The Project Gutenberg EBook of The 2007 CIA World Factbook, by United States This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The 2007 CIA World Factbook Author: United States Release Date: December 11, 2008 [EBook #27348] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE 2007 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK *** Produced by Al Haines THE CIA WORLD FACTBOOK 2007 CONTENTS Countries and Locations Field Listings Rank Orders Appendixes Notes and Definitions History of the World Factbook Contributors and Copyright Information Purchasing Information Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ====================================================================== What's New - Country information has been updated as of 8 February 2007. - In the Government category, the "Capital" entry has been greatly expanded and now contains up to four subfields, including significant new information having to do with time. The subfields consist of the name of the capital itself, its geographic coordinates, the time difference at the capital from coordinated universal time (UTC), and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones. - The Transnational issues category now has a "Trafficking in persons" entry. Human trafficking connotes modern-day slavery and this important new field will include information on the most egregious countries (Tier 2 Watch List and Tier 3) as listed in the US State Department's annual report. - A new Appendix G lists Weights and Measures. The appendix includes information on mathematical notation and metric interrelationships, as well as over 400 examples of standard conversion factors. -Revision of some individual country maps, first introduced in the 2001 edition, is continued in this edition. Several regional maps have also been updated to reflect boundary changes and place name spelling changes. ====================================================================== The World Factbook (2007) - Country Listing [Transcriber's note: To search on a country in this file, prefix the country's name with "@", e.g. "@Afghanistan". "Afghanistan" will find all occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.] World A Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Arctic Ocean Argentina Armenia Aruba Ashmore and Cartier Islands Atlantic Ocean Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas, The Bahrain Baker Island description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges Bangladesh Barbados Bassas da India description under Iles Eparses Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic D Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europa Island description under Iles Eparses European Union entry follows Taiwan F Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Polynesia French Southern and Antarctic Lands G Gabon Gambia, The Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Glorioso Islands description under Iles Eparses Greece Greenland Grenada Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City) Honduras Hong Kong Howland Island description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges Hungary I Iceland Iles Eparses India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy J Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jarvis Island description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges Jersey Johnston Atoll description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges Jordan Juan de Nova Island description under Iles Eparses K Kazakhstan Kenya Kingman Reef description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Midway Islands description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Navassa Island Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway O Oman P Pacific Ocean Pakistan Palau Palmyra Atoll description under United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges Panama Papua New Guinea Paracel Islands Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Q Qatar R Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Southern Ocean Spain Spratly Islands Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan entry follows Zimbabwe Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tromelin Island description under Iles Eparses Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands W Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe Taiwan European Union ===================================================================== Field Listings [Transcriber's note: To search on a field code in this file, prefix the code number with "@", e.g. "@2001". "2001" will find all occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.] Code Field Description 2001 GDP (purchasing power parity) 2002 Population growth rate 2003 GDP - real growth rate 2004 GDP - per capita (PPP) 2006 Dependency status 2007 Diplomatic representation from the US 2008 Transportation - note 2010 Age structure 2011 Geographic coordinates 2012 GDP - composition by sector 2013 Radio broadcast stations 2015 Television broadcast stations 2018 Sex ratio 2019 Heliports 2020 Elevation extremes 2021 Natural hazards 2022 People - note 2023 Area - comparative 2024 Military service age and obligation 2025 Manpower fit for military service 2026 Manpower reaching military service age annually 2028 Background 2030 Airports - with paved runways 2031 Airports - with unpaved runways 2032 Environment - current issues 2033 Environment - international agreements 2034 Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2038 Electricity - production 2042 Electricity - consumption 2043 Electricity - imports 2044 Electricity - exports 2046 Population below poverty line 2047 Household income or consumption by percentage share 2048 Labor force - by occupation 2049 Exports - commodities 2050 Exports - partners 2051 Administrative divisions 2052 Agriculture - products 2053 Airports 2054 Birth rate 2055 Military branches 2056 Budget 2057 Capital 2058 Imports - commodities 2059 Climate 2060 Coastline 2061 Imports - partners 2062 Economic aid - donor 2063 Constitution 2064 Economic aid - recipient 2065 Currency (code) 2066 Death rate 2068 Dependent areas 2070 Disputes - international 2075 Ethnic groups 2076 Exchange rates 2077 Executive branch 2078 Exports 2079 Debt - external 2080 Fiscal year 2081 Flag description 2085 Roadways 2086 Illicit drugs 2087 Imports 2088 Independence 2089 Industrial production growth rate 2090 Industries 2091 Infant mortality rate 2092 Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2093 Waterways 2094 Judicial branch 2095 Labor force 2096 Land boundaries 2097 Land use 2098 Languages 2100 Legal system 2101 Legislative branch 2102 Life expectancy at birth 2103 Literacy 2105 Manpower available for military service 2106 Maritime claims 2107 International organization participation 2108 Merchant marine 2109 National holiday 2110 Nationality 2111 Natural resources 2112 Net migration rate 2113 Geography - note 2115 Political pressure groups and leaders 2116 Economy - overview 2117 Pipelines 2118 Political parties and leaders 2119 Population 2120 Ports and terminals 2121 Railways 2122 Religions 2123 Suffrage 2124 Telephone system 2125 Terrain 2127 Total fertility rate 2128 Government type 2129 Unemployment rate 2137 Military - note 2138 Communications - note 2140 Government - note 2142 Country name 2144 Location 2145 Map references 2146 Irrigated land 2147 Area 2149 Diplomatic representation in the US 2150 Telephones - main lines in use 2151 Telephones - mobile cellular 2153 Internet users 2154 Internet country code 2155 HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 2156 HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 2157 HIV/AIDS - deaths 2172 Distribution of family income - Gini index 2173 Oil - production 2174 Oil - consumption 2175 Oil - imports 2176 Oil - exports 2177 Median age 2178 Oil - proved reserves 2179 Natural gas - proved reserves 2180 Natural gas - production 2181 Natural gas - consumption 2182 Natural gas - imports 2183 Natural gas - exports 2184 Internet hosts 2185 Investment (gross fixed) 2186 Public debt 2187 Current account balance 2188 Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2193 Major infectious diseases 2194 Refugees and internally displaced persons 2195 GDP (official exchange rate) 2196 Trafficking in persons ===================================================================== Rank Orders [Transcriber's note: To search on a rank order in this file, prefix the rank's name with "@", e.g. "@Population". "Population" will find all occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.] Rank Order pages are presorted lists of data from selected Factbook data fields. Rank Order pages are generally given in descending order - highest to lowest - such as Population and Area. The two exceptions are Unemployment Rate and Inflation Rate, which are in ascending - lowest to highest - order. Rank Order pages are available for the following 47 fields in six of the nine Factbook categories. Geography Area - total People Population Birth rate Death rate Infant mortality rate Life expectancy at birth - total Total fertility rate HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS - deaths Economy GDP (purchasing power parity) GDP - real growth rate GDP - per capita Labor force Unemployment rate Inflation rate (consumer prices) Investment (gross fixed) Public debt Industrial production growth rate Electricity - production Electricity - consumption Oil - production Oil - consumption Oil - exports Oil - imports Oil - proved reserves Natural Gas - production Natural Gas - consumption Natural Gas - exports Natural Gas - imports Natural Gas - proved reserves Current account balance Exports Imports Reserves of foreign exchange and gold Debt - external Communications Telephones - main lines in use Telephones - mobile cellular Internet hosts Internet users Transportation Airports Railways - total Roadways - total Waterways Merchant marine - total Military Military expenditures - dollar figure Military expenditures - percent of GDP Factbook fields with Rank Order pages are easily identified with a small bar chart icon to the right of the data field title. Not all Rank Order pages include the same number of entries because information for a particular field is not available for all countries. In addition, not all data fields are suitable for displaying as Rank Order pages, such as those containing textual information. Textual information is more readily viewed by clicking on the Field Listing icon next to the Data field title. The other icon next to the data field title provides the definition of the field. All of the 'Rank Order' pages can be downloaded as tab-delimited data files and can be opened in other applications such as spreadsheets and databases. To save a Rank Order page in a spreadsheet, first click on the 'Download Datafile' choice above the Rank Order page you selected; then, at the top of your browser window, click on 'File' and 'Save As'. After saving the file, open the spreadsheet, find the saved file, and 'Open' it. Additional Rank Order pages being considered for future updates of the Factbook Web site include: Median age Literacy Population below the poverty line This page was last updated on 4 April, 2006 ===================================================================== Appendixes Appendix A - Abbreviations Appendix B - International Organizations and Groups Appendix C - Selected International Environmental Agreements Appendix D - Cross-Reference list of Country Data Codes Appendix E - Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data Codes Appendix F - Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names Appendix G - Weights and Measures ====================================================================== Notes and Definitions Along with regular information updates, The World Factbook features several new or revised fields. In the Government category, the "Capital" entry has been greatly expanded and now contains up to four subfields, including significant new information having to do with time. The subfields consist of the name of the capital itself, its geographic coordinates, the time difference at the capital from coordinated universal time (UTC), and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones. The Transnational issues category now has a "Trafficking in persons" entry. Human trafficking connotes modern-day slavery and this important new field will include information on the most egregious countries (Tier 2 Watch List and Tier 3) as listed in the US State Department's annual report. Abbreviations: This information is included in Appendix A: Abbreviations, which includes all abbreviations and acronyms used in the Factbook, with their expansions. Acronyms: An acronym is an abbreviation coined from the initial letter of each successive word in a term or phrase. In general, an acronym made up solely from the first letter of the major words in the expanded form is rendered in all capital letters (NATO from North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an exception would be ASEAN for Association of Southeast Asian Nations). In general, an acronym made up of more than the first letter of the major words in the expanded form is rendered with only an initial capital letter (Comsat from Communications Satellite Corporation; an exception would be NAM from Nonaligned Movement). Hybrid forms are sometimes used to distinguish between initially identical terms (WTO: for World Trade Organization and WToO for World Tourism Organization.) Administrative divisions: This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first-order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet acted on by BGN are noted. Age structure: This entry provides the distribution of the population according to age. Information is included by sex and age group (0-14 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and over). The age structure of a population affects a nation's key socioeconomic issues. Countries with young populations (high percentage under age 15) need to invest more in schools, while countries with older populations (high percentage ages 65 and over) need to invest more in the health sector. The age structure can also be used to help predict potential political issues. For example, the rapid growth of a young adult population unable to find employment can lead to unrest. Agriculture - products: This entry is an ordered listing of major crops and products starting with the most important. Airports: This entry gives the total number of airports or airfields recognizable from the air. The runway(s) may be paved (concrete or asphalt surfaces) or unpaved (grass, earth, sand, or gravel surfaces) but may include closed or abandoned installations. Airports or airfields that are no longer recognizable (overgrown, no facilities, etc.) are not included. Note that not all airports have accomodations for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control. Airports - with paved runways: This entry gives the total number of airports with paved runways (concrete or asphalt surfaces) by length. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest runway is included according to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m, (2) 2,438 to 3,047 m, (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m, (4) 914 to 1,523 m, and (5) under 914 m. Only airports with usable runways are included in this listing. Not all airports have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control. Airports - with unpaved runways: This entry gives the total number of airports with unpaved runways (grass, dirt, sand, or gravel surfaces) by length. For airports with more than one runway, only the longest runway is included according to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m, (2) 2,438 to 3,047 m, (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m, (4) 914 to 1,523 m, and (5) under 914 m. Only airports with usable runways are included in this listing. Not all airports have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control. Appendixes: This section includes Factbook-related material by topic. Area: This entry includes three subfields. Total area is the sum of all land and water areas delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines. Land area is the aggregate of all surfaces delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines, excluding inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). Water area is the sum of the surfaces of all inland water bodies, such as lakes, reservoirs, or rivers, as delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines. Area - comparative: This entry provides an area comparison based on total area equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of the 50 states based on area measurements (1990 revised) provided by the US Bureau of the Census. The smaller entities are compared with Washington, DC (178 sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres). Background: This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends. Birth rate: This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both the level of fertility and the age structure of the population. Budget: This entry includes revenues, expenditures, and capital expenditures. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Capital: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones. Climate: This entry includes a brief description of typical weather regimes throughout the year. Coastline: This entry gives the total length of the boundary between the land area (including islands) and the sea. Communications: This category deals with the means of exchanging information and includes the telephone, radio, television, and Internet host entries. Communications - note: This entry includes miscellaneous communications information of significance not included elsewhere. Constitution: This entry includes the dates of adoption, revisions, and major amendments. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC): UTC is the international atomic time scale that serves as the basis of timekeeping for most of the world. The hours, minutes, and seconds expressed by UTC represent the time of day at the Prime Meridian (0 deg. longitude) located near Greenwich, England as reckoned from midnight. UTC is calculated by the Bureau International des Poids et Measures (BIPM) in Sevres, France. The BIPM averages data collected from more than 200 atomic time and frequency standards located at about 50 laboratories worldwide. UTC is the basis for all civil time with the Earth divided into time zones expressed as positive or negative differences from UTC. UTC is also referred to as "Zulu time." See the Standard Time Zones of the World map included with the Reference Maps. Country data codes: see Data codes Country map: Most versions of the Factbook provide a country map in color. The maps were produced from the best information available at the time of preparation. Names and/or boundaries may have changed subsequently. Country name: This entry includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example): conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form (Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form (Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation. Also see the Terminology note. Crude oil: See entry for oil. Currency (code): This entry identifies the national medium of exchange and, in parenthesis, gives the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 4217 alphabetic currency code for each country. Current account balance: This entry records a country's net trade in goods and services, plus net earnings from rents, interest, profits, and dividends, and net transfer payments (such as pension funds and worker remittances) to and from the rest of the world during the period specified. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Data codes: This information is presented in Appendix D: Cross- Reference List of Country Data Codes and Appendix E: Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data Codes. Date of information: In general, information available as of 1 January 2007, was used in the preparation of this edition. Daylight Saving Time (DST): This entry is included for those entities that have adopted a policy of adjusting the official local time forward, usually one hour, from Standard Time during summer months. Such policies are most common in mid-latitude regions. Death rate: This entry gives the average annual number of deaths during a year per 1,000 population at midyear; also known as crude death rate. The death rate, while only a rough indicator of the mortality situation in a country, accurately indicates the current mortality impact on population growth. This indicator is significantly affected by age distribution, and most countries will eventually show a rise in the overall death rate, in spite of continued decline in mortality at all ages, as declining fertility results in an aging population. Debt - external: This entry gives the total public and private debt owed to nonresidents repayable in foreign currency, goods, or services. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dependency status: This entry describes the formal relationship between a particular nonindependent entity and an independent state. Dependent areas: This entry contains an alphabetical listing of all nonindependent entities associated in some way with a particular independent state. Diplomatic representation: The US Government has diplomatic relations with 188 independent states, including 187 of the 192 UN members (excluded UN members are Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and the US itself). In addition, the US has diplomatic relations with 1 independent state that is not in the UN, the Holy See, as well as with the EU. Diplomatic representation from the US: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations. Diplomatic representation in the US: This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations. Disputes - international: This entry includes a wide variety of situations that range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international terrestrial and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the US Department of State. References to other situations involving borders or frontiers may also be included, such as resource disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues; however, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or recognition by the US Government. Distribution of family income - Gini index: This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country's Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country's income distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to the 45 degree line and the lower its Gini index, e.g., a Scandinavian country with an index of 25. The more unequal a country's income distribution, the farther its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and the higher its Gini index, e.g., a Sub-Saharan country with an index of 50. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis and the index would be 100. Economic aid - donor: This entry refers to net official development assistance (ODA) from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations to developing countries and multilateral organizations. ODA is defined as financial assistance that is concessional in character, has the main objective to promote economic development and welfare of the less developed countries (LDCs), and contains a grant element of at least 25%. The entry does not cover other official flows (OOF) or private flows. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Economic aid - recipient: This entry, which is subject to major problems of definition and statistical coverage, refers to the net inflow of Official Development Finance (ODF) to recipient countries. The figure includes assistance from the World Bank, the IMF, and other international organizations and from individual nation donors. Formal commitments of aid are included in the data. Omitted from the data are grants by private organizations. Aid comes in various forms including outright grants and loans. The entry thus is the difference between new inflows and repayments. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Economy: This category includes the entries dealing with the size, development, and management of productive resources, i.e., land, labor, and capital. Economy - overview: This entry briefly describes the type of economy, including the degree of market orientation, the level of economic development, the most important natural resources, and the unique areas of specialization. It also characterizes major economic events and policy changes in the most recent 12 months and may include a statement about one or two key future macroeconomic trends. Electricity - consumption: This entry consists of total electricity generated annually plus imports and minus exports, expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution. Electricity - exports: This entry is the total exported electricity in kilowatt-hours. Electricity - imports: This entry is the total imported electricity in kilowatt-hours. Electricity - production: This entry is the annual electricity generated expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution. Elevation extremes: This entry includes both the highest point and the lowest point. Entities: Some of the independent states, dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, and governments included in this publication are not independent, and others are not officially recognized by the US Government. "Independent state" refers to a people politically organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory. "Dependencies" and "areas of special sovereignty" refer to a broad category of political entities that are associated in some way with an independent state. "Country" names used in the table of contents or for page headings are usually the short-form names as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names and may include independent states, dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty, or other geographic entities. There are a total of 268 separate geographic entities in The World Factbook that may be categorized as follows: INDEPENDENT STATES 193 Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe OTHER 2 Taiwan, European Union DEPENDENCIES AND AREAS OF SPECIAL SOVEREIGNTY 6 Australia - Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island 2 China - Hong Kong, Macau 2 Denmark - Faroe Islands, Greenland 12 France - Bassas da India*, Clipperton Island, Europa Island*, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands*, Juan de Nova Island*, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tromelin Island*, Wallis and Futuna (* consolidated in Iles Eparses entry) 2 Netherlands - Aruba, Netherlands Antilles 3 New Zealand - Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau 3 Norway - Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard 17 UK - Akrotiri, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dhekelia, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands 14 US - American Samoa, Baker Island*, Guam, Howland Island*, Jarvis Island*, Johnston Atoll*, Kingman Reef*, Midway Islands*, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll*, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island (* consolidated in United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges entry) MISCELLANEOUS 6 Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, West Bank, Western Sahara OTHER ENTITIES 5 oceans - Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Southern Ocean 1 World 268 total Environment - current issues: This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental problems. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry: Acidification - the lowering of soil and water pH due to acid precipitation and deposition usually through precipitation; this process disrupts ecosystem nutrient flows and may kill freshwater fish and plants dependent on more neutral or alkaline conditions (see acid rain). Acid rain - characterized as containing harmful levels of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide; acid rain is damaging and potentially deadly to the earth's fragile ecosystems; acidity is measured using the pH scale where 7 is neutral, values greater than 7 are considered alkaline, and values below 5.6 are considered acid precipitation; note - a pH of 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) has been measured in rainfall in New England. Aerosol - a collection of airborne particles dispersed in a gas, smoke, or fog. Afforestation - converting a bare or agricultural space by planting trees and plants; reforestation involves replanting trees on areas that have been cut or destroyed by fire. Asbestos - a naturally occurring soft fibrous mineral commonly used in fireproofing materials and considered to be highly carcinogenic in particulate form. Biodiversity - also biological diversity; the relative number of species, diverse in form and function, at the genetic, organism, community, and ecosystem level; loss of biodiversity reduces an ecosystem's ability to recover from natural or man-induced disruption. Bio-indicators - a plant or animal species whose presence, abundance, and health reveal the general condition of its habitat. Biomass - the total weight or volume of living matter in a given area or volume. Carbon cycle - the term used to describe the exchange of carbon (in various forms, e.g., as carbon dioxide) between the atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial biosphere, and geological deposits. Catchments - assemblages used to capture and retain rainwater and runoff; an important water management technique in areas with limited freshwater resources, such as Gibraltar. DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane) - a colorless, odorless insecticide that has toxic effects on most animals; the use of DDT was banned in the US in 1972. Defoliants - chemicals which cause plants to lose their leaves artificially; often used in agricultural practices for weed control, and may have detrimental impacts on human and ecosystem health. Deforestation - the destruction of vast areas of forest (e.g., unsustainable forestry practices, agricultural and range land clearing, and the over exploitation of wood products for use as fuel) without planting new growth. Desertification - the spread of desert-like conditions in arid or semi- arid areas, due to overgrazing, loss of agriculturally productive soils, or climate change. Dredging - the practice of deepening an existing waterway; also, a technique used for collecting bottom-dwelling marine organisms (e.g., shellfish) or harvesting coral, often causing significant destruction of reef and ocean-floor ecosystems. Drift-net fishing - done with a net, miles in extent, that is generally anchored to a boat and left to float with the tide; often results in an over harvesting and waste of large populations of non-commercial marine species (by-catch) by its effect of "sweeping the ocean clean". Ecosystems - ecological units comprised of complex communities of organisms and their specific environments. Effluents - waste materials, such as smoke, sewage, or industrial waste which are released into the environment, subsequently polluting it. Endangered species - a species that is threatened with extinction either by direct hunting or habitat destruction. Freshwater - water with very low soluble mineral content; sources include lakes, streams, rivers, glaciers, and underground aquifers. Greenhouse gas - a gas that "traps" infrared radiation in the lower atmosphere causing surface warming; water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and ozone are the primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. Groundwater - water sources found below the surface of the earth often in naturally occurring reservoirs in permeable rock strata; the source for wells and natural springs. Highlands Water Project - a series of dams constructed jointly by Lesotho and South Africa to redirect Lesotho's abundant water supply into a rapidly growing area in South Africa; while it is the largest infrastructure project in southern Africa, it is also the most costly and controversial; objections to the project include claims that it forces people from their homes, submerges farmlands, and squanders economic resources. Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) - represents the 145,000 Inuits of Russia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland in international environmental issues; a General Assembly convenes every three years to determine the focus of the ICC; the most current concerns are long-range transport of pollutants, sustainable development, and climate change. Metallurgical plants - industries which specialize in the science, technology, and processing of metals; these plants produce highly concentrated and toxic wastes which can contribute to pollution of ground water and air when not properly disposed. Noxious substances - injurious, very harmful to living beings. Overgrazing - the grazing of animals on plant material faster than it can naturally regrow leading to the permanent loss of plant cover, a common effect of too many animals grazing limited range land. Ozone shield - a layer of the atmosphere composed of ozone gas (O3) that resides approximately 25 miles above the Earth's surface and absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation that can be harmful to living organisms. Poaching - the illegal killing of animals or fish, a great concern with respect to endangered or threatened species. Pollution - the contamination of a healthy environment by man-made waste. Potable water - water that is drinkable, safe to be consumed. Salination - the process through which fresh (drinkable) water becomes salt (undrinkable) water; hence, desalination is the reverse process; also involves the accumulation of salts in topsoil caused by evaporation of excessive irrigation water, a process that can eventually render soil incapable of supporting crops. Siltation - occurs when water channels and reservoirs become clotted with silt and mud, a side effect of deforestation and soil erosion. Slash-and-burn agriculture - a rotating cultivation technique in which trees are cut down and burned in order to clear land for temporary agriculture; the land is used until its productivity declines at which point a new plot is selected and the process repeats; this practice is sustainable while population levels are low and time is permitted for regrowth of natural vegetation; conversely, where these conditions do not exist, the practice can have disastrous consequences for the environment. Soil degradation - damage to the land's productive capacity because of poor agricultural practices such as the excessive use of pesticides or fertilizers, soil compaction from heavy equipment, or erosion of topsoil, eventually resulting in reduced ability to produce agricultural products. Soil erosion - the removal of soil by the action of water or wind, compounded by poor agricultural practices, deforestation, overgrazing, and desertification. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation - a portion of the electromagnetic energy emitted by the sun and naturally filtered in the upper atmosphere by the ozone layer; UV radiation can be harmful to living organisms and has been linked to increasing rates of skin cancer in humans. Water-born diseases - those in which bacteria survive in, and are transmitted through, water; always a serious threat in areas with an untreated water supply. Environment - international agreements: This entry separates country participation in international environmental agreements into two levels - party to and signed, but not ratified. Agreements are listed in alphabetical order by the abbreviated form of the full name. Environmental agreements: This information is presented in Appendix C: Selected International Environmental Agreements, which includes the name, abbreviation, date opened for signature, date entered into force, objective, and parties by category. Ethnic groups: This entry provides an ordered listing of ethnic groups starting with the largest and normally includes the percent of total population. Exchange rates: This entry provides the official value of a country's monetary unit at a given date or over a given period of time, as expressed in units of local currency per US dollar and as determined by international market forces or official fiat. Executive branch: This entry includes several subfields. Chief of state includes the name and title of the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government. Head of government includes the name and title of the top administrative leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the government. For example, in the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the president is both the chief of state and the head of government. Cabinet includes the official name for this body of high-ranking advisers and the method for selection of members. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election. Exports: This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise exports on an f.o.b. (free on board) basis. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Exports - commodities: This entry provides a rank ordering of exported products starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value. Exports - partners: This entry provides a rank ordering of trading partners starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value. Fiscal year: This entry identifies the beginning and ending months for a country's accounting period of 12 months, which often is the calendar year but which may begin in any month. All yearly references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as a noncalendar fiscal year (FY). Flag description: This entry provides a written flag description produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time the entry was written. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags. Flag graphic: Most versions of the Factbook include a color flag at the beginning of the country profile. The flag graphics were produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time of preparation. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags. GDP (official exchange rate): This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. A nation's GDP at offical exchange rates (OER) is the home-currency-denominated annual GDP figure divided by the bilateral average US exchange rate with that country in that year. The measure is simple to compute and gives a precise measure of the value of output. Many economists prefer this measure when gauging the economic power an economy maintains vis-a-vis its neighbors, judging that an exchange rate captures the purchasing power a nation enjoys in the international marketplace. Official exchange rates, however, can be artifically fixed and/or subject to manipulation - resulting in claims of the country having an under- or over-valued currency - and are not necessarily the equivalent of a market-determined exchange rate. Moreover, even if the official exchange rate is market-determined, market exchange rates are frequently established by a relatively small set of goods and services (the ones the country trades) and may not capture the value of the larger set of goods the country produces. Furthermore, OER-converted GDP is not well suited to comparing domestic GDP over time, since appreciation/depreciation from one year to the next will make the OER GDP value rise/fall regardless of whether home- currency-denominated GDP changed. GDP (purchasing power parity): This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. A nation's GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates is the sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued at prices prevailing in the United States. