JP 47%, UCR 30%, UCD 7%, other 16%; seats—(254 total); JP 122, UCR 93, UCD 11, other 28
_#_Communists: some 70,000 members in various party organizations, including a small nucleus of activists
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Peronist-dominated labor movement, General Confederation of Labor (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization), Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association), Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association), business organizations, students, the Roman Catholic Church, the Armed Forces
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ortiz de ROZAS; Chancery at 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (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 radiant 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-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Nevertheless, following decades of mismanagement and statist policies, the economy has encountered major problems in recent years, leading to escalating inflation and a recession in 1988-90. A widening public-sector deficit and a multidigit inflation rate have dominated the economy over the past three years; retail prices rose nearly 5,000% in 1989 and another 1,345% in 1990. Since 1978, Argentina's external debt has nearly doubled to $60 billion, creating severe debt-servicing difficulties and hurting the country's creditworthiness with international lenders.
_#_GNP: $82.7 billion, per capita $2,560; real growth rate - 3.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 16,749,000 kW capacity; 45,580 million kWh produced, 1,410 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP (including fishing); produces abundant food for both domestic consumption and exports; among world's top five exporters of grain and beef; principal 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 34,172 km total (includes 169 km electrified); includes a mixture 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 earth, 20,300 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 11,000 km navigable
_#_Pipelines: 4,090 km crude oil; 2,900 km refined products; 9,918 km natural gas
_#_Ports: Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario, Santa Fe
_#_Merchant marine: 129 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 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) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 18 bulk; additionally, 2 naval tankers and 1 military transport are sometimes used commercially
_#_Civil air: 54 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1,763 total, 1,575 usable; 135 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 336 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: extensive modern system; 2,650,000 telephones (12,000 public telephones); radio relay widely used; stations—171 AM, no FM, 231 TV, 13 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; domestic satellite network has 40 stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic, Argentine Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Argentine Naval Prefecture (Coast Guard only), National Aeronautical Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 7,992,140; 6,478,730 fit for military service; 285,047 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $700 million, 1% of GNP (1990) %@Aruba (part of the Dutch realm) *Geography #_Total area: 193 km2; land area: 193 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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; little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
_#_Natural resources: negligible; white sandy beaches
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
_#_Type: part of the Dutch realm—full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation 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 requested and received from the Netherlands cancellation of the agreement to automatically give independence to the island in 1996
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1986
_#_Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
_#_National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March
_#_Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Chief of State—Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Felipe B. TROMP (since 1 January 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; governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislature—last held 6 January 1989 (next to be held by January 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(21 total) MEP 10, AVP 8, ADN 1, PPN 1, PPA 1
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
_#_Flag: blue with two narrow horizontal yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner
_*Economy #_Overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the economy, although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also important. Hotel capacity expanded rapidly between 1985 and 1989 and nearly doubled in 1990 alone. Unemployment has steadily declined from about 20% in 1986 to about 2% in 1990. The reopening of the local oil refinery, once a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, promises to give the economy an additional boost.
_#_GDP: $730 million, per capita $11,600; real growth rate 8.8% (1989 est.)
_#_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 adequate; extensive interisland radio relay links; 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: about 8.5 times the size of 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 depth of exploration;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: low 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 shoals and reefs; Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983
_#_Note: located in extreme eastern Indian Ocean between Australia and Indonesia 320 km off the northwest coast of Australia
_*People #_Population: no permanent inhabitants; seasonal caretakers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
_#_Type: territory of Australia administered 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 the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force %@Atlantic Ocean *Geography #_Total area: 82,217,000 km2; includes 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 tributary 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 Indian Ocean or Arctic Ocean)
_#_Coastline: 111,866 km
_#_Climate: tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to November
_#_Terrain: surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the north Atlantic, counterclockwise warm water gyre in the south Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin; 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 the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea; icebergs common in 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 occur in the extreme southern Atlantic
_#_Note: ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north Atlantic from October to May and extreme south Atlantic from May to October; persistent fog can be a hazard to shipping from May to September; major choke points include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, 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 subject to icebergs from February to August; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity is limited to exploitation of natural resources, especially fish, dredging aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and crude oil and natural gas production (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: numerous submarine cables with most between continental Europe and the UK, North America and the UK, and in the Mediterranean; numerous direct links across Atlantic via INTELSAT satellite network
_#Note: Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways %@Australia *Geography #_Total area: 7,686,850 km2; land area: 7,617,930 km2; includes Macquarie Island
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than the US
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 25,760 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)
_#_Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
_#_Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 58%; forest and woodland 14%; other 22%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: subject to severe droughts and floods; cyclones along coast; limited freshwater availability; irrigated soil degradation; regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as the doctor occurs along west coast in summer; desertification
_#_Note: world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country
_#_Ethnic divisions: Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, Aboriginal 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%) age 15 and over 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 labor force (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: 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
_#_Constitution: 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 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: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or 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 11 March 1983); Deputy Prime Minister Paul KEATING (since 3 April 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 compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
Senate—last held 11 July 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 24 March 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 splinter group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Michael J. COOK; Chancery at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (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); telephone [61] (6) 270-5000; there are US Consulates General in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, and a Consulate in Brisbane
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant; the remaining half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars
_*Economy #_Overview: Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GNP comparable to levels in industrialized West European countries. Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Of the top 25 exports, 21 are primary products, so that, as happened during 1983-84, a downturn in world commodity prices can have a big impact on the economy. The government is pushing for increased exports of manufactured goods but competition in international markets will be severe.
_#_GDP: $255.9 billion, per capita $15,000; real growth rate 2.2% (1990)
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—manufactured raw materials, capital equipment, consumer goods;
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); accounts for 32% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 38,000,000 kW capacity; 150,000 million kWh produced, 8,860 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel, motor vehicles
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP and 37% of export revenues; world's largest exporter of beef and wool, second-largest for mutton, and among 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 40,478 km total; 7,970 km 1.600-meter gauge, 16,201 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 16,307 km 1.067-meter gauge; 183 km 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; mainly by small, shallow-draft craft
_#_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: good international and domestic service; 8.7 million telephones; stations—258 AM, 67 FM, 134 TV; submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; domestic satellite service; satellite stations—4 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 6 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,689,559; 4,090,921 fit for military service; 135,435 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $6.6 billion, 2.2% of GDP (FY90) %@Austria *Geography #_Total area: 83,850 km2; land area: 82,730 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with Alps in west and south; mostly flat, with gentle slopes along eastern and northern margins
_#_Land use: arable land 17%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and woodland 39%; other 19%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: because of steep slopes, poor soils, and cold temperatures, population is concentrated on eastern lowlands
_#_Note: landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube
_#_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%) 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 laborers in Austria number 177,840, about 6% of labor force (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 60.1% of work force; 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 (bundeslander, singular—bundesland); Burgenland, Karnten, Niederosterreich, Oberosterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien
_#_Independence: 12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)
_#_Legal system: civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by a Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955)
_#_Executive branch: president, chancellor, vice chancellor, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) consists of an upper council or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower council or National Council (Nationalrat)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and criminal cases, Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases, Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for constitutional cases
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Kurt WALDHEIM (since 8 July 1986);
Head of Government—Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice Chancellor Josef RIEGLER (since 19 May 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party of Austria (SPO), Franz VRANITZKY, chairman; Austrian People's Party (OVP), Josef RIEGLER, chairman; Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), Jorg HAIDER, chairman; Communist Party (KPO), Franz MUHRI, chairman; Green Alternative List (GAL), Andreas WABL, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 19; compulsory 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 7 October 1990 (next to be held 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, FP0 33, GAL 10
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Austrian Trade Union Federation (primarily Socialist); three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party (OVP) representing business, labor, and farmers; OVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action
_#_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 bands of red (top), white, and red
_*Economy #_Overview: Austria boasts a prosperous and stable capitalist economy with a sizable proportion of nationalized industry and extensive welfare benefits. Thanks to an excellent raw material endowment, a technically skilled labor force, and strong links to West German industrial firms, Austria has successfully occupied specialized niches in European industry and services (tourism, banking) and produces almost enough food to feed itself with only 8% of the labor force in agriculture. Improved export prospects from German unification and the opening of Eastern Europe will also boost the economy during the next few years. Living standards are roughly comparable with the large industrial countries of Western Europe. Problems for the l990s include an aging population, the high level of subsidies, and the struggle to keep welfare benefits within budget capabilities. Austria, which has applied for EC membership, is currently involved in EC and European Free Trade Association negotiations for a European Economic Area and will have to adapt its economy to achieve 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—petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals;
partners—EC 68.4%, EFTA 7%, CEMA 5.7%, Japan 4.6%, US 3.6%
_#_External debt: $11.8 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: real growth rate 8.5% (1990); accounts for 34% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 17,562,000 kW capacity; 49,290 million kWh produced, 6,500 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: foods, iron and steel, machines, textiles, chemicals, electrical, paper and pulp, tourism, mining
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 3.2% of GDP (including forestry); principal crops and animals—grains, fruit, 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
_*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 1.435-meter standard gauge of which 3,051 km is electrified and 1,520 km is double tracked; 363 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge of which 91 km is electrified
_#_Highways: 95,412 km total; 34,612 are the primary network (including 1,012 km of autobahn, 10,400 km of federal, and 23,200 km of provincial roads); of this number, 21,812 km are paved and 12,800 km are unpaved; in addition, there are 60,800 km of communal roads (mostly gravel, crushed stone, earth)
_#_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, 1 container, 1 chemical tanker, 4 bulk
_#_Pipelines: 554 km crude oil; 2,611 km natural gas; 171 km refined products
_#_Civil air: 25 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 55 total, 54 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: highly developed and efficient; 4,014,000 telephones; extensive TV and radiobroadcast systems; stations—6 AM, 21 (545 repeaters) FM, 47 (870 repeaters) TV; satellite stations operating in INTELSAT 1 Atlantic Ocean earth station and 1 Indian Ocean earth station and EUTELSAT systems
_#_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 over but definition of literacy not available (1963 est.)
_#_Labor force: 132,600; government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 25% of labor force
_*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: 10 July 1973 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 10 July 1973
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
_#_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 Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Acting Governor General Sir Henry TAYLOR (since 26 June 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Sir Lynden Oscar PINDLING (since 16 January 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 19 June 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 headed by Lionel CAREY; Trade Union Congress (TUC), headed by Arlington MILLER
_#_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 based on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: The Bahamas is a stable, middle-income developing nation whose economy is based primarily on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides about 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs about 50,000 people or 40% of the local work force. The economy has slackened in recent years, as the annual increase in the number of tourists slowed. Nonetheless, 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.)
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 NA%; accounts for 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 368,000 kW capacity; 857 million kWh produced, 3,480 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral weld, steel pipe
_#_Agriculture: accounts for less than 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; principal products—citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of food
_#_Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine
_#_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 over) totaling 14,266,066 GRT/23,585,465 DWT; includes 42 passenger, 16 short-sea passenger, 190 cargo, 41 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 23 container, 5 car carrier, 1 railroad carrier, 141 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 liquefied gas, 15 combination ore/oil, 33 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 112 bulk, 8 combination bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 9 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 59 total, 57 usable; 31 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: highly developed; 99,000 telephones in totally automatic system; tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force (a coast guard element only), Royal Bahamas Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 68,020; NA fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990) %@Bahrain *Geography #_Total area: 620 km2; land area: 620 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
_#_Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
_#_Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated 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: subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of desalination facilities); dust storms; desertification
_#_Note: close to primary Middle Eastern crude oil sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf through which much of Western world's crude oil must transit to reach open ocean
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
_#_Religion: Muslim (Shia 70%, Sunni 30%)
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English also widely spoken; Farsi, Urdu
_#_Literacy: 77% (male 82%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 140,000; 42% of labor force is Bahraini; industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)
_#_Organized labor: General Committee for Bahrain Workers exists in only 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: 15 August 1971 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law
_#_National holiday: National Day, 16 December
_#_Executive branch: amir, crown prince and heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed 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 Amir; born 28 January 1950);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al KHALIFA, (since 19 January 1970)
_#_Political parties and pressure groups: political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active
_#_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 serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Petroleum production and processing account for about 85% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 20% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, including the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. The liberation of Kuwait in early 1991 has improved short- to medium-term prospects and has raised investors' confidence. Bahrain with its highly developed communication and transport facilities is home to numerous multinational firms with business 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., 1989 est.);
commodities—petroleum 80%, aluminum 7%, other 13%;
_#_Agriculture: including fishing, accounts for less than 2% of GDP; not self-sufficient in food production; heavily subsidized sector produces fruit, vegetables, poultry, dairy products, shrimp, and fish; fish catch 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
_#_Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1—0.3760 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 200 km bituminous surfaced, including 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia opened in November 1986; NA km natural surface tracks
_#_Ports: Mina Salman, Manama, Sitrah
_#_Merchant marine: 4 cargo and 2 container (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 114,733 GRT/155,065 DWT
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent international telecommunications; adequate domestic services; 98,000 telephones; 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; submarine cable to Qatar and UAE
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 187,606; 104,285 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $194 million, 6% of GDP (1990) %@Baker Island (territory of the US) *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: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
_#_Terrain: low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
_#_Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until 1891)
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: treeless, sparse and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat 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 evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and cemetery ruins located near the middle of the west coast
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered 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; offshore anchorage only, one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast
_#_Airports: 1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m
_#_Note: there is a day beacon near the middle 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: slightly smaller than Wisconsin
_#_Land boundaries: 4,246 km total; Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
_#_Coastline: 580 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: up to outer limits of continental margin;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: a portion of the boundary with India is in dispute; water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over 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 alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, and tribals less than 1 million
_#_Religion: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, and other less than 1%
_#_Language: Bangla (official), English widely 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); extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)
_#_Organized labor: 3% of labor force belongs to 2,614 registered unions (1986 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: People's Republic of Bangladesh
_#_Independence: 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan; formerly East Pakistan)
_#_Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended NA March 1991
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991)
Head of Government—Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman (since 20 March 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 8 October 1991 (next to be held by October 1996); results—Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote
National Parliament—last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador A. H. S. Ataul KARIM; Chancery at 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 342-8372 through 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 disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is the traditional color of Islam
_*Economy #_Overview: Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world. The economy is based on the output of a narrow range of agricultural products, such as jute, which is the main cash crop and major source of export earnings. Bangladesh is hampered by a relative lack of natural resources, population growth of more than 2% a year, large-scale unemployment, and a limited infrastructure; furthermore, it is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite these constraints, real GDP growth averaged about 3.5% annually during 1985-89. A strong agricultural performance in FY90 pushed the growth rate up to 5.5%. Alleviation of poverty remains the cornerstone of the government's development strategy.
_#_GDP: $20.4 billion, per capita $180; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP, 60% of employment, and one third of exports; imports 10% of food grain requirements; world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products—jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils and cotton; fish catch 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 meter gauge, 978 km 1.676 meter broad gauge
_#_Highways: 7,240 km total (1985); 3,840 km paved, 3,400 km unpaved
_#_Inland waterways: 5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km 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) tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 3 bulk
_#_Pipelines: 1,220 km natural gas
_#_Civil air: 15 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 16 total, 12 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate international radio communications and landline service; fair domestic wire and microwave service; fair broadcast service; 241,250 telephones; stations—9 AM, 6 FM, 11 TV; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth stations
_#_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%) age 15 and over having ever 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 labor force
_*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 may be a new city of Bridgetown
_#_Independence: 30 November 1966 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 30 November 1966
_#_Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
_#_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 Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Hugh SPRINGER (since 24 February 1984);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 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 22 January 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Sir William DOUGLAS; Chancery at 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 (hoist side), yellow, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)
_*Economy #_Overview: A per capita income of $6,500 gives Barbados one of the highest standards of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean. Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The tourist industry is now a major employer of the labor force and a primary source of foreign exchange. An unemployment rate of 18% remains one of the most serious economic problems facing the country.
_#_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 est.);
commodities—sugar and molasses, chemicals, electrical components, clothing, rum, machinery and transport equipment;
partners: CARICOM 30%, US 20%, UK 20%
_#_Imports: $701 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—foodstuffs, consumer durables, raw materials, machinery, crude oil, construction 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); accounts for 14 % of GDP
_#_Electricity: 132,000 kW capacity; 494 million kWh produced, 1,880 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops—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
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: islandwide automatic telephone system with 89,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 2 (1 is pay) TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Barbados Defense Force, Coast Guard, Royal Barbados Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 69,038; 48,455 fit for military service, no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $10 million, 0.7% of GDP (1989) %@Bassas da India (French possession) *Geography #_Total area: undetermined
_#_Comparative area: undetermined
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 35.2 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: a volcanic rock 2.4 m 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 reefs; subject to periodic cyclones
_#_Note: navigational hazard since it is usually under water during high tide; located in southern Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and Madagascar
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
_*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: slightly 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 neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast);
_#_Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)
_#_Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the government is in the process of revising the Constitution, with the aim of federalizing 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, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, five deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists 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 17 July 1951); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT of Liege (brother of the King; born 6 June 1934);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Wilfried MARTENS, (since April 1979, with a 10-month interruption in 1981)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Herman van ROMPUY, president; Walloon Social Christian (PSC), Gerard DEPREZ, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Frank VANDENBROUCKE, president; Walloon Socialist (PS), Guy SPITAELS, president; Flemish Liberal (PVV), Guy VERHOFSTADT, president; Walloon Liberal (PRL), 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 compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
Senate—last held 13 December 1987 (next 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 13 December 1987 (next to be held by 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 pressure groups: Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Juan CASSIERS; Chancery at 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France
_*Economy #_Overview: This small private-enterprise economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the north, although the government is encouraging reinvestment in the southern region of Walloon. With few natural resources Belgium must import essential raw materials, making its economy closely dependent on the state of world markets. Over 70% of trade is with other EC countries. During the period 1988-90 Belgium's economic performance was marked by buoyant output growth, moderate inflation, and a substantial external surplus. Real GDP grew by an average of 3.9% in 1988-90. However, the economy is likely to slow in 1991-92 to below 3% GDP growth.
_#_GDP: $144.8 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 3.3% (1990)
partners—EC 73%, US 4%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, Communist countries 3% (1989)
_#_External debt: $28.8 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.3% (1991 est.); accounts for almost 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 17,325,000 kW capacity; 62,780 million kWh produced, 6,350 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP; emphasis on livestock production—beef, veal, pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, and tobacco; net importer of farm products
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion
_#_Currency: Belgian franc (plural—francs); 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Railroads: Belgian National Railways (SNCB) operates 3,667 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned; 2,563 km double track; 1,978 km electrified; 191 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned and operated
_#_Highways: 103,396 km total; 1,317 km limited access, divided autoroute; 11,717 km national highway; 1,362 km provincial road; about 38,000 km paved and 51,000 km unpaved rural roads
_#_Inland waterways: 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)
_#_Merchant marine: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,785,066 GRT/2,927,618 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 6 container, 7 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 9 chemical tanker, 11 bulk, 6 combination bulk
_#_Pipelines: refined products 1,167 km; crude 161 km; natural gas 3,300 km
_#_Civil air: 47 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 42 total, 42 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; 4,720,000 telephones; stations—8 AM, 19 FM (42 relays), 25 TV (10 relays); 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT 3 Atlantic Ocean and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,521,178; 2,115,935 fit for military service; 64,634 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $4.8 billion, 2.5% of GDP (1990) %@Belize *Geography #_Total area: 22,960 km2; land area: 22,800 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 dispute are nearing completion
_#_Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)
_#_Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
_#_Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 44%; other 52%, includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: frequent devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in south); deforestation
_#_Note: national capital moved 80 km inland from Belize City to Belmopan because of hurricanes; only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
_#_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 (Carib)
_#_Literacy: 91% (male 91%, female 91%) age 15 and over having 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 labor force; 7 unions currently active
_#_Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK; formerly British Honduras)
_#_Constitution: 21 September 1981
_#_Legal system: English law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Elmira Minita GORDON (since 21 September 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister George Cadle PRICE (since 4 September 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 4 September 1989 (next to be held September 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(28 total) PUP 15 seats, UDP 13 seats; note—in January 1990 one member expelled from UDP joined PUP, making the seat count 16 PUP, UDP 12
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR) headed by former PUP minister; United Workers Front
_#_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 narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based primarily on agriculture and merchandising. Agriculture accounts for more than 30% of GDP and provides 75% of export earnings, while sugar, the chief crop, accounts for almost 40% of hard currency earnings. The US, Belize's main trading partner, is assisting in efforts to reduce dependency on sugar with an agricultural diversification program.
_#_GDP: $290 million, per capita $1,320; real growth rate 9% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP (including fish and forestry); commercial crops include sugarcane, bananas, coca, citrus fruits; expanding output of lumber and cultured shrimp; net importer of basic foods
_#_Illicit drugs: an illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; eradication program cut 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 improved earth, and 310 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 825 km river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable
_#_Ports: Belize City; additional ports for shallow draught craft include Corozol, Punta Gorda, Big Creek
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 42 total, 32 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 8,650 telephones; above-average 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 fit for military service; 2,545 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $4.8 million, 1.8% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Benin *Geography #_Total area: 112,620 km2; land area: 110,620 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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, humid in south; semiarid in north
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
_#_Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 35%; other 45%, includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter; deforestation; desertification
_#_Note: recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; no natural harbors
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba); Europeans 5,500
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%
_#_Language: French (official); Fon and Yoruba most common vernaculars in south; at least six major tribal languages in 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 population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: about 75% of wage earners
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Benin
_#_Type: dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
_#_Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (de facto)
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou
_#_Independence: 1 August 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, 1 August (1990)
_#_Executive branch: president, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Nicephore SOGLO (since 4 April 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: the People's Revolutionary Party of Benin (PRPB) headed by President Mathieu KEREKOU, chairman of the Central Committee, was dissolved 30 April 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; numerous other small parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results—Nicephore SOGLO 68%, Mathieu KEREKOU 32%;
National Assembly—last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next to be held 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: Communist Party of Dahomey (PCD) remains active
_#_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 bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Benin is one of the least developed countries in the world because of limited natural resources and a poorly developed infrastructure. Agriculture accounts for almost 40% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and generates a major share of foreign exchange earnings. The industrial sector contributes only about 15% to GDP and employs 2% of the work force. Persistently low prices in recent years have limited hard currency earnings from Benin's major exports of agricultural products and crude oil.
_#_GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $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.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 0.7% (1988); accounts for 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 28,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 5 kWh per capita (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 output has not kept up 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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Railroads: 578 km, all 1.000-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 5,050 km total; 920 km paved, 2,600 laterite, 1,530 km improved earth
_#_Inland waterways: navigable along small sections, important only locally
_#_Ports: Cotonou
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 6 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 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; of the 991,278 males 15-49, 507,482 are fit for military service; of the 1,098,368 females 15-49, 554,454 are fit for military service; about 57,106 males and 55,297 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $38 million, 2.3% of GDP (1988) %@Bermuda (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 50 km2; land area: 50 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 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; gales, strong winds common in winter
_#_Terrain: low hills separated by fertile depressions
_#_Natural resources: limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 20%; other 80%
_#_Environment: ample 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 US Government
_#_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%) age 15 and over 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 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, 22 May
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, deputy governor, premier, deputy premier, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 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 9 February 1989 (next to be held by February 1994); results—percent of vote 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), headed by Ottiwell SIMMONS
_#_Member of: CARICOM (observer), ICFTU, IOC
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of 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 flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and blue shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, having successfully exploited its location by providing luxury tourist facilities and financial services. The tourist industry attracts more than 90% of its business from North America. The industrial sector is small, and agriculture is severely limited by a lack of suitable land. About 80% of food needs are imported.
_#_GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $22,400; real growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for less than 1% of GDP; most basic foods must 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 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, 8 cargo, 7 refrigerated cargo, 4 container, 8 roll-on/roll-off, 26 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 11 liquefied gas, 17 bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Constitution: no written constitution or bill of rights
_#_Legal system: based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day (Ugyen Wangchuck became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Royal Advisory Council, Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Tshogdu)
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
_#_Political parties: no legal parties
_#_Suffrage: each family has one vote in village-level elections
_#_Elections: no national elections
_#_Communists: no overt Communist presence
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Buddhist clergy, Indian merchant community; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign
_#_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: no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassies in New Delhi (India); the Bhutanese mission to the UN in New York has consular jurisdiction in the US
_#_Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is orange and the lower triangle is red; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, one of the world's least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for 90% of the population and account for about 50% of GDP. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with that of India through strong trade and monetary links. Low wages in industry lead most Bhutanese to stay in agriculture. Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are its most important natural resources.
_#_GDP: $273 million, per capita $199 (1988) real growth rate 4% (1989 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP; based on subsistence farming and animal husbandry; self-sufficient in food except for foodgrains; other production—rice, corn, root crops, citrus fruit, dairy, 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 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 at par with the Indian rupee
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,304 km total; 418 km surfaced, 515 km improved, 371 km unimproved earth
_#_Civil air: 1 jet, 2 prop
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 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 expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP %@Bolivia *Geography #_Total area: 1,098,580 km2; land area: 1,084,390 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 wanted a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with Chile over Rio Lauca water rights
_#_Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
_#_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%) age 15 and over 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, concentrated in mining, industry, construction, and transportation; mostly organized under Bolivian Workers' Central (COB) labor federation
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Bolivia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, El Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
_#_Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 2 February 1967
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish law and Code Napoleon; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
_#_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 (Corte Suprema)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Jaime PAZ Zamora (since 6 August 1989); Vice President Luis OSSIO Sanjines (since 6 August 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 compulsory at age 18 (married) or 21 (single)
_#_Elections:
President—last held 7 May 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 4 August and was inaugurated on 6 August 1989;
Senate—last held 7 May 1989 (next to be held May 1993); results—percent of vote NA; seats (27 total) MNR 9, ADN 7, MIR 8, CONDEPA 2, PDC 1;
Chamber of Deputies—last held 7 May 1989 (next to be held May 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats (130 total) MNR 40, ADN 35, MIR 33, IU 10, CONDEPA 9, PDC 3
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jorge CRESPO; Chancery at 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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); telephone [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 steadily deteriorated between 1980 and 1985 as La Paz financed growing budget deficits by expanding the money supply and inflation spiraled—peaking at 11,700%. An austere orthodox economic program adopted by newly elected President Paz Estenssoro in 1985, however, succeeded in reducing inflation to between 10% and 20% annually since 1987, eventually restarting economic growth. President Paz Zamora has retained the economic policies of the previous government, keeping inflation down and continuing the moderate growth begun under his predecessor. Nevertheless, Bolivia continues to be one of the poorest countries in Latin America, and it remains vulnerable to price fluctuations for its limited exports—agricultural products, minerals, and natural gas. Moreover, for many farmers, who constitute half of the country's work force, the main cash crop is coca, which is sold for cocaine processing.
_#_GDP: $4.85 billion, per capita $690; real 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, petroleum, consumer goods, capital goods;
partners—US 22%
_#_External debt: $3.7 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1990); accounts for almost 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 833,000 kW capacity; 1,763 million kWh produced, 260 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverage, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing; illicit drug industry reportedly produces significant revenues
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 20% of GDP (including forestry and fisheries); principal commodities—coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, timber; self-sufficient in food
_#_Illicit drugs: world's second-largest producer of coca (after Peru) with an estimated 51,900 hectares under cultivation; government considers all but 12,000 hectares illicit; intermediate coca products and cocaine 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
_#_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: radio relay system being expanded; improved 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) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $162 million, 4% of GNP (1988 est.) %@Botswana *Geography #_Total area: 600,370 km2; land area: 585,370 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: short section of the boundary with Namibia is indefinite; quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement
_#_Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
_#_Terrain: predominately flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in 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: rains in early 1988 broke six years of drought that had severely affected the important cattle industry; overgrazing; desertification
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 43 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 65 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born/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 50%
_#_Language: English (official), Setswana
_#_Literacy: 23% (male 32%, female 16%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 400,000; 182,200 formal sector employees, most others are engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1988 est.); 19,000 are employed in various 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, Lobaste, Selebi-Pikwe
_#_Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK; formerly Bechuanaland)
_#_Constitution: March 1965, effective 30 September 1966
_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Botswana Day, 30 September (1966)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or House of Chiefs and a lower house or National Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Quett K. J. MASIRE (since 13 July 1980); Vice President Peter S. MMUSI (since 3 January 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 7 October 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(38 total, 34 elected) BDP 35, BNF 3
_#_Communists: no known Communist organization; Kenneth Koma of BNF has long history of Communist contacts
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Botsweletse Kingsley SEBELE; Chancery at Suite 404, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-4990 or 4991;
US—Ambassador David PASSAGE; Embassy at Botswana Road, Gaborone (mailing address is P. O. Box 90, Gaborone); telephone [267] 353-982 through 353-984
_#_Flag: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy has historically been based on cattle raising and crops. Agriculture today provides a livelihood for over 80% of the population, but produces only about 50% of food needs and contributes a small 3% to GDP. The driving force behind the rapid economic growth of the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining industry. This sector, mostly on the strength of diamonds, has gone from generating 25% of GDP in 1980 to over 50% in 1989. No other sector has experienced such growth, especially not agriculture, which is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 25%.
_#_GDP: $3.1 billion, per capita $2,500; real 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.)
commodities—foodstuffs, 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); accounts for about 57% of GDP, including mining
_#_Electricity: 217,000 kW capacity; 630 million kWh produced, 510 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: mining of diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for only 3% of GDP; subsistence farming predominates; cattle raising supports 50% of the population; must import large share 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 improved earth, 3,037 km unimproved earth
_#_Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 100 total, 87 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 26 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the small system is a combination of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and a few radiocommunication 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 fit for military service; 14,767 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $99 million, 8.2% of GNP (1989) %@Bouvet Island (territory 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; maximum elevation about 800 meters; coast is mostly inacessible
_#_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 Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: short section of the boundary with Paraguay (just west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) is in dispute; two short sections of boundary with Uruguay are in dispute (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 temperate in south
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
_#_Land use: arable land 7%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland 67%; other 6%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: recurrent droughts in northeast; floods and frost in south; deforestation in Amazon basin; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo
_#_Note: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
_#_Organized labor: 13,000,000 dues paying members (1989 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form 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, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins; note—the former territories of Amapa and Roraima became states in January 1991
_#_Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
_#_Constitution: 5 October 1988
_#_Legal system: based on Latin codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
_#_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 (Camara dos Deputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Fernando Affonso COLLOR de Mello (since 15 March 1990); Vice President Itamar FRANCO (since 15 March 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: voluntary at age 16; compulsory between ages 18 and 70; voluntary at age 70
_#_Elections:
President—last held 15 November 1989, with runoff on 17 December 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 3 October 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(81 total as of 3 February 1991) PMDB 27, PFL 15, PSDB 10, PTB 8, PDT 5, other 16;
Chamber of Deputies—last held 3 October 1990 (next to be held 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 3 February 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: left wing of the Catholic Church and labor unions allied to leftist Worker's Party are critical of government's social and economic policies
_#_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 large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 23 white five-pointed stars (one for each state) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, with large agrarian, mining, and manufacturing sectors, entered the 1990s with declining real growth, runaway inflation, an unserviceable foreign debt of $122 billion, and a lack of policy direction. In addition, the economy remained highly regulated, inward-looking, and protected by substantial trade and investment barriers. Ownership of major industrial and mining facilities is divided among private interests—including several multinationals—and the government. Most large agricultural holdings are private, with the government channeling financing to this sector. Conflicts between large landholders and landless peasants have produced intermittent violence. The government is seeking an IMF standby loan despite several failed agreements over the past decade. Relations with foreign commercial banks remain strained because of mounting interest arrears on Brazil's long-term debt. The Collor government, which assumed office in March 1990, is embarked on an ambitious reform program that seeks to modernize and reinvigorate the economy by stabilizing prices, deregulating the economy, and opening it to increased foreign competition. A major long-run strength is Brazil's vast natural resources.
_#_GDP: $388 billion, per capita $2,540; real growth rate - 4.6% (1990)
partners—EC 29%, US 23%, Latin America 10%, Japan 7% (1989)
_#_Imports: $20.4 billion (1990);
commodities—crude oil, capital goods, chemical products, foodstuffs, 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); accounts for 35% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 55,773,000 kW capacity; 214,116 million kWh produced, 1,400 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles and other consumer goods, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, steel, motor vehicles and auto parts, metalworking, capital goods, tin
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP; world's largest producer and exporter of coffee and orange juice concentrate and second-largest exporter of soybeans; other products—rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, beef; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and coca, mostly for domestic consumption; government has a modest eradication program to control cannabis and coca cultivation
_#_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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 29,694 km total; 25,268 km 1.000-meter gauge, 4,339 km 1.600-meter gauge, 74 km mixed 1.600-1.000-meter gauge, 13 km 0.760-meter gauge; 2,308 km electrified
_#_Highways: 1,448,000 km total; 48,000 km paved, 1,400,000 km gravel or earth
_#_Ports: Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos
_#_Merchant marine: 263 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,898,838 GRT/9,975,272 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 59 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 13 container, 7 roll-on/roll-off, 60 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 15 chemical tanker, 11 liquefied gas, 14 combination ore/oil, 79 bulk, 2 combination bulk; additionally, 2 naval tanker and 4 military transport are sometimes used commercially
_#_Civil air: 176 major transport aircraft
_#_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 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 fit for military service; 1,637,434 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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: the entire Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius
_#_Climate: tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
_#_Terrain: flat and low (up to 4 meters in elevation)
_#_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, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean
_*People #_Population: no permanent civilian population; formerly about 3,000 islanders
_#_Ethnic divisions: civilian inhabitants, known as the Ilois, evacuated to Mauritius before construction of UK and US defense facilities
_*Government #_Long-form name: British Indian Ocean Territory (no short-form name); abbreviated BIOT
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: none
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government—Commissioner and Administrator R. EDIS (since NA 1988); note—resides in the UK
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: white with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and six blue wavy horizontal stripes bearing a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands.
_#_Electricity: provided by the US military
_*Communications #_Highways: short stretch of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia
_#_Ports: Diego Garcia
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways over 3,659 m on Diego Garcia
_#_Telecommunications: minimal facilities; stations (operated by the US Navy)—1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth 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 moderated by trade winds
_#_Ethnic divisions: black over 90%, remainder of white and Asian origin
_#_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%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970)
_#_Labor force: 4,911 (1980)
_#_Organized labor: NA% of labor force
_*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, 1 July
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor John Mark Ambrose HERDMAN (since NA 1986);
Head of Government—Chief Minister H. Lavity STOUTT (since NA 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 12 November 1990 (next to be held by November 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(9 total) VIP 6, IPM 1, independent 2
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_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 depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is highly dependent on the tourist industry, which generates about 21% of the national income. In 1985 the government offered offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and, in consequence, incorporation fees generated about $2 million in 1987. Livestock raising is the most significant agricultural activity. The islands' crops, limited by poor soils, are unable to meet food requirements.
_#_GDP: $106.7 million, per capita $8,900; real 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)
_*Communications #_Highways: 106 km motorable roads (1983)
_#_Ports: Road Town
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways less than 1,220 m
_#_Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones; worldwide external telephone service; submarine cable communication links 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: slightly larger than Delaware
_#_Land boundary: 381 km with Malaysia
_#_Coastline: 161 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides the country
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy
_#_Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
_#_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 severe flooding are rare
_#_Note: close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia
_#_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%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 89,000 (includes members of the Army); 33% of 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 labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Negara Brunei Darussalam
_#_Constitution: 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984)
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law
_#_National holiday: National Day, 23 February (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 5 October 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 appointive body by decree of the sultan 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 at 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); telephone [673] (2) 229-670
_#_Flag: yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare measures, and village tradition. It is almost totally supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from the petroleum sector accounting for more than 50% of GDP. Per capita GDP of $9,600 is among the highest in the Third World, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and housing.
_#_GDP: $3.3 billion, per capita $9,600; real growth rate 2.7% (1989 est.)
commodities—machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals;
partners—Singapore 36%, UK 26%, Switzerland 7%, US 7%, Japan 6% (1988)
_#_External debt: none
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 12.9% (1987); accounts for 52.4% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 890 million kWh produced, 2,400 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: petroleum, liquefied natural gas, construction
_#_Agriculture: imports about 80% of its food needs; principal 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 at par with the Singapore dollar
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 13 km 0.610-meter narrow-gauge private line
_#_Highways: 1,090 km total; 370 km paved (bituminous treated) and another 52 km under construction, 720 km gravel or unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: 209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters
_#_Ports: Kuala Belait, Muara
_#_Merchant marine: 7 liquefied gas carriers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635 DWT
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft (3 Boeing 757-200, 1 Boeing 737-200)
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over 3,659 m; 1 with runway 1,406 m
_#_Telecommunications: service throughout country is adequate for present needs; international service good to adjacent Malaysia; radiobroadcast coverage good; 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 fit for military service; 3,199 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $233.1 million, 7.1% of GDP (1988) %@Bulgaria *Geography #_Total area: 110,910 km2; land area: 110,550 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee
_#_Land boundaries: 1,881 km 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: Macedonia question with Greece and Yugoslavia
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 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 correspond to ethnic breakdown
_#_Literacy: 93% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over 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 (splinter confederation from KNSB); Podkrepa (Support) Labor Confederation, legally registered in January 1990
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Bulgaria
_#_Type: emerging democracy, continuing significant Communist party influence
_#_Capital: Sofia
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (oblasti, singular—oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo, Lovech, Mikhaylovgrad, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Sofiya, Varna
_#_Independence: 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)
_#_Constitution: 16 May 1971, effective 18 May 1971; a new constitution is likely to be adopted in 1991
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system, with Soviet law influence; 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, chairman of the Council of Ministers (premier), three deputy chairmen of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Narodno Sobranie)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Zhelyu ZHELEV (since 1 August 1990);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier) Dimitur POPOV (since 19 December 1990); Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Aleksandur TOMOV (since 19 December 1990); Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Viktor VULKOV (since 19 December 1990); Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Dimitur LUDZHEV (since 19 December 1990);
_#_Political parties and leaders: government—Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), formerly Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP), Aleksandur LILOV, chairman;
opposition—Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), Filip DIMITROV, chairman, consisting of Nikola Petkov Bulgarian Agrarian National Union, Milan DRENCHEV, secretary of 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 compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
Chairman of the State Council—last held 1 August 1990 (next to be held May 1991); results—Zhelyo ZHELEV was elected by the National Assembly;
National Assembly—last held 10 and 17 June 1990 (next to be held in 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 other 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
_#_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 formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed—it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation from Nazi control)
_*Economy #_Overview: Growth in the lackluster Bulgarian economy fell to the 2% annual level in the 1980s. By 1990 Sofia's foreign debt had skyrocketed to over $10 billion—giving a debt service ratio of more than 40% of hard currency earnings and leading the regime to declare a moratorium on its hard currency payments. The post-Zhivkov regime faces major problems of renovating an aging industrial plant; coping with worsening energy, food, and consumer goods shortages; keeping abreast of rapidly unfolding technological developments; investing in additional energy capacity (the portion of electric power from nuclear energy reached over one-third in 1990); and motivating workers, in part by giving them a share in the earnings of their enterprises. A major decree of January 1989 summarized and extended 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 US Chamber of Commerce study. It was never instituted because of a political stalemate between the BSP and the UDF. The new Popov government launched a similar reform program in January 1991, but full implementation has been slowed by continuing political disputes.
_#_GNP: $47.3 billion, per capita $5,300; real growth rate - 6.0% (1990)
_#_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); accounts for about 50% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 11,500,000 kW capacity; 45,000 million kWh produced, 5,040 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: machine and metal building,food processing, chemicals, textiles, building materials, ferrous and nonferrous metals
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP; climate and soil conditions support livestock raising and the growing of various grain crops, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits and tobacco; more than one-third of the arable land devoted to grain; world's fourth-largest tobacco exporter; surplus food producer
_#_Economic aid: donor—$1.6 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed 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 hard surface (including 242 km superhighways); 3,373 km earth roads (1987)
_#_Ports: Burgas, Varna, Varna West; river ports are Ruse, Vidin, and Lom on the Danube
_#_Merchant marine: 112 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 1,227,817 GRT/1,860,294 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 33 cargo, 2 container, 1 passenger-cargo training, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 18 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 47 bulk; Bulgaria owns 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 51,035 DWT operating under Liberian registry
_#_Civil air: 86 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 380 total, 380 usable; about 120 with permanent-surface runways; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 2.5 million telephones; direct dialing to 36 countries; phone density is 25 phones per 100 persons; 67% of Sofia households now have a phone (November 1988); stations—21 AM, 16 FM, and 19 TV, with 1 Soviet TV relay in Sofia; 2.1 million TV sets (1990); 92% of country receives 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 15-49, 2,183,539; 1,826,992 fit for military service; 67,836 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: 1.615 billion leva, NA% of GDP (1990); note—conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate would produce misleading results %@Burkina *Geography #_Total area: 274,200 km2; land area: 273,800 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 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 proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
_#_Ethnic divisions: more than 50 tribes; principal tribe is Mossi (about 2.5 million); other important groups are Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs about 65%, Muslim 25%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
_#_Language: French (official); tribal languages belong to 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 male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (1984); 44% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: four principal trade union groups represent less than 1% of population
_*Government #_Long-form name: Burkina Faso
_#_Type: military; established by coup on 4 August 1983
_#_Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France; formerly Upper Volta)
_#_Constitution: none; constitution of 27 November 1977 was abolished following coup of 25 November 1980; constitutional referendum scheduled for June 1991
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)
_#_Executive branch: chairman of the Popular Front, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) was dissolved on 25 November 1980
_#_Judicial branch: Appeals Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Chairman of the Popular Front Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders: all political parties banned following November 1980 coup
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: the National Assembly was dissolved 25 November 1980; presidential elections are scheduled for 3 November 1991 and legislative elections for 8 December 1991
_#_Communists: small Communist party front group; some sympathizers
_#_Other political or pressure groups: committees for the defense of the revolution, watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities
_#_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: One of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina has a high population density, few natural resources, and relatively infertile soil. Economic development is hindered by a poor communications network within a landlocked country. Agriculture provides about 40% of GDP and is entirely of a subsistence nature. Industry, dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations, accounts for about 15% of GDP.
_#_GDP: $1.75 billion, per capita $205 (1988); real growth rate 3% (1989)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Railroads: 620 km total; 520 km Ouagadougou to Ivory Coast border and 100 km Ouagadougou to Kaya; all 1.00-meter gauge and single track
_#_Highways: 16,500 km total; 1,300 km paved, 7,400 km improved, 7,800 km unimproved (1985)
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_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 only fair; radio relay, wire, and radio communication stations in use; 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 fit for military service; no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $55 million, 2.7% of GDP (1988) %@Burma *Geography #_Total area: 678,500 km2; land area: 657,740 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)
_#_Terrain: central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
_#_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: subject to destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); deforestation
_#_Note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes
_*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: Rangoon (sometimes translated as Yangon)
_#_Constitution: 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988)
_#_Legal system: martial law in effect throughout most of the country; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 4 January (1948)
_#_Executive branch: chairman 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 of 18 September 1988
_#_Judicial branch: Council of People's Justices was abolished after the coup of 18 September 1988
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. SAW MAUNG (since 18 September 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Unity Party (NUP; proregime), 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 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened; results—NLD 80%; seats—(485 total) NLD 396, the regime-favored NUP 10, other 79
_#_Communists: several hundred (est.) in 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)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador U MYO AUNG; Chancery at 2300 S Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-9044 through 9046; there is 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 hoist-side corner bearing, all in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing 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 been unable to achieve any substantial improvement in export earnings because of falling prices for many of its major commodity exports. For rice, traditionally the most important export, the drop in world prices has been accompanied by shrinking markets and a smaller volume of sales. In 1985 teak replaced rice as the largest export and continues to hold this position. The economy is heavily dependent on the agricultural sector, which generates about half of GDP and provides employment for 66% of the work force.
_#_GDP: $16.8 billion, per capita $408; real growth rate NEGL% (FY90 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.6% (FY90 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 950,000 kW capacity; 2,900 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products; petroleum refining; mining of copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 51% of GDP (including fish and forestry); self-sufficient in food; principal crops—paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; world's largest stand of hardwood trees; rice and teak account for 55% of export revenues; fish catch of 732,000 metric tons (FY90)
_#_Illicit drugs: world's largest illicit producer of opium poppy and minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; opium production is on the increase as growers respond to the collapse of Rangoon's antinarcotic 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
_*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 bituminous, 17,700 km improved earth or gravel, 6,100 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 12,800 km; 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels
_#_Pipelines: crude, 1,343 km; natural gas, 330 km
_#_Civil air: 17 major transport aircraft (including 3 helicopters)
_#_Airports: 86 total, 79 usable; 29 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 37 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service; international service is good; radiobroadcast coverage is limited to the most populous 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; of the 10,378,743 males 15-49, 5,566,247 are fit for military service; of the 10,388,232 females 15-49, 5,558,007 are fit for military service; 442,200 males and 431,407 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $315.0 million, 3% of GDP (FY88) %@Burundi *Geography #_Total area: 27,830 km2; land area: 25,650 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: temperate; warm; occasional frost in uplands
_#_Terrain: mostly rolling to hilly highland; some plains
_#_Ethnic divisions: Africans—Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%; other Africans include about 70,000 refugees, mostly Rwandans and Zairians; non-Africans include 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%) age 15 and over 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 population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: sole group is the Union of Burundi Workers (UTB); by charter, membership is extended to all Burundi workers (informally); active membership figures NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Burundi
_#_Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
_#_Constitution: 20 November 1981; suspended following the coup of 3 September 1987; referendum for a new constitution scheduled for March 1992
_#_Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
_#_Executive branch: president; chairman of the Central Committee of the National Party of Unity and Progress (UPRONA), prime minister
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) was dissolved following the coup of 3 September 1987; at an extraordinary party congress held from 27 to 29 December 1990, the Central Committee of the National Party of Unity and Progress (UPRONA) replaced the Military Committee for National Salvation, and became the supreme governing body during the transition to constitutional government
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Pierre BUYOYA (since 9 September 1987);
Head of Government Prime Minister Adrien SIBOMANA (since 26 October 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 after the coup of 3 September 1987;
note—The National Unity Charter outlining the principles for constitutional government was adopted by a national referendum on 5 February 1991
_#_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); telephone 234-54 through 56
_#_Flag: divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and outer side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below)
_*Economy #_Overview: A landlocked, resource-poor country in an early stage of economic development, Burundi is predominately agricultural with only a few basic industries. Its economic health depends on the coffee crop, which accounts for an average 90% of foreign exchange earnings each year. The ability to pay for imports therefore continues to rest largely on the vagaries of the climate and the international coffee market.
_#_GDP: $1.1 billion, per capita $200; real 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.)
_#_External debt: $957 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: real growth rate 5.1% (1986); accounts for about 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 51,000 kW capacity; 105 million kWh produced, 19 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imports; public works construction; food processing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP; 90% of population dependent on subsistence farming; marginally 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
_*Communications #_Highways: 5,900 km total; 400 km paved, 2,500 km gravel or laterite, 3,000 km improved or unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: Lake Tanganyika
_#_Ports: Bujumbura (lake port) connects to transportation systems of Tanzania and Zaire
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 8 total, 7 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220 to 2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sparse system of wire, radiocommunications, and low-capacity radio relay links; 8,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (includes naval and air units); paramilitary Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,268,342; 661,888 fit for military service; 64,538 reach military age (16) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $33 million, 3.1% of GDP (1988) %@Cambodia *Geography #_Total area: 181,040 km2; land area: 176,520 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 not defined; occupied by Vietnam on 25 December 1978
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to October); dry season (December to March); little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
_#_Natural resources: timber, 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 land of paddies and forests dominated by Mekong River and Tonle Sap
_#_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: 9 November 1953 (from France)
_#_Constitution: SOC—27 June 1981
_#_National holidays: NGC—Independence Day, 17 April (1975); SOC—Liberation Day, 7 January (1979)
_#_Executive branch: NGC—president, prime minister; SOC—chairman of the Council of State, Council of State, chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: NGC—none; SOC—unicameral National Assembly
Chief of State—NGC—President Prince NORODOM SIHANOUK (since NA July 1982); SOC—Chairman of the Council of State HENG SAMRIN (since 27 June 1981)
Head of Government—NGC—Prime Minister SON SANN (since NA July 1982); SOC—Chairman of the Council of Ministers HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: NGC—three resistance groups including: Democratic Kampuchea (DK, also known as the Khmer Rouge) under KHIEU SAMPHAN; Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF) under SON SANN; and National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) under Prince NORODOM RANNARIDH; SOC—Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP) led by HENG SAMRIN
_#_Suffrage: NGC—none; SOC—universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
NGC—none;
SOC—National Assembly—last held 1 May 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
_#_Flag: NGC—three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white stylized three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat centered on the red band;
SOC—two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue with a gold stylized five-towered temple representing Angkor Wat in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: Cambodia is a desperately poor country whose economic development has been stymied by deadly political infighting. The economy is based on agriculture and related industries. Over the past decade Cambodia has been slowly recovering from its near destruction by war and political upheaval. It still remains, however, one of the world's poorest countries, with an estimated per capita GDP of about $130. The food situation is precarious; during the 1980s famine has been averted only through international relief. In 1986 the production level of rice, the staple food crop, was able to meet only 80% of domestic needs. The biggest success of the nation's recovery program has been in new rubber plantings and in fishing. Industry, other than rice processing, is almost nonexistent. Foreign trade is primarily with the USSR and Vietnam. Statistical data on the economy continues to be sparse and unreliable. Foreign aid from the USSR and Eastern Europe almost certainly is being slashed.
_#_GDP: $890 million, per capita $130; real growth rate 0% (1989 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
_#_Agriculture: mainly 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 612 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned
_#_Highways: 13,351 km total; 2,622 km bituminous; 7,105 km crushed stone, gravel, or improved earth; 3,624 km unimproved earth; some roads in disrepair
_#_Inland waterways: 3,700 km navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 meters; 282 km navigable to craft drawing 1.8 meters
_#_Ports: Kampong Saom, Phnom Penh
_#_Airports: 22 total, 9 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: service barely adequate for government requirements and virtually nonexistent for general public; international service limited to Vietnam and other adjacent 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 fit for military service; 57,288 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP %@Cameroon *Geography #_Total area: 475,440 km2; land area: 469,440 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger 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: demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; Nigerian proposals to reopen maritime boundary negotiations and redemarcate the entire land boundary have been rejected by Cameroon
_#_Climate: varies with terrain from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
_#_Terrain: diverse with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in 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 with release of poisonous gases; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification
_#_Note: sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa
_#_Ethnic divisions: over 200 tribes of widely differing background; 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 major African language groups
_#_Literacy: 54% (male 66%, female 43%) age 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 population of working age (15-64 years) (1985)
_#_Organized labor: under 45% of wage labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Cameroon
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest
_#_Independence: 1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration; formerly French Cameroon)
_#_Constitution: 20 May 1972
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 20 May (1972)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982);
Head of Government interim Prime Minister Sadou HAYATOU (since 25 April 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC), Paul BIYA, president, is government-controlled and was formerly the only party; 17 parties formed by 1 May 1991
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held 24 April 1988 (next to be held April 1993); results—President Paul BIYA reelected without opposition;
National Assembly—last held 24 April 1988 (next 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
_#_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 bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
_*Economy #_Overview: Over the past decade the economy has registered a remarkable performance because of the development of an offshore oil industry. Real GDP growth annually averaged 10% from 1978 to 1985. In 1986 Cameroon had one of the highest levels of income per capita in tropical Africa, with oil revenues picking up the slack as growth in other sectors softened. Because of the sharp drop in oil prices, however, the economy experienced serious budgetary difficulties and balance-of-payments disequilibrium. Despite the recent upsurge in oil prices, Cameroon's economic outlook is troubled. Oil reserves currently being exploited will be depleted in the early 1990s, so ways must be found to boost agricultural and industrial exports in the medium term. The Sixth Cameroon Development Plan (1986-91) stresses balanced development and designates agriculture as the basis of the country's economic future.
_#_GDP: $11.5 billion, per capita $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; expenditures $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA million (FY89)
_#_Agriculture: the agriculture and forestry sectors provide employment for the majority of the population, contributing nearly 25% to GDP and providing a high degree of self-sufficiency in staple foods; commercial and food crops include coffee, cocoa, timber, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, livestock, 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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Airports: 60 total, 52 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good 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 fit for military service; 125,421 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $219 million, 1.7% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Canada *Geography #_Total area: 9,976,140 km2; land area: 9,220,970 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than US
_#_Land boundaries: 8,893 km with US (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
_#_Coastline: 243,791 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary disputes with France (Saint Pierre and Miquelon) and US
_#_Climate: varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
_#_Terrain: mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
_#_Ethnic divisions: British Isles origin 40%, French origin 27%, other European 20%, indigenous Indian and Eskimo 1.5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 46%, United Church 16%, Anglican 10%
_#_Language: English and French (both official)
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over 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 labor force; 39.6% of nonagricultural paid workers
_*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: 1 July 1867 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: amended British North America Act 1867 patriated to Canada 17 April 1982; charter of rights and unwritten customs
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Canada Day, 1 July (1867)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or House of Commons (Chambre des Communes)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Raymond John HNATSHYN (since 29 January 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister (Martin) Brian MULRONEY (since 4 September 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 21 November 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Derek BURNEY; Chancery at 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (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); telephone (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 (hoist side), white (double width, square), and red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely resembles the US in per capita output, market-oriented economic system, and pattern of production. Since World War II the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. In the 1980s Canada registered one of the highest rates of real growth among the OECD nations, averaging about 3.2%. With its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada has excellent economic prospects. In mid-1990, however, the long-simmering problems between English- and French-speaking areas became so acute that observers spoke openly of a possible split in the confederation; foreign investors were becoming edgy.