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per- capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measure is difficult to compute, as a US dollar value has to be assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless of whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the United States (for example, the value of an ox-cart or non-US military equipment); as a result, PPP estimates for some countries are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and services. In addition, many countries do not formally participate in the World Bank's PPP project that calculates these measures, so the resulting GDP estimates for these countries may lack precision. For many developing countries, PPP-based GDP measures are multiples of the official exchange rate (OER) measure. The difference between the OER- and PPP- denominated GDP values for most of the weathly industrialized countries are generally much smaller. GDP - composition by sector: This entry gives the percentage contribution of agriculture, industry, and services to total GDP. The distribution will total less than 100 percent if the data are incomplete. GDP - per capita (PPP): This entry shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population as of 1 July for the same year. GDP - real growth rate: This entry gives GDP growth on an annual basis adjusted for inflation and expressed as a percent. GDP methodology: In the Economy category, GDP dollar estimates for countries are reported both on an official exchange rate (OER) and a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. Both measures contain information that is useful to the reader. The PPP method involves the use of standardized international dollar price weights, which are applied to the quantities of final goods and services produced in a given economy. The data derived from the PPP method probably provides the best available starting point for comparisons of economic strength and well- being between countries. In contrast, the currency exchange rate method involves a variety of international and domestic financial forces that may not capture the value of domestic output. Furthermore, exchange rates may suddenly go up or down by 10% or more because of market forces or official fiat whereas real output has remained unchanged. On 12 January 1994, for example, the 14 countries of the African Financial Community (whose currencies are tied to the French franc) devalued their currencies by 50%. This move, of course, did not cut the real output of these countries by half. Whereas PPP estimates for OECD countries are quite reliable, PPP estimates for developing countries are often rough approximations. In developing countries with weak currencies, the exchange rate estimate of GDP in dollars is typically one-fourth to one-half the PPP estimate. Most of the GDP estimates for developing countries are based on extrapolation of PPP numbers published by the UN International Comparison Program (UNICP) and by Professors Robert Summers and Alan Heston of the University of Pennsylvania and their colleagues. GDP derived using the OER method should be used for the purpose of calculating the share of items such as exports, imports, military expenditures, external debt, or the current account balance, because the dollar values presented in the Factbook for these items have been converted at official exchange rates, not at PPP. One should use the OER GDP figure to calculate the proportion of, say, Chinese defense expenditures in GDP, because that share will be the same as one calculated in local currency units. Comparison of OER GDP with PPP GDP may also indicate whether a currency is over- or under-valued. If OER GDP is smaller than PPP GDP, the official exchange rate may be undervalued, and vice versa. However, there is no strong historical evidence that market exchange rates move in the direction implied by the PPP rate, at least not in the short- or medium-term. Note: the numbers for GDP and other economic data should not be chained together from successive volumes of the Factbook because of changes in the US dollar measuring rod, revisions of data by statistical agencies, use of new or different sources of information, and changes in national statistical methods and practices. GNP: Gross national product (GNP) is the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, plus income earned by its citizens abroad, minus income earned by foreigners from domestic production. The Factbook, following current practice, uses GDP rather than GNP to measure national production. However, the user must realize that in certain countries net remittances from citizens working abroad may be important to national well-being. GWP: This entry gives the gross world product (GWP) or aggregate value of all final goods and services produced worldwide in a given year. Geographic coordinates: This entry includes rounded latitude and longitude figures for the purpose of finding the approximate geographic center of an entity and is based on the Gazetteer of Conventional Names, Third Edition, August 1988, US Board on Geographic Names and on other sources. Geographic names: This information is presented in Appendix F: Cross- Reference List of Geographic Names. It includes a listing of various alternate names, former names, local names, and regional names referenced to one or more related Factbook entries. Spellings are normally, but not always, those approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Alternate names and additional information are included in parentheses. Geography: This category includes the entries dealing with the natural environment and the effects of human activity. Geography - note: This entry includes miscellaneous geographic information of significance not included elsewhere. Gini index: See entry for Distribution of family income - Gini index Government: This category includes the entries dealing with the system for the adoption and administration of public policy. Government - note: This entry includes miscellaneous government information of significance not included elsewhere. Government type: This entry gives the basic form of government. Definitions of the major governmental terms are as follows: Anarchy - a condition of lawlessness or political disorder brought about by the absence of governmental authority. Commonwealth - a nation, state, or other political entity founded on law and united by a compact of the people for the common good. Communism - a system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single - often authoritarian - party holds power; state controls are imposed with the elimination of private ownership of property or capital while claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people (i.e., a classless society). Confederacy (Confederation) - a union by compact or treaty between states, provinces, or territories, that creates a central government with limited powers; the constituent entities retain supreme authority over all matters except those delegated to the central government. Constitutional - a government by or operating under an authoritative document (constitution) that sets forth the system of fundamental laws and principles that determines the nature, functions, and limits of that government. Constitutional democracy - a form of government in which the sovereign power of the people is spelled out in a governing constitution. Constitutional monarchy - a system of government in which a monarch is guided by a constitution whereby his/her rights, duties, and responsibilities are spelled out in written law or by custom. Democracy - a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but which is usually exercised indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed. Democratic republic - a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them. Dictatorship - a form of government in which a ruler or small clique wield absolute power (not restricted by a constitution or laws). Ecclesiastical - a government administrated by a church. Emirate - similar to a monarchy or sultanate, but a government in which the supreme power is in the hands of an emir (the ruler of a Muslim state); the emir may be an absolute overlord or a sovereign with constitutionally limited authority. Federal (Federative) - a form of government in which sovereign power is formally divided - usually by means of a constitution - between a central authority and a number of constituent regions (states, colonies, or provinces) so that each region retains some management of its internal affairs; differs from a confederacy in that the central government exerts influence directly upon both individuals as well as upon the regional units. Federal republic - a state in which the powers of the central government are restricted and in which the component parts (states, colonies, or provinces) retain a degree of self-government; ultimate sovereign power rests with the voters who chose their governmental representatives. Islamic republic - a particular form of government adoped by some Muslim states; although such a state is, in theory, a theocracy, it remains a republic, but its laws are required to be compatible with the laws of Islam. Maoism - the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in China by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung), which states that a continuous revolution is necessary if the leaders of a communist state are to keep in touch with the people. Marxism - the political, economic, and social principles espoused by 19th century economist Karl Marx; he viewed the struggle of workers as a progression of historical forces that would proceed from a class struggle of the proletariat (workers) exploited by capitalists (business owners), to a socialist "dictatorship of the proletariat," to, finally, a classless society - Communism. Marxism-Leninism - an expanded form of communism developed by Lenin from doctrines of Karl Marx; Lenin saw imperialism as the final stage of capitalism and shifted the focus of workers' struggle from developed to underdeveloped countries. Monarchy - a government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or territory, usually for life and by hereditary right; the monarch may be either a sole absolute ruler or a sovereign - such as a king, queen, or prince - with constitutionally limited authority. Oligarchy - a government in which control is exercised by a small group of individuals whose authority generally is based on wealth or power. Parliamentary democracy - a political system in which the legislature (parliament) selects the government - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor along with the cabinet ministers - according to party strength as expressed in elections; by this system, the government acquires a dual responsibility: to the people as well as to the parliament. Parliamentary government (Cabinet-Parliamentary government) - a government in which members of an executive branch (the cabinet and its leader - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor) are nominated to their positions by a legislature or parliament, and are directly responsible to it; this type of government can be dissolved at will by the parliament (legislature) by means of a no confidence vote or the leader of the cabinet may dissolve the parliament if it can no longer function. Parliamentary monarchy - a state headed by a monarch who is not actively involved in policy formation or implementation (i.e., the exercise of sovereign powers by a monarch in a ceremonial capacity); true governmental leadership is carried out by a cabinet and its head - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor - who are drawn from a legislature (parliament). Republic - a representative democracy in which the people's elected deputies (representatives), not the people themselves, vote on legislation. Socialism - a government in which the means of planning, producing, and distributing goods is controlled by a central government that theoretically seeks a more just and equitable distribution of property and labor; in actuality, most socialist governments have ended up being no more than dictatorships over workers by a ruling elite. Sultanate - similar to a monarchy, but a government in which the supreme power is in the hands of a sultan (the head of a Muslim state); the sultan may be an absolute ruler or a sovereign with constitutionally limited authority. Theocracy - a form of government in which a Deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, but the Deity's laws are interpreted by ecclesiastical authorities (bishops, mullahs, etc.); a government subject to religious authority. Totalitarian - a government that seeks to subordinate the individual to the state by controlling not only all political and economic matters, but also the attitudes, values, and beliefs of its population. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): The mean solar time at the Greenwich Meridian, Greenwich, England, with the hours and days, since 1925, reckoned from midnight. GMT is now a historical term having been replaced by UTC on 1 January 1972. See Coordinated Universal Time. Gross domestic product: see GDP Gross national product: see GNP Gross world product: see GWP HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: This entry gives an estimate of the percentage of adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS. The adult prevalence rate is calculated by dividing the estimated number of adults living with HIV/AIDS at yearend by the total adult population at yearend. HIV/AIDS - deaths: This entry gives an estimate of the number of adults and children who died of AIDS during a given calendar year. HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: This entry gives an estimate of all people (adults and children) alive at yearend with HIV infection, whether or not they have developed symptoms of AIDS. Heliports: This entry gives the total number of heliports with hard- surface runways, helipads, or landing areas that support routine sustained helicopter operations exclusively and have support facilities including one or more of the following facilities: lighting, fuel, passenger handling, or maintenance. It includes former airports used exclusively for helicopter operations but excludes heliports limited to day operations and natural clearings that could support helicopter landings and takeoffs. Household income or consumption by percentage share: Data on household income or consumption come from household surveys, the results adjusted for household size. Nations use different standards and procedures in collecting and adjusting the data. Surveys based on income will normally show a more unequal distribution than surveys based on consumption. The quality of surveys is improving with time, yet caution is still necessary in making inter-country comparisons. Hydrographic data codes: see Data codes Illicit drugs: This entry gives information on the five categories of illicit drugs - narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. These categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed by doctors as well as those illegally produced and sold outside of medical channels. Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana (pot, Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Marinol), hashish (hash), and hashish oil (hash oil). Coca (mostly Erythroxylum coca) is a bush with leaves that contain the stimulant used to make cocaine. Coca is not to be confused with cocoa, which comes from cacao seeds and is used in making chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa butter. Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca bush. Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that reduce tension and anxiety and include chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, phenobarbital), benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium), methaqualone (Quaalude), glutethimide (Doriden), and others (Equanil, Placidyl, Valmid). Drugs are any chemical substances that effect a physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral change in an individual. Drug abuse is the use of any licit or illicit chemical substance that results in physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral impairment in an individual. Hallucinogens are drugs that affect sensation, thinking, self- awareness, and emotion. Hallucinogens include LSD (acid, microdot), mescaline and peyote (mexc, buttons, cactus), amphetamine variants (PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust, hog), phencyclidine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others (psilocybin, psilocyn). Hashish is the resinous exudate of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Heroin is a semisynthetic derivative of morphine. Mandrax is a trade name for methaqualone, a pharmaceutical depressant. Marijuana is the dried leaf of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Methaqualone is a pharmaceutical depressant, referred to as mandrax in Southwest Asia and Africa. Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often induce sleep, and refer to opium, opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes. Natural narcotics include opium (paregoric, parepectolin), morphine (MS-Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol with codeine, Empirin with codeine, Robitussan AC), and thebaine. Semisynthetic narcotics include heroin (horse, smack), and hydromorphone (Dilaudid). Synthetic narcotics include meperidine or Pethidine (Demerol, Mepergan), methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), and others (Darvon, Lomotil). Opium is the brown, gummy exudate of the incised, unripe seedpod of the opium poppy. Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is the source for the natural and semisynthetic narcotics. Poppy straw is the entire cut and dried opium poppy-plant material, other than the seeds. Opium is extracted from poppy straw in commercial operations that produce the drug for medical use. Qat (kat, khat) is a stimulant from the buds or leaves of Catha edulis that is chewed or drunk as tea. Quaaludes is the North American slang term for methaqualone, a pharmaceutical depressant. Stimulants are drugs that relieve mild depression, increase energy and activity, and include cocaine (coke, snow, crack), amphetamines (Desoxyn, Dexedrine), ephedrine, ecstasy (clarity, essence, doctor, Adam), phenmetrazine (Preludin), methylphenidate (Ritalin), and others (Cylert, Sanorex, Tenuate). Imports: This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise imports on a c.i.f. (cost, insurance, and freight) or f.o.b. (free on board) basis. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Imports - commodities: This entry provides a rank ordering of imported products starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value. Imports - partners: This entry provides a rank ordering of trading partners starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value. Independence: For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the notation "none" followed by the nature of their dependency status. Also see the Terminology note. Industrial production growth rate: This entry gives the annual percentage increase in industrial production (includes manufacturing, mining, and construction). Industries: This entry provides a rank ordering of industries starting with the largest by value of annual output. Infant mortality rate: This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year; included is the total death rate, and deaths by sex, male and female. This rate is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country. Inflation rate (consumer prices): This entry furnishes the annual percent change in consumer prices compared with the previous year's consumer prices. International disputes: see Disputes - international International organization participation: This entry lists in alphabetical order by abbreviation those international organizations in which the subject country is a member or participates in some other way. International organizations: This information is presented in Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups which includes the name, abbreviation, date established, aim, and members by category. Internet country code: This entry includes the two-letter codes maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the ISO 3166 Alpha-2 list and used by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to establish country-coded top-level domains (ccTLDs). Internet hosts: This entry lists the number of Internet hosts available within a country. An Internet host is a computer connected directly to the Internet; normally an Internet Service Provider's (ISP) computer is a host. Internet users may use either a hard-wired terminal, at an institution with a mainframe computer connected directly to the Internet, or may connect remotely by way of a modem via telephone line, cable, or satellite to the Internet Service Provider's host computer. The number of hosts is one indicator of the extent of Internet connectivity. Internet users: This entry gives the number of users within a country that access the Internet. Statistics vary from country to country and may include users who access the Internet at least several times a week to those who access it only once within a period of several months. Introduction: This category includes one entry, Background. Investment (gross fixed): This entry records total business spending on fixed assets, such as factories, machinery, equipment, dwellings, and inventories of raw materials, which provide the basis for future production. It is measured gross of the depreciation of the assets, i.e., it includes invesment that merely replaces worn-out or scrapped capital. Irrigated land: This entry gives the number of square kilometers of land area that is artificially supplied with water. Judicial branch: This entry contains the name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief description of the selection process for members. Labor force: This entry contains the total labor force figure. Labor force - by occupation: This entry lists the percentage distribution of the labor force by occupation. The distribution will total less than 100 percent if the data are incomplete. Land boundaries: This entry contains the total length of all land boundaries and the individual lengths for each of the contiguous border countries. When available, official lengths published by national statistical agencies are used. Because surveying methods may differ, country border lengths reported by contiguous countries may differ. Land use: This entry contains the percentage shares of total land area for three different types of land use: arable land - land cultivated for crops like wheat, maize, and rice that are replanted after each harvest; permanent crops - land cultivated for crops like citrus, coffee, and rubber that are not replanted after each harvest; includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber; other - any land not arable or under permanent crops; includes permanent meadows and pastures, forests and woodlands, built-on areas, roads, barren land, etc. Languages: This entry provides a rank ordering of languages starting with the largest and sometimes includes the percent of total population speaking that language. Legal system: This entry contains a brief description of the legal system's historical roots, role in government, and acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction. Legislative branch: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election. Life expectancy at birth: This entry contains the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. The entry includes total population as well as the male and female components. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures. Literacy: This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of the Factbook. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology- driven world. Location: This entry identifies the country's regional location, neighboring countries, and adjacent bodies of water. Major infectious diseases: This entry lists major infectious diseases likely to be encountered in countries where the risk of such diseases is assessed to be very high as compared to the United States. These infectious diseases represent risks to US government personnel traveling to the specified country for a period of less than three years. The degree of risk is assessed by considering the foreign nature of these infectious diseases, their severity, and the probability of being affected by the diseases present. The diseases listed do not necessarily represent the total disease burden experienced by the local population. The risk to an individual traveler varies considerably by the specific location, visit duration, type of activities, type of accommodations, time of year, and other factors. Consultation with a travel medicine physician is needed to evaluate individual risk and recommend appropriate preventive measures such as vaccines. Diseases are organized into the following six exposure categories shown in italics and listed in typical descending order of risk. Note - The sequence of exposure categories listed in individual country entries may vary according to local conditions. food or waterborne diseases acquired through eating or drinking on the local economy: Hepatitis A - viral disease that interferes with the functioning of the liver; spread through consumption of food or water contaminated with fecal matter, principally in areas of poor sanitation; victims exhibit fever, jaundice, and diarrhea; 15% of victims will experience prolonged symptoms over 6-9 months; vaccine available. Hepatitis E - water-borne viral disease that interferes with the functioning of the liver; most commonly spread through fecal contamination of drinking water; victims exhibit jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, and dark colored urine. Typhoid fever - bacterial disease spread through contact with food or water contaminated by fecal matter or sewage; victims exhibit sustained high fevers; left untreated, mortality rates can reach 20%. vectorborne diseases acquired through the bite of an infected arthropod: Malaria - caused by single-cell parasitic protozoa Plasmodium; transmitted to humans via the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito; parasites multiply in the liver attacking red blood cells resulting in cycles of fever, chills, and sweats accompanied by anemia; death due to damage to vital organs and interruption of blood supply to the brain; endemic in 100, mostly tropical, countries with 90% of cases and the majority of 1.5-2.5 million estimated annual deaths occurring in sub- Saharan Africa. Dengue fever - mosquito-borne (Aedes aegypti) viral disease associated with urban environments; manifests as sudden onset of fever and severe headache; occasionally produces shock and hemorrhage leading to death in 5% of cases. Yellow fever - mosquito-borne viral disease; severity ranges from influenza-like symptoms to severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever; occurs only in tropical South America and sub-Saharan Africa, where most cases are reported; fatality rate is less than 20%. Japanese Encephalitis - mosquito-borne (Culex tritaeniorhynchus) viral disease associated with rural areas in Asia; acute encephalitis can progress to paralysis, coma, and death; fatality rates 30%. African Trypanosomiasis - caused by the parasitic protozoa Trypanosoma; transmitted to humans via the bite of bloodsucking Tsetse flies; infection leads to malaise and irregular fevers and, in advanced cases when the parasites invade the central nervous system, coma and death; endemic in 36 countries of sub-Saharan Africa; cattle and wild animals act as reservoir hosts for the parasites. Cutaneous Leishmaniasis - caused by the parasitic protozoa leishmania; transmitted to humans via the bite of sandflies; results in skin lesions that may become chronic; endemic in 88 countries; 90% of cases occur in Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Peru; wild and domesticated animals as well as humans can act as reservoirs of infection. Plague - bacterial disease transmitted by fleas normally associated with rats; person-to-person airborne transmission also possible; recent plague epidemics occurred in areas of Asia, Africa, and South America associated with rural areas or small towns and villages; manifests as fever, headache, and painfully swollen lymph nodes; disease progresses rapidly and without antibiotic treatment leads to pneumonic form with a death rate in excess of 50%. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever - tick-borne viral disease; infection may also result from exposure to infected animal blood or tissue; geographic distribution includes Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe; sudden onset of fever, headache, and muscle aches followed by hemorrhaging in the bowels, urine, nose, and gums; mortality rate is approximately 30%. Rift Valley fever - viral disease affecting domesticated animals and humans; transmission is by mosquito and other biting insects; infection may also occur through handling of infected meat or contact with blood; geographic distribution includes eastern and southern Africa where cattle and sheep are raised; symptoms are generally mild with fever and some liver abnormalities, but the disease may progress to hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, or ocular disease; fatality rates are low at about 1% of cases. Chikungunya - mosquito-borne (Aedes aegypti) viral disease associated with urban environments, similar to Dengue Fever; characterized by sudden onset of fever, rash, and severe joint pain usually lasting 3-7 days, some cases result in persistent arthritis. water contact diseases acquired through swimming or wading in freshwater lakes, streams, and rivers: Leptospirosis - bacterial disease that affects animals and humans; infection occurs through contact with water, food, or soil contaminated by animal urine; symptoms include high fever, severe headache, vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhea; untreated, the disease can result in kidney damage, liver failure, meningitis, or respiratory distress; fatality rates are low but left untreated recovery can take months. Schistosomiasis - caused by parasitic trematode flatworm Schistosoma; fresh water snails act as intermediate host and release larval form of parasite that penetrates the skin of people exposed to contaminated water; worms mature and reproduce in the blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and intestines releasing eggs, which become trapped in tissues triggering an immune response; may manifest as either urinary or intestinal disease resulting in decreased work or learning capacity; mortality, while generally low, may occur in advanced cases usually due to bladder cancer; endemic in 74 developing countries with 80% of infected people living in sub-Saharan Africa; humans act as the reservoir for this parasite. aerosolized dust or soil contact disease acquired through inhalation of aerosols contaminated with rodent urine: Lassa fever - viral disease carried by rats of the genus Mastomys; endemic in portions of West Africa; infection occurs through direct contact with or consumption of food contaminated by rodent urine or fecal matter containing virus particles; fatality rate can reach 50% in epidemic outbreaks. respiratory disease acquired through close contact with an infectious person: Meningococcal meningitis - bacterial disease causing an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord; one of the most important bacterial pathogens is Neisseria meningitidis because of its potential to cause epidemics; symptoms include stiff neck, high fever, headaches, and vomiting; bacteria are transmitted from person to person by respiratory droplets and facilitated by close and prolonged contact resulting from crowded living conditions, often with a seasonal distribution; death occurs in 5-15% of cases, typically within 24-48 hours of onset of symptoms; highest burden of meningococcal disease occurs in the hyperendemic region of sub-Saharan Africa known as the "Meningitis Belt" which stretches from Senegal east to Ethiopia. animal contact disease acquired through direct contact with local animals: Rabies - viral disease of mammals usually transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, most commonly dogs; virus affects the central nervous system causing brain alteration and death; symptoms initially are non-specific fever and headache progressing to neurological symptoms; death occurs within days of the onset of symptoms. Manpower available for military service: This entry gives the number of males and females falling in the military age range for the country and assumes that every individual is fit to serve. Manpower fit for military service: This entry gives the number of males and females falling in the military age range for the country and who are not otherwise disqualified for health reasons; accounts for the health situation in the country and provides a more realistic estimate of the actual number fit to serve. Manpower reaching military service age annually: This entry gives the number of draft-age males and females entering the military manpower pool in any given year and is a measure of the availability of draft- age young adults. Map references: This entry includes the name of the Factbook reference map on which a country may be found. The entry on Geographic coordinates may be helpful in finding some smaller countries. Maritime claims: This entry includes the following claims, the definitions of which are excerpted from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which alone contains the full and definitive descriptions: territorial sea - the sovereignty of a coastal state extends beyond its land territory and internal waters to an adjacent belt of sea, described as the territorial sea in the UNCLOS (Part II); this sovereignty extends to the air space over the territorial sea as well as its underlying seabed and subsoil; every state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles; the normal baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea is the low-water line along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal state; the UNCLOS describes specific rules for archipelagic states. contiguous zone - according to the UNCLOS (Article 33), this is a zone contiguous to a coastal state's territorial sea, over which it may exercise the control necessary to: prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea; punish infringement of the above laws and regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea; the contiguous zone may not extend beyond 24 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured (e.g. the US has claimed a 12-nautical mile contiguous zone in addition to its 12-nautical mile territorial sea). exclusive economic zone (EEZ) - the UNCLOS (Part V) defines the EEZ as a zone beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea in which a coastal state has: sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, of the waters superjacent to the seabed and of the seabed and its subsoil, and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water, currents, and winds; jurisdiction with regard to the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations, and structures; marine scientific research; the protection and preservation of the marine environment; the outer limit of the exclusive economic zone shall not exceed 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. continental shelf - the UNCLOS (Article 76) defines the continental shelf of a coastal state as comprising the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance; the continental margin comprises the submerged prolongation of the landmass of the coastal state, and consists of the seabed and subsoil of the shelf, the slope and the rise; wherever the continental margin extends beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline, coastal states may extend their claim to a distance not to exceed 350 nautical miles from the baseline or 100 nautical miles from the 2500 meter isobath; it does not include the deep ocean floor with its oceanic ridges or the subsoil thereof. exclusive fishing zone - while this term is not used in the UNCLOS, some states (e.g., the United Kingdom) have chosen not to claim an EEZ, but rather to claim jurisdiction over the living resources off their coast; in such cases, the term exclusive fishing zone is often used; the breadth of this zone is normally the same as the EEZ or 200 nautical miles. Median age: This entry is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. Currently, the median age ranges from a low of about 15 in Uganda and Gaza Strip to 40 or more in several European countries and Japan. See the entry for "Age structure" for the importance of a young versus an older age structure and, by implication, a low versus a higher median age. Merchant marine: Merchant marine may be defined as all ships engaged in the carriage of goods; or all commercial vessels (as opposed to all nonmilitary ships), which excludes tugs, fishing vessels, offshore oil rigs, etc. This entry contains information in four fields - total, ships by type, foreign-owned, and registered in other countries. Total includes the number of ships (1,000 GRT or over), total DWT for those ships, and total GRT for those ships. DWT or dead weight tonnage is the total weight of cargo, plus bunkers, stores, etc., that a ship can carry when immersed to the appropriate load line. GRT or gross register tonnage is a figure obtained by measuring the entire sheltered volume of a ship available for cargo and passengers and converting it to tons on the basis of 100 cubic feet per ton; there is no stable relationship between GRT and DWT. Ships by type includes a listing of barge carriers, bulk cargo ships, cargo ships, chemical tankers, combination bulk carriers, combination ore/oil carriers, container ships, liquefied gas tankers, livestock carriers, multifunctional large-load carriers, petroleum tankers, passenger ships, passenger/cargo ships, railcar carriers, refrigerated cargo ships, roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, short-sea passenger ships, specialized tankers, and vehicle carriers. Foreign-owned are ships that fly the flag of one country but belong to owners in another. Registered in other countries are ships that belong to owners in one country but fly the flag of another. Military: This category includes the entries dealing with a country's military structure, manpower, and expenditures. Military - note: This entry includes miscellaneous military information of significance not included elsewhere. Military branches: This entry lists the service branches subordinate to defense ministries or the equivalent (typically ground, naval, air, and marine forces). Military expenditures - dollar figure: This entry gives spending on defense programs in US dollars for the most recent year available; dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of different currencies. Military expenditures - percent of GDP: This entry gives spending on defense programs for the most recent year available as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP); the GDP is calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). Military service age and obligation: This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of sevice obligation. Money figures: All money figures are expressed in contemporaneous US dollars unless otherwise indicated. National holiday: This entry gives the primary national day of celebration - usually independence day. Nationality: This entry provides the identifying terms for citizens - noun and adjective. Natural gas - consumption: This entry is the total natural gas consumed in cubic meters (cu m). The discrepancy between the amount of natural gas produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes and other complicating factors. Natural gas - exports: This entry is the total natural gas exported in cubic meters (cu m). Natural gas - imports: This entry is the total natural gas imported in cubic meters (cu m). Natural gas - production: This entry is the total natural gas produced in cubic meters (cu m). The discrepancy between the amount of natural gas produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes and other complicating factors. Natural gas - proved reserves: This entry is the stock of proved reserves of natural gas in cubic meters (cu m). Proved reserves are those quantities of natural gas, which, by analysis of geological and engineering data, can be estimated with a high degree of confidence to be commercially recoverable from a given date forward, from known reservoirs and under current economic conditions. Natural hazards: This entry lists potential natural disasters. Natural resources: This entry lists a country's mineral, petroleum, hydropower, and other resources of commercial importance. Net migration rate: This entry includes the figure for the difference between the number of persons entering and leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons (based on midyear population). An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net immigration (e.g., 3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the country as net emigration (e.g., -9.26 migrants/1,000 population). The net migration rate indicates the contribution of migration to the overall level of population change. High levels of migration can cause problems such as increasing unemployment and potential ethnic strife (if people are coming in) or a reduction in the labor force, perhaps in certain key sectors (if people are leaving). Oil - consumption: This entry is the total oil consumed in barrels per day (bbl/day). The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors. Oil - exports: This entry is the total oil exported in barrels per day (bbl/day), including both crude oil and oil products. Oil - imports: This entry is the total oil imported in barrels per day (bbl/day), including both crude oil and oil products. Oil - production: This entry is the total oil produced in barrels per day (bbl/day). The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors. Oil - proved reserves: This entry is the stock of proved reserves of crude oil in barrels (bbl). Proved reserves are those quantities of petroleum which, by analysis of geological and engineering data, can be estimated with a high degree of confidence to be commercially recoverable from a given date forward, from known reservoirs and under current economic conditions. People: This category includes the entries dealing with the characteristics of the people and their society. People - note: This entry includes miscellaneous demographic information of significance not included elsewhere. Personal Names - Capitalization: The Factbook capitalizes the surname or family name of individuals for the convenience of our users who are faced with a world of different cultures and naming conventions. The need for capitalization, bold type, underlining, italics, or some other indicator of the individual's surname is apparent in the following examples: MAO Zedong, Fidel CASTRO Ruz, George W. BUSH, and TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz Shah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah. By knowing the surname, a short form without all capital letters can be used with confidence as in President Castro, Chairman Mao, President Bush, or Sultan Tunku Salahuddin. The same system of capitalization is extended to the names of leaders with surnames that are not commonly used such as Queen ELIZABETH II. For Vietnamese names, the given name is capitalized because officials are referred to by their given name rather than by their surname. For example, the president of Vietnam is Tran Duc LUONG. His surname is Tran, but he is referred to by his given name - President LUONG. Personal Names - Spelling: The romanization of personal names in the Factbook normally follows the same transliteration system used by the US Board on Geographic Names for spelling place names. At times, however, a foreign leader expressly indicates a preference for, or the media or official documents regularly use, a romanized spelling that differs from the transliteration derived from the US Government standard. In such cases, the Factbook uses the alternative spelling. Personal Names - Titles: The Factbook capitalizes any valid title (or short form of it) immediately preceding a person's name. A title standing alone is not capitalized. Examples: President PUTIN and President BUSH are chiefs of state. In Russia, the president is chief of state and the premier is the head of the government, while in the US, the president is both chief of state and head of government. Petroleum: See entries under Oil. Petroleum products: See entries under Oil. Pipelines: This entry gives the lengths and types of pipelines for transporting products like natural gas, crude oil, or petroleum products. Political parties and leaders: This entry includes a listing of significant political organizations and their leaders. Political pressure groups and leaders: This entry includes a listing of organizations with leaders involved in politics, but not standing for legislative election. Population: This entry gives an estimate from the US Bureau of the Census based on statistics from population censuses, vital statistics registration systems, or sample surveys pertaining to the recent past and on assumptions about future trends. The total population presents one overall measure of the potential impact of the country on the world and within its region. Note: starting with the 1993 Factbook, demographic estimates for some countries (mostly African) have explicitly taken into account the effects of the growing impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These countries are currently: The Bahamas, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Population below poverty line: National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group. Definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations. Population growth rate: The average annual percent change in the population, resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or negative. The growth rate is a factor in determining how great a burden would be imposed on a country by the changing needs of its people for infrastructure (e.g., schools, hospitals, housing, roads), resources (e.g., food, water, electricity), and jobs. Rapid population growth can be seen as threatening by neighboring countries. Ports and terminals: This entry lists major ports and terminals primarily on the basis of the amount of cargo tonnage shipped through the facilities on an annual basis. In some instances, the number of containers handled or ship visits were also considered. Public debt: This entry records the cumulatiive total of all government borrowings less repayments that are denominated in a country's home currency. Public debt should not be confused with external debt, which reflects the foreign currency liabilities of both the private and public sector and must be financed out of foreign exchange earnings. Radio broadcast stations: This entry includes the total number of AM, FM, and shortwave broadcast stations. Railways: This entry states the total route length of the railway network and of its component parts by gauge: broad, standard, narrow, and dual. Other gauges are listed under note. Reference maps: This section includes world and regional maps. Refugees and internally displaced persons: This entry includes those persons residing in a country as refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs). The definition of a refugee according to a United Nations Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a different, operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." However, UNHCR also assists some 400,000 Palestinian refugees not covered under the UNRWA definition. The term "internally displaced person" is not specifically covered in the UN Convention; it is used to describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to refugees, but who remain within their own national territory and are subject to the laws of that state. Religions: This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: This entry gives the dollar value for the stock of all financial assets that are available to the central monetary authority for use in meeting a country's balance of payments needs as of the end-date of the period specified. This category includes not only foreign currency and gold, but also a country's holdings of Special Drawing Rights in the International Monetary Fund, and its reserve position in the Fund. Roadways: This entry gives the total length of the road network and includes the length of the paved and unpaved portions. Sex ratio: This entry includes the number of males for each female in five age groups - at birth, under 15 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and over, and for the total population. Sex ratio at birth has recently emerged as an indicator of certain kinds of sex discrimination in some countries. For instance, high sex ratios at birth in some Asian countries are now attributed to sex-selective abortion and infanticide due to a strong preference for sons. This will affect future marriage patterns and fertility patterns. Eventually, it could cause unrest among young adult males who are unable to find partners. Suffrage: This entry gives the age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted. Telephone numbers: All telephone numbers in The World Factbook consist of the country code in brackets, the city or area code (where required) in parentheses, and the local number. The one component that is not presented is the international access code, which varies from country to country. For example, an international direct dial telephone call placed from the US to Madrid, Spain, would be as follows: 011 [34] (1) 577-xxxx, where 011 is the international access code for station-to- station calls; 01 is for calls other than station-to-station calls, [34] is the country code for Spain, (1) is the city code for Madrid, 577 is the local exchange, and xxxx is the local telephone number. An international direct dial telephone call placed from another country to the US would be as follows: international access code + [1] (202) 939- xxxx, where [ 1] is the country code for the US, (202) is the area code for Washington, DC, 939 is the local exchange, and xxxx is the local telephone number. Telephone system: This entry includes a brief general assessment of the system with details on the domestic and international components. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry: Arabsat - Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Autodin - Automatic Digital Network (US Department of Defense). CB - citizen's band mobile radio communications. Cellular telephone system - the telephones in this system are radio transceivers, with each instrument having its own private radio frequency and sufficient radiated power to reach the booster station in its area (cell), from which the telephone signal is fed to a telephone exchange. Central American Microwave System - a trunk microwave radio relay system that links the countries of Central America and Mexico with each other. Coaxial cable - a multichannel communication cable consisting of a central conducting wire, surrounded by and insulated from a cylindrical conducting shell; a large number of telephone channels can be made available within the insulated space by the use of a large number of carrier frequencies. Comsat - Communications Satellite Corporation (US). DSN - Defense Switched Network (formerly Automatic Voice Network or Autovon); basic general-purpose, switched voice network of the Defense Communications System (US Department of Defense). Eutelsat - European Telecommunications Satellite Organization (Paris). Fiber-optic cable - a multichannel communications cable using a thread of optical glass fibers as a transmission medium in which the signal (voice, video, etc.) is in the form of a coded pulse of light. GSM - a global system for mobile (cellular) communications devised by the Groupe Special Mobile of the pan-European standardization organization, Conference Europeanne des Posts et Telecommunications (CEPT) in 1982. HF - high frequency; any radio frequency in the 3,000- to 30,000-kHz range. Inmarsat - International Maritime Satellite Organization (London); provider of global mobile satellite communications for commercial, distress, and safety applications at sea, in the air, and on land. Intelsat - International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (Washington, DC). Intersputnik - International Organization of Space Communications (Moscow); first established in the former Soviet Union and the East European countries, it is now marketing its services worldwide with earth stations in North America, Africa, and East Asia. Landline - communication wire or cable of any sort that is installed on poles or buried in the ground. Marecs - Maritime European Communications Satellite used in the Inmarsat system on lease from the European Space Agency. Marisat - satellites of the Comsat Corporation that participate in the Inmarsat system. Medarabtel - the Middle East Telecommunications Project of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) providing a modern telecommunications network, primarily by microwave radio relay, linking Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen; it was initially started in Morocco in 1970 by the Arab Telecommunications Union (ATU) and was known at that time as the Middle East Mediterranean Telecommunications Network. Microwave radio relay - transmission of long distance telephone calls and television programs by highly directional radio microwaves that are received and sent on from one booster station to another on an optical path. NMT - Nordic Mobile Telephone; an analog cellular telephone system that was developed jointly by the national telecommunications authorities of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden). Orbita - a Russian television service; also the trade name of a packet- switched digital telephone network. Radiotelephone communications - the two-way transmission and reception of sounds by broadcast radio on authorized frequencies using telephone handsets. PanAmSat - PanAmSat Corporation (Greenwich, CT). SAFE - South African Far East Cable Satellite communication system - a communication system consisting of two or more earth stations and at least one satellite that provide long distance transmission of voice, data, and television; the system usually serves as a trunk connection between telephone exchanges; if the earth stations are in the same country, it is a domestic system. Satellite earth station - a communications facility with a microwave radio transmitting and receiving antenna and required receiving and transmitting equipment for communicating with satellites. Satellite link - a radio connection between a satellite and an earth station permitting communication between them, either one-way (down link from satellite to earth station - television receive-only transmission) or two-way (telephone channels). SHF - super high frequency; any radio frequency in the 3,000- to 30,000-MHz range. Shortwave - radio frequencies (from 1.605 to 30 MHz) that fall above the commercial broadcast band and are used for communication over long distances. Solidaridad - geosynchronous satellites in Mexico's system of international telecommunications in the Western Hemisphere. Statsionar - Russia's geostationary system for satellite telecommunications. Submarine cable - a cable designed for service under water. TAT - Trans-Atlantic Telephone; any of a number of high-capacity submarine coaxial telephone cables linking Europe with North America. Telefax - facsimile service between subscriber stations via the public switched telephone network or the international Datel network. Telegraph - a telecommunications system designed for unmodulated electric impulse transmission. Telex - a communication service involving teletypewriters connected by wire through automatic exchanges. Tropospheric scatter - a form of microwave radio transmission in which the troposphere is used to scatter and reflect a fraction of the incident radio waves back to earth; powerful, highly directional antennas are used to transmit and receive the microwave signals; reliable over-the-horizon communications are realized for distances up to 600 miles in a single hop; additional hops can extend the range of this system for very long distances. Trunk network - a network of switching centers, connected by multichannel trunk lines. UHF - ultra high frequency; any radio frequency in the 300- to 3,000- MHz range. VHF - very high frequency; any radio frequency in the 30- to 300-MHz range. Telephones - main lines in use: This entry gives the total number of main telephone lines in use. Telephones - mobile cellular: This entry gives the total number of mobile cellular telephone subscribers. Television broadcast stations: This entry gives the total number of separate broadcast stations plus any repeater stations. Terminology: Due to the highly structured nature of the Factbook database, some collective generic terms have to be used. For example, the word Country in the Country name entry refers to a wide variety of dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, uninhabited islands, and other entities in addition to the traditional countries or independent states. Military is also used as an umbrella term for various civil defense, security, and defense activities in many entries. The Independence entry includes the usual colonial independence dates and former ruling states as well as other significant nationhood dates such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, or state succession that are not strictly independence dates. Dependent areas have the nature of their dependency status noted in this same entry. Terrain: This entry contains a brief description of the topography. Time Difference: This entry is expressed in The World Factbook in two ways. First, it is stated as the difference in hours between the capital of an entity and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) during Standard Time. Additionally, the difference in time between the capital of an entity and that observed in Washington, D.C. is also provided. Note that the time difference assumes both locations are simultaneously observing Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time. Time zones: Ten countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, and the United States) and the island of Greenland observe more than one official time depending on the number of designated time zones within their boundaries. An illustration of time zones throughout the world and within countries can be seen in the Standard Time Zones of the World map included in the Reference Maps section of The World Factbook. Total fertility rate: This entry gives a figure for the average number of children that would be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and bore children according to a given fertility rate at each age. The total fertility rate (TFR) is a more direct measure of the level of fertility than the crude birth rate, since it refers to births per woman. This indicator shows the potential for population change in the country. A rate of two children per woman is considered the replacement rate for a population, resulting in relative stability in terms of total numbers. Rates above two children indicate populations growing in size and whose median age is declining. Higher rates may also indicate difficulties for families, in some situations, to feed and educate their children and for women to enter the labor force. Rates below two children indicate populations decreasing in size and growing older. Global fertility rates are in general decline and this trend is most pronounced in industrialized countries, especially Western Europe, where populations are projected to decline dramatically over the next 50 years. Trafficking in persons: Trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. The International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN agency charged with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection issues, estimates that 12.3 million people worldwide are enslaved in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, sexual servitude, and involuntary servitude at any given time. Human trafficking is a multi-dimensional threat, depriving people of their human rights and freedoms, risking global health, promoting social breakdown, inhibiting development by depriving countries of their human capital, and helping fuel the growth of organized crime. In 2000, the US Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), reauthorized in 2003 and 2005, which provides tools for the US to combat trafficking in persons, both domestically and abroad. One of the law's key components is the creation of the US Department of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses the government response in some 150 countries with a significant number of victims trafficked across their borders who are recruited, harbored, transported, provided, or obtained for forced labor or sexual exploitation. Countries in the annual report are rated in three tiers, based on government efforts to combat trafficking. The countries identified in this entry are those listed in the 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report as Tier 2 Watch List or Tier 3 based on the following definitions: Tier 2 Watch List countries do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but are making significant efforts to do so, and meet one of the following criteria: 1. they display a high or significantly increasing number victims, 2. they have failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons, or, 3. they have committed to take action over the next year. Tier 3 countries neither satisfy the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking nor demonstrate a significant effort to do so. Countries in this tier are subject to potential non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions. Transnational issues: This category includes four entries - Disputes - international, Refugees and internally displaced persons, Trafficking in persons, and Illicit drugs - that deal with current issues going beyond national boundaries. Transportation: This category includes the entries dealing with the means for movement of people and goods. Transportation - note: This entry includes miscellaneous transportation information of significance not included elsewhere. UTC (Coordinated Universal Time): See entry for Coordinated Universal Time. Unemployment rate: This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted. Waterways: This entry gives the total length of navigable rivers, canals, and other inland bodies of water. Weights and Measures: This information is presented in Appendix G: Weights and Measures and includes mathematical notations (mathematical powers and names), metric interrelationships (prefix; symbol; length, weight, or capacity; area; volume), and standard conversion factors. Years: All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as fiscal year (FY). The calendar year is an accounting period of 12 months from 1 January to 31 December. The fiscal year is an accounting period of 12 months other than 1 January to 31 December. Note: Information for the US and US dependencies was compiled from material in the public domain and does not represent Intelligence Community estimates. This page was last updated on 8 February 2007 ===================================================================== CIA - The World Factbook -- History A Brief History of Basic Intelligence and The World Factbook The Intelligence Cycle is the process by which information is acquired, converted into intelligence, and made available to policymakers. Information is raw data from any source, data that may be fragmentary, contradictory, unreliable, ambiguous, deceptive, or wrong. Intelligence is information that has been collected, integrated, evaluated, analyzed, and interpreted. Finished intelligence is the final product of the Intelligence Cycle ready to be delivered to the policymaker. The three types of finished intelligence are: basic, current, and estimative. Basic intelligence provides the fundamental and factual reference material on a country or issue. Current intelligence reports on new developments. Estimative intelligence judges probable outcomes. The three are mutually supportive: basic intelligence is the foundation on which the other two are constructed; current intelligence continually updates the inventory of knowledge; and estimative intelligence revises overall interpretations of country and issue prospects for guidance of basic and current intelligence. The World Factbook, The President's Daily Brief, and the National Intelligence Estimates are examples of the three types of finished intelligence. The United States has carried on foreign intelligence activities since the days of George Washington but only since World War II have they been coordinated on a government-wide basis. Three programs have highlighted the development of coordinated basic intelligence since that time: (1 ) the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS), (2 ) the National Intelligence Survey (NIS), and (3) The World Factbook. During World War II, intelligence consumers realized that the production of basic intelligence by different components of the US Government resulted in a great duplication of effort and conflicting information. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 brought home to leaders in Congress and the executive branch the need for integrating departmental reports to national policymakers. Detailed and coordinated information was needed not only on such major powers as Germany and Japan, but also on places of little previous interest. In the Pacific Theater, for example, the Navy and Marines had to launch amphibious operations against many islands about which information was unconfirmed or nonexistent. Intelligence authorities resolved that the United States should never again be caught unprepared. In 1943, Gen. George B. Strong (G-2), Adm. H. C. Train (Office of Naval Intelligence - ONI), and Gen. William J. Donovan (Director of the Office of Strategic Services - OSS) decided that a joint effort should be initiated. A steering committee was appointed on 27 April 1943 that recommended the formation of a Joint Intelligence Study Publishing Board to assemble, edit, coordinate, and publish the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS). JANIS was the first interdepartmental basic intelligence program to fulfill the needs of the US Government for an authoritative and coordinated appraisal of strategic basic intelligence. Between April 1943 and July 1947, the board published 34 JANIS studies. JANIS performed well in the war effort, and numerous letters of commendation were received, including a statement from Adm. Forrest Sherman, Chief of Staff, Pacific Ocean Areas, which said, "JANIS has become the indispensable reference work for the shore-based planners." The need for more comprehensive basic intelligence in the postwar world was well expressed in 1946 by George S. Pettee, a noted author on national security. He wrote in The Future of American Secret Intelligence (Infantry Journal Press, 1946, page 46) that world leadership in peace requires even more elaborate intelligence than in war. "The conduct of peace involves all countries, all human activities - not just the enemy and his war production." The Central Intelligence Agency was established on 26 July 1947 and officially began operating on 18 September 1947. Effective 1 October 1947, the Director of Central Intelligence assumed operational responsibility for JANIS. On 13 January 1948, the National Security Council issued Intelligence Directive (NSCID) No. 3, which authorized the National Intelligence Survey (NIS) program as a peacetime replacement for the wartime JANIS program. Before adequate NIS country sections could be produced, government agencies had to develop more comprehensive gazetteers and better maps. The US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) compiled the names; the Department of the Interior produced the gazetteers; and CIA produced the maps. The Hoover Commission's Clark Committee, set up in 1954 to study the structure and administration of the CIA, reported to Congress in 1955 that: "The National Intelligence Survey is an invaluable publication which provides the essential elements of basic intelligence on all areas of the world. There will always be a continuing requirement for keeping the Survey up-to-date." The Factbook was created as an annual summary and update to the encyclopedic NIS studies. The first classified Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version was published in June 1971. The NIS program was terminated in 1973 except for the Factbook, map, and gazetteer components. The 1975 Factbook was the first to be made available to the public with sales through the US Government Printing Office (GPO). The Factbook was first made available on the Internet in June 1997. The year 2007 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency and the 64th year of continuous basic intelligence support to the US Government by The World Factbook and its two predecessor programs. The Evolution of The World Factbook National Basic Intelligence Factbook produced semiannually until 1980. Country entries include sections on Land, Water, People, Government, Economy, Communications, and Defense Forces. 1981 - Publication becomes an annual product and is renamed The World Factbook. A total of 165 nations are covered on 225 pages. 1983 - Appendices (Conversion Factors, International Organizations) first introduced. 1984 - Appendices expanded; now include: A. The United Nations, B. Selected United Nations Organizations, C. Selected International Organizations, D. Country Membership in Selected Organizations, E. Conversion Factors. 1987 - A new Geography section replaces the former separate Land and Water sections. UN Organizations and Selected International Organizations appendices merged into a new International Organizations appendix. First multi-color-cover Factbook. 1988 - More than 40 new geographic entities added to provide complete world coverage without overlap or omission. Among the new entities are Antarctica, oceans (Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific), and the World. The front-of-the-book explanatory introduction expanded and retitled to Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations. Two new Appendices added: Weights and Measures (in place of Conversion Factors) and a Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names. Factbook size reaches 300 pages. 1989 - Economy section completely revised and now includes an Overview briefly describing a country's economy. New entries added under People, Government, and Communications. 1990 - The Government section revised and considerably expanded with new entries. 1991 - A new International Organizations and Groups appendix added. Factbook size reaches 405 pages. 1992 - Twenty new successor state entries replace those of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. New countries are respectively: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan; and Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia. Number of nations in the Factbook rises to 188. 1993 - Czechoslovakia's split necessitates new Czech Republic and Slovakia entries. New Eritrea entry added after it secedes from Ethiopia. Substantial enhancements made to Geography section. 1994 - Two new appendices address Selected International Environmental Agreements. The gross domestic product (GDP) of most developing countries changed to a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis rather than an exchange rate basis. Factbook size up to 512 pages. 1995 - The GDP of all countries now presented on a PPP basis. New appendix lists estimates of GDP on an exchange rate basis. Communications category split; Railroads, Highways, Inland waterways, Pipelines, Merchant marine, and Airports entries now make up a new Transportation category. The World Factbook is first produced on CD-ROM. 1996 - Maps accompanying each entry now present more detail. Flags also introduced for nearly all entities. Various new entries appear under Geography and Communications. Factbook abbreviations consolidated into a new Appendix A. Two new appendices present a Cross-Reference List of Country Data Codes and a Cross-Reference List of Hydrogeographic Data Codes. Geographic coordinates added to Appendix H, Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names. Factbook size expands by 95 pages in one year to reach 652. 1997 - A special edition for the CIA's 50 th anniversary. A schema or Guide to Country Profiles introduced. New color maps and flags now accompany each country profile. Category headings distinguished by shaded backgrounds. Number of categories expanded to nine - the current number - with the addition of an Introduction (for only a few countries) and Transnational Issues (which includes Disputes-international and Illicit drugs). The World Factbook introduced onto the Internet. 1998 - The Introduction category with two entries, Current issues and Historical perspective, expanded to more countries. Last year for the production of CD-ROM versions of the Factbook. 1999 - Historical perspective and Current issues entries in the Introduction category combined into a new Background statement. Several new Economy entries introduced. A new physical map of the world added to the back-of-the-book reference maps. 2000 - A new "country profile" added on the Southern Ocean. The Background statements dramatically expanded to over 200 countries and possessions. A number of new Communications entries added. 2001 - Background entries completed for all 267 entities in the Factbook. Several new HIV/AIDS entries introduced under the People category. Revision begun on individual country maps to include elevation extremes and a partial geographic grid. Weights and Measures appendix deleted. 2002 - New entry on Distribution of Family income - Gini index added. Revision of individual country maps continued (process still ongoing as of 2007). 2003 - In the Economy category, petroleum entries added for oil production, consumption, exports, imports, and proved reserves, as well as natural gas proved reserves. 2004 - Additional petroleum entries included for natural gas production, consumption, exports, and imports. In the Transportation category, under Merchant marine, subfields added for foreign-owned vessels and those registered in other countries. Descriptions of the many forms of government mentioned in the Factbook incorporated into the Notes and Definitions. 2005 - In the People category, a Major infectious diseases field added for countries deemed to pose a higher risk for travelers. In the Economy category, entries included for Current account balance, Investment, Public debt, and Reserves of foreign exchange and gold. The Transnational issues category expanded to include Refugees and internally displaced persons. Category headings receive distinctive colored backgrounds. These distinguishing colors are used in both the printed and online versions of the Factbook. Size of the printed Factbook reaches 702 pages. 2006 - In the Economy category, national GDP figures now presented at Official Exchange Rates (OER) in addition to GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP). 2007 - In the Government category, the Capital entry significantly expanded with up to four subfields, including new information having to do with time. The subfields consist of the name of the capital itself, its geographic coordinates, the time difference at the capital from coordinated universal time (UTC), and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note is added to highlight those countries with multiple time zones. A Trafficking in persons entry added to the Transnational issues category. A new appendix, Weights and Measures, (re)introduced to the online version of the Factbook. ===================================================================== CIA - The World Factbook -- Contributors and Copyright Information The World Factbook is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency for the use of US Government officials, and the style, format, coverage, and content are designed to meet their specific requirements. Information is provided by Antarctic Information Program (National Science Foundation), Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (Department of Defense), Bureau of the Census (Department of Commerce), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor), Central Intelligence Agency, Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs, Defense Intelligence Agency (Department of Defense), Department of Energy, Department of State, Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior), Maritime Administration (Department of Transportation), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (Department of Defense), Naval Facilities Engineering Command (Department of Defense), Office of Insular Affairs (Department of the Interior), Office of Naval Intelligence (Department of Defense), US Board on Geographic Names (Department of the Interior), US Transportation Command (Department of Defense), Oil & Gas Journal, and other public and private sources. The Factbook is in the public domain. Accordingly, it may be copied freely without permission of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The official seal of the CIA, however, may NOT be copied without permission as required by the CIA Act of 1949 (50 U.S.C. section 403m). Misuse of the official seal of the CIA could result in civil and criminal penalties. Comments and queries are welcome and may be addressed to: Central Intelligence Agency Attn.: Office of Public Affairs Washington, DC 20505 Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time Telephone: [1] (703) 482-0623 FAX: [1] (703) 482-1739 ===================================================================== CIA - The World Factbook -- Purchasing Information The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) publishes The World Factbook in printed and Internet versions. US Government officials may obtain information about availability of the Factbook from their organizations or through liaison channels to the CIA. Other users may obtain sales information about printed copies from the following: Superintendent of Documents P. O. Box 371954 Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954 Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) Telephone: [1] (202) 512-1800; toll free: [1] (866) 512-1800 FAX: [1] (202) 512-2104 http://bookstore.gpo.gov/ National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) Telephone: [1] (800) 553-6847 (only in the US); [1] (703) 605-6000 (for outside US) FAX: [1] (703) 605-6900 http://www.ntis.gov/ The World Factbook can be accessed on the Internet at: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html ===================================================================== CIA - The World Factbook -- FAQs Frequently Asked Questions The World Factbook staff thanks you for your comments, suggestions, updates, kudos, and corrections over the past years. The willingness of readers from around the world to share their observations and specialized knowledge is very helpful as we try to produce the best possible publications. Please feel free to continue to write and e-mail e-mail us. When submitting corrections or updates to the Factbook, please include your source(s) of information. At least two Factbook staffers review every submitted item. The sheer volume of correspondence precludes detailed personal replies, but we sincerely appreciate your time and interest in the Factbook. If you include your e-mail address we will at least acknowledge your note. Thank you again. Answers to many frequently asked questions (FAQs) are explained in the Notes and Definitions section in The World Factbook. Please review this section to see if your question is already answered there. In addition, we have compiled the following list of FAQs to answer other common questions. Select from the following categories to narrow your search: General Geography Spelling and Pronunciation Policies and Procedures Technical General Can you provide additional information for a specific country? The staff cannot provide data beyond what appears in The World Factbook. The format and information in the Factbook are tailored to the specific requirements of US Government officials and content is focused on their current and anticipated needs. The staff welcomes suggestions for new entries. How often is The World Factbook updated? Formerly our Web site (and the published Factbook) were only updated annually. Beginning in November 2001 we instituted a new system of more frequent online updates. The World Factbook is currently updated every two weeks. The annual printed version of the Factbook is usually released about midyear. US Government officials may obtain information about Factbook availability from their own organizations or through liaison channels to the CIA. Other users may obtain sales information through the following channels: Superintendent of Documents P. O. Box 371954 Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954 Telephone: [1] (202) 512-1800 FAX: [1] (202) 512-2250 http://bookstore.gpo.gov National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 Telephone: [1] (800) 553-6847 (only in the US); [1] (703) 605-6000 (for outside US) FAX: [1] (703) 605-6900 http://www.ntis.gov Can I use some or all of The World Factbook for my Web site (book, research project, homework, etc.)? The World Factbook is in the public domain and may be used freely by anyone at anytime without seeking permission. However, US Code prohibits use of the CIA seal in a manner which implies that the CIA approved, endorsed, or authorized such use. If you have any questions about your intended use, you should consult with legal counsel. Further information on The World Factbook's use is described on the Contributors and Copyright Information page. As a courtesy, please cite The World Factbook when used. Why doesn't The World Factbook include information on states, departments, provinces, etc., in the country format? The World Factbook provides national-level information on countries, territories, and dependencies, but not subnational administrative units within a country. A good encyclopedia should provide state/province-level information. Is it possible to access older editions of The World Factbook to do comparative research and trend analysis? Previous versions of the Factbook, beginning with the 2000 edition, are available for downloading - but not browsing - on the CIA Web site. Hardcopy editions for earlier years are available from libraries. Would it be possible to set up a partnership or collaboration between the producers of The World Factbook and other organizations or individuals? The World Factbook does not partner with other organizations or individuals, but we do welcome comments and suggestions that such groups or persons choose to provide. Geography I can't find a geographic name for a particular country. Why not? The World Factbook is not a gazetteer (a dictionary or index of places, usually with descriptive or statistical information) and cannot provide more than the names of the administrative divisions (in the Government category) and major cities/towns (on the country maps). Our expanded Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names, however, includes many of the world's major geographic features as well as historic (former) names of countries and cities mentioned in The World Factbook. Why are Taiwan and the European Union listed out of alphabetical order at the end of the Factbook entries? Taiwan is listed after the regular entries because even though the mainland People's Republic of China claims Taiwan, elected Taiwanese authorities de facto administer the island and reject mainland sovereignty claims. With the establishment of diplomatic relations with China on January 1, 1979, the US Government recognized the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, acknowledging the Chinese position that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China. The European Union (EU) is not a country, but it has taken on many nation-like attributes and these are likely to be expanded in the future. A more complete explanation on the inclusion of the EU into the Factbook may be found in the Preliminary statement. Since we have an ambassador who represents the US at the Vatican, why is this entity not listed in the Factbook? Vatican City is found under Holy See. The term "Holy See" refers to the authority, jurisdiction, and sovereignty vested in the Pope and his advisors to direct the worldwide Catholic Church. The Holy See has a legal personality that allows it to enter into treaties as the juridical equal of a state and to send and receive diplomatic representatives. Vatican City, created in 1929 to administer properties belonging to the Holy See in Rome, is recognized under international law as a sovereign state, but it does not send or receive diplomatic representatives. Consequently, Holy See is included as a Factbook entry, with Vatican City cross-referenced in the Geographic Names appendix. Why is Palestine not listed in The World Factbook? The areas that could potentially form a future Palestinian state -- the West Bank and Gaza Strip -- do appear in the Factbook. These areas are presently Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian 1995 Interim Agreement; their permanent status is to be determined through further negotiation. Why are the Golan Heights not shown as part of Israel or Northern Cyprus with Turkey? Territorial occupations/annexations not recognized by the United States Government are not shown on US Government maps. Why don't you include information on entities such as Tibet, Kashmir, or Kosovo? The World Factbook provides information on the administrative divisions of a country as recommended by the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN). The BGN is a component of the US Government that develops policies, principles, and procedures governing the spelling, use, and application of geographic names--domestic, foreign, Antarctic, and undersea. Its decisions enable all departments and agencies of the US Government to have access to uniform names of geographic features. Also included in the Factbook are entries on parts of the world whose status has not yet been resolved (e.g., West Bank, Spratly Islands). Specific regions within a country or areas in dispute among countries are not covered. What do you mean when you say that a country is "doubly landlocked"? A doubly landlocked country is one that is separated from an ocean or an ocean-accessible sea by two intervening countries. Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein are the only countries that fit this definition. Why is the area of the United States described as "slightly larger than China" in the Factbook, while other sources list China as larger in area than the United States? It all depends on whether one is looking at total area (land and water) when making the comparison (which is the criterion used by the Factbook) or just land area (which excludes inland water features such as rivers or lakes). Total area (combining land and water) United States = 9,631,418 sq km China = 9,596,960 sq km Land only (without any water features) United States = 9,161,923 sq km China = 9,326,410 sq km Why has The World Factbook dropped the four French departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, and French Guiana? The reason the four entities are no longer in The World Factbook is because their status has changed. While they are overseas departments of France, they are also now recognized as French regions, having equal status to the 22 metropolitan regions that make up European France. In other words, they are now recognized as being part of France proper. Their status is somewhat analogous to Alaska and Hawaii vis-a-vis the contiguous United States. Although separated from the larger geographic entity, they are still considered to be an integral part of it. Spelling and Pronunciation Why is the spelling of proper names such as rulers, presidents, and prime ministers in The World Factbook different than their spelling in my country? The Factbook staff applies the names and spellings from the Chiefs of State link on the CIA Web site. The World Factbook is prepared using the standard American English computer keyboard and does not use any special characters, symbols, or most diacritical markings in its spellings. Surnames are always spelled with capital letters; they may appear first in some cultures. The spelling of geographic names, features, cities, administrative divisions, etc. in the Factbook differs from those used in my country. Why is this? The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) recommends and approves names and spellings. The BGN is the component of the United States Government that develops policies, principles, and procedures governing the spelling, use, and application of geographic names--domestic, foreign, Antarctic, and undersea. Its decisions enable all departments and agencies of the US Government to use uniform names of geographic features. (A note is usually included where changes may have occurred but have not yet been approved by the BGN). The World Factbook is prepared using the standard American English computer keyboard and does not use any special characters, symbols, or most diacritical markings in its spellings. Why doesn't The World Factbook include pronunciations of country or leader names? There are too many variations in pronunciation among English-speaking countries, not to mention English renditions of non-English names, for pronunciations to be included. American English pronunciations are included for some countries like Qatar and Kiribati. Why is the name of the Labour party misspelled? When American and British spellings of common English words differ, The World Factbook always uses the American spelling, even when these common words form part of a proper name in British English. Policies and Procedures What is The World Factbook's source for a specific subject field? The Factbook staff uses many different sources to publish what we judge are the most reliable and consistent data for any particular category. Space considerations preclude a listing of these various sources. The names of some geographic features provided in the Factbook differ from those used in other publications. For example, in Asia the Factbook has Burma as the country name, but in other publications Myanmar is used; also, the Factbook uses Sea of Japan whereas other publications label it East Sea. What is your policy on naming geographic features? The Factbook staff follows the guidance of the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN). The BGN is the component of the United States Government that develops policies, principles, and procedures governing the spelling, use, and application of geographic names--domestic, foreign, Antarctic, and undersea. Its decisions enable all departments and agencies of the US Government to have access to uniform names of geographic features. The position of the BGN is that the names Burma and Sea of Japan be used in official US Government maps and publications. Why is most of the statistical information in the Factbook given in metric units, rather than the units standard to US measure? US Federal agencies are required by the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-168) and by Executive Order 12770 of July 1991 to use the International System of Units, commonly referred to as the metric system or SI. In addition, the metric system is used by over 95 percent of the world's population. Why don't you include information on minimum and maximum temperature extremes? The Factbook staff judges that this information would only be useful for some (generally smaller) countries. Larger countries can have large temperature extremes that do not represent the landmass as a whole. In the future, such a category may be adopted listing the extremes, but also adding a normal temperature range found throughout most of a country's territory. What information sources are used for the country flags? Flag designs used in The World Factbook are those recognized by the protocol office of the US Department of State. Why do your GDP (Gross Domestic Product) statistics differ from other sources? We have two sets of GDP dollar estimates in The World Factbook, one derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations and the other derived using official exchange rates (OER). Other sources probably use one of the two. See the Notes and Definitions section on GDP and GDP methodology for more information. On the CIA Web site, Chiefs of State is updated weekly, but the last update for the Factbook was an earlier date. Why the discrepancy? Although Chiefs of State and The World Factbook both appear on the CIA Web site, they are produced and updated by separate staffs. Chiefs of State includes fewer countries but more leaders, and is updated more frequently than The World Factbook, which has a much larger database, and includes all countries. Some percentage distributions do not add to 100. Why not? Because of rounding, percentage distributions do not always add precisely to 100%. Rounding of numbers always results in a loss of precision--i.e., error. This error becomes apparent when percentage data are totaled, as the following two examples show: Original Data Rounded to whole integer Example 1 43.2 43 30.4 30 26.4 26 ---- -- 100.0 99 Example 2 42.8 43 31.6 32 25.6 26 ---- -- 100.0 101 When this occurs, we do not force the numbers to add exactly to 100, because doing so would introduce additional error into the distribution. What rounding convention does The World Factbook use? In deciding on the number of digits to present, the Factbook staff assesses the accuracy of the original data and the needs of US Government officials. All of the economic data are processed by computer--either at the source or by the Factbook staff. The economic data presented in The Factbook, therefore, follow the rounding convention used by virtually all numerical software applications, namely, any digit followed by a "5" is rounded up to the next higher digit, no matter whether the original digit is even or odd. Thus, for example, when rounded to the nearest integer, 2.5 becomes 3, rather than 2, as occurred in some pre-computer rounding systems. Why do you list "Independence" dates for countries like France, Germany, and the United Kingdom? For most countries, this entry presents the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For other countries, the date may be some other significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, or state succession and so may not strictly be an "Independence" date. Dependent entities have the nature of their dependency status noted in this same entry. Technical Does The World Factbook comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act regarding accessibility of Web pages? The World Factbook home page has a link entitled "Text/Low Bandwidth Version." The country data in the text version is fully accessible. We believe The World Factbook is compliant with the Section 508 law in both fact and spirit. If you are experiencing difficulty, please use our comment form to provide us details of the specific problem you are experiencing and the assistive software and/or hardware that you are using so that we can work with our technical support staff to find and implement a solution. We welcome visitors' suggestions to improve accessibility of The World Factbook and the CIA Web site. I am using the Factbook online and it is not working. What is wrong? Hundreds of "Factbook" look-alikes exist on the Internet. The Factbook site at: www.cia.gov is the only official site. When I attempt to download a PDF (Portable Document Format) map file (or some other map) the file has no image. Can you fix this? Some of the files on The World Factbook Web site are large and could take several minutes to download on a dial-up connection. The screen might be blank during the download process. When I open a map on The World Factbook site, it is fuzzy or granular, or too big or too small. Why? Adjusting the resolution setting on your monitor should correct this problem. Is The World Factbook country data available in machine-readable format? All I can find is HTML, but I'm looking for simple tabular data. The Factbook Web site now features "Rank Order" pages for selected Factbook entries. "Rank Order" pages are available for those data fields identified with a small bar chart icon located next to the title of the data entry. In addition, all of the "Rank Order" pages can be downloaded as tab-delimited data files that can be opened in other applications such as spreadsheets and databases. ===================================================================== @Afghanistan Introduction Afghanistan Background: Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 Communist counter-coup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan Communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported anti-Communist mujahedin rebels. Subsequently, a series of civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama BIN LADIN. The UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution and a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. On 7 December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan. The National Assembly was inaugurated on 19 December 2005. Geography Afghanistan Location: Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 65 00 E Map references: Asia Area: total: 647,500 sq km land: 647,500 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas Land boundaries: total: 5,529 km border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest Elevation extremes: lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones Land use: arable land: 12.13% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 87.66% (2005) Irrigated land: 27,200 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water pollution Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation Geography - note: landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor) People Afghanistan Population: 31,056,997 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.6% (male 7,095,117/female 6,763,759) 15-64 years: 53% (male 8,436,716/female 8,008,463) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 366,642/female 386,300) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 17.6 years male: 17.6 years female: 17.6 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 2.67% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 46.6 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 20.34 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 160.23 deaths/1,000 live births male: 164.77 deaths/1,000 live births female: 155.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 43.34 years male: 43.16 years female: 43.53 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.69 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk countrywide below 2,000 meters from March through November animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007) Nationality: noun: Afghan(s) adjective: Afghan Ethnic groups: Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4% Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1% Languages: Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashtu (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 36% male: 51% female: 21% (1999 est.) People - note: of the estimated 4 million refugees in October 2001, 2.3 million have returned Government Afghanistan Country name: conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan conventional short form: Afghanistan local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan local short form: Afghanestan former: Republic of Afghanistan Government type: Islamic republic Capital: name: Kabul geographic coordinates: 34 31 N, 69 12 E time difference: UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 34 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Daykondi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Panjshir, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak, Zabol Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) National holiday: Independence Day, 19 August (1919) Constitution: new constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16 January 2004 Legal system: according to the new constitution, no law should be "contrary to Islam"; the state is obliged to create a prosperous and progressive society based on social justice, protection of human dignity, protection of human rights, realization of democracy, and to ensure national unity and equality among all ethnic groups and tribes; the state shall abide by the UN charter, international treaties, international conventions that Afghanistan signed, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; former King ZAHIR Shah holds the honorific, "Father of the Country," and presides symbolically over certain occasions, but lacks any governing authority; the honorific is not hereditary head of government: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004) cabinet: 25 ministers; note - under the new constitution, ministers are appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly elections: the president and two vice presidents are elected by direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if no candidate receives 50% or more of the vote in the first round of voting, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a second round; a president can only be elected for two terms; election last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: Hamid KARZAI elected president; percent of vote - Hamid KARZAI 55.4%, Yunus QANUNI 16.3%, Ustad Mohammad MOHAQQEQ 11.6%, Abdul Rashid DOSTAM 10.0%, Abdul Latif PEDRAM 1.4%, Masooda JALAL 1.2% Legislative branch: the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Wolesi Jirga or House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for five-year terms, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102 seats, one-third elected from provincial councils for four-year terms, one-third elected from local district councils for three-year terms note: on rare occasions the government may convene a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils elections: last held 18 September 2005 (next to be held for the Wolesi Jirga by September 2009; next to be held for the provincial councils to the Meshrano Jirga by September 2008) election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system used in the election did not make use of political party slates; most candidates ran as independents Judicial branch: the constitution establishes a nine-member Stera Mahkama or Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for 10-year terms by the president with approval of the Wolesi Jirga) and subordinate High Courts and Appeals Courts; there is also a minister of justice; a separate Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission established by the Bonn Agreement is charged with investigating human rights abuses and war crimes Political parties and leaders: note - includes only political parties approved by the Ministry of Justice; De Afghan Watan Islami Gond [Mohammad Osman SALEKZADA]; De Afghanistan De Mili Mubarizeeno Islami Gond [Amanat NINGARHAREE]; De Afghanistan De Mili Wahdat Wolesi Tahreek [Abdul Hakim NOORZAI]; De Afghanistan De Solay Ghorzang Gond [Shahnawaz TANAI]; De Afghanistan De Solay Mili Islami Gond [Shah Mohammood Popal ZAI]; Hezb-e Esteqlal-e-Mili Afghanistan [Taj Mohammad WARDAK]; Hezb-e Hambastagee Mili Aqwam-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Zarif NASERI]; Hezb-e Harakat-e-Islami-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Ali JAWID]; Hezb-e Jamihat-e-Islami [Ustad RABBANI]; Hezb-e Paiwand Mihahani Afghanistan [Sayed Kamal SADAT]; Hezb-e-Aarman-e-Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Ilhaj Saraj-u-din ZAFAREE]; Hezb-e-Aazaadi Khwahan Maihan [Abdul Hadi DABEER]; Hezb-e-Aazadee Khwahan Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Feda Mohammad EHSAS]; Hezb-e-Adalat-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Kabir MARZBAN]; Hezb-e-Afghan Melat [Anwarul Haq AHADI]; Hezb-e-Afghanistan-e-Naween [Mohammad Yunis QANUNI]; Hezb-e-Afghanistan-e-Wahid [Mohammad Wasil RAHIMEE]; Hezb-e-Azadee-e-Afghanistan [Ilaj Abdul MALEK]; Hezb-e-Democracy Afghanistan [Tawos ARAB]; Hezb-e-Domcrat-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Kabir RANJBAR]; Hezb-e-Eatedal-e-Mili Islami-e-Afghanistan [Qara Bik Eized YAAR]; Hezb-e-Eqtedar-e-Mili [Sayed Mustafa KAZEMI]; Hezb-e-Falah-e-Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Ustad Mohammad ZAREEF]; Hezb-e-Hambastagee Mili Jawanan-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Jamil KARZAI]; Hezb-e-Hambastagee-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Khaleq NEMAT]; Hezb-e-Harakat-e-Islami Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Ilhaj Said Hussain ANWARY]; Hezb-e-Harakat-e-Mili Wahdat-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Nadir AATASH]; Hezb-e-Ifazat Az Uqooq-e-Bashar Wa Inkishaf-e-Afghanistan [Baryalai NASRATI]; Hezb-e-Islami-e-Afghanistan-e-Jawan [Sayed Jawad HUSSINEE]; Hezb-e-Isteqlal-e-Afghanistan [Dr. Ghulam Farooq NEJRABEE]; Hezb-e-Jamahat-ul-Dawat ilal Quran-wa-Sunat-e-Afghanistan [Mawlawee Samiullah NAJEEBEE]; Hezb-e-Jamhoree Khwahane-Afghanistan [Sebghatullah SANJAR]; Hezb-e-Junbish Democracy Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Sharif NAZARI]; Hezb-e-Junbish Mili Islami-e-Afghanistan [Sayed NOORULLAH]; Hezb-e-Kangra-e-Mili-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Latif PEDRAM]; Hezb-e-Kar Wa Tawsiha-e-Afghanistan [Zulfiqar OMID]; Hezb-e-Lebral-e-Aazadee Khwa-e-Afghanistan [Ajmal SUHAIL]; Hezb-e-Majmeh Mili Faleen-Sulh-e-Afghanistan [Shamsul Haq Noor SHAMS]; Hezb-e-Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Ahmad Shah ASAR]; Hezb-e-Mardom-e-Mosalman-e-Afghanistan [Besmellah JOYAN]; Hezb-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul Rashid ARYAN]; Hezb-e-Mili Heward [GHULAM MOHAMMAD]; Hezb-e-Mili Islami-e-Afghanistan [Rohullah LOUDIN]; Hezb-e-Mili Wahdat-e-Aqwam-e-Islami-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Shah KHOGYANI]; Hezb-e-Mutahed Mili [Noorul Haq ULOOMI]; Hezb-e-Nahzat-e-Aazadee Wa Democracy-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Raqib Jawid KOHISTANEE]; Hezb-e-Nahzat-e-Hambastagee Mili-e-Afghanistan [Pir Sayed Eshaq GAILANEE]; Hezb-e-Nakhbagan-e-Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Hamid JAWAD]; Hezb-e-Paiwand Mili Afghanistan [Sayed Mansoor NADREEI]; Hezb-e-Rastakhaiz-e-Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Sayed Zahir Qayed Omul BELADI]; Hezb-e-Refah-e-Afghanistan [Meer Asef ZAEEFI]; Hezb-e-Refah-e-Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Mia Gul WASIQ]; Hezb-e-Refah-e-Mili Afghanistan [Mohammad Hassan JAHFAREE]; Hezb-e-Resalat-e-Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Noor Aqa ROEENE]; Hezb-e-Sahadat-e-Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Zubair PAIROZ]; Hezb-e-Sahadat-e-Mili Islami-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Osman SALEKZADA]; Hezb-e-Subat-e-Mili Islami-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Same KHAROTI]; Hezb-e-Sulh Wa Wahdat-e-Mili-e-Afghanistan [Gulabuddin Shir ZAEE]; Hezb-e-Sulh-e-Mili Islami Aqwam-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Qaher SHARIATEE]; Hezb-e-Tafahum Wa Democracy-e-Afghanistan [Ahamad SHAHEEN]; Hezb-e-Tahreek Wahdat-e-Mili-e-Afghanistan [Sultan Mohammad GHAZI]; Hezb-e-Tahreek Wahdat-ul-Musimeen Afghanistan [Wazir Mohammad WAHDAT]; Hezb-e-Tanzim Jabha Mili Nejat-e-Afghanistan [Seghatullah MOJADDEDI]; Hezb-e-Taraqee Democrat Afghanistan [Wali ARYA]; Hezb-e-Taraqee Mili Afghanistan [Dr. Aref BAKTASH]; Hezb-e-Umat-e-Islam-e-Afghanistan [Toran Noor Aqa Ahmad ZAI]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Ustad Mohammad MOHAQQEQ]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Karim KHALILI]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami-e-Melat-e-Afghanistan [Qurban Ali URFANI]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul Rashid JALILI]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Mili Islami-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad AKBAREE]; Mahaz-e-Mili Islami Afghanistan [Pir Sayed Ahmad GAILANEE]; Mili Dreez Gong [Habibullah JANBDAD]; Nahzat-e-Hakemyat-e-Mardom-e-Afghanistan [Hayatullah SUBHANEE]; Nahzat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Ahmad Wali MASOOUD]; Tanzim Daawat-e-Islami-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Rasoul SAYYAF]; (20 August 2005) Political pressure groups and leaders: International organization participation: AsDB, CP, ECO, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Said Tayeb JAWAD chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] 202-483-6410 FAX: [1] 202-483-6488 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald E. NEUMANN embassy: The Great Masood Road, Kabul mailing address: U.S. Embassy Kabul, APO, AE 09806 telephone: [00 93] (20) 230-0436 FAX: [00 93] (20) 230-1364 Flag description: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist), red, and green, with a gold emblem centered on the red band; the emblem features a temple-like structure encircled by a wreath on the left and right and by a bold Islamic inscription above Economy Afghanistan Economy - overview: Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of international assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector, and service sector growth. Real GDP growth probably exceeded 8% in 2006. Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid, agriculture, and trade with neighboring countries. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, and the Afghan Government's inability to extend rule of law to all parts of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. It will probably take the remainder of the decade and continuing donor aid and attention to significantly raise Afghanistan's living standards from its current status, among the lowest in the world. While the international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $24 billion at three donors' conferences since 2002, Kabul will need to overcome a number of challenges. Expanding poppy cultivation and a growing opium trade generate roughly $3 billion in illicit economic activity and looms as one of Kabul's most serious policy concerns. Other long-term challenges include: budget sustainability, job creation, corruption, government capacity, and rebuilding war torn infrastructure. GDP (purchasing power parity): $21.5 billion (2004 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $7.095 billion (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 8.4% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $800 (2004 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 38% industry: 24% services: 38% note: data exclude opium production (2005 est.) Labor force: 15 million (2004 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry: 10% services: 10% (2004 est.) Unemployment rate: 40% (2005 est.) Population below poverty line: 53% (2003) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.3% (2005 est.) Budget: revenues: $269 million expenditures: $561 million; including capital expenditures of $41.7 million note: Afghanistan has also received $273 million from the Reconstruction Trust Fund and $63 million from the Law and Order Trust Fund (FY04-05 budget est.) Agriculture - products: opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins Industries: small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 734.3 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 36.3% hydro: 63.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 782.9 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 100 million kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 4,500 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2005) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2005) Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - production: 20 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 20 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 99.96 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Exports: $471 million; note - not including illicit exports or reexports (2005 est.) Exports - commodities: opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems Exports - partners: US 25.8%, India 21.2%, Pakistan 20.3%, Finland 4.1% (2005) Imports: $3.87 billion (2005 est.) Imports - commodities: capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products Imports - partners: Pakistan 38.6%, US 9.5%, Germany 5.5%, India 5.2%, Turkey 4.1%, Turkmenistan 4% (2005) Debt - external: $8 billion in bilateral debt, mostly to Russia; Afghanistan has $500 million in debt to Multilateral Development Banks (2004) Economic aid - recipient: international pledges made by more than 60 countries and international financial institutions at the Berlin Donors Conference for Afghan reconstruction in March 2004 reached $8.9 billion for 2004-09 Currency (code): afghani (AFA) Currency code: AFA Exchange rates: afghanis per US dollar - 541 (2005), 48 (2004), 49 (2003), 41 (2002), note, in 2002, the afghani was revalued and the currency stabilized at about 50 afghanis to the dollar; before 2002, the market rate varied widely from the official rate Fiscal year: 21 March - 20 March Communications Afghanistan Telephones - main lines in use: 280,000 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.4 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: very limited telephone and telegraph service; many Afghans utilize growing cellular phone coverage in major cities domestic: telephone service is improving with the licensing of several wireless telephone service providers in 2005 and 2006; approximately 4 in 100 Afghans own a wireless telephone; telephone main lines remain limited. international: country code - 93; five VSAT's installed in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar, and Jalalabad provide international and domestic voice and data connectivity Radio broadcast stations: AM 21, FM 5, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Urdu, and English) (2006) Radios: 167,000 (1999) Television broadcast stations: at least 7 (one government-run central television station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 34 provinces; the regional stations operate on a reduced schedule; also, in 1997, there was a station in Mazar-e-Sharif reaching four northern Afghanistan provinces) (2006) Televisions: 100,000 (1999) Internet country code: .af Internet hosts: 22 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000) Internet users: 30,000 (2005) Communications - note: in March 2003, 'af' was established as Afghanistan's domain name; Internet access is growing through Internet cafes as well as public "telekiosks" in Kabul (2002) Transportation Afghanistan Airports: 46 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 35 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 9 (2006) Heliports: 9 (2006) Pipelines: gas 466 km (2006) Roadways: total: 34,782 km paved: 8,229 km unpaved: 26,553 km (2004) Waterways: 1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2005) Ports and terminals: Kheyrabad, Shir Khan Military Afghanistan Military branches: Afghan National Army (includes Afghan Air Force) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 22 years of age; inductees are contracted into service for a 4-year term (2005) Manpower available for military service: males age 22-49: 4,952,812 females age 22-49: 4,663,963 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 22-49: 2,662,946 females age 22-49: 2,508,574 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 275,362 females age 22-49: 259,935 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $122.4 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.7% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Afghanistan Disputes - international: most Afghan refugees in Pakistan have been repatriated, but thousands still remain in Iran, many at their own choosing; Coalition and Pakistani forces continue to patrol remote tribal areas to control the borders and stem organized terrorist and other illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings between Pakistani and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary encroachments; regional conflicts over water-sharing arrangements with Amu Darya and Helmand River states Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs: 136,565 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in south and west due to drought and instability) (2006) Illicit drugs: world's largest producer of opium; cultivation dropped 48% to 107,400 hectares in 2005; better weather and lack of widespread disease returned opium yields to normal levels, meaning potential opium production declined by only 10% to 4,475 metric tons; if the entire poppy crop were processed, it is estimated that 526 metric tons of heroin could be processed; source of hashish; many narcotics-processing labs throughout the country; drug trade source of instability and some antigovernment groups profit from the trade; 80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan opium; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through informal financial networks This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Akrotiri Introduction Akrotiri Background: By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area. Geography Akrotiri Location: peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus Geographic coordinates: 34 37 N, 32 58 E Map references: Middle East Area: total: 123 sq km note: includes a salt lake and wetlands Area - comparative: about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: total: 47.4 km border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km Coastline: 56.3 km Climate: temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters Environment - current issues: shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base Geography - note: British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus People Akrotiri Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there Languages: English, Greek Government Akrotiri Country name: conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area conventional short form: Akrotiri Dependency status: overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus Capital: name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of Dhekelia geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Constitution: Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960 Legal system: the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Flag description: the flag of the UK is used Economy Akrotiri Economy - overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. Currency (code): Cypriot pound (CYP) Exchange rates: Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003), 0.6107 (2002) Communications Akrotiri Radio broadcast stations: FM 1 note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006) Television broadcast stations: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006) Military Akrotiri Military - note: Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Albania Introduction Albania Background: Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated physical infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party and its allies won a decisive victory on pledges of reducing crime and corruption, promoting economic growth, and decreasing the size of government. The election, and particularly the orderly transition of power, was considered an important step forward. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure. Albania has played a largely helpful role in managing inter-ethnic tensions in southeastern Europe, and is continuing to work toward joining NATO and the EU. Albania, with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been a strong supporter of the global war on terrorism. Geography Albania Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 20 00 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 28,748 sq km land: 27,398 sq km water: 1,350 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland Land boundaries: total: 720 km border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172 km, Serbia 115 km Coastline: 362 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation 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 Elevation extremes: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower Land use: arable land: 20.1% permanent crops: 4.21% other: 75.69% (2005) Irrigated land: 3,530 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) People Albania Population: 3,581,655 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.8% (male 464,954/female 423,003) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 1,214,942/female 1,158,562) 65 years and over: 8.9% (male 148,028/female 172,166) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 28.9 years male: 28.3 years female: 29.5 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.52% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 15.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 5.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 20.75 deaths/1,000 live births male: 21.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 20.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.43 years male: 74.78 years female: 80.34 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Albanian(s) adjective: Albanian Ethnic groups: Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.) note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization) Religions: Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10% note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice Languages: Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects Literacy: definition: age 9 and over can read and write total population: 86.5% male: 93.3% female: 79.5% (2003 est.) Government Albania Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Albania conventional short form: Albania local long form: Republika e Shqiperise local short form: Shqiperia former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania Government type: emerging democracy Capital: name: Tirana (Tirane) geographic coordinates: 41 20 N, 19 50 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Qarku i Beratit, Qarku i Dibres, Qarku i Durresit, Qarku i Elbasanit, Qarku i Fierit, Qarku i Gjirokastres, Qarku i Korces, Qarku i Kukesit, Qarku i Lezhes, Qarku i Shkodres, Qarku i Tiranes, Qarku i Vlores Independence: 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1912) Constitution: adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998 Legal system: has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for its citizens Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24 June 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by parliament elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 24 June 2002 (next to be held June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Alfred MOISIU elected president; People's Assembly vote by number - total votes 134: for 97, against 19, abstained 14, invalid votes 4 Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year terms) elections: last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD 56, PS 42, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 19 Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term), and multiple appeals and district courts Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Nard NDOKA]; Communist Party of Albania or PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance Party or AD [Neritan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality Movement Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIU]; Liberal Union Party or BLD [Arjan STAROVA]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Adriatik ALIMADHI]; New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Renewed Democratic Party or PDRN [Dashamir SHEHI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Social Democracy Party of Albania or PDSSh [Paskal MILO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir META]; Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]; Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNj [Vangjel DULE] Political pressure groups and leaders: Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement [Erion VELIAJ]; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA] International organization participation: BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksander SALLABANDA chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942 FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marcie B. RIES embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510 telephone: [355] (4) 247285 FAX: [355] (4) 232222 Flag description: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center Economy Albania Economy - overview: Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime and reduce the large grey economy. The economy is bolstered by annual remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. Agriculture, which accounts for about one-quarter of GDP, is held back because of lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Energy shortages and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment, which make it difficult to attract and sustain foreign investment. The planned construction of a new thermal power plant near Vlore and improved transmission and distribution facilities eventually will help relieve the energy shortages. Also, the government is moving slowly to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth. On the positive side: growth was strong in 2003-06 and inflation is low and stable. GDP (purchasing power parity): $20.21 billion note: Albania has a large gray economy that may be as large as 50% of official GDP (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $9.306 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $5,600 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23.3% industry: 18.8% services: 57.9% (2006 est.) Labor force: 1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2004 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 58% industry: 19% services: 23% (2004 est.) Unemployment rate: 14.3% official rate, but may exceed 30% due to preponderance of near-subsistence farming (2005 est.) Population below poverty line: 25% (2004 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Distribution of family income - Gini index: 28.2 (2002) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 24.5% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $2.323 billion expenditures: $2.587 billion; including capital expenditures of $500 million (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower Industrial production growth rate: 3.1% (2004 est.) Electricity - production: 5.434 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2.9% hydro: 97.