_#_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 petroleum, machinery, natural gas, ferrous and nonferrous ores, motor vehicles and parts;
partners—US, Japan, UK, FRG, other EC, USSR
_#_Imports: $116.3 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—processed foods, beverages, crude petroleum, chemicals, industrial machinery, motor vehicles and parts, durable consumer goods, electronic computers;
partners—US, Japan, UK, FRG, other EC, Taiwan, South Korea, Mexico
_#_External debt: $247 billion (1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 2.7% (1990); accounts for 34% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 105,000,000 kW capacity; 500,000 million kWh produced, 18,840 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products, petroleum and natural gas
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 3% of GDP; one of the world's major producers and exporters of grain (wheat and barley); key source of US agricultural imports; large forest resources cover 35% of total land area; commercial fisheries provide annual catch of 1.5 million metric tons, of which 75% is exported
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 93,544 km total; two major transcontinental freight railway systems—Canadian National (government owned) and Canadian Pacific Railway; passenger service—VIA (government operated)
_#_Highways: 884,272 km total; 712,936 km surfaced (250,023 km paved), 171,336 km earth
_#_Inland waterways: 3,000 km, including Saint Lawrence Seaway
_#_Pipelines: oil, 23,564 km total crude and refined; natural gas, 74,980 km
_#_Ports: Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Saint John (New Brunswick), Saint John's (Newfoundland), Toronto, Vancouver
_#_Merchant marine: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 532,062 GRT/727,118 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 5 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 13 cargo, 2 railcar carrier, 1 refrigerated cargo, 8 roll-on/roll-off, 1 container, 27 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 8 bulk; note—does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes
_#_Civil air: 636 major transport aircraft; Air Canada is the major carrier
_#_Airports: 1,397 total, 1,154 usable; 443 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 328 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent service provided by modern media; 18.0 million telephones; stations—900 AM, 29 FM, 53 (1,400 repeaters) TV; 5 coaxial submarine cables; over 300 earth stations operating in INTELSAT (including 4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and domestic 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 fit for military service; 188,996 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $11.3 billion, 2% of GDP (FY90) %@Cape Verde *Geography #_Total area: 4,030 km2; land area: 4,030 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 965 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: temperate; warm, dry, summer precipitation very erratic
_#_Terrain: steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
_#_Natural resources: salt, basalt rock, pozzolana, limestone, kaolin, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 9%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 85%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: subject to prolonged droughts; harmattan wind can obscure visibility; volcanically and seismically active; deforestation; overgrazing
_#_Note: strategic location 500 km from African coast near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site
_#_Ethnic divisions: Creole (mulatto) about 71%, African 28%, European 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs
_#_Language: Portuguese and Crioulo, a blend of Portuguese and West African words
_#_Literacy: 66% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.)
_#_Labor force: 102,000 (1985 est.); agriculture (mostly subsistence) 57%, services 29%, industry 14% (1981); 51% of 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, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal
_#_Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
_#_Constitution: 7 September 1980; amended 12 February 1981, NA December 1988, and 28 September 1990 (legalized opposition parties)
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy minister, secretaries of state, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Antonio Mascarenhas MONTEIRO (since 22 March 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA (since 13 January 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 17 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results—Antonio Mascarenhas MONTEIRO (MPD) received 72.6% of vote;
People's National Assembly—last held 13 January 1991 (next to be held January 1996); results—percent of vote 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 bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; in the upper portion of the red band is a black five-pointed star framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea-Bissau which is longer and has an unadorned black star centered in the red band
_*Economy #_Overview: Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, a 17-year drought, and a high birthrate. The economy is service oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for 65% of GDP during the period 1985-88. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 16%; the fishing sector accounts for 4%. About 90% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. In 1988 fishing represented only 3.5% of GDP. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by remittances from emigrants and foreign aid.
_#_GDP: $262 million, per capita $740; real growth rate 3.2% (1988 est.)
partners—Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, France, Brazil, FRG
_#_External debt: $150 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 18% (1988 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 13,000 kW capacity; 15 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industry: fish processing, salt mining, clothing factories, ship repair, construction materials, food and beverage production
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP; largely subsistence farming; bananas are the only export crop; other crops—corn, beans, sweet potatoes, coffee; growth potential of agricultural sector limited by poor soils and limited rainfall; annual food imports required; fish catch provides for both domestic consumption and small 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
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft (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 telephones; 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)—Army and Navy are separate components of FARP; Militia, Security Service
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 70,771; 41,844 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $15 million, 11% of GDP (1981) %@Cayman Islands (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
_#_Natural resources: fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland 23%; other 69%
_#_Environment: within the Caribbean hurricane belt
_#_Note: important location between Cuba and Central America
_#_Ethnic divisions: 40% mixed, 20% white, 20% black, 20% expatriates of 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%) age 15 and over having ever 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 (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Legal system: British common law and local statutes
_#_Constitution: 1959, revised 1972
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day (first Monday in July), 1 July 1991
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Judicial branch: Grand Court, Cayman Islands Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 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 formal political parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held NA November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results—percent of vote NA; 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 flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Caymanian coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms includes a pineapple and turtle above a shield with three stars (representing the three islands) and a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy depends heavily on tourism (70% of GDP and 75% of export earnings) and offshore financial services, with the tourist industry aimed at the luxury market and catering mainly to visitors from North America. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods needs must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the region.
_#_GDP: $342 million, per capita $13,670 (1989); real 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)
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 capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, building materials, furniture making
_#_Agriculture: minor production of vegetables, fruit, 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 over) totaling 372,732 GRT/604,395 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 6 cargo, 7 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas carrier, 9 bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Airports: 3 total; 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 35,000 telephones; telephone system uses 1 submarine coaxial cable and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station to link 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: slightly 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, wet summers
_#_Terrain: vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 64%; other 28%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
_#_Ethnic divisions: about 80 ethnic groups, the majority of which have related ethnic and linguistic characteristics; Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%; 6,500 Europeans, of whom 3,600 are French
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%, other 11%; animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
_#_Language: French (official); Sangho (lingua franca and national language); Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili
_#_Literacy: 27% (male 33%, female 15%) age 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 population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 1% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Central African Republic (no short-form name); abbreviated CAR
_#_Type: republic, one-party presidential regime 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: 13 August 1960 (from France; formerly 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, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) advised by the Economic and Regional Council (Conseil Economique et Regional); when they sit together this is known as the Congress (Congres)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA (since 1 September 1981)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Centrafrican Democrtic Rally Party (RDC), Andre-Dieudonne 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 opposition;
National Assembly—last held 31 July 1987 (next to be held July 1992); results—RDC is the only party; seats—(52 total) RDC 52
_#_Communists: small number of Communist sympathizers
_#_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 bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band
_*Economy #_Overview: The Central African Republic (CAR) had a per capita income of roughly $440 in 1990. Subsistence agriculture, including forestry, is the backbone of the economy, with over 70% of the population living in the countryside. In 1988 the agricultural sector generated about 40% of GDP. Agricultural products accounted for about 60% of export earnings and the diamond industry for 30%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation infrastructure, and a weak human resource base. Multilateral and bilateral development assistance plays a major role in providing capital for new investment.
_#_GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $440; real growth rate 2.0% (1990 est.)
partners—France, other EC, Japan, Algeria, Yugoslavia
_#_External debt: $671 million (December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: 0.8% (1988); accounts for 12% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 35,000 kW capacity; 84 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Highways: 22,000 km total; 458 km bituminous, 10,542 km improved earth, 11,000 unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 66 total, 49 usable; 4 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: fair system; network relies primarily on radio relay links, with low-capacity, low-powered radiocommunication also used; 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 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $23 million, 1.8% of GDP (1989 est.) %@Chad *Geography #_Total area: 1,284,000 km2; land area: 1,259,200 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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; demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
_#_Climate: tropical in south, desert in north
_#_Terrain: broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south
_#_Natural resources: crude oil (unexploited but exploration beginning), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 36%; forest and woodland 11%; other 51%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; drought and desertification adversely affecting south; subject to plagues of locusts
_#_Note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel
_#_Ethnic divisions: some 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; some 150,000 nonindigenous, of whom 1,000 are French
_#_Religion: Muslim 44%, Christian 33%, indigenous beliefs, animism 23%
_#_Language: French and Arabic (official); Sara and Sango in south; more than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken
_#_Literacy: 30% (male 42%, female 18%) age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: NA; agriculture (engaged in unpaid subsistence farming, herding, and fishing) 85%
_#_Constitution: 22 December 1989, suspended 3 December 1990; Provisional National Charter 1 March 1991
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: NA
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of State (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: the National Consultative Council (Conseil National Consultatif) was disbanded 3 December 1990 and replaced by the Provisional Council of the Republic; 30 members appointed by President DEBY on 8 March 1991
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Col. Idriss DEBY (since 4 December 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jean LINGUE Bawoyeu (since 8 March 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS; former dissident group), Idriss DEBY, chairman; President DEBY has promised political pluralism, a new constitution, and free elections by September 1993; numerous dissident groups
_#_Suffrage: universal at age NA
_#_Elections:
President—last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held NA); results—President Hissein HABRE was elected without opposition; note—the government of then President HABRE fell on 1 December 1990 and Idriss DEBY seized power on 3 December 1990;
National Consultative Council—last held 8 July 1990; disbanded 3 December 1990
_#_Communists: no front organizations or underground party; probably a few Communists and some sympathizers
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mahamat Ali ADOUM; Chancery at 2002 R Steet 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 bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flag of Andorra which has a national coat of arms featuring a quartered shield centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France
_*Economy #_Overview: The climate, geographic location, and lack of infrastructure and natural resources potential make Chad one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Its economy is burdened by the ravages of civil war, conflict with Libya, drought, and food shortages. In 1986 real GDP returned to its 1977 level, with cotton, the major cash crop, accounting for 48% of exports. Over 80% of the work force is employed in subsistence farming and fishing. Industry is based almost entirely on the processing of agricultural products, including cotton, sugarcane, and cattle. Chad is highly dependent on foreign aid, with its economy in trouble and many regions suffering from shortages. Oil companies are exploring areas north of Lake Chad and in the Doba basin in the south.
_#_GDP: $1,015 million, per capita $205; real growth rate 0.9% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $78 million; expenditures $127 million, not including capital expenditures that are mostly financed by foreign aid donors (1989 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 45% of GDP; largely subsistence farming; cotton most important cash crop; food crops include sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc; livestock—cattle, sheep, goats, camels; self-sufficient in food in years of adequate 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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Highways: 31,322 km total; 32 km bituminous; 7,300 km gravel and laterite; remainder unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: 2,000 km navigable
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 70 total, 54 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 23 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of radiocommunication stations for intercity links; 5,000 telephones; stations—3 AM, 1 FM, limited TV service; many facilities are inoperative; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth 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 fit for military service; 51,713 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $39 million, 4.3% of GDP (1988) %@Chile *Geography #_Total area: 756,950 km2; land area: 748,800 km2; includes Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) and Isla Sala y Gomez
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: short section of the southern boundary with Argentina is indefinite; Bolivia has wanted a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with Bolivia over Rio Lauca water rights; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine claim
_#_Climate: temperate; desert in north; cool and damp in south
_#_Terrain: low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
_#_Natural resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum
_#_Land use: arable land 7%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 16%; forest and woodland 21%; other 56%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: subject to severe earthquakes, active volcanism, tsunami; Atacama Desert one of world's driest regions; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)
_#_Ethnic divisions: European and European-Indian 95%, Indian 3%, other 2%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, and small Jewish population
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 94%, female 93%) age 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 labor force (1990)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Chile
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Santiago
_#_Administrative divisions: 13 regions (regiones, singular—region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana, Tarapaca, Valparaiso; note—the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
_#_Independence: 18 September 1810 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989
_#_Legal system: based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting of an upper house or Senate (Senado) and a lower house or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Patricio AYLWIN (since 11 March 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Concertation of Parties for Democracy now consists mainly of 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; Movement of Revolutionary Left (MIR) is splintered, no single leader
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 14 December 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 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993 or January 1994); seats—(46 total, 38 elected) Concertation 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 14 December 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 in the process of regaining legal party status and has less than 60,000 members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: revitalized university student federations at all major universities dominated by opposition political groups; labor—United Labor Central (CUT) includes trade unionists from the country's five-largest labor confederations; Roman Catholic Church
_#_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 bands of white (top) and red; there is a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center; design was based on the US flag
_*Economy #_Overview: In 1990 economic growth slowed from an average of 6.2% for the previous six years to about 1.5% as a result of tight monetary policy aimed at reducing inflation. Monetary policy was not successful at slowing price increases until the end of the year, however, and inflation, stimulated by higher world oil prices, increased to 27.3% in 1990 from 21.4% in 1989. Copper prices held strong in 1990, helping to maintain a balance-of-payments surplus and increase international reserves. Most observers expect that inflationary pressures have run their course and price increases will slow during 1991, contributing to growth of 4-5%.
_#_GDP: $26 billion, per capita $2,000; real 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.)
commodities—petroleum, wheat, capital goods, 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); accounts for 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 4,138,000 kW capacity; 17,784 million kWh produced, 1,360 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 8% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); major exporter of fruit, fish, and timber products; major crops—wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, deciduous fruit; livestock products—beef, poultry, wool; self-sufficient in most foods; 1986 fish catch of 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 8,613 km total; 4,257 km 1.676-meter gauge, 135 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 4,221 km 1.000-meter gauge; electrification, 1,865 km 1.676-meter gauge, 80 km 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)
_#_Ports: Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, San Antonio, Talcahuano, Arica
_#_Merchant marine: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 485,935 GRT/800,969 DWT; includes 14 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 9 bulk; note—in addition, 2 naval tanker and 2 military transport are sometimes used commercially
_#_Civil air: 22 major transport aircraft
_#_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 telephone system based on extensive radio relay facilities; 768,000 telephones; stations—159 AM, no FM, 131 TV, 11 shortwave; satellite stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army of the Nation, National Navy (including Naval Air and Marines), Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros of Chile (National Police)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 3,544,962; 2,647,148 fit for military service; 119,511 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $737 million, 3% of GNP (1991 est.) %@China (also see separate Taiwan entry) *Geography #_Total area: 9,596,960 km2; land area: 9,326,410 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 East China Sea and Yellow Sea
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: boundary with India; bilateral negotiations are under way to resolve disputed sections of the boundary with the USSR; a short section of the boundary with North Korea is indefinite; sporadic border clashes with Vietnam; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; maritime boundary dispute with Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands)
_#_Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east
_#_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 per year along southern and eastern coasts), damaging floods, tsunamis, earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion; industrial pollution; water pollution; air pollution; desertification
_#_Note: world's third-largest country (after USSR and Canada)
_#_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 pragmatic and eclectic; most important elements 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%) age 15 and over 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: All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) follows the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party; membership over 80 million or about 65% of the urban work force (1985)
_*Government #_Long-form name: People's Republic of China; abbreviated 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 considers Taiwan its 23rd province
_#_Independence: unification under the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty 221 BC, Qing (Ch'ing or Manchu) Dynasty replaced by the Republic on 12 February 1912, People's Republic established 1 October 1949
_#_Constitution: 4 December 1982
_#_Legal system: a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law
_#_National holiday: National Day, 1 October (1949)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, premier, five vice premiers, State Council
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Congress (Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government (de facto)—DENG Xiaoping (since mid-1977);
Chief of State—President YANG Shangkun (since 8 April 1988); Vice President WANG Zhen (since 8 April 1988);
Head of Government—Premier LI Peng (Acting Premier since 24 November 1987, Premier since 9 April 1988); Vice Premier YAO Yilin (since 2 July 1979); Vice Premier TIAN Jiyun (since 20 June 1983); Vice Premier WU Xueqian (since 12 April 1988); Vice Premier ZOU Jiahua (since 8 April 1991); Vice Premier ZHU Rongji (since 8 April 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 8 April 1988 (next to be held March 1993); YANG Shangkun was nominally elected by the Seventh National People's Congress;
National People's Congress—last held NA March 1988 (next to be held 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 county or xian level)
_#_Communists: 49,000,000 party members (1990 est.)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: such meaningful opposition as exists consists of loose coalitions, usually within the party and government organization, that vary by issue
_#_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 large 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: Beginning in late 1978 the Chinese leadership has been trying to move the economy from the sluggish Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a more productive and flexible economy with market elements—but still within the framework of monolithic Communist control. To this end the authorities have switched to a system of household responsibility in agriculture in place of the old collectivization, increased the authority of local officials and plant managers in industry, permitted a wide variety of small-scale enterprise in services and light manufacturing, and opened the foreign economic sector to increased trade and joint ventures. The most gratifying result has been a strong spurt in production, particularly in agriculture in the early 1980s. Otherwise, the leadership has often experienced in its hybrid system the worst results of socialism (bureaucracy, lassitude, corruption) and of capitalism (windfall gains and stepped-up inflation). Beijing thus has periodically backtracked, retightening central controls at intervals and thereby undermining the credibility of the reform process. Popular resistance and changes in central policy have weakened China's population control program, which is essential to the nation's long-term economic viability.
_#_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, garments, telecommunications and recording equipment, petroleum, minerals;
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 26% of GNP; among the world's largest producers of rice, potatoes, sorghum, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, and pork; commercial crops include cotton, other fibers, and oilseeds; produces variety of livestock products; basically 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: total about 54,000 km common carrier lines; 53,400 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 600 km 1.000-meter gauge; all single track except 11,200 km double track on standard-gauge lines; 6,500 km electrified; 10,000 km industrial lines (gauges range from 0.762 to 1.067 meters)
_#_Highways: about 980,000 km all types roads; 162,000 km paved roads, 617,200 km gravel/improved earth roads, 200,800 km unimproved natural earth roads and tracks
_#_Inland waterways: 138,600 km; about 109,800 km navigable
_#_Merchant marine: 1,421 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 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 carrier, 181 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 chemical tanker, 250 bulk, 2 liquefied gas, 2 vehicle carrier, 9 combination bulk; note—China beneficially owns an additional 183 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling approximately 5,921,000 DWT that operate under Maltese and Liberian registry
_#_Airports: 330 total, 330 usable; 260 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 10 with runways over 3,500 m; 90 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 200 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed internal system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and most townships; 11,000,000 telephones (December 1989); stations—274 AM, unknown FM, 202 (2,050 relays) TV; more than 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 15-49, 335,382,062; 187,046,680 fit for military service; 10,967,622 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GNP %@Christmas Island (territory 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 moderated by trade winds
_#_Terrain: steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to 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 completely surrounded by a reef
_#_Note: located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (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 6 February 1952);
Head of Government—Administrator A. D. TAYLOR (since NA)
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Flag: the flag of Australia is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine as no longer economically viable. Plans have been under way to reopen the mine and also to build a casino and hotel to develop tourism, with a possible opening date during 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 capita (1990)
_#_Airports: 1 usable with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 4,000 radios (1982)
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia %@Clipperton Island (French possession) *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 in circumference
_#_Note: located 1,120 km southwest of Mexico in the North Pacific Ocean; also called Ile de la Passion
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French possession administered from French Polynesia by High Commissioner of the Republic Jean MONTPEZAT; note—may have become a dependency of French Polynesia
_*Economy #_Overview: 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: pleasant, modified by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year; moderate 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 thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
_#_Note: located 1,070 km southwest of Sumatra (Indonesia) in the Indian Ocean about halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly 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 upon the laws of Australia and local laws
_#_National holiday: NA
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general of Australia, administrator, chairman of the Islands Council
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Islands Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 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: Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Copra and fresh coconuts are the major export earners. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must 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: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 1,000 kW capacity; 2 million kWh produced, 2,980 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: copra products
_#_Agriculture: gardens provide vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_*Communications #_Ports: none; lagoon anchorage only
_#_Airports: 1 airfield with permanent-surface runway, 1,220-2,439 m; airport on West Island is a link in service between Australia and South Africa
_#_Telecommunications: 250 radios (1985); linked by telephone, telex, and facsimile communications via 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: slightly less than 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, 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 dispute with Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela; territorial dispute with Nicaragua over Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank
_#_Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
_#_Terrain: mixture of flat coastal lowlands, plains in east, central highlands, some high mountains
_#_Organized labor: 1,400,000 members (1987), about 12% of labor force; the Communist-backed Unitary Workers Central or CUT is the largest labor organization, with about 725,000 members (including all affiliate unions)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Colombia
_#_Type: republic; executive branch dominates 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 5 July 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: 20 July 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, 20 July (1810)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of a nationally elected upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a regionally elected lower chamber or 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 7 August 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PL), Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo, president, and Alfonso LOPEZ Michelsen, party head; Social Conservative Party (PCS), Misael PASTRANA Borrero; National Salvation Movement (MSN), Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado; Democratic Alliance (AD) is headed by 19th of April Movement (M-19) leader Antonio NAVARRO Wolf, coalition of small leftist parties and dissident liberals and conservatives; Patriotic Union (UP), is a legal political party formed by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Colombian Communist Party (PCC), Carlos ROMERO
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 27 May 1990 (next to be held 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 11 March 1990 (next to be held 27 October 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(114 total) Liberal 72, Conservative 40, UP 1, vacant 1;
Chamber of Representatives last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held 27 October 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(199 total) Liberal 122, Conservative 68, UP 3, M-19 1, other 5; note—on 5 July 1991 the new Constitution dissolved Congress and replaced it with a multiparty 36-member legislative commission until a new congress, to be elected on 27 October 1991, takes office on 1 December 1991
_#_Communists: 18,000 members (est.), including 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 PEREZ; and dissidents of the recently demobilized People's Liberation Army (EPL) led by Francisco CARABALLO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime GARCIA Parra; Chancery at 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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, Bogota (mailing address is P. O. Box A. A. 3831, Bogota 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 bears the Ecuadorian coat of arms superimposed in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic development has slowed gradually since 1986, but growth rates remain high by Latin American standards. Conservative economic policies have kept inflation and unemployment near 30% and 10%, respectively. The rapid development of oil, coal, and other nontraditional industries over the past four years has helped to offset the decline in coffee prices—Colombia's major export. The collapse of the International Coffee Agreement in the summer of 1989, a troublesome rural insurgency, and drug-related violence dampen 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.)
partners—US 36%, EC 21%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3%
_#_Imports: $5.0 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—industrial equipment, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, 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 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 9,435,000 kW capacity; 36,071 million kWh produced, 1,090 kWh per capita (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); accounts for 22% of GDP; crops make up two-thirds and livestock one-third of agricultural output; climate and soils permit a wide variety of crops, such as coffee, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseeds, vegetables; forest products and shrimp farming are becoming more important
_#_Illicit drugs: major illicit producer of cannabis and coca; key supplier of marijuana and cocaine to the US and other international drug markets; drug production and trafficking accounts 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
_*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 total; 9,350 km paved, 66,100 km earth and gravel surfaces
_#_Inland waterways: 14,300 km, navigable by river boats
_#_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 over) totaling 330,316 GRT/484,351 DWT; includes 23 cargo, 1 chemical tanker, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 bulk; note—2 naval tankers are sometimes used commercially
_#_Civil air: 106 major transport aircraft
_#_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 (Ejercito Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia), National Police (Policia Nacional)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 8,998,759; 6,102,745 fit for military service; 353,122 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $892 million, 2.2% of GDP (1990) %@Comoros *Geography #_Total area: 2,170 km2; land area: 2,170 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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, interiors vary 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 degradation and erosion; deforestation; cyclones possible during rainy season
_#_Note: important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
_#_Language: Shaafi Islam (a Swahili dialect), Malagasy, French
_#_Literacy: 48% (male 56%, female 40%) age 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: 6 July 1975 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 1 October 1978, amended October 1982 and January 1985
_#_Legal system: French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Federal Assembly (Assemblee Federale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Said Mohamed DJOHAR (since 11 March 1990)
_#_Political parties: Comoran 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
_#_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 placed diagonally (closed side of the crescent points to the upper hoist-side corner of the flag); there are four white five-pointed stars placed in a line between the points of the crescent; the crescent, stars, and color green 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: One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of several islands that have poor transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a low level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the leading sector of the economy. It contributes about 40% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. The country is not self-sufficient in food production, and rice, the main staple, accounts for 90% of imports. During the period 1982-86 the industrial sector grew at an annual average rate of 5.3%, but its contribution to GDP was only 5% in 1988. Despite major investment in the tourist industry, which accounts for about 25% of GDP, growth has stagnated since 1983. A sluggish growth rate of 1.5% during 1985-90 has led to large budget deficits, declining incomes, and balance-of-payments difficulties.
_#_GDP: $245 million, per capita $530; real growth rate 1.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: over 16% (1988 est.)
_#_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 foodstuffs, cement, petroleum 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.); accounts for 5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 55 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; most of population works in subsistence agriculture and fishing; plantations produce cash crops for export—vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, and copra; principal food crops—coconuts, bananas, cassava; world's leading producer of essence of ylang-ylang (for perfumes) and 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: Comoran franc (plural—francs); 1 Comoran 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—linked to the French franc at 50 to 1 French franc
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 750 km total; about 210 km bituminous, remainder crushed stone or gravel
_#_Ports: Mutsamudu, Moroni
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sparse system of radio relay and high-frequency radio communication stations for interisland and external communications to Madagascar and Reunion; over 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 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 3% of GDP (1981) %@Congo *Geography #_Total area: 342,000 km2; land area: 341,500 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: long section with Zaire along the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands has been made)
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
_#_Terrain: coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 108 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Congolese (sing., pl.); adjective—Congolese or Congo
_#_Ethnic divisions: about 15 ethnic groups divided into some 75 tribes, almost all Bantu; most important ethnic groups are Kongo (48%) in the south, Sangha (20%) and M'Bochi (12%) in the north, Teke (17%) in the center; about 8,500 Europeans, mostly French
_#_Religion: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
_#_Language: French (official); many African languages with Lingala and Kikongo most widely used
_#_Literacy: 57% (male 70%, female 44%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 79,100 wage earners; agriculture 75%, commerce, industry, and government 25%; 51% of population of working age; 40% of population economically active (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of labor force (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: 15 August 1960 (from France; formerly Congo/Brazzaville)
_#_Constitution: 8 July 1979, currently being modified
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
_#_National holiday: National Day, 15 August (1960)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 8 February 1979);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Brig. Gen. Louis-Sylvain GOMA (since 9 January 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 leader of the PCT by the Party Congress, which automatically made him president;
People's National Assembly—last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA 1994); results—PCT was the only party; seats—(153 total) single list of candidates nominated by the PCT
_#_Communists: unknown number of Communists and sympathizers
_#_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)
_#_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 is B. P. 1015, Brazzaville, or Box C, APO New York 09662-0006); telephone (242) 83-20-70 or 83-26-24
_#_Flag: red with the national emblem in the upper hoist-side corner; the emblem includes a yellow five-pointed star above a crossed hoe and hammer (like the hammer and sickle design) in yellow, flanked by two curved green palm branches; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
_*Economy #_Overview: Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing about two-thirds of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s rapidly rising oil revenues enabled Congo to finance large-scale development projects with growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The world decline in oil prices, however, has forced the government to launch an austerity program to cope with declining receipts and mounting foreign debts.
_#_GDP: $2.26 billion, per capita $1,050; real growth rate 0.6% (1989 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cassava accounts for 90% of food output; other crops—rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables; cash crops include coffee and cocoa; forest products important export earner; imports over 90% of food needs
_#_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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Railroads: 797 km, 1.067-meter gauge, single track (includes 285 km that are privately owned)
_#_Highways: 12,000 km total; 560 km bituminous surface treated; 850 km gravel, laterite; 5,350 km improved earth; 5,240 km unimproved roads
_#_Inland waterways: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; the rest are used for local traffic only
_#_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 adequate for government use; primary network is composed of radio relay routes and coaxial cables; key centers 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 15-49, 509,040; 258,861 fit for military service; 24,068 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $99 million, 4.6% of GDP (1987 est.) %@Cook Islands (free association with New Zealand) *Geography #_Total area: 240 km2; land area: 240 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 120 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or minimum of 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
_#_Terrain: low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 22%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 74%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons from November to March
_#_Note: located 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean
_#_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, majority of populace members of 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 fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands
_#_Capital: Avarua
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: became self-governing in free association with New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to full independence 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) advises on traditional matters, but has no legislative powers
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 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 19 January 1989 (next to be held by January 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(24 total) Cook Islands Party 12, Democratic Tumu Party 2, opposition coalition (including Democratic Party) 9, independent 1
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture provides the economic base. The major export earners are fruit, copra, and clothing. Manufacturing activities are limited to a fruit-processing plant and several clothing factories. Economic development is hindered by the isolation of the islands from foreign markets and a lack of natural resources and good transportation links. A large trade deficit is annually made up for by remittances from emigrants and from foreign aid. Current economic development plans call for exploiting the tourism potential and expanding the fishing industry.
_#_GDP: $40.0 million, per capita $2,200 (1988 est.); real 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 capita (1990)
_*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 permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 3 with runways 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: undetermined; includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 1 million km2, with Willis Islets the most important
_#_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 and 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: subject to occasional tropical cyclones; no permanent fresh water; important nesting area for birds and turtles
_#_Note: the islands are located just off the northeast coast of Australia in the Coral Sea
_#_Type: territory of Australia administered by the 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 the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors %@Costa Rica *Geography #_Total area: 51,100 km2; land area: 50,660 km2; includes Isla del Coco
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: coastal plains separated by rugged mountains
_#_Natural resources: hydropower potential
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 45%; forest and woodland 34%; other 8%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: subject to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes; deforestation; soil erosion
_#_Ethnic divisions: white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%
_#_Language: Spanish (official), English spoken around Puerto Limon
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 93%, female 93%) age 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 labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Costa Rica
_#_Type: democratic republic
_#_Capital: San Jose
_#_Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
_#_Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 9 November 1949
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier (since 8 May 1990); First Vice President German SERRANO Pinto (since 8 May 1990); Second Vice President Arnoldo LOPEZ Echandi (since 8 May 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 compulsory 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 4 February 1990 (next to be held February 1994); results—percent of vote 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; Liberation Party affiliate), Confederated Union of Workers (CUT; Communist Party affiliate), Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers (CATD; Communist Party affiliate), Chamber of Coffee Growers, National Association for Economic Development (ANFE), Free Costa Rica Movement (MCRL; rightwing 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; telephone (202) 234-2945 through 2947; there are Costa Rican Consulates General at 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 bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue with the coat of arms in a white disk on the hoist side of the red band
_*Economy #_Overview: In 1990 the economy grew at an estimated 3.5% rate, a decrease from the strong 5.0% gain of the previous year. Gains in agricultural production (on the strength of good coffee and banana crops) and in construction, were partially offset by lower rates of growth for industry. In 1990 consumer prices rose by about 25% and the trade deficit widened. Unemployment is officially reported at 6%, but much underemployment remains. External debt, on a per capita basis, is among the world's highest.
_#_GDP: $5.5 billion, per capita $1,810; real growth rate 3.6% (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.3% (1990 est.); accounts for 23% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 927,000 kW capacity; 2,987 million kWh produced, 980 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 20-25% of GDP and 70% of exports; cash commodities—coffee, beef, bananas, sugar; other food crops include corn, rice, beans, potatoes; normally self-sufficient in food except for grain; depletion of forest resources resulting in lower timber output
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit production of cannabis on small scattered plots; transshipment country for cocaine 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
_#_Airports: 173 total, 159 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: very good domestic telephone service; 292,000 telephones; connection into Central American Microwave System; stations—71 AM, no FM, 18 TV, 13 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 78 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Cuban(s); adjective—Cuban
_#_Ethnic divisions: mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
_#_Religion: 85% nominally Roman Catholic before Castro assumed power
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 94% (male 95%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,578,800 in state 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), only labor federation approved by government; 2,910,000 members; the CTC is an umbrella organization composed of 17 member unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Cuba
_#_Type: Communist state
_#_Capital: Havana
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); 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: 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
_#_Constitution: 24 February 1976
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 January (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: unicameral 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 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 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 NA December 1986 (next to be held December 1991); results—PCC is the only party; seats—(510 total) PCC 510 (indirectly elected)
_#_Communists: about 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 Seccion, 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 based on the hoist side bears a white five-pointed star in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, centrally planned and largely state owned, is highly dependent on the agricultural sector and foreign trade. Sugar provides about 75% of export revenues and over half is exported to the USSR. The economy has stagnated since 1985 under policies that have deemphasized material incentives in the workplace, abolished farmers' informal produce markets, and raised prices of government-supplied goods and services. In 1990 the economy probably fell 3%, largely as a result of declining trade with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Recently the government has been trying to increase trade with Latin America and China. Cuba has had difficulty servicing its foreign debt since 1982. The government currently is encouraging foreign investment in tourist facilities. Other investment priorities include sugar, basic foods, and nickel. The annual $4 billion Soviet subsidy, a main prop to Cuba's threadbare economy, is likely to show a substantial decline over the next few years in view of the USSR's mounting economic problems. Instead of highly subsidized trade, Cuba will be shifting to trade at market prices in convertible currencies. In early 1991, the shortages of fuels, spare parts, and industrial products in general had become so severe as to amount to a deindustrialization process in the eyes of some observers.
_#_GNP: $20.9 billion, per capita $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.)
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); accounts for 45% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 3,890,000 kW capacity; 16,267 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: sugar milling, petroleum refining, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, paper and wood products, metals (particularly nickel), cement, fertilizers, consumer goods, agricultural machinery
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP (including fishing and forestry); key commercial crops—sugarcane, tobacco, and citrus fruits; other products—coffee, rice, potatoes, meat, beans; 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), $18.5 billion
_#_Exchange rates: Cuban pesos (Cu$) per US$1—1.0000 (linked to the US dollar)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 14,925 km total; Cuban National Railways operates 5,295 km of 1.435-meter gauge track; 199 km electrified; 9,630 km of sugar plantation lines of 0.914-1.435-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 26,477 km total; 14,477 km paved, 12,000 km gravel and earth 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 over) totaling 638,462 GRT/925,380 DWT; includes 54 cargo, 9 refrigerated cargo, 2 cargo/training, 12 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas, 6 bulk; note—Cuba beneficially owns an additional 37 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 512,346 DWT under the registry of Panama, Cyprus, and Malta
_#_Civil air: 59 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 205 total, 176 usable; 75 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_*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) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $1.2-$1.4 billion, 6% of GNP (1989 est.) %@Cyprus *Geography #_Total area: 9,250 km2; land area: 9,240 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 648 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: 1974 hostilities divided the island into two de facto autonomous areas—a Greek area controlled by the Cypriot Government (60% of the island's land area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (35% of the island) that are separated by a narrow UN buffer zone; in addition, there are two UK sovereign base areas (about 5% of the island's land area)
_#_Climate: temperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters
_#_Terrain: central plain with mountains to north and south
_#_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 problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, and most potable resources concentrated in the Turkish-Cypriot area)
_#_Type: republic; a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began after the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified following the Turkish invasion of the island in July 1974, which gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktash declared independence and the formation of a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which has been recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly call for the resolution of intercommunal differences and creation of a new federal system of government
_#_Constitution: 16 August 1960; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and to better relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently; in 1975 Turkish Cypriots created their own Constitution and governing bodies 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 passed by referendum in May 1985
_#_Legal system: based on common law, with civil law modifications
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October
_#_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: unicameral House of Representatives (Vouli Antiprosopon); note—there is a unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Cumhuriyet Meclisi) in the Turkish area
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court; note—there is also a Supreme Court in the Turkish area
_#_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 13 February 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 joined in the coalition Democratic Struggle Party (DMP) for the 22 April 1990 legislative election
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 14 February and 21 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993); results—George VASSILIOU 52%, Glafcos CLERIDES 48%;
House of Representatives—last held 8 December 1985 (next to be held 19 May 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 22 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results—Rauf R. DENKTASH 66%, Ismail BOZKURT 32.05%;
Turkish Area: Assembly of the Republic—last held 6 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results—UBP (conservative) about 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; Communist controlled); Union of Cyprus Farmers (EKA; Communist controlled); Cyprus Farmers Union (PEK; pro-West); Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation (PEO; Communist controlled); Confederation of Cypriot Workers (SEK; pro-West); Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions (Turk-Sen); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions (Dev-Is)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Michael E. SHERIFIS; Chancery at 2211 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities
_*Economy #_Overview: These data are for the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus (information on the northern Turkish-Cypriot area is sparse). The economy is small, diversified, and prosperous. Industry contributes about 25% to GDP and employs 35% of the labor force, while the service sector contributes about 55% to GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Rapid growth in exports of agricultural and manufactured products and in tourism have played important roles in the average 6% rise 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, 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 goods, petroleum and lubricants, food and feed grains, machinery;
partners—France 12%, UK 11%, Japan 11%, Italy 10%
_#_External debt: $2.2 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 6.5% (1988); accounts for 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 620,000 kW capacity; 1,770 million kWh produced, 2,530 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood products
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 7% of GDP and employs 22% of labor force; major crops—potatoes, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, and citrus fruits; vegetables and fruit provide 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 Turkish area, Turkish lira (plural—liras); 1 Cypriot pound (5C) = 100 cents and 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus
_#_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 carrier, 111 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 8 liquefied gas, 17 chemical tanker, 30 combination ore/oil, 360 bulk, 2 vehicle carrier, 44 combination bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry; Cuba owns at least 25 of these ships, USSR owns 52, and Yugoslavia owns 1
_#_Civil air: 11 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 13 total, 13 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent in the area controlled by the Cypriot Government (Greek area), moderately 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 Atlantic Ocean and 1 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) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $209 million, 5% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Czechoslovakia *Geography #_Total area: 127,870 km2; land area: 125,460 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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
_#_Land use: arable land 40%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 37%; other 9%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: infrequent earthquakes; acid rain; water pollution; air pollution
_#_Note: landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe
_#_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%) age 15 and over 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 forming
_*Government #_Long-form name: Czech and Slovak Federal Republic; note—on 23 March 1990 the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was renamed the Czechoslovak Federative Republic; Slovak concerns about their status in the federation prompted the Federal Assembly to approve the name Czech and Slovak Federative Republic on 20 April 1990; on 23 April 1990 the name was modified to Czech and Slovak Federal Republic
_#_Type: federal republic in transition to a confederative republic
_#_Independence: 28 October 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)
_#_Constitution: 11 July 1960; amended in 1968 and 1970; new Czech, Slovak, and federal constitutions to be drafted 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 in process of modification to bring it in line with Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
_#_National holiday: National Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) and Founding of the Republic, 28 October (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 29 December 1989 and president since 5 July 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 toppled from power in November 1989 by massive antiregime demonstrations, minority role in coalition government since 10 December 1989
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 5 July 1990 (next to be held July 1992); results—Vaclav HAVEL elected by the Federal Assembly;
Federal Assembly—last held 8-9 June 1990 (next to be held 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
_#_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 based on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Czechoslovakia is highly industrialized and has a well-educated and skilled labor force. Its industry, transport, energy sources, banking, and most other means of production are state owned. The country is deficient, however, in energy and in many raw materials. Moreover, its aging capital plant lags well behind West European standards. Industry contributes almost 50% to GNP and construction contributes 10%. About 95% of agricultural land is in collectives or state farms. The centrally planned economy has been tightly linked in trade (80%) to the USSR and Eastern Europe. Growth has been sluggish, averaging less than 2% in the period 1982-89. GNP per capita is the highest in Eastern Europe. As in the rest of Eastern Europe, the sweeping political changes of 1989-90 have been disrupting normal channels of supply and compounding the government's economic problems. Having eased restrictions on private enterprise in 1990 and having adjusted some key prices, Czechoslovakia is now implementing a broad two-year program to make the difficult transition from a command to a market economy. Inflation and unemployment are beginning to rise, albeit from comparatively low levels.
_#_GNP: $120.3 billion, per capita $7,700; real growth rate - 2.9% (1990 est.)
_#_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, hard currency indebtedness (September 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 3.3% (1990 est.); accounts for almost 50% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 23,000,000 kW capacity; 90,000 million kWh produced, 5,740 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: iron and steel, machinery and equipment, cement, sheet glass, motor vehicles, armaments, chemicals, ceramics, wood, paper products, footwear
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 7% of GNP (includes forestry); largely self-sufficient in food production; diversified crop and livestock production, including grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit, hogs, cattle, and poultry; exporter of forest products
_#_Economic aid: donor—$4.2 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1954-89)
_*Communications #_Railroads: 13,103 km total; 12,855 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 102 km 1.520-meter broad gauge, 146 km 0.750- and 0.760-meter narrow gauge; 2,861 km double track; 3,798 km electrified; government owned (1988)
_#_Highways: 73,540 km total; including 517 km superhighway (1988)
_#_Inland waterways: 475 km (1988); the Elbe (Labe) is the principal river
_#_Ports: maritime outlets are in Poland (Gdynia, Gdansk, Szczecin), Yugoslavia (Rijeka, Koper), Germany (Hamburg, Rostock); principal 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 over) totaling 363,002 GRT/ 565,813 DWT; includes 15 cargo, 6 bulk
_#_Civil air: 47 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 158 total, 158 usable; 40 with permanent-surface runways; 19 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 37 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 4 million telephones; 25% of households have a telephone; 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 fit for military service; 140,620 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: 26.9 billion koruny, NA% of GDP (1991); note—conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading 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 metropolitan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 depth of exploitation;
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: temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 79 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Dane(s); adjective—Danish
_#_Ethnic divisions: Scandinavian, Eskimo, 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%) 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 labor force
_*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); Arhus, Bornholm, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kobenhavn, Nordjylland, Ribe, Ringkobing, Roskilde, Sonderjylland, Staden Kobenhavn*, Storstrom, Vejle, Vestsjaelland, 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: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet
Chief of State—Queen MARGRETHE II (since January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the Queen (born 26 May 1968);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Poul SCHLUTER (since 10 September 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 12 December 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Peter Pedersen DYVIG; Chancery at 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-4300; there are Danish Consulates General at 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 extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side and that design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
_*Economy #_Overview: This modern economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, and high dependence on foreign trade. The Danish economy is likely to maintain its slow but steady improvement in 1991. GDP grew by 1.3% in 1990 and probably will grow by about 1.25% in 1991; unemployment is running close to 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 during 1992, growth, investment, and competitiveness are expected to improve, reducing 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, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1989)
_#_Exports: $34.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—meat and meat products, dairy products, transport 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—petroleum, machinery and equipment, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, textiles, 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 capita (1989)
_#_Industries: food processing, machinery and equipment, textiles and clothing, chemical products, electronics, construction, furniture, and other wood products
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP and employs 6% of labor force (includes fishing and forestry); farm products account for nearly 15% of export revenues; principal products—meat, dairy, grain, potatoes, rape, sugar beets, fish; self-sufficient in food production
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89) $5.9 billion
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,675 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; Danish State Railways (DSB) operate 2,025 km (1,999 km rail line and 121 km rail ferry services); 188 km electrified, 730 km double tracked; 650 km of standard-gauge lines are privately owned and operated
_#_Highways: 66,482 km total; 64,551 km concrete, bitumen, or stone block; 1,931 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth
_#_Ports: Alborg, Arhus, 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, 85 cargo, 15 refrigerated cargo, 35 container, 40 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 railcar carrier, 37 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 14 chemical tanker, 22 liquefied gas, 4 livestock carrier, 14 bulk, 1 combination bulk; note—Denmark has created its own internal register, called the Danish International Ship Register (DIS); DIS ships do not have to meet Danish manning regulations, and they amount to a flag of convenience within the Danish register; by the end of 1990, 258 of the Danish-flag ships belonged to the DIS
_#_Civil air: 69 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 129 total, 112 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent telephone, telegraph, and broadcast services; 4,509,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, 15 (39 repeaters) FM, 27 (25 repeaters) TV; 7 submarine coaxial cables; 1 earth station operating in INTELSAT, 4 Atlantic Ocean, EUTELSAT, and domestic 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 fit for military service; 36,991 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $2.4 billion, 2% of GDP (1990) %@Djibouti *Geography #_Total area: 22,000 km2; land area: 21,980 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger 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 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 world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia
_#_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 based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in northeast Africa. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. It has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of over 40% continues to be a major problem. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the last five years with a population growth rate of 6% (including immigrants and refugees) and a recession.
_#_GDP: $340 million, $1,030 per capita; 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—foods, beverages, transport 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 produced, 580 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling
_#_Agriculture: accounts for only 5% of GDP; scanty rainfall limits crop production to mostly fruit and vegetables; half of population pastoral nomads herding goats, sheep, and camels; imports bulk of food needs
_#_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 extends for 97 km through Djibouti
_#_Highways: 2,900 km total; 280 km bituminous surface, 2,620 km improved or unimproved earth (1982)
_#_Ports: Djibouti
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 13 total, 10 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of urban facilities in Djibouti and radio relay stations at outlying places; 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 15-49, 89,519; 52,093 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $29.9 million, NA% of GDP (1986) %@Dominica *Geography #_Total area: 750 km2; land area: 750 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
_#_Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic 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 a constant hazard; occasional hurricanes
_#_Note: located 550 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly black; some Carib 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 patois widely spoken
_#_Literacy: 94% (male 94%, female 94%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 25,000; agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28% (1984)
_#_Organized labor: 25% of labor force
_*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, 3 November (1978)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly
Chief of State—President Sir Clarence Augustus SEIGNORET (since 19 December 1983);
Head of Government—Prime Minister (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES (since 21 July 1980, elected for a third term 28 May 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 20 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); the president is elected by the House of Assembly;
House of Assembly—last held 28 May 1990 (next to be held 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 leftist group
_#_Diplomatic representation: there is no Chancery in the US;
US—no official presence since the Ambassador resides 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; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is dependent on agriculture and thus is highly vulnerable to climatic conditions. Agriculture accounts for about 30% of GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Principal products include bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, and coconuts. In 1988 the economy achieved a 5.6% growth in real GDP on the strength of a boost in construction, higher agricultural production, and growth of the small manufacturing sector based on the soap and garment industries. In 1989, however, Hurricane Hugo wiped out 70% of the banana crop and affected other economic activity. The tourist industry remains undeveloped because of a rugged coastline and the lack of an international-class airport.
_#_GDP: $153 million, per capita $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)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP; principal crops—bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, and coconuts; bananas provide the bulk of export earnings; forestry and fisheries potential not exploited
_#_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 earth
_#_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 telephones in fully automatic network; VHF and UHF link 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 expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP %@Dominican Republic *Geography #_Total area: 48,730 km2; land area: 48,380 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
_#_Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 83% (male 85%, female 82%) age 15 and over 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 labor force (1989 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Dominican Republic (no short-form 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: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
_#_Constitution: 28 November 1966
_#_Legal system: based on French civil codes
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
_#_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 (Corte Suprema)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo (since 16 August 1986, fifth elected term began 16 August 1990); Vice President Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (since 16 August 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, joined to form the Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still retain individual party structures
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 or if married; members of the armed forces and police cannot vote
_#_Elections:
President—last held 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results—Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 35.7%, Juan BOSCH Gavino (PLD) 34.4%;
Senate—last held 16 May 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 16 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(120 total) PLD 44, PRSC 41, PRD 33, PRI 2
_#_Communists: an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 members in several legal and illegal factions; effectiveness limited by ideological differences, organizational inadequacies, and severe funding shortages
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (serves concurrently as Vice President); Chancery at 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 at the corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo (mailing address is APO Miami 34041-0008); telephone [809] 541-2171
_#_Flag: a centered white cross that extends to the edges, divides the flag into four rectangles—the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms is at the center of the cross
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is largely dependent on trade; imported components average 60% of the value of goods consumed in the domestic market. Rapid growth of free trade zones has established a significant expansion of manufacturing for export, especially wearing apparel. Over the past decade tourism has also increased in importance and is a major earner of foreign exchange and a source of new jobs. Agriculture remains a key sector of the economy. The principal commercial crop is sugarcane, followed by coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco. Domestic industry is based on the processing of agricultural products, durable consumer goods, minerals, and chemicals. Unemployment is officially reported at about 30%, but there is considerable underemployment. An increasing foreign debt burden and galloping inflation are the economy's greatest weaknesses.
_#_GDP: $6.68 billion, per capita $940; real growth rate 4.2% (1989)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and employs 49% of labor force; sugarcane most important commercial crop, followed by coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco; food crops—rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; animal output—cattle, hogs, dairy products, meat, 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
_#_Airports: 44 total, 30 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: relatively efficient domestic system based on 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 15-49, 1,963,260; 1,241,370 fit for military service; 81,083 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $70 million, 1% of GDP (1990) %@Ecuador *Geography #_Total area: 283,560 km2; land area: 276,840 km2; includes Galapagos Islands
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 mainland and Galapagos Islands;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: two sections of the boundary with Peru are in dispute
_#_Climate: tropical along coast becoming cooler inland
_#_Terrain: coastal plain (Costa), inter-Andean central highlands (Sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (Oriente)
_#_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%
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos (since 10 August 1988); Vice President Luis PARODI Valverde (since 10 August 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; compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters
_#_Elections:
President—first round held 31 January 1988 and second round on 8 May 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 17 June 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.)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime MONCAYO; Chancery at 2535 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (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, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag; similar to the flag of Colombia which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms
_*Economy #_Overview: Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas. Growth has been uneven because of natural disasters (e.g., a major earthquake in 1987), fluctuations in global oil prices, and government policies designed to curb inflation. The government has not taken a supportive attitude toward either domestic or foreign investment, although its agreement to enter the Andean free trade zone is an encouraging move.
_#_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, EC countries
partners—US 34%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC, Japan
_#_External debt: $11.8 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 3.8% (1989); accounts for almost 40% of GDP, including petroleum
_#_Electricity: 1,983,000 kW capacity; 6,011 million kWh produced, 570 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal works, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, timber
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 18% of GDP and 35% of labor force (including fishing and forestry); leading producer and exporter of bananas and balsawood; other exports—coffee, cocoa, fish, shrimp; crop production—rice, potatoes, manioc, plantains, sugarcane; livestock sector—cattle, sheep, hogs, beef, pork, dairy products; net importer of foodgrains, dairy products, and sugar
_#_Illicit drugs: relatively small producer of coca following the successful eradication campaign of 1985-87; significant transit country, however, for derivatives of coca originating in 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
_#_Airports: 153 total, 151 usable; 46 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 23 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: domestic facilities generally adequate; 318,000 telephones; stations—272 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 39 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (Ejercito Ecuatoriano), Navy (Armada Ecuatoriana), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana), National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,716,919; 1,840,296 fit for military service; 117,113 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $176 million, 1.6% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Egypt *Geography #_Total area: 1,001,450 km2; land area: 995,450 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: undefined;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary
_#_Climate: desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
_#_Terrain: vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 95%; includes irrigated 5%
_#_Environment: Nile is only perennial water source; increasing soil salinization below Aswan High Dam; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; water pollution; desertification
_#_Note: controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, shortest sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean; size and juxtaposition to Israel establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics
_#_Religion: (official estimate) Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%; Coptic Christian and other 6%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English and French widely understood by educated classes
_#_Literacy: 48% (male 63%, female 34%) age 15 and over 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 enterprises 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 Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah, Al Ismailiyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah, As Suways, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Said, Dumyat, Janub Sina, Matruh, Shamal Sina, Suhaj
_#_Independence: 28 February 1922 (from UK); formerly United Arab Republic
_#_Constitution: 11 September 1971
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes; judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 23 July (1952)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Majlis al-Chaab); note—there is an Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura) that functions in a consultative role
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (was made acting President on 6 October 1981 upon the assassination of President Sadat and sworn in as President on 14 October 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Atef Mohammed Najib SEDKY (since 12 November 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: formation of political parties must be approved by government; National Democratic Party (NDP), President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK, leader, is the dominant party; legal opposition parties are Socialist Liberal Party (SLP), 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 compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 5 October 1987 (next to be held October 1993); results—President Hosni MUBAREK was reelected;
People's Assembly—last held 29 November 1990 (next to be held 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 boycotted;
Advisory Council—last held 8 June 1989 (next to be held 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 sanctioned
_#_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); telephone [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 name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen which has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Syria which has two green stars and of Iraq which has 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 of all the Third World economies, most industrial plants being owned by the government. Overregulation holds back technical modernization and foreign investment. Even so, the economy grew rapidly during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but in 1986 the collapse of world oil prices and an increasingly heavy burden of debt servicing led Egypt to begin negotiations with the IMF for balance-of-payments support. As part of the 1987 agreement with the IMF, the government agreed to institute a reform program to reduce inflation, promote economic growth, and improve its external position. The reforms have been slow in coming, however, and the economy has been largely stagnant for the past three years. The addition of 1 million people every seven months to Egypt's population exerts enormous pressure on the 5% of the total land area available for agriculture.