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 5.231 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 390 million kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 567 million kWh (2004 est.) Oil - production: 3,600 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 25,200 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - imports: 21,600 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - proved reserves: 185.5 million bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - production: 30 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 30 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $-679.9 million (2006 est.) Exports: $763.2 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco Exports - partners: Italy 72.4%, Greece 10.5%, Serbia and Montenegro 5% (2005) Imports: $2.901 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals Imports - partners: Italy 29.3%, Greece 16.4%, Turkey 7.5%, China 6.6%, Germany 5.4%, Russia 4% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.621 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $1.55 billion (2004) Economic aid - recipient: ODA: $366 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2003 est.) Currency (code): lek (ALL) note: the plural of lek is leke Currency code: ALL Exchange rates: leke per US dollar - 98.5927 (2006), 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004), 121.863 (2003), 140.155 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Albania Telephones - main lines in use: 255,000 (2003) Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.259 million (2004) Telephone system: general assessment: despite new investment in fixed lines, the density of main lines remains the lowest in Europe with roughly seven lines per 100 people; however, cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective domestic: offsetting the shortage of fixed line capacity, mobile phone service has been available since 1996; by 2003 two companies were providing mobile services at a greater density than some of Albania's Balkan neighbors international: country code - 355; inadequate fixed main lines; adequate cellular connections; international traffic carried by fiber optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2003) Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 46 (3 national, 62 local), shortwave 1 (2005) Radios: 1 million (2001) Television broadcast stations: 65 (3 national, 62 local); note - 2 cable networks (2005) Televisions: 700,000 (2001) Internet country code: .al Internet hosts: 430 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 10 (2001) Internet users: 75,000 (2005) Transportation Albania Airports: 11 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2006) Heliports: 1 (2006) Pipelines: gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2006) Railways: total: 447 km standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 18,000 km paved: 7,020 km unpaved: 10,980 km (2002) Waterways: 43 km (2006) Merchant marine: total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 52,987 GRT/79,863 DWT by type: cargo 23, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1) registered in other countries: 1 (Georgia 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore Military Albania Military branches: General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Defense Command, Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine Command Military service age and obligation: 19 years of age (2004) Manpower available for military service: males age 19-49: 809,524 females age 19-49: 784,199 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 19-49: 668,526 females age 19-49: 648,334 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 37,407 females age 19-49: 34,587 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $56.5 million (FY02) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.49% (FY02) Transnational Issues Albania Disputes - international: the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians in neighboring countries, and the peaceful resolution of interethnic disputes; some ethnic Albanian groups in neighboring countries advocate for a "greater Albania," but the idea has little appeal among Albanian nationals; thousands of unemployed Albanians emigrate annually to nearby Italy and other developed countries Illicit drugs: increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Algeria Introduction Algeria Background: After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), has dominated politics ever since. Many Algerians in the subsequent generation were not satisfied, however, and moved to counter the FLN's centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting spurred the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crack down on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. The government later allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties, but did not appease the activists who progressively widened their attacks. The fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense fighting between 1992-98 and which resulted in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. However, small numbers of armed militants persist in confronting government forces and conducting ambushes and occasional attacks on villages. The army placed Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA in the presidency in 1999 in a fraudulent election but claimed neutrality in his 2004 landslide reelection victory. Longstanding problems continue to face BOUTEFLIKA in his second term, including the ethnic minority Berbers' ongoing autonomy campaign, large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies, government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing - although significantly degraded - activities of extremist militants. Algeria must also diversify its petroleum-based economy, which has yielded a large cash reserve but which has not been used to redress Algeria's many social and infrastructure problems. Geography Algeria Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia Geographic coordinates: 28 00 N, 3 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 2,381,740 sq km land: 2,381,740 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas Land boundaries: total: 6,343 km border countries: 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 exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm 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 Elevation extremes: lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m highest point: Tahat 3,003 m Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc Land use: arable land: 3.17% permanent crops: 0.28% other: 96.55% (2005) Irrigated land: 5,690 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season Environment - current issues: soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate supplies of potable water Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan) People Algeria Population: 32,930,091 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.1% (male 4,722,076/female 4,539,713) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 11,133,802/female 10,964,502) 65 years and over: 4.8% (male 735,444/female 834,554) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 24.9 years male: 24.7 years female: 25.1 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.22% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 17.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 29.87 deaths/1,000 live births male: 33.62 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.26 years male: 71.68 years female: 74.92 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% ; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 9,100 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: cutaneous leishmaniasis is a high risk in some locations (2007) Nationality: noun: Algerian(s) adjective: Algerian Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1% note: almost all Algerians are Berber in origin, not Arab; the minority who identify themselves as Berber live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has offered to begin sponsoring teaching Berber language in schools Religions: Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% Languages: Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 70% male: 78.8% female: 61% (2003 est.) Government Algeria Country name: conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria conventional short form: Algeria local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah local short form: Al Jaza'ir Government type: republic Capital: name: Algiers geographic coordinates: 36 47 N, 2 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) 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) National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 November (1954) Constitution: 8 September 1963; revised 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996 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 Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Abdelaziz BELKHADEM cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2009); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for second term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA 85%, Ali BENFLIS 6.4%, Abdellah DJABALLAH 5% Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consisting of the National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - formerly 380 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Council of Nations (Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote; members serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years) elections: National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next to be held in 2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30 December 2003 (next to be held in 2006) election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 199, RND 47, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT 21, FNA 8, EnNahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 30; Council of Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party NA Judicial branch: Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA, secretary general]; Islamic Salvation Front or FIS (outlawed April 1992) [Ali BELHADJ, Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh KEBIR]; National Entente Movement or MEN [Ali BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general]; National Reform Movement or Islah (formerly MRN) [Abdellah DJABALLAH]; National Renewal Party or PRA [Yacine TERKMANE]; Progressive Republican Party [Khadir DRISS]; Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Said SADI]; Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary general]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed KHELIL]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP [Boudjerra SOLTANI]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUN] note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997 Political pressure groups and leaders: The Algerian Human Rights League or LADH or LADDH [Yahia Ali ABDENOUR]; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]; Somoud [Ali MERABET] International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Amine KHERBI chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. FORD embassy: 04 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi El-Biar 16030, Algiers mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers telephone: [213] (021) 69-12-55 FAX: [213] (021) 69-39-79 Flag description: two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion) Economy Algeria Economy - overview: The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the seventh-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the second-largest gas exporter; it ranks 14th in oil reserves. Sustained high oil prices in recent years, along with macroeconomic policy reforms supported by the IMF, have helped improve Algeria's financial and macroeconomic indicators. Algeria is running substantial trade surpluses and building up record foreign exchange reserves. Algeria has decreased its external debt to less than 10% of GDP after repaying its Paris Club and London Club debt in 2006. Real GDP has risen due to higher oil output and increased government spending. The government's continued efforts to diversify the economy by attracting foreign and domestic investment outside the energy sector, however, has had little success in reducing high unemployment and improving living standards. Structural reform within the economy, such as development of the banking sector and the construction of infrastructure, moves ahead slowly hampered by corruption and bureaucratic resistance. GDP (purchasing power parity): $253.4 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $92.22 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5.6% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $7,700 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.4% industry: 58.1% services: 32.5% (2006 est.) Labor force: 9.31 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 14%, industry 14%, construction and public works 10%, trade 13.4%, government 32%, other 10% (2003 est.) Unemployment rate: 15.7% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 25% (2005 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 26.8% (1995) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 35.3 (1995) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 23.4% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $59.26 billion expenditures: $49.14 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.8 billion (2006 est.) Public debt: 18.6% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle Industries: petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing Industrial production growth rate: 10% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 29.39 billion kWh (2004 est.) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.7% hydro: 0.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 27.4 billion kWh (2004 est.) Electricity - exports: 230 million kWh (2004 est.) Electricity - imports: 300 million kWh (2004 est.) Oil - production: 1.373 million bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 233,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: 1.127 million bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - imports: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - proved reserves: 11 billion bbl (2006 est.) Natural gas - production: 80.15 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 19.28 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 60.87 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 4.545 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $25.8 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $55.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97% Exports - partners: US 22.6%, Italy 16%, Spain 10.5%, France 10%, Canada 7.9%, Brazil 6.5%, Belgium 4.3%, Germany 4.2% (2005) Imports: $27.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods Imports - partners: France 28.1%, Italy 7.8%, Spain 7.2%, China 6.6%, Germany 6.3%, US 5.5% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $71.96 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $5 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $313 million (2004 est.) Currency (code): Algerian dinar (DZD) Currency code: DZD Exchange rates: Algerian dinars per US dollar - 73.2 (2006), 73.276 (2005), 72.061 (2004), 77.395 (2003), 79.682 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Algeria Telephones - main lines in use: 2.572 million (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 13.661 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: telephone density in Algeria is very low, not exceeding five telephones per 100 persons; the number of fixed main lines increased in the last few years to nearly 2.6 million, but only about two-thirds of these have subscribers; much of the infrastructure is outdated and inefficient domestic: good service in north but sparse in south; domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations (20 additional domestic earth stations are planned) international: country code - 213; submarine cables - 5; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 51 (Intelsat, Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999) Radios: 7.1 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995) Televisions: 3.1 million (1997) Internet country code: .dz Internet hosts: 1,202 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000) Internet users: 1.92 million (2005) Transportation Algeria Airports: 142 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 52 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 90 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 23 (2006) Heliports: 1 (2006) Pipelines: condensate 1,344 km; gas 85,946 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,213 km; oil 6,496 km (2005) Railways: total: 3,973 km standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 108,302 km paved: 76,028 km unpaved: 32,274 km (2004) Merchant marine: total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 744,406 GRT/766,764 DWT by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, liquefied gas 9, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 13 (UK 13) (2006) Ports and terminals: Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda Military Algeria Military branches: National Popular Army (ANP; includes Land Forces), Algerian National Navy (MRA), Air Force (QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force (2005) Military service age and obligation: 19-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (6 months basic training, 12 months civil projects) (2006) Manpower available for military service: males age 19-49: 8,033,049 females age 19-49: 7,926,351 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 19-49: 6,590,079 females age 19-49: 6,711,285 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 374,639 females age 19-49: 369,021 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3 billion (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.2% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Algeria Disputes - international: Algeria supports the exiled Sahrawi Polisario Front and rejects Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Western Saharan Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; in an attempt to improve relations, Morocco, in mid-2004, unilaterally lifted the requirement that Algerians visiting Morocco possess entry visas - a gesture not reciprocated by Algeria; Algeria remains concerned about armed bandits operating throughout the Sahel who sometimes destabilize southern Algerian towns; dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 90,000 (Western Saharan Sahrawi, mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf) IDPs: 400,000-600,000 (conflict between government forces, Islamic insurgents) (2006) Trafficking in persons: current situation: Algeria is a transit and destination country for men, women, and children from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation; many victims willingly migrate to Algeria en route to European countries with the help of smugglers, where they are often forced into prostitution, labor, and begging to pay off their smuggling debt; armed militants reportedly traffic women for sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude, and children may be trafficked for forced labor as domestic servants or street vendors tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Algeria took no steps to assess the scope of trafficking in the country and reported no investigations or prosecutions for trafficking offenses this year This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @American Samoa Introduction American Samoa Background: Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year. Geography American Samoa Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand Geographic coordinates: 14 20 S, 170 00 W Map references: Oceania Area: total: 199 sq km land: 199 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island Area - comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 116 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Climate: tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October); little seasonal temperature variation Terrain: five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island) Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Lata Mountain 964 m Natural resources: pumice, pumicite Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 15% other: 75% (2005) Irrigated land: NA Natural hazards: typhoons common from December to March Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; the water division of the government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines Geography - 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 in the South Pacific Ocean People American Samoa Population: 57,794 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 34.7% (male 10,388/female 9,654) 15-64 years: 62.4% (male 18,698/female 17,350) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 633/female 1,071) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 23.2 years male: 22.9 years female: 23.4 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: -0.19% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 22.46 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 3.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -21.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 9.07 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.05 years male: 72.48 years female: 79.82 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.16 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: American Samoan(s) (US nationals) adjective: American Samoan Ethnic groups: native Pacific islander 92.9%, Asian 2.9%, white 1.2%, mixed 2.8%, other 0.2% (2000 census) Religions: Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30% Languages: Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2% note: most people are bilingual (2000 census) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 98% female: 97% (1980 est.) Government American Samoa Country name: conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa conventional short form: American Samoa abbreviation: AS Dependency status: unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior Government type: NA Capital: name: Pago Pago geographic coordinates: 14 16 S, 170 42 W time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three districts and two islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western Independence: none (territory of the US) National holiday: Flag Day, 17 April (1900) Constitution: ratified 2 June 1966, effective 1 July 1967 Legal system: NA Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7 April 2003) cabinet: Cabinet made up of 12 department directors elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as American Samoa, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 2 and 16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected governor; percent of vote - Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa Moega LUTU 44.3% Legislative branch: bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008); Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 18 note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate Judicial branch: High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior) Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party [Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC, UPU Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of the US) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of the US) Flag description: blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer 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 Economy American Samoa Economy - overview: American Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa conducts most of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism is a promising developing sector. GDP (purchasing power parity): $510.1 million (2003 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $333.8 million (2005) GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2003) GDP - per capita (PPP): $5,800 (2005 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% Labor force: 17,630 (2005) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 34% industry: 33% services: 33% (1990) Unemployment rate: 29.8% (2005) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% Budget: revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants) expenditures: $127 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97) Agriculture - products: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock Industries: tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 128 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 119 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 3,900 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Exports: $445.6 million (FY04 est.) Exports - commodities: canned tuna 93% (2004 est.) Exports - partners: Indonesia 28.2%, India 22.3%, Australia 15.3%, Japan 11.2%, NZ 7.1% (2005) Imports: $308.8 million (FY04 est.) Imports - commodities: materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% (2004 est.) Imports - partners: Australia 66%, Samoa 13.8%, NZ 10.8% (2005) Debt - external: $NA Economic aid - recipient: important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994 Currency (code): US dollar (USD) Currency code: USD Exchange rates: the US dollar is used Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September Communications American Samoa Telephones - main lines in use: 15,000 (2001) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,377 (1999) Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station international: country code - 684; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat-Pacific Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2006) Radios: 57,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (Low Power TV); note - one cable TV station (2006) Televisions: 14,000 (1997) Internet country code: .as Internet hosts: 1,456 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000) Internet users: NA Transportation American Samoa Airports: 3 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 185 km (2004) Ports and terminals: Pago Pago Military American Samoa Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US Transnational Issues American Samoa Disputes - international: none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Andorra Introduction Andorra Background: For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of Urgel). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy. Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous Andorra achieved considerable prosperity since World War II through its tourist industry. Many immigrants (legal and illegal) are attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes. Geography Andorra Location: Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 1 30 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 468 sq km land: 468 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: total: 120.3 km border countries: France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers Terrain: rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys Elevation extremes: lowest point: Riu Runer 840 m highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m Natural resources: hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead Land use: arable land: 2.13% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.87% (2005) Irrigated land: NA Natural hazards: avalanches Environment - current issues: deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal Environment - international agreements: party to: Hazardous Wastes, Biodiversity signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees People Andorra Population: 71,201 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.7% (male 5,456/female 4,994) 15-64 years: 71.4% (male 26,632/female 24,172) 65 years and over: 14% (male 4,918/female 5,029) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 40.9 years male: 41.2 years female: 40.7 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.89% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 8.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 6.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 6.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 4.04 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 83.51 years male: 80.61 years female: 86.61 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Andorran(s) adjective: Andorran Ethnic groups: Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998) Religions: Roman Catholic (predominant) Languages: Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese Literacy: definition: NA total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% Government Andorra Country name: conventional long form: Principality of Andorra conventional short form: Andorra local long form: Principat d'Andorra local short form: Andorra Government type: parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its chiefs of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are represented locally by coprinces' representatives Capital: name: Andorra la Vella geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 1 30 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, Escaldes-Engordany, La Massana, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria Independence: 1278 (formed under the joint suzerainty of the French count of Foix and the Spanish bishop of Urgel) National holiday: Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278) Constitution: Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991, approved by referendum 14 March 1993, effective 4 May 1993 Legal system: based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Philippe MASSONI (since 26 July 2002); Spanish Coprince Bishop Joan Enric VIVES i SICILIA (since 12 May 2003), represented by Nemesi MARQUES i OSTE (since NA) head of government: Executive Council President Albert PINTAT SANTOLARIA (since 27 May 2005) cabinet: Executive Council or Govern designated by the Executive Council president elections: Executive Council president elected by the General Council and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year term; election last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held April-May 2009) election results: Albert PINTAT SANTOLARIA elected executive council president; percent of General Council vote - NA Legislative branch: unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of the seven parishes; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held March-April 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 41.2%, PS 38.1%, CDA-S21 11%, other 9.7%; seats by party - PLA 14, PS 12, CDA-S21 2 Judicial branch: Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal de Corts; Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or Tribunal Superior de Justicia d'Andorra; Supreme Council of Justice or Consell Superior de la Justicia; Fiscal Ministry or Ministeri Fiscal; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional Political parties and leaders: Andorran Democratic Center Party or CDA (formerly Democratic Party or PD); Century 21 or S21 [Enric TARRADO]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA (formerly Liberal Union or UL) [Albert PINTAT SANTOLARIA]; Social Democratic Party or PS (formerly part of National Democratic Group or AND) [Jaume BARTUMEU CASSANY] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: CE, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, OIF, OIF (associate member), OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Julian VILA COMA chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064 FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630 Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Andorra; the US Ambassador to Spain is accredited to Andorra; US interests in Andorra are represented by the Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: [34] (3) 280-2227; FAX: [34] (3) 205-5206 Flag description: 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, and the flag of Moldova, which does bear a national emblem Economy Andorra Economy - overview: Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An estimated 11.6 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparative advantage has recently eroded as the economies of neighboring France and Spain have been opened up, providing broader availability of goods and lower tariffs. The banking sector, with its partial "tax haven" status, also contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural production is limited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a non-EU member for agricultural products. GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.84 billion (2004) GDP (official exchange rate): NA GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2004 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $24,000 (2004) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% Labor force: 48,740 (2004) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 0.3% industry: 19.6% services: 80% (2004) Unemployment rate: 0% (1996 est.) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.4% (2004) Budget: revenues: $373.5 million expenditures: $373.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2004) Agriculture - products: small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep Industries: tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking, tobacco, furniture Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: NA kWh Electricity - production by source: NA Electricity - consumption: NA kWh Electricity - exports: NA kWh Electricity - imports: NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower Exports: $145 million f.o.b. (2004) Exports - commodities: tobacco products, furniture Exports - partners: Spain 59.5%, France 17.0% (2005) Imports: $1.077 billion (1998) Imports - commodities: consumer goods, food, electricity Imports - partners: Spain 53.2%, France 21.1% (2005) Debt - external: $NA Economic aid - recipient: none Currency (code): euro (EUR) Currency code: EUR Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.79669 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Andorra Telephones - main lines in use: 35,400 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 64,600 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges international: country code - 376; landline circuits to France and Spain Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 16,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997) Televisions: 27,000 (1997) Internet country code: .ad Internet hosts: 14,944 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000) Internet users: 21,900 (2005) Transportation Andorra Roadways: total: 269 km paved: 198 km unpaved: 71 km Military Andorra Military branches: no regular military forces, Police Service of Andorra Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 18,418 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 14,721 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 369 (2005 est.) Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France and Spain Transnational Issues Andorra Disputes - international: none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Angola Introduction Angola Background: Angola is slowly rebuilding its country after the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002. Fighting between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, followed independence from Portugal in 1975. Peace seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held national elections, but UNITA renewed fighting after being beaten by the MPLA at the polls. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people displaced - in the quarter century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and strengthened the MPLA's hold on power. DOS SANTOS has pledged to hold legislative elections in 2007, but 2008 may be more realistic. Geography Angola Location: Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo Geographic coordinates: 12 30 S, 18 30 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 1,246,700 sq km land: 1,246,700 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas Land boundaries: total: 5,198 km border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zambia 1,110 km Coastline: 1,600 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm 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 Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 m Natural resources: petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium Land use: arable land: 2.65% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 97.12% (2005) Irrigated land: 800 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau Environment - current issues: overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo People Angola Population: 12,127,071 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.7% (male 2,678,185/female 2,625,933) 15-64 years: 53.5% (male 3,291,954/female 3,195,688) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 148,944/female 186,367) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 18 years male: 18 years female: 18 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 2.45% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 45.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 24.2 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 3.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 185.36 deaths/1,000 live births male: 197.56 deaths/1,000 live births female: 172.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 38.62 years male: 37.47 years female: 39.83 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.35 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3.9% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 240,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 21,000 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2007) Nationality: noun: Angolan(s) adjective: Angolan Ethnic groups: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22% Religions: indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.) Languages: Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 66.8% male: 82.1% female: 53.8% (2001 est.) Government Angola Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Angola conventional short form: Angola local long form: Republica de Angola local short form: Angola former: People's Republic of Angola Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime Capital: name: Luanda geographic coordinates: 8 48 S, 13 14 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire Independence: 11 November 1975 (from Portugal) National holiday: Independence Day, 11 November (1975) Constitution: adopted by People's Assembly 25 August 1992 Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of free markets Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21 September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Fernando de Piedade Dias DOS SANTOS was appointed Prime Minister on 6 December 2002 cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by universal ballot for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term) under the 1992 constitution; President DOS SANTOS originally elected (in 1979) without opposition under a one-party system and stood for reelection in Angola's first multiparty elections 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held in 2009) election results: Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS 49.6%, Jonas SAVIMBI 40.1%, making a run-off election necessary; the run-off was not held and SAVIMBI's National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) repudiated the results of the first election; the civil war resumed leaving DOS SANTOS in his current position as the president Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held September 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%, other 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD 3, other 7 Judicial branch: Supreme Court and separate provincial courts (judges are appointed by the president) Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Analia de Victoria PEREIRA]; National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA [disputed leadership: Lucas NGONDA, Holden ROBERTO]; National Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA [Isaias SAMAKUVA] (largest opposition party); Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA [Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS] (ruling party in power since 1975); Social Renewal Party or PRS [disputed leadership: Eduardo KUANGANA, Antonio MUACHICUNGO] note: about a dozen minor parties participated in the 1992 elections but only won a few seats; they and the other 115 smaller parties have little influence in the National Assembly Political pressure groups and leaders: Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC [N'zita Henriques TIAGO, Antonio Bento BEMBE] note: FLEC's small-scale, highly factionalized armed struggle for the independence of Cabinda Province has largely ended International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Josefina Perpetua Pitra DIAKITI chancery: 2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 785-1156 FAX: [1] (202) 785-1258 consulate(s) general: Houston, New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Cynthia EFIRD embassy: number 32 Rua Houari Boumedienne (in the Miramar area of Luanda), Luanda mailing address: international mail: Caixa Postal 6468, Luanda; pouch: US Embassy Luanda,US Department of State, 2550 Luanda Place, Washington, DC 20521-2550 telephone: [244] (222) 64-1000 FAX: [244] (222) 64-1232 Flag description: 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 Angola Economy - overview: Angola's high growth rate is driven by its oil sector, with record oil prices and rising petroleum production. Oil production and its supporting activities contribute about half of GDP and 90% of exports. Increased oil production supported 12% growth in 2004, 19% growth in 2005, and nearly 17% growth in 2006. A postwar reconstruction boom and resettlement of displaced persons has led to high rates of growth in construction and agriculture as well. Much of the country's infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long civil war. Remnants of the conflict such as widespread land mines still mar the countryside even though an apparently durable peace was established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for half of the population, but half of the country's food must still be imported. In 2005, the government started using a $2 billion line of credit from China to rebuild Angola's public infrastructure, and several large-scale projects were completed in 2006. The central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange rate stabilization program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of circulation, a policy that was more sustainable in 2005 because of strong oil export earnings, and has significantly reduced inflation. Consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to about 13% in 2006, but the stabilization policy places pressure on international net liquidity. To fully take advantage of its rich national resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to continue reforming government policies and to reduce corruption. The government has made little progress on reforms recommended by the IMF such as promoting greater transparency in government spending and continues to be without a formal monitoring agreement with the institution. Corruption, especially in the extractive sectors, is a major challenge facing Angola. GDP (purchasing power parity): $51.95 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $28.37 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 14% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,300 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.6% industry: 65.8% services: 24.6% (2005 est.) Labor force: 6.393 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 85% industry and services: 15% (2003 est.) Unemployment rate: extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half the population (2001 est.) Population below poverty line: 70% (2003 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.2% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 14.6% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $10.98 billion expenditures: $9.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $963 million (2006 est.) Public debt: 32.7% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc (tapioca), tobacco, vegetables, plantains; livestock; forest products; fish Industries: petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing; food processing, brewing, tobacco products, sugar; textiles; ship repair Industrial production growth rate: 13.5% (2004) Electricity - production: 2.194 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 36.4% hydro: 63.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 2.04 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 1.6 million bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 48,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - proved reserves: 25 billion bbl (2006 est.) Natural gas - production: 750 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 750 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 45.87 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $7.7 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $35.53 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, gas, coffee, sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton Exports - partners: US 39.8%, China 29.6%, France 7.8%, Chile 5.4%, Taiwan 4.4% (2005) Imports: $10.21 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts; medicines, food, textiles, military goods Imports - partners: South Korea 20.5%, Portugal 13.4%, US 12.5%, South Africa 7.4%, Brazil 7%, France 5.1%, China 5% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $6.75 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $11.24 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $383.5 million (1999) Currency (code): kwanza (AOA) Currency code: AOA Exchange rates: kwanza per US dollar - 80.3 (2006), 88.6 (2005), 83.541 (2004), 74.606 (2003), 43.53 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Angola Telephones - main lines in use: 94,300 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,094,100 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: telephone service limited mostly to government and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for military links domestic: limited system of wire, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter international: country code - 244; satellite earth stations - 29; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 21, FM 6, shortwave 7 (2000) Radios: 815,000 (2000) Television broadcast stations: 6 (2000) Televisions: 196,000 (2000) Internet country code: .ao Internet hosts: 2,525 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000) Internet users: 172,000 (2005) Transportation Angola Airports: 244 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 31 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 213 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 30 914 to 1,523 m: 95 under 914 m: 81 (2006) Pipelines: gas 235 km; liquid petroleum gas 122 km; oil 867 km; oil/gas/water 5 km (2006) Railways: total: 2,761 km narrow gauge: 2,638 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 51,429 km paved: 5,349 km unpaved: 46,080 km (2001) Waterways: 1,300 km (2005) Merchant marine: total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,343 GRT/4,643 DWT by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1 registered in other countries: 5 (Bahamas 5) (2006) Ports and terminals: Cabinda, Luanda, Soyo Military Angola Military branches: Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra, MdG), Air and Air Defense Forces (FANA) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - two years plus time for training (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 17-49: 2,548,455 females age 17-49: 2,462,601 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 17-49: 1,282,195 females age 17-49: 1,256,390 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 126,694 females age 17-49: 123,586 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2 billion (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 8.8% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Angola Disputes - international: many Cabinda exclave secessionists have sought shelter in neighboring states Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 13,464 (Democratic Republic of Congo) IDPs: 61,700 (27-year civil war ending in 2002; 4 million IDPs already have returned) (2006) Illicit drugs: used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western Europe and other African states This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Anguilla Introduction Anguilla Background: Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency, along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming a separate British dependency. Geography Anguilla Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Geographic coordinates: 18 15 N, 63 10 W Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area: total: 102 sq km land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: about half the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 61 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds Terrain: flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crocus Hill 65 m Natural resources: salt, fish, lobster Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt ponds) (2005) Irrigated land: NA Natural hazards: frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October) Environment - current issues: supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand largely because of poor distribution system Geography - note: the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles People Anguilla Population: 13,477 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 22.8% (male 1,557/female 1,510) 15-64 years: 70.4% (male 4,878/female 4,608) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 412/female 512) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 31.2 years male: 31.2 years female: 31.1 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.57% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 14.17 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 5.34 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 6.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 20.32 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.28 years male: 74.35 years female: 80.3 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Anguillan(s) adjective: Anguillan Ethnic groups: black (predominant) 90.1%, mixed, mulatto 4.6%, white 3.7%, other 1.5% (2001 Census) Religions: Anglican 29%, Methodist 23.9%, other Protestant 30.2%, Roman Catholic 5.7%, other Christian 1.7%, other 5.2%, none or unspecified 4.3% (2001 Census) Languages: English (official) Literacy: definition: age 12 and over can read and write total population: 95% male: 95% female: 95% (1984 est.) Government Anguilla Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Anguilla Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK Government type: NA Capital: name: The Valley geographic coordinates: 18 13 N, 63 04 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK) Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK) National holiday: Anguilla Day, 30 May Constitution: Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990 Legal system: based on English common law Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Andrew N. GEORGE (since 10 July 2006) head of government: Chief Minister Osbourne FLEMING (since 3 March 2000) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the elected members of the House of Assembly elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 21 February 2005 (next to be held 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, ANSA 19.2%, AUM 19.4%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA 2, AUM 1 Judicial branch: High Court (judge provided by Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court) Political parties and leaders: Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Hubert HUGHES]; The Anguilla United Front or AUF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS], a coalition of the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National Alliance or ANA; Anguilla Progressive Party or APP [Roy ROGERS]; Anguilla Strategic Alternative or ANSA [Edison BAIRD] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS (associate), UPU Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Flag description: blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background with blue wavy water below Economy Anguilla Economy - overview: Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourism industry, which has spurred the growth of the construction sector, has contributed to economic growth. Anguillan officials have put substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector, which is small, but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the economy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on favorable weather conditions. GDP (purchasing power parity): $108.9 million (2004 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $108.9 million (2004 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 10.2% (2004 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $8,800 (2004 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 18% services: 78% (2002 est.) Labor force: 6,049 (2001) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%, manufacturing 4%, construction 18%, transportation and utilities 3%, commerce 36%, services 18% (2000 est.) Unemployment rate: 8% (2002) Population below poverty line: 23% (2002) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.3% (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $22.8 million expenditures: $22.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) Agriculture - products: small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising Industries: tourism, boat building, offshore financial services Industrial production growth rate: 3.1% (1997 est.) Electricity - production: NA kWh Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA Electricity - consumption: 42.6 million kWh Current account balance: $-42.87 million (2003 est.) Exports: $14.56 million (2005 est.) Exports - commodities: lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete blocks, rum Exports - partners: UK, US, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin (2004) Imports: $129.9 million (2005 est.) Imports - commodities: fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles Imports - partners: US, Puerto Rico, UK (2004) Debt - external: $8.8 million (1998) Economic aid - recipient: $9 million (2004 est.) Currency (code): East Caribbean dollar (XCD) Currency code: XCD Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), note, fixed rate since 1976 Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Anguilla Telephones - main lines in use: 6,200 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,800 (2002) Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: modern internal telephone system international: country code - 1-264; microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004) Radios: 3,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997) Televisions: 1,000 (1997) Internet country code: .ai Internet hosts: 403 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2000) Internet users: 3,000 (2002) Transportation Anguilla Airports: 3 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2006) Roadways: total: 175 km paved: 82 km unpaved: 93 km (2004) Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Blowing Point, Road Bay Military Anguilla Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 3,614 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 2,986 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 120 (2005 est.) Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues Anguilla Disputes - international: none Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Antarctica Background: Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands. Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific research on the continent. A number of countries have set up year-round research stations on Antarctica. Seven have made territorial claims, but not all countries recognize these claims. In order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959, it entered into force in 1961. Geography Antarctica Location: continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle Geographic coordinates: 90 00 S, 0 00 E Map references: Antarctic Region Area: total: 14 million sq km land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km ice-covered) (est.) note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the subcontinent of Europe Area - comparative: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US Land boundaries: 0 km note: see entry on Disputes - international Coastline: 17,968 km Maritime claims: Australia, Chile, and Argentina claim Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rights or similar over 200 nm extensions seaward from their continental claims, but like the claims themselves, these zones are not accepted by other countries; 21 of 28 Antarctic consultative nations have made no claims to Antarctic territory (although Russia and the US have reserved the right to do so) and do not recognize the claims of the other nations; also see the Disputes - international entry Climate: severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing Terrain: about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent Elevation extremes: lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,555 m highest point: Vinson Massif 4,897 m note: the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater Natural resources: iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish, and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (2005) Natural hazards: katabatic (gravity-driven) 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 along the coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may calve from ice shelf Environment - current issues: in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the Antarctic ozone hole was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers; researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light passing through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an Antarctic fish lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm one-celled Antarctic marine plants; in 2002, significant areas of ice shelves disintegrated in response to regional warming Geography - note: the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable People Antarctica Population: no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent and summer-only staffed research stations note: 26 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate through their National Antarctic Program a number of seasonal-only (summer) and year-round research stations on the continent and its nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region covered by the Antarctic Treaty); these stations' population of persons doing and supporting science or engaged in the management and protection of the Antarctic region varies from approximately 4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000 personnel, including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard research, are present in the waters of the treaty region; peak summer (December-February) population - 3,822 total; Argentina 417, Australia 213, Brazil 40, Bulgaria 15, Chile 224, China 70, Ecuador 22, Finland 20, France 123, Germany 78, India 65, Italy 112, Japan 150, South Korea 60, NZ 85, Norway 44, Peru 28, Poland 40, Russia 429, South Africa 80, Spain 28, Sweden 20, Ukraine 24, UK 205, US 1,170, Uruguay 60 (2005-2006); winter (June-August) station population - 1,028 total; Argentina 176, Australia 62, Brazil 12, Chile 88, China 29, France 37, Germany 9, India 25, Italy 2, Japan 40, South Korea 15, NZ 10, Norway 7, Poland 12, Russia 148, South Africa 10, Ukraine 12, UK 37, US 288, Uruguay 9 (2005); research stations operated within the Antarctic Treaty area (south of 60 degrees south latitude) by members of the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP): year-round stations - 37 total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 3, China 2, France 1, Germany 1, India 1, Japan 1, South Korea 1, NZ 1, Norway 1, Poland 1, Russia 5, South Africa 1, Ukraine 1, UK 2, US 3, Uruguay 1, Italy and France jointly 1 (2005); seasonal-only (summer) stations - 15 total; Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, Chile 1, Ecuador 1, Finland 1, Germany 1, Italy 1, Japan 1, Norway 1, Peru 1, Russia 1, Spain 2, Sweden 1, UK 1 (2005-2006); in addition, during the austral summer some nations have numerous occupied locations such as tent camps, summer-long temporary facilities, and mobile traverses in support of research Government Antarctica Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antarctica Government type: Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica; the 28th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2005; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; at the end of 2005, there were 45 treaty member nations: 28 consultative and 17 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making) members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and 21 non-claimant nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims; the US does not recognize the claims of others; Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; the years in parentheses indicate when a consultative member-nation acceded to the Treaty and when it was accepted as a consultative member, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria (1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador (1987/1990), Finland (1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India (1983/1983), Italy (1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989), Netherlands (1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine (1992/2004), Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in 1962 and separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993; 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 scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, 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 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; 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 expeditions and of 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 - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; 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 remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area protection and management and 6) liability arising from environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina Legal system: Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extraterritorially; some US laws directly apply to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties for the following activities, unless authorized by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica; violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison; the National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities; Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more information, contact Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or visit their website at www.nsf.gov; more generally, access to the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees south latitude, is subject to a number of relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states party to the Antarctic Treaty Economy Antarctica Economy - overview: Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for Antarctica's limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries in 2003-04 (1 July-30 June) reported landing 136,262 metric tons (estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightly beyond the Antarctic Treaty area). Unregulated fishing, particularly of Patagonian toothfish, is a serious problem. The CCAMLR determines the recommended catch limits for marine species. A total of 23,175 tourists visited in the 2004-05 Antarctic summer, up from the 19,486 visitors the previous year. Nearly all of them were passengers on commercial (nongovernmental) ships and several yachts that make trips during the summer. Most tourist trips last approximately two weeks. Communications Antarctica Telephones - main lines in use: 0; note - information for US bases only (2001) Telephones - mobile cellular: NA Telephone system: general assessment: local systems at some research stations domestic: commercial cellular networks operating in a small number of locations international: country code - 672; via satellite (including mobile Inmarsat and Iridium systems) from all research stations, ships, aircraft, and most field parties Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM 2, shortwave 1, note - information for US bases only (2002) Radios: NA Television broadcast stations: 1 (cable system with six channels; American Forces Antarctic Network-McMurdo) note: information for US bases only (2002) Televisions: several hundred at McMurdo Station (US) note: information for US bases only (2001) Internet country code: .aq Internet hosts: 7,757 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA Transportation Antarctica Airports: 20 note: there are no developed public access airports or landing facilities; 28 stations or remote field locations, operated by 11 National Antarctic Programs from nations party to the Antarctic Treaty, have restricted aircraft landing facilities comprising a total of 11 runways and 22 skiways for fixed-wing aircraft; some stations have both runways and skiways; commercial enterprises operate two aircraft landing facilities at one station; helicopter pads are available at all 37 year-round and 15 seasonal stations operated by National Antarctic Programs; the 11 runways are suitable for wheeled, fixed-wing aircraft: three are gravel, four blue-ice, two sea-ice and two compacted snow; of these, five are 3 km in length, two are between 2 km and 3 km in length, three are between 1 km and 2 km in length and one is less than 1 km in length; the 22 snow surface skiways are limited to use by ski-equipped, fixed-wing aircraft; of these, three are equal to or greater than 3 km in length, one is between 2 km and 3 km in length, nine are between 1 km and 2 km in length, five are less than 1 km in length, and four are of unknown or variable length; snow surface skiways are generally prepared and maintained during specific periods only and during summer; all aircraft landing facilities subject to severe restrictions and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and geographic conditions; aircraft landing facilities do not meet ICAO standards; advance approval from the respective governmental or nongovernmental operating organization required for using their facilities; landed aircraft are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; guidelines for the operation of aircraft near concentrations of birds in Antarctica were adopted in 2004; relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by states party to the Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude South, have to be complied with (see information under "Legal System"); an Antarctic Flight Information Manual (AFIM) providing up-to-date details of Antarctic air facilities and procedures is maintained and published by the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 28 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 4 length unknown or variable: 4 (2006) Heliports: 37 note: all 37 year-round and 15 seasonal stations operated by National Antarctic Programs stations have restricted helicopter landing facilities (helipads) (2006) Ports and terminals: there are no developed ports and harbors in Antarctica; most coastal stations have offshore anchorages, and supplies are transferred from ship to shore by small boats, barges, and helicopters; a few stations have a basic wharf facility; US coastal stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E), and Palmer (64 43 S, 64 03 W); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office under "Legal System"); all ships at port are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; offshore anchorage is sparse and intermittent; relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states parties to the Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area, to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude south, have to be complied with (see "Legal System"); The Hydrographic Committee on Antarctica (HCA), a special hydrographic commission of International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is responsible for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting matters in Antarctic Treaty area; it coordinates and facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate charts and other aids to navigation in support of safety of navigation in region; membership of HCA is open to any IHO Member State whose government has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which contributes resources and/or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area; members of HCA are Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, NZ, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Spain, and the UK (2005) Military Antarctica Military - note: the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes Transnational Issues Antarctica Disputes - international: Antarctic Treaty freezes claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary in government type entry); Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK claim land and maritime sectors (some overlapping) for a large portion of the continent; the US and many other states do not recognize these territorial claims and have made no claims themselves (the US and Russia reserve the right to do so); no claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west; several states with territorial claims in Antarctica have expressed their intention to submit data to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend their continental shelf claims to adjoining undersea ridges This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Antigua and Barbuda Introduction Antigua and Barbuda Background: The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. Geography Antigua and Barbuda Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico Geographic coordinates: 17 03 N, 61 48 W Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area: total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) land: 442.6 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 153 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation Terrain: mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m Natural resources: NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism Land use: arable land: 18.18% permanent crops: 4.55% other: 77.27% (2005) Irrigated land: NA Natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts Environment - current issues: water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor People Antigua and Barbuda Population: 69,108 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.6% (male 9,716/female 9,375) 15-64 years: 68.5% (male 23,801/female 23,524) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 1,020/female 1,672) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 30 years male: 29.5 years female: 30.5 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.55% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 16.93 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 5.37 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -6.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 18.86 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.16 years male: 69.78 years female: 74.66 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.24 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan Ethnic groups: black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian Religions: Christian (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some Roman Catholic) Languages: English (official), local dialects Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling total population: 85.8% male: NA% female: NA% (2003 est.) Government Antigua and Barbuda Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda Government type: constitutional parliamentary democracy Capital: name: Saint John's geographic coordinates: 17 06 N, 61 51 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) 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) National holiday: Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981) Constitution: 1 November 1981 Legal system: based on English common law Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Winston Baldwin SPENCER (since 24 March 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ALP 4, UPP 13 Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction); member Caribbean Court of Justice Political parties and leaders: Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbudans for a Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur NIBBS]; National Democratic Congress [Tillman THOMAS]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three parties - Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, Progressive Labor Movement or PLM, United National Democratic Party or UNDP) Political pressure groups and leaders: Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL] International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah Mae LOVELL chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122 FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225 consulate(s) general: Miami Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda Flag description: 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 Antigua and Barbuda Economy - overview: Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have slowed the economy and pressed the government into a tight fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals. GDP (purchasing power parity): $750 million (2002 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $905 million (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 3.8% (2005 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $10,900 (2005 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.8% industry: 22% services: 74.3% (2002 est.) Labor force: 30,000 Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 7% industry: 11% services: 82% (1983) Unemployment rate: 11% (2001 est.) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9% (2005 est.) Budget: revenues: $123.7 million expenditures: $145.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) Agriculture - products: cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock Industries: tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances) Industrial production growth rate: NA Electricity - production: 105 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 97.65 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 3,800 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-83.4 million (2004) Exports: $46.81 million (2004 est.) Exports - commodities: petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8% Exports - partners: Spain 34%, Germany 20.7%, Italy 7.7%, Singapore 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005) Imports: $378 million (2004 est.) Imports - commodities: food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil Imports - partners: US 21.1%, China 16.4%, Germany 13.3%, Singapore 12.7%, Spain 6.5% (2005) Debt - external: $427.3 million; note - data are for public external debt, not total external debt (2000) Economic aid - recipient: $1.65 million (2004) Currency (code): East Caribbean dollar (XCD) Currency code: XCD Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), note, fixed rate since 1976 Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Antigua and Barbuda Telephones - main lines in use: 38,000 (2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 54,000 (2004) Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: good automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-268; 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 36,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997) Televisions: 31,000 (1997) Internet country code: .ag Internet hosts: 2,231 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2000) Internet users: 20,000 (2005) Transportation Antigua and Barbuda Airports: 3 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 1,165 km paved: 384 km unpaved: 781 km (2002) Merchant marine: total: 1,011 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,452,503 GRT/9,783,309 DWT by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 596, chemical tanker 7, container 321, liquefied gas 11, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 21 foreign-owned: 984 (Australia 1, Bangladesh 4, Belgium 4, Colombia 2, Denmark 14, Estonia 12, France 1, Germany 858, Iceland 8, Isle of Man 2, Latvia 5, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 3, Netherlands 14, Norway 11, NZ 1, Poland 3, Russia 6, Singapore 1, Slovenia 6, Switzerland 4, Turkey 8, UK 7, US 7, Vietnam 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Saint John's Military Antigua and Barbuda Military branches: Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); no conscript military service (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 18,952 females age 18-49: 18,360 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 14,859 females age 18-49: 14,947 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 507 females age 18-49: 494 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: NA Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA Transnational Issues Antigua and Barbuda Disputes - international: none Illicit drugs: considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Arctic Ocean Background: The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean. Geography Arctic Ocean Location: body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle Geographic coordinates: 90 00 N, 0 00 E Map references: Arctic Region Area: total: 14.056 million sq km note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies Area - comparative: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US Coastline: 45,389 km Climate: polar climate characterized by 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 that, on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure ridges may be three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling landmasses; 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 Lomonosov Ridge) Elevation extremes: lowest point: Fram Basin -4,665 m highest point: sea level 0 m Natural resources: sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales) Natural hazards: ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May Environment - current issues: endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack Geography - note: major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months Economy Arctic Ocean Economy - overview: Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals. Transportation Arctic Ocean Ports and terminals: Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US) Transportation - note: sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are important seasonal waterways Transnational Issues Arctic Ocean Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states) This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Argentina Introduction Argentina Background: In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their independence from Spain. Eventually, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their own way, but the area that remained became Argentina. The country's population and culture were subsequently heavily shaped by immigrants from throughout Europe, but most particularly Italy and Spain, which provided the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's history was dominated by periods of internal political conflict between Federalists and Unitarians and between civilian and military factions. After World War II, an era of Peronist authoritarian rule and interference in subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983, and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent public protests and the resignation of several interim presidents. The economy has since recovered strongly since bottoming out in 2002. The government renegotiated its public debt in 2005 and paid off its remaining obligations to the IMF in early 2006. Geography Argentina Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay Geographic coordinates: 34 00 S, 64 00 W Map references: South America Area: total: 2,766,890 sq km land: 2,736,690 sq km water: 30,200 sq km Area - comparative: slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US Land boundaries: total: 9,861 km border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,261 km, Chile 5,308 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 580 km Coastline: 4,989 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin 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 Elevation extremes: lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz) highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza) Natural resources: fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium Land use: arable land: 10.03% permanent crops: 0.36% other: 89.61% (2005) Irrigated land: 15,500 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding Environment - current issues: environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation Geography - note: second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere People Argentina Population: 39,921,833 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.2% (male 5,153,164/female 4,921,625) 15-64 years: 64.1% (male 12,804,376/female 12,798,731) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 1,740,118/female 2,503,819) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 29.7 years male: 28.8 years female: 30.7 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.96% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 16.73 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 7.