_#_GDP: $37.0 billion, per capita $700; real 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 petroleum, 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, foods, fertilizers, wood products, durable consumer goods, capital goods;
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GNP and employs more than one-third of labor force; dependent on irrigation water from the Nile; world's sixth-largest cotton exporter; other crops produced include rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruit, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food; livestock—cattle, water buffalo, sheep, and goats; annual fish catch about 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 5,110 km total; 4,763 km 1,435-meter standard gauge, 347 km 0.750-meter gauge; 951 km double track; 25 km electrified
_#_Highways: 51,925 km total; 17,900 km paved, 2,500 km gravel, 13,500 km improved earth, 18,025 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 3,500 km (including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta); Suez Canal, 193.5 km long (including approaches), used by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 meters of water
_#_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: system is large but still inadequate for needs; principal centers are Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, and Tanta; intercity connections by coaxial cable and microwave; extensive upgrading in progress; 600,000 telephones (est.); 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 fit for military service; 584,780 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $2.8 billion, 7.3% of GDP (1991) %@El Salvador *Geography #_Total area: 21,040 km2; land area: 20,720 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
_#_Land boundaries: 545 km total; Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
_#_Disputes: dispute with Honduras over several sections of the land boundary; dispute over Golfo de Fonseca maritime boundary because of disputed sovereignty of islands
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April)
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo 89%, Indian 10%, white 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic about 75%, with extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout the country (more than 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador at the end of 1990)
_#_Language: Spanish, Nahua (among some Indians)
_#_Literacy: 73% (male 76%, female 70%) age 15 and over 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%; shortage of skilled labor and a large pool of unskilled labor, but manpower training programs improving 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: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 20 December 1983
_#_Legal system: based on civil and Roman law, with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Alfredo CRISTIANI (since 1 June 1989); Vice President Jose Francisco MERINO (since 1 June 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 19 March 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 10 March 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results—ARENA 44.3%, PDC 27.96%, CD 12.16%, PCN 8.99%, MAC 3.23%, UDN 2.68%; seats—(84 total) 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), leadership body 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), leftist umbrella front group, leads FMLN front network; National Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FENASTRAS), best organized of front groups and controlled by FMLN's National Resistance (RN); Social Security Institute Workers Union (STISSS), one of the most militant fronts, is 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), associated 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 front; 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), peasant association; Unitary Federation of Salvadoran Unions (FUSS), leftist; National Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FENASTRAS), leftist; Democratic Workers Central (CTD), moderate; General Confederation of Workers (CGT), moderate; National Unity of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS), leftist; National Union of Workers and Peasants (UNOC), moderate labor coalition of democratic labor 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Miguel Angel SALAVERRIA; Chancery at 2308 California Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicaragua which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band—it features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of Honduras which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: The agricultural sector accounts for 25% of GDP, employs about 40% of the labor force, and contributes about 66% to total exports. Coffee is the major commercial crop, accounting for 45% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector, based largely on food and beverage processing, accounts for 18% of GDP and 15% of employment. Economic losses because of guerrilla sabotage total more than $2.0 billion since 1979. The costs of maintaining a large military seriously constrain the government's efforts to provide essential social services. Nevertheless, growth in national output last year exceeded growth in population 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 est.);
commodities—coffee 45%, sugar, cotton, shrimp;
partners—US 49%, FRG 24%, Guatemala 7%, Costa Rica 4%, Japan 4%
_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—petroleum products, consumer goods, foodstuffs, machinery, construction materials, fertilizer;
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and 40% of labor force (including fishing and forestry); coffee most important commercial crop; other products—sugarcane, corn, rice, beans, oilseeds, beef, dairy products, 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
_#_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 0.914-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 10,000 km total; 1,500 km paved, 4,100 km gravel, 4,400 km improved and unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable
_#_Ports: Acajutla, Cutuco
_#_Civil air: 7 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 116 total, 82 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: nationwide trunk radio relay system; connection into Central American Microwave System; 116,000 telephones; 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 15-49, 1,220,088; 780,108 fit for military service; 71,709 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $220 million, 3.6% of GDP (1990) %@Equatorial Guinea *Geography #_Total area: 28,050 km2; land area: 28,050 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay
_#_Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
_#_Terrain: coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
_#_Natural resources: timber, crude oil, small unexploited 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 rather widely separated
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 53 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s); adjective—Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
_#_Ethnic divisions: indigenous population of Bioko, primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos; Rio Muni, primarily Fang; less than 1,000 Europeans, mostly Spanish
_#_Religion: natives all nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic; some pagan practices retained
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 64%, female 37%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 172,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 66%, services 23%, industry 11% (1980); labor shortages on plantations; 58% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: no formal 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: 12 October 1968 (from Spain; formerly Spanish Guinea)
_#_Constitution: 15 August 1982
_#_Legal system: in transition; partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives of the People (Camara de Representantes del Pueblo)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Cristino SERICHE BIOKO MALABO (since 15 August 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Isidoro Eyi MONSUY ANDEME (since 15 August 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, party leader
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
_#_Elections:
President—last held 25 June 1989 (next to be held 25 June 1996); results—President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO was reelected without opposition;
Chamber of People's Representatives—last held 10 July 1988 (next to be held 10 July 1993); results—PDGE is the only party; seats—(41 total) PDGE 41
_#_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; telephone [240] (9) 2185, 2406, 2507
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, destroyed during the regime of former President Macias Nguema, is now based on agriculture, forestry, and fishing, which account for about 60% of GNP and nearly all exports. Subsistence agriculture predominates, with cocoa, coffee, and wood products providing income, foreign exchange, and government revenues. There is little industry. Commerce accounts for about 10% of GNP, and the construction, public works, and service sectors for about 34%. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Oil exploration, taking place under concessions offered to US, French, and Spanish firms, has been moderately successful, and some revenues from oil exports will begin rolling in by mid-1991.
_#_GDP: $144 million, per capita $411; real growth rate 2.9% (1988 est.)
partners—Spain 34%, Italy 16%, France 14%, Netherlands 8% (1987)
_#_External debt: $195 million (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 6.8% (1990 est.); acounts for about 4% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 170 kWh per capita (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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Highways: Rio Muni—1,024 km; Bioko—216 km
_#_Ports: Malabo, Bata
_#_Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,413 GRT/6,699 DWT; includes 1 cargo and 1 passenger-cargo
_#_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: poor system with adequate 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 15-49, 79,641; 40,369 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 11% of GNP (FY81 est.) %@Ethiopia *Geography #_Total area: 1,221,900 km2; land area: 1,101,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice 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: southern half of the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis; territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden; separatist movement in Eritrea; antigovernment insurgencies in Tigray and other areas
_#_Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation; some areas prone to extended droughts
_#_Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
_#_Natural resources: small reserves 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 susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; frequent droughts; famine
_#_Note: strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; major resettlement project—that was ongoing in rural areas and would have significantly altered population distribution and settlement patterns over the next several decades—has been derailed because of ongoing civil wars
_#_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, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
_#_Literacy: 62% (male NA%, female NA%) 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: All Ethiopian Trade Union formed by the government in January 1977 to represent 273,000 registered trade union members
_*Government #_Long-form name: People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
_#_Type: on 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took control in Addis Ababa; on 29 May 1991 Issayas AFEWORKE, secretary general of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), announced the formation of a provisional government in Eritrea, in preparation for an eventual referendum on independence for the province
_#_Independence: oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world—at least 2,000 years
_#_Constitution: 12 September 1987
_#_Legal system: complex structure with civil, Islamic, common, and customary law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Revolution Day, 12 September (1974)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of State prime minister, five deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Shengo)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Interim President Meles ZENAWI (since 1 June 1991);
Head of Government—Acting Prime Minister Tamrat LAYNE (since 6 June 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 elected by the National Assembly, but resigned and left Ethiopia on 21 May 1991;
National Assembly—last held 14 June 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)
_#_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 her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors
_*Economy #_Overview: Ethiopia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about 45% of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total employment; coffee generates 60% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on inputs from the agricultural sector. Over 90% of large-scale industry, but less then 10% of agriculture, is state run. Favorable agricultural weather largely explains 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.); accounts for 13% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 330,000 kW capacity; 700 million kWh produced, 14 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 45% of GDP and is the most important sector of the economy even though frequent droughts and poor cultivation practices keep farm output low; famines not uncommon; export crops of coffee and oilseeds grown partly on state farms; estimated 50% of agricultural production at subsistence level; principal crops and livestock—cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes and other vegetables, hides and skins, cattle, sheep, 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
_#_Exchange rates: birr (Br) per US$1—2.0700 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 8 July-7 July
_*Communications #_Railroads: 988 km total; 681 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge (nonoperational)
_#_Highways: 44,300 km total; 3,650 km bituminous, 9,650 km gravel, 3,000 km improved earth, 28,000 km unimproved earth
_#_Ports: Aseb, Mitsiwa
_#_Merchant marine: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 69,398 GRT/89,457 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll off cargo, 1 livestock carrier, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
_#_Civil air: 21 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 153 total, 111 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 49 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: open-wire and radio relay system adequate for government use; open-wire 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 earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 11,717,614; 6,072,112 fit for military service; 609,346 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 8.5% of GDP (1988) %@Europa Island (French possession) *Geography #_Total area: 28 km2; land area: 28 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 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 possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Airports: 1 with runway 1,220 to 2,439 m
_#_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 about 200 small islands
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina
_#_Climate: cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate
_#_Terrain: rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating 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: poor soil fertility and a short growing season
_#_Note: deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (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; Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education age 5 to 15 (1988)
_#_Labor force: 1,100 (est.); agriculture, mostly sheepherding about 95%
_#_Organized labor: Falkland Islands General Employees Union, 400 members
_*Government #_Long-form 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, 14 June (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 6 February 1952);
Head of Government—Governor William Hugh FULLERTON (since NA 1988)
_#_Political parties: NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—last held 11 October 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(10 total, 8 elected) number of seats by party NA
_#_Member of: ICFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms in a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising is the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on sheep farming, which directly or indirectly employs most of the work force. A few dairy herds are kept to meet domestic consumption of milk and milk products, and crops grown are primarily those for providing winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. Rich stocks of fish in the surrounding waters are not presently exploited by the islanders. So far efforts to establish a domestic fishing industry have been unsuccessful. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees amount to more than $40 million per year and are a primary source of income for the government. To encourage tourism, the Falkland Islands Development Corporation has built three lodges for visitors attracted by the abundant wildlife and trout fishing.
_#_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 at par with the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 510 km total; 30 km paved, 80 km gravel, and 400 km unimproved earth
_#_Ports: Port Stanley
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 5 total, 5 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220 to 2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radio networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands; 590 telephones; stations—2 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station with links 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: slightly less than 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; usually overcast; foggy, windy
_#_Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 98%
_#_Environment: precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets
_#_Note: strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic about midway between Iceland and Shetland Islands
Chief of State—Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Atli P. DAM (since 15 January 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 17 November 1990 (next to be held 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 12 December 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 extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*Economy #_Overview: The Faroese, who have long been enjoying the affluent living standards of the Danes and other Scandinavians, now must cope with the decline of the all-important fishing industry and with an external debt twice the size of annual income. When the nations of the world extended their fishing zones to 200 nautical miles in the early 1970s, the Faroese no longer could continue their traditional long-distance fishing and subsequently depleted their own nearby fishing areas; one estimate foresaw a 25% drop in fish catch in 1990 alone. Half the fishing fleet is for sale, and the 22 fish-processing plants work at only half capacity. The government no longer can maintain its high level of spending on roads and tunnels, hospitals, sports facilities, and other social welfare programs.
_#_GDP: $662 million, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
_#_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 feedstuffs, transport equipment;
partners—Denmark 16%, UK 14%, FRG 13.4%, US 10%, France 9%, Japan 5%
_#_Imports: $344 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—machinery and transport equipment 30%, manufactures 16%, food and livestock 15%, chemicals 6%, fuels 4%;
partners: Denmark 44%, Norway 16%, FRG 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 capita (1989)
_#_Industries: fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 27% of GDP and employs 27% of labor force; principal crops—potatoes and vegetables; livestock—sheep; annual fish catch about 360,000 metric tons
_#_Net migration rate: - 12 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Fijian(s); adjective—Fijian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Indian 49%, Fijian 46%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5%
_#_Religion: Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2%; note—Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority (1986)
_#_Language: English (official); Fijian; Hindustani
_#_Literacy: 86% (male 90%, female 81%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: about 45,000 employees belong to some 46 trade unions, which are organized along lines of work and ethnic origin (1983)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Fiji
_#_Type: military coup leader Major General Sitiveni Rabuka formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
_#_Capital: Suva
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western
_#_Independence: 10 October 1970 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new Constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990
_#_Legal system: based on British system
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 10 October (1970)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament, consisting of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives, was dissolved following the coup of 14 May 1987; the Constitution of 23 September 1988 provides for a bicameral Parliament
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu GANILAU (since 5 December 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 5 December 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Josefata KAMIKAMICA (since NA October 1991); note—Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA served as prime minister from 10 October 1970 until the 5-11 April 1987 election; after a second coup led by Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA on 25 September 1987, Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA was reappointed as prime minister
_#_Political parties and leaders: Fijian Political Party (primarily Fijian), leader NA; National Federation (primarily Indian), Siddiq KOYA; Western United Front (Fijian), Ratu Osea GAVIDI; Fiji Labor Party, Adi Kuini BAVADRA
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held 14 May 1987 (next to be held July 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(70 total, with ethnic Fijians allocated 37 seats, ethnic Indians 27 seats, and independents and other 6 seats) number of seats by party NA
_#_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 flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove
_*Economy #_Overview: Fiji's economy is primarily agricultural, with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports are a major source of foreign exchange and sugar processing accounts for one-third of industrial output. Industry, including sugar milling, contributes 13% to GDP. Fiji traditionally had earned considerable sums of hard currency from the 250,000 tourists who visited each year. In 1987, however, after two military coups, the economy went into decline. GDP dropped by 7.8% in 1987 and by another 2.5% in 1988; political uncertainty created a drop in tourism, and the worst drought of the century caused sugar production to fall sharply. In contrast, sugar and tourism turned in strong performances in 1989, and the economy rebounded vigorously. In 1990 the economy received a setback from cyclone Sina which cut sugar output by an estimated 21%.
_#_GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $1,693; real growth rate 3.5% (1991 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP; principal cash crop is sugarcane; coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, and bananas; small livestock sector includes 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 644 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, belonging to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation
_#_Highways: 3,300 km total (1984)—390 km paved; 1,200 km bituminous-surface treatment; 1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 420 unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
_#_Ports: Lambasa, Lautoka, Savusavu, Suva
_#_Merchant marine: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 34,214 GRT/37,161 DWT; includes 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
_#_Civil air: 1 DC-3 and 1 light aircraft
_#_Airports: 26 total, 24 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 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 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 15-49, 190,120; 104,861 fit for military service; 7,879 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $25.8 million, 2.5% of GDP (1988) %@Finland *Geography #_Total area: 337,030 km2; land area: 305,470 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana
_#_Land boundaries: 2,628 km total; Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, USSR 1,313 km
_#_Coastline: 1,126 km excluding islands and coastal indentations
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 6 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
_#_Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
_#_Natural resources: timber, 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 small southwestern coastal plain
_#_Note: long boundary with USSR; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent
_#_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 labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Finland
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Helsinki
_#_Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (laanit, singular—laani); Ahvenanmaa, Hame, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa
_#_Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)
_#_Constitution: 17 July 1919
_#_Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of State (Valtioneuvosto)
Chief of State—President Mauno KOIVISTO (since 27 January 1982);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Esko AHO (since 26 April 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Ilkka KANERVA (since 26 April 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) consisting 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 31 January-1 February and 15 February 1988 (next to be held January 1994); results—Mauno KOIVISTO 48%, Paavo VAYRYNEN 20%, Harri HOLKERI 18%;
Eduskunta—last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held 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 additional 45,000 persons belong to 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI; Chancery at 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington DC 20016; telephone (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 extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*Economy #_Overview: Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free market economy, with per capita output nearly three-fourths the US figure. Its main economic force is the manufacturing sector—principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 30% of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imported raw materials, energy, and some components of manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic commodities. The economy, which experienced an average of 4.9% annual growth 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 in the postwar period—mainly Soviet oil and gas for Finnish manufactured goods—had kept Finland isolated from world recessions; the system, however, was dismantled on 1 January 1991 in favor of hard currency trade. As a result, Finland must increase its competitiveness in certain sectors, for example, textiles, foodstuffs, paper, and metals, and has already begun to shift trade westward. Finland, as a member of EFTA, is negotiating a European Economic Area arrangement with the EC which would allow for free movement of capital, goods, services, and labor within the organization.
_#_GDP: $77.3 billion, per capita $15,500; real growth rate - 0.1% (1990)
_#_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—timber, 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—foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder 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.); accounts for 28% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 13,324,000 kW capacity; 49,330 million kWh produced, 9,940 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: metal manufacturing and shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GNP (including forestry); livestock production, especially dairy cattle, predominates; forestry is an important export earner and a secondary occupation for the rural population; main crops—cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but short of food and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.7 billion
_*Communications #_Railroads: 5,924 km total; Finnish State Railways (VR) operate a total of 5,863 km 1.524-meter gauge, of which 480 km are multiple track and 1,445 km are electrified
_#_Highways: about 103,000 km total, including 35,000 km paved (bituminous, concrete, bituminous-treated surface) and 38,000 km unpaved (stabilized gravel, gravel, earth); additional 30,000 km of private (state-subsidized) roads
_#_Inland waterways: 6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers
_#_Airports: 160 total, 157 usable; 57 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 23 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good service from cable and radio relay network; 3,140,000 telephones; stations—4 AM, 42 (101 relays) FM, 79 (197 relays) TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite service via Swedish earth stations; earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,313,346; 1,089,217 fit for military service; 32,866 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $1.1 billion, 1.5% of GDP (1989 est.) %@France *Geography #_Total area: 547,030 km2; land area: 545,630 km2; includes Corsica and the rest of metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 (includes 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: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean
_#_Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in 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: most of large urban areas and industrial centers in Rhone, Garonne, Seine, or Loire River basins; occasional warm tropical wind known as mistral
_#_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 population); rapidly declining regional dialects (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 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 labor force (est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: French Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Paris
_#_Administrative divisions: metropolitan France—22 regions (regions, singular—region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes;
note—the 22 regions are subdivided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) 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: unified by Clovis in 486, First Republic proclaimed in 1792
_#_Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962
_#_Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists 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 21 May 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Edith CRESSON (since 15 May 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR, formerly UDR), Jacques CHIRAC; Union for French Democracy (UDF, federation 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 8 May 1988 (next to be held May 1995); results—Second Ballot Francois MITTERRAND 54%, Jacques CHIRAC 46%;
Senate—last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(321 total; 296 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 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held 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 probably closer to 150,000; Communist voters, 2.8 million in 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)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI; Chancery at 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (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 (hoist side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Ivory Coast, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas
_*Economy #_Overview: One of the world's most developed economies, France has substantial agricultural resources and a highly diversified modern industrial sector. Large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make it the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. France is largely self-sufficient in agricultural products and is a major exporter of wheat and dairy products. The industrial sector generates about one-quarter of GDP, and the growing services sector has become crucial to the economy. After sluggish growth during the period 1982-87, the economy expanded at a rapid 3.8% pace in 1988-89. The economy slowed down in 1990, with growth of 2.0% expected in 1991. The economy has had difficulty generating enough jobs for new entrants into the labor force, resulting in a high unemployment rate, which probably will rise to around 10% during the slowdown. The steadily advancing economic integration within the European Community is a major force affecting the fortunes of the various economic sectors.
_#_GDP: $873.5 billion, per capita $15,500; real growth rate 2.8% (1990)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GNP (including fishing and forestry); one of the world's top five wheat producers; other principal products—beef, dairy products, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; self-sufficient for most temperate-zone foods; shortages include fats and oils and tropical produce, but overall net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 850,000 metric tons ranks among world's top 20 countries 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: French National Railways (SNCF) operates 34,568 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 11,674 km electrified, 15,132 km double or multiple track; 2,138 km of various gauges (1.000-meter to 1.440-meter), 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 autoroutes; about 803,000 km paved
_#_Inland waterways: 14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled
_#_Merchant marine: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,141,276 GRT/5,006,695 DWT; includes 8 short-sea passenger, 15 cargo, 18 container, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 29 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 34 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 chemical tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 11 bulk; note—France also maintains 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 3,659 m; 34 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 136 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: highly developed system provides satisfactory 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 earth stations operating in INTELSAT, 3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 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 fit for military service; 395,128 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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: slightly 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 area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 82%; other 18%
_#_Ethnic divisions: black or mulatto 66%; Caucasian 12%; East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%; other 10%
_#_Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic
_#_Language: French
_#_Literacy: 82% (male 81%, female 83%) age 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 labor force
_*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: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French legal system
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
_#_Executive branch: French president, commissioner of the republic
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Council
_#_Judicial branch: highest local court is the Court of Appeals based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 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 16 March 1986 (next to be held NA 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 to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; 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 tied closely to that of France through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities, with exports of fish and fish products (mostly shrimp) accounting for more than 60% of total revenue in 1987. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops—rice, cassava, bananas, and sugarcane—are limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers.
_#_GDP: $186 million, per capita $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)
_*Communications #_Highways: 680 km total; 510 km paved, 170 km improved and unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km possibly navigable by native craft
_#_Ports: Cayenne
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 10 total, 10 usable; 5 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: fair 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 15-49 28,650; 18,903 fit 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: slightly 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: mixture of rugged high islands and low 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 cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes
_#_Note: Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean—the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru
_#_Ethnic divisions: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
_#_Religion: mainly Christian; Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
_#_Language: French (official), Tahitian
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 14 and over but definition of literacy not available (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 first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 5 archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, and Iles Sous-le-Vent; note—Clipperton Island is administered from French Polynesia and may have become a dependency of French Polynesia
_#_Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
_#_Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: based on French system
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (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
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 10 May 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 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results—percent of vote by party NA; 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 NA; seats—(1 total) party NA;
French National Assembly last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held 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 US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. Tourism accounts for about 20% of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings.
_#_GDP: $1.2 billion, per capita $6,300; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; 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 aircraft
_#_Airports: 43 total, 41 usable; 23 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 33,200 telephones; 84,000 radio receivers; 26,400 TV sets; 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 responsibility of France %@French Southern and Antarctic Lands (overseas territory of France) *Geography #_Total area: 7,781 km2; land area: 7,781 km2; includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Crozet; excludes Terre Adelie claim of about 500,000 km2 in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Delaware
_*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 assisted 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 is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fishing catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships 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: slightly 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 disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay
_#_Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in 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%
_#_Ethnic divisions: about 40 Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke); about 100,000 expatriate Africans and Europeans, including 27,000 French
_#_Religion: Christian 55-75%, Muslim less than 1%, remainder animist
_#_Language: French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
_#_Literacy: 61% (male 74%, female 48%) age 15 and over 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 population of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: there are 38,000 members of the national trade union, the Gabonese Trade Union Confederation (COSYGA)
_#_Constitution: 21 February 1961, revised 15 April 1975
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in 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 (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Casimir OYE-MBA (since 3 May 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 9 November 1986 (next to be held November 1993); results—President Omar BONGO was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly—last held on 28 October 1990 (next to be held by February 1992); results—percent 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 Communist sympathizers
_#_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); telephone 762003 or 762004, 743492
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, dependent on timber and manganese until the early 1970s, is now dominated by the oil sector. During the period 1981-85 oil accounted for about 46% of GDP, 83% of export earnings, and 65% of government revenues on average. The high oil prices of the early 1980s contributed to a substantial increase in per capita income, stimulated domestic demand, reinforced migration from rural to urban areas, and raised the level of real wages to among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. The three-year slide of Gabon's economy, which began with falling oil prices in 1985, was reversed in 1989 because of a near doubling of oil prices over their 1988 lows. In 1990 the economy continued to grow, but debt servicing problems are hindering economic advancement. The agricultural and industrial sectors are relatively underdeveloped, except for oil.
_#_GDP: $3.3 billion, per capita $3,090; real growth rate 13% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cash crops—cocoa, coffee, palm oil; livestock not developed; importer of food; small fishing operations provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons; okoume (a tropical softwood) is the most important 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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_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: adequate system of open-wire, radio relay, tropospheric scatter links and radiocommunication stations; 13,800 telephones; stations—6 AM, 6 FM, 8 TV; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 12 domestic satellite
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, paramilitary Gendarmerie, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 266,472; 133,648 fit for military service; 9,634 reach military age (20) annually
_#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: slightly more than twice 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: short section of boundary with Senegal is indefinite
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
_#_Terrain: flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some 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: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa
_#_Religion: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1%
_#_Language: English (official); Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
_#_Literacy: 27% (male 39%, female 16%) age 15 and over 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% population of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 25-30% of wage labor force
_*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: 18 February 1965 (from UK); The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 (effective 1 February 1982) that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989
_#_Constitution: 24 April 1970
_#_Legal system: based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Alhaji Sir Dawda Kairaba JAWARA (since 24 April 1970); Vice President Bakary Bunja DARBO (since 12 May 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 of Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 11 March 1987 (next to be held 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 11 March 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
_#_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 bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green
_*Economy #_Overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. It is one of the world's poorest countries with a per capita income of about $230. About 75% of the population is engaged in crop production and livestock raising, which contributes 30% to GDP. Small-scale manufacturing activity—processing peanuts, fish, and hides—accounts for less than 10% of GDP. Tourism is a growing industry. The Gambia imports one-third of its food, all fuel, and most manufactured goods. Exports are concentrated on peanut products (about 75% of total value).
_#_GDP: $195 million, per capita $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—foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery and transport 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%; accounts for 5.8% of GDP (FY90)
_#_Electricity: 29,000 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP and employs about 75% of the population; imports one-third of food requirements; major export crop is peanuts; the principal crops—millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava, palm kernels; livestock—cattle, sheep, and goats; forestry and fishing resources not fully exploited
_#_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
_*Communications #_Highways: 3,083 km total; 431 km paved, 501 km gravel/laterite, and 2,151 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 400 km
_#_Ports: Banjul
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate network of radio relay and wire; 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 fit 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 in control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan Heights. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. Camp David further specifies that these negotiations will resolve the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has yet to be determined. In the view of the US, the term West Bank describes all of the area west of the Jordan under Jordanian administration before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. With respect to negotiations envisaged in the framework agreement, however, it is US policy that a distinction must be made between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank because of the city's special status and circumstances. Therefore, a negotiated solution for the final status of Jerusalem could be different in character from that of the rest of the West Bank.
_*Geography #_Total area: 380km2; land area: 380 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: 62 km total; Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
_#_Coastline: 40 km
_#_Maritime claims: Israeli occupied with status to be determined
_#_Disputes: Israeli occupied with status to be determined
_#_Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
_#_Terrain: flat to rolling, sand and dune covered coastal plain
_#_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 settlements 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/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 41 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 67 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: NA
_#_Ethnic divisions: Palestinian Arab and other 99.8%, Jewish 0.2%
_#_Religion: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.3%
_#_Language: Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English 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 governed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US policy that the final status of the Gaza Strip will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties. These negotiations will determine how this area is to be governed.
_*Economy #_Overview: Nearly half the labor force of the Gaza Strip is employed across the border by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker transfer funds accounting for 46% of GNP in 1990. The once dominant agricultural sector now contributes only 13% to GNP, about the same as that of the construction sector, and industry accounts for 7%. Gaza depends upon Israel for 90% of its imports and as a market for 80% of its exports. Unrest in the territory in 1988-91 (intifadah) has raised unemployment and substantially lowered the incomes of the population. Furthermore, the Persian Gulf crisis dealt a severe blow to the Gaza Strip in 1990 and on into 1991. Worker remittances from the Gulf states have plunged, unemployment has increased, and export revenues have fallen dramatically. The risk of malnutrition is a real possibility in 1991.
_#_GNP: $270 million, per capita $430; real 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: generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center
_#_Agriculture: olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, dairy products
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural—shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
_*Communications #_Railroads: one line, abandoned and in disrepair, but trackage remains
_#_Highways: small, poorly developed indigenous road network
_#_Ports: facilities for small boats to service Gaza
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway less than 1,220 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—no AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: NA
_#_Manpower availability: males 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; comprises the formerly separate Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, and Berlin following formal unification on 3 October 1990
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: North Sea and Schleswig-Holstein coast of Baltic Sea—3 nm (extends, at one point, to 16 nm in the Helgolander Bucht); remainder of Baltic Sea—12 nm
_#_Disputes: the boundaries of Germany were set by the Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany signed 12 September 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 entered into force on 15 March 1991; a subsequent treaty between Germany and Poland, reaffirming the German-Polish boundary, was signed on 14 November 1990 and is set to be ratified in 1991; the US Government is seeking to settle the property claims of US nationals against the former GDR
_#_Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity
_#_Terrain: lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
_#_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; ground water, lakes, and air quality in eastern Germany are especially bad; significant deforestation in the eastern mountains caused by air pollution and acid rain
_#_Note: strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
_#_Independence: 18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October 1990; all four power rights formally relinquished 15 March 1991
_#_Constitution: 23 May 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
_#_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 WEIZSACKER (since 1 July 1984);
Head of Government—Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 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-chairmen (after the 2 December 1990 election the East and West German Green Parties united); Alliance 90 includes three parties—New Forum, Jens REICH, Sebastian PFLUGBEIL, spokespersons; Democracy Now, Konrad WEISS, spokesperson; and Initiative, 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 2 December 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 vote in eastern Germany
_#_Communists: West—about 40,000 members and supporters; East—284,000 party members (December 1990)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: expellee, refugee, and veterans groups
Ambassador Jeurgen RUHFUS; Chancery at 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (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); telephone [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 bands of black (top), red, and yellow
_*Economy #_Overview: The newly unified German economy presents a starkly contrasting picture. Western Germany has an advanced market economy and is a leading exporter. It experienced faster-than-projected real growth largely because of demand in eastern Germany for western German goods. Western Germany has a highly urbanized and skilled population which enjoys excellent living standards, abundant leisure time, and comprehensive social welfare benefits. Western Germany is relatively poor in natural resources, coal being the most important mineral. Western Germany's world-class companies manufacture technologically advanced goods. The region's economy is mature: manufacturing and service industries account for the dominant share of economic activity, and raw materials and semimanufactured products constitute a large proportion of imports. In 1989 manufacturing accounted for 31% of GDP, with other sectors contributing lesser amounts. In recent years, gross fixed investment has accounted for about 21% of GDP. In 1990 GDP in the western region was an estimated $16,300 per capita.
In contrast, eastern Germany's obsolete command economy, once dominated by smokestack heavy industries, has been undergoing a wrenching change to a market economy. Industrial production in early 1991 is down 50% from the same period last year, due largely to the slump in domestic demand for eastern German-made goods and the ongoing economic restructuring. The FRG's legal, social welfare, and economic systems have been extended to the east, but economic restructuring—privatizing industry, establishing clear property rights, clarifying responsibility for environmental clean-up, and removing Communist-era holdovers from management—is proceeding slowly so far, deterring outside investors. The region is one of the world's largest producers of low-grade lignite coal, but has few other resources. The quality of statistics from eastern Germany remains poor; Bonn is still trying to bring statistics for the region in line with West German practices.
The most challenging economic problem of a united Germany is the reconstruction of eastern Germany's economy—specifically, finding the right mix of fiscal, regulatory, monetary, and tax policies that will spur investment in the east without derailing western Germany's healthy economy or damaging relations with Western partners. The biggest danger is that soaring unemployment in eastern Germany, which could climb to the 30 to 40% range, could touch off labor disputes or renewed mass relocation to western Germany and erode investor confidence in eastern Germany. Overall economic activity grew an estimated 4.6% in western Germany in 1990, while dropping roughly 15% in eastern Germany. Per capita GDP in the eastern region was approximately $8,700 in 1990.
_#_GDP: $1,157.2 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 1.7% (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—manufactures 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%;
commodities—manufactures 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 West 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 transport equipment 29%, chemical products and building 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)
_#_Electricity: 133,000,000 kW capacity; 580,000 million kWh produced, 7,390 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: West—among world's largest producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics; food and beverages; East—metal fabrication, chemicals, brown coal, shipbuilding, machine building, food and beverages, textiles, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: West—accounts for about 2% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); diversified crop and livestock farming; principal crops and livestock include potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbage, cattle, pigs, poultry; net importer of food; fish catch of 202,000 metric tons in 1987; East—accounts for about 10% of GNP (including fishing and forestry); principal crops—wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruit; livestock products include pork, beef, chicken, milk, hides and skins; 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 extended bilaterally 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 nongovernment 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; 3,830 (est.) km 1.435-meter double-track standard gauge; 3,475 km overhead electrified (1988)
_#_Highways: West—466,305 km total; 169,568 km primary, includes 6,435 km autobahn, 32,460 km national highways (Bundesstrassen), 65,425 km state highways (Landesstrassen), 65,248 km county roads (Kreisstrassen); 296,737 km of secondary communal roads (Gemeindestrassen); East—124,604 km total; 47,203 km concrete, asphalt, stone block, of which 1,855 km are autobahn and limited access roads, 11,326 are trunk roads, and 34,022 are regional roads; 77,401 municipal roads (1988)
_#_Inland waterways: West—5,222 km, of which almost 70% are usable by craft of 1,000-metric ton capacity or larger; major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea; East—2,319 km (1988)
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 3,644 km, refined products 3,946 km, natural gas 97,564 km (1988)
_#_Merchant marine: 598 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,029,615 GRT/6,391,875 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 5 short-sea passenger, 315 cargo, 11 refrigerated cargo, 126 container, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 33 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 railcar carrier, 6 barge carrier, 11 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 27 chemical tanker, 21 liquefied gas tanker, 5 combination ore/oil, 14 combination bulk, 15 bulk; note—the German register includes ships of the former East Germany and West Germany; during 1991 the fleet is expected to undergo major restructuring as now-surplus ships are sold off
_#_Civil air: 239 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 655 total, 647 usable; 312 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over 3,659 m; 86 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 95 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: West—highly developed, modern telecommunication service to all parts of the country; fully adequate in all respects; 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 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and domestic systems;
East—3,970,000 telephones; 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 fit for military service; 415,108 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $47.1 billion, 4.7% of GDP (1990) %@Ghana *Geography #_Total area: 238,540 km2; land area: 230,020 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
_#_Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
_#_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%) age 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 population of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 467,000 (about 13% of labor force)
_#_Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK, formerly Gold Coast)
_#_Constitution: 24 September 1979; suspended 31 December 1981
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
_#_Executive branch: chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC), PNDC, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly dissolved after 31 December 1981 coup, and legislative powers were assumed by the Provisional National Defense Council
_#_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 31 December 1981)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; political parties outlawed after 31 December 1981 coup
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Communists: a small number of Communists and sympathizers
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Joseph ABBEY; Chancery at 2460 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (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); telephone [233] (21) 775347 through 775349
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the gold band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
_*Economy #_Overview: Supported by substantial international assistance, Ghana has been implementing a steady economic rebuilding program since 1983, including moves toward privatization and relaxation of government controls. Heavily dependent on cocoa, gold, and timber exports, economic growth is threatened by a poor cocoa harvest and higher oil prices in 1991. Rising inflation—unofficially estimated at 50%—could undermine Ghana's relationships with multilateral lenders. Civil service wage increases and the cost of peacekeeping forces sent to Liberia are boosting government expenditures and undercutting structural adjustment reforms. Ghana opened a stock exchange in 1990.
_#_GNP: $5.8 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 2.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for more than 50% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); the major cash crop is cocoa; other principal crops—rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts, corn, shea nuts, timber; normally self-sufficient in food
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 953 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 32 km double track; railroads undergoing major renovation
_#_Highways: 28,300 km total; 6,000 km concrete or bituminous surface, 22,300 km gravel, laterite, and improved earth surfaces
_#_Inland waterways: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 155 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways
_#_Airports: 10 total, 9 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: poor to fair system of open-wire and cable, radio relay links; 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 fit for military service; 169,698 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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: about 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: source of occasional friction 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 meager so large water catchments (concrete or natural rock) collect rain water
_#_Note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish descent
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%, other 3%), Moslem 8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981)
_#_Language: English and Spanish are primary languages; Italian, Portuguese, and Russian also spoken; English used in the schools and for official purposes
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: about 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers); UK military establishments 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: unicameral House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander in Chief Adm. Sir Derek REFFELL (since NA 1989);
Head of Government—Chief Minister Joe BOSSANO (since 25 March 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 subjects resident six months or more
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly: last held on 24 March 1988 (next to be held March 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(18 total, 15 elected) SL 8, GCL/AACR 7
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Housewives Association, Chamber of Commerce, Gibraltar Representatives Organization
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: two horizontal bands of white (top, double-width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy depends heavily on British defense expenditures, revenue from tourists, fees for services to shipping, and revenues from banking and finance activities. Because more than 70% of the economy is in the public sector, changes in government spending have a major impact on the level of employment. Construction workers are particularly affected when government expenditures are cut.
_#_GNP: $182 million, per capita $4,600; real 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—(principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%;
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 capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce; support to large UK naval and air bases; transit trade and supply depot in the port; light manufacturing of tobacco, roasted coffee, ice, mineral waters, 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
_#_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 at par with the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1.000-meter-gauge system in dockyard area only
_#_Highways: 50 km, mostly good bitumen and concrete
_#_Ports: Gibraltar
_#_Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,399,594 GRT/2,667,656 DWT; includes 6 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 combination oil/ore, 9 bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate international radiocommunication facilities; automatic telephone system with 14,000 telephones; 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 possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Airports: 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_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: slightly 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 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
_#_Disputes: complex maritime and air (but not territorial) disputes with Turkey in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Macedonia question with Bulgaria and Yugoslavia; Northern Epirus question with Albania
_#_National holiday: Independence Day (proclamation of the war of independence), 25 March (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Greek Chamber of Deputies (Vouli ton Ellinon)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Constantinos KARAMANLIS (since 5 May 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Constantinos MITSOTAKIS (since 11 April 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 compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 4 May 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results—Constantinos KARAMANLIS was elected by Parliament;
Parliament—last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held 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, giving ND 151 seats; in November a special electoral court ruled in favor of ND on a contested seat, giving ND 152 seats and taking one from PASOK (now 122)
_#_Communists: an estimated 60,000 members and sympathizers
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS; Chancery at 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Christianity, the established religion of the country
_*Economy #_Overview: Greece has a mixed capitalistic economy with the basic entrepreneurial system overlaid in 1981-89 by a socialist government that enlarged the public sector from 55% of GDP in 1981 to about 70% when Prime Minister Mitsotakis took office. Mitsotakis inherited several severe economic problems from the preceding socialist and caretaker governments, which neglected the runaway budget deficit, a ballooning current account deficit, and accelerating inflation. With only a two-seat majority in the Chamber of Deputies, Mitsotakis has concentrated on cutting the public-sector payroll, cautiously expanding the tax base, and adopting guidelines for privatizing Greece's loss-ridden state-owned enterprises. Once the political situation is sorted out, Greece will have to face the challenges posed by the steadily increasing integration of the European Community, including the progressive lowering of trade and investment barriers. Tourism continues as a major industry, providing a vital offset to the sizable 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 goods, 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—machinery and transport equipment, light manufactures, fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs, 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.); accounts for 22% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,420 million kWh produced, 3,630 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, mining, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for 13% of GNP and 27% of the labor force; principal products—wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes, beef, mutton, pork, dairy products; self-sufficient in food; 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,479 km total; 1,565 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, of which 36 km electrified and 100 km double track, 892 km 1.000-meter gauge; 22 km 0.750-meter narrow gauge; all government owned
_#_Highways: 38,938 km total; 16,090 km paved, 13,676 km crushed stone and gravel, 5,632 km improved earth, 3,540 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 80 km; system consists of three coastal canals and three unconnected rivers
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 26 km; refined products, 547 km
_#_Ports: Piraeus, Thessaloniki
_#_Merchant marine: 958 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,585,048 GRT/39,011,361 DWT; includes 13 passenger, 63 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 152 cargo, 21 container, 17 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 23 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 185 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 15 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 25 combination ore/oil, 5 specialized tanker, 407 bulk, 19 combination bulk; note—ethnic Greeks also own large numbers of ships under the registry of Liberia, Panama, Cyprus, and Lebanon
_#_Civil air: 35 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 81 total, 79 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; 4,122,317 telephones; stations—30 AM, 17 (20 repeaters) FM, 39 (560 repeaters) TV; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and MARISAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,434,762; 1,870,699 fit for military service; 72,707 reach military age (21) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $3.7 billion, 5.5% of GDP (1990) %@Greenland (part of the Danish realm) *Geography #_Total area: 2,175,600 km2; land area: 341,700 km2 (ice free)
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 challenged Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen
_#_Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
_#_Terrain: flat to gradually 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 NEGL%; other 99%
_#_Environment: sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island
_#_Note: dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe
_#_Independence: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division
_#_Constitution: Danish
_#_Legal system: Danish
_#_National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (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 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA);
Head of Government—Home Rule Chairman Lars Emil JOHANSEN (since 15 March 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: two-party ruling coalition—Siumut (a moderate socialist party that advocates more distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark), Lars Emil JOHANSEN, chairman; and Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA; a Marxist-Leninist party that favors complete independence from Denmark rather than home rule); Atassut Party (a more conservative party that favors continuing close relations 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 5 March 1991 (next to be held 5 March 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 12 December 1990 (next to be held by December 1994); Greenland elects two representatives to the Folketing; results—percent of vote by party NA; 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 disk slightly to the hoist side of center—the top half of the disk is red, the bottom half is white
_*Economy #_Overview: Over the past 25 years, the economy has changed from one based on subsistence whaling, hunting, and fishing to one dependent on foreign trade. Fishing is still the most important industry, accounting for over 75% of exports and about 25% of the population's income. Maintenance of a social welfare system similar to Denmark's has given the public sector a dominant role in the economy. In 1990, the economy became critically dependent on shrimp exports and an annual subsidy (now about $355 million) from the Danish Government because cod exports had fallen, the zinc and lead mine closed, and a large promising platinum and gold mine was not yet operational. Greenland has signed a contract for its largest construction project, a power plant to supply the capital. To avoid a decline in the economy, Denmark has agreed to pay 75% of the costs of running Sondrestrom Airbase and Kulusuk Airfield as civilian bases after the US withdraws in 1992.
_#_GNP: $500 million, per capita $9,000; real 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 est.);
commodities—fish and fish products 78%, metallic ores and concentrates 19%;
partners—Denmark 74%, FRG 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, FRG, Japan, US, Sweden
_#_External debt: $480 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 84,000 kW capacity; 176 million kWh produced, 3,180 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: fish processing (mainly shrimp), potential for platinum and gold mining, handicrafts, shipyards
_#_Agriculture: sector dominated by fishing and sheep raising; crops limited to forage and small garden vegetables; 1988 fish catch of 133,500 metric tons
_#_Ports: Kangerluarsoruseq (Faeringehavn), Paamiut (Frederikshaab), Nuuk (Godthaab), Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Julianehaab, Maarmorilik, North Star Bay
_#_Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,021 GRT/1,778 DWT; note—operates under the registry of Denmark
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 11 total, 8 usable; 5 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: adequate domestic and international service provided by 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 responsibility of Denmark %@Grenada *Geography #_Total area: 340 km2; land area: 340 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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; tempered by northeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: volcanic in origin with central mountains
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent
_#_Religion: largely Roman Catholic; Anglican; other Protestant sects
_#_Language: English (official); some French patois
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 36,000; services 31%, agriculture 24%, construction 8%, manufacturing 5%, other 32% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of labor force
_*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 UK)
_#_Constitution: 19 December 1973
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Ministers of Government (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Paul SCOON (since 30 September 1978);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Nicholas BRATHWAITE (since 13 March 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 13 March 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)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Denneth MODESTE; Chancery at 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (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 divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side) with a red border around the flag; 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 disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is 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 essentially agricultural and centers on the traditional production of spices and tropical plants. Agriculture accounts for about 16% of GDP and 80% of exports and employs 24% of the labor force. Tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner, followed by agricultural exports. Manufacturing remains relatively undeveloped, but is expected to grow, given a more favorable private investment climate since 1983. Despite an impressive average annual growth rate for the economy of 5.6% during the period 1986-90, unemployment remains high at about 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.)
partners—US 29%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1989)
_#_External debt: $90 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.8% (1989 est.); accounts for 6% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 12,500 kW capacity; 26 million kWh produced, 310 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food and beverage, textile, light assembly operations, tourism, construction
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and 80% of exports; bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, and mace account for two-thirds of total crop production; world's second-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of nutmeg and mace; small-size farms predominate, growing a variety of 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 otherwise improved; 100 km unimproved
_#_Ports: Saint George's
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 3 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: automatic, islandwide telephone system with 5,650 telephones; new SHF links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF links to Trinidad and Carriacou; stations—1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP %@Guadeloupe (overseas department of France) *Geography #_Total area: 1,780 km2; land area: 1,760 km2
_#_Comparative area: 10 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 306 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical tempered by trade winds; relatively high humidity
_#_Terrain: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grand-Terre is low limestone formation
_#_Natural resources: cultivable land, beaches, and climate that foster tourism
_#_Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 40%; other 24%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano
_#_Note: located 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_*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: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French legal system
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
_#_Executive branch: government commissioner
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 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 NA 1986 (next to be held by NA 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(42 total) number of seats by party NA;
Regional Council—last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held by 16 March 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 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held 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 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat
_#_Communists: 3,000 est.
_#_Other political or pressure 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, the interests of Guadeloupe are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It is also dependent upon France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US. In addition, an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditionally important sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, which comes mainly from France. Light industry consists mostly of sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young.
_#_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—vehicles, foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum products;
partners—France 64%, Italy, FRG, US (1987)
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 171,500 kW capacity; 441 million kWh produced, 1,290 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_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
_#_Highways: 1,940 km total; 1,600 km paved, 340 km gravel and earth
_#_Ports: Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 9 total, 9 usable, 8 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: domestic facilities inadequate; 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 15-49, 98,069; NA fit for military service
_#Note: defense is responsibility of France %@Guam (territory of the US) *Geography #_Total area: 541 km2; land area: 541 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to June, rainy season from July to December; little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coraline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water) with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low-rising hills in center, mountains in south
_#_Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)
_#_Land use: arable land 11%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 18%; other 45%
_#_Environment: frequent squalls during rainy season; subject to relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)
_#_Note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean 5,955 km west-southwest of Honolulu about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, Caucasian 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 18%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%
_#_Language: English and Chamorro, most residents bilingual; Japanese also widely spoken
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 54,000; government 42%, private 58% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 13% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of Guam
_#_Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US
_#_Capital: Agana
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
_#_Independence: none (territory of the US)
_#_Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 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 20 January 1989);
Head of Government—Governor Joseph A. ADA (since NA November 1986); Lieutenant Governor Frank F. BLAS
_#_Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party (controls the legislature); Republican Party (party of the Governor)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
_#_Elections:
Governor—last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1994);
Legislature—last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(21 total) Democratic 11, Republican 10;
US House of Representatives—last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); Guam elects one nonvoting delegate; results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) Republican 1
_#_Communists: none
_#_Note: relations between Guam and the US are under the jurisdiction of the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), IOC, SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
_#_Flag: dark blue with a narrow red border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on US military spending and on revenues from tourism. Over the past 20 years the tourist industry has grown rapidly, creating a construction boom for new hotels and the expansion of older ones. Visitors numbered about 900,000 in 1990. The small manufacturing sector includes textile and clothing, beverage, food, and watch production. About 60% of the labor force works for the private sector and the rest for government. Most food and industrial goods are imported, with about 75% from the US. In 1990 the unemployment rate was about 2%, down from 10% in 1983.
_#_GNP: $1.0 billion, per capita $7,000; real 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 transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction materials, fish, food and beverage products;
partners—US 25%, other 75%
_#_Imports: $611 million (c.i.f., 1983);
commodities—petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods;
partners—US 77%, other 23%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 500,000 kW capacity; 2,300 million kWh produced, 16,300 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: US military, tourism, construction, transshipment, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles
_#_Agriculture: relatively undeveloped with most food imported; fruits, vegetables, eggs, pork, poultry, 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 permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 40%; other 32%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_#_Ethnic divisions: Ladino (mestizo—mixed Indian and European ancestry) 56%, Indian 44%
_#_Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic; also Protestant, traditional Mayan
_#_Language: Spanish, but over 40% of the population speaks an Indian language as a primary tongue (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
_#_Literacy: 55% (male 63%, female 47%) age 15 and over 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 labor force (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: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986
_#_Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_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 14 January 1991); Vice President Gustavo ESPINA Salguero (since 14 January 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, consisting 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 11 January 1991 (next to be held 11 November 1995); results—Jorge SERRANO Elias (MAS) 68.1%, Jorge CARPIO Nicolle (UCN) 31.9%;
Congress—last held on 11 November 1990 (next to be held 11 November 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)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Juan Jose CASO Fanjul; Chancery at 2220 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-4952 through 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 (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for 26% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds of exports. Manufacturing accounts for about 15% of GDP and 12% of the labor force. In 1990 the economy grew by 3.5%, the fourth consecutive year of mild growth. Government economic policies, however, were erratic in 1990—an election year—and inflation shot up to 60%, the highest level in modern times.
_#_GDP: $11.1 billion, per capita $1,180; real growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 26% of GDP; most important sector of economy and contributes two-thirds to export earnings; principal crops—sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; livestock—cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; the government has engaged 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
_#_Airports: 430 total, 381 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 19 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fairly modern network centered in Guatemala [city]; 97,670 telephones; stations—91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave; connection into Central American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,097,234; 1,372,623 fit for military service; 110,949 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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 some other smaller islands
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 50 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast
_#_Terrain: mostly level with low hills in southwest
_#_Natural resources: cropland
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%; cultivated about 50%
_#_Environment: large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
_#_Flag: white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Tourism is a major source of revenue. Other economic activity includes financial services, breeding the world-famous Guernsey cattle, and growing 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 capita (1989)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking
_#_Agriculture: tomatoes, flowers (mostly grown in greenhouses), sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables and fruit; Guernsey cattle
_#_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 at par with the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Ports: Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson
_#_Airport: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m (La Villiaze)
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK %@Guinea *Geography #_Total area: 245,860 km2; land area: 245,860 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
_#_Terrain: generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 42%; other 40%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; deforestation
_#_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%) age 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 population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: virtually 100% of wage earners loosely affiliated with the National Confederation of Guinean Workers
_#_Independence: 2 October 1958 (from France; formerly French Guinea)
_#_Constitution: 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (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: People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire) was dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Gen. Lansana CONTE (since 5 April 1984)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; following the 3 April 1984 coup all political activity was banned
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Communists: no Communist party, although there are some sympathizers
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); Chancery at 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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; uses the popular 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: Although possessing many natural resources and considerable potential for agricultural development, Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world. The agricultural sector contributes about 40% to GDP and employs more than 80% of the work force, while industry accounts for 27% of GDP. Guinea possesses over 25% of theworld's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for about 70% of total exports in 1989.
_#_GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 4.4% (1989 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP (includes fishing and forestry); mostly subsistence farming; principal 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-meter gauge, 239 km 1.435-meter standard gauge
_#_Highways: 30,100 km total; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite (of which barely 4,500 km are currently all-weather roads), 16,000 km unimproved earth (1987)
_#_Inland waterways: 1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft
_#_Ports: Conakry, Kamsar
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_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: fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new 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 earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, Republican Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, Surete Nationale
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,695,832; 853,593 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $27 million, 1.2% of GDP (1988) %@Guinea-Bissau *Geography #_Total area: 36,120 km2; land area: 28,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 rendered its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary (in favor of Senegal)—that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau
_#_Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoon-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
_#_Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
_#_Natural resources: unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite, phosphates; fish, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 11%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 38%; other 7%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
_#_Ethnic divisions: African about 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%); European and mulatto less than 1%
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 65%, Muslim 30%, Christian 5%
_#_Language: Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages
_#_Literacy: 36% (male 50%, female 24%) age 15 and over 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; highly centralized one-party regime since September 1974; the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) held an extraordinary party congress in December 1990 and established a two-year transition program during which the constitution will be revised, allowing for multiple political parties and a presidential election in 1993
_#_Independence: 24 September 1973 (from Portugal; formerly Portuguese Guinea)
_#_Constitution: 16 May 1984
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (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: unicameral 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 (assumed power 14 November 1980 and elected President of Council of State on 16 May 1984); First Vice President Col. Iafai CAMARA (since 7 November 1985); Second Vice President Vasco CABRAL (since 21 June 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, leader; the party decided to retain the binational title despite its formal break with Cape Verde
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 15
_#_Elections:
President of Council of State—last held 19 June 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 15 June 1989 (next to be held 15 June 1994); results—PAIGC is the only party; seats—(150 total) PAIGC 150, appointed by Regional Councils
_#_Communists: a few Communists, some sympathizers
_#_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); telephone [245] 20-1139, 20-1145, 20-1113
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Cape Verde which has the black star raised above the center of the red band and is framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell
_*Economy #_Overview: Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita GDP below $200. Agriculture and fishing are the main economic activities, with cashew nuts, peanuts, and palm kernels the primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of development. The government's four-year plan (1988-91) has targeted agricultural development as the top priority.
_#_GDP: $154 million, per capita $160; real growth rate 5.0% (1989)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for over 50% of GDP, nearly 100% of exports, and 90% of employment; rice is the staple 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 exploited
_#_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
_*Communications #_Highways: 3,218 km; 2,698 km bituminous, remainder earth
_#_Inland waterways: scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce
_#_Ports: Bissau
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 37 total, 18 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: poor system of radio relay, 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 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $5 million, 3.2% of GDP (1987) %@Guyana *Geography #_Total area: 214,970 km2; land area: 196,850 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: all of the area west of the Essequibo river claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
_#_Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 83%; other 8%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution
_#_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%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 268,000; industry and commerce 44.5%, agriculture 33.8%, services 21.7%; public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor force (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 34% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
_#_Independence: 26 May 1966 (from UK; formerly British Guiana)
_#_Constitution: 6 October 1980
_#_Legal system: based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Republic Day, 23 February (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 6 August 1985); First Vice President Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 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 9 December 1985 (next to be held 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 9 December 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 echelons of PPP and PYO (Progressive Youth Organization, militant wing of the PPP) include many Communists; small but unknown number of orthodox Marxist-Leninists within PNC, some of whom formerly belonged 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
_#_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; telephone [592] (02) 54900 through 54909
_#_Flag: green with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow white border between the yellow and the green
_*Economy #_Overview: After growing on average at less than 1% a year in 1986-87, GDP dropped by 3% a year in 1988-89. The decline resulted from bad weather, labor trouble in the canefields, and flooding and equipment problems in the bauxite industry. Consumer prices rose about 35% in 1988 and by over 100% in 1989, and the current account deficit widened substantially as sugar and bauxite exports fell. Moreover, electric power is in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government, in association with international financial agencies, seeks to reduce its payment arrears and to raise new funds. The government's stabilization program—aimed at establishing realistic exchange rates, reasonable price stability, and a resumption of growth—requires considerable public administrative abilities and continued patience by consumers during a long incubation 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, including capital expenditures of $6 million (1989 est.)
_#_Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for 27% of GDP and about 50% of exports; sugar and rice are key crops; development potential exists for fishing and forestry; not self-sufficient in food, especially 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 187 km total, all single track 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 total of navigable waterways; Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively
_#_Ports: Georgetown
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 58 total, 55 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; none with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 14 with runways 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 15-49, 195,142; 148,477 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $5.5 million, 6% of GDP (1989 est.) %@Haiti *Geography #_Total area: 27,750 km2; land area: 27,560 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundary: 275 km with the Dominican Republic
_#_Coastline: 1,771 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims US-administered Navassa Island
_#_Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off 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: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion
_#_Note: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic
_#_Ethnic divisions: black 95%, mulatto and European 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic is the official religion; Roman Catholic 80% (of which an overwhelming majority also practice Voodoo), Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
_#_Language: French (official) spoken by only 10% of population; all speak Creole
_#_Literacy: 53% (male 59%, female 47%) age 15 and over 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)
_#_Constitution: 27 August 1983, suspended February 1986; draft constitution approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989; March 1987 Constitution fully observed by government installed on 7 February 1991
_#_Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) consisting of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Deputies
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE (since 7 February 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Rene PREVAL (since 13 February 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 consisting of 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 16 December 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 16 December 1990, with runoff held 20 January 1991 (next to be held by December 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(27) FNCD 13, ANDP 6, PAIN 2, MRN 2, PDCH 1, RDNP 1, PNT 1, independent 1;
Chamber of Deputies—last held 16 December 1990, with runoff held 20 January 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 (roughly 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)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant), Charge d'Affaires Raymond Alcide JOSEPH; Chancery at 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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), telephone [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 bearing the coat of arms which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
_*Economy #_Overview: About 85% of the population live in abject poverty. Agriculture is mainly small-scale subsistence farming and employs two-thirds of the work force. The majority of the population does not have ready access to safe drinking water, adequate medical care, or sufficient food. Few social assistance programs exist, and the lack of employment opportunities remains one of the most critical problems facing the economy, along with soil erosion and political instability.
_#_GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $440; real growth rate - 3.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $300 million; expenditures $416 million, including capital expenditures 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 6%, less developed countries 3% (1987)
_#_Imports: $348 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—machines and manufactures 34%, food and beverages 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); accounts for 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 230,000 kW capacity; 264 million kWh produced, 43 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: sugar refining, textiles, flour milling, cement manufacturing, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 33% of GDP and employs 66% of work force; mostly small-scale subsistence farms; commercial crops—coffee, mangoes, sugarcane and wood; staple crops—rice, corn, sorghum; shortage of wheat flour
_#_Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $700 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $682 million
_#_Exchange rates: gourdes (G) per US$1— 5.0 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Railroads: 40 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge, single-track, privately owned industrial line
_#_Highways: 4,000 km total; 950 km paved, 900 km otherwise improved, 2,150 km unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: negligible; less than 100 km navigable
_#_Ports: Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 15 total, 10 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly 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 Corps
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,287,179; 691,926 fit for military service; 61,265 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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: slightly less than 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—bleak and mountainous, with an extinct volcano; McDonald Islands—small and rocky
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: primarily used as research stations
_#_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 administered 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: slightly larger 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: dispute with El Salvador over several sections of the land boundary; dispute over Golfo de Fonseca maritime boundary because of disputed sovereignty of islands; unresolved maritime boundary with Nicaragua
_#_Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
_#_Natural resources: timber, 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: subject to frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes and floods along Caribbean coast; deforestation; soil erosion
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and European) 90%, Indian 7%, black 2%, white 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic about 97%; small Protestant minority
_#_Language: Spanish, Indian dialects
_#_Literacy: 73% (male 76%, female 71%) age 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 urban labor force, 20% of rural work force (1985)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Honduras
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Tegucigalpa
_#_Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro
_#_Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982
_#_Legal system: rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law; some influence of English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Rafael Leonardo CALLEJAS Romero (since 26 January 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 compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 26 November 1989 (next to be held November 1993); results—Rafael Leonardo CALLEJAS (PNH) 51%, Carlos FLORES Facusse (PLH) 43.3%, other 5.7%;
National Congress—last held on 26 November 1989 (next to be held 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)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jorge Ramon HERNANDEZ Alcerro; Chancery at Suite 100, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-7700 through 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 bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua which features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Agriculture, the most important sector of the economy, accounts for nearly 30% of GDP, employs 62% of the labor force, and produces two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low. Industry, still in its early stages, employs nearly 9% of the labor force, accounts for 15% of GDP, and generates 20% of exports. The service sectors, including public administration, account for 50% of GDP and employ nearly 20% of the labor force. Basic problems 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 dependence of the export sector mostly on coffee and bananas, which are subject to sharp price fluctuations. Despite government efforts at reform and large-scale foreign assistance, the economy still is unable to take advantage of its sizable natural resources.
_#_GDP: $4.9 billion, per capita $960; real growth rate -1.0% (1990)
commodities—machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs;
partners—US 39%, Japan 9%, CACM, Venezuela, Mexico
_#_External debt: $2.8 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.9% (1989); accounts for 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 668,000 kW capacity; 2,023 million kWh produced, 380 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles, clothing, wood products
_#_Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for nearly 30% of GDP, over 60% of the labor force, and two-thirds of exports; principal products include bananas, coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruit, shrimp; importer of wheat
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; transshipment 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 785 km total; 508 km 1.067-meter gauge, 277 km 0.914-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 8,950 km total; 1,700 km paved, 5,000 km otherwise improved, 2,250 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 465 km navigable by small craft
_#_Ports: Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo
_#_Merchant marine: 173 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 527,481 GRT/812,095 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 107 cargo, 12 refrigerated cargo, 9 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 20 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 1 vehicle carrier, 18 bulk; 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 permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: improved, but still inadequate; connection into Central American Microwave System; 35,100 telephones; stations—176 AM, no FM, 28 TV, 7 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, Public Security Forces (FUSEP)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,106,630; 659,520 fit for military service; 58,953 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $82.5 million, 1.9% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Hong Kong (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 1,040 km2; land area: 990 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 through summer, warm and sunny in fall
_#_Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
_#_Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 77 years male, 84 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: adjective—Hong Kong
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chinese 98%, other 2%
_#_Religion: eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
_#_Language: Chinese (Cantonese), English
_#_Literacy: 77% (male 90%, female 64%) age 15 and over having 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%, financing, insurance, and real estate 9.2%, transport and communications 4.5%, construction 2.5%, other 9.7% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 16% of labor force (1990)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none; abbreviated HK
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK; scheduled to revert 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 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 years after transition
_#_Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 August (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 6 February 1952);
Head of Government—Governor Sir David Clive WILSON (since 9 April 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 of electoral college and functional constituencies
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—indirect elections last held 12 September 1991 and direct elections held 15 September 1991 (next to be held by September 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(60 total; 21 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 18 directly elected, 18 appointed by governor, 3 ex officio members) indirect elections—number of seats by functional constituency NA; direct elections—UDHK 12, Meeting Point 2, ADPL 1, other 3; note—direct elections were held for the first time in September 1991
_#_Communists: 5,000 (est.) cadres affiliated with 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 (prodemocracy), 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of the UK, the interests of Hong Kong in the US are represented by the UK;
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 flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with the Hong Kong coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a shield (bearing two junks below a crown) held by a lion (representing the UK) and a dragon (representing China) with another lion above the shield and a banner bearing the words HONG KONG below the shield
_*Economy #_Overview: Hong Kong has a free market economy with few tariffs or nontariff barriers. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Manufacturing accounts for about 18% of GDP, employs 28% of the labor force, and exports about 90% of its output. Real GDP growth averaged a remarkable 8% in 1987-88, then slowed to 2.5-3.0% in 1989-90. Unemployment, which has been declining since the mid-1980s, is now less than 2%. A shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Short-term prospects remain solid so long as major trading partners continue to be prosperous. The crackdown in China in 1989-90 casts a long shadow over the longer term economic outlook.
_#_GDP: $64.0 billion, per capita $11,000; real 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—clothing, textile yarn and fabric, footwear, 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—foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum;
partners—China 35%, Japan 17%, Taiwan 9%, US 8% (1989)
_#_Agriculture: minor role in the economy; rice, vegetables, dairy products; less than 20% self-sufficient; shortages of rice, wheat, water
_#_Illicit drugs: a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and major financial and money-laundering center
_#_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—linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 35 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned
_#_Highways: 1,484 km total; 794 km paved, 306 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth
_#_Ports: Hong Kong
_#_Merchant marine: 134 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 4,690,770 GRT/8,091,177 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 16 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 16 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 6 combination ore/oil, 6 liquefied gas, 71 bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry; 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 aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services; 3,000,000 telephones; microwave transmission links and extensive optical fiber transmission 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; links to 5 international submarine cables providing access to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Headquarters of British Forces, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, Gurkha Brigade, Royal Hong Kong Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,718,112; 1,328,230 fit for military service; 45,437 reach military age (18) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $300 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989 est.); this represents one-fourth of the total cost of defending itself, the remainder being paid 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: about 2.7 times the size of 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: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
_#_Terrain: low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
_#_Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 5%; other 95%
_#_Environment: almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat 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 US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered 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 constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan—they left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only, one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast
_#_Note: Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard %@Hungary *Geography #_Total area: 93,030 km2; land area: 92,340 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 dispute with Czechoslovakia
_#_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 streams, but flooding occurs almost every year
_#_Note: landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between USSR and Mediterranean basin
_#_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%) age 15 and over 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 labor force; Central Council of Hungarian Trade Unions (SZOT) includes 19 affiliated unions, all controlled by the government; independent unions legal; may be as many as 12 small independent unions in operation
_*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: 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensures legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and established the principle of parliamentary oversight
_#_Legal system: in process of revision, moving toward rule of law based on Western model
_#_National holiday: October 23 (1956); commemorates the Hungarian uprising
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Orszaggyules)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, may be restructured as part of ongoing government overhaul
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Arpad GONCZ (since 3 August 1990; previously interim President from 2 May 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jozsef ANTALL (since 23 May 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 3 August 1990 (next to be held 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 2 May 1990 until elected President;
National Assembly—last held on 25 March 1990 (first round, with the second round held 8 April 1990); results—percent of vote 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
_#_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 bands of red (top), white, and green
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture is an important sector, providing sizable export earnings and meeting domestic food needs. Industry accounts for about 40% of GNP and 30% of employment. About 40% of Hungary's foreign trade is with the USSR and Eastern Europe and a third is with the EC. Low rates of growth reflect the inability of the Soviet-style economy to modernize capital plant and motivate workers. GNP declined by 1% in 1989 and by an estimated 6% in 1990. Since 1985 external debt has more than doubled, to over $20 billion. In recent years Hungary has experimented widely with decentralized and market-oriented enterprises. The newly democratic government has renounced the Soviet economic growth model and plans to open the economy to wider market forces and to much closer economic relations with Western Europe. Prime Minister Antall has declared his intention to move foward on privatization of state enterprises, provision for bankruptcy, land reform, and marketization of international trade, but concerns over acceptable levels of unemployment and inflation may slow the reform process.
_#_GNP: $60.9 billion, per capita $5,800; real growth rate - 5.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: including forestry, accounts for about 15% of GNP and 19% of employment; highly diversified crop-livestock farming; principal crops—wheat, corn, sunflowers, potatoes, sugar beets; livestock—hogs, cattle, poultry, dairy products; self-sufficient in food output
_#_Economic aid: donor—$2.0 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1962-89)
_*Communications #_Railroads: 7,765 km total; 7,508 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 222 km narrow gauge (mostly 0.760-meter), 35 km 1.520-meter broad gauge; 1,147 km double track, 2,161 km electrified; all government owned (1988)
_#_Highways: 130,014 km 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 (est.) other roads (70% unpaved) (1988)
_#_Ports: Budapest and Dunaujvaros are river ports on the Danube; maritime outlets are Rostock (Germany), Gdansk (Poland), Gdynia (Poland), Szczecin (Poland), Galati (Romania), and Braila (Romania)
_#_Merchant marine: 16 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) and 1 bulk totaling 94,393 GRT/131,946 DWT
_#_Civil air: 28 major transport aircraft
_#_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: telephone density is at 17 per 100 inhabitants; 49% of all phones are in Budapest; 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: Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Frontier Guard, Civil Defense
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,667,234; 2,130,749 fit for military service; 88,851 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: 43.7 billion forints, NA% of GDP (1989); note—conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results %@Iceland *Geography #_Total area: 103,000 km2; land area: 100,250 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kentucky
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 4,988 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
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; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
_#_Terrain: mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
_#_Natural resources: fish, hydroelectric and geothermal power, diatomite
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and woodland 1%; other 76%
_#_Environment: subject to earthquakes and volcanic activity
_#_Note: strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country
_#_Constitution: 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
_#_Legal system: civil law system based on Danish law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic, 17 June (1944)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral 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 1 August 1980);
Head of Government—Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since 30 April 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 29 June 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 20 April 1991 (next to be held by April 1995); results—Independence 38.6%, Progressive 18.9%, Social Democratic 15.5%, People's Alliance 14.4%, Womens List 8.13%, Liberals 1.2%, other 3.27% seats—(63 total) Independence 26, Progressive 13, Social Democratic 10, People's Alliance 9, Womens List 5
_#_Communists: less than 100 (est.), some of whom participate in the People's Alliance
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Tomas A. TOMASSON; Chancery at 2022 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6653 through 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 extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*Economy #_Overview: Iceland's prosperous Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, but with extensive welfare measures, low unemployment, and comparatively even distribution of income. The economy is heavily dependent on the fishing industry, which provides nearly 75% of export earnings. In the absence of other natural resources, Iceland's economy is vulnerable to changing world fish prices. As a result of climbing fish prices in 1990 and a noninflationary labor agreement, Iceland is pulling out of a recession, which began in mid-1988 with a sharp decline in fish prices and an imposition of quotas on fish catches to conserve stocks. Inflation was down sharply from 20% in 1989 to 8% in 1990.
_#_GDP: $4.2 billion, per capita $16,300; real 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—machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, textiles;
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.); accounts for 22% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,063,000 kW capacity; 5,165 million kWh produced, 20,780 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferro-silicon production, hydropower
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GDP (including fishing); fishing is most important economic activity, contributing nearly 75% to export earnings; principal crops—potatoes and turnips; livestock—cattle, sheep; self-sufficient in crops; fish catch of about 1.4 million metric tons in 1989
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $19.1 million
_#_Merchant marine: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,409 GRT/73,279 DWT; includes 8 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 20 major transport aircraft
_#_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: adequate domestic service, wire and radio 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 armed forces; State Criminal Police, Coast Guard; Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 69,644; 62,248 fit for military service; no conscription or compulsory military service
_#Defense expenditures: none %@India *Geography #_Total area: 3,287,590 km2; land area: 2,973,190 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than one-third the size of the US
_#_Land boundaries: 14,103 km total; Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
_#_Coastline: 7,000 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: boundaries with Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan; water sharing problems with downstream riparians, Bangladesh over the Ganges and Pakistan over the Indus
_#_Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
_#_Terrain: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in 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, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; air and water pollution; desertification
_#_Note: dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 57 years male, 59 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/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 persons each; numerous other languages and dialects, for the most part mutually unintelligible; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindustani, a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu, is spoken widely throughout northern India
_#_Literacy: 48% (male 62%, female 34%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Organized labor: less than 5% of the labor force
_*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, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
_#_Independence: 15 August 1947 (from 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: bicameral Parliament (Sansad) consists of an upper house or Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and a lower house or House of the People (Lok Sabha)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ramaswamy Iyer VENKATARAMAN (since 25 July 1987); Vice President Dr. Shankar Dayal SHARMA (since 3 September 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 Kazagham (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 NA; Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist (CPI/ML), Satyanarayan SINGH; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (a regional party in Tamil Nadu), M. KARUNANIDHI; Akali Dal factions representing Sikh religious community in the 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 21 May, 12 and 15 June 1991 (next to be held by November 1996); results—percent of vote by party NA; 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, other 26; note—second and third rounds of voting were delayed because of the assassination of Congress President Rajiv GANDHI on 21 May 1991
_#_Communists: 466,000 members claimed by CPI, 361,000 members claimed by CPI/M; Communist extremist groups, about 15,000 members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: various separatist groups seeking greater communal autonomy; numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Adam Sena, Anand Marg, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
_#_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; telephone [91] (11) 600651; there are US Consulates General in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger which has a small orange disk centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: India's economy is a mixture of traditional village farming and handicrafts, modern agriculture, old and new branches of industry, and a multitude of support services. It presents both the entrepreneurial skills and drives of the capitalist system and widespread government intervention of the socialist mold. Growth of 4% to 5% annually in the 1980s has softened the impact of population growth on unemployment, social tranquility, and the environment. Agricultural output has continued to expand, reflecting the greater use of modern farming techniques and improved seed that have helped to make India self-sufficient in food grains and a net agricultural exporter. However, tens of millions of villagers, particularly in the south, have not benefited from the green revolution and live in abject poverty. Industry has benefited from a partial liberalization of controls. The growth rate of the service sector has also been strong. India, however, has been challenged more recently by much lower foreign exchange reserves, higher inflation, and a large debt service burden.
_#_GNP: $254 billion, per capita $300; real 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 goods, clothing, textiles, chemicals, tea, coffee, fish products;
partners—EC 25%, US 19%, USSR and Eastern Europe 17%, Japan 10%
_#_Imports: $24.8 billion (c.i.f., FY90);
commodities—petroleum, capital goods, uncut gems and jewelry, chemicals, iron and steel, edible oils;
partners—EC 33%, Middle East 19%, Japan 10%, US 9%, USSR and Eastern Europe 8%
_#_External debt: $69.8 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8.4% (1990); accounts for about 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 70,000,000 kW capacity; 245,000 million kWh produced, 290 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 30% of GNP and employs 67% of labor force; self-sufficient in food grains; principal 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: licit producer of opium poppy for the pharmaceutical trade, but some opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; major transit country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 61,850 km total (1986); 33,553 km 1.676-meter broad gauge, 24,051 km 1.000-meter gauge, 4,246 km 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 earth
_#_Inland waterways: 16,180 km; 3,631 km navigable by large vessels
_#_Airports: 345 total, 288 usable; 198 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 57 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 88 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: poor domestic telephone service, international radio communications adequate; 4,700,000 telephones; stations—96 AM, 4 FM, 274 TV (government controlled); domestic satellite system for communications and TV; 3 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; submarine cables to Malaysia and United Arab Emirates
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 232,793,714; 137,259,444 fit for military service; about 9,431,908 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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 tributary water bodies
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than eight times the size of the US; third-largest ocean (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean)
_#_Coastline: 66,526 km
_#_Climate: northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the north Indian Ocean and January/February in the south Indian Ocean
_#_Terrain: surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the south Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface currents in the north Indian Ocean—low pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninety East Ridge; 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 subject to superstructure icing in extreme south near Antarctica from May to October
_*Economy #_Overview: The Indian Ocean provides a major transportation highway for the movement of petroleum products from the Middle East to Europe and North and South American countries. Fish from the ocean are of growing economic importance to many of the bordering countries as a source of both food and exports. Fishing fleets from the USSR, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean for mostly shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and Western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
_#_Industries: based on exploitation of natural resources, particularly marine life, minerals, oil and gas production, fishing, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits
_*Communications #_Ports: Bombay (India), Calcutta (India), Madras (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: slightly less than 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, humid; more moderate in highlands
_#_Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
_#_Ethnic divisions: majority of Malay stock comprising Javanese 45.0%, Sundanese 14.0%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26.0%
_#_Religion: Muslim 87%, Protestant 6%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1985)
_#_Language: Bahasa Indonesia (modified form of Malay; official); English and Dutch leading foreign languages; local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
_#_Literacy: 77% (male 84%, female 68%) age 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 labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Indonesia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Jakarta
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular—propinsi), 2 special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular—daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Bengkulu, Irian Jaya, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Lampung, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Riau, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Timor Timur, Yogyakarta*
_#_Independence: 17 August 1945 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands or Dutch East Indies)
_#_Constitution: August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959
_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
_#_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 indirectly elected members who meet every five years to elect the president and vice president and, theoretically, to determine national policy
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Gen. (Ret.) SOEHARTO (since 27 March 1968); Vice President Lt. Gen. (Ret.) SUDHARMONO (since 11 March 1983)
_#_Political parties and leaders: GOLKAR (quasi-official party based on functional groups), Lt. Gen. (Ret.) WAHONO, general chairman; Indonesia Democracy Party (PDI—federation of former Nationalist and Christian Parties), SOERYADI, chairman; Development Unity Party (PPP, federation of former Islamic parties), Ismail Hasan METAREUM, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 17 and married persons regardless of age
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on 23 April 1987 (next to be held 23 April 1992); results—Golkar 73%, UDP 16%, PDI 11%; seats—(500 total—400 elected, 100 appointed) Golkar 299, UDP 61, PDI 40
_#_Communists: Communist Party (PKI) was officially banned in March 1966; current strength about 1,000-3,000, with less than 10% engaged in organized activity; pre-October 1965 hardcore membership about 1.5 million
_#_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 is a mixed economy with many socialist institutions and central planning but with a recent emphasis on deregulation and private enterprise. Indonesia has extensive natural wealth yet, with a large and rapidly increasing population, it remains a poor country. GDP growth in 1985-89 averaged about 4%, somewhat short of the more than 5% rate needed to absorb the 2.3 million workers annually entering the labor force. Agriculture, including forestry and fishing, is an important sector, accounting for 21% of GDP and over 50% of the labor force. The staple crop is rice. Once the world's largest rice importer, Indonesia is now nearly self-sufficient. Plantation crops—rubber and palm oil—and textiles and plywood are being encouraged for both export and job generation. Industrial output now accounts for 30% of GDP based on a supply of diverse natural resources, including crude oil, natural gas, timber, metals, and coal. Of these, the oil sector dominates the external economy, generating more than 20% of the government's revenues and 40% of export earnings in 1989. However, the economy's growth is very dependent on the continuing expansion of nonoil exports. Japan is Indonesia's most important customer and supplier of aid.
_#_GDP: $94 billion, per capita $490; real growth rate 6.0% (1990 est.)
_#_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 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 11.6% (1989 est.); accounts for 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 11,600,000 kW capacity; 38,000 million kWh produced, 200 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: petroleum, textiles, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, food, rubber
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP, subsistence food production; small-holder and plantation production for export; rice, cassava, peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, copra, other tropical products; products—poultry meat, beef, pork, eggs
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade, but not a major player; government actively eradicating plantings 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 no longer used)
_*Communications #_Railroads: 6,964 km total; 6,389 km 1.067-meter gauge, 497 km 0.750-meter gauge, 78 km 0.600-meter gauge; 211 km double track; 101 km electrified; all government owned
_#_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
_#_Civil air: about 216 commercial transport aircraft
_#_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 net; domestic service fair, international service good; radiobroadcast coverage 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 fit for military service; 2,149,673 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $1.4 billion, 1.8% of GNP (1988) %@Iran *Geography #_Total area: 1,648,000 km2; land area: 1,636,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger 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 nm 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 14 October 1990 following the end of the war that began on 22 September 1980; progress had been made on the major issues of contention—troop withdrawal, prisoner-of-war exchanges, demarcation of the border, freedom of navigation, and sovereignty over the the Shatt al Arab waterway—but written agreements had yet to be drawn up when frictions reemerged in March 1991 in the wake of Shia and Kurdish revolts in Iraq that Baghdad accused Tehran of supporting; Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR; occupies three islands in the Persian Gulf claimed by 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); periodic disputes with Afghanistan over Helmand water rights; Boluch question with Afghanistan and Pakistan
_#_Climate: mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
_#_Terrain: rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Cleric and functional Chief of State—Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989);
Head of Government—President Ali Akbar HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI (since 3 August 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 NA July 1989 (next to be held April 1993); results—Ali Akbar HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI was elected with only token opposition;
Islamic Consultative Assembly—last held 8 April 1988 (next to be held June 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(270 seats total) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: 1,000 to 2,000 est. hardcore; 15,000 to 20,000 est. sympathizers; crackdown in 1983 crippled the party; trials of captured leaders began in late 1983 and remain incomplete
_#_Other political or pressure groups: groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Hizballah, Hojjatiyeh Society, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed 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 been repressed by the government for accusing it of corruption
_#_Diplomatic representation: none; protecting power in the US is Algeria—Iranian Interests Section, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 965-4990;
US—protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) in red is centered in the white band; Allah Akbar (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band
_*Economy #_Overview: Since the 1979 revolution, the banks, petroleum industry, transportation, utilities, and mining have been nationalized, but the new five-year plan—the first since the revolution—passed in January 1990, calls for the transfer of many government-controlled enterprises to the private sector. Disruptions from the bitter war with Iraq, massive corruption, mismanagement, demographic pressures, and ideological rigidities have kept economic growth at depressed levels. Oil accounts for over 90% of export revenues. A combination of war damage and low oil prices brought a 2% drop in GNP in 1988. GNP probably rose slightly in 1989, considerably short of the 3.2% population growth rate in 1989. Heating oil and gasoline are rationed. Agriculture has suffered from the war, land reform, and shortages of equipment and materials. The five-year plan seeks to reinvigorate the economy by increasing the role of the private sector, boosting nonoil income, and securing foreign loans. The plan is overly ambitious but probably will generate some short-term relief.
_#_GNP: $80.0 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate 0.5% (1990 est.)
partners—Japan, Turkey, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, France, FRG
_#_Imports: $11.6 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, 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; 40,000 million kWh produced, 740 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other building materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating (steel and copper)
_#_Agriculture: principal products—wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool, caviar; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit 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 fell sharply following the 1979 revolution
_#_Currency: Iranian rial (plural—rials); 1 Iranian rial (IR) = 100 dinars; note—domestic figures are generally referred to in terms of the toman (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 1.432-meter gauge, 92 km 1.676-meter gauge; 730 km under construction from Bafq to Bandar Abbas
_#_Highways: 140,072 km total; 46,866 km gravel and crushed stone; 49,440 km improved earth; 42,566 km bituminous and bituminous-treated surfaces; 1,200 km (est.) rural road network
_#_Inland waterways: 904 km; the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km, but closed since September 1980 because of Iran-Iraq war
_#_Ports: Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Bandar Beheshti, Bandar-e Abbas, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni, Bandar-e Shahid Rajai, Khorramshahr (largely destroyed in fighting during 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) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 49 bulk, 2 combination bulk
_#_Civil air: 42 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 214 total, 186 usable; 80 with permanent-surface runways; 17 with runways over 3,659 m; 16 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 70 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in Tehran; 2,143,000 telephones; stations—62 AM, 30 FM, 250 TV; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; HF and microwave to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and USSR
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Islamic Republic of Iran Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, and Revolutionary Guard Corps (includes Basij militia and own ground, air, and naval forces); a merger of the Komiteh, Police, and Gendarmerie has produced a new Security Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 12,750,593; 7,588,711 fit for military service; 576,321 reach military age (21) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $13 billion, 13.3% of GNP (1991 est.) %@Iraq *Geography #_Total area: 434,920 km2; land area: 433,970 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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 14 October 1990 following the end of the war that began on 22 September 1980; progress had been made on the major issues of contention—troop withdrawal, prisoner-of-war exchanges, demarcation of the border, freedom of navigation, and sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway—but written agreements had yet to be drawn up when frictions reemerged in March 1991 in the wake of Shia and Kurdish revolts in Iraq that Baghdad accused Tehran of supporting; Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR; shares Neutral Zone with Saudi Arabia—in December 1981, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed a boundary agreement that divides the zone between them, but the agreement must be ratified before it becomes effective; Iraqi forces invaded and occupied Kuwait from 2 August 1990 until 27 February 1991; in April 1991 official Iraqi acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 687, which demands that Iraq accept its internationally recognized border with Kuwait, ended earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah Islands or to all of Kuwait; periodic disputes with upstream riparian Syria over Euphrates water rights; potential dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
_#_Climate: desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers
_#_Terrain: mostly broad plains; reedy marshes in southeast; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
_#_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 contingent upon agreements with upstream riparians (Syria, Turkey); air and water pollution; soil degradation (salinization) and erosion; desertification
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 68 years female (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 regions), Assyrian, Armenian
_#_Literacy: 60% (male 70%, female 49%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,400,000 (1989); services 48%, agriculture 30%, industry 22%, severe labor shortage; expatriate labor force about 1,600,000 (July 1990)
_#_Organized labor: less than 10% of the labor force
_*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, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Tamim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala, Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
_#_Independence: 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
_#_Constitution: 22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (interim Constitution); new constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil law system elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (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: unicameral National Assembly (Majlis Watani)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Saddam HUSAYN (since 16 July 1979); Vice President Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since 21 April 1974); Vice President Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since 23 March 1991);
_#_Head of Government—Prime Minister Sadun HAMMADI (since 27 March 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Tariq AZIZ (since NA 1979); Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Hamza al-ZUBAYDI (since 27 March 1991)
_#_Political parties: National Progressive Front is a coalition of the Arab Bath Socialist Party, Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Kurdistan Revolutionary Party
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—last held on 1 April 1989 (next to be held NA); results—Sunni Arabs 53%, Shia Arabs 30%, Kurds 15%, Christians 2% est.; seats—(250 total) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: about 1,500 hardcore members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: political parties and activity severely restricted; possibly some opposition to regime from disaffected members of the regime, Army officers, and religious and ethnic dissidents
_#_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 (opposite the Foreign Ministry Club), Baghdad (mailing address is P. O. Box 2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad); telephone [964] (1) 719-6138 or 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the phrase Allahu Akbar (God is Great) in green Arabic script—Allahu 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 that has two stars but no script and the flag of Yemen that has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt that has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: The Bathist regime engages in extensive central planning and management of industrial production and foreign trade while leaving some small-scale industry and services and most agriculture to private enterprise. The economy has been dominated by the oil sector, which has provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. In the 1980s financial problems, caused by massive expenditures in the eight-year war with Iran and damage to oil export facilities by Iran, led the government to implement austerity measures and to borrow heavily and later reschedule foreign debt payments. After the end of hostilities in 1988, oil exports gradually increased with the construction of new pipelines and restoration of damaged facilities. Agricultural development remained hampered by labor shortages, salinization, and dislocations caused by previous land reform and collectivization programs. The industrial sector, although accorded high priority by the government, also was under financial constraints. Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international economic embargoes, and military actions by an international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically changed the economic picture. Oil exports were cut to near zero, and industrial and transportation facilities severely damaged.
_#_GNP: $35 billion, per capita $1,940; real growth rate 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—US, 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.), excluding debt to Arab Gulf states
_#_Industrial production: NA%; manufacturing accounts for 10% of GDP (1987)
_#_Electricity: 9,902,000 kW capacity; 20,000 million kWh produced, 1,110 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP but 30% of labor force; principal products—wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, other fruit, cotton, wool; livestock—cattle, sheep; not self-sufficient in food output
_#_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), more than $30 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.9 billion
_#_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 1.435-meter standard gauge, 505 km 1.000-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 25,479 km total; 8,290 km paved, 5,534 km improved earth, 11,655 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 1,015 km; Shatt al Arab usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km, but closed since September 1980 because of Iran-Iraq war; Tigris and Euphrates navigable by shallow-draft steamers (of little importance); Shatt al Basrah canal 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, 1 passenger-cargo, 17 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 19 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker; note—since the 2 August 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces, Iraq has sought to register at least part of its merchant fleet under convenience flags; none of the Iraqi flag merchant fleet was trading internationally as of 1 January 1991
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 4,350 km; 725 km refined products; 1,360 km natural gas
_#_Civil air: 64 major transport aircraft (including 30 IL-76s used by the Iraq Air Force)
_#_Airports: 111 total, 102 usable; 73 with permanent-surface runways; 9 with runways over 3,659 m; 52 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good network consists of coaxial cables, radio relay links, and radiocommunication stations; 632,000 telephones; stations—9 AM, 1 FM, 81 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 GORIZONT Atlantic Ocean in the Intersputnik system; coaxial cable and radio relay 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 fit for military service; 228,277 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP %@Iraq - Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone *Geography #_Total area: 3,520 km2; land area: 3,520 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: 389 km total; 191 km Iraq, 198 km 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 quadripoint with Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia
_*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 divides the zone between them, but the agreement must be ratified before it becomes effective
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Highways: none; some secondary roads
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the joint responsibility of Iraq and Saudi Arabia %@Ireland *Geography #_Total area: 70,280 km2; land area: 68,890 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia
_#_Land boundary: 360 km with UK
_#_Coastline: 1,448 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: no precise definition;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Northern Ireland question 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; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
_#_Terrain: mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
_#_Ethnic divisions: Celtic, with English minority
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1% (1981)
_#_Language: Irish (Gaelic) and English; English is the language generally used, with Gaelic spoken in a few areas, mostly along the western seaboard
_#_Literacy: 98% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over 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)
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral 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 9 November 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Charles J. HAUGHEY (since 12 July 1989, the fourth time elected as Prime Minister)
_#_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 heads a coalition consisting 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 17 February 1987 (next to be held 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 12 July 1989 (next to be held NA 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Padraic N. MACKERNAN; Chancery at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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; telephone [353] (1) 688777
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which is shorter and has the colors reversed—orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is small, open, and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 37% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 26% of the labor force. The government has successfully reduced the rate of inflation from double-digit figures in the late 1970s to 3.3% in 1990. In 1987, after years of deficits, the balance of payments was brought into the black. Unemployment, however, is a serious problem. A 1990 unemployment rate of 16.6% placed Ireland along with Spain as the countries with the worst jobless records in Western Europe.
_#_GDP: $33.9 billion, per capita $9,690; real 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, animal products;
partners—EC 74% (UK 34%, FRG 11%, France 10%), US 8%
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GNP and 15% of the labor force; principal crops—turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; livestock—meat and dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food shortages include bread grain, fruits, vegetables
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA commitments (1980-89), $90 million
_*Communications #_Railroads: Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,947 km 1.602-meter gauge, government owned; 485 km double track; 38 km electrified
_#_Highways: 92,294 km total; 87,422 km surfaced, 4,872 km gravel or crushed stone
_#_Inland waterways: limited for commercial traffic
_#_Merchant marine: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 138,967 GRT/164,628 DWT; includes 4 short-sea passenger, 31 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 specialized tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 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 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 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 fit for military service; 33,175 reach military age (17) annually
_#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. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The Camp David Accords further specify that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined (see West Bank and Gaza Strip entries). On 25 April 1982 Israel relinquished 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: slightly 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, Gaza Strip 51 km
_#_Coastline: 273 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
_#_Disputes: separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line; differences with Jordan over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line which separates the two countries; West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with status to be determined; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing issues with Jordan
_#_Climate: temperate; hot and dry in desert areas
_#_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, 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 may occur during spring and summer; limited arable land and natural water resources pose serious constraints; 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/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 79 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Religion: Judaism 82%, Islam (mostly Sunni Muslim) 14%, Christian 2%, Druze and other 2%
_#_Language: Hebrew (official); Arabic used officially for Arab minority; English most commonly used foreign language
_#_Literacy: 92% (male 95%, female 89%) age 15 and over 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 labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: State of Israel
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
_#_Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
_#_Constitution: no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
_#_Legal system: mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985 Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 10 May 1989; Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet
Chief of State—President Chaim HERZOG (since 5 May 1983);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Yitzhak SHAMIR (since 20 October 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Israel currently has a coalition government comprising 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 23 February 1988 (next to be held February 1994); results—Chaim HERZOG reelected by Knesset;
Knesset—last held 1 November 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 (predominantly Arab but with Jews in its leadership) has some 1,500 members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now, critical of government's West Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon policies
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Zalman SHOVAL; Chancery at 3514 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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); telephone [972] (3) 654338; there is a US Consulate General in Jerusalem
_#_Flag: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Israel has a market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports for crude oil, food, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has developed its agricultural and industrial sectors on an intensive scale over the past 20 years. Industry accounts for about 23% of the labor force, agriculture for 5%, and services for most of the balance. Diamonds, high-technology machinery, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the biggest export earners. The balance of payments has traditionally been negative, but is offset 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 major source for economic and military aid. To earn needed foreign exchange, Israel must continue to exploit high-technology niches in the international market, such as medical scanning equipment. Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on 2 August dealt a blow to Israel's economy in 1990. Higher world oil prices added an estimated $300 million to Israel's 1990 oil import bill, and helped keep the inflation rate at 18% for the year. Regional tensions and continuing acts of the Palestinian uprising (intifadah)-related violence contributed to a sharp dropoff in tourism—a key source of foreign exchange—to the lowest level since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. In 1991, the influx of up to 400,000 Soviet immigrants will increase unemployment, intensify the country's housing crisis, and contribute to a widening 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, fertilizer and chemical products, military hardware, electronics;
partners—US, UK, FRG, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy
_#_Imports: $14.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles, ships, aircraft;
_#_External debt: $24.5 billion, of which government debt is $18 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1.5% (1989); accounts for about 40% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 4,392,000 kW capacity; 17,500 million kWh produced, 4,000 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP; largely self-sufficient in food production, except for bread grains; principal 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
_#_Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 516,714 GRT/611,795 DWT; includes 7 cargo, 21 container, 2 refrigerated cargo; note—Israel also maintains a significant flag of convenience fleet, which is normally at least as large as the Israeli flag fleet; the Israeli flag of convenience fleet typically includes all of its POL tankers
_#_Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 51 total, 44 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: most highly developed in the Middle East though not the largest; good 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: Israel Defense Forces includes ground, naval, and air components; historically there have been no 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) annually; both sexes are liable for military service; Nahal or Pioneer Fighting Youth, Frontier Guard, Chen
_#Defense expenditures: $5.3 billion, 13.9% of GNP (1991); note—includes an estimated $1.8 billion in US military aid %@Italy *Geography #_Total area: 301,230 km2; land area: 294,020 km2; includes Sardinia and Sicily
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
_#_Natural resources: mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling 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, snowslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, pollution; land sinkage in Venice
_#_Note: strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
_#_Ethnic divisions: primarily Italian but population includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south; Sicilians; Sardinians
_#_Religion: nominally Roman Catholic almost 100%
_#_Language: Italian; parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking; significant French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region; Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 98%, female 96%) age 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 labor force (est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Italian Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Rome
_#_Administrative divisions: 20 regions (regioni, singular—regione); Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto
_#_Independence: 17 March 1861, Kingdom of Italy proclaimed
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1948
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals treated as trials de novo; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister (president of the Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) consists of an upper chamber or Senate of the Republic (Senato della Repubblica) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati)
Chief of State—President Francesco COSSIGA (since 3 July 1985);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Giulio ANDREOTTI (since 22 July 1989, heads the government for the seventh time); Deputy Prime Minister Claudio MARTELLI (since 23 July 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—was 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 13 April 1991, with Prime Minister ANDREOTTI, a Christian Democrat, presiding over a four-party coalition consisting of the Christian Democrats, Socialists, Social Democrats, and Liberals
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18 (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
_#_Elections:
Senate—last held 14-15 June 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 14-15 June 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—Communist dominated, CISL—Christian Democratic, and UIL—Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republican); Italian manufacturers association (Confindustria); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Rinaldo PETRIGNANI; Chancery at 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (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); telephone [39] (6) 46741; there are US Consulates General in Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, and Palermo (Sicily)
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which has the colors reversed—orange (hoist side), white, and green
_*Economy #_Overview: Since World War II the economy has changed from one based on agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. The country is still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by small private companies, and an undeveloped agricultural south, dominated by large public enterprises. Services account for 48% of GDP, industry 34%, agriculture 4%, and public administration 13%. Most raw materials needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be imported. The economic recovery that began in mid-1983 has continued through 1990, with the economy growing at an annual average rate of 3%. For the 1990s, Italy faces the problems of refurbishing a tottering communications system, curbing pollution in major industrial centers, and adjusting to the new competitive forces accompanying 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)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 0.1% (1990); accounts for almost 35% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 56,800,000 kW capacity; 225,000 million kWh produced, 3,900 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 4% of GDP and 10% of the work force; self-sufficient in foods other than meat and dairy products; principal crops—fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, 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 centesimi
_*Communications #_Railroads: 20,011 km total; 16,066 km 1.435-meter government-owned standard gauge (8,999 km electrified); 3,945 km privately owned—2,100 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (1,155 km electrified) and 1,845 km 0.950-meter narrow gauge (380 km electrified)
_#_Highways: 294,410 km total; autostrada 5,900 km, state highways 45,170 km, provincial highways 101,680 km, communal highways 141,660 km; 260,500 km concrete, bituminous, or stone block, 26,900 km gravel and crushed stone,7,010 km earth
_#_Inland waterways: 2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value
_#_Airports: 138 total, 135 usable; 90 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 36 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 38 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: well engineered, constructed, and operated; 28,000,000 telephones; stations—144 AM, 54 (over 1,800 repeaters) FM, 450 (over 1,300 repeaters) TV; 22 submarine cables; communication satellite earth 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 fit for military service; 418,043 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $19.2 billion, 2.2% of GDP (1990) %@Ivory Coast (also known as Cote d'Ivoire) *Geography #_Total area: 322,460 km2; land area: 318,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 coast, semiarid in 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 undulating plains; mountains in northwest
_#_Ethnic divisions: over 60 ethnic groups; most important are the Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, and Agni; foreign Africans, mostly Burkinabe about 2 million; non-Africans about 130,000 to 330,000 (French 30,000 and Lebanese 100,000 to 300,000)
_#_Religion: indigenous 63%, Muslim 25%, Christian 12%,
_#_Language: French (official), over 60 native dialects; Dioula most widely spoken
_#_Literacy: 54% (male 67%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 5,718,000; over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, forestry, livestock raising; about 11% of labor force are wage earners, nearly half in agriculture and the remainder in government, industry, commerce, and professions; 54% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of wage labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of the Ivory Coast; note—the local official name is Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
_#_Type: republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960
_#_Capital: Abidjan (capital city changed to Yamoussoukro in March 1983 but not recognized by US)
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 7 December
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Dr. Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since 27 November 1960); Prime Minister Allassane OUATTARE (since 7 November 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 28 October 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 25 November 1990 (next to be held November 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(175 total) PDCI 163, FPI 9, PIT 1, independents 2
_#_Communists: no Communist party; possibly some sympathizers
_#_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 bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and has the colors reversed—green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France
_*Economy #_Overview: Ivory Coast is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm-kernel oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for coffee and cocoa and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government to diversify, the economy is still largely dependent on agriculture and related industries. The agricultural sector accounts for over one-third of GDP and about 80% of export earnings and employs about 85% of the labor force. A collapse of world cocoa and coffee prices in 1986 threw the economy into a recession, from which the country had not recovered by 1990.
_#_GDP: $10 billion, per capita $800; real growth rate - 2.9% (1990)
_#_Agriculture: most important sector, contributing one-third to GDP and 80% to exports; cash crops include coffee, cocoa beans, timber, bananas, palm kernels, rubber; food crops—corn, rice, manioc, sweet potatoes; not self-sufficient in bread grain and dairy products
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis on a small scale 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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Railroads: 660 km (Burkina border to Abidjan, 1.00-meter gauge, single track, except 25 km Abidjan-Anyama section is double track)
_#_Highways: 46,600 km total; 3,600 km bituminous and bituminous-treated surface; 32,000 km gravel, crushed stone, laterite, and improved earth; 11,000 km unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: 980 km navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons
_#_Ports: Abidjan, San-Pedro
_#_Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,945 GRT/ 90,684 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
_#_Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft, including 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 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 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
_#_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: predominantly Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%, Baptist 10%, Anglican 7.1%, Seven-Day Adventist 6.9%, Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist 3.1%, United Church 2.7%, other 2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, other 39.1%, including some spiritualist cults (1982)
_#_Language: English, Creole
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 99%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)
_#_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: 6 August 1962 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 6 August 1962
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August), 6 August 1990
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Florizel A. GLASSPOLE (since 2 March 1973);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Michael MANLEY (since 13 February 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 9 February 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 cultists, pan-Africanists)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Richard BERNAL; Chancery at Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (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: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles—green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In 1985 it suffered a setback with the closure of some facilities in the bauxite and alumina industry, a major source of hard currency earnings. Since 1986 an economic recovery has been under way. In 1987 conditions began to improve for the bauxite and alumina industry because of increases in world metal prices. The recovery has also been supported by growth in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage on crops and the electric power system, a sharp but temporary setback to the economy. By October 1989 the economic recovery from the hurricane was largely complete and real growth was up about 3% for 1989. In 1990, 3.5% economic growth was led 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—petroleum, machinery, food, consumer goods, construction goods;
partners—US 48%, UK, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago
_#_External debt: $4.1 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1989 est.); accounts for almost 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,122,000 kW capacity; 2,508 million kWh produced, 1,030 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of GDP, 22% of work force, and 17% of exports; commercial crops—sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, and vegetables; livestock and livestock products include poultry, goats, milk; not self-sufficient in grain, meat, and dairy products
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of cannabis; transshipment point for ships carrying 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
_*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 improved earth
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 10 km
_#_Ports: Kingston, Montego Bay
_#_Merchant marine: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,048 GRT/21,412 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
_#_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
_*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 conscription; 26,442 reach minimum volunteer age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $20 million, less than 1% of GDP (FY91) %@Jan Mayen (territory of Norway) *Geography #_Total area: 373 km2; land area: 373 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Disputes: Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween Greenland and Jan Mayen
_#_Climate: arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
_#_Terrain: volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers; Beerenberg is the highest peak, with an elevation of 2,277 meters
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: barren volcanic island with some moss and grass; volcanic activity resumed 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: administered by a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard)
_*Economy #_Overview: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island.
_#_Electricity: 15,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh produced, NA kWh per capita (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-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 Eastern and Western channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait)
_#_Disputes: Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and the Habomai island group occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
_#_Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous
_#_Natural resources: negligible 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: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
_#_Ethnic divisions: Japanese 99.4%, other (mostly Korean) 0.6%
_#_Religion: most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites so the percentages add to more than 100%—Shinto 95.8%, Buddhist 76.3%, Christian 1.4%, other 12% (1985)
_#_Language: Japanese
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) 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: about 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 restaurant 9.3%
_#_Independence: 660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu
_#_Constitution: 3 May 1947
_#_Legal system: civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
_#_Executive branch: emperor, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house or House of Councillors (Sangi-in) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Shugi-in)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Kiichi MIYAZAWA (since 5 November 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 23 July 1989 (next to be held 23 July 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 18 February 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 Communist party members
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ryohei MURATA; Chancery at 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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); telephone [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 disk (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 behind only the US and the USSR. Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and a comparatively small defense allocation have helped Japan advance rapidly, notably in high-technology fields. Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. Self-sufficent in rice, Japan must import 50% of its requirements for other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. Overall economic growth has been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1990 strong investment and consumption spending helped maintain growth at 5.6%. Inflation remains low at 3.1% despite higher oil prices and rising wages because of a tight labor market. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus, $52 billion in 1990, which supports extensive investment in foreign properties.
_#_GNP: $2,115.2 billion, per capita $17,100; real growth rate 5.6% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2.1% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $499 billion; expenditures $532 billion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of $52 billion (FY90)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for only 2% of GNP; highly subsidized and protected sector, with crop yields among highest in world; principal crops—rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; animal products include pork, poultry, dairy and eggs; about 50% self-sufficient in food production; shortages of wheat, corn, soybeans; 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 (3) = 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 1.435-meter standard gauge and 25,315 km predominantly 1.067-meter narrow gauge; 5,724 km doubletrack and multitrack sections, 9,038 km 1.067-meter narrow-gauge electrified, 2,012 km 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 principal local roads, 86,930 km prefectural roads, and 917,619 other (1987)
_#_Inland waterways: about 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas
_#_Merchant marine: 1,019 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,396,958 GRT/34,683,035 DWT; includes 9 passenger, 55 short-sea passenger, 4 passenger cargo, 95 cargo, 40 container, 33 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 125 refrigerated cargo, 99 vehicle carrier, 231 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 14 chemical tanker, 41 liquefied gas, 11 combination ore/oil, 3 specialized tanker, 257 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note—Japan also owns a large flag of convenience fleet, including up to 40% of the total number of ships under Panamanian flag
_#_Civil air: 360 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 165 total, 157 usable; 129 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 29 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 56 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international service; 64,000,000 telephones; stations—318 AM, 58 FM, 12,350 TV (196 major—1 kw or greater); satellite earth stations—4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; submarine cables to 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 fit for military service; 992,255 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 1.0% of GNP (1990 est.) %@Jarvis Island (territory of the US) *Geography #_Total area: 4.5 km2; land area: 4.5 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 7.5 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
_#_Climate: tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
_#_Terrain: sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
_#_Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; 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: Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was abandoned; reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators
_*Government #_Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered 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; offshore anchorage only—one boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the southwest corner of the island
_#_Note: there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually 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: temperate; mild winters and cool summers
_#_Terrain: gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north 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 under cultivation
_#_Environment: about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
_#_Note: largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; 27 km from France
_#_Flag: white with the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) extending to the corners of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based largely on financial services, agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EC countries. In 1986 the finance sector overtook tourism as the main contributor to GDP, accounting for 40% of the island's output. In recent years the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate 8% (1987 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $308.0 million; expenditures $284.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities—light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles;
partners—UK
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals;
partners—UK
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 50,000 kW standby capacity (1990); power supplied by France
_#_Industries: tourism, banking and finance, dairy
_#_Agriculture: potatoes, cauliflowers, 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 at par with the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Ports: Saint Helier, Gorey, Saint Aubin
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m (Saint Peter)
_*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 the size of 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 generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mostly flat with a maximum elevation of 4 meters
_#_Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until about 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 manmade islands formed 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 personnel and contractors
_*Government #_Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) and managed cooperatively 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 (territory of the US)
_#_Flag: the flag of the US is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
_#_Electricity: supplied by the United States Military
_*Communications #_Ports: Johnston Island
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,743 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent system including 60-channel submarine cable, Autodin/SRT terminal, digital telephone switch, Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station), commercial satellite television system (receive only), and UHF/VHF air-ground radio, marine VHF/FM Channel 16
_#_Note: 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 in control of the West Bank. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The Camp David Accords further specify that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined.
_*Geography #_Total area: 91,880 km2; land area: 91,540 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: differences with Israel over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line which separates the two countries
_#_Climate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
_#_Terrain: mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
_#_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: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration; formerly Trans-Jordan)
_#_Constitution: 8 January 1952
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 25 May (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 30 July 1988 as part of Jordanian disengagement from the West Bank and in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held, with no seats going to Palestinians on the West Bank
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal I (since 11 August 1952);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Tahir al-MASRI (since 17 June 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; after the 1989 parliamentary elections, King Hussein promised to allow the formation of political parties; a national charter that sets forth the ground rules for democracy in Jordan—including the creation of political parties—has been completed but not yet approved
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held 8 November 1989 (next to be held 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: party actively repressed, membership less than 500 (est.)
_#_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 based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran
_*Economy #_Overview: Jordan was a secondary beneficiary of the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual GNP growth averaged 10-12%. Recent years, however, have witnessed a sharp reduction in grant aid from Arab oil-producing countries and a dropoff in worker remittances, with national growth averaging 1-2%. Imports—mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and foodstuffs—have been outstripping exports by roughly $2 billion annually, the difference being made up by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In mid-1989, the Jordanian Government agreed to implement an IMF austerity program designed to tackle the country's serious economic problems. The program sought to gradually reduce the government's budget deficit over the next several years and implement badly needed structural reforms in the economy. In return for agreeing to the IMF program, Jordan was granted IMF standby loans of over $100 million. Recognizing that it would be unable to cover its debt obligations, the government also began debt rescheduling negotiations with creditors in mid-1989. The onset of the Gulf crisis in August 1990 forced the government to shelve the IMF program and suspend most debt payments and rescheduling negotiations. Economic prospects for 1991 are especially gloomy, given the unsettled conditions in the Middle East.
_#_GNP: $4.6 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate - 15% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for only 5% of GDP; principal products are wheat, barley, citrus fruit, tomatoes, melons, olives; livestock—sheep, goats, poultry; large 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 619 km 1.050-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 7,500 km; 5,500 km asphalt, 2,000 km gravel and crushed stone
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 209 km
_#_Ports: Al Aqabah
_#_Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,870 GRT/38,187 DWT; includes 1 bulk, 1 cargo
_#_Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft
_#_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: adequate 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 domestic TV receive-only; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria; radio relay to Lebanon is inactive; a microwave network linking 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 15-49, 778,353; 555,144 fit for military service; 39,879 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $377 million, 12.4% of GNP (1990) %@Juan de Nova Island (French possession) *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 depth of exploitation;
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: subject to periodic cyclones; wildlife sanctuary
_#_Note: located in the central Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and Madagascar
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Railroads: short line going to a jetty
_#_Airports: 1 with nonpermanent-surface runway 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: slightly more than 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: administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis
_#_Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
_#_Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in 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: unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; glaciers on Mt. Kenya
_#_Note: Kenyan Highlands one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 69 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 64 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/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); numerous indigenous languages
_#_Literacy: 69% (male 80%, female 58%) age 15 and over 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: 12 December 1963 (from UK; formerly British East Africa)
_#_Constitution: 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, and 1988
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment in 1982 made Kenya a de jure one-party state
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Denis Daudi AFANDE; Chancery at 2249 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center
_*Economy #_Overview: A serious underlying economic problem is Kenya's 3.6% annual population growth rate—one of the highest in the world. In the meantime, GDP growth in the near term has kept slightly ahead of population—annually averaging 4.9% in the 1986-90 period. Undependable weather conditions and a shortage of arable land hamper long-term growth in agriculture, the leading economic sector.