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 14.73 deaths/1,000 live births male: 16.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.12 years male: 72.38 years female: 80.05 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.16 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.7% (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 130,000 (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,500 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Argentine(s) adjective: Argentine Ethnic groups: white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3% Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4% Languages: Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.1% male: 97.1% female: 97.1% (2003 est.) Government Argentina Country name: conventional long form: Argentine Republic conventional short form: Argentina local long form: Republica Argentina local short form: Argentina Government type: republic Capital: name: Buenos Aires geographic coordinates: 34 36 S, 58 27 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 autonomous city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, 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 US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica Independence: 9 July 1816 (from Spain) National holiday: Revolution Day, 25 May (1810) Constitution: 1 May 1853; revised August 1994 Legal system: mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive branch: chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 27 April 2003 (next election to be held in 2007) election results: results of the presidential election of 27 April 2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other 8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on the eve of the election Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently one-third of the members elected every two years to a six-year term) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to a four-year term) elections: Senate - last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in 2007); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV 45.1%, FJ 17.2%, UCR 7.5%, other 30.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 14, FJ 3, UCR 2, other 5; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV 29.9%, UCR 8.9%, ARI 7.2%, PJ 6.7%, PRO 6.2%, FJ 3.9%, other 37.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 50, UCR 10, ARI 8, PJ 9, PRO 9, FJ 7, other 34 Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval by the Senate) note: the Supreme Court currently has two unfilled vacancies, and the Argentine Congress is considering a bill to reduce the number of Supreme Court judges to five Political parties and leaders: Affirmation for an Egalitarian Republic or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front for Victory or FV [Nestor KIRCHNER]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a broad coalition of approximately 12 parties including PRO); Justicialist Front or FJ [leader NA]; Justicialist Party or PJ (Peronist umbrella political organization); Radical Civic Union or UCR [Gerardo MORALES]; Republican Proposal or PRO (including Federal Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ MURPHY] and Commitment for Change or CPC [Mauricio MACRI]); Socialist Party or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia BULLRICH]; several provincial parties Political pressure groups and leaders: Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Confederation or CRA (small to medium landowners' association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association); business organizations; Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical union for employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); Peronist-dominated labor movement; Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either pro or anti-government); Roman Catholic Church; students International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 238-6400 FAX: [1] (202) 332-3171 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Earl Anthony WAYNE embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034 telephone: [54] (11) 5777-4533 FAX: [54] (11) 5777-4240 Flag description: 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 Argentina Economy - overview: Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Although one of the world's wealthiest countries 100 years ago, Argentina suffered during most of the twentieth century from recurring economic crises, persistent fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation, mounting external debt, and capital flight. Beginning in 1998, with external debt equivalent to more than 400 percent of annual exports, economic growth slowed and ultimately fell into a full-blown depression, as investors' fears grew in the wake of Russia's debt default, political discord caused by then-President Carlos MENEM's unpopular efforts to run for a constitutionally prohibited third term, and Brazil's devaluation. The government of Fernando DE LA RUA, elected President in late 1999, tried several measures to cut the fiscal deficit and instill confidence and received large IMF credit facilities, but nothing worked to revive the economy. Depositors began withdrawing money from the banks in late 2001, and the government responded with strict limits on withdrawals. When street protests turned deadly, DE LA RUA was forced to resign in December 2001. Interim President Adolfo Rodriguez SAA declared a default, the largest in history, on Argentina's foreign debt, but he stepped down only a few days later when he failed to garner political support from the country's governors. Eduardo DUHALDE became President in January 2002 and announced an end to the peso's decade-long 1-to-1 peg to the US dollar. When the peso depreciated and inflation rose, DUHALDE's government froze utility tariffs indefinitely, curtailed creditors' rights, and imposed high taxes on exports. The economy rebounded strongly from the crisis, inflation started falling, and DUHALDE called for special elections. Nestor KIRCHNER was elected President, taking office in May 2003, and continued the restrictions imposed by DUHALDE. With the reemergence of double-digit inflation in 2005, the KIRCHNER administration pressured businesses into a series of agreements to hold down prices. The government also restructured its defaulted debt in 2005, convincing most bondholders to accept a large cut on the value of their holdings, and paid off its IMF obligations from reserves in full in early 2006, both of which have reduced Argentina's external debt burden. Real GDP has continued growing strongly, averaging 9 percent during the period 2003-2006, bolstering government revenues and keeping the fiscal accounts-a key vulnerability in the past-in surplus. GDP (purchasing power parity): $599.1 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $210 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 8.5% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $15,000 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.5% industry: 35.8% services: 54.7% (2005 est.) Labor force: 15.35 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% Unemployment rate: 10.2% (3rd quarter) Population below poverty line: 31.4% (June 2006) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 35% Distribution of family income - Gini index: 48.3 (June 2006) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (November 2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 22.6% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $52.1 billion expenditures: $47.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.4 billion (2006 est.) Public debt: 62.2% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock Industries: food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel Industrial production growth rate: 8.2% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 93.94 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 52.2% hydro: 40.8% nuclear: 6.7% other: 0.2% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 90.93 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 4.143 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 7.7 billion kWh (2004) Oil - production: 745,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 470,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: 470,000 bbl/day (2003) Oil - imports: 39,000 bbl/day (2003) Oil - proved reserves: 2.116 billion bbl (2006 est.) Natural gas - production: 44.88 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 37.85 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 7.83 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 800 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 612.5 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $5.81 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $46 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor vehicles Exports - partners: Brazil 15.8%, US 11.4%, Chile 11.2%, China 7.9% (2005) Imports: $31.69 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal manufactures, plastics Imports - partners: Brazil 35.9%, US 14.1%, China 7.8%, Germany 4.5% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $30.24 billion (November 2006 est.) Debt - external: $106.8 billion (30 June 2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $0 (2002) Currency (code): Argentine peso (ARS) Currency code: ARS Exchange rates: Argentine pesos per US dollar - 3.05999 (2006), 2.9037 (2005), 2.9233 (2004), 2.9006 (2003), 3.0633 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Argentina Telephones - main lines in use: 8.8 million (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 22.1 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to competition and foreign investment with the "Telecommunications Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina encouraged the growth of modern telecommunications technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major cities; the major networks are entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is improving; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and making telephone service universally available will take time domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network; more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone use is rapidly expanding international: country code - 54; satellite earth stations - 112; Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international gateways near Buenos Aires (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably more than 1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998) Radios: 24.3 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997) Televisions: 7.95 million (1997) Internet country code: .ar Internet hosts: 1,612,423 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 33 (2000) Internet users: 10 million (2005) Transportation Argentina Airports: 1,381 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 154 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 65 914 to 1,523 m: 50 under 914 m: 9 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1,227 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 49 914 to 1,523 m: 587 under 914 m: 587 (2006) Pipelines: gas 29,804 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 10,373 km; refined products 8,540 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2006) Railways: total: 31,902 km broad gauge: 20,858 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified) standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified) narrow gauge: 7,922 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 229,144 km paved: 68,809 km (including 734 km of expressways) unpaved: 160,335 km (2004) Waterways: 11,000 km (2005) Merchant marine: total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 435,969 GRT/707,767 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 11 (Chile 6, UK 4, Uruguay 1) registered in other countries: 24 (Bolivia 1, Chile 1, Liberia 7, Panama 9, Paraguay 3, Uruguay 3) (2006) Ports and terminals: Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Concepcion del Uruguay, La Plata, Punta Colorada, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin, San Nicolas Military Argentina Military branches: Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes naval aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA) (2005) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 8,981,886 females age 18-49: 8,883,756 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 7,316,038 females age 18-49: 7,442,589 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 344,575 females age 18-49: 334,649 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $4.3 billion (FY99) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.3% (FY00) Military - note: the Argentine military is a well-organized force constrained by the country's prolonged economic hardship; the country has recently experienced a strong recovery, and the military is now implementing "Plan 2000," aimed at making the ground forces lighter and more responsive (2005) Transnational Issues Argentina Disputes - international: Argentina continues to assert its claims to the UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in its constitution, forcibly occupying the Falklands in 1982, but in 1995 agreed no longer to seek settlement by force; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims (see Antarctic disputes); unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; action by the joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001, for mapping and demarcating the disputed boundary in the Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur) remains pending Trafficking in persons: current situation: Argentina is primarily a destination country for women and children trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation with most victims trafficked internally, from rural to urban areas, for exploitation in prostitution; foreign women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation come primarily from Paraguay, but also from Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Chile; Bolivians are trafficked for forced labor; Argentine women and girls are also trafficked to neighboring countries for sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Argentina failed to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking particularly in the key area of prosecutions; government efforts to improve interagency anti-trafficking coordination did not achieve significant progress in moving cases against traffickers through the judicial system; the government made progress in other areas, by submitting anti-trafficking legislation to Congress in August 2005 and sensitizing provincial and municipal government officials to the trafficking problem Illicit drugs: used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Armenia Introduction Armenia Background: Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas. Geography Armenia Location: Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 45 00 E Map references: Asia Area: total: 29,800 sq km land: 28,400 sq km water: 1,400 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland Land boundaries: total: 1,254 km border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: highland continental, hot summers, cold winters Terrain: Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley Elevation extremes: lowest point: Debed River 400 m highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m Natural resources: small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina Land use: arable land: 16.78% permanent crops: 2.01% other: 81.21% (2005) Irrigated land: 2,860 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts Environment - current issues: soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a seismically active zone Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants Geography - note: landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range People Armenia Population: 2,976,372 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.5% (male 322,189/female 286,944) 15-64 years: 68.4% (male 949,975/female 1,085,484) 65 years and over: 11.1% (male 133,411/female 198,369) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 30.4 years male: 27.8 years female: 33.2 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: -0.19% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 12.07 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 8.23 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -5.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.17 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 22.47 deaths/1,000 live births male: 27.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.84 years male: 68.25 years female: 76.02 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.33 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,600 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Armenian(s) adjective: Armenian Ethnic groups: Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001 census) Religions: Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3% Languages: Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.6% male: 99.4% female: 98% (2003 est.) Government Armenia Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Armenia conventional short form: Armenia local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun local short form: Hayastan former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic Government type: republic Capital: name: Yerevan geographic coordinates: 40 11 N, 44 30 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan Independence: 21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1991) Constitution: adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments adopted through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005 Legal system: based on civil law system Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998) head of government: Prime Minister Andranik MARGARYAN (since 12 May 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 19 February and 5 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed with the majority support of the National Assembly; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program election results: Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of vote - Robert KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5% Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; 90 members elected by party list, 41 by direct vote) elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%, Justice Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National Unity Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by faction - Republican Party 39, Rule of Law 20, Justice Bloc 14, ARF (Dashnak) 11, National Unity 7, United Labor 6, People's Deputy Group 16, independent (not in faction or group) 18; note - as of 10 March 2006; voting blocs in the legislature are more properly termed factions and can be composed of members of several parties; seats by faction change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce themselves independent Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court) Political parties and leaders: Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALYAN]; Armenia Party (Hayastan) [Myasnik MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Artashes ZURABYAN]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Harutyun MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Hrant MARKARYAN]; Democratic Party [Aram SARKISYAN]; Justice Bloc (comprised of the Democratic Party, National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, the People's Party, and the Republic Party) [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; National Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Revival Party [Albert BAZEYAN]; National Unity Party [Artashes GEGHAMYAN, chairman]; People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Aram SARKISYAN, chairman]; Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARGARYAN]; Rule of Law Party [Artur BAGHDASARYAN]; Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENYAN] Political pressure groups and leaders: Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN] International organization participation: ACCT (observer), AsDB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tatoul MARKARIAN chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Anthony F. GODFREY embassy: 1 American Ave., Yerevan 375082 mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State, 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020 telephone: [374](10) 464-700 FAX: [374](10) 464-742 Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange Economy Armenia Economy - overview: Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia had developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to sister republics in exchange for raw materials and energy. Since the implosion of the USSR in December 1991, Armenia has switched to small-scale agriculture away from the large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. The agricultural sector has long-term needs for more investment and updated technology. The privatization of industry has been at a slower pace, but has been given renewed emphasis by the current administration. Armenia is a food importer, and its mineral deposits (copper, gold, bauxite) are small. The ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the breakup of the centrally directed economic system of the former Soviet Union contributed to a severe economic decline in the early 1990s. By 1994, however, the Armenian Government had launched an ambitious IMF-sponsored economic liberalization program that resulted in positive growth rates in 1995-2006. Armenia joined the WTO in January 2003. Armenia also has managed to slash inflation, stabilize its currency, and privatize most small- and medium-sized enterprises. Armenia's unemployment rate, however, remains high, despite strong economic growth. The chronic energy shortages Armenia suffered in the early and mid-1990s have been offset by the energy supplied by one of its nuclear power plants at Metsamor. Armenia is now a net energy exporter, although it does not have sufficient generating capacity to replace Metsamor, which is under international pressure to close. The electricity distribution system was privatized in 2002 and bought by Russia's RAO-UES in 2005. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, remittances from Armenians working abroad, and foreign direct investment. Economic ties with Russia remain close, especially in the energy sector. The government made some improvements in tax and customs administration in 2005, but anti-corruption measures will be more difficult to implement. Construction of a natural gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia has been completed and it is scheduled to be commissioned by April 2007. Investment in the construction and industrial sectors is expected to continue in 2007 and will help to ensure annual average real GDP growth of more than 10%. GDP (purchasing power parity): $15.99 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $6.6 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 10.5% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $5,400 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23.9% industry: 32.8% services: 43.3% (2006 est.) Labor force: 1.2 million (2005) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 45% industry: 25% services: 30% (2002 est.) Unemployment rate: 7.6% (2004 est.) Population below poverty line: 43% (2003 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 41.3% (2004) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 41.3 (2004) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.1% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 20.9% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $1.004 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock Industries: diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy Industrial production growth rate: 7.5% (2005 est.) Electricity - production: 6.317 billion kWh (2005) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 42.3% hydro: 27% nuclear: 30.7% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 4.374 billion kWh (2005) Electricity - exports: 1.012 billion kWh; note - exports an unknown quantity to Georgia; includes exports to Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan (2004) Electricity - imports: 260 million kWh; note - imports an unknown quantity from Iran (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2005) Oil - consumption: 41,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day Oil - imports: NA bbl/day Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 1.33 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 1.33 billion cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-229.5 million (2006 est.) Exports: $1.056 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy Exports - partners: Germany 15.6%, Netherlands 13.7%, Belgium 12.8%, Russia 12.2%, Israel 11.5%, US 11.2%, Georgia 4.8% (2005) Imports: $1.684 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds Imports - partners: Russia 13.5%, Belgium 8%, Germany 7.9%, Ukraine 7%, Turkmenistan 6.3%, US 6.2%, Israel 5.8%, Iran 5%, Romania 4.2% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $761 million (2006 est.) Debt - external: $1.936 billion (30 June 2006) Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $254 million (2004) Currency (code): dram (AMD) Currency code: AMD Exchange rates: drams per US dollar - 436.8 (2006), 457.69 (2005), 533.45 (2004), 578.76 (2003), 573.35 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Armenia Telephones - main lines in use: 582,500 (2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 320,000 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service) international: country code - 374; Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional international service is available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and through the Moscow international switch and by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 3 (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 16, shortwave 1 (2006) Radios: 850,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 40 (private television stations alongside two public networks; major Russian channels widely available) (2006) Televisions: 825,000 (1997) Internet country code: .am Internet hosts: 8,163 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 9 (2001) Internet users: 150,000 (2005) Transportation Armenia Airports: 13 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) Pipelines: gas 2,002 km (2006) Railways: total: 845 km broad gauge: 845 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified) note: some lines are out of service (2005) Roadways: total: 7,633 km paved: 7,633 km (includes 1,561 km of expressways) (2003) Military Armenia Military branches: Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Nagorno-Karabakh Self Defense Force (NKSDF), Air Force, Air Defense Force (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 to 27 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 722,836 females age 18-49: 795,084 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 551,938 females age 18-49: 656,493 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 31,774 females age 18-49: 31,182 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $135 million (FY01) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 6.5% (FY01) Transnational Issues Armenia Disputes - international: Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s, has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; border with Turkey remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh dispute; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy; tens of thousands of Armenians emigrate, primarily to Russia, to seek employment Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 219,324 (Azerbaijan) IDPs: 8,400 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, majority have returned home since 1994 ceasefire) (2006) Trafficking in persons: current situation: Armenia is a major source and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination country for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation largely to the UAE and Turkey; traffickers, many of them women, route victims directly into Dubai or through Moscow; profits derived from the trafficking of Armenian victims reportedly increased dramatically from 2005 tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Armenia has failed to show evidence of increasing efforts, particularly in the areas of enforcement, trafficking-related corruption, and victim protection; the government increased implementation of its anti-trafficking law, but failed to impose significant penalties for convicted traffickers and failed to vigorously investigate and prosecute ongoing and widespread allegations of public officials' complicity in trafficking; victim protection efforts remain in early, formative stages and a lack of sensitivity for victims remains a problem, particularly in the judiciary Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Aruba Introduction Aruba Background: Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990. Geography Aruba Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela Geographic coordinates: 12 30 N, 69 58 W Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area: total: 193 sq km land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 68.5 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m Natural resources: NEGL; white sandy beaches Land use: arable land: 10.53% permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005) Irrigated land: 0.01 sq km (1998 est.) Natural hazards: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt Environment - current issues: NA Geography - note: a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) People Aruba Population: 71,891 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.5% (male 7,175/female 6,849) 15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,894/female 25,140) 65 years and over: 12.3% (male 3,616/female 5,217) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 38.5 years male: 36.4 years female: 40.3 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.44% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 11.03 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 5.79 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.28 years male: 75.95 years female: 82.78 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban; Dutch Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish Literacy: definition: NA total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA% Government Aruba Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba Dependency status: member country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs Government type: parliamentary democracy Capital: name: Oranjestad geographic coordinates: 12 33 N, 70 06 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March Constitution: 1 January 1986 Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last held 2005 (next to be held by 2009) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held by in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1 Judicial branch: Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch) Political parties and leaders: Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO Diplomatic representation in the US: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba Flag description: 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 Aruba Economy - overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Over 1.5 million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the US. Construction continues to boom, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a brief low season, and hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority. GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.258 billion (2005 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $2.258 billion (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (2005 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $21,800 (2004 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.4% industry: 33.3% services: 66.3% Labor force: 41,500 (2004 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining Unemployment rate: 6.9% (2005 est.) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.4% (2005) Budget: revenues: $507.9 million expenditures: $577.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) Public debt: 46.3% of GDP (2005) Agriculture - products: aloes; livestock; fish Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 770 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 716.1 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 2,363 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 7,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Exports: $80 million f.o.b.; note - includes oil reexports (2004 est.) Exports - commodities: live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment Exports - partners: Netherlands 33.5%, Panama 16.7%, Colombia 11.9%, US 11.3%, Venezuela 10.1%, Netherlands Antilles 9% (2005) Imports: $875 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs Imports - partners: US 55.9%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.8% (2005) Debt - external: $478.6 million (2005 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $-11.3 million (2004) Currency (code): Aruban guilder/florin (AWG) Currency code: AWG Exchange rates: Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Aruba Telephones - main lines in use: 37,100 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular: 98,400 (2004) Telephone system: general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed international: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004) Radios: 50,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997) Televisions: 20,000 (1997) Internet country code: .aw Internet hosts: 11,548 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA Internet users: 24,000 (2002) Transportation Aruba Airports: 1 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 800 km paved: 513 km unpaved: 287 km Ports and terminals: Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas Military Aruba Military branches: no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy and Marines, Coast Guard Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 16,278 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 13,219 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 520 (2005 est.) Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Transnational Issues Aruba Disputes - international: none Illicit drugs: transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Ashmore and Cartier Islands Introduction Ashmore and Cartier Islands Background: These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve. Geography Ashmore and Cartier Islands Location: Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island Geographic coordinates: 12 14 S, 123 05 E Map references: Southeast Asia Area: total: 5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island Area - comparative: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 74.1 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation Climate: tropical Terrain: low with sand and coral Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m Natural resources: fish Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005) Irrigated land: 0 sq km Natural hazards: surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards Environment - current issues: NA Geography - note: Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983 People Ashmore and Cartier Islands Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island (July 2006 est.) People - note: the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem Government Ashmore and Cartier Islands Country name: conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands Dependency status: territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services Legal system: the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia) Flag description: the flag of Australia is used Economy Ashmore and Cartier Islands Economy - overview: no economic activity Transportation Ashmore and Cartier Islands Ports and terminals: none; offshore anchorage only Military Ashmore and Cartier Islands Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force Transnational Issues Ashmore and Cartier Islands Disputes - international: Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia has closed the surrounding waters to Indonesian traditional fishing and created a national park in the region while continuing to prospect for hydrocarbons in the vicinity This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Atlantic Ocean Background: The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude. Geography Atlantic Ocean Location: body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the Western Hemisphere Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 W Map references: Political Map of the World Area: total: 76.762 million sq km note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies Area - comparative: slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US 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 coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin Elevation extremes: lowest point: Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 m highest point: sea level 0 m Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones Natural hazards: icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to September; hurricanes (May to December) Environment - current issues: endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; 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 Geography - note: major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean Economy Atlantic Ocean Economy - overview: The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of natural resources, e.g., fishing, dredging of aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea). Transportation Atlantic Ocean Ports and terminals: 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), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden) Transportation - note: Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways; significant domestic commercial and recreational use of Intracoastal Waterway on central and south Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of US Transnational Issues Atlantic Ocean Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states) This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Australia Introduction Australia Background: Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy. It boasted one of the OECD's fastest growing economies during the 1990s, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. Geography Australia Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean Geographic coordinates: 27 00 S, 133 00 E Map references: Oceania Area: total: 7,686,850 sq km land: 7,617,930 sq km water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 25,760 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m Natural resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum Land use: arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.81% (2005) Irrigated land: 25,450 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires Environment - current issues: soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh water resources Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Geography - note: world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the city of Perth on the west coast, and is one of the most consistent winds in the world People Australia Population: 20,264,082 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.6% (male 2,031,313/female 1,936,802) 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 6,881,863/female 6,764,709) 65 years and over: 13.1% (male 1,170,589/female 1,478,806) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 36.9 years male: 36 years female: 37.7 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.85% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 12.