_#_GDP: $8.5 billion, per capita $360; real growth rate 4% (1990 est.)
partners—EC 44%, Africa 25%, Asia 5%, US 5%, Middle East 4% (1988)
_#_Imports: $2.4 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
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)
_#_Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for 29% of GDP, about 80% of the work force, and over 50% of exports; cash crops—coffee, tea, sisal, pineapple; food products—corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products; food output not keeping pace with population growth
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis used mostly for domestic consumption; widespread cultivation of cannabis and qat on small plots; transit country for heroin and methaqualone en route 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,040 km 1.000-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 64,590 km total; 7,000 km paved, 4,150 km gravel, remainder improved earth
_#_Inland waterways: part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya; principal inland port is at Kisumu
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 483 km
_#_Ports: Mombasa, Lamu
_#_Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 249 total, 213 usable; 22 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 47 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: in top group of African systems; consists of radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radiocommunication stations; 260,000 telephones; stations—11 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTLESAT
_*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 fit for military service; no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $100 million, 1.0% of GDP (1989 est.) %@Kingman Reef (territory of the US) *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 moderated by prevailing winds
_#_Terrain: low and nearly level with a maximum elevation of about 1 meter
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; wet or awash most of the time
_#_Note: located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa; maximum elevation of about 1 meter makes this a navigational hazard; closed to the public
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Navy
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Airports: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for 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; includes three island groups—Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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, moderated by trade winds
_#_Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
_#_Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 51%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 3%; other 46%
_#_Environment: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; 20 of the 33 islands are inhabited
_#_Note: Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean—the others are Makatea in French Polynesia and Nauru
_#_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 economically active (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 of the inhabited islands) named Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina
_#_Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK; formerly Gilbert Islands)
_#_Constitution: 12 July 1979
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral 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 12 July 1979); Vice President Teatao TEANNAKI (since 20 July 1979)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Gilbertese National Party; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro TITO, secretary; essentially not organized on the basis of political parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 12 May 1987 (next to be held May 1991); results—Ieremia TABAI 50.1%, Tebruroro TITO 42.7%, Tetao TEANNAKI 7.2%;
House of Assembly—last held on 19 March l987 (next to be held May 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(40 total; 39 elected) percent of seats by party NA
_#_Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP (associate), IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant) lives in Tarawa (Kiribati);
US—none
_#_Flag: the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a yellow rising sun and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean
_*Economy #_Overview: The country has few national resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Real GDP declined about 8% in 1987, as the fish catch fell sharply to only one-fourth the level of 1986 and copra production was hampered by repeated rains. Output rebounded strongly in 1988, with real GDP growing by 17%. The upturn in economic growth came from an increase in copra production and a good fish catch. Following the strong surge in output in 1988, GNP increased 1% in 1989 and again in 1990.
_#_GDP: $36.8 million, per capita $525; real growth rate 1.0% (1990 est.)
partners—Australia 39%, Japan 21%, NZ 6%, UK 6%, US 3% (1985)
_#_External debt: $2.0 million (December 1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0.0% (1988 est.); accounts for less than 4% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 13 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: fishing, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish contribute about 95% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops—taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, 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
_*Communications #_Highways: 640 km of motorable roads
_#_Inland waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands
_#_Ports: Banaba and Betio (Tarawa)
_#_Civil air: 2 Trislanders; no major transport aircraft
_#_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 telephones; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: no military force maintained; the Police Force carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; there are small police posts on all islands
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP %@Korea, North *Geography #_Total area: 120,540 km2; land area: 120,410 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than 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 nm in the Sea of Japan and the exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea (all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned)
_#_Disputes: short section of boundary with China is indefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea
_#_Climate: temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
_#_Terrain: mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 72 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Korean(s); adjective—Korean
_#_Ethnic divisions: racially homogeneous
_#_Religion: Buddhism and Confucianism; religious activities now almost 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 #_Long-form name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea; abbreviated 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, Hamgyong-namdo, Hamgyong-bukto, Hwanghae-namdo, Hwanghae-bukto, Kaesong-si*, Kangwon-do, Namp'o-si*, P'yongan-bukto, P'yongan-namdo, P'yongyang-si*, Yanggang-do
_#_Independence: 9 September 1948
_#_Constitution: adopted 1948, revised 27 December 1972
_#_Legal system: based on 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, 9 September (1948)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, premier, eleven vice premiers, State Administration Council (cabinet)
Chief of State—President KIM Il-song (since 28 December 1972); Designated Successor KIM Chong-il (son of President, born 16 February 1942);
Head of Government—Premier YON Hyong-muk (since NA December 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders: major party—Korean Workers' Party (KWP), KIM Il-song, general secretary, and his son, KIM Chong-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 24 May 1990 (next to be held 1994); results—President KIM Il-song was reelected without opposition;
Supreme People's Assembly—last held on 24 May 1990 (next to be held 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(687 total) the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition; minor parties hold a few seats
_#_Communists: KWP claims membership of about 3 million
_#_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 bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star
_*Economy #_Overview: More than 90% of this command economy is socialized; agricultural land is collectivized; and state-owned industry produces 95% of manufactured goods. State control of economic affairs is unusually tight even for a Communist country because of the small size and homogeneity of the society and the strict one-man rule of Kim. Economic growth during the period 1984-90 averaged approximately 3%. Abundant natural resources and hydropower form the basis of industrial development. Output of the extractive industries includes coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals. Manufacturing emphasis is centered on heavy industry, with light industry lagging far behind. Despite the use of high-yielding seed varieties, expansion of irrigation, and the heavy use of fertilizers, North Korea has not yet become self-sufficient in food production. Four consecutive years of poor harvests, coupled with distribution problems, have led to chronic food shortages. North Korea remains far behind South Korea in economic development and living standards.
_#_GNP: $29.7 billion, per capita $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)
partners—USSR, China, Japan, Hong Kong, FRG, Singapore
_#_Imports: $2.85 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—petroleum, machinery and equipment, coking coal, grain;
partners—USSR, Japan, China, Hong Kong, FRG, 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 capita (1990)
_#_Industries: machine building, military products, electric power, chemicals, mining, metallurgy, textiles, food processing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GNP and 36% of work force; principal crops—rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; livestock and livestock products—cattle, hogs, pork, eggs; not self-sufficient in grain; 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 1.435-meter standard gauge, 665 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge; 159 km double track; 3,175 km electrified; government owned (1989)
_#_Highways: about 30,000 km (1989); 98.5% gravel, crushed stone, or earth surface; 1.5% concrete or bituminous
_#_Inland waterways: 2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only
_#_Airports: 55 total, 55 usable (est.); about 30 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 30 with runways 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 of the Army, Navy, Air Force), Civil Security Forces
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 6,381,859; 3,899,606 fit for military service; 214,690 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 20-25% of GNP (1991 est.); note—the officially announced but suspect 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: slightly larger than Indiana
_#_Land boundary: 238 km with North Korea
_#_Coastline: 2,413 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific
Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in the Korea Strait)
_#_Disputes: Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan
_#_Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
_#_Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 73 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Korean(s); adjective—Korean
_#_Ethnic divisions: homogeneous; small Chinese minority (about 20,000)
_#_Religion: strong Confucian tradition; vigorous Christian minority (28% of the total population); Buddhism; pervasive folk religion (Shamanism); Chondokyo (religion of the heavenly way), eclectic religion with nationalist overtones founded in 19th century, claims about 1.5 million adherents
_#_Language: Korean; English widely taught in high school
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 99%, female 94%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 16,900,000; 52% services and other; 27% mining and manufacturing; 21% agriculture, fishing, forestry (1987)
_#_Organized labor: about 10% of nonagricultural labor force in government-sanctioned unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Korea; abbreviated ROK
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Seoul
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi, 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: combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, State Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Kuk Hoe)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President ROH Tae Woo (since 25 February 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister CHUNG Won Shik (since 24 May 1991); Deputy Prime Minister CHOI Kak Kyu (since 19 February 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
ruling party—Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), ROH Tae Woo, president, KIM Young Sam, chairman; note—the DLP resulted from a merger of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Reunification Democratic Party (RDP), and New Democratic Republican Party (NDRP) on 9 February 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 16 December 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 26 April 1988 (next to be held 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 9 February 1990 the DJP, RDP, and NDRP merged to form the DLP; also the PPD became the NDP; as a result the distribution of seats changed to DLP 218, NDP 70, other 11 (June 1990)
_#_Communists: Communist party activity banned by government
_#_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
_#_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); telephone [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 driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the planned development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously entrepreneurial society. Real GNP—which grew by 6.7% in 1989 after an average annual growth of over 12% between 1986-88—grew about 9% in 1990. Labor unrest—which led to substantial wage hikes in 1987-88—was noticeably calmer in 1990, unemployment averaged a low 2.5%, and investment was strong. Inflation rates, however, are beginning to challenge South Korea's strong economic performance. Consumer prices rose 8.6%, the highest rate in nine years. Policymakers are concerned higher prices could lead to a resurgence of labor unrest.
_#_GNP: $238 billion, per capita $5,600; real 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)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP and employs 21% of work force (including fishing and forestry); principal crops—rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; livestock and livestock products—cattle, hogs, chickens, milk, eggs; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat; fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh-largest in 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 operating in 1983; 3,059 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 47 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 712 km 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 restricted to small native craft
_#_Airports: 110 total, 102 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 21 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate 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 fit for military service; 429,088 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $10.4 billion, 4.5% of GNP (1991) %@Kuwait *Geography #_Total area: 17,820 km2; land area: 17,820 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 2 August 1990 until 27 February 1991; in April 1991 official Iraqi acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 687, which demands that Iraq accept its internationally recognized border with Kuwait, ended earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah Islands or to all of Kuwait; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia
_#_Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
_#_Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain
_#_Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 92%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide most of water; air and water pollution; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
_#_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 widely spoken
_#_Literacy: 74% (male 78%, female 69%) age 15 and over 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 labor force was non-Kuwaiti
_#_Organized labor: labor unions exist in oil industry and among government personnel
_*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: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29 August 1962)
_#_Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 25 February
_#_Executive branch: amir, 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 31 December 1977);
Head of Government—Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sad al-Abdallah al-Salim al-SABAH (since 8 February 1978); Deputy Prime Minister Salim al-Sabah al-Salim al-SABAH
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21; note—out of all citizens, only 8.3% are eligible to vote and only 3.5% actually vote
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections are scheduled for October 1992
_#_Communists: insignificant
_#_Other political or pressure groups: large (150,000) Palestinian community; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active; prodemocracy opposition
_#_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 (opposite 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 bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Up to the invasion by Iraq in August 1990, the oil sector had dominated the economy. Kuwait has the third-largest oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Earnings from hydrocarbons generated over 90% of both export and government revenues and contributed about 40% to GDP. Most of the nonoil sector has traditionally been dependent upon oil-derived government revenues. Iraq's destruction of Kuwait's oil industry during the Gulf war has devastated the economy. Iraq destroyed or damaged more than 80% of Kuwait's 950 operating oil wells, as well as sabotaging key surface facilities. Western firefighters had brought about 140 of the 600 oil well fires and blowouts under control as of early June 1991. It could take two to three years to restore Kuwait's oil production to its prewar level of about 2.0 million barrels per day.
_#_GDP: $19.8 billion, per capita $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, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing;
_#_Ports: Ash Shuaybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Mina al Ahmadi
_#_Merchant marine: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,332,159 GRT/2,099,303 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 4 livestock carrier, 20 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 liquefied gas, 1 bulk; note—all Kuwaiti ships greater than 1,000 GRT were outside Kuwaiti waters at the time of the Iraqi invasion; many of these ships transferred to the Liberian flag or to the flags of other Persian Gulf states; Kuwaiti tankers are currently managed from London and Kuwaiti cargo and container ships are managed from Dubai
_#_Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft
_#_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: excellent international, adequate domestic facilities; 258,000 telephones; 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 fit for military service; 19,452 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $1.1 billion, 4.8% of GDP (1990) %@Laos *Geography #_Total area: 236,800 km2; land area: 230,800 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Utah
_#_Land boundaries: 5,083 km total; Burma 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; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
_#_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: 19 July 1949 (from France)
_#_Constitution: draft constitution under discussion since 1976
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day (proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic), 2 December (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, chairman and four vice chairmen 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 15 August 1991);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Council of Ministers General Gen. KHAMTAI SIPHANDON (since 15 August 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 moribund
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Supreme People's Assembly—last held on 26 March 1989 (next 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 moribund; most leaders have fled the country
_#_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 disk centered in the blue band
_*Economy #_Overview: One of the world's poorest nations, Laos has had a Communist centrally planned economy with government ownership and control of productive enterprises of any size. Recently, however, the government has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise. Laos is a landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure, that is, it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, limited external and internal telecommunications, and electricity available in only a limited area. Subsistence agriculture is the main occupation, accounting for over 60% of GDP and providing about 85-90% of total employment. The predominant crop is rice. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend for its survival on foreign aid from the IMF and other international sources; foreign aid from the USSR and Eastern Europe is being cut sharply.
_#_GDP: $600 million, per capita $150; real growth rate 5% (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8% (1989 est.); accounts for about 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 176,000 kW capacity; 1,100 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tin mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and employs most of the work force; subsistence farming predominates; normally self-sufficient in non-drought years; principal crops—rice (80% of cultivated land), sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, cotton; livestock—buffaloes, hogs, cattle, chicken
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer 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
_*Communications #_Highways: about 27,527 km total; 1,856 km bituminous or bituminous treated; 7,451 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 18,220 km unimproved earth and often impassable during rainy season mid-May to mid-September
_#_Inland waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft 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 general public considered poor; radio network provides generally erratic service to government users; 7,390 telephones (1986); stations—10 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Lao People's Army (LPA; including naval, aviation, and militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 991,864; 531,084 fit for military service; 45,548 reach military age (18) annually; conscription age NA
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 3.8% of GDP (1987) %@Lebanon *Geography #_Total area: 10,400 km2; land area: 10,230 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 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: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern Lebanon since October 1976
_#_Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
_#_Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state in a water-deficit region
_#_Land use: arable land 21%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 8%; other 61%; includes irrigated 7%
_#_Environment: rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, ethnicity; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification
_#_Note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary
_*Government #_Note: Between early 1975 and late 1976 Lebanon was torn by civil war between its Christians—then aided by Syrian troops—and its Muslims and their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire established in October 1976 between the domestic political groups generally held for about six years, despite occasional fighting. Syrian troops constituted as the Arab Deterrent Force by the Arab League have remained in Lebanon. Syria's move toward supporting the Lebanese Muslims and the Palestinians and Israel's growing support for Lebanese Christians brought the two sides into rough equilibrium, but no progress was made toward national reconciliation or political reforms—the original cause of the war.
Continuing Israeli concern about the Palestinian presence in Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. Israeli forces occupied all of the southern portion of the country and mounted a summer-long siege of Beirut, which resulted in the evacuation of the PLO from Beirut in September under the supervision of a multinational force (MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops.
Within days of the departure of the MNF, Lebanon's newly elected president, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated. In the wake of his death, Christian militiamen massacred hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two Beirut camps. This prompted the return of the MNF to ease the security burden on Lebanon's weak Army and security forces. In late March 1984 the last MNF units withdrew.
Lebanese Parliamentarians met in Taif, Saudi Arabia in late 1989 and concluded a national reconciliation pact that codified a new power-sharing formula, specifiying a Christian president but giving Muslims more authority. Rene Muawad was subsequently elected president on 4 November 1989, ending a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no president and rival Muslim and Christian governments. Muawad was assassinated 17 days later, on 22 November; on 24 November Ilyas Harawi was elected to succeed Muawad.
In October 1990, the chances for ending the 16 year old civil war and implementing Ta'if were markedly improved when Syrian and Lebanese forces ousted renegade Christian General Awn from his stronghold in East Beirut. Awn had defied the legitimate government and established a separate mini-state within East Beirut after being appointed acting Prime Minister by outgoing President Gemayel in 1988. Awn and his supporters feared Ta'if would diminish Christian power in Lebanon and increase the influence of Syria.
Since the removal of Awn, the Lebanese Government has reunited the capital city and implemented a phased plan to disarm the militias and gradually reestablish authority throughout Lebanon. The army has deployed from Beirut north along the coast road to Tripoli, southeast into the Shuf mountains, and south to the vicinity of Sidon. Many militiamen from Christian and Muslim groups have evacuated Beirut for their strongholds in the north, south, and east of the country. Some heavy weapons possessed by the militias have been turned over to the government, which has begun a plan to integrate some militiamen into the military and the internal security forces.
Lebanon and Syria signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation in May 1991. Lebanon continues to be partially occupied by Syrian troops, which are deployed in East and West Beirut, its southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and throughout northern Lebanon.
Iran also maintains a small contingent of revolutionary guards in the Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon to support Lebanese Islamic fundamentalist groups.
Israel withdrew the bulk of its forces from the south in 1985, although it still retains troops in a 10-km-deep security zone north of its border with Lebanon. Israel arms and trains the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), which also occupies the security zone and is Israel's first line of defense against attacks on its northern border.
The following description is based on the present constitutional and customary practices of the Lebanese system.
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Lebanon; note—may 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: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
_#_Constitution: 26 May 1926 (amended)
_#_Legal system: mixture 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, 22 November (1943)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet; note—by custom, 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 24 November 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Umar KARAMI (since 20 December 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized along largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist, consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations; most parties have well-armed militias, which are still involved in occasional clashes
_#_Suffrage: compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—elections should be held every four years but security conditions have prevented elections since May 1972
_#_Communists: the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970; members and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Nassib S. LAHOUD; Chancery at 2560 28th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: Since 1975 civil war has seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, disrupted economic activity, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Following October 1990, however, a tentative peace has enabled the central government to begin restoring control in Beirut, collect taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. The battered economy has also been propped up by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers. Family remittances, foreign financial support to political factions, the narcotics trade, and international emergency aid are main sources of foreign exchange. Economic prospects for 1991 have brightened, particularly if the Syrian-backed government is able to maintain law and order and reestablish business confidence. Rebuilding war-ravaged Beirut is likely to provide a major stimulus to the Lebanese economy in 1991.
_#_GDP: $3.3 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate - 15% (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—agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious 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., 1989 est.);
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 capita (1989)
_#_Industries: banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal products—citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish), sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in grain
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; opium poppy production in Al Biqa is increasing; hashish production is shipped 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 378 km total; 296 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 82 km 1.050-meter gauge; all single track; system almost entirely inoperable
_#_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 in operation)
_#_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
_#_Airports: 9 total, 8 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m; none under the direct control of the Lebanese Government
_#_Telecommunications: rebuilding program disrupted; had fair system of radio relay, cable; 325,000 telephones; stations—5 AM, 3 FM, 15 TV; 1 inactive Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station; 3 submarine coaxial cables; radio relay to Jordan and Syria, inoperable
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (includes Navy and Air Force)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 725,974; 449,912 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $168 million, 7.3% of GDP (1991) %@Lesotho *Geography #_Total area: 30,350 km2; land area: 30,350 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundary: 909 km with South Africa
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
_#_Terrain: mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
_#_Natural resources: some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 66%; forest and woodland 0%; other 24%
_#_Environment: population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked; surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will control, store, and redirect water to South Africa
_#_Religion: Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs
_#_Language: Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu and Xhosa
_#_Literacy: 59% (male 44%, female 68%) age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
_#_Labor force: 689,000 economically active; 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa
_#_Organized labor: there are two trade union federations; the government favors formation of a single, umbrella trade union confederation
_#_Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK; formerly Basutoland)
_#_Constitution: 4 October 1966, suspended January 1970
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Military Council, Military Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: none—the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; note—a National Constituent Assembly convened in June 1990 to rewrite the constitution and debate issues of national importance, but it has no legislative authority
_#_Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King LETSIE III (since 12 November 1990 following 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 30 April 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 following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged elections will take place in June 1992
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador W. T. VAN TONDER; Chancery at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-5 534;
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: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner
_*Economy #_Overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no important natural resources other than water. Its economy is based on agriculture, light manufacturing, and remittances from laborers employed in South Africa ($153 million in 1989). The great majority of households gain their livelihoods from subsistence farming and migrant labor. Manufacturing depends largely on farm products to support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries; other industries include textile, clothing, and light engineering. Industry's share of GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 15% in 1989. Political and economic instability in South Africa raise uncertainties for Lesotho's economy, especially with respect to migrant worker remittances—over one-third of GDP.
_#_GDP: $420 million, per capita $240; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 18% of GDP and employs 60-70% of all households; exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, 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
_#_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 at par with 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 aircraft
_#_Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 3 with permanent surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: rudimentary system consisting of a few land lines, a small radio relay system, and minor radiocommunication 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 15-49, 394,829; 212,967 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $55 million, 8.6% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Liberia *Geography #_Total area: 111,370 km2; land area: 96,320 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 39%; other 55%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation
_#_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); more than 20 local languages of the Niger-Congo language group; English used by about 20%
_#_Literacy: 40% (male 50%, female 29%) age 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 population of working age
_#_Organized labor: 2% of labor force
_*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: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—interim President Dr. Amos SAWYER (since 15 November 1990); interim Vice President Ronald DIGGS (since 15 November 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 tenuous cease fire; the former president, Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE, was ousted and killed on 9 September 1990 in a coup led by Prince Y. JOHNSON
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Augustus CAINE, chairman; Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman; Unity Party (UP), Carlos SMITH, chairman; United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); 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 9 September 1990;
Senate—last held on 15 October 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 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, LUP 2
_#_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); telephone [231] 222991 through 222994
_#_Flag: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Civil war during 1990 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Expatriate businessmen fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Many will not return. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products, while local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. Political instability threatens prospects for economic reconstruction and repatriation of some 750,000 Liberian refugees who fled to neighboring countries.
_#_GDP: $988 million, per capita $400; real 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)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal 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 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km 1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian Government
_#_Highways: 10,087 km total; 603 km bituminous treated, 2,848 km all weather, 4,313 km dry weather; there are also 2,323 km of private, laterite-surfaced roads open to public use, owned by rubber and timber companies
_#_Merchant marine: 1,563 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 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 carrier, 74 container, 5 barge carrier, 450 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 104 chemical, 60 combination ore/oil, 44 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 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 aircraft
_#_Airports: 75 total, 58 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center 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 fit for military service; no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 2.4% of GDP (1987) %@Libya *Geography #_Total area: 1,759,540 km2; land area: 1,759,540 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger 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: 32o 30%19 N
_#_Disputes: claims and occupies the 100,000 km2 Aozou Strip in northern Chad; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
_#_Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
_#_Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland 0%; other 91%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; desertification; sparse natural surface-water resources
_#_Note: the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 62 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Libyan(s); adjective—Libyan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Berber and Arab 97%; some Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim 97%
_#_Language: Arabic; Italian and English widely understood in major cities
_#_Literacy: 64% (male 75%, female 50%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,000,000, includes about 280,000 resident foreigners; 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, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, 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, Banghazi, Bani Walid, Bin Jawwad, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Ghat, Jadu, Jalu, Janzur, Masallatah, Misratah, Mizdah, Murzuq, Nalut, Qaminis, Qasr Bin Ghashir, Sabha, Sabratah, Shahhat, Surman, Surt, Tajura, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, 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, Banghazi, Khalij Surt, Sabha, Tripoli, Wadi al-Hayat
_#_Independence: 24 December 1951 (from Italy)
_#_Constitution: 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977
_#_Legal system: based on 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, 1 September (1969)
_#_Executive branch: revolutionary leader, chairman of the General People's Committee, General People's Committee (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General People's Congress
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969);
Head of Government—Chairman of the General People's Committee (Premier) Abu Zayd Umar DURDA (since 7 October 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of revolutionary committees
_#_Political parties: none
_#_Communists: no organized party, negligible membership
_#_Other political or pressure groups: various Arab nationalist movements and the Arab Socialist Resurrection (Ba'th) party with almost negligible memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements
_#_Flag: plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)
_*Economy #_Overview: The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export earnings and about one-third of GNP. Since 1980, however, the sharp drop in oil prices and the resulting decline in export revenues have adversely affected economic development. In 1988 per capita GNP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but it had been $2,000 higher in 1982. Severe cutbacks in imports over the past five years have led to shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs, although the reopening of the Libyan-Tunisian border in April 1988 and the Libyan-Egyptian border in December 1989 have somewhat eased shortages. Austerity budgets and a lack of trained technicians have undermined the government's ability to implement a number of planned infrastructure development projects. Windfall profits from the hike in world oil prices in late 1990 improved the foreign payments position and may permit Tripoli to ease austerity measures. The nonoil industrial and construction sectors, which account for about 22% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for less than 5% of GNP, it employs 18% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit farm output, requiring Libya to import about 75% of its food requirements.
_#_GNP: $24 billion, per capita $5,860; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
_*Communications #_Highways: 32,500 km total; 24,000 km bituminous and bituminous treated, 8,500 km gravel, crushed stone and earth
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 4,383 km; natural gas 1,947 km; refined products 443 km (includes 256 km liquid petroleum gas)
_#_Ports: Tobruk, Tripoli, Banghazi, Misratah, Marsa el Brega
_#_Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 807,539 GRT/1,452,847 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 11 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
_#_Civil air: 59 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 131 total, 123 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways; 7 with runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways 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 Peoples of the Libyan Arab Jamahariya (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command), National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,023,335; 603,886 fit for military service; 52,059 reach military age (17) annually; conscription now being implemented
_#Defense expenditures: $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, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
_#_Terrain: mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in 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: variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation
_#_Ethnic divisions: Alemannic 95%, Italian and other 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%) age 10 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 12,258; 5,078 foreign workers (mostly from Switzerland and Austria); industry, trade, and building 54.4%; services 41.6%; agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 4.0%
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Principality of Liechtenstein
_#_Independence: 23 January 1719, Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein established
_#_Constitution: 5 October 1921
_#_Legal system: local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Saint Joseph's Day, 19 March
_#_Executive branch: reigning prince, hereditary prince, head of government, deputy head of government
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Diet (Landtag)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for criminal cases and Superior Court (Obergericht) for civil cases
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Prince HANS ADAM II (since 13 November 1989; assumed executive powers 26 August 1984); Heir Apparent Prince ALOIS von und zu Liechtenstein (born 11 June 1968);
Head of Government—Hans BRUNHART (since 26 April 1978); Deputy Head of Government Dr. Herbert WILLE (since 2 February 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 5 March 1989 (next to be held by March 1993); results—percent 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: in routine diplomatic matters, Liechtenstein is represented in the US by the Swiss Embassy;
US—the US has no diplomatic or consular mission in Liechtenstein, but the US Consul General at Zurich (Switzerland) has consular accreditation at Vaduz
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band
_*Economy #_Overview: The prosperous economy is based primarily on small-scale light industry and tourism. Industry accounts for 54% of total employment, the service sector 42% (mostly based on tourism), and agriculture and forestry 4%. The sale of postage stamps to collectors is estimated at $10 million annually. Low business taxes (the maximum tax rate is 20%) and easy incorporation rules have induced about 25,000 holding or so-called letter box companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein. Such companies, incorporated solely for tax purposes, provide 30% of state revenues. The economy is tied closely to that of Switzerland in a customs union, and incomes and living standards parallel those of the more prosperous Swiss groups.
_#_GDP: $630 million, per capita $22,300; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_*Communications #_Railroads: 18.5 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, electrified; owned, operated, and included in statistics of Austrian Federal Railways
_#_Highways: 130.66 km main roads, 192.27 km byroads
_#_Civil air: no transport aircraft
_#_Airports: none
_#_Telecommunications: automatic telephone system; 25,400 telephones; stations—no AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Police Department
_#Note: defense is responsibility of Switzerland %@Luxembourg *Geography #_Total area: 2,586 km2; land area: 2,586 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
_#_Terrain: mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle floodplain in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited)
_#_Land use: arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 21%; other 34%
_#_Ethnic divisions: Celtic base, with French and German blend; also guest and worker residents from Portugal, Italy, and European countries
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3%
_#_Language: Luxembourgish, German, French; many also speak English
_#_Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
_#_Labor force: 169,600; one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and FRG; services 50%, industry 23.2%, government 14.4%, construction 9%, agriculture 3.4% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: 100,000 (est.) members of four confederated trade unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
_#_Constitution: 17 October 1868, occasional revisions
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day (public celebration of the Grand Duke's birthday), 23 June (1921)
_#_Executive branch: grand duke, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes); note—the Council of State (Conseil d'Etat) is an advisory body whose views are considered by the Chamber of Deputies
_#_Judicial branch: Superior Court of Justice (Cour Superieure de Justice)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Grand Duke JEAN (since 12 November 1964); Heir Apparent Prince HENRI (son of Grand Duke Jean, born 16 April 1955);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jacques SANTER (since 21 July 1984); Vice Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Christian Social Party (CSV), Jacques SANTER; Socialist Workers Party (LSAP), Jacques POOS; Liberal (DP), Colette FLESCH; Communist (KPL), Andre HOFFMANN; Green Alternative (GAP), Jean HUSS
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
Chamber of Deputies—last held on 18 June 1989 (next to be held 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: group of steel industries representing iron and steel industry, Centrale Paysanne representing agricultural producers; Christian and Socialist labor unions; Federation of Industrialists; Artisans and Shopkeepers Federation
_#_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 uses a darker blue and is shorter; design was based on the flag of France
_*Economy #_Overview: The stable economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and negligible unemployment. Agriculture is based on small but highly productive family-owned farms. The industrial sector, until recently dominated by steel, has become increasingly more diversified, particularly toward high-technology firms. During the past decade, growth in the financial sector has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Services, especially banking, account for a growing proportion of the economy. Luxembourg participates in an economic union with Belgium on trade and most financial matters and is also closely connected economically to the Netherlands.
_#_GDP: $6.9 billion, per capita $18,000; real growth rate 2.5% (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1% (1990 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,500,000 kW capacity; 1,163 million kWh produced, 3,170 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
_#_Agriculture: accounts for less than 3% of GDP (including forestry); principal products—barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; cattle raising widespread
_#_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 at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: Luxembourg National Railways (CFL) operates 270 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 162 km double track; 162 km electrified
_#_Highways: 5,108 km total; 4,995 km paved, 57 km gravel, 56 km earth; about 80 km 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 over) totaling 1,731 GRT/2,460 DWT
_#_Civil air: 13 major transport aircraft
_#_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: adequate and efficient system, mainly buried cables; 230,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, 4 FM, 6 TV; 2 communication satellite earth stations operating in EUTELSAT and domestic systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, National Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 100,476; 83,724 fit for military service; 2,297 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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: scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999
_#_Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters, 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: essentially urban; one causeway and one bridge connect the two islands to the peninsula on mainland
_#_Note: 27 km west southwest of Hong Kong on the southeast coast of China
_#_Independence: none (territory of Portugal); Portugal signed an agreement with China on 13 April 1987 to return Macau to China on 20 December 1999; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Macau's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 years after transition
_#_Constitution: 17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau
_#_Legal system: Portuguese civil law system
_#_National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June
_#_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 9 March 1986);
Head of Government—Governor Gen. Vasco Joachim Rocha VIEIRA (since 20 March 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 9 November 1988 (next to be held November 1991); results—percent 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, wealthy pro-Communist merchants representing China's interests; in January 1967 the Macau Government acceded to Chinese demands that gave China veto power over administration
_#_Member of: GATT, WTO (associate)
_#_Diplomatic representation: as Chinese territory under Portuguese administration, 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 used
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based largely on tourism (including gambling), and textile and fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have spawned other small industries—toys, artificial flowers, and electronics. The tourist sector has accounted for roughly 25% of GDP, and the clothing industry has provided about two-thirds of export earnings. Macau depends on China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy imports. Japan and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw materials and capital goods.
_#_GDP: $2.9 billion, per capita $6,560; real 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 capita (1990)
_#_Exchange rates: patacas (P) per US$1—8.03 (1989), 8.044 (1988), 7.993 (1987), 8.029 (1986), 8.045 (1985); note—linked 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 useable, 1 under construction; 1 seaplane station
_#_Telecommunications: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services; 52,000 telephones; stations—4 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 75,000 radio receivers (est.); international high-frequency radio communication facility; access to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 167,289; 93,142 fit for military service
_#Note: defense is responsibility of Portugal %@Madagascar *Geography #_Total area: 587,040 km2; land area: 581,540 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 administered by France)
_#_Climate: tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
_#_Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious 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: subject to periodic cyclones; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 95 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 54 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Malagasy (sing. and pl.); adjective—Malagasy
_#_Ethnic divisions: basic split between highlanders of predominantly Malayo-Indonesian origin (Merina 1,643,000 and related Betsileo 760,000) on the one hand and coastal tribes, collectively termed the Cotiers, with mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry (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 of 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%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,900,000; 90% nonsalaried family workers engaged in subsistence agriculture; 175,000 wage earners—agriculture 26%, domestic service 17%, industry 15%, commerce 14%, construction 11%, services 9%, transportation 6%, other 2%; 51% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 4% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Democratic Republic of Madagascar
Chief of State—President Adm. Didier RATSIRAKA (since 15 June 1975);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Guy RASANAMAZY (since 8 August 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: a presidential decree issued early last year, legalized the existence of political parties outside of the Ruling Front; some thirty political parties now exist in Madagascar, the most important 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, an offshoot of MONIMA), Tsihozony MAHARANGA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 12 March 1989 (next to be held 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 28 May 1989 (next to be held 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: Communist party of virtually no importance; small and vocal group of Communists has gained strong position in leadership of AKFM, the rank and file of which is non-Communist
_#_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 hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. During the period 1980-85 it had a population growth of 3% a year and a - 0.4% GDP growth rate. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the mainstay of the economy, accounting for over 40% of GDP, employing about 80% of the labor force, and contributing to more than 70% of total export earnings. Industry is largely confined to the processing of agricultural products and textile manufacturing; in 1990 it accounted for only 16% of GDP and employed 3% of the labor force. In 1986 the government introduced a five-year development plan that stresses self-sufficiency in food (mainly rice) by 1990, increased production for exports, and reduced 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; expenditures $525 million, including capital expenditures of $240 million (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops—coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa; food crops—rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts; cattle raising widespread; almost self-sufficient in rice
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic 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
_#_Merchant marine: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,416 GRT/82,869 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 148 total, 115 usable; 30 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-2,439 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 15-49, 2,637,866; 1,570,393 fit for military service; 119,882 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $37 million, 2.2% of GDP (1989 est.) %@Malawi *Geography #_Total area: 118,480 km2; land area: 94,080 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger 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: dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
_#_Terrain: narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
_#_Natural resources: limestone; unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 50%; other 5%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Independence: 6 July 1964 (from UK; formerly Nyasaland)
_#_Constitution: 6 July 1964; republished as amended 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, 6 July (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 6 July 1966; sworn in as President for Life 6 July 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 vacant since 1983
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—President BANDA sworn in as President for Life on 6 July 1971;
National Assembly—last held 27-28 May 1987 (next to be held by May 1992); results—MCP is the only party; seats—(133 total, 112 elected) MCP 133
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA; Chancery at 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-1007;
US—Ambassador George A. TRAIL, III; Embassy in new capital city development area, address NA (mailing address is P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe); telephone [265] 730-166
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band; similar to the flag of Afghanistan which is longer and has the national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands
_*Economy #_Overview: A landlocked country, Malawi ranks among the world's least developed with a per capita GDP of $175. The economy is predominately agricultural and operates under a relatively free enterprise environment, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved significantly in 1988-90 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the government. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. The closure of traditional trade routes through Mozambique continues to be a constraint on the economy.
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops—tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, and corn; subsistence crops—potatoes, cassava, sorghum, 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
_*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 earth and improved earth
_#_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 aircraft
_#_Airports: 48 total, 46 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communication stations; 36,800 telephones; stations—8 AM, 4 FM, no TV; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
_#_Note: a majority of exports would normally go through Mozambique on the Beira or Nacala railroads, but now most go through South Africa because of insurgent activity and damage to 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 15-49, 1,960,082; 995,864 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $22 million, 1.6% of GDP (1989 est.) %@Malaysia *Geography #_Total area: 329,750 km2; land area: 328,550 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 2,669 km total; Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782, 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 depth of exploitation, specified boundary in the South China Sea;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; state of Sabah claimed by the Philippines; Brunei may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides Brunei into two parts
_#_Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
_#_Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
_#_Ethnic divisions: Malay and other indigenous 59%, Chinese 32%, Indian 9%
_#_Religion: Peninsular Malaysia—Malays nearly all Muslim, Chinese predominantly Buddhists, Indians predominantly Hindu; Sabah—Muslim 38%, Christian 17%, other 45%; Sarawak—tribal religion 35%, Buddhist and Confucianist 24%, Muslim 20%, Christian 16%, other 5%
_#_Language: Peninsular Malaysia—Malay (official); English, Chinese dialects, Tamil; Sabah—English, Malay, numerous tribal dialects, Mandarin and Hakka dialects predominate among Chinese; Sarawak—English, Malay, Mandarin, numerous tribal languages
_#_Literacy: 78% (male 86%, female 70%) age 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 labor force (1988)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: Federation of Malaysia formed 9 July 1963; constitutional monarchy nominally headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral Parliament; Peninsular Malaysian states—hereditary rulers in all but Penang and Melaka, where governors are appointed by Malaysian Government; powers of state governments are limited by federal Constitution; Sabah—self-governing state, holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government; Sarawak—self-governing state within Malaysia, holds 27 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to 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: 31 August 1957 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963 when Federation of Malaya became Federation of Malaysia
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 31 August (1957)
_#_Executive branch: paramount ruler, deputy paramount ruler, 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—Paramount Ruler AZLAN Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Sultan Yusof Izzudin (since 26 April 1989); Deputy Paramount Ruler JA'AFAR ibni Abdul Rahman (since 26 April 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since 16 July 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Abdul GHAFAR Baba (since 7 May 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Peninsular Malaysia— National Front, a confederation of 13 political parties dominated 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 Organizaton (USNO), Tun Datu Haji MUSTAPHA;
Sarawak—coalition Sarawak National Front composed 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; major 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 21 October 1990 (next to be held by August 1995); results—National Front 52%, other 48%; seats—(180 total) National Front 127, DAP 20, PAS 7, independents 4, other 22; note—within the National Front, UMNO got 71 seats and MCA 18 seats
_#_Communists: Peninsular Malaysia—about 1,000 armed insurgents on Thailand side of international boundary and about 200 full time inside Malaysia surrendered on 2 December 1989; about 50 Communist insurgents in Sarawak surrendered on 17 October 1990
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdul MAJID Mohamed; Chancery at 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the US
_*Economy #_Overview: In 1988-90 booming exports helped Malaysia continue to recover from the severe 1985-86 recession. Real output grew by 8.8% in 1989 and 10% in 1990, helped by vigorous growth in manufacturing output, further increases in foreign direct investment, particularly from Japanese and Taiwanese firms facing higher costs at home, and increased oil production in 1990. Malaysia has become the world's third-largest producer of semiconductor devices (after the US and Japan) and the world's largest exporter of semiconductor devices. Inflation remained low as unemployment stood at 6% of the labor force and as the government followed prudent fiscal/monetary policies. The country is not self-sufficient in food, and some of the rural population subsists at the poverty level. Malaysia's high export dependence leaves it vulnerable to a recession in the OECD countries or a fall in world commodity prices.
_#_GDP: $43.1 billion, per capita $2,460; real growth rate 10% (1990)
commodities—food, crude oil, consumer goods, intermediate goods, capital equipment, chemicals;
partners—Japan, US, Singapore, FRG, UK
_#_External debt: $20.0 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 15.8% (1990 est.); accounts for 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,600,000 kW capacity; 16,500 million kWh produced, 940 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries:
Peninsular Malaysia—rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging and processing timber;
Sabah—logging, petroleum production;
Sarawak—agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging
Sabah—mainly subsistence, but also rubber, timber, coconut, rice;
Sarawak—rubber, timber, pepper; there is a deficit of rice in all areas; fish catch of 608,000 metric tons in 1987
_#_Illicit drugs: transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe, and the Third World
_#_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
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 1,307 km; natural gas, 379 km
_#_Airports: 125 total, 119 usable; 32 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good intercity service provided to peninsular Malaysia mainly by microwave relay, adequate intercity radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service good; good coverage by radio and television broadcasts; 994,860 telephones (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, and 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 fit for military service; 180,991 reach military age (21) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $1.7 billion, 3.9% of GDP (1990) %@Maldives *Geography #_Total area: 300 km2; land area: 300 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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; segment of zone coincides with 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 only as high as 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 grouped into 19 atolls
_#_Note: archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (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 11 November 1978)
_#_Political parties and leaders: no organized political parties; country governed by the Didi clan for the past eight centuries
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held 23 September 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results—President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected;
Citizens' Council—last held on 7 December 1989 (next to be held 7 December 1994); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(48 total, 40 elected)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Maldives does not maintain an embassy in the US, but does have a UN mission in New York;
US—the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there; US Consular Agency, Midhath Hilmy, Male; telephone 2581
_#_Flag: red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and shipping. Agriculture is limited to the production of a few subsistence crops that provide only 10% of food requirements. Fishing is the largest industry, employing 25% of the work force and accounting for over 60% of exports; it is also an important source of government revenue. During the 1980s tourism has become one of the most important and highest growth sectors of the economy. In 1988 industry accounted for about 5% of GDP. Real GDP is officially estimated to have increased by about 10% annually during the period 1974-87, and GDP estimates for 1988 show a further growth of 9% on the strength of a record fish catch and an improved tourist season.
_#_GDP: $136 million, per capita $670; real growth rate 9.2% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $51 million; expenditures $50 million, including 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); accounts for 5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 11 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: fishing and fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, some coconut processing, garments, woven mats, coir (rope), handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: accounts for almost 30% of GDP (including fishing); fishing more important than farming; limited production of coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; most staple foods must be imported; fish catch of 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
_*Communications #_Highways: Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city
_#_Ports: Male, Gan
_#_Merchant marine: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,131 GRT/85,770 DWT; includes 14 cargo, 1 container, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: minimal domestic and international facilities; 2,804 telephones; 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 15-49, 50,788; 28,378 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $1.8 million, NA% of GDP (1984 est.) %@Mali *Geography #_Total area: 1,240,000 km2; land area: 1,220,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 7,243 km total; Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina 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 proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
_#_Climate: subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
_#_Natural resources: gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium; bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 7%; other 66%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; desertification
_#_Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 114 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 47 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/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 about 80% of the population; numerous African languages
_#_Literacy: 32% (male 41%, female 24%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,666,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 80%, services 19%, industry and commerce 1% (1981); 50% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) is umbrella organization for over 13 national unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Mali
_#_Type: republic; the single-party constitutional government was overthrown on 26 March 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 may be a new capital district of Bamako
_#_Independence: 22 September 1960 (from France; formerly French Sudan)
_#_Constitution: 2 June 1974, effective 19 June 1979; amended September 1981 and March 1985; suspended following the coup of 26 March 1991
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Section of 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 26 March 1991
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemble Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—following the military coup of 26 March 1991 President Gen. Moussa TRAORE was deposed and the National Reconciliation Council, led by Lt. Col. Amadou Toumani TOURE and Lt. Col. Kafougouna KONE, was installed;
Head of Government—Interim Premier Soumana SACKO (since 2 April 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: formerly the only party, the Democratic Union of Malian People (UDPM), was disbanded after the coup of 26 March 1991, and the new regime legalized the formation of political parties on 5 April 1991; new political parties are—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; other parties forming
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 9 June 1985 (next to be held June 1991); results—General Moussa TRAORE was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly—last held on 26 June 1988 (next to be held June 1991); results—UDPM is the only party; seats—(82 total) UDPM 82; note—following the military coup of 26 March 1991 President TRAORE was deposed and the UDPM was disbanded; the new ruling National Reconciliation Council, formed of 17 soldiers, has promised to institute a multiparty democracy and is expected to hold elections by December 1991
_#_Communists: a few Communists and some sympathizers (no legal Communist party)
_#_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); telephone [223] 223712
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
_*Economy #_Overview: Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with about 70% of its land area desert or semidesert. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population live as nomads and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities.
_#_GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $250; real growth rate 9.9% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% (1987)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $329 million; expenditures $519 million, including capital expenditures of $178 (1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 19.9% (1989 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 253,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: small local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold, fishing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP; most production based on small subsistence farms; cotton and livestock products account for over 70% of exports; other crops—millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; livestock—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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Railroads: 642 km 1.000-meter gauge; linked to Senegal's rail system through Kayes
_#_Highways: about 15,700 km total; 1,670 km bituminous, 3,670 km gravel and improved earth, 10,360 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 1,815 km navigable
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 37 total, 29 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: domestic system poor but improving; provides only minimal service with radio relay, wire, and radio communications stations; expansion of radio relay in progress; 11,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 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 fit for military service; no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $45 million, 2.4% of GDP (1988) %@Malta *Geography #_Total area: 320 km2; land area: 320 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected 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: numerous bays provide good harbors; fresh water very scarce—increasing reliance on desalination
_#_Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily, 290 km north of Libya
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 79 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Maltese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Maltese
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixture of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, English
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 98%
_#_Language: Maltese and English (official)
_#_Literacy: 84% (male 86%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
_#_Labor force: 126,135; government (excluding job corps) 37%, services 26%, manufacturing 22%, training programs 9%, construction 4%, agriculture 2% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: about 40% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Malta
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Valletta
_#_Administrative divisions: none (administration directly from Valletta)
_#_Independence: 21 September 1964 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 26 April 1974, effective 2 June 1974
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Roman civil law; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Freedom Day, 31 March
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Vincent (Censu) TABONE (since 4 April 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dr. Edward (Eddie) FENECH ADAMI (since 12 May 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Guido DE MARCO (since 14 May 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 9 May 1987 (next to be held by May 1992); results—NP 51.1%, MLP 48.9%; seats—(usually 65 total, but additional seats are given 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
_#_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 at 2nd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Valletta (mailing address is P. O. Box 535, Valletta); telephone [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 representation of the George Cross, edged in red
_*Economy #_Overview: Significant resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and a productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies, and has no domestic energy sources. Consequently, the economy is highly dependent on foreign trade and services. Manufacturing and tourism are the largest contributors to the economy. Manufacturing accounts for about 27% of GDP, with the electronics and textile industries major contributors. In 1989 inflation was held to a low 0.9%. Per capita GDP at $5,500 places Malta in the middle-income range of the world's 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 $1,020 million; expenditures $1,230 million, including capital expenditures of $380 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $866 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—clothing, textiles, footwear, ships;
partners—Italy 30%, FRG 22%, UK 11%
_#_Imports: $1,328 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods;
partners—Italy 30%, UK 16%, FRG 13%, US 4%
_#_External debt: $90 million, medium and long-term (December 1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 19.2% (1989); accounts for 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 328,000 kW capacity; 1,110 million kWh produced, 2,990 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 3% of GDP; overall, 20% self-sufficient; main products—potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers, hogs, poultry, eggs; generally adequate supplies of vegetables, poultry, milk, pork products; seasonal or periodic shortages in grain, animal fodder, fruits, other basic foodstuffs
_#_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
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,291 km total; 1,179 km paved (asphalt), 77 km crushed stone or gravel, 35 km improved and unimproved earth
_#_Ports: Valletta, Marsaxlokk
_#_Merchant marine: 415 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,005,791 GRT/8,644,369 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 8 short-sea passenger, 160 cargo, 5 container, 2 passenger-cargo, 13 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 vehicle carrier, 1 barge carrier, 6 refrigerated cargo, 9 chemical tanker, 8 combination ore/oil, 2 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 79 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 104 bulk, 11 combination bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry; China owns 1 ship, USSR owns 7, Cuba owns 7, and Vietnam owns 1
_#_Civil air: 7 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern automatic system centered in Valletta; 163,800 telephones; stations—9 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; 1 submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Armed Forces, Maltese Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 94,081; 75,222 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $21.9 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.) %@Man, Isle of (British crown dependency) *Geography #_Total area: 588 km2; land area: 588 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 about half the time
_#_Terrain: hills in north and south bisected by 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 Irish Sea equidistant from England, Scotland, and Ireland
_#_Constitution: 1961, Isle of Man Constitution Act
_#_Legal system: English law and local statute
_#_National holiday: Tynwald Day, 5 July
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, prime minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Tynwald consists of an upper house or Legislative Council and a lower house or House of Keys
_#_Judicial branch: High Court of Justice
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 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 to be held 1991); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(24 total) independents 24
_#_Flag: red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GNP. Banking now contributes over 20% to GNP and manufacturing about 15%. Trade is mostly with the UK.
_#_GNP: $490 million, per capita $7,573; real 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.)
_#_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 at par with the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 36 km electric track, 24 km steam track
_#_Highways: 640 km motorable roads
_#_Ports: Douglas, Ramsey, Peel
_#_Merchant marine: 73 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,634,471 GRT/2,906,039 DWT; includes 8 cargo, 6 container, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 2 combination ore/oil, 3 liquefied gas, 13 bulk; note—a captive register of the United Kingdom, although 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 telephones; 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: slightly 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: wet season May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt
_#_Terrain: low coral limestone and sand islands
_#_Natural resources: phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 60%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 40%
_#_Environment: occasionally subject to typhoons; two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands
_#_Note: located 3,825 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea; Bikini and Eniwetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range
_#_Language: English universally spoken and is the official language; two major Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family; Japanese
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 100%, female 88%) 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 entered into force 21 October 1986
_#_Capital: Majuro
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: 21 October 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 adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
_#_National holiday: Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 May (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 chief 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 NA November 1987 (next to be held November 1991); results—percent of vote NA; 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 radiating from the lower hoist-side corner—orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture and tourism are the mainstays of the economy. Agricultural production is concentrated on small farms, and the most important commercial crops are coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. A few cattle ranches supply the domestic meat market. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry is the primary source of foreign exchange and employs about 10% of the labor force. The islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. In 1987 the US Government provided grants of $40 million out of the Marshallese budget of $55 million.
_#_GDP: $63 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.6% (1981)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $55 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)
_#_Economic aid: under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US is to provide approximately $40 million in aid annually
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: macadam and concrete roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks
_#_Ports: Majuro
_#_Merchant marine: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,654,871 GRT/3,236,549 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 3 container, 7 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 11 bulk carrier; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Airports: 5 total, 5 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: telephone network—570 lines (Majuro) and 186 (Ebeye); telex services; islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes); 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: slightly 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; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
_#_Natural resources: coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 30%; forest and woodland 26%; other 26%; includes irrigated 5%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity that result in an average of one major natural disaster every five years
_#_Note: located 625 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 80 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Martiniquais (sing. and pl.); adjective—Martiniquais
_#_Ethnic divisions: African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture 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%) age 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 labor force
_*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: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French legal system
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
_#_Executive branch: government commissioner
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government—Government Commissioner Jean Claude ROURE (since 5 May 1989); President of the General Council Emile MAURICE (since NA 1988)
_#_Political parties: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Stephen BAGO; Union of the Left composed of the Progressive Party of Martinique (PPM), Aime 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 16 March 1986 (next to be held by March 1992); results—UDF/RPR coalition 49.8%, PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 41.3%, other 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 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held 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, Martiniquais 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 is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry. Agriculture accounts for about 12% of GDP and the small industrial sector for 10%. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France. Tourism has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. The majority of the work force is employed in the service sector and in administration. In 1986 per capita GDP was relatively high at $6,000. During 1986 the unemployment rate was 30% and was particularly severe 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.)
_#_Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 12% of GDP; principal crops—pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, and sugarcane for rum; dependent on imported food, particularly 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
_#_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%) age 10 and over 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 population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 30,000 members claimed by single union, Mauritanian Workers' Union
_*Government #_Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
_#_Type: republic; military first seized power in bloodless coup 10 July 1978; a palace coup that took place 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: 28 November 1960 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 20 May 1961, abrogated after coup of 10 July 1978; provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned in 1981; new constitutional charter published 27 February 1985
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
_#_Executive branch: president, Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale), dissolved after 10 July 1978 coup; legislative power resides with the CMSN
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Col. Maaouya Ould SidAhmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
_#_Political parties and leaders: suspended
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: last presidential election August 1976; National Assembly dissolved 10 July 1978; no national elections are scheduled
_#_Communists: no Communist party, but there is a scattering of Maoist sympathizers
_#_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); telephone [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 majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore that account for almost 50% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In recent years, the droughts, the conflict with Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government now has begun the second stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the IMF, and major donor countries.
_#_GDP: $942 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 3.5% (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 numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal;
partners—EC 57%, Japan 39%, Ivory Coast 2%
_#_Imports: $567 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum 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.); accounts for 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 189,000 kW capacity; 136 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 29% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming and nomadic cattle and sheep herding except in Senegal river valley; crops—dates, millet, sorghum, root crops; fish products number-one export; large food deficit in years of drought
_#_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
_#_Airports: 30 total, 29 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor radio relay links, and radio communications 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 15-49, 423,501; 206,733 fit for military service; conscription law not implemented
_#Defense expenditures: $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: slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 177 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
_#_Climate: tropical modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
_#_Terrain: small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling 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: subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs
_#_Note: located 900 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
_#_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 over can read and write (1962)
_#_Labor force: 335,000; government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing 22%, other 22%; 43% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 35% of labor force in more than 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 Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne
_#_Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 12 March 1968
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Veerasamy RINGADOO (since 17 January 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Prem NABABSING (since 26 September 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 15 September 1991 (next to be held by 15 September 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: may be 2,000 sympathizers; several Communist organizations; 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, Mauritius/USSR Friendship Society
_#_Other political or pressure groups: various labor unions
_#_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 at 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis; telephone [230] 208-9763 through 208-9767
_#_Flag: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 32% of export earnings. The government's development strategy is centered on industrialization (with a view to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1989 was impressive, with 5.0% real growth 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)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 12.9% (FY87); accounts for 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 233,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced, 375 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; about 90% of cultivated land in sugarcane; other products—tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses, cattle, goats, fish; net food importer, especially rice and fish
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit 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
_#_Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: small system with good 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 15-49, 302,588; 155,176 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $4 million, 0.2% of GDP (1988) %@Mayotte (territorial collectivity of France) *Geography #_Total area: 375 km2; land area: 375 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)
_#_Terrain: generally undulating with ancient volcanic peaks, deep ravines
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: subject to cyclones during rainy season
_#_Note: part of Comoro Archipelago; located in the Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and Madagascar
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 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 NA June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(17 total) MPM 9, RPR 6, other 2;
French Senate—last held on 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) MPM 1;
French National Assembly—last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results—percent of vote 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 used
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island is heavily dependent on French financial assistance.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues NA; expenditures $37.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
_*Communications #_Highways: 42 km total; 18 km bituminous
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Ports: Dzaoudzi
_#_Telecommunications: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications; includes radio relay and high-frequency radio communications for links with Comoros and international communications; 450 telephones; 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: slightly 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 prolongation of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Clipperton Island (French possession)
_#_Climate: varies from tropical to desert
_#_Terrain: high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, and desert
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and woodland 24%; other 24%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: subject to tsunamis along the Pacific coast and destructive earthquakes in the center and south; natural water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; deforestation; erosion widespread; desertification; serious air pollution in Mexico City and urban centers along US-Mexico border
_#_Note: strategic location on southern border of US
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (Indian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white or predominantly white 9%, other 1%
_#_Religion: nominally Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 87% (male 90%, female 85%) age 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 labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: United Mexican States
_#_Type: federal republic operating under 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, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan, Zacatecas
_#_Independence: 16 September 1810 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 5 February 1917
_#_Legal system: mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (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 1 December 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 compulsory (but not enforced) at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held 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 of the smaller parties ran a common candidate under a coalition called the National Democratic Front (FDN);
Senate—last held on 6 July 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 6 July 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)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gustavo PETRICIOLI Iturbide; Chancery at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (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, 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 perched on a cactus with a snake is its beak) is centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: Mexico's economy is a mixture of state-owned industrial plants (notably oil), private manufacturing and services, and both large-scale and traditional agriculture. In the 1980s Mexico experienced severe economic difficulties: the nation accumulated large external debts as world petroleum prices fell; rapid population growth outstripped the domestic food supply; and inflation, unemployment, and pressures to emigrate became more acute. Growth in national output, however, appears to be recovering, rising from 1.4% in 1988 to 3.9% in 1990. The US is Mexico's major trading partner, accounting for two-thirds of its exports and imports. After petroleum, border assembly plants and tourism are the largest earners of foreign exchange. The government, in consultation with international economic agencies, is implementing programs to stabilize the economy and foster growth. In 1991 the government also plans to begin negotiations with the US and Canada on a free trade agreement.
_#_GDP: $236 billion, per capita $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)
commodities—grain, metal manufactures, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment;
partners—US 62%, EC 18%, Japan 10%
_#_External debt: $96.0 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.3% (1989); accounts for 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 27,600,000 kW capacity; 108,976 million kWh produced, 1,240 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, transportation equipment, tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 9% of GDP and over 25% of work force; large number of small farms at subsistence level; major food crops—corn, wheat, rice, beans; cash crops—cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; fish catch of 1.4 million metric tons among top 20 nations (1987)
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis continues in spite of government eradication efforts; major link in chain of countries 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 20,680 km total; 19,950 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 730 km 0.914-meter narrow gauge
_#_Highways: 210,000 km total; 65,000 km paved, 30,000 km semipaved or cobblestone, 60,000 km rural roads (improved earth) or roads under construction, 55,000 km unimproved earth roads
_#_Inland waterways: 2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals
_#_Airports: 1,815 total, 1,537 usable; 195 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 33 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 276 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: highly developed system with extensive radio relay links; connection into 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 fit for military service; 1,107,163 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $1 billion, 0.6% of GDP (1988) %@Micronesia, Federated States of *Geography #_Total area: 702 km2; land area: 702 km2; includes Pohnpei, Truk, Yap, and Kosrae
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasional severe damage
_#_Terrain: islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk
_#_Ethnic divisions: nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups
_#_Religion: predominantly Christian, divided between Roman Catholic and Protestant; other churches 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 fall within the Austronesian language family, the exceptions are the Polynesian languages; major indigenous languages are Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, and Kosrean
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 85%) age 15 and over 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 entered into force 3 November 1986
_#_Capital: Kolonia (on the island of Pohnpei); note—a new capital is being built about 10 km southwest in the Palikir valley
_#_Independence: 3 November 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 adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
_#_National holiday: Proclamation of the Federated States of Micronesia, 10 May (1979)
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Bailey OLTER (since 11 May 1991); Vice President Jacob NENA (since 11 May 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: no formal parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 5 March 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results—Vice President Bailey OLTER elected president;
Congress—last held on 5 March 1991 (next to be held March 1993); results—percent of vote NA; 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; telephone (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); telephone 691-320-2187
_#_Flag: light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern
_*Economy #_Overview: Financial assistance from the US is the primary source of revenue, with the US pledged to spend $1 billion in the islands in the 1990s; also in December 1990 the US authorized the use of disaster relief funds for Micronesia because of damage from Typhoon Russ. In addition Micronesia earns about $4 million a year in fees from foreign commercial fishing concerns. Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remoteness of the location and a lack of adequate facilities hinder development.
_#_GNP: $150 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.); note—GNP numbers reflect US spending
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 80% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $110.8 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (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 capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearl
_#_Agriculture: mainly a subsistence economy; copra, black pepper; tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, pigs, chickens
_#_Economic aid: under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US will provide $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: 39 km of paved macadam and concrete roads on major islands, otherwise 187 km stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads
_#_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 at both Kolonia and Truk; islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes); stations—5 AM, 1 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*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 moderated 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: located 2,350 km west-northwest of Honolulu at the western end of Hawaiian Islands group, about 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 command of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station in Hawaii and managed cooperatively 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 (territory of the US)
_#_Flag: the US flag is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on providing support services for US naval operations located on the islands. All food and manufactured goods must 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 over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 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, wet 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 state in world (after Vatican City)
Chief of State—Prince RAINIER III (since November 1949); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT Alexandre Louis Pierre (born 14 March 1958);
Head of Government Minister of State Jean AUSSEIL (since 10 September 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National and Democratic Union (UND), Democratic Union Movement (MUD), Monaco Action, Monegasque Socialist Party (PSM)
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age 25
_#_Elections:
National Council—last held on 24 January 1988 (next to be held 24 January 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; 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 maintains honorary consulates general in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and honorary consulates in Dallas, Honolulu, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, and Washington;
US—no mission in Monaco, but the US Consul General in Marseille, France, is accredited 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 is white (top) and red
_*Economy #_Overview: Monaco, situated on the French Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. The Principality has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established residence 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, that is, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan suburbs.
_#_GDP: $324 million, per capita $11,000; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: full employment (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $386 million; expenditures $426, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
_#_Exports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monacan trade duties; also participates in EC market system through customs union with France
_#_Imports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monacan trade duties; also participates in EC market system through customs union with France
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 10,000 kW standby capacity (1988); power supplied by France
_*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 usable airfield with permanent-surface runways
_#_Telecommunications: served by the French communications system; automatic telephone system; 38,200 telephones; 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: slightly 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: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)
_#_Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains; mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in southeast
_#_Labor force: NA, but primarily herding/agricultural; over half the adult population is in the labor force, including a large percentage of women; shortage of skilled labor
_#_Organized labor: 425,000 members of the Central Council of Mongolian Trade Unions (CCMTU) controlled by the government (1984)
_#_Independence: 13 March 1921 (from China; formerly Outer Mongolia)
_#_Constitution: 6 July 1960
_#_Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: People's Revolution Day, 11 July (1921)
_#_Executive branch: chairman and deputy chairman of the Presidium of the People's Great Hural, premier, deputy premiers, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: People's Great Hural, People's Small Hural
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (since 3 September 1990); Vice President Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJ (since 7 September 1990);
Head of Government—Premier Dashiyn BYAMBASUREN (since 11 September 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 29 July 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 29 July 1990 (next to be held July 1994); results—MPRP 62.3%, MDP 24.5%, SDP 7.5%, PNP 5.7%; seats—(50 total) MPRP 33
US—Ambassador Joseph E. LAKE; Deputy Chief of Mission Michael J. SENKO; Embassy at Ulaanbaatar, c/o American Embassy Beijing; Tel. 29095 and 29639
_#_Flag: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is a five-pointed star above the national emblem (soyombo—a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representations for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol)
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and the breeding of livestock—Mongolia has the highest number of livestock per person in the world. In recent years extensive mineral resources have been developed with Soviet support. The mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production. In early 1991 the Mongolian leadership was struggling with severe economic dislocations, mainly attributable to chaotic economic conditions in the USSR, by far Mongolia's leading trade and development partner. For example, the government doubled most prices in January 1991, and industrial production dropped 10% in the first quarter of 1991. Moscow almost certainly will be cutting aid in 1991.
_#_GDP: $2.2 billion, per capita $1,000 (1990 est.); real growth rate NA%
partners—nearly all trade with Communist countries (about 80% with 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—nearly all trade with Communist countries (about 80% with USSR)
_#_External debt: $16.8 billion (yearend 1990); 98.6% with USSR
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 657,000 kW capacity; 2,950 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: copper, processing of animal products, building materials, food and beverage, mining (particularly coal)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 20% of GDP and provides livelihood for about 50% of the population; livestock raising predominates (sheep, goats, horses); crops—wheat, barley, potatoes, forage
_#_Economic aid: about $300 million in trade credits and $34 million in grant aid from USSR and other CEMA countries, plus $7.4 million from UNDP (1990)
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,750 km 1.524-meter broad gauge (1988)
_#_Highways: 46,700 km total; 1,000 km hard surface; 45,700 km other surfaces (1988)
_#_Inland waterways: 397 km of principal routes (1988)
_#_Civil air: 25 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 81 total, 31 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; fewer than 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 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 15-49, 535,376; 349,548 fit for military service; 25,275 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and woodland 40%; other 30%
_#_Environment: subject to severe hurricanes from June to November
_#_Note: located 400 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly black with a few Europeans
_#_Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over having 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 labor force, three trade unions with 1,500 members (1984 est.)
_*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 Birthday of the Queen (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 6 February 1952), represented by Governor David TAYLOR (since NA 1990);
Head of Government—Chief Minister John A. OSBORNE (since NA 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 25 August 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is small and open with economic activity centered on tourism and construction. Tourism is the most important sector and accounted for 20% of GDP in 1986. Agriculture accounted for about 4% of GDP and industry 10%. The economy is heavily dependent on imports, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices. Exports consist mainly of electronic parts 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; expenditures $14.3 million, including capital expenditures of $3.2 million (1988)
_#_Exports: $2.3 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities—electronic parts, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle;
partners—NA
_#_Imports: $30 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities—machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials;
partners—NA
_#_External debt: $2.05 million (1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8.1% (1986); accounts for 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,270 kW capacity; 12.2 million kWh produced, 980 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 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, ODA and 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 total; about 200 km paved, 80 km gravel and earth
_#_Ports: Plymouth
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,036 m
_#_Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones; 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: slightly 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved; armed conflict in Western Sahara; Spain controls five places 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 interior
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with rich 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 geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
_#_Religion: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); several Berber dialects; French is language of business, government, diplomacy, and postprimary education
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 61%, female 38%) age 15 and over 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 labor force, mainly in 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: 2 March 1956 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 10 March 1972
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court
_#_National holiday: National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne), 3 March (1961)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis Nawab)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since 30 September 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 14 September 1984 (were scheduled for September 1990, but postponed until NA 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(306 total, 206 elected) CU 83, RNI 61, MP 47, Istiqlal 41, USFP 36, PND 24, other 14
_#_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 recovered moderately in 1990 because of the resolution of a trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid sales, a rebound in textile sales to the EC, and lower prices for food imports. In addition, a dramatic increase in worker remittances, increased Arab donor aid, and generous debt rescheduling agreements helped ease foreign payments pressures. On the down side, higher oil import costs fueled inflation. Servicing the $21 billion foreign debt, high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external forces remain severe problems for the 1990s.
_#_GDP: $25.4 billion, per capita $990; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
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.); accounts for an estimated 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 2,262,000 kW capacity; 8,140 million kWh produced, 320 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism
_#_Agriculture: 50% of employment and 30% of export value; not self-sufficient in food; cereal farming and livestock raising predominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruit, wine, vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in 1987
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis; trafficking on the increase for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of cannabis mostly directed to Western Europe; occasional transit point for cocaine from South America destined 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double track, 974 km electrified)
_#_Highways: 59,198 km total; 27,740 km bituminous treated, 31,458 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, and unimproved earth
_#_Pipelines: 362 km crude oil; 491 km (abandoned) refined products; 241 km 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 over) totaling 315,169 GRT/487,490 DWT; includes 10 cargo, 2 container, 12 refrigerated cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 11 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger
_#_Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 75 total, 67 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good system composed of wire lines, cables, and radio relay links; principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat, secondary centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan; 280,000 telephones; stations—14 AM, 6 FM, 47 TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable to Algeria; microwave network linking 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 fit for military service; 299,535 reach military age (18) annually; 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: slightly less than 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: mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in 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 drought and floods occur in south; desertification
_#_Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
_#_Judicial branch: People's Courts at all levels
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Mario da Graca MACHUNGO (since 17 July 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO)—formerly a Marxist organization with close ties to the USSR—was the only legal party before 30 November 1990 when the new Constitution went into effect establishing a multiparty system; note—the government has announced that 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 at age 18
_#_Elections: electoral law—to be ratified in 1991—will provide for periodic, direct presidential and Assembly elections
_#_Communists: about 200,000 FRELIMO members; note—FRELIMO no longer considers itself a Communist party
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hipolito PATRICIO; Chancery at Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (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 bands of green (top), black, and yellow with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an open white book
_*Economy #_Overview: One of Africa's poorest countries, with a per capita GDP of little more than $100, Mozambique has failed to exploit the economic potential of its sizable agricultural, hydropower, and transportation resources. Indeed, national output, consumption, and investment declined throughout the first half of the 1980s because of internal disorders, lack of government administrative control, and a growing foreign debt. A sharp increase in foreign aid, attracted by an economic reform policy, has resulted in successive years of economic growth since 1985. Agricultural output, nevertheless, is at about only 75% of its 1981 level, and grain has to be imported. Industry operates at only 20-40% of capacity. The economy depends heavily on foreign assistance to keep afloat.
_#_GDP: $1.6 billion, per capita $110; real growth rate 5.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 90% of the labor force, 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,288 km total; 3,140 km 1.067-meter gauge; 148 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge; Malawi-Nacala, Malawi-Beira, and Zimbabwe-Maputo lines are subject to closure because of insurgency
_#_Highways: 26,498 km total; 4,593 km paved; 829 km gravel, crushed stone, stabilized soil; 21,076 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: about 3,750 km of navigable routes
_#_Pipelines: 306 km crude oil (not operating); 289 km refined products
_#_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
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 3,407,234; 1,957,123 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 8.4% of GDP (1987) %@Namibia *Geography #_Total area: 824,290 km2; land area: 823,290 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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: short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands administered by South Africa
_#_Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
_#_Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in 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 NEGL%; meadows and pastures 64%; forest and woodland 22%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification
_#_Note: Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia
_#_Ethnic divisions: black 86%, white 6.6%, mixed 7.4%; about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% from the Kavangos tribe
_#_Religion: predominantly Christian
_#_Language: English is official language; Afrikaans is common language of most of population and about 60% of white population, German 32%, English 7%; several indigenous languages
_#_Literacy: 38% (male 45%, female 31%) age 15 and over 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 about 90,000 workers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Namibia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Windhoek
_#_Administrative divisions: the former administrative structure of 26 districts has been abolished and 14 temporary regions are still in the process of being determined; 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: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
_#_Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990
_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 21 March 1990
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral; House of Review (upper house, to be established with elections in 1992 by planned 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 21 March 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 7-11 November 1989 (next to be held by November 1994); results—percent of vote 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); telephone [264] (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680
_#_Flag: a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section, and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe which is contrasted by two narrow white edge borders
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 30% of GDP. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Alluvial diamond deposits are among the richest in the world, making Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten, and it has substantial resources of coal. More than half the population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood.
_#_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.)
commodities—foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment;
partners—South Africa, FRG, US, Switzerland
_#_External debt: about $27 million at independence; under a 1971 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Namibia may not be liable for debt incurred during its colonial period
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 486,000 kW capacity; 1,280 million kWh produced, 930 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Agriculture: mostly subsistence farming; livestock raising major source of cash income; crops—millet, sorghum, peanuts; fish catch potential of over 1 million metric tons not being fulfilled, 1987 catch reaching only 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,341 km 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: Luderitz; primary maritime outlet is Walvis Bay (South Africa)
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 143 total, 123 usable; 21 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 67 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns, wires extend to other population centers; 62,800 telephones; stations—2 AM, 40 FM, 3 TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: National Defense Force (Army), Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 309,978; 183,730 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $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; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
_#_Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in 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 Equator
_#_Note: Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean—the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia
_#_Ethnic divisions: Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
_#_Religion: Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
_#_Language: Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Island language (official); English 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: no capital city as such; government offices in Yaren District
_#_Independence: 31 January 1968 (from UN trusteeship under Australia, New Zealand, and UK); formerly Pleasant Island
_#_Constitution: 29 January 1968
_#_Legal system: own Acts of Parliament and British common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 31 January (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 12 December 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 20
_#_Elections:
President—last held 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results—Bernard DOWIYOGO elected by Parliament;
Parliament—last held on 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(18 total) independents 18
_#_Member of: C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Theodore Conrad MOSES resident 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 narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru
_*Economy #_Overview: Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World—$10,000 annually. Few other resources exist so most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates constitute serious long-term problems. Substantial investment in trust funds, out of phosphate income, will help cushion the transition.
_#_GNP: over $90 million, per capita $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, manufactures, building 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 capita (1990)
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast
_#_Highways: about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth
_#_Ports: Nauru
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,261 GRT/39,838 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 2 bulk
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft, one on order
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate intraisland and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radios; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: no formal defense structure %@Navassa Island (territory of the US) *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: raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 meters high)
_#_Natural resources: guano
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and woodland 0%; other 90%
_#_Environment: mostly exposed rock, but enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands 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; transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island
_*Government #_Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered 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: slightly 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: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winter in south
_#_Terrain: Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
_#_Natural resources: quartz, water, timber, hydroelectric potential, scenic beauty; small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land 17%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 33%; other 37%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_#_Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 98 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 50 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Nepalese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Nepalese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas, as well as many smaller groups
_#_Religion: only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu (about 90% of population) and Buddhist groups (about 5% of population); Muslims 3%, other 2% (1981)
_#_Language: Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects
_#_Literacy: 26% (male 38%, female 13%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,100,000; agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry 2%; severe lack of skilled labor
_#_Organized labor: Teachers' Union and many other nonofficially recognized unions
Chief of State—King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (since 31 January 1972, crowned King 24 February 1985); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, son of the King (born 21 June 1971);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 29 May 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 12 May 1991 (next to be held 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 9 November 1990 gives Nepal a multiparty democracy system for the first time in 32 years
_#_Communists: Communist Party of Nepal (CPN)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohan Man SAINJU; Chancery at 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-4550; there is a Nepalese Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH; Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu; telephone [977] (1) 411179 or 412718, 411601, 411613, 413890
_#_Flag: red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
_*Economy #_Overview: Nepal is among 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 plunged to 1.5% because of a trade/transit dispute with India. Though the impasse is over, political turmoil and inflated energy costs will probably constrain growth to under 4%. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 90% of the population and accounting for 60% of GDP. Industrial activity is limited, mainly involving the processing of agricultural produce (jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Production of textiles and carpets has expanded recently and accounted for 87% of foreign exchange earnings in FY89. Apart from 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 with a population growth of 2.6%. Forty percent or more of the population is undernourished partly because of poor distribution. Economic prospects for the 1990s are poor, with economic growth probably outpacing population growth only slightly.
_#_GDP: $3.0 billion, per capita $160; real growth rate 2.1% (FY90)
partners—India 36%, Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US 1% (FY88)
_#_External debt: $2.5 billion (April 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 6% (FY90 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 280,000 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textiles, carpets, cement, brick; tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and 90% of work force; farm products—rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, buffalo meat; not self-sufficient in food, particularly in drought years
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 52 km (1990), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Terai close to 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 motorable tracks
_#_Civil air: 5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 37 total, 37 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radio communication and broadcast service; international radio communication service is poor; 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 fit for military service; 233,404 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $38 million, 2% of GDP (FY91) %@Netherlands *Geography #_Total area: 37,290 km2; land area: 33,940 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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; marine; cool summers and mild winters
_#_Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
_#_Legal system: civil law system incorporating French penal theory; judicial review in the Supreme Court of legislation of lower order rather than Acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (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 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of Queen Beatrix (born 27 April 1967);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since 4 November 1982); Vice Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 2 November 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 host of minor parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
First Chamber—last held on 9 June l987 (next to be held 9 June 1991); results—elected by the country's 12 provincial councils; seats—(75 total) percent of seats by party NA;
Second Chamber—last held on 6 September 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 firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising 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
_#_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 uses a lighter blue and is longer
_*Economy #_Overview: This highly developed and affluent economy is based on private enterprise. The government makes its presence felt, however, through many regulations, permit requirements, and welfare programs affecting most aspects of economic activity. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of GDP. Industrial activity provides about 25% of GDP and is led by the food-processing, oil-refining, and metalworking industries. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 5% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. An unemployment rate of 6.8% and a sizable budget deficit are currently the most serious economic problems.
_#_GDP: $218.0 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 3.1% (1990)
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.); accounts for 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,570 million kWh produced, 4,300 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops—grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain, 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,037 km track (includes 1,871 km electrified and 1,800 km double track); 2,871 km 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% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger
_#_Pipelines: 418 km crude oil; 965 km refined products; 10,230 km natural gas
_#_Merchant marine: 344 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,722,838 GRT/3,822,230 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 187 cargo, 32 refrigerated cargo, 23 container, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 livestock carrier, 12 multifunction large-load carrier, 17 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 29 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 9 bulk, 3 combination bulk; note—many Dutch-owned ships are also registered in the captive Netherlands Antilles register
_#_Civil air: 98 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive system of multiconductor 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 earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (including Naval Air Service and Marine Corp), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,141,910; 3,658,056 fit for military service; 105,829 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $6.8 billion, 2.7% of GDP (1990) %@Netherlands Antilles (part of the Dutch realm) *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: slightly less than 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; modified by northeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
_#_Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 92%
_#_Environment: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October
_#_Note: consists of two island groups—Curacao and Bonaire are located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to the north
_#_Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
_#_Language: Dutch (official); Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates; English widely spoken; Spanish
_#_Literacy: 94% (male 94%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 89,000; government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 60-70% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: part of the Dutch realm—full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954
_#_Capital: Willemstad
_#_Administrative divisions: none (part of the Dutch realm)
_#_Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm)
_#_Constitution: 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
_#_Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
_#_National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
_#_Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: legislature (Staten)
_#_Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since October 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS (since 17 May 1988, previously served from September 1984 to November 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous 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 16 March 1990 (next to be held March 1994); results—percent of vote 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an autonomous part of the Netherlands, 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, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the economy. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles has avoided large international debt. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US being the major 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; expenditures $525 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1989 est.)
_#_Electricity: 125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,990 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
_#_Agriculture: hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief products—aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and 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 total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth
_#_Ports: Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk
_#_Merchant marine: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 431,958 GRT/441,056 DWT; includes 4 passenger, 19 cargo, 8 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 7 multifunction large-load carrier, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note—all but a few are foreign owned, mostly in the Netherlands
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 7 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
_*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) annually
_#Note: defense is responsibility of the Netherlands %@New Caledonia (overseas territory of France) *Geography #_Total area: 19,060 km2; land area: 18,760 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 2,254 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
_#_Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains
_#_Literacy: 91% (male 91%, female 90%) age 15 and over 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 #_Long-form 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 be held in 1998, with a review of the issue in 1992
_#_Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
_#_Executive branch: high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Bernard GRASSET (since 15 July 1988)
_#_Political parties: white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR—affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR); Melanesian proindependence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE; Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish NAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE; Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union Oceanienne (UO), conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK), proindependence, Yann CELENE
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Elections:
Territorial Assembly—last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held NA 1993); results—percent of vote by party—RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats—(54 total) 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 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results—percent 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 deported during 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 more than 25% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for 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)
_#_Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced, 12,790 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: nickel mining
_#_Agriculture: large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal 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 about 10% paved (1987)
_#_Ports: Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 29 total, 27 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
_*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: about the size of Colorado
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 15,134 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
_#_Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts
_#_Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
_#_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: 26 September 1907 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: no formal, written constitution; consists of various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; Constitution Act 1986 was to have come into force 1 January 1987, but has not been enacted
_#_Legal system: based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; accepts compulsory 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: unicameral House of Representatives (commonly called Parliament)
_#_Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II ( since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Catherine TIZARD (since 12 December 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister James BOLGER (since 29 October 1990); Deputy Prime Minister Donald McKINNON (since 2 November 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 27 October 1990 (next to be held October 1993); results—NP 49%, LP 35%, Green Party 7%, New Labor 5%; seats—(97 total) NP 67, LP 29, NLP 1
_#_Communists: SUP about 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); telephone [64] (4) 722-068; there is a US Consulate General in Auckland
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
_*Economy #_Overview: Since 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy dependent on a guaranteed British market to an open free market economy that can compete on the global scene. The government has hoped that dynamic growth would boost real incomes, reduce inflationary pressures, and permit the expansion of welfare benefits. The results have been mixed: inflation is down from double-digit levels but growth has been sluggish and unemployment, always a highly sensitive issue, has been at a record high 7.4%. In 1988 GDP fell by 1%, in 1989 grew by a moderate 2.4%, and was flat in 1990.
_#_GDP: $40.2 billion, per capita $12,200; real 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.)
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—petroleum, consumer goods, motor vehicles, industrial equipment;
partners—Australia 19.7%, Japan 16.9%, EC 16.9%, US 15.3%, Taiwan 3.0%
_#_External debt: $17.4 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.9% (1990); accounts for about 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced, 8,500 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of GNP and 10% of the work force; livestock predominates—wool, meat, dairy products all export earners; crops—wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, and vegetables; surplus producer of farm products; fish catch reached 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
_#_Airports: 157 total, 157 usable; 33 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 46 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent international and domestic systems; 2,110,000 telephones; stations 64 AM, 2 FM, 14 TV; 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 fit for military service; 28,814 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $832 million, 1-2% of GDP (FY90) %@Nicaragua *Geography #_Total area: 129,494 km2; land area: 120,254 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 nm security zone (status of claim uncertain);
Continental shelf: not specified;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; unresolved maritime boundary in Golfo de Fonseca
_#_Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
_#_Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted 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: subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasional severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast
_#_Literacy: 57% (male 57%, female 57%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
_#_Labor force: 1,086,000; service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 35% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Nicaragua
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Managua
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 administrative regions encompassing 16 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, Zelaya; note—Zelaya may have been replaced by 2 autonomous regions (regiones autonomistas, singular—region autonomista) named North Atlantic Coast and South Atlantic Coast
_#_Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: January 1987
_#_Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
_#_Legislative branch: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) and municipal courts
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990); Vice President Virgilio GODOY (since 25 April 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 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results—Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%, other 4.5%;
National Assembly—last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held 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); Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is an umbrella group of 11 different business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Industry, and the Nicaraguan Development Institute (INDE)
_#_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); telephone [505] (2) 666010 or 666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027, 666032 through 34
_#_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 features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: Government control of the economy historically has been extensive, although the Chamorro government has pledged to reduce it. The financial system is directly controlled by the state, which also regulates wholesale purchasing, production, sales, foreign trade, and distribution of most goods. Over 50% of the agricultural and industrial firms are state owned. Sandinista economic policies and the war have produced a severe economic crisis. The foundation of the economy continues to be the export of agricultural commodities, largely coffee and cotton. Farm production fell by roughly 7% in 1989, the fifth successive year of decline. The agricultural sector employs 44% of the work force and accounts for 23% of GDP and 86% of export earnings. Industry, which employs 13% of the work force and contributes about 25% to GDP, showed a drop of 7% in 1989 and remains below pre-1979 levels. External debt is one of the highest in the world on a per capita basis. In 1990 the annual inflation rate was 11,800%, sharply up from 1,800% in 1989.
_#_GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $470; real growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.)
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); accounts for about 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 415,000 kW capacity; 1,342 million kWh produced, 360 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP and 44% of work force; cash crops—coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops—rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans; variety of animal products—beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy; normally 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 373 km 1.067-meter gauge, government owned; majority of system not operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does not connect with mainline)
_#_Highways: 25,930 km total; 4,000 km paved, 2,170 km gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km earth 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
_#_Airports: 251 total, 162 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into 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 15-49, 845,961; 521,425 fit for military service; 44,222 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $70 million, 3.8% of GDP (1991) %@Niger *Geography #_Total area: 1,267,000 km2; land area: 1,266,700 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
_#_Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
_#_Terrain: predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in 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%
_#_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 expatriates
_#_Religion: Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
_#_Language: French (official); Hausa, Djerma
_#_Literacy: 28% (male 40%, female 17%) age 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 population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: negligible
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Niger
_#_Type: republic; presidential system in which military officers hold key offices
_#_Constitution: adopted NA December 1989 after 15 years of military rule
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holidays: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Aliou MAHAMIDOU (since 2 March 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD), leader NA; other political parties now forming
_#_Suffrage: universal adult 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 10 December 1989 (next to be held NA); results—MNSD was the only party; seats—(150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected); note—Niger is to hold a national conference to decide upon a transitional government and an agenda for multiparty elections
_#_Communists: no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party
_#_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 bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of India which has a blue, spoked wheel centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock rearing, activities which generate almost half the national income. The economy also depends heavily on exploitation of large uranium deposits. Uranium production grew rapidly in the mid-1970s, but tapered off in the early 1980s, when world prices declined. France is a major customer, while Germany, Japan, and Spain also make regular purchases. The depressed demand for uranium has contributed to an overall sluggishness in the economy, a severe trade imbalance, and a mounting external debt.
_#_GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $270; real growth rate - 3.3% (1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 102,000 kW capacity; 225 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production began in 1971
_#_Agriculture: accounts for roughly 40% of GDP and 90% of labor force; cash crops—cowpeas, cotton, peanuts; food crops—millet, sorghum, cassava, rice; livestock—cattle, sheep, goats; self-sufficient in food except in 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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Highways: 39,970 km total; 3,170 km bituminous, 10,330 km gravel and laterite, 3,470 km earthen, 23,000 km tracks
_#_Inland waterways: Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 31 total, 29 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links concentrated in 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 fit for military service; 90,801 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $20.6 million, 0.9% of GDP (1988) %@Nigeria *Geography #_Total area: 923,770 km2; land area: 910,770 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 30 nm
_#_Disputes: demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; Nigerian proposals to reopen maritime boundary negotiations and redemarcate the entire land boundary have been rejected by Cameroon
_#_Climate: varies—equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
_#_Terrain: southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in 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 north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; desertification; soil degradation, rapid deforestation
_#_Ethnic divisions: more than 250 tribal groups; Hausa and Fulani of the north, Yoruba of the southwest, and Ibos of the southeast make up 65% of the population; about 27,000 non-Africans
_#_Religion: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
_#_Language: English (official); Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and several other languages also widely used
_#_Literacy: 51% (male 62%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 42,844,000; agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%; 49% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 3,520,000 wage earners belong to 42 recognized trade unions, which come under a single national labor federation—the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Federal Republic of Nigeria
_#_Type: military government since 31 December 1983
_#_Capital: Lagos; note—some government departments have relocated to the designated 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: 1 October 1960 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 October 1979, amended 9 February 1984, revised 1989
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic, and tribal law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960)
_#_Executive branch: president of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, Armed Forces Ruling Council, National Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: National Assembly was dissolved after the military coup of 31 December 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 27 August 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: two political parties established 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 consists of a small fraction of the Nigerian left; leftist leaders are prominent in the country's central labor organization but have little influence on the government
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hamzat AHMADU; Chancery at 2201 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (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 (hoist side), white, and green
_*Economy #_Overview: Although Nigeria is Africa's leading oil-producing country, it remains poor with a $280 per capita GDP. In 1990, despite rising oil prices and a sharp drop in inflation, performance remained slack with continuing underutilization of industrial capacity and a second year of relatively weak agricultural performance. Agricultural production was up only 4.2% in 1990, still below the 1987 level. Industrial output showed a 7.2% increase, but remained below the 1985 level. Government efforts to reduce Nigeria's dependence on oil exports and to sustain noninflationary growth have fallen short due to inadequate new investment funds. Living standards continue to deteriorate from the higher level of the early 1980s oil boom.
_#_GDP: $27.2 billion, per capita $230; real 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 est.);
commodities—oil 95%, cocoa, rubber;
partners—EC 51%, US 32%
_#_Imports: $9.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—consumer goods, capital equipment, chemicals, raw materials;
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.2% (1990 est.); accounts for 23% of GDP, including petroleum
_#_Electricity: 4,737,000 kW capacity; 11,270 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: crude oil and mining—coal, tin, columbite; primary processing industries—palm oil, peanut, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins; manufacturing industries—textiles, cement, building materials, food products, footwear, chemical, printing, ceramics, steel
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 28% of GNP and half of labor force; inefficient small-scale farming dominates; once a large net exporter of food and 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 extensively exploited
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit heroin and some cocaine trafficking; marijuana cultivation for domestic consumption and export; major transit country for heroin en route from Southwest Asia via Africa to Western Europe and the US; growing transit route for cocaine from South America via 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
_*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 consisting of Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks
_#_Pipelines: 2,042 km crude oil; 500 km natural gas; 3,000 km refined products
_#_Ports: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Onne, Sapele
_#_Merchant marine: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 420,658 GRT/668,951 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 76 major transport aircraft
_#_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: above-average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in progress; 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 fit for military service; 1,302,970 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $300 million, 1% of GNP (1990 est.) %@Niue (free association with New Zealand) *Geography #_Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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; modified by southeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along 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 world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km east of Tonga
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Niuean(s); adjective—Niuean
_#_Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans
_#_Religion: Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)—a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society 75%, Mormon 10%, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%
_#_Language: Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education age 5 to 14
_#_Labor force: 1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for 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 19 October 1974
_#_Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
_#_Legal system: English common law
_#_National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, premier, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 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 8 April 1990 (next to be held March 1993); results—percent of vote NA; 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 flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars—a large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, with the shortfall made up by grants from New Zealand—the grants are used to pay wages to public employees. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of migration of Niueans to New Zealand.
_#_GNP: $2.1 million, per capita $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.)
_*Communications #_Highways: 123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation roads
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m
_#_Telecommunications: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island; 383 telephones; 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, little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 0%; other 75%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons (especially May to July)
_#_Note: located 1,575 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean
_#_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 mixture 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 (administrative center), Burnt Pine (commercial center)
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Independence: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Constitution: Norfolk Island Act of 1957
_#_Legal system: wide legislative and executive responsibility under the Norfolk Island Act of 1979; Supreme Court
_#_National holiday: Pitcairners Arrival Day Anniversary, 8 June (1856)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general of Australia, administrator, Executive Council (cabinet)
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 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 1989 (held every three years); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(9 total) percent of seats by party NA
_#_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 primary economic activity is tourism, which has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific Islands. The number of visitors has increased steadily over the years and reached 29,000 in FY89. Revenues from tourism have given the island a favorable balance of trade and helped the agricultural sector to become self-sufficient in the production of 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 quantities of avocados;
partners—Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
_#_Imports: $15.6 million (c.i.f., FY86);
commodities—NA;
partners—Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
_#_External debt: NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 7,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 3,160 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism
_#_Agriculture: Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit, cattle, poultry
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_*Communications #_Highways: 80 km of roads, including 53 km of sealed roads; remainder are earth formed or coral surfaced
_#_Ports: none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface 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: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of 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; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to July, rainy season July to October
_#_Terrain: southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic; highest elevation 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); subject 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
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not 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 on NA November 1989 (next to be held November 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(9 total) number of seats by party NA;
House of Representatives—last held on NA November 1989 (next to be held November 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(15 total) number of seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives—last held NA November 1989 (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) party of nonvoting delegate NA
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: blue with a white five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. An agreement for the years 1986 to 1992 entitles the islands to $228 million for capital development, government operations, and special programs. Another major source of income is the tourist industry, which employs about 10% of the work force. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Industry is small scale in nature—mostly handicrafts and fish processing.
_#_GNP: $165 million, per capita $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 over 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 capita (1990)
_*Communications #_Highways: 300 km total (53 km primary, 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 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US %@Norway *Geography #_Total area: 324,220 km2; land area: 307,860 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 mainland; 2,413 km large islands; 16,093 km long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations)
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with USSR; territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land); Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween Greenland and Jan Mayen
_#_Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; rainy year-round on 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 north
_#_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 adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world; Norway and Turkey only NATO members having a land boundary with the USSR
_#_Ethnic divisions: Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic) and 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%) age 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 labor force (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, More og Romsdal, Nordland, Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold
_#_Independence: 26 October 1905 (from Sweden)
_#_Constitution: 17 May 1814, modified in 1884
_#_Dependent areas: Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
_#_Legal system: mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, 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 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS (born 20 July 1973);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND (since 3 November 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 11 September 1989 (next to be held 6 September 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: 15,500 est.; 5,500 Norwegian Communist Party (NKP); 10,000 Workers Communist Party Marxist-Leninist (AKP-ML, pro-Chinese)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Kjeld VIBE; Chancery at 2720 34th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*Economy #_Overview: Norway is a prosperous capitalist nation with the resources to finance extensive welfare measures. Since 1975 exploitation of large crude oil and natural gas reserves has helped maintain high growth; for the past five years growth has averaged 4.1%, the fourth-highest among OECD countries. Growth slackened in 1987-88 partially because of the sharp drop in world oil prices, but picked up again in 1989. The Brundtland government plans to push hard on environmental issues, as well as cutting unemployment, improving child care, upgrading major industries, and negotiating an EC - European Free Trade Association (EFTA) agreement on an Economic European Area.
_#_GDP: $74.2 billion, per capita $17,400; real growth rate 3.1% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.2% (1990, excluding 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—machinery, fuels and lubricants, transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, 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 capita (1989)
_#_Industries: petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 2.8% of GNP and 6.4% of labor force; among world's top 10 fishing nations; livestock output exceeds value of crops; over half of food needs imported; fish catch of 1.76 million metric tons in 1989
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $4.4 billion
_*Communications #_Railroads: 4,223 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; Norwegian State Railways (NSB) operates 4,219 km (2,450 km electrified and 96 km double track); 4 km other
_#_Highways: 79,540 km total; 18,600 km concrete, bituminous, stone block; 19,980 km bituminous treated; 40,960 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth
_#_Inland waterways: 1,577 km along west coast; 1.5-2.4 m draft vessels maximum
_#_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 carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 186 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 98 chemical tanker, 69 liquefied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 35 combination ore/oil, 204 bulk, 9 combination bulk; note—the government has created a captive register, the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS), as a subset of the Norwegian register; ships on the NIS enjoy many benefits of flags of convenience and do not have 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 aircraft
_#_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 telephone, telegraph, and telex services; 3,102,000 telephones; stations—8 AM, 46 (1,400 relays) FM, 55 (2,100 relays) TV; 4 coaxial submarine cables; communications satellite earth 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 15-49, 1,124,201; 942,158 fit for military service; 31,813 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $3.3 billion, 3.3% of GDP (1990) %@Oman *Geography #_Total area: 212,460 km2; land area: 212,460 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 Line with Yemen; no defined boundary with most of UAE, Administrative Line in far north
_#_Climate: dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
_#_Terrain: vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 0%; other 95%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources
_#_Note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz (17% of world's oil production transits this point going from Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 68 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Omani(s); adjective—Omani
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) groups
_#_Religion: Ibadhi Muslim 75%; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, 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 illegal
_*Government #_Long-form name: Sultanate of Oman
_#_Type: absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence
_#_Capital: Muscat
_#_Administrative divisions: there are no first-order 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);
_#_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 bands of white (top, double width), red, and green (double width) with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered at the top of the vertical band
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for nearly all export earnings, about 80% of government revenues, and roughly 40% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the current rate of extraction. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population, urban centers depend 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.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1989), including petroleum sector
_#_Electricity: 1,136,000 kW capacity; 3,650 million kWh produced, 2,500 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP and 60% of the labor force (including fishing); less than 2% of land cultivated; largely 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
_#_Airports: 122 total, 114 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 64 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire, radio relay, and radio communications stations; 50,000 telephones; 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 fit for military service; 20,715 reach military age (14) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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: slightly 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: wet season May to November; hot and humid
_#_Terrain: islands vary geologically from the high mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs
_#_Ethnic divisions: Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian races
_#_Religion: predominantly Christian, mainly Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Palauan is the official language, though English is commonplace; inhabitants of the isolated southwestern islands speak a dialect of Trukese
_#_Literacy: 92% (male 93%, female 91%) age 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 administered by the US; constitutional government signed a Compact of Free Association with the US on 10 January 1986, after approval in a series of UN-observed plebiscites; until the UN trusteeship is terminated with entry into force of the Compact, Palau remains 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 polity remaining under the trusteeship; the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas have left); administered 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, 9 July (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 or Senate and a lower house or House of Delegates
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since 20 January 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 2 November 1988)
_#_Political parties: no formal parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); Ngiratkel ETPISON 26.3%, Roman TMETUCHL 25.9%, Thomas REMENGESAU 19.5%, other 28.3%;
Senate—last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(18 total);
House of Delegates—last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(16 total)
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); telephone 160-680-920 or 990
_#_Flag: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing. Tourism provides some foreign exchange, although the remote location of Palau and a shortage of suitable facilities has hindered development. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance 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 NA, including capital expenditures of NA (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 capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and agriculture
_#_Agriculture: subsistence-level production of coconut, copra, cassava, 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: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: 25.7 km paved macadam and concrete roads, otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads (1986)
_#_Ports: Koror
_#_Airports: 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US and that will not change when the UN trusteeship terminates %@Pacific Ocean *Geography #_Total area: 165,384,000 km2; includes 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 tributary water bodies
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
_#_Coastline: 135,663 km
_#_Climate: the western Pacific is monsoonal—a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian land mass back to the ocean
_#_Terrain: surface in the northern Pacific dominated by a clockwise, warm water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool water gyre; sea ice occurs in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk during winter and reaches maximum northern extent from Antarctica in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches; the world's greatest depth 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 Philippine Sea and South China Sea; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); southern shipping lanes subject to icebergs from Antarctica; occasional El Nino phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade winds slacken and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent moves south, which kills the plankton that is the primary food source for anchovies; consequently, the anchovies move to better feeding grounds, causing resident marine birds to starve by the thousands because of their lost food source
_#_Note: the major choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May and in extreme south from May to October; persistent fog in the northern Pacific from June to December is a hazard to shipping; surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire
_*Economy #_Overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides cheap sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1985 over half (54%) of the world's total fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean, which is the only ocean where the fish catch has increased every year since 1978. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of Australia, New Zealand, China, US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has slowed but not stopped new drillings.
_#_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 submarine cables with network focused on Guam and Hawaii %@Pakistan *Geography #_Total area: 803,940 km2; land area: 778,720 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: boundary with India; Pashtun question with Afghanistan; Baloch question with Afghanistan and Iran; water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Indus
_#_Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
_#_Terrain: flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west
_#_Natural resources: land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited crude oil, poor 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, occasionally severe especially in 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
_#_Ethnic divisions: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendents)
_#_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 is lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries, but official policies are promoting its gradual replacement by Urdu
_#_Literacy: 35% (male 47%, female 21%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 28,900,000; agriculture 54%, mining and manufacturing 13%, services 33%; extensive export of labor (1987 est.)
_#_Organized labor: about 10% of industrial work force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
_#_Type: parliamentary with 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 portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas
_#_Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK; formerly West Pakistan)
_#_Constitution: 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments, 30 December 1985
_#_Legal system: based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's stature 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 13 December 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Mian Nawaz SHARIF (since 6 November 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 12 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results—Ghulam Ishaq KHAN was elected by Parliament and the four provincial assemblies;
Senate—last held March 1991 (next to be held 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 24 October 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 banned but is allowed to operate openly
_#_Other political or pressure groups: military remains dominant political force; ulema (clergy), industrialists, and small merchants also influential
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Najmuddin SHAIKH; Chancery at 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
_*Economy #_Overview: Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and heavy dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support a large military establishment and provide for the needs of 4 million Afghan refugees. A real economic growth rate averaging 5-6% in recent years has enabled the country to cope with these problems. Almost all agriculture and small-scale industry is in private hands, and the government seeks to privatize a portion of the large-scale industrial enterprises now publicly owned. In December 1988, Pakistan signed a three-year economic reform agreement with the IMF, which provides for a reduction in the government deficit and a liberalization of trade in return for further IMF financial support. Late in 1990, the IMF suspended assistance to Pakistan because the government failed to follow through on deficit reforms. Pakistan almost certainly will make little headway on raising living standards for its rapidly expanding population; at the current rate of growth, population would double in 29 years.
_#_GNP: $43.3 billion, per capita $380; real 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.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.5% (FY91 est.); accounts for almost 20% of GNP
_#_Electricity: 7,575,000 kW capacity; 29,300 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles, food processing, beverages, petroleum products, construction materials, clothing, paper products, international finance, shrimp
_#_Agriculture: 25% of GDP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous irrigation system; major crops—cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables; livestock products—milk, beef, mutton, eggs; self-sufficient in food grain
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km meter gauge, and 610 km narrow gauge; 1,037 km 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 crude oil; 4,044 km natural gas; 885 km refined products (1987)
_#_Ports: Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
_#_Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 339,855 GRT/500,627 DWT; includes 4 passenger-cargo, 24 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
_#_Civil air: 30 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 115 total, 105 usable; 75 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good international radiocommunication service over microwave and INTELSAT satellite; domestic radio communications poor; broadcast service good; 813,000 telephones (1990); stations—19 AM, 8 FM, 29 TV; earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 26,840,840; 16,466,334 fit for military service; 1,322,883 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $2.9 billion, 6% of GNP (FY91) %@Palmyra Atoll (territory of the US) *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: equatorial, hot, and very rainy
_#_Terrain: low, with maximum elevations of about 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 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
_#_Note: located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, almost 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 anchorage in West Lagoon
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 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: slightly 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, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
_#_Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 54%; other 23%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: dense tropical forest in east and northwest
_#_Note: strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 70%, West Indian 14%, white 10%, Indian 6%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic over 93%, Protestant 6%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); English as native tongue 14%; many Panamanians bilingual
_#_Literacy: 88% (male 88%, female 88%) age 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%; shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
_#_Organized labor: 17% of labor force (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: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
_#_Constitution: 11 October 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, 3 November (1903)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) currently being reorganized
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Guillermo ENDARA (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); First Vice President Ricardo ARIAS Calderon (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); Second Vice President Guillermo FORD (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 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, ex-official government party), Gerardo GONZALEZ; Agrarian Labor Party (PALA), Carlos ELETA Almaran; Liberal Party (PL); People's Party (PdP, Soviet-oriented Communist party), Ruben DARIO Sousa Batista; Democratic Workers Party (PDT, leftist), Eduardo RIOS; National Action Party (PAN, rightist); Popular Action Party (PAPO), Carlos Ivan ZUNIGA; Socialist Workers Party (PST, leftist), Jose CAMBRA; Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT, leftist), Graciela DIXON
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld (next to be held May 1994); results—anti-NORIEGA coalition believed to have won about 75% of the total votes cast;
Legislative Assembly—last held on 27 January 1991 (next to be held May 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(67 total) progovernment 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 ousted the PDC from the coalition government in April 1991
_#_Communists: People's Party (PdP), pro-Soviet mainline Communist party, did not obtain the necessary 3% of the total vote in the 1984 election to retain its legal status; about 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime FORD; Chancery at 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-1407; the status of the Consulates General and Consulates has not yet been determined;
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: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: GDP expanded by an estimated 5% in 1990, after contracting 1% in 1988 and 14% in 1989. Political stability prompted greater business confidence and consumer demand, leading to increased production by the agricultural, commercial, manufacturing, construction, and utilities sectors. The transportation sector and government services declined slightly due to slack early-1990 transits through the Panama Canal, lower oil pipeline flowthrough, and Panama City's budget cuts. Imports and exports posted gains during the year, and government revenues were up sharply over 1989's levels.
_#_GDP: $4.8 billion, per capita $1,980; real growth rate 5% (1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,264 million kWh produced, 1,350 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills, paper products
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP (1990 est.), 25% of labor force (1989); crops—bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables, milk 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
_#_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 total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 130 km
_#_Ports: Cristobal, Balboa, Puerto de La Bahia de Las Minas
_#_Merchant marine: 2,932 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,314,623 GRT/66,226,104 DWT; includes 22 passenger, 22 short-sea passenger, 5 passenger-cargo, 1,060 cargo, 188 refrigerated cargo, 165 container, 62 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 105 vehicle carrier, 8 livestock carrier, 5 multifunction large-load carrier, 301 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 175 chemical tanker, 27 combination ore/oil, 91 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 651 bulk, 37 combination bulk; 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 USSR 2)
_#_Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 113 total, 101 usable; 41 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: domestic and international facilities well developed; connection into 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) ceased to exist as a military institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December 1989; President Endara is attempting to restructure the forces into a civilian police service under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF); a Council of Public Security and National Defense under Menalco Solis in the office of the president coordinates the activities of the security forces; the Institutional Protection Service under Carlos Bares is attached to the presidency
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 644,895; 444,522 fit for military service; no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $75.5 million, 1.5% of GDP (1990) %@Papua New Guinea *Geography #_Total area: 461,690 km2; land area: 451,710 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than California
_#_Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia
_#_Coastline: 5,152 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to 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: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 55 years male, 56 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Papua New Guinean(s); adjective—Papua New Guinean
_#_Ethnic divisions: predominantly 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 widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
_#_Literacy: 52% (male 65%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,660,000; 732,806 in salaried employment; agriculture 54%, government 25%, industry and commerce 9%, services 8% (1980)
_#_Organized labor: more than 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: 16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)
_#_Constitution: 16 September 1975
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, National Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Vincent ERI (since 18 January 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Rabbie NAMALIU (since 4 July 1988); Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO (since 29 April 1990); note—Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO has the title only since 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 13 June-4 July 1987 (next to be held 4 July 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
_#_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: divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered
_*Economy #_Overview: Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing an infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mining of numerous deposits, including copper and gold, accounts for about 60% of export earnings. Budgetary support from Australia and development aid under World Bank auspices help sustain the economy.
_#_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.)
_#_Agriculture: one-third of GDP; livelihood for 85% of population; fertile soils and favorable climate permits cultivating a wide variety of crops; cash crops—coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels; other products—tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, poultry, pork; net importer of food for urban centers
_#_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
_#_Airports: 567 total, 479 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 40 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services; submarine cables extend to 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 15-49, 983,175; 546,824 fit 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: occupied 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: located 400 km east of Vietnam in the South China Sea about one-third of the way 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 currently under expansion
_#_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: slightly 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: short section of the boundary with Brazil (just west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) has not been determined
_#_Climate: varies from temperate in east to semiarid in far west
_#_Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
_#_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 southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
_#_Note: landlocked; buffer between Argentina and Brazil
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (Spanish and Indian) 95%, white and Indian 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 90%; Mennonite and other Protestant denominations
_#_Language: Spanish (official) and Guarani
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 92%, female 88%) age 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: about 2% of labor force
_*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: 14 May 1811 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution 25 August 1967
_#_Legal system: based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Days, 14-15 May (1811)
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet), Council of State
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) 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 of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Gen. Andres RODRIGUEZ Pedotti (since 15 May 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 compulsory at age 18 and up to age 60
_#_Elections:
President—last held 1 May 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 1 May 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); 3,000 to 4,000 (est.) party members and sympathizers in Paraguay, very few are hard core; party beginning to return from exile is small and deeply divided
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Confederation of Workers (CUT); Roman Catholic Church
_#_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); telephone [595] (21) 213-715
_#_Flag: three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is predominantly agricultural. Agriculture, including forestry, accounts for about 25% of GNP, employs about 45% of the labor force, and provides the bulk of exports. Paraguay has no known significant mineral or petroleum resources but does have a large hydropower potential. Since 1981 economic performance has declined compared with the boom period of 1976-81, when real GDP grew at an average annual rate of nearly 11%. During 1982-86 real GDP fell in three of five years, inflation jumped to an annual rate of 32%, and foreign debt rose. Factors responsible for the erratic behavior of the economy were the completion of the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, bad weather for crops, and weak international commodity prices for agricultural exports. In 1987 the economy experienced a minor recovery because of improved weather conditions and stronger international prices for key agricultural exports. The recovery continued through 1990, on the strength of bumper crops in 1988-89. The government, however, must follow through on promises of reforms needed to deal with escalating inflation, large fiscal deficits, growing debt arrearages, and falling reserves.
_#_GDP: $4.6 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.)
commodities—capital goods 35%, consumer goods 20%, fuels and lubricants 19%, raw materials 16%, foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco 10%;
partners—Brazil 30%, EC 20%, US 18%, Argentina 8%, Japan 7%
_#_External debt: $1.7 billion (1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.9% (1989 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,169,000 kW capacity; 15,144 million kWh produced, 3,250 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: meat packing, oilseed crushing, milling, brewing, textiles, other light consumer goods, cement, construction
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and 44% of 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: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; important 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 970 km total; 440 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 60 km 1.000-meter gauge, 470 km various narrow gauge (privately owned)
_#_Highways: 21,960 km total; 1,788 km paved, 474 km gravel, and 19,698 km earth
_#_Inland waterways: 3,100 km
_#_Ports: Asuncion
_#_Merchant marine: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,743 GRT/22,954 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker; note—1 naval cargo ship is sometimes used commercially
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 851 total, 738 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 60 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: principal center in Asuncion; fair intercity microwave net; 78,300 telephones; 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 15-49, 1,130,690; 823,136 fit for military service; 51,415 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $84 million, 1.4% of GDP (1988 est.) %@Peru *Geography #_Total area: 1,285,220 km2; land area: 1,280,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 boundary with Ecuador are in dispute
_#_Climate: varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west
_#_Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 21%; forest and woodland 55%; other 21%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: subject to earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, mild volcanic activity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima
_#_Note: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia
_#_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%) age 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: about 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, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali; note—the 1979 Constitution and legislation enacted from 1987 to 1990 mandate the creation of regions (regiones, singular—region) intended to function eventually as autonomous economic and administrative entities; so far, 12 regions have been constituted from 23 existing departments—Amazonas (from Loreto), Andres Avelino Caceres (from Huanuco, Pasco, Junin), Arequipa (from Arequipa), Chavin (from Ancash), Grau (from Tumbes, Piura), Inca (from Cusco, Madre de Dios, Apurimac), La Libertad (from La Libertad), Los Libertadores-Huari (from Ica, Ayacucho, Huancavelica), Mariategui (from Moquegua, Tacna, Puno), Nor Oriental del Maranon (from Lambayeque, Cajamarca, Amazonas), San Martin (from San Martin), Ucayali (from Ucayali); formation of another region has been delayed by the reluctance of the constitutional province of Callao to merge with the department of Lima; because of inadequate funding from the central government, the regions have yet to assume their reponsibilities and at the moment co-exist with the departmental structure
_#_Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 28 July 1980 (often referred to as the 1979 Constitution because the Constituent Assembly met in 1979, but the Constitution actually took effect the following year); reestablished civilian government with a popularly elected president and bicameral legislature
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (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 28 July 1990); Vice President Maximo SAN ROMAN (since 28 July 1990); Vice President Carlos GARCIA (since 28 July 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Carlos TORRES Y TORRES Lara (since 15 February 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), run by committee; Socialist Left (IS), Enrique BERNALES
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on 10 June 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results—Alberto FUJIMORI 56.53%, Mario VARGAS Llosa 33.92%, other 9.55%;
Senate—last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results—percent 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 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results—percent of vote 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 GUZMAN; Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, Nestor CERPA and Victor POLLAY
_#_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 Espana, 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 bearing a llama, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath
_*Economy #_Overview: The Peruvian economy is basically capitalistic, with a large dose of government welfare programs and government management of credit. In the 1980s the economy suffered from hyperinflation, declining per capita output, and mounting external debt. Peru was shut off from IMF and World Bank support in the mid-1980s because of its huge debt arrears. An austerity program implemented shortly after the Fujimori government took office in July 1990 contributed to a third consecutive yearly contraction of economic activity, but was able to generate a small recovery in the last quarter. After a burst of inflation as the program eliminated government price subsidies, monthly price increases eased to the single-digit level for the first time since mid-1988. Lima has restarted current payments to multilateral lenders and, although it faces $14 billion in arrears on its external debt, is working toward an accommodation with its creditors.
_#_GDP: $19.3 billion, per capita $898; real growth rate - 3.9% (1990 est.)
_#_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—fishmeal, cotton, sugar, coffee, copper, iron ore, refined silver, lead, zinc, crude petroleum and byproducts;
partners—EC 22%, US 20%, Japan 11%, Latin America 8%, USSR 4%
_#_Imports: $2.78 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—foodstuffs, machinery, transport equipment, iron and steel semimanufactures, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
partners—US 23%, Latin America 16%, EC 12%, Japan 7%, Switzerland 3%
_#_External debt: $20.0 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 21% (1989); accounts for almost 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 4,867,000 kW capacity; 15,540 million kWh produced, 710 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing, cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding, metal fabrication
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP, 37% of labor force; commercial crops—coffee, cotton, sugarcane; other crops—rice, wheat, potatoes, plantains, coca; animal products—poultry, red meats, dairy, wool; not self-sufficient in grain or vegetable oil; fish catch of 4.6 million metric tons (1987), world's fifth-largest
_#_Illicit drugs: world's largest coca leaf producer with about 121,000 hectares under cultivation; source of supply for most of the world's coca paste and cocaine base; about 85% of cultivation is for illicit production; most of cocaine base is shipped to Colombian drug dealers 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,884 km total; 1,584 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 300 km 0.914-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 56,645 km total; 6,030 km paved, 11,865 km gravel, 14,610 km improved earth, 24,140 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km Lago Titicaca
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 800 km; natural gas and natural gas liquids, 64 km
_#_Ports: Callao, Ilo, Iquitos, Matarani, Talara
_#_Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 321,541 GRT/516,859 DWT; includes 16 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 bulk; note—in addition, 8 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo are sometimes used commercially
_#_Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 222 total, 205 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 24 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fairly adequate for most requirements; nationwide radio relay system; 544,000 telephones; stations—273 AM, no FM, 140 TV, 144 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations, 12 domestic antennas
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (Ejercito Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru), Peruvian National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 5,704,684; 3,859,123 fit for military service; 241,792 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $430 million, 2.4% of GDP (1991) %@Philippines *Geography #_Total area: 300,000 km2; land area: 298,170 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 36,289 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth
_#_Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; claims Malaysian state of Sabah
_#_Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
_#_Land use: arable land 26%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 40%; other 19%; includes irrigated 5%
_#_Environment: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; subject to landslides, active volcanoes, destructive earthquakes, tsunami; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_#_Ethnic divisions: Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 3%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3%
_#_Language: Pilipino (based on Tagalog) and English; both official
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 90%) age 15 and over 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: 4 July 1946 (from US)
_#_Constitution: 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day (from Spain), 12 June (1898)
_#_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 25 February 1986); Vice President Salvador H. LAUREL (since 25 February 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, precipitating the fall of the MARCOS regime;
Senate—last held 11 May 1987 (next to be held May 1992); results—pro-Aquino LDP 63%, liberal LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 25%, opposition Nationalista Party 4%, independent 8%; seats—(24 total) pro-Aquino LDP 15, liberal LDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 6, opposition Nationalista Party 1, independent 2;
House of Representatives—last held on 11 May 1987 (next to be held 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) controls about 18,000-23,000 full-time insurgents and is not recognized as a legal party; a second Communist party, the pro-Soviet Philippine Communist Party (PKP), has quasi-legal status
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Emmanuel PELAEZ; Chancery at 1617 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (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); telephone [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 based on the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy continues to recover from the political turmoil following the ouster of former President Marcos and several coup attempts. After two consecutive years of economic contraction (1984 and 1985), the economy has since 1986 had positive growth, although in 1990 the economy slowed considerably from 1989. The agricultural sector together with forestry and fishing, plays an important role in the economy, employing about 45% of the work force and providing almost 30% of GDP. The Philippines is the world's largest exporter of coconuts and coconut products. Manufacturing contributes about 25% of GDP. Major industries include food processing, chemicals, and textiles.
_#_GNP: $45.2 billion, per capita $700; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GNP and 45% of labor force; major crops—rice, coconut, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapple, mango; animal products—pork, eggs, beef; net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 2 million metric tons annually
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; growers are producing more and better 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 378 km operable on Luzon, 34% government owned (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; limited to shallow-draft (less than 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 over) totaling 8,429,829 GRT/15,171,692 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 9 short-sea passenger, 17 passenger-cargo, 163 cargo, 18 refrigerated cargo, 24 vehicle carrier, 8 livestock carrier, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 8 container, 41 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 252 bulk, 7 combination bulk; note—many Philippine flag ships are foreign owned and are on the register for the purpose of long-term bare-boat charter back to their original owners who are principally in Japan and Germany
_#_Civil air: 53 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 280 total, 235 usable; 71 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 50 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good international radio and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service adequate; 872,900 telephones; stations—267 AM (including 6 US), 55 FM, 33 TV (including 4 US); submarine cables extended 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 fit for military service; 715,462 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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, humid, modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
_#_Terrain: rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
_#_Natural resources: miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons (especially November to March)
_#_Note: located in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Peru and New Zealand
_#_Ethnic divisions: descendants of Bounty mutineers
_#_Religion: Seventh-Day Adventist 100%
_#_Language: English (official); also a Tahitian/English dialect
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA; no business community in the usual sense; 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 (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: Local Government Ordinance of 1964
_#_Legal system: local island by-laws
_#_National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June), 10 June 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 6 February 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 NA 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18 with three years 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 flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant 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 inhabitants exist on fishing and subsistence farming. The fertile soil of the valleys produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams, and beans. Bartering is an important part of the economy. The major sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps to collectors and the sale of 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, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs;
partners—NA
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 110 kW capacity; 0.30 million kWh produced, 5,360 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: postage stamp sales, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: based on subsistence fishing and farming; wide variety of fruits and vegetables grown; must import grain products
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% 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)
_#_Independence: 11 November 1918, independent republic proclaimed
_#_Constitution: the Communist-imposed Constitution of 22 July 1952 will probably be replaced by a democratic Constitution in 1992
_#_Legal system: mixture 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, 3 May (1794)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Zgromadzenie Narodowe) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or Diet (Sejm)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Lech WALESA (since 22 December 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof BIELECKI (since 4 January 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 (formerly the Communist party or Polish United Workers' Party/PZPR), Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI, chairman; Union of the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (breakaway faction of the PZPR), Tadeusz FISZBACH, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—first round held 25 November 1990, second round held 9 December 1990 (next to be held November 1995); results—second round Lech WALESA 74.7%, Stanislaw TYMINSKI 25.3%;
Senate—last held 4 and 18 June 1989 (next to be held late 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(100 total) Solidarity 99, independent 1;
Diet—last held 4 and 18 June 1989 (next to be held 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—rules governing the election limited Solidarity's share of the vote to 35% of the seats; future elections, which will probably be held before late 1991, are to be freely contested
_#_Communists: 70,000 members in the Communist successor parties (1990)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: powerful Roman Catholic Church; Confederation for an Independent Poland (KPN), a nationalist group; Solidarity (trade union); All Poland Trade Union Alliance (OPZZ), populist program; Clubs of Catholic Intellectuals (KIKs); Freedom and Peace (WiP), a pacifist group; Independent Student Union (NZS)
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CERN (observer, but scheduled to become a member l July 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); telephone [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 is to be added; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, except for the agricultural sector, had followed the Soviet model of state ownership and control of productive assets. About 75% of agricultural production had come from the private sector and the rest from state farms. The economy has presented a picture of moderate but slowing growth against a background of underlying weaknesses in technology and worker motivation. GNP dropped by 2.0% in 1989 and by a further 8.9% in 1990. The inflation rate, after falling sharply from the 1982 peak of 100% to 22% in 1986, rose to a galloping rate of 640% in 1989 and dropped back to 250% in 1990. Shortages of consumer goods and some food items worsened in 1988-89. Agricultural products and coal are among the biggest hard currency earners, but manufactures are increasing in importance. Poland, with its hard currency debt of $48.5 billion, is severely limited in its ability to import much-needed hard currency goods. The sweeping political changes of 1989 disrupted normal economic channels and exacerbated shortages. In January 1990, the new Solidarity-led government adopted a cold turkey program for transforming Poland to a market economy. The government moved to eliminate subsidies, free prices, make the zloty convertible, and, in general, halt the hyperinflation. These financial measures were accompanied by plans to privatize the economy in stages. While inflation fell to an annual rate of 77.5% by November of 1990, the rise in unemployment and the drop in living standards have led to growing popular discontent and to a change of government in January 1991. The new government is continuing the previous government's economic program, while trying to speed privatization and to better cushion the populace from the dislocations associated with reform. Substantial outside aid will be needed if Poland is to make a successful transition in the 1990s.
_#_GNP: $158.5 billion, per capita $4,200; real growth rate - 8.9% (1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 31,530,000 kW capacity; 136,300 million kWh produced, 3,610 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: machine building, iron and steel, extractive industries, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP and 27% of labor force; 75% of output from private farms, 25% from state farms; productivity remains low by European standards; leading European producer of rye, rapeseed, and potatoes; wide variety of other crops and livestock; major exporter of pork products; normally self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: donor—bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries, $2.2 billion (1954-89)
_*Communications #_Railroads: 27,041 km total; 24,287 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 397 km 1.520-meter broad gauge, 2,357 km narrow gauge; 8,987 km double track; 11,016 km electrified; government owned (1989)
_#_Highways: 299,887 km total; 130,000 km improved hard surface (concrete, asphalt, stone block); 24,000 km unimproved hard surface (crushed stone, gravel); 100,000 km earth; 45,887 km other urban roads (1985)
_#_Inland waterways: 3,997 km 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: Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Swinoujscie; principal inland ports are Gliwice on Kanal Gliwice, Wroclaw on the Oder, and Warsaw on the Vistula
_#_Merchant marine: 235 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,957,600 GRT/4,163,820 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 92 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 container, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 107 bulk; Poland owns 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) of 6,333 DWT operating under Liberian registry
_#_Civil air: 48 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 160 total, 160 usable; 85 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over 3,659 m; 35 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 65 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: phone density is 10.5 phones per 100 residents (October 1990); 3.1 million subscribers; exchanges are 86% automatic (February 1990); stations—29 AM, 29 FM, 37 (5 Soviet relays) TV; 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 15-49, 9,571,708; 7,543,565 fit for military service; 302,000 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: 22.3 trillion zlotych, NA% of GDP (1991); note—conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results %@Portugal *Geography #_Total area: 92,080 km2; land area: 91,640 km2; includes Azores and Madeira Islands
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
_#_Land boundary: 1,214 km with Spain
_#_Coastline: 1,793 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
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 north, warmer and drier in south
_#_Terrain: mountainous north of the Tagus, rolling plains in south
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 13 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 78 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Portuguese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Portuguese
_#_Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Mediterranean stock in mainland, Azores, Madeira Islands; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%
_#_Language: Portuguese
_#_Literacy: 85% (male 89%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,605,700; services 45%, industry 35%, agriculture 20% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: about 55% of the labor force; the Communist-dominated General Confederation of Portuguese Workers—Intersindical (CGTP-IN) represents more than half of the unionized labor force; its main competition, the General Workers Union (UGT), is organized by the Socialists and Social Democrats and represents less than half of unionized labor
_#_Dependent area: Macau (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999)
_#_Independence: 1140; independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910
_#_Constitution: 25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982 and 1 June 1989
_#_Legal system: civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of State, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justica)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Dr. Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES (since 9 March 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 6 November 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 (interim); 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 6 October 1991 (next to be held 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 absentee ballots counted five seats to be allocated
_#_Communists: Portuguese Communist Party claims membership of 200,753 (December 1983)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Joao Eduardo M. PEREIRA BASTOS; Chancery at 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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: During the past four years, the economy has made a sustained recovery from the severe recession of 1983-85. The economy grew by 14% during the 1987-89 period, largely because of strong domestic consumption and investment spending. Unemployment has declined for the third consecutive year, but inflation continues to be about three times the European Community average. The government is pushing economic restructuring and privatization measures in anticipation of the 1992 European Community timetable to form 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 textiles, cork and cork products, canned fish, wine, timber and timber products, resin, machinery, appliances;
partners—EC 72%, other developed countries 13%, US 5%
_#_Imports: $24.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—petroleum, cotton, foodgrains, industrial machinery, 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); accounts for 40% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 6,729,000 kW capacity; 16,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 9% of GDP and 20% of labor force; small inefficient farms; imports more than half of food needs; major crops—grain, 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,613 km total; state-owned Portuguese Railroad Co. (CP) operates 2,858 km 1.665-meter gauge (434 km electrified and 426 km double track), 755 km 1.000-meter gauge; 12 km (1.435-meter gauge) electrified, double track, privately owned
_#_Highways: 73,661 km total; 61,599 km paved (bituminous, gravel, and crushed stone), including 140 km of limited-access divided highway; 7,962 km improved earth; 4,100 km unimproved earth (motorable tracks)
_#_Inland waterways: 820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300-metric-ton cargo capacity
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 11 km; refined products, 58 km
_#_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) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 10 bulk, 1 combination bulk; note—Portugal has created a captive register on Madeira (MAR) for Portuguese-owned ships that will have the taxation and crewing benefits of a flag of convenience; although only one ship currently is known to fly the Portuguese flag on the MAR register, it is likely that a majority of Portuguese flag ships will transfer to this subregister in a few years
_#_Civil air: 29 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 69 total, 63 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: facilities are generally adequate; 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 Atlantic Ocean and 1 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 fit for military service; 88,718 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $1.6 billion, 3% of GDP (1990) %@Puerto Rico (commonwealth associated with the US) *Geography #_Total area: 9,104 km2; land area: 8,959 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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, little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on 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: many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
_#_Note: important location between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands group along the Mona Passage—a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); English is widely understood
_#_Literacy: 89% (male 90%, female 88%) age 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 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish civil code
_#_Executive branch: US president, US vice president, governor
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989);
Head of Government Governor Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (since 2 January 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), leader(s) unknown
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
_#_Elections:
Governor—last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results—Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (PPD) 48.7%, Baltasar CORRADA Del Rio (PNP) 45.8%, Ruben BERRIOS Martinez (PIP) 5.5%;
Senate—last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(27 total) PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1;
House of Representatives—last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(53 total) PPD 36, PNP 15, PIP 2;
US House of Representatives—last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results—Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting representative
_#_Other political or pressure groups: all have engaged 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
_#_Flag: five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the US flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. Industry has surpassed agriculture as the primary sector of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. Important new industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, and processed foods. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income for the island. The economy is slowly recovering from the disruptions caused by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989. The tourism infrastructure was especially hard hit.
_#_GNP: $20.1 billion, per capita $6,100; real growth rate 3.6% (FY89)
_#_Electricity: 4,149,000 kW capacity; 14,844 million kWh produced, 4,510 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, instruments; tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 3% of labor force; crops—sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock—cattle, chickens; imports a large share of food needs
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 100 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger railroads
_#_Highways: 13,762 km paved
_#_Ports: San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo
_#_Airports: 33 total; 23 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 900,000 or 99% of total households with 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 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: slightly 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: boundary with UAE is in dispute; territorial dispute with Bahrain over the Hawar Islands
_#_Climate: desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer
_#_Terrain: mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, fish
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 0%; other 95%
_#_Environment: haze, duststorms, sandstorms common; limited freshwater resources mean increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
_#_Note: strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major crude oil sources
_#_Net migration rate: 35 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Qatari(s); adjective—Qatari
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
_#_Religion: Muslim 95%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English is commonly used as second language
_#_Literacy: 76% (male 77%, female 72%) age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
_#_Labor force: 104,000; 85% non-Qatari in private sector (1983)
_#_Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
_*Government #_Long-form name: State of Qatar
_#_Type: traditional monarchy
_#_Capital: Doha
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: provisional constitution enacted 2 April 1970
_#_Legal system: discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal matters
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
_#_Executive branch: amir, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral 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 22 February 1972); Heir Apparent Hamad bin Khalifa AL THANI (appointed 31 May 1977; son of Amir)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections:
Advisory Council—constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no elections have been held; seats—(30 total)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hamad Abd al-Aziz AL-KAWARI, Chancery at Suite 1180, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 338-0111;
US—Ambassador Mark G. HAMBLEY; Embassy at 149 Ali Bin Ahmed St., Farig Bin Omran (opposite the television station), Doha (mailing address is P. O. Box 2399, Doha); telephone [0974] 864701 through 864703
_#_Flag: maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for more than 85% of export earnings and roughly 75% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.3 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for about 25 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP of about $12,500, among the highest in the world outside the OECD countries.
_#_GDP: $6.6 billion, per capita $12,500 (1989 est.); real growth rate 5.0% (1988)
_#_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 bituminous, 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 over) totaling 465,371 GRT/707,089 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 5 container, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; none with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern system centered 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 15-49, 235,516; 125,591 fit for military service; 4,243 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $500 million, 8% of GDP (1989) %@Reunion (overseas department of France) *Geography #_Total area: 2,510 km2; land area: 2,500 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 201 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, but moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along 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
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Reunionese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Reunionese
_#_Ethnic divisions: most of the population is of intermixed French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, and Indian ancestry
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 94%
_#_Language: French (official); Creole widely used
_#_Literacy: 69% (male 67%, female 74%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
_#_Labor force: NA; agriculture 30%, industry 21%, services 49% (1981); 63% of population of working age (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: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French law
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
_#_Executive branch: French president, commissioner of the Republic
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General Council, unicameral Regional Council
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeals (Cour d'appel)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 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 small parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections: General Council—last held March 1986 (next to be held 1992); results—percent of vote 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 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(5 total) PCR 2, RPR 1, UDF-CDS 1, FRA 1
_#_Communists: Communist party small but has support among sugarcane cutters, the minuscule Popular Movement for the Liberation of Reunion (MPLR), and in the district of Le Port
_#_Member of: FZ, WFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, Reunionese interests are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture. Sugarcane has been the primary crop for more than a century, and in some years it accounts for 85% of exports. The government has been pushing the development of a tourist industry to relieve high unemployment, which recently amounted to one-third of the labor force. The white and Indian communities are substantially better off than other segments of the population, adding to the social tensions generated by poverty and unemployment. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France.
_#_GDP: $3.37 billion, per capita $6,000 (1987 est.); real 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, beverages, 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 capita (1989)
_#_Industries: sugar, rum, cigarettes, several small shops producing handicraft items
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 30% of labor force; dominant sector of economy; cash crops—sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco; food crops—tropical fruits, vegetables, corn; imports large share of food needs
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $14.1 billion
_#_Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_*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 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: adequate system for needs; modern open-wire line and radio relay network; principal center Saint-Denis; radiocommunication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new radio relay route to Mauritius; 85,900 telephones; stations—3 AM, 13 FM, 1 (18 relays) TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 162,017; 83,959 fit for military service; 5,979 reach military age (18) annually
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of France %@Romania *Geography #_Total area: 237,500 km2; land area: 230,340 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms
_#_Terrain: central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
_#_Natural resources: crude oil (reserves being exhausted), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 43%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland 28%; other 7%; includes irrigated 11%
_#_Environment: frequent earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides, air pollution in south
_#_Note: controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans and western USSR
_#_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%) age 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, a single trade union system organized by the General Confederation of Romanian Trade Unions (UGSR) under control of the Communist Party; since Ceausescu's overthrow, newly-created trade and professional trade unions are joining three umbrella organizations—Organization of Free Trade Unions, Fratia (Brotherhood), and the Alfa Cortel; many other trade unions have been formed
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: in transition from Communist state to republic
_#_Independence: 1881 (from Turkey); republic proclaimed 30 December 1947
_#_Constitution: 21 August 1965; new constitution being drafted
_#_Legal system: former mixture of civil law system and Communist legal theory that increasingly reflected Romanian traditions is being revised
_#_National holiday: National Day of Romania, 1 December (1990)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or House of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 June 1990, previously President of Provisional Council of National Unity since 23 December 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Teodor STOLOJAN (since 2 October 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Salvation Front (FSN), Ion STOICA; Magyar 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 more than 100 other parties; note—although the Communist Party has ceased to exist, a small proto-Communist party, the Socialist Labor Party, has been formed
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 20 May 1990 (next to be held NA 1992); results—Ion ILIESCU 85%, Radu CAMPEANU 10.5%, Ion RATIU 3.8%;
Senate—last held 20 May 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 20 May 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); Communist Party has ceased to exist
_#_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); telephone [40] (0) 10-40-40
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band, has been removed; now similar to the flags of Andorra and Chad
_*Economy #_Overview: Industry, which accounts for one-third of the labor force and generates over half the GNP, suffers from an aging capital plant and persistent shortages of energy. The year 1990 witnessed about a 20% drop in industrial production because of energy and input shortages and labor unrest. In recent years the agricultural sector has had to contend with drought, mismanagement, and shortages of inputs. A drought in 1990 contributed to a lackluster harvest, a problem compounded by corruption and a poor distribution system. The new government is slowly loosening the tight central controls of Ceausescu's command economy. It has instituted moderate land reforms, with close to one-half of cropland now in private hands, and it has allowed changes in prices for private agricultural output. Also, the new regime is permitting the establishment of private enterprises, largely in services, handicrafts, and small-scale industry. New laws providing for the privatization of large state firms have been passed. However, most of the early privatization will involve converting state firms into joint-stock companies. The selling of shares to the public has not yet been worked out. Furthermore, the government has halted the old policy of diverting food from domestic consumption to hard currency export markets. So far, the government does not seem willing to adopt a thoroughgoing market system, that is, there is great caution in decontrolling prices because of public opposition. The government has sharply raised price ceilings instead of lifting them entirely.
_#_GNP: $69.9 billion, per capita $3,000; real growth rate - 10.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP and 28% of labor force; major wheat and corn producer; other products—sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, milk, eggs, meat, grapes
_#_Economic aid: donor—$4.4 billion in bilateral aid 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 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 crude oil; 1,429 km refined products; 6,400 km natural gas
_#_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: about 2.3 million telephone customers; 89% of phone network is automatic; present phone density is 9.85 per 100 residents; roughly 3,300 villages with no 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 fit for military service; 192,996 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: 15 billion lei (unofficial), NA% of GDP (1991); note—conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results %@Rwanda *Geography #_Total area: 26,340 km2; land area: 24,950 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
_#_Terrain: mostly grassy uplands and hills; mountains in west
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 54 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 8.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun and adjective—Rwandan(s)
_#_Ethnic divisions: Hutu 90%, Tutsi 9%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 25%
_#_Language: Kinyarwanda, French (official); Kiswahili used in commercial centers
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 64%, female 37%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,600,000; agriculture 93%, government and services 5%, industry and commerce 2%; 49% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Rwanda
_#_Type: republic; presidential system in which military leaders hold key offices; on 31 December 1990, the government announced a National Political Charter to serve as a basis for transition to a presidential/parliamentary political system; the charter will be voted upon in a national referendum to be held June 1991
_#_Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
_#_Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Development Council (Conseil National de Developpement)
_#_Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (consists 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 5 July 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 NA
_#_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 19 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results—MRND is the only party; seats—(70 total); MRND 70
_#_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 bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green with a large black letter R centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow band
_*Economy #_Overview: Almost 50% of GDP comes from the agricultural sector; coffee and tea make up 80-90% of total exports. The amount of fertile land is limited, however, and deforestation and soil erosion have created problems. The industrial sector in Rwanda is small, contributing only 16% to GDP. Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing of agricultural products. The Rwandan economy remains dependent on coffee exports and foreign aid, with no relief in sight. Weak international prices since 1986 have caused the economy to contract and per capita GDP to decline. A structural adjustment program with the World Bank began in October 1990. An outbreak of insurgency, also in October, has dampened any prospects 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.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for almost 50% of GDP and about 90% of the labor force; cash crops—coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums); main food crops—bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; stock raising; self-sufficiency declining; country imports foodstuffs as farm production fails to keep up with a 3.8% annual growth in population
_#_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
_*Communications #_Highways: 4,885 km total; 460 km paved, 1,725 km gravel and/or improved earth, 2,700 km unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 8 total, 8 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system with low-capacity radio relay system centered on 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 fit for military service; no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $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: slightly more than 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, tempered by trade winds
_#_Terrain: rugged, 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
_#_Religion: Anglican majority; also Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Roman Catholic
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 97%, female 98%) age 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 (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1967
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June), 10 June 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 6 February 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 inactive since 1976
_#_Suffrage: NA
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—last held October 1984 (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(15 total, 12 elected) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: ICFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy depends primarily on financial assistance from the UK. The local population earns some income from fishing, the rearing of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas.
_#_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, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles 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 capita (1989)
_#_Industries: crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fish
_#_Agriculture: maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production 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 at par with the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 87 km bitumen-sealed roads, 20 km earth roads on Saint Helena; 80 km bitumen-sealed on Ascension; 2.7 km bitumen-sealed on Tristan da Cunha
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 m on Ascension
_#_Telecommunications: 1,500 radio receivers; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 550 telephones in automatic network; HF radio links to Ascension, then into worldwide submarine cable and satellite networks; major coaxial cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and 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: slightly 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 tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; 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: subject to hurricanes (July to October)
_#_Note: located 320 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico
_#_Religion: Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (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 parishs; 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: 19 September 1983 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 19 September 1983
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clement Athelston ARRINDELL (since 19 September 1983, previously Governor General of the Associated State since NA November 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS (since 19 September 1983, previously Premier of the Associated State since NA 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 21 March 1989 (next to be held by 21 March 1994); seats—(14 total, 11 elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2, NRP 2, CCM 1
_#_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: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy has historically depended on the growing and processing of sugarcane and on remittances from overseas workers. In recent years, tourism and export-oriented manufacturing have assumed larger 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)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; cash crop—sugarcane; subsistence crops—rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fishing potential not fully exploited; 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 0.760-meter narrow gauge on Saint Kitts for sugarcane
_#_Highways: 300 km total; 125 km paved, 125 km otherwise improved, 50 km unimproved earth
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections and international link via 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 expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP %@Saint Lucia *Geography #_Total area: 620 km2; land area: 610 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August
_#_Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
_#_Natural resources: forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 13%; other 54%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Acting Governor General Sir Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since 3 May 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 6 April 1987 (next to be held by April 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7
_#_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 isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
_*Economy #_Overview: Since 1983 the economy has shown an impressive average annual growth rate of almost 5% because of strong agricultural and tourist sectors. Saint Lucia also possesses an expanding industrial base supported by foreign investment in manufacturing and other activities, such as in data processing. The economy, however, remains vulnerable because the important agricultural sector is dominated by banana production. Saint Lucia is subject to periodic droughts and/or tropical storms, and its protected market agreement with the UK for bananas may end in 1992.
_#_GDP: $273 million, per capita $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.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops—bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist industry
_#_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 otherwise improved
_#_Ports: Castries
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 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
_#_Telecommunications: fully automatic telephone system; 9,500 telephones; direct radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland 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 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $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 the Miquelon groups
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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: cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy
_#_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
_#_Ethnic divisions: originally Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 98%
_#_Language: French
_#_Literacy: 99% (male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
_#_Labor force: 2,850 (1988)
_#_Organized labor: Workers' Force trade 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: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French law
_#_National holiday: National Day, 14 July (Taking of the Bastille)
_#_Executive branch: commissioner of the Republic
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General Council
_#_Judicial branch: Superior Tribunal of Appeals (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 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 8 May 1988 (next to be held May 1995); results—(second ballot) Jacques CHIRAC 56%, Francois MITTERRAND 44%;
French Senate—last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) PS 1;
French National Assembly—last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) UDF/CDS 1
_#_Member of: FZ, WFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a territorial collectivity of France, local interests are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, because the number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre has dropped steadily over the years. In March 1989, an agreement between France and Canada set fish quotas for Saint Pierre's trawlers fishing in Canadian and Canadian-claimed waters for three years. The agreement settles a longstanding dispute that had virtually brought fish exports to a halt. The islands are heavily subsidized by France. Imports come primarily from Canada and France.
_#_GDP: $50 million, per capita $7,900; real 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 pelts;
partners—US 58%, France 17%, UK 11%, Canada, Portugal
_#_Imports: $61.6 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building 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 capita (1989)
_#_Industries: fish processing and supply base for 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
_*Communications #_Highways: 120 km total; 60 km paved (1985)
_#_Ports: Saint Pierre
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways, none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 3,601 telephones; stations—1 AM, 3 FM, no TV; radiotelecommunication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in 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: slightly less than twice 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; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
_#_Terrain: volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 38%; permanent crops 12%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 41%; other 3%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat
_#_Note: some islands of the Grenadines group are administered by Grenada
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 Septermber 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 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 16 May 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 (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of the economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. The economy continues to have a high unemployment rate of 30% because of an overdependence on the weather-plagued banana crop as a major export earner. Government progress toward diversifying into new industries has been relatively unsuccessful.
_#_GDP: $146 million, per capita $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.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and 60% of labor force; provides bulk of exports; products—bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, hogs, 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 (as of January 1991); previously 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unimproved
_#_Ports: Kingstown
_#_Merchant marine: 242 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,855,061 GRT/2,919,872 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 132 cargo, 11 container, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 refrigerated cargo, 13 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 44 bulk, 6 combination bulk, 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 permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: islandwide fully automatic telephone system; 6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF interisland links to Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF links 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 15-49, 28,339; NA fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $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; world's smallest republic; enclave of Italy
_#_Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 79 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Sanmarinese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Sanmarinese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Sanmarinese, Italian
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Italian
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 96%, female 95%) age 14 and over can read and write (1976)
_#_Labor force: about 4,300
_#_Organized labor: Democratic Federation of Sanmarinese Workers (affiliated with ICFTU) has about 1,800 members; Communist-dominated General Federation of Labor, 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: 8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Foundation of the Republic, 3 September
_#_Executive branch: two captains regent, Congress of State (cabinet); real executive power is wielded 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 1 April 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 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 29 May 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 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 maintains 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 Firenze, 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 superimposed in the center; the coat of arms has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty)
_*Economy #_Overview: More than 2 million tourists visit each year, contributing about 60% to GDP. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is another important income producer. The manufacturing sector employs nearly 40% of the labor force and agriculture less than 4%. The per capita level of output and standard of living are comparable to northern Italy.
_#_GDP: $393 million, per capita $17,000; real growth rate 2% (1990 est.)
_#_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 consists primarily of exchanging building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, and ceramics for a wide variety of consumer manufactures
_#_Agriculture: employs less than 4% of labor force; products—wheat, grapes, corn, olives, meat, cheese, hides; small numbers of cattle, pigs, horses; depends on Italy for food imports
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: Italian lira (plural—lire); 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi; also mints its own coins
_#_Telecommunications: automatic telephone system; 11,700 telephones; stations—no AM, 20 FM, no TV; radio relay and cable links into Italian networks; no communication satellite facilities
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: public security or police force of less than 50 people
_#_Manpower availability: all fit men ages 16-60 constitute a militia that can serve as an army
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP %@Sao Tome and Principe *Geography #_Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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, 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
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestico, angolares (descendents of Angolan slaves), forros (descendents of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), and Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist
_#_Language: Portuguese (official)
_#_Literacy: 57% (male 73%, female 42%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 21,096 (1981); most of population engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; labor shortages on plantations and of skilled workers; 56% of population of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Sao Tome
_#_Administrative divisions: 2 districts (concelhos, singular—concelho); Principe, Sao Tome
_#_Independence: 12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
_#_Constitution: 5 November 1975, approved 15 December 1982
_#_Legal system: based on Portuguese law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly (Assembleia Popular Nacional)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Miguel TROVOADA (since 4 April 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Daniel Lima Dos Santos DAIO (since 21 January 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 3 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results—Miguel TROVOADA was elected without opposition in Sao Tome's first multiparty presidential election;
National People's Assembly—last held 20 January 1991 (next to be held 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 National Assembly multiparty election in Sao Tome
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Joaquim Rafael BRANCO; Chancery (temporary) at 801 Second Avenue, Suite 1504, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 697-4211;
US—Ambassador Keith L. WAUCHOPE in Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy has remained dependent on cocoa since the country gained independence nearly 15 years ago. Since then, however, cocoa production has gradually deteriorated because of drought and mismanagement, so that by 1987 output had fallen to less than 50% of its former levels. As a result, a shortage of cocoa for export has created a serious balance-of-payments problem. Production of less important crops, such as coffee, copra, and palm kernels, has also declined. The value of imports generally exceeds that of exports by a ratio of 4 to 1. The emphasis on cocoa production at the expense of other food crops has meant that Sao Tome has to import 90% of food needs. It also has to import all fuels and most manufactured goods. Over the years, Sao Tome has been unable to service its external debt, which amounts to roughly 80% of export earnings. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also implemented a Five-Year Plan covering 1986-90 to restructure the economy and reschedule external debt service payments in cooperation with the International Development Association and Western lenders.
_#_GDP: $46.0 million, per capita $380; real growth rate 1.5% (1989)
_#_Agriculture: dominant sector of economy, 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
_*Communications #_Highways: 300 km (two-thirds are paved); roads on Principe are mostly unpaved and in need of repair
_#_Ports: Sao Tome, Santo Antonio
_#_Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface 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 15-49, 28,984; 15,287 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 1.6% of GDP (1980) %@Saudi Arabia *Geography #_Total area: 2,149,690 km2; land area: 2,149,690 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than one-fourth the size of 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 defined boundaries with Yemen and UAE; shares Neutral Zone with Iraq—in December 1981, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed a boundary agreement that divides the zone between them, but the agreement must be ratified before it becomes effective; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia
_#_Climate: harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature
_#_Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and woodland 1%; other 59%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: no perennial rivers or permanent water bodies; developing extensive coastal seawater desalination facilities; desertification
_#_Note: extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and 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 persons and included foreign workers; estimates from other sources may be 15-30% lower
_#_Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 12 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 69 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 68 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Saudi(s); 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 illegal
_*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 according to Sharia (Islamic law)
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (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 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the King, appointed heir to the throne 13 June 1982)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador BANDAR Bin Sultan; Chancery at 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (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 Jiddah (Jeddah)
_#_Flag: green with large white Arabic script (that may 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 hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam
_*Economy #_Overview: The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 70% of budget revenues, 33% of GDP, and almost all export earnings. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, plays a leading role in OPEC, and invests substantial amounts abroad.
_#_GDP: $79 billion, per capita $4,800; real growth rate 0.5% (1989 est.)
_#_Civil air: 182 major transport aircraft available
_#_Airports: 207 total, 188 usable; 69 with permanent-surface runways; 13 with runways over 3,659 m; 38 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 103 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good system with extensive microwave and coaxial cable systems; 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 fit for military service; 165,167 reach military age (17) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $13.9 billion, 16.9% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Senegal *Geography #_Total area: 196,190 km2; land area: 192,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: short section of the boundary with The Gambia is indefinite; the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rendered its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary in favor of Senegal—that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau; boundary with Mauritania
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (December to April) has strong southeast winds; dry season (May to November) dominated by hot, dry harmattan wind
_#_Terrain: generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in 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%
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 86 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 56 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/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%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,509,000; 77% subsistence agricultural workers; 175,000 wage earners—private sector 40%, government and parapublic 60%; 52% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: majority of wage-labor force represented by unions; however, dues-paying membership very limited; major confederation is National Confederation of Senegalese Labor (CNTS), an affiliate of governing party
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Senegal
_#_Type: republic under multiparty democratic rule
_#_Independence: 4 April 1960 (from France); The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 (effective 1 February 1982) that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989
_#_Constitution: 3 March 1963, last revised in 1984
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court, which also audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Habib THIAM (since 7 April 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party (PS), President Abdou DIOUF; Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), Abdoulaye WADE; 13 other small uninfluential 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 28 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993); results—PS 71%, PDS 25%, other 4%; seats—(120 total) PS 103, PDS 17
_#_Communists: small number of Communists and sympathizers
_#_Other political or pressure groups: students, teachers, labor, Muslim Brotherhoods
_#_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 accounts for about 20% of GDP and provides employment for about 75% of the labor force. About 40% of the total cultivated land is used to grow peanuts, an important export crop. The principal economic resource is fishing, which brought in about $200 million or about 25% of total foreign exchange earnings in 1987. Mining is dominated by the extraction of phosphate, but production has faltered because of reduced worldwide demand for fertilizers in recent years. Over the past 10 years tourism has become increasingly important to the economy.
_#_GDP: $4.6 billion, per capita $615; real growth rate 0.6% (1989)
partners—US, France, other EC, Nigeria, Algeria, China, Japan
_#_External debt: $4.1 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.7% (1989); accounts for 17% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 210,000 kW capacity; 760 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: fishing, agricultural processing, phosphate mining, petroleum refining, building materials
_#_Agriculture: including fishing, accounts for 20% of GDP and more than 75% of labor force; major products—peanuts (cash crop), millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; estimated two-thirds self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,034 km 1.000-meter gauge; all single track except 70 km double track Dakar to Thies
_#_Highways: 14,000 km total; 3,770 km paved, 10,230 km laterite or improved earth
_#_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, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 25 total, 20 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: above-average urban system, using 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; Surete Nationale
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,749,540; 913,806 fit for military service; 91,607 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $100 million, 2% of GDP (1989 est.) %@Seychelles *Geography #_Total area: 455 km2; land area: 455 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 491 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Tromelin Island
_#_Climate: tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
_#_Terrain: Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated 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: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible; no fresh water, catchments collect rain; 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
_#_Note: located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
_#_Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 75 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Seychellois (sing. and pl.); adjective—Seychelles
_#_Ethnic divisions: Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%
_#_Language: English and French (official); Creole
_#_Literacy: 58% (male 56%, female 60%) age 15 and over 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 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: 29 June 1976 (from 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), 5 June (1977)
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 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 9-11 June 1989 (next to be held June 1994); results—President France Albert RENE reelected without opposition;
National Assembly—last held 5 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992); results—SPPF is the only party; seats—(25 total, 23 elected) SPPF 23
_#_Communists: negligible, although some Cabinet ministers espouse pro-Soviet line
_#_Other political or pressure groups: trade unions, Roman Catholic Church
_#_Diplomatic representation: Second Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Marc R. MARENGO; Chancery (temporary) at 820 Second Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10017; telephone (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 bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest
_*Economy #_Overview: In this small, open, tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs about 30% of the labor force and provides the main source of hard currency earnings. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the high dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing.
_#_GDP: $283 million, per capita $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)
partners—UK 20%, France 14%, South Africa 13%, PDRY 13%, Singapore 8%, Japan 6% (1987)
_#_External debt: $171 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7% (1987); accounts for 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 67 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: tourism, processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 7% of GDP, mostly subsistence farming; cash crops—coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla; other products—sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas; broiler chickens; large share of food needs imported; expansion of tuna fishing under way
_#_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
_#_Airports: 14 total, 14 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: direct radio communications with adjacent islands and African coastal countries; 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 15-49, 17,399; 8,933 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $12 million, 6% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Sierra Leone *Geography #_Total area: 71,740 km2; land area: 71,620 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
_#_Terrain: coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in 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%
_#_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 limited to literate minority; principal vernaculars are Mende in south and Temne in north; Krio is the language of the resettled ex-slave population of the Freetown area and is lingua franca
_#_Literacy: 21% (male 31%, female 11%) age 15 and over can read and write 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 population of working age
_#_Organized labor: 35% of wage earners
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Sierra Leone
_#_Type: republic under presidential regime
_#_Capital: Freetown
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 provinces; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western
_#_Independence: 27 April 1961 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 14 June 1978
_#_Legal system: based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Republic Day, 27 April (1961)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Gen. Joseph Saidu MOMOH (since 28 November 1985); First Vice President Abu Bakar KAMARA (since 4 April 1987); Second Vice President Salia JUSU-SHERIFF (since 4 April 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 1 October 1985 (next to be held October 1992); results—Gen. Joseph Saidu MOMOH was elected without opposition;
House of Representatives—last held 30 May 1986 (next to be held February 1992); results—APC is the only party; seats—(127 total, 105 elected) APC 105
_#_Communists: no party, although there are a few Communists and a slightly larger number of sympathizers
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador George CAREW; Chancery at 1701 19th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 939-9261;
US—Ambassador Johnny YOUNG; Embassy at the corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Street, Freetown; telephone [232] (22) 26481
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
_*Economy #_Overview: The economic and social infrastructure is not well developed. Subsistence agriculture dominates the economy, generating about one-third of GDP and employing about two-thirds of the working population. Manufacturing accounts for less than 10% of GDP, consisting mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Diamond mining provides an important source of hard currency. The economy suffers from high unemployment, rising inflation, large trade deficits, and a growing dependency on foreign assistance. The government in 1990 was attempting to get the budget deficit under control and, in general, to bring economic policy in line with the recommendations of the IMF and the World Bank.
_#_GDP: $1,302 million, per capita $325; real growth rate 1.8% (FY89)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): over 100% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $134 million; expenditures $187 million, including capital expenditures of $32 million (FY91 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for over 30% of GDP and two-thirds of the labor force; largely subsistence farming; cash crops—coffee, cocoa, palm kernels; harvests of food staple rice meets 80% of domestic needs; 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 84 km 1.067-meter narrow-gauge mineral line is used on a limited basis because the mine at Marampa is closed
_#_Highways: 7,400 km total; 1,150 km bituminous, 490 km laterite (some gravel), remainder improved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 800 km; 600 km navigable year round
_#_Ports: Freetown, Pepel
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 12 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: marginal telephone and telegraph service; national microwave radio relay system unserviceable at present; 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 15-49, 939,214; 453,877 fit for military service; no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $6 million, 0.7% of GDP (1988 est.) %@Singapore *Geography #_Total area: 632.6 km2; land area: 622.6 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 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 pronounced rainy or dry seasons; thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
_#_Terrain: lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
_#_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: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
_#_Religion: majority of Chinese are Buddhists or atheists; Malays are nearly all Muslim (minorities include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, Confucianists)
_#_Language: Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English (all official); Malay (national)
_#_Literacy: 88% (male 93%, female 84%) age 15 and over 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 labor force (1989)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Singapore
_#_Type: republic within Commonwealth
_#_Capital: Singapore
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
_#_Constitution: 3 June 1959, amended 1965; based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 9 August (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 3 September 1985);
Head of Government—Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990); Deputy Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990); Deputy Prime Minister ONG Teng Cheong (since 2 January 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 compulsory at age 20
_#_Elections:
President—last held 31 August 1989 (next to be held August 1993); results—President WEE Kim Wee was reelected by Parliament without opposition;
Parliament—last held 3 September 1988 (next to be held 31 August 1991); results—PAP 61.8%, WP 18.4%, SDP 11.5%, NSP 3.7%, UPF 1.3%, other 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 illegal
_#_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 hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
_*Economy #_Overview: Singapore has an open entrepreneurial economy with strong service and manufacturing sectors and excellent international trading links derived from its entrepot history. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the economy expanded rapidly, achieving an average annual growth rate of 9%. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia. In 1985 the economy registered its first drop in 20 years and achieved less than a 2% increase in 1986. Recovery was strong based on rising demand for Singapore's products in OECD countries and improved competitiveness of domestic manufactures. The economy grew 8.3% in 1990. Singapore's position as a major oil refining and services center helped it weather the Persian Gulf crisis.
_#_GDP: $34.6 billion, per capita $12,700; real 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 transshipments from Malaysia—capital equipment, petroleum, chemicals, manufactured goods, foodstuffs;
partners—Japan 20%, US 16%, Malaysia 14%, EC 13%
_#_External debt: $3.9 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 9% (1990 est.); accounts for 29% of GDP (1989)
_#_Electricity: 4,000,000 kW capacity; 14,400 million kWh produced, 5,300 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Agriculture: occupies a position of minor importance in the economy; self-sufficient in poultry and eggs; must import much of other food; major crops—rubber, copra, fruit, 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
_#_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: good domestic facilities; good international service; good radio and television broadcast coverage; 1,110,000 telephones; stations—13 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; submarine cables extend to 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 15-49, 842,721; 625,546 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $1.7 billion, 4% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Solomon Islands *Geography #_Total area: 28,450 km2; land area: 27,540 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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; few extremes of temperature and weather
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
_#_Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 93.0%, Polynesian 4.0%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
_#_Religion: almost all 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 in much of the country is lingua franca; English spoken by 1-2% of population
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 23,448 economically active; 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
_#_Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western
_#_Independence: 7 July 1978 (from UK; formerly British Solomon Islands)
_#_Constitution: 7 July 1978
_#_Legal system: common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (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 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General George LEPPING (since 27 June 1989, previously acted as governor general since 7 July 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 28 March 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since NA 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 22 February 1989 (next to be held February 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(38 total) PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2, independents 9
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant) resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands);
US—the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands; Embassy at Mud Alley, Honiara (mailing address is American Embassy, P. O. Box 561, Honiara); telephone (677) 23890
_#_Flag: divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green
_*Economy #_Overview: About 90% of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry contribute about 75% to GDP, with the fishing and forestry sectors being important export earners. The service sector contributes about 25% to GDP. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986 that caused widespread damage to the infrastructure.
_#_GDP: $156 million, per capita $500 (1988); real 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.)
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 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1987); accounts for 5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: copra, fish (tuna)
_#_Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 75% of GDP; mostly subsistence farming; cash crops—cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, timber; other products—rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs; not self-sufficient in food grains; 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500 metric tons was exported (1988)
_#_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
_*Communications #_Highways: about 2,100 km total (1982); 30 km sealed, 290 km gravel, 980 km earth, 800 private logging and plantation roads of varied construction
_#_Ports: Honiara, Ringi Cove
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 31 total, 29 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones; stations—4 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 77,169; NA fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP %@Somalia *Geography #_Total area: 637,660 km2; land area: 627,340 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 2,340 km total; Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
_#_Coastline: 3,025 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: southern half of boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden; possible claims to Djibouti and parts of Ethiopia and Kenya based on unification of ethnic Somalis
_#_Climate: desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), cooler southwest monsoon (May to October); irregular rainfall; hot, humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
_#_Natural resources: uranium, and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and woodland 14%; other 38%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
_#_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 laborers; pastoral nomad 70%, agriculture, government, trading, fishing, handicrafts, and other 30%; 53% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: General Federation of Somali Trade Unions is controlled by the government
_#_Independence: 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)
_#_Constitution: 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 21 October (1969)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Chief of State—Interim President ALI Mahdi Mohamed (since 27 January 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister OMAR Arteh Ghalib (since 27 January 1991); Deputy Prime Minister MOHAMED Abshir Mussa (since 27 January 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the former regime on 27 January 1991; note—formerly the only party was the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP), headed by former President and Commander in Chief of the Army Maj. Gen. Mohamed Siad BARRE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 23 December 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) ousted the regime of Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre on 27 January 1991; the provisional government has promised that a democratically elected government will be established
_#_Communists: probably some Communist sympathizers in the government hierarchy
_#_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: One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, with the livestock sector accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and seminomads who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihoods make up more than half of the population. Crop production generates only 10% of GDP and employs about 20% of the work force. The main export crop is bananas; sugar, sorghum, and corn are grown for the domestic market. The small industrial sector is based on the processing of agricultural products and accounts for less than 10% of GDP. Serious economic problems facing the nation are the external debt of $1.9 billion and double-digit inflation.
_#_GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $210; real growth rate - 1.4% (1988)
commodities—textiles, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials;
partners—US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)
_#_External debt: $1.9 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 5.0% (1988); accounts for 5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 72,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 7 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining
_#_Agriculture: dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle, sheep, goats); crops—bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food; fishing potential largely unexploited
_#_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
_*Communications #_Highways: 15,215 km total; including 2,335 km bituminous surface, 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 over) totaling 6,913 GRT/9,457 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 61 total, 46 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: minimal telephone and telegraph service; radio relay and troposcatter system centered on Mogadishu connects a few towns; 6,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station; scheduled to receive an ARABSAT station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Somali National Army (including Navy, Air Force, and Air Defense Force), National Police Force, National Security Service
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,601,690; 902,732 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $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: slightly less than 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay exclave and 12 offshore islands administered by South Africa
_#_Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along coast; sunny days, cool nights
_#_Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
_#_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 other (Gazankulu, Kangwane, KwaNdebele, KwaZulu, Lebowa, QwaQwa)
_#_Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 3 September 1984
_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Republic Day, 31 May (1910)
_#_Executive branch: state president, Executive Council (cabinet), Ministers' Councils (from the three houses of Parliament)
_#_Legislative branch: 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 13 September 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 age 18, but voting rights are racially based
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly (whites)—last held 6 September 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 6 September 1989 (next 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: small Communist party legalized in 1990 after 30-year ban, Daniel TLOOME, chairman, and Joe SLOVO, general secretary
_#_Other political or pressure groups: African National Congress (ANC), Nelson MANDELA, president; Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), Clarence MAKWETU, president
_#_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; telephone [27] (12) 28-4266; there are US Consulates General in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg
_#_Flag: actually four flags in one—three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side
_*Economy #_Overview: Many of the white one-seventh of the South African population enjoy incomes, material comforts, and health and educational standards equal to those of Western Europe. In contrast, most of the remaining population suffers from the poverty patterns of the Third World, including unemployment, lack of job skills, and barriers to movement into higher-paying fields. Inputs and outputs thus do not move smoothly into the most productive employments, and the effectiveness of the market is further lowered by international constraints on dealings with South Africa. The main strength of the economy lies in its rich mineral resources, which provide two-thirds of exports. Average growth of less than 2% in output in recent years falls far short of the 5-6% level needed to cut into the high unemployment rate.
_#_GDP: $101.7 billion, per capita $2,600; real growth rate - 0.9% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.4% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 22% (1989); blacks 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, FRG, UK, other EC, Hong Kong
_#_Imports: $17 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machinery 32%, transport 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%; accounts for about 45% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 34,941,000 kW capacity; 158,000 million kWh produced, 4,100 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemical, fertilizer, foodstuffs
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 5% of GDP and 30% of labor force; diversified agriculture, with emphasis on livestock; products—cattle, poultry, sheep, wool, milk, beef, corn, wheat; sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; self-sufficient in food
_*Communications #_Railroads: 20,638 km route distance total; 35,079 km of 1.067-meter gauge trackage (counts double and multiple tracking as single track); 314 km of 610 mm gauge
_#_Highways: 188,309 km total; 54,013 km paved, 134,296 km crushed stone, gravel, or improved earth
_#_Pipelines: 931 km crude oil; 1,748 km refined products; 322 km natural gas
_#_Ports: Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Richard's Bay, Saldanha, Mosselbaai, Walvis Bay
_#_Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 229,245 GRT/218,929 DWT; includes 6 container, 1 vehicle carrier
_#_Civil air: 81 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 917 total, 765 usable; 130 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 224 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the system is the best developed, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa; it consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, radio relay links, fiber optic cable, and radiocommunication stations; key centers 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 15-49, 9,797,349; 5,980,786 fit for military service; 426,615 reach military age (18) annually; obligation for service in Citizen Force or Commandos begins at 18; volunteers for service in permanent force must be 17; national service obligation is one year; figures include the so-called homelands not recognized by the US
_#Defense expenditures: $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: slightly larger than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: undetermined
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina
_#_Climate: variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year, interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
_#_Terrain: most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%; largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen
_#_Environment: reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia; weather conditions generally make it difficult to approach the South Sandwich Islands; the South Sandwich Islands are subject to active volcanism
_#_Note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage
_*People #_Population: no permanent population; there is a small military garrison on South Georgia and the British Antarctic Survey has 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 garrison town
_#_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, 14 June (1982)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, commissioner
_#_Legislative branch: none
_#_Judicial branch: none
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Commissioner William Hugh FULLERTON (since 1988; resident at Stanley, Falkland Islands)
_*Economy #_Overview: Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting fin fish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced 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 permanent-surface 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: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of US
_#_Land boundaries: 19,933 km total; Afghanistan 2,384 km, Czechoslovakia 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: bilateral negotiations are under way to resolve disputed sections of the boundary with China; US Government has not recognized the incorporation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into the Soviet Union; Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and the Habomai island group occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Japan; maritime dispute with Norway over portion of Barents Sea; has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation; Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR
_#_Climate: mostly temperate to arctic continental; winters vary from cool along Black Sea to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from hot in southern deserts to cool along Arctic coast
_#_Terrain: broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia, deserts in Central Asia, mountains in south
_#_Natural resources: self-sufficient in oil, natural gas, coal, and strategic minerals (except 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, 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 size and diversity, small percentage of land is arable and much is too far north; some of most fertile land is water deficient or has insufficient growing season; many better climates have poor soils; hot, dry, desiccating sukhovey wind affects south; desertification; continuous permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development
_#_Note: largest country in world, but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of world
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 74 years female (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 (Byelorussian) 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); more than 200 languages and dialects (at least 18 with more than 1 million speakers); Slavic group 75%, other Indo-European 8%, Altaic 12%, Uralian 3%, Caucasian 2%
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 99%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1989)
_#_Labor force: 152,300,000 civilians; industry and other nonagricultural fields 80%, agriculture 20%; shortage of skilled labor (1989)
_#_Organized labor: the vast majority of workers are union members; official unions are organized within the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU) and still operate within general guidelines set up by the CPSU and Soviet Government; a large number of independent trade unions have been formed since President Gorbachev came to power; 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 nationwide following, the most prominent of which is Independent Miners Trade Union set up by the country's coal miners
_*Government #_Long-form name: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; abbreviated USSR
_#_Type: in transition to 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: 30 December 1922 (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established)
_#_Constitution: 7 October 1977
_#_Legal system: civil law system as 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 supreme organ of USSR state power and selects the bicameral Supreme Soviet (Verkhovnyi Sovyet) which consists of two coequal houses—Soviet of the Union (Soviet Soiuza) and Soviet of Nationalities (Soviet Natsional'nostei)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of the USSR
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Mikhail Sergeyevich GORBACHEV (since 14 March 1990; former General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party since 11 March 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 24 August 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: nascent multiparty system
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 14 March 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 17 December 1990 (next to be held NA); results—NA; seats—(2,250 total) CPSU NA, non-CPSU NA; note—dissolved September 1991
USSR Supreme Soviet—consists 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—NA; seats—(271 total) CPSU NA, non-CPSU NA;
Council of Republics—last held Spring 1991 (next to be held Fall 1991); results—NA; seats—(271 total) CPSU NA, non-CPSU NA; note—to be reconstituted as a new legislature—date not set
_#_Communists: prior to August 1991 about 15 million party members, with membership declining
_#_Other political or pressure groups: formal parties, regional popular fronts, trade unions, and informal 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 Ulitsa Chaykovskogo 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 silhouette of a crossed hammer and sickle below a yellow-edged five-pointed red star in the upper hoist-side corner
_*Economy #_Overview: The first six years of perestroyka (economic and political restructuring) have undermined the institutions and processes of the Soviet command economy without replacing them with efficiently functioning markets. The initial reforms have featured greater authority for enterprise managers over prices, wages, product mix, investment, sources of supply, and customers. But in the absence of effective market discipline, the result has been the disappearance of low-price goods, excessive wage increases, an even larger volume of unfinished construction projects, and, in general, continued economic stagnation. The Gorbachev regime has made at least four serious errors in economic policy in these six years: the unpopular and short-lived antialcohol campaign; the initial cutback in imports of consumer goods; the failure to act decisively at the beginning for the privatization of agriculture; and the buildup of a massive overhang of unspent rubles in the hands of households and enterprises. The regime has vacillated among a series of ambitious economic policy prescriptions put forth by leading economists and political leaders. The plans vary from proposals for (a) quick marketization of the economy; (b) gradual marketization; (c) a period of retrenchment to ensure a stable base for future marketization; and (d) a return to disciplined central planning and allocation. The economy, caught between two systems, is suffering from even greater mismatches between what is being produced and what would serve the best interests of enterprises and households. Meanwhile, the seething nationality problems have been dislocating regional patterns of economic specialization and pose a further major threat to growth prospects over the next few years. Official Soviet statistics report GNP fell by 2% in 1990, but the actual decline was substantially greater. Whatever the numerical decline, it does not capture the increasing disjointures in the economy evidenced by emptier shelves, longer lines, increased barter, and widespread strikes.
_#_GNP: approximately $2,660 billion, per capita $9,130; real growth rate - 2.4% to - 5.0% (1990 est. based on a reconstruction of official Soviet statistics); note—because of the continued unraveling of Soviet economic and statistical controls, the estimate is subject to even greater uncertainties than in earlier years; the dollar estimates most likely overstate Soviet GNP to some extent because of an incomplete allowance for the poor quality, narrow assortment, and low performance characteristics of Soviet goods and services; the - 2.4% growth figure is based on the application of CIA's usual estimating methods whereas the - 5.0% figure is corrected for measurement problems that worsened sharply in 1990
_#_Unemployment rate: official Soviet statistics imply an unemployment rate of 1 to 2 percent in 1990; USSR's first official unemployment estimate, however, is acknowledged to be rough
_#_Budget: revenues 422 billion rubles; expenditures 510 billion rubles, including capital expenditures of 53 billion rubles (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $109.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, metals, wood, agricultural products, and a wide variety of manufactured goods (primarily capital goods and arms);
partners—Eastern Europe 46%, EC 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 manufactures;
partners—Eastern Europe 50%, EC 13%, Cuba, China, US (1989)
_#_Electricity: 350,000,000 kW capacity; 1,740,000 million kWh produced, 5,920 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: diversified, highly developed capital goods and defense industries; comparatively less developed consumer goods industries
_#_Agriculture: accounts for roughly 20% of GNP and labor force; production based on large collective and state farms; inefficiently managed; wide range of temperate crops and livestock produced; world's third-largest grain producer after the US and China; shortages of grain, oilseeds, and meat; world's leading producer of sawnwood and roundwood; annual fish catch among the world's largest
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; government has begun eradication program to control cultivation; used as a transshipment country for illicit drugs to Western Europe
_#_Economic aid: donor—extended to non-Communist less developed countries (1954-89), $49.6 billion; extended to other Communist countries (1954-89), $154 billion
_#_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 1 April 1991 the official exchange rate remained administratively set; it should not be used indiscriminately to convert domestic rubles to dollars; in November 1990 the USSR introduced a commercial exchange rate of 1.8 rubles to the dollar used for accounting purposes within the USSR and which was still in force on 1 April 1991; on 1 April 1991 the USSR introduced 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 4 April 1991 the rate was 27.6 rubles to the dollar; Soviet citizens traveling abroad are restricted to buying $200 a year at prevailing 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 hard-surfaced (asphalt, concrete, stone block, asphalt treated, gravel, crushed stone); 446,400 km earth (1989)
_#_Inland waterways: 123,700 km navigable, exclusive of Caspian Sea (1989)
_#_Pipelines: 82,000 km crude oil and refined products; 206,500 km natural gas (1987)
_#_Merchant marine: 1,565 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,243,228 GRT/20,874,488 DWT; includes 52 passenger, 898 cargo, 52 container, 11 barge carrier, 4 roll-on/float off cargo, 5 railcar carrier, 114 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 230 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 liquefied gas, 17 combination ore/oil, 4 specialized liquid carrier, 13 chemical tanker, 160 bulk; note—594 merchant ships are based in Black Sea, 366 in Baltic Sea, 398 in Soviet Far East, and 207 in Barents Sea and White Sea; the Soviet Union has been transferring merchant ships to a variety of 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 major transport aircraft
_#_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 telephone subscribers; phone density of 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 telephone 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: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Forces, Air Defense Forces, Strategic Rocket Forces, Command and General Support, Security Forces
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 70,058,651; 55,931,817 fit for military service; 2,265,935 reach military age (18) annually (down somewhat from 2,500,000 a decade ago); approximately 35-40% receive deferments for health, education, or other reasons
_#Defense expenditures: 63.9 billion rubles, NA% of GDP %@Spain *Geography #_Total area: 504,750 km2; land area: 499,400 km2; includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco—Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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: Gibraltar question with UK; Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco—the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla which Morocco contests as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
_#_Climate: temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
_#_Terrain: large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north
_#_Organized labor: less 10% of labor force (1988)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Spain
_#_Type: parliamentary monarchy
_#_Capital: Madrid
_#_Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular—comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencia, Extremadura, Galicia, Islas Baleares, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco; note—there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco (Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera) with administrative status unknown
_#_Independence: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
_#_Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
_#_Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 12 October
_#_Executive branch: monarch, president of the government (prime minister), deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (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)
Chief of State—King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez (since 2 December 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Narcis SERRA (since 13 March 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: principal 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; chief 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 29 October 1989 (next to be held October 1993); results—NA; seats (208) PSOE 106, PP 79, CiU 10, PNV 4, HB 3, AIC 1, other 5;
Congress of Deputies—last held 29 October 1989 (next to be held 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%, other 8.4%; seats—(350 total) PSOE 175, PP 106, CiU 18, IU 17, CDS 14, PNV 5, HB 4, other 11
_#_Communists: PCE membership declined from a possible high of 160,000 in 1977 to roughly 60,000 in 1987; the party gained almost 1 million voters and 10 deputies in the 1989 election; voters came mostly from the disgruntled socialist left; remaining strength is in labor, where it dominates the Workers Commissions trade union (one of the country's two major labor centrals), which claims a membership of about 1 million; experienced a modest recovery in 1986 national election, nearly doubling the share of the vote it received in 1982
_#_Other political or pressure groups: on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO) use terrorism to oppose the government; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977) include the Communist-dominated Workers Commissions (CCOO); the Socialist General Union of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union (USO); the Catholic Church; business and landowning interests; 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; Chancery at 2700 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (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); telephone [34] (1) 577-4000; there is a US Consulate General in Barcelona and a Consulate in Bilbao
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar
_*Economy #_Overview: This Western capitalistic economy has done well since Spain joined the EC in 1986. With annual increases in real GNP averaging about 5% in the 1987-90 period, Spain has been the fastest growing member of the EC. Increased investment—both domestic and foreign—has been the most important factor pushing the economic expansion. Inflation moderated to 4.8% in 1988, but an overheated economy caused inflation to reach almost 7% in 1989-90. Another economic problem facing Spain is an unemployment rate of 16.3%, the highest in Europe.
_#_GDP: $435.9 billion, per capita $11,100; real 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—foodstuffs, live animals, wood, footwear, machinery, chemicals;
partners—EC 67.8%, US 6.5%, other developed countries 9%
_#_Imports: $87.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—petroleum, footwear, machinery, chemicals, grain, soybeans, coffee, tobacco, iron and steel, timber, cotton, transport equipment;
partners—EC 59.7%, US 8.5%, other developed countries 11.5%, Middle East 3.4%
_#_Electricity: 46,589,000 kW capacity; 141,000 million kWh produced, 3,590 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP and 14% of labor force; major products—grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus fruit, beef, pork, poultry, dairy; largely self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 1.4 million metric tons is among 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 15,430 km total; Spanish National Railways (RENFE) operates 12,691 km 1.668-meter gauge, 6,184 km electrified, and 2,295 km double track; FEVE (government-owned narrow-gauge railways) operates 1,821 km of predominantly 1.000-meter gauge and 441 km electrified; privately owned railways operate 918 km of predominantly 1.000-meter gauge, 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 bituminous treated, 17,038 km intermediate bituminous, concrete, or stone block) and 68,326 km provincial or local roads (bituminous treated, intermediate bituminous, or stone block)
_#_Inland waterways: 1,045 km, but of minor economic importance
_#_Pipelines: 265 km crude oil; 1,794 km refined products; 1,666 km 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 minor ports
_#_Airports: 104 total, 98 usable; 61 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over 3,659 m; 22 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: generally adequate, modern facilities; 15,350,464 telephones; stations—206 AM, 411 (134 relays) FM, 143 (1,297 relays) TV; 17 coaxial submarine cables; communications satellite earth 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 15-49, 10,134,256; 8,222,987 fit for military service; 339,749 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $8.6 billion, 2% of GDP (1990) %@Spratly Islands *Geography #_Total area: less than 5 km2; land area: less than 5 km2; includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over the South China Sea
_#_Comparative area: undetermined
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 926 km
_#_Maritime claims: undetermined
_#_Disputes: China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim all or part of the Spratly Islands
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: flat
_#_Natural resources: fish, guano; oil and natural gas potential
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
_#_Note: strategically located near several primary 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 limited to commercial fishing and phosphate mining. Geological surveys carried out several years ago suggest that substantial reserves of oil and natural gas may lie beneath the islands; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
_#_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: approximately 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: slightly larger than West Virginia
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,340 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
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 rolling plain; mountains in south-central 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%
_#_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 listed as national languages; Sinhala spoken by about 74% of population, Tamil spoken by about 18%; English commonly used in government and spoken by about 10% of the population
_#_Literacy: 86% (male 91%, female 81%) age 15 and over 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 labor force, over 50% of which are 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: 4 February 1948 (from UK; formerly Ceylon)
_#_Constitution: 31 August 1978
_#_Legal system: a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence and National Day, 4 February (1948)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ranasinghe PREMADASA (since 2 January 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGE (since 6 March 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 15 February 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
_#_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 panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border that goes around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing dominate the economy, employing about 45% of the labor force and accounting for 26% of GDP. The plantation crops of tea, rubber, and coconuts provide about 35% of export earnings. The economy has been plagued by high rates of unemployment since the late 1970s. Economic growth, which has been depressed by ethnic unrest, accelerated in 1990 as domestic conditions began to improve.
_#_GDP: $6.6 billion, per capita $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 garments, petroleum products, coconut, rubber, agricultural products, gems and jewelry, marine products;
partners—US 26%, FRG, Japan, UK, Belgium, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China
_#_Imports: $2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—food and beverages, textiles and textile materials, petroleum, 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.); accounts for 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,300,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco, clothing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 26% of GDP and nearly half of labor force; most important staple crop is paddy rice; other field crops—sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseeds, roots, spices; cash crops—tea, rubber, coconuts; animal products—milk, eggs, hides, 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
_*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 total (1988); 27,637 km paved (mostly bituminous treated), 32,887 km crushed stone or gravel, 14,739 km improved earth or unimproved earth; several thousand km of mostly unmotorable tracks (1988 est.)
_#_Inland waterways: 430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft
_#_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) tanker, 3 bulk
_#_Civil air: 8 major transport (including 1 leased)
_#_Airports: 14 total, 13 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good international service; 114,000 telephones (1982); stations—12 AM, 5 FM, 5 TV; submarine cables extend to Indonesia and Djibouti; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,636,767; 3,625,289 fit for military service; 178,010 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $300 million, 5% of GDP (1991) %@Sudan *Geography #_Total area: 2,505,810 km2; land area: 2,376,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than one quarter the size of 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 depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: administrative boundary with Kenya does not coincide with international boundary; administrative boundary with Egypt does not coincide with international boundary
_#_Climate: tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April to October)
_#_Terrain: generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in 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 NEGL%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and woodland 20%; other 51%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: dominated by the Nile and its tributaries; dust storms; desertification
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 85 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 54 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/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 north) 70%, indigenous beliefs 20%, Christian (mostly in south and Khartoum) 5%
_#_Language: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, and Sudanic languages, English; program of Arabization in process
_#_Literacy: 27% (male 43%, female 12%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 6,500,000; agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 10%, government 6%; labor shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment (1983 est.); 52% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: trade unions suspended following 30 June 1989 coup; now in process of being legalized anew
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of the Sudan
_#_Type: military; civilian government suspended and martial law imposed after 30 June 1989 coup
_#_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: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK; formerly Anglo-Egyptian Sudan)
_#_Constitution: 12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the six northern states of Al Wusta, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah, Ash Sharqiyah, Darfur, and Kurdufan; the council is still studying criminal provisions under Islamic law; Islamic law will apply to all residents of the six northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
_#_Executive branch: executive and legislative authority vested in a 13-member Revolutionary Command Council (RCC); chairman of the RCC acts as prime minister; in July 1989 RCC appointed a predominately civilian 22-member cabinet to function as advisers
_#_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 30 June 1989); Deputy Chairman of the Command Council and Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH Ahmed (since 9 July 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; banned following 30 June 1989 coup
_#_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 bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries, is buffeted by civil war, chronic political instability, adverse weather, and counterproductive economic policies. The economy is dominated by governmental entities that account for more than 70% of new investment. The private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture and trading, with most private industrial investment predating 1980. The economy's base is agriculture, which employs 80% of the work force. Industry mainly processes agricultural items. Sluggish economic performance over the past decade, attributable largely to declining annual rainfall, has reduced levels of per capita income and consumption. A high foreign debt and huge arrearages continue to cause difficulties. In 1990 the International Monetary Fund took the unusual step of declaring Sudan noncooperative on account of its nonpayment of arrearages to the Fund.
_#_GDP: $8.5 billion, per capita $330; real growth rate - 7% (FY90 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 35% of GNP and 80% of labor force; water shortages; two-thirds of land area suitable for raising crops and livestock; major products—cotton, oilseeds, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sheep; marginally 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
_#_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 total; 4,784 km 1.067-meter gauge, 716 km 1.6096-meter-gauge plantation line
_#_Highways: 20,000 km total; 1,600 km bituminous treated, 3,700 km gravel, 2,301 km improved earth, 12,399 km unimproved earth 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 over) totaling 42,277 GRT/59,588 DWT; includes 3 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo
_#_Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 78 total, 66 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 30 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: large, well-equipped system by African standards, but barely adequate and poorly maintained; consists of radio relay, cables, radio communications, and troposcatter; 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 15-49, 6,176,917; 3,792,635 fit for military service; 306,695 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $610 million, 7.2% of GDP (1989 est) %@Suriname *Geography #_Total area: 163,270 km2; land area: 161,470 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 Rivier and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); claims area in Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
_#_Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
_#_Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
_#_Natural resources: timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 97%; other 3%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_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 (predominantly Moravian) 25.2%, indigenous beliefs about 5%
_#_Language: Dutch (official); English widely spoken; Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others; also Hindi Suriname Hindustani (a variant of Bhoqpuri) and Javanese
_#_Literacy: 95% (male 95%, female 95%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 104,000 (1984)
_#_Organized labor: 49,000 members of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Suriname
_#_Independence: 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana)
_#_Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president and prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers, Council of State; note—commander in chief of the National Army maintains significant power
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Ronald VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991); Vice President and Prime Minister Jules AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
traditional ethnic-based parties—The New Front (NF), Henck ARRON, a coalition formed of four parties following the 24 December 1990 military coup—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 25 May 1991 (next to be held May 1996); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9
_#_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 is a large yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about 70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The economy has been in trouble since the Dutch ended development aid in 1982. A drop in world bauxite prices that started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986, was followed by the outbreak of a guerrilla insurgency in the interior. The guerrillas targeted the economic infrastructure, crippling the important bauxite sector and shutting down other export industries. These problems have created high inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market activity, and a bad climate for foreign investment. A small gain in economic growth of 2.0% was registered in 1989 due to reduced guerrilla activity and improved international markets for bauxite.
_#_GDP: $1.35 billion, per capita $3,400; real growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 11% of both GDP and labor force; paddy rice planted on 85% of arable land and represents 60% of total farm output; other products—bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts, beef, chicken; shrimp and forestry products of increasing importance; 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 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, and 80 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; all single track
_#_Highways: 8,300 km total; 500 km paved; 5,400 km bauxite gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 2,400 km sand or clay
_#_Inland waterways: 1,200 km; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging from 4.2 m to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways
_#_Ports: Paramaribo, Moengo
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 container
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 46 total, 42 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
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: National Army (including Navy which is company-size, small Air Force element), Civil Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 107,544; 64,146 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $91 million, 7.2% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Svalbard (territory of Norway) *Geography #_Total area: 62,049 km2; land area: 62,049 km2; includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 3,587 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway, not recognized by USSR;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Disputes: focus of maritime boundary dispute between Norway and USSR
_#_Climate: arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year
_#_Terrain: wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about half the year; fjords along 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: great calving glaciers descend to the sea
_#_Note: located 445 km north of Norway where the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea meet
_*People #_Population: 3,942 (July 1991), growth rate NA% (1991); about one-third of the population resides in the Norwegian areas (Longyearbyen and Svea on Vestspitsbergen) and two-thirds in the Soviet areas (Barentsburg and Pyramiden on Vestspitsbergen); about 9 persons live 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/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (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 administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway
_#_Capital: Longyearbyen
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991);
Head of Government—Governor Leif ELDRING (since NA)
_#_Member of: none
_#_Flag: the flag of Norway is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. By treaty (9 February 1920), the nationals of the treaty powers have equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Soviet. Each company mines about half a million tons of coal annually. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus.
_#_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 capita (1989)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 101 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 59 years female (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%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
_#_Labor force: 195,000; over 60,000 engaged in subsistence agriculture; about 92,000 wage earners (many only intermittently), with agriculture and forestry 36%, community and social services 20%, manufacturing 14%, construction 9%, other 21%; 24,000-29,000 employed in South Africa (1987)
_#_Organized labor: about 10% of wage earners
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Swaziland
_#_Type: monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth
_#_Constitution: none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended on 12 April 1973; a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but has not been formally presented to the people
_#_Legal system: based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts, Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament is advisory and consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Obed DLAMINI (since 12 July 1989)
_#_Political parties: none; banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978
_#_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 is P. O. Box 199, Mbabane); telephone [268] 46441 through 5
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies much of the labor force and contributes about 23% to GDP. Manufacturing, which includes a number of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another 26% of GDP. Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore deposits were depleted in 1978, and health concerns cut world demand for asbestos. Exports of sugar and forestry products are the main earners of hard currency. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa, from which it receives 92% of its imports and to which it sends about 40% of its exports.
_#_GNP: $563 million, per capita $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.)
commodities—motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, chemicals;
partners—South Africa 92% (est.), Japan, Belgium, UK
_#_External debt: $290 million (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA; accounts for 26% of GDP (1989)
_#_Electricity: 50,000 kW capacity; 130 million kWh produced, 170 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP and over 60% of labor force; mostly subsistence agriculture; cash crops—sugarcane, citrus fruit, cotton, pineapples; other crops and livestock—corn, sorghum, peanuts, cattle, goats, 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
_#_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 at par with the South African rand
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 297 km plus 71 km disused, 1.067-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 2,853 km total; 510 km paved, 1,230 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, and 1,113 km improved earth
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 23 total, 22 usable; 1 with permanent-surfaced 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: system consists of 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 15-49, 185,562; 107,254 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $8 million, 1.3% of GDP (1988) %@Sweden *Geography #_Total area: 449,964 km2; land area: 410,928 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
_#_Terrain: mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
_#_Net migration rate: 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 81 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Swede(s); adjective—Swedish
_#_Ethnic divisions: homogeneous white population; small Lappish minority; foreign born or first-generation immigrants (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks) 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 native languages
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 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 labor force (1990 est.)
_*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 och 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 Lan
_#_Independence: 6 June 1809, constitutional monarchy established
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1975
_#_Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
Chief of State—King CARL XVI Gustaf (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Carl BILDT (since 3 October 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: 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 15 September 1991 (next to be held 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, formerly the Left Party-Communists, is reported to have roughly 17,800 members and attracted 5.8% of the vote in the 1988 election; VP dropped the Communist label in 1990, but maintains a Marxist ideology
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Anders THUNBORG; Chancery at Suite 1200, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (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; telephone [46] (8) 783-5300
_#_Flag: blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*Economy #_Overview: Aided by a long period of peace and neutrality during World War I through World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has essentially full employment, a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy that is heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. For some observers, the Swedish model has succeeded in making economic efficiency and social egalitarianism complementary, rather than competitive, goals. Others argue that the Swedish model is on the verge of collapsing by pointing to the serious economic problems Sweden faces in 1991: high inflation and absenteeism, growing unemployment and deficits, and declining international competitiveness. In 1990, to improve the economy, the government approved a mandate for Sweden to seek EC membership and an austerity and privatization package and implemented a major tax reform. These reforms may succeed in turning the economy around in 1992.
_#_GDP: $137.8 billion, per capita $16,200; real 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—machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum 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—machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing;
_#_Electricity: 39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,000 million kWh produced, 16,700 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles
_#_Agriculture: animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy products accounting for 37% of farm income; main crops—grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 100% 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 (SKr) = 100 ore
_*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 unimproved earth)
_#_Inland waterways: 2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges
_#_Pipelines: 84 km natural gas
_#_Ports: Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Malmo, Stockholm; numerous secondary and minor ports
_#_Airports: 256 total, 254 usable; 137 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 92 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international facilities; 8,200,000 telephones; stations—4 AM, 56 (321 relays) FM, 111 (925 relays) TV; 5 submarine coaxial cables; communication satellite earth 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 fit for military service; 55,198 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $4.9 billion, 2.5% of GDP (FY90) %@Switzerland *Geography #_Total area: 41,290 km2; land area: 39,770 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 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: temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in 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
_#_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 over 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)
_#_Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (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) consists of an upper council or Council of States (German—Standerat, French—Conseil des Etats, Italian—Consiglio degli Stati) and a lower council 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 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 November1991
National Council—last held 20 October 1991 (next to be held 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, CSCE, 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; telephone (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; telephone [41] (31) 437-011; there is a Branch Office of the Embassy in Geneva and a Consulate General in Zurich
_#_Flag: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Switzerland's economic success is matched in few, if any, other nations. Per capita output, general living standards, education and science, health care, and diet are unsurpassed in Europe. Inflation remains low because of sound government policy and harmonious labor-management relations. Unemployment is negligible, a marked contrast to the larger economies of Western Europe. This economic stability helps promote the important banking and tourist sectors. Since World War II, Switzerland's economy has adjusted smoothly to the great changes in output and trade patterns in Europe and presumably can adjust to the challenges of the 1990s, in particular, the further economic integration of Western Europe and the amazingly rapid changes in East European political/economic prospects.
_#_GDP: $126 billion, per capita $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; expenditures $23.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Exports: $63.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—machinery and equipment, precision instruments, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles and clothing;
partners—Western Europe 64% (EC 56%, other 8%), US 9%, Japan 4%
_#_Imports: $70.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—agricultural products, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles, construction 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 capita (1989)
_*Communications #_Railroads: 5,174 km total; 2,971 km are government owned and 2,203 km are nongovernment owned; the government network consists of 2,897 km 1.435-meter standard gauge and 74 km 1.000-meter narrow gauge track; 1,432 km double track, 99% electrified; the nongovernment network consists of 710 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 1,418 km 1.000-meter gauge, and 75 km 0.790-meter gauge track, 100% electrified
_#_Highways: 62,145 km total (all paved), of which 18,620 km are canton and 1,057 km are national highways (740 km autobahn); 42,468 km are communal roads
_#_Pipelines: 314 km crude oil; 1,506 km natural gas
_#_Inland waterways: 65 km; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Bodensee); 12 navigable lakes
_#_Ports: Basel (river port)
_#_Merchant marine: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 258,678 GRT/441,555 DWT; includes 6 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 chemical tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 7 bulk
_#_Civil air: 89 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 67 total, 65 usable; 42 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent 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 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Air Force, Frontier Guards, Fortification Guards
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,802,005; 1,549,347 fit for military service; 42,619 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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: slightly 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
_#_Disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Hatay question with Turkey; periodic disputes with Iraq over Euphrates water rights; ongoing dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR
_#_Climate: mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast
_#_Terrain: primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in 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%
_#_Note: there are 38 Jewish settlements 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/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 37 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 71 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Syrian(s); adjective—Syrian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab 90.3%; Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, tiny Jewish communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo
_#_Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian; French widely understood
_#_Literacy: 64% (male 78%, female 51%) age 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%; majority unskilled; shortage of skilled labor (1984)
_#_Organized labor: 5% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Syrian Arab Republic
_#_Type: republic; under leftwing military regime 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: 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration); formerly United Arab Republic
_#_Constitution: 13 March 1973
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 17 April (1946)
_#_Executive branch: president, three vice presidents, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral 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 22 February 1971); Vice Presidents Abd al-Halim KHADDAM, Rifat al-ASAD, and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Mahmud ZUBI (since 1 November 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Salim YASIN (since NA December 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Mahmud QADDUR (since NA May 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: ruling party is the Arab Socialist Resurrectionist (Bath) Party; the Progressive National Front is dominated by Bathists but 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 10-11 February 1985 (next to be held February 1992); results—President Hafiz al-ASAD was reelected without opposition;
People's Council—last held 22-23 May 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results—Bath 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) Bath 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 250 seats total prior to the May 1990 election
_#_Communists: mostly sympathizers, numbering about 5,000
_#_Other political or pressure groups: non-Bath parties have little effective political influence; Communist party ineffective; greatest threat to Asad regime lies in factionalism in the military; conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood
_#_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 bands of red (top), white, and black with two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen which has a plain white band and of Iraq which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: Syria's rigidly structured Bathist economy turned out slightly more goods in 1990 than in 1983, when the population was 20% smaller. Economic difficulties are attributable, in part, to severe drought in several recent years, costly but unsuccessful attempts to match Israel's military strength, a falloff in Arab aid, and insufficient foreign exchange earnings to buy needed inputs for industry and agriculture. Socialist policy, embodied in a thicket of bureaucratic regulations, in many instances has driven away or pushed underground the mercantile and entrepreneurial spirit for which Syrian businessmen have long been famous. Two bright spots: a sizable number of villagers have benefited from land redistribution, electrification, and other rural development programs; and a recent find of light crude oil has enabled Syria to cut oil imports. A long-term concern is the additional drain of upstream Euphrates water by Turkey when its vast dam and irrigation projects are completed toward the end of the 1990s. Output in 1990 rebounded from the very bad year of 1989, as agricultural production and oil revenues increased substantially.
_#_GDP: $20.0 billion, per capita $1,600; real growth rate 12% (1990 est.)
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—foodstuffs and beverages 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 hard currency (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 17% (1990 est.); accounts for 19% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 2,867,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced, 500 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 27% of GDP and one-third of labor force; all major crops (wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas) grown mainly on rainfed land causing wide swings in production; animal products—beef, lamb, eggs, poultry, 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
_#_Exchange rates: Syrian pounds (5S) per US$1—11.2250 (fixed rate since 1987), 3.9250 (fixed rate 1976-87)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,241 km total; 1,930 km standard gauge, 311 km 1.050-meter narrow gauge; note—the Tartus-Latakia line is nearly complete
_#_Highways: 27,000 km total; 21,000 km paved, 3,000 km gravel or crushed stone, 3,000 km improved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 672 km; of little economic importance
_#_Pipelines: 1,304 km crude oil; 515 km refined products
_#_Airports: 99 total, 96 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 21 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement; 512,600 telephones; stations—9 AM, 1 FM, 40 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station, with 1 Intersputnik station under construction; 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 fit for military service; 149,105 reach military age (19) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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: slightly larger than twice 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 in Lake Nyasa; Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled
_#_Climate: varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
_#_Terrain: plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainland—native African consisting of well 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 primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education; Swahili widely understood and generally used for communication between ethnic groups; first language of most people is one of the local languages; primary education is generally in Swahili
_#_Literacy: 46% (male 62%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978)
_#_Labor force: 732,200 wage earners; 90% agriculture, 10% industry and commerce (1986 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 15% of labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: United Republic of Tanzania
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Dar es Salaam; some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital 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 became independent 9 December 1961 (from UN trusteeship under British administration); Zanzibar became independent 19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964
_#_Constitution: 15 March 1984 (Zanzibar has its own Constitution but remains subject to provisions of the union Constitution)
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Union Day, 26 April (1964)
_#_Executive branch: president, first vice president and prime minister of the union, second vice president and president of Zanzibar, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Bunge)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ali Hassan MWINYI (since 5 November 1985); First Vice President John MALECELA (since 9 November 1990); Second Vice President Salmin AMOUR (since 9 November 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister John MALECELA (since 9 November 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Chama Cha MAPINDUZI (CCM or Revolutionary Party), Ali Hassan MWINYI, party chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held October 1995); results—Ali Hassan MWINYI was elected without opposition;
National Assembly—last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held October 1995); results—CCM is the only party; seats—(241 total, 168 elected) CCM 168
_#_Communists: no Communist party; a few Communist sympathizers
_#_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); telephone [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 is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 47% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Industry accounts for 8% of GDP and is mainly limited to processing agricultural products and light consumer goods. The economic recovery program announced in mid-1986 has generated notable increases in agricultural production and financial support for the program by bilateral donors. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have increased the availability of imports and provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure.
_#_GDP: $5.92 billion, per capita $240; real 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)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for over 40% of GDP; topography and climatic conditions limit cultivated crops to only 5% of land area; cash crops—coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashews, tobacco, cloves (Zanzibar); food crops—corn, wheat, cassava, bananas, fruits, and vegetables; small numbers 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,555 km total; 960 km 1.067-meter gauge; 2,595 km 1.000-meter gauge, 6.4 km double track, 962 km Tazara Railroad 1.067-meter gauge; 115 km 1.000-meter gauge planned by end of decade
_#_Highways: total 81,900 km, 3,600 km paved; 5,600 km gravel or crushed stone; remainder improved and unimproved earth
_#_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 over) totaling 20,784 GRT/25,860 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 3 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 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 over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 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; including Army, Navy, and Air Force); paramilitary Police Field Force Unit; Militia
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 5,545,022; 3,200,744 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $111 million, 3.9% of GDP (1988) %@Thailand *Geography #_Total area: 514,000 km2; land area: 511,770 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
_#_Land boundaries: 4,863 km total; Burma 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: boundary 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); southern isthmus always hot and humid
_#_Terrain: central plain; eastern plateau (Khorat); mountains elsewhere
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Thailand; under martial law since military takeover 23 February 1991
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy; under martial law since military coup of 23 February 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: 22 December 1978; interim constitution promulgated by National Peace-Keeping Council on 1 March 1991
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; martial law in effect since 23 February 1991 military coup
_#_National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty the King, 5 December (1927)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, interim prime minister, three interim deputy prime ministers, interim Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council; following the military coup of 23 February 1991 a National Peace-Keeping Council was set up
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Rathasatha) consists of an upper house or Senate (Vuthisatha) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Saphaphoothan-Rajsadhorn); following the military coup of 23 February 1991 the National Assembly was dissolved and a new interim National Legislative Assembly has been formed until elections are held in April 1992
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sarndika)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King PHUMIPHON ADUNLAYADET (since 9 June 1946); Heir Apparent Crown Prince WACHIRALONGKON (born 28 July 1952);
Head of Government—Interim Prime Minister ANAN Panyarachun (since 4 March 1991); Interim Deputy Prime Minister SANO Unakun (since 6 March 1991); Interim Deputy Prime Minister Police Gen. PHAO Sarasin (since 6 March 1991); Interim Deputy Prime Minister MICHAI Ruchupan (since 6 March 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 prohibited from meeting; leaders of several parties have resigned and other parties are fragmenting; it is unclear which of the following parties functioning at the time of the military coup will still be in existence by the time new elections are held;
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 24 July 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 23 February 1991; the new interim National Legislative Assembly has 292 seats with 148 of the seats held by active and retired military officers
_#_Communists: illegal Communist party has 500 to 1,000 members; armed Communist insurgents throughout Thailand total 300 to 500 (est.)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate PHIRAPHONG Kasemsi; Embassy at 2300 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red
_*Economy #_Overview: Thailand, one of the more advanced developing countries in Asia, enjoyed a year of 9% growth in 1990, although down from the double-digit rates of 1987-89. The increasingly sophisticated manufacturing sector benefited from export-oriented investment, but the agricultural sector contracted 2%, primarily because of weaker demand in Thailand's major overseas markets for commodities such as rice. The trade deficit almost 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 surplus. The government has followed fairly sound fiscal and monetary policies, aided by increased tax receipts from the fast-moving economy. In 1990 the government approved new projects—especially for telecommunications and roads—needed to refurbish the country's now overtaxed infrastructure. Although growth in 1991 will slow further, Thailand's economic outlook remains good, assuming the continuation of prudent government policies in the wake of the 23 February 1991 military coup.
_#_GNP: $79 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate 10% (1990 est.)
partners—US 22%, Japan 17%, Singapore 7%, Netherlands, FRG, 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 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 14% (1990 est.); accounts for almost 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 7,270,000 kW capacity; 29,000 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism is the largest source of foreign exchange; textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, other light manufacturing, such as jewelry; electric appliances and components, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics; world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP and 62% of labor force; leading producer and exporter of rice and cassava (tapioca); other crops—rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans; except for wheat, self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 2.8 million tons (1989)
_#_Illicit drugs: a minor producer, major illicit trafficker of heroin, particularly from Burma and Laos, and cannabis for the international drug market; eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been affected by 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
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,940 km 1.000-meter gauge, 99 km double track
_#_Highways: 44,534 km total; 28,016 km paved, 5,132 km earth surface, 11,386 km under development
_#_Inland waterways: 3,999 km principal waterways; 3,701 km with navigable depths of 0.9 m or more throughout the year; numerous minor waterways navigable by shallow-draft native craft
_#_Pipelines: natural gas, 350 km; refined products, 67 km
_#_Ports: Bangkok, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha
_#_Civil air: 41 (plus 2 leased) major transport aircraft
_#_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 general public inadequate; bulk of service to government activities provided by 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; domestic satellite system 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 15-49, 16,028,159; 9,778,003 fit for military service; 604,483 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $2.4 billion, 3% of GNP (1990 est.) %@Togo *Geography #_Total area: 56,790 km2; land area: 54,390 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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, humid in south; semiarid in north
_#_Terrain: gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 58 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Togolese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Togolese
_#_Ethnic divisions: 37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabye; under 1% European and Syrian-Lebanese
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs about 70%, Christian 20%, Muslim 10%
_#_Language: French, both official and language of commerce; major African languages are Ewe and Mina in the south and Dagomba and Kabye in the north
_#_Literacy: 43% (male 56%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: NA; agriculture 78%, industry 22%; about 88,600 wage earners, evenly divided between public and private sectors; 50% of population 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 circumscriptions (circonscriptions, singular—circonscription); 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: 27 April 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration, formerly French Togo)
_#_Constitution: 30 December 1979, effective 13 January 1980
_#_Legal system: French-based court system
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day (anniversary of coup), 13 January (1967)
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Chief of State—President Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA (since 14 April 1967);
Head of Government—interim Prime Minister Kokou KOFFIGOH (since 28 August 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) led by President EYADEMA was the only party until the formation of multiple parties was legalized 12 April 1991; more than 10 parties formed as of mid-May, though none yet legally registered; a national conference to determine transition regime took place 10-20 June 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 4 March 1990 (next to be held 14 June 1992); results—RPT was the only party; seats—(77 total) RPT 77
_#_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 bands 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 is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about 35% of GDP and provides employment for 78% of the labor force. Primary agricultural exports are cocoa, coffee, and cotton, which together account for about 30% of total export earnings. Togo is self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs when harvests are normal. In the industrial sector phosphate mining is by far the most important activity, with phosphate exports accounting for about 40% of total foreign exchange earnings. Togo serves as a regional commercial and trade center. The government actively encourages foreign investment.
_#_GDP: $1.4 billion, per capita $395; real growth rate 3.6% (1989 est.)
_#_Agriculture: cash crops—coffee, cocoa, cotton; food crops—yams, cassava, corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock production 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: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_*Communications #_Railroads: 515 km 1.000-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 6,462 km total; 1,762 km paved; 4,700 km unimproved roads
_#_Inland waterways: none
_#_Ports: Lome, Kpeme (phosphate port)
_#_Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 38,906 GRT/70,483 DWT; includes 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 multifunction large-load carrier
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 9 total, 9 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system based on 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 fit for military service; no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $44 million, 3.7% of GDP (1987) %@Tokelau (territory of New Zealand) *Geography #_Total area: 10 km2; land area: 10 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 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; moderated by trade winds (April to November)
_#_Terrain: coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: lies in Pacific typhoon belt
_#_Note: located 3,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
_#_Ethnic divisions: all Polynesian, with cultural ties to Western Samoa
_#_Religion: Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%; on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant
_#_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: administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970
_#_Legal system: British and local statutes
_#_National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (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 6 February 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: the flag of New Zealand is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Tokelau's small size, isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people must rely on aid from New Zealand to maintain public services, annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families 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)
Chief of State—King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Prince Fatafehi TU'IPELEHAKE (since 16 December 1965)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Democratic Reform Movement, 'Akolisi POHIVA
_#_Suffrage: all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held 14-15 February 1990 (next to be held NA February 1993); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(29 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3 traditionalist
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Siosaia a'Ulupekotofa TUITA resides in London;
US—the US has no offices in Tonga; the Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga and makes periodic visits
_#_Flag: red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the labor force and contributes 50% to GDP. Coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops and make up two-thirds of exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The manufacturing sector accounts for only 11% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings, but the island remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to sustain its trade deficit.
_#_GDP: $86 million, per capita $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.)
partners—NZ 54%, Australia 30%, US 8%, Fiji 5% (FY87)
_#_Imports: $59.9 million (c.i.f., FY90 est.);
commodities—food products, beverages and tobacco, fuels, machinery and transport 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); accounts for 11% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 6,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, fishing
_#_Agriculture: dominated by 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
_*Communications #_Highways: 198 km sealed road (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vavau); 94 km unsealed roads usable only 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 telephones; 66,000 radios; no TV sets; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Land Force, Maritime Division, 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: slightly smaller than Delaware
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 362 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to December)
_#_Terrain: mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
_#_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%) age 15 and over 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 labor force (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: 31 August 1962 (from 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, 31 August (1962)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since 18 December 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 15 December 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 retaining their parliamentary seats; as a result 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), radical antigovernment black-identity organization; Trinidad and Tobago Peace Council, leftist organization affiliated with the World Peace Council; Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce; Trinidad and Tobago Labor Congress, moderate labor federation; Council of Progressive Trade Unions, radical labor federation
_#_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 white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy began to emerge from a lengthy depression in 1990. The economy fell sharply through most of the 1980s, largely because of the decline in oil prices. This sector accounts for 80% of export earnings and more than 25% of GDP. The government, in response to the oil revenue loss, pursued a series of austerity measures that pushed the unemployment rate as high as 22% in 1988. The economy showed signs of recovery in 1990, however, helped along by rising oil prices. Agriculture employs only about 11% of the labor force and produces about 3% of GDP. Since this sector is small, it has been unable to absorb the large numbers of the unemployed. The government currently seeks 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.)
_#_Agriculture: highly subsidized sector; major crops—cocoa and sugarcane; sugarcane acreage is being shifted into rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry sector most important source of animal protein; must import large share of food needs
_#_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
_*Communications #_Railroads: minimal agricultural system near San Fernando
_#_Highways: 8,000 km total; 4,000 km paved, 1,000 km improved earth, 3,000 km unimproved earth
_#_Pipelines: 1,032 km crude oil; 19 km refined products; 904 km natural gas
_#_Ports: Port-of-Spain, Point Lisas, Pointe-a-Pierre
_#_Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 6 total, 5 usable; 3 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: excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados and Guyana; good 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 15-49, 339,260; 245,086 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $59 million, 1.6% of GDP (1989 est.) %@Tromelin Island (French possession) *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: 3.7 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to 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; climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Airports: 1 with runway less 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: slightly 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 dispute with Libya
_#_Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
_#_Terrain: mountains in 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%
_#_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 (commerce)
_#_Literacy: 65% (male 74%, female 56%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,250,000; agriculture 32%; shortage of skilled labor
_#_Organized labor: about 360,000 members claimed, roughly 20% of labor force; General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), quasi-independent of Constitutional Democratic Party
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Tunisia; note—may be changed 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: 20 March 1956 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 1 June 1959
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
_#_National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral 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 7 November 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 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 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results—Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition;
Chamber of Deputies—last held 2 April 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 number of nominal Communists, mostly students
_#_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; telephone [216] (1) 782-566
_#_Flag: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, tourism, and exports of light manufactures for continued growth. Following two years of drought-induced economic decline, the economy made a strong recovery in 1990 as a result of a bountiful harvest, continued export growth, and higher domestic investment. Continued high inflation and unemployment have eroded popular support for the government, however, and forced Tunis to slow the pace of economic reform. Nonetheless, the government appears committed to implementing its IMF-supported structural adjustment program and to servicing its foreign debt.
_#_GDP: $10 billion, per capita $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—hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals;
partners—EC 73%, Middle East 9%, US 1%, Turkey, USSR
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for 38% of GDP, including petroleum
_#_Electricity: 1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), textiles, footwear, food, beverages
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output subject to severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts; export crops—olives, dates, oranges, almonds; other products—grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, dairy; not self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 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
_*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 bituminous; 8,600 km improved and unimproved earth
_#_Pipelines: 797 km crude oil; 86 km refined products; 742 km natural gas
_#_Ports: Bizerte, Gabes, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, La Goulette, Zarzis
_#_Merchant marine: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 160,172 GRT/218,970 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 4 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk
_#_Civil air: 13 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 29 total, 28 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the system is above the African average; facilities consist of open-wire lines, multiconductor cable, and radio relay; key centers are Safaqis, Susah, Bizerte, and Tunis; 233,000 telephones; stations—18 AM, 4 FM, 14 TV; 4 submarine cables; earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT with back-up 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 fit for military service; 90,218 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $315 million, 2.6% of GDP (1990 est.) %@Turkey *Geography #_Total area: 780,580 km2; land area: 770,760 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger 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 Black Sea only—to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the USSR;
Territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea, 12 nm in Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea
_#_Disputes: complex maritime and air (but not territorial) disputes with Greece in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Hatay question with Syria; ongoing dispute with downstream riparians (Syria and Iraq) over water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR
_#_Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)
_#_Land use: arable land 30%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 26%; other 28%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: subject to severe earthquakes, especially along major river valleys in west; air pollution; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location controlling the Turkish straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Turkey and Norway only NATO members having a land boundary with the USSR
_#_Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
_#_Constitution: 7 November 1982
_#_Legal system: derived from various 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 (Buyuk Millet Meclisi)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Turgut OZAL (since 9 November 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Mesut YILMAZ (since 30 June 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Ekrem PAKDAMIRLI (since 30 June 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Motherland Party (ANAP), Mesut YILMAZ; Social Democratic People's Party (SHP), Erdal INONU; Correct Way 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; Refah 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 29 November 1987 (next to be held 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Nuzhet KANDEMIR; Chancery at 1606 23rd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (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 portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening
_*Economy #_Overview: The economic reforms that Turkey launched in 1980 continue to bring an impressive stream of benefits. The economy has grown steadily since the early 1980s, with real growth in per capita GDP increasing more than 6% annually. Agriculture remains the most important economic sector, employing about 55% of the labor force, accounting for almost 20% of GDP, and contributing about 20% to exports. Impressive growth in recent years has not solved all of the economic problems facing Turkey. Inflation and interest rates remain high, and a large budget deficit will continue to provide difficulties for a country undergoing a substantial transformation from a centrally controlled to a free market economy. The government has launched a multimillion-dollar development program in the southeastern region, which includes the building of a dozen dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to generate electric power and irrigate large tracts of farmland. The planned tapping of huge additional quantities of Euphrates water has raised serious concern in the downstream riparian nations 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, transport equipment, metals, pharmaceuticals, dyes, plastics, rubber, mineral 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.); accounts for 32% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 14,315,000 kW capacity; 41,000 million kWh produced, 720 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP and employs majority of population; products—tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulses, citrus fruit, variety of animal products; self-sufficient in food most years
_#_Illicit drugs: one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output 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
_#_Airports: 115 total, 109 usable; 64 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 26 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair 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: Land Forces, Navy (including Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 14,861,358; 9,083,559 fit for military service; 606,871 reach military age (20) annually
_#Defense expenditures: $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: slightly less than 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; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
_#_Terrain: low, flat limestone; extensive 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 (eight inhabited); subject to frequent hurricanes
_#_Note: located 190 km north of the Dominican Republic in the North Atlantic Ocean
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 99%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: NA; majority engaged in fishing and tourist industries; some subsistence agriculture
_#_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 (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: introduced 30 August 1976, suspended in 1986, and a Constitutional Commission is currently reviewing its contents
_#_Legal system: based on laws of England and Wales with a small number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, 30 August (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 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Michael J. BRADLEY (since 1987);
Head of Government—Chief Minister Oswald O. SKIPPINGS (since 3 March 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 3 March 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 flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and offshore banking. Subsistence farming—corn and beans—exists only on the Caicos Islands, so that most foods, as well as nonfood products, must be imported.
_#_GDP: $44.9 million, per capita $5,000; real 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 capita (1990)
_#_Agriculture: subsistence farming prevails, based on corn and beans; fishing more important 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 tarmac
_#_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 permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 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: about 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 gales and heavy rain (November to March)
_#_Terrain: very low-lying 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 rare
_#_Note: located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
_#_Flag: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
_*Economy #_Overview: Tuvalu consists 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 primary economic activities. The islands are too small and too remote for development of a tourist industry. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea.
_#_GNP: $4.6 million, per capita $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 (c.i.f., 1983 est.);
commodities—food, animals, mineral 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 capita (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)
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 99%, European, Asian, Arab 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, rest indigenous beliefs
_#_Language: English (official); Luganda and Swahili widely used; other Bantu and Nilotic languages
_#_Literacy: 48% (male 62%, female 35%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,500,000 (est.); subsistence agriculture 94%, wage earners (est.) 6%; 50% of 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: 9 October 1962 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 8 September 1967, in process of constitutional revision
_#_Legal system: government plans to restore system based on English common law and customary law and reinstitute a normal judicial system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Resistance Council
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since 29 January 1986); Vice President Samson Babi Mululu KISEKKA (since NA January 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister George Cosmas ADYEBO (since NA 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 proscribed from conducting public political activities
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Resistance Council—last held 11-28 February 1989 (next to be held 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
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Stephen Kapimpina KATENTA-APULI; 5909 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 726-7100 through 7102;
US—Ambassador James CARSON; Embassy at Parliament Avenue, Kampala (mailing address is P. O. Box 7007, Kampala); telephone [256] (41) 259792, 259793, 259795
_#_Flag: six equal horizonal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the staff side
_*Economy #_Overview: Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. The economy has been devastated by much political instability, mismanagement, and civil war since independence in 1962, keeping Uganda poor with a per capita income of about $300. (GDP remains below the levels of the early 1970s, as does industrial production.) Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee is the major export crop and accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986 the government has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing petroleum prices, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation, which was running at over 300% in 1987, and boosting production and export earnings.
_#_GDP: $4.9 billion, per capita $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.)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 57% of GDP and 83% of labor force; cash crops—coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco; food crops—cassava, potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; livestock products—beef, goat meat, milk, 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
_*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; remainder earth roads and tracks
_#_Inland waterways: Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward; Victoria Nile, Albert Nile; principal inland water ports are at Jinja and Port Bell, both on Lake Victoria
_#_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: fair system with radio relay and radio communications stations; 61,600 telephones; stations—10 AM, no FM, 9 TV; satellite communications ground stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, about 3,980,637; about 2,162,241 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $68 million, 1.5% of GDP (1988) %@United Arab Emirates *Geography #_Total area: 83,600 km2; land area: 83,600 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly 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 bilateral boundaries or equidistant line
_#_Disputes: boundary with Qatar is in dispute; no defined boundary with Saudi Arabia; no defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north; claims three islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa, Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb)
_#_Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains
_#_Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
_#_Natural resources: crude oil and natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 98%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: frequent dust and sand storms; lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