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 7.51 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 4.63 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.02 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.5 years male: 77.64 years female: 83.52 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.76 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 14,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Australian(s) adjective: Australian Ethnic groups: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1% Religions: Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census) Languages: English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) Government Australia Country name: conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia conventional short form: Australia Government type: federal parliamentary democracy Capital: name: Canberra geographic coordinates: 35 17 S, 149 08 E time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March note: Australia is divided into three time zones 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, Macquarie Island Independence: 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) National holiday: Australia Day, 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the 1915 landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April Constitution: 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 Legal system: based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive branch: chief of state: Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Michael JEFFERY (since 11 August 2003) head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Mark VAILE (since 6 July 2005) cabinet: prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament, candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to serve as government ministers elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and 2 from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all territory members are elected every three years) and the House of Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential voting to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than 5 representatives) elections: Senate - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held no later than June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be called no later than November 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 39, Australian Labor Party 28, Democrats 4, Australian Greens 4, Family First Party 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 87, Australian Labor Party 60, independents 3 Judicial branch: High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general) Political parties and leaders: Australian Democrats [Lyn ALLISON]; Australian Greens [Bob BROWN]; Australian Labor Party [Kevin RUDD]; Country Liberal Party [Jodeen CARNEY]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING]; Liberal Party [John Winston HOWARD]; The Nationals [Mark VAILE] International organization participation: ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dennis J. RICHARDSON chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000 FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert D. McCALLUM, Jr. embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 mailing address: APO AP 96549 telephone: [61] (02) 6214-5600 FAX: [61] (02) 6214-5970 consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney Flag description: 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 known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars Economy Australia Economy - overview: Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy, robust business and consumer confidence, and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products are fueling the economy. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key factors behind the economy's strength. The impact of drought and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up in recent years, although the trade balance improved in 2006. Housing prices probably peaked in 2005, diminishing the prospect that interest rates would be raised to prevent a speculative bubble. Conservative fiscal policies have kept Australia's budget in surplus since 2002. GDP (purchasing power parity): $666.3 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $645.3 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 2.8% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $32,900 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.8% industry: 26.2% services: 70% (2005 est.) Labor force: 10.66 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 3.6% industry: 21.2% services: 75.2% (2004 est.) Unemployment rate: 4.9% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 25.4% (1994) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 35.2 (1994) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 26.8% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $267 billion expenditures: $258 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Public debt: 14.1% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel Industrial production growth rate: -3.5% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 225.3 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 90.8% hydro: 8.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0.9% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 209.5 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 530,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 877,300 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: 523,400 bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: 530,800 bbl/day (2001) Oil - proved reserves: 3.664 billion bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - production: 37.03 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 26.37 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 10.66 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 821.2 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $-41.62 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $117 billion (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment Exports - partners: Japan 20.3%, China 11.5%, South Korea 7.9%, US 6.7%, NZ 6.5%, India 5% (2005) Imports: $127.7 billion (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products Imports - partners: US 13.9%, China 13.7%, Japan 11%, Singapore 5.6%, Germany 5.6% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $48.25 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $585.1 billion (30 June 2006 est.) Economic aid - donor: ODA, $894 million (FY99/00) Currency (code): Australian dollar (AUD) Currency code: AUD Exchange rates: Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3382 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June Communications Australia Telephones - main lines in use: 11.46 million (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 18.42 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: excellent domestic and international service domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones international: country code - 61; submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998) Radios: 25.5 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 104 (1997) Televisions: 10.15 million (1997) Internet country code: .au Internet hosts: 7,772,888 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 571 (2002) Internet users: 14,663,622 (2006) Transportation Australia Airports: 455 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 311 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 133 914 to 1,523 m: 143 under 914 m: 13 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 144 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 111 under 914 m: 15 (2006) Heliports: 1 (2006) Pipelines: condensate/gas 546 km; gas 31,323 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 4,808 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2006) Railways: total: 47,738 km broad gauge: 4,015 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 28,662 km 1.435-m gauge (1,397 km electrified) narrow gauge: 14,831 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified) dual gauge: 230 km dual gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 810,641 km paved: 336,962 km unpaved: 473,679 km (2004) Waterways: 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2002) Merchant marine: total: 53 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,361,000 GRT/1,532,874 DWT by type: bulk carrier 17, cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 5 foreign-owned: 17 (Canada 1, France 3, Germany 3, Japan 1, Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Philippines 1, UK 2, US 3) registered in other countries: 34 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 2, Bermuda 3, Fiji 1, Hong Kong 1, Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 2, Netherlands 1, NZ 2, Panama 3, Portugal 1, Singapore 7, Tonga 1, UK 3, US 2, Vanuatu 2) (2006) Ports and terminals: Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney Military Australia Military branches: Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations Command (2006) Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary service; women allowed to serve in Army combat units in non-combat support roles (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 4,943,676 females age 18-49: 4,821,264 Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 4,092,717 females age 16-49: 3,983,447 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 142,158 females age 16-49: 135,675 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $17.84 billion (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.7% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Australia Disputes - international: East Timor and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for fifty years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; East Timor dispute hampers creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia (see also Ashmore and Cartier Islands dispute); regional states express concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime identification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica (see Antarctica); in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margin from both its mainland and Antarctic claims Illicit drugs: Tasmania is 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 This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Austria Introduction Austria Background: Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic Monetary Union in 1999. Geography Austria Location: Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia Geographic coordinates: 47 20 N, 13 20 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 83,870 sq km land: 82,444 sq km water: 1,426 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maine Land boundaries: total: 2,562 km border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330 km, Switzerland 164 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers Terrain: in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping Elevation extremes: lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m Natural resources: oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower Land use: arable land: 16.59% permanent crops: 0.85% other: 82.56% (2005) Irrigated land: 40 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: landslides; avalanches; earthquakes Environment - current issues: some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere People Austria Population: 8,192,880 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.4% (male 645,337/female 614,602) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 2,782,712/female 2,749,620) 65 years and over: 17.1% (male 567,752/female 832,857) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 40.9 years male: 39.8 years female: 42 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.09% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 8.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 9.76 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 1.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.65 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.07 years male: 76.17 years female: 82.11 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.36 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 10,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Austrian(s) adjective: Austrian Ethnic groups: Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German 0.9%, other or unspecified 2.4% (2001 census) Religions: Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census) Languages: German (official nationwide), Slovene (official in Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in Burgenland) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: NA female: NA Government Austria Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Austria conventional short form: Austria local long form: Republik Oesterreich local short form: Oesterreich Government type: federal republic Capital: name: Vienna geographic coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna) Independence: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed) National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of the law on permanent neutrality Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945) Legal system: civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (since 8 July 2004) head of government: Chancellor Alfred GUSENBAUER (SPOe) (since 11 January 2007); Vice Chancellor Wilhelm MOLTERE (OeVP) (since 11 January 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); presidential election last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held April 2010); chancellor formally chosen by the president but determined by the coalition parties forming a parliamentary majority; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER (OeVP) 47.6% note: government coalition - SPOe and OeVP Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 members; members chosen by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 members according to its population; members serve a five- or six-year term) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: National Council - last held 1 October 2006 (next scheduled for the fall of 2010) election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 35.3%, OeVP 34.3%, Greens 11.1%, FPOe 11.0%, BZOe 4.1%; seats by party - SPOe 68, OeVP 66, Greens 21, FPOe 21, BZOe 7 Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof Political parties and leaders: Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Peter WESENTHALER]; Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wilhelm MOLTERE]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN] Political pressure groups and leaders: Austrian Trade Union Federation (nominally independent but primarily Social Democratic) or OeGB; Federal Economic Chamber; OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action; three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, and farmers and other non-government organizations in the areas of environment and human rights International organization participation: ACCT (observer), AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Eva NOWOTNY chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035 telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700 FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Susan R. McCAW embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0 FAX: [43] (1) 3100682 Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red Economy Austria Economy - overview: Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's. The Austrian economy also benefits greatly from strong commercial relations, especially in the banking and insurance sectors, with central, eastern, and southeastern Europe. The economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector. Membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market and proximity to the new EU economies. The outgoing government has successfully pursued a comprehensive economic reform program, aimed at streamlining government, creating a more competitive business environment, further strengthening Austria's attractiveness as an investment location, and implementing effective pension reforms; however, lower taxes in 2005-2006 have lead to a small budget deficit in 2006. Weak domestic consumption and slow growth in Europe have held the economy to growth rates below 3% in 2002-05. Due to higher growth across Europe, Austrian grew 3.3 percent in 2006. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, particularly the new EU members, Austria will need to continue restructuring, emphasizing knowledge-based sectors of the economy, and encouraging greater labor flexibility and greater labor participation by its aging population. GDP (purchasing power parity): $279.5 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $309.3 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 3.3% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $34,100 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8% industry: 30.4% services: 67.8% (2005 est.) Labor force: 3.52 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 3% industry: 27% services: 70% (2005 est.) Unemployment rate: 4.9% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 5.9% (2004) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 22.5% (2004) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 31 (2002) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 21% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $155.9 billion expenditures: $161.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Public debt: 63% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber Industries: construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism Industrial production growth rate: 5.7% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 65.56 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 29.3% hydro: 67.2% nuclear: 0% other: 3.5% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 64.07 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 13.5 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 16.6 billion kWh (2004) Oil - production: 25,360 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 282,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: 30,140 bbl/day (2004) Oil - imports: 152,600 bbl/day (2004) Oil - proved reserves: 84.3 million bbl (2004) Natural gas - production: 1.963 billion cu m (2004) Natural gas - consumption: 8.981 billion cu m (2004) Natural gas - exports: 1.324 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 8.407 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 15.01 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $5.913 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $144.4 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs Exports - partners: Germany 31.2%, Italy 8.7%, US 5.8%, Switzerland 5.2%, France 4.2% (2005) Imports: $138.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs Imports - partners: Germany 45.9%, Italy 6.6%, Switzerland 4.5% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $8.413 billion (August 2006 est.) Debt - external: $593.9 billion (30 June 2006 est.) Economic aid - donor: ODA, $681 million (2004) Currency (code): euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries Currency code: EUR Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.79669 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Austria Telephones - main lines in use: 3.705 million (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 8.16 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: highly developed and efficient domestic: there are 45 main lines for every 100 persons; the fiber optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are available international: country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 15; in addition, there are about 600 VSAT (very small aperture terminals) (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 65 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (2001) Radios: 6.08 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 10 (plus more than 1,000 repeaters) (2001) Televisions: 4.25 million (1997) Internet country code: .at Internet hosts: 2,062,035 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 37 (2000) Internet users: 4.65 million (2005) Transportation Austria Airports: 55 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 25 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 15 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 26 (2006) Heliports: 1 (2006) Pipelines: gas 2,722 km; oil 663 km; refined products 149 km (2006) Railways: total: 6,011 km standard gauge: 5,568 km 1.435-m gauge (3,427 km electrified) narrow gauge: 21 km 1.000-m gauge; 422 km 0.760-m gauge (109 km electrified) (2005) Roadways: total: 133,718 km paved: 133,718 km (including 1,677 km of expressways) (2003) Waterways: 358 km (2003) Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,072 GRT/44,437 DWT by type: cargo 6, container 2 foreign-owned: 2 (Netherlands 2) registered in other countries: 14 (Liberia 13, Malta 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna Military Austria Military branches: Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for voluntary service; from 2007, at the earliest, compulsory military service obligation will be reduced from eight months to six (2005) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,914,800 females age 18-49: 1,870,134 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,550,441 females age 18-49: 1,515,365 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 48,967 females age 18-49: 46,633 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.497 billion (FY01/02) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.9% (2004) Transnational Issues Austria Disputes - international: Austrian anti-nuclear activists have revived blockades of the Czech-Austrian border to protest operation of the Temelin nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Azerbaijan Introduction Azerbaijan Background: Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 528,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the promise of widespread wealth from Azerbaijan's undeveloped petroleum resources remains largely unfulfilled. Geography Azerbaijan Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range Geographic coordinates: 40 30 N, 47 30 E Map references: Asia Area: total: 86,600 sq km land: 86,100 sq km water: 500 sq km note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991 Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maine Land boundaries: total: 2,013 km border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijan-proper) 566 km, Armenia (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km est.) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: dry, semiarid steppe Terrain: large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina Land use: arable land: 20.62% permanent crops: 2.61% other: 76.77% (2005) Irrigated land: 14,550 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: droughts Environment - current issues: local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT as a pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked People Azerbaijan Population: 7,961,619 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.8% (male 1,046,501/female 1,011,492) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 2,573,134/female 2,706,275) 65 years and over: 7.8% (male 246,556/female 377,661) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 27.7 years male: 26.3 years female: 29.2 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.66% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 20.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 9.75 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -4.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 79 deaths/1,000 live births male: 81.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 76.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.85 years male: 59.78 years female: 68.13 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.46 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,400 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2001 est.) Nationality: noun: Azerbaijani(s), Azeri(s) adjective: Azerbaijani, Azeri Ethnic groups: Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (1999 census) note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region Religions: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.) note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower Languages: Azerbaijani (Azeri) 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.8% male: 99.5% female: 98.2% (2003 est.) Government Azerbaijan Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan conventional short form: Azerbaijan local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi local short form: Azarbaycan former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Government type: republic Capital: name: Baku (Baki, Baky) geographic coordinates: 40 23 N, 49 51 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic (muxtar respublika) rayons: Abseron Rayonu, Agcabadi Rayonu, Agdam Rayonu, Agdas Rayonu, Agstafa Rayonu, Agsu Rayonu, Astara Rayonu, Balakan Rayonu, Barda Rayonu, Beylaqan Rayonu, Bilasuvar Rayonu, Cabrayil Rayonu, Calilabad Rayonu, Daskasan Rayonu, Davaci Rayonu, Fuzuli Rayonu, Gadabay Rayonu, Goranboy Rayonu, Goycay Rayonu, Haciqabul Rayonu, Imisli Rayonu, Ismayilli Rayonu, Kalbacar Rayonu, Kurdamir Rayonu, Lacin Rayonu, Lankaran Rayonu, Lerik Rayonu, Masalli Rayonu, Neftcala Rayonu, Oguz Rayonu, Qabala Rayonu, Qax Rayonu, Qazax Rayonu, Qobustan Rayonu, Quba Rayonu, Qubadli Rayonu, Qusar Rayonu, Saatli Rayonu, Sabirabad Rayonu, Saki Rayonu, Salyan Rayonu, Samaxi Rayonu, Samkir Rayonu, Samux Rayonu, Siyazan Rayonu, Susa Rayonu, Tartar Rayonu, Tovuz Rayonu, Ucar Rayonu, Xacmaz Rayonu, Xanlar Rayonu, Xizi Rayonu, Xocali Rayonu, Xocavand Rayonu, Yardimli Rayonu, Yevlax Rayonu, Zangilan Rayonu, Zaqatala Rayonu, Zardab Rayonu cities: Ali Bayramli Sahari, Baki Sahari, Ganca Sahari, Lankaran Sahari, Mingacevir Sahari, Naftalan Sahari, Saki Sahari, Sumqayit Sahari, Susa Sahari, Xankandi Sahari, Yevlax Sahari autonomous republic: Naxcivan Muxtar Respublikasi Independence: 30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) National holiday: Founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, 28 May (1918) Constitution: adopted 12 November 1995 Legal system: based on civil law system Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Artur RASIZADE (since 4 November 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Abbas ABBASOV (since 10 November 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 October 2003 (next to be held October 2008); prime minister and first deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly election results: Ilham ALIYEV elected president; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV 76.8%, Isa GAMBAR 14% Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 6 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Yeni 58, Azadliq coalition 8, CSP 2, YES 2, Motherland 2, other parties with single seats 7, independents 42, undetermined 4 Judicial branch: Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: Azerbaijan Popular Front or APF [Ali KARIMLI, leader of "Reform" faction; Mirmahmud MIRALI-OGLU, leader of "Classic" faction]; Civic Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLY]; Civic Union Party [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]; Communist Party of Azerbaijan or CPA [Ramiz AHMADOV]; Compatriot Party [Mais SAFARLI]; Democratic Party for Azerbaijan or DPA [Rasul QULIYEV, chairman]; Justice Party [Ilyas ISMAILOV]; Liberal Party of Azerbaijan [Lala Shovkat HACIYEVA]; Motherland Party; Musavat [Isa GAMBAR, chairman]; Yeni Azerbaijan Party; Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan or PNIA [Etibar MAMMADLI, chairman]; Social Democratic Party of Azerbaijan or SDP [Araz ALIZADE] note: opposition parties regularly factionalize and form new parties Political pressure groups and leaders: Sadval, Lezgin movement; self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement; Union of Pro-Azerbaijani Forces (UPAF); Karabakh Liberation Organization International organization participation: AsDB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hafiv Mir Jalal PASHAYEV chancery: 2741 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 337-3500 FAX: [1] (202) 337-5911 Consulate(s) general: Los Angeles Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Anne E. DERSE embassy: 83 Azadliyg Prospecti, Baku AZ1007 mailing address: American Embassy Baku, US Department of State, 7050 Baku Place, Washington, DC 20521-7050 telephone: [994] (12) 4980-335 through 337 FAX: [994] (12) 4656-671 Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band Economy Azerbaijan Economy - overview: Azerbaijan's number one export is oil. Azerbaijan's oil production declined through 1997, but has registered an increase every year since. Negotiation of production-sharing arrangements (PSAs) with foreign firms, which have thus far committed $60 billion to long-term oilfield development, should generate the funds needed to spur future industrial development. Oil production under the first of these PSAs, with the Azerbaijan International Operating Company, began in November 1997. A consortium of Western oil companies began pumping 1 million barrels a day from a large offshore field in early 2006, through a $4 billion pipeline it built from Baku to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Economists estimate that by 2010 revenues from this project will double the country's current GDP. Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources brighten its long-term prospects. Baku has only recently begun making progress on economic reform, and old economic ties and structures are slowly being replaced. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector, the continuing conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and the pervasive corruption. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance while trade is building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices, the location of new pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its oil wealth. GDP (purchasing power parity): $58.1 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $14.05 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 32.5% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $7,300 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.1% industry: 45.7% services: 40.2% (2002 est.) Labor force: 5.191 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 41% industry: 7% services: 52% (2001) Unemployment rate: 1.2% official rate (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 49% (2002 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 27.8% (1995) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 36.5 (2001) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 44.9% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $6.008 billion expenditures: $5.804 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Public debt: 10.4% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats Industries: petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles Industrial production growth rate: 50% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 20.35 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 89.7% hydro: 10.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 20.57 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 510 million kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 2.15 billion kWh (2004) Oil - production: 477,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 120,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - proved reserves: 589 million bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - production: 5.01 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 9.94 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 4.93 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $2.737 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $12.51 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: oil and gas 90%, machinery, cotton, foodstuffs Exports - partners: Italy 30.3%, France 9.4%, Russia 6.6%, Turkey 6.3%, Turkmenistan 6.3%, Georgia 4.8%, Israel 4.5%, Croatia 4.1% (2005) Imports: $5.176 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, metals, chemicals Imports - partners: Russia 17%, UK 9.1%, Singapore 9.1%, Turkey 7.4%, Germany 6.1%, Turkmenistan 5.8%, Ukraine 5.4%, China 4.1% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.8 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $2.483 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $140 million (2000 est.) Currency (code): Azerbaijani manat (AZM) Currency code: AZM Exchange rates: Azerbaijani manats per US dollar - 0.89131 (2006), 4,727.1 (2005), 4,913.48 (2004), 4,910.73 (2003), 4,860.82 (2002) note: on 1 January 2006 Azerbaijan revalued its currency, with 5,000 old manats equal to 1 new manat Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Azerbaijan Telephones - main lines in use: 1,091,400 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.242 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable expansion and modernization; teledensity of 14 main lines per 100 persons is low (2002) domestic: the majority of telephones are in Baku and other industrial centers - about 700 villages still without public telephone service; satellite service connects Baku to a modern switch in its exclave of Naxcivan international: country code - 994; the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2 (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 1 (1998) Radios: 175,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997) Televisions: 170,000 (1997) Internet country code: .az Internet hosts: 880 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000) Internet users: 678,800 (2005) Transportation Azerbaijan Airports: 36 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 27 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 7 (2006) Heliports: 1 (2006) Pipelines: gas 3,190 km; oil 2,436 km (2006) Railways: total: 2,957 km broad gauge: 2,957 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2005) Roadways: total: 59,141 km paved: 29,210 km unpaved: 29,931 km (2004) Merchant marine: total: 84 ships (1000 GRT or over) 405,395 GRT/436,666 DWT by type: cargo 26, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 43, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 3 registered in other countries: 4 (Georgia 2, Malta 2) (2006) Ports and terminals: Baku (Baki) Military Azerbaijan Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces Military service age and obligation: men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; length of military service is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,961,973 females age 18-49: 2,033,186 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,314,955 females age 18-49: 1,676,408 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 82,358 females age 18-49: 78,067 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $121 million (FY99) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.6% (FY99) Transnational Issues Azerbaijan Disputes - international: Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratify Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on an even one-fifth allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters; bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 2,800 (Russia) IDPs: 580,000-690,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2006) Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Bahamas, The Introduction Bahamas, The Background: Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. Geography Bahamas, The Location: Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba Geographic coordinates: 24 15 N, 76 00 W Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area: total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 3,542 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Climate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m Natural resources: salt, aragonite, timber, arable land Land use: arable land: 0.58% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 99.13% (2005) Irrigated land: 10 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage Environment - current issues: coral reef decay; solid waste disposal Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited People Bahamas, The Population: 303,770 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.5% (male 41,799/female 41,733) 15-64 years: 66.1% (male 98,847/female 102,074) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 7,891/female 11,426) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 27.8 years male: 27.1 years female: 28.6 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.64% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 17.57 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 24.68 deaths/1,000 live births male: 30.29 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.6 years male: 62.24 years female: 69.03 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.18 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 5,600 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian Ethnic groups: black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% Religions: Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census) Languages: English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.6% male: 94.7% female: 96.5% (2003 est.) Government Bahamas, The Country name: conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas Government type: constitutional parliamentary democracy Capital: name: Nassau geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay Independence: 10 July 1973 (from UK) National holiday: Independence Day, 10 July (1973) Constitution: 10 July 1973 Legal system: based on English common law Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Arthur D. HANNA (since 1 February 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the Parliament and call elections at any time elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4 Judicial branch: Privy Council (London); Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court; magistrates courts Political parties and leaders: Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOM, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: vacant chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ROOD embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours) FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222 Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side Economy Bahamas, The Economy - overview: The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but the slowdown in the US economy and the attacks of 11 September 2001 held back growth in these sectors in 2001-03. The current government has presided over a period of economic recovery and an upturn in large-scale private sector investments in tourism. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for about 15% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors. GDP (purchasing power parity): $6.476 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $6.159 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $21,300 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.) Labor force: 176,300 (2004) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 5% (2005 est.) Unemployment rate: 10.2% (2005 est.) Population below poverty line: 9.3% (2004) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: 27% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.2% (2004) Budget: revenues: $1.03 billion expenditures: $1.03 billion; including capital expenditures of $130 million (FY04/05) Agriculture - products: citrus, vegetables; poultry Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 1.795 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 1.669 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 27,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: transhipments of 29,000 bbl/day (2003) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Exports: $469.3 million (2004 est.) Exports - commodities: mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables Exports - partners: Spain 31.8%, US 30%, Poland 9%, Germany 5.4% (2005) Imports: $1.82 billion (2004 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals Imports - partners: US 20.1%, South Korea 18%, Brazil 16.9%, Spain 7%, Italy 5.8%, Germany 4.8% (2005) Debt - external: $342.6 million (2004 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $5 million (2004) Currency (code): Bahamian dollar (BSD) Currency code: BSD Exchange rates: Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1 (2002) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June Communications Bahamas, The Telephones - main lines in use: 139,900 (2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 186,000 (2004) Telephone system: general assessment: modern facilities domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed international: country code - 1-242; tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 2 (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006) Radios: 215,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 2 (2006) Televisions: 67,000 (1997) Internet country code: .bs Internet hosts: 591 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 19 (2000) Internet users: 93,000 (2005) Transportation Bahamas, The Airports: 64 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 29 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 22 (2006) Heliports: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 2,693 km paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1999) Merchant marine: total: 1,177 ships (1000 GRT or over) 37,743,270 GRT/50,918,747 DWT by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 253, cargo 250, chemical tanker 64, container 79, liquefied gas 35, livestock carrier 2, passenger 115, passenger/cargo 34, petroleum tanker 175, refrigerated cargo 114, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 5, vehicle carrier 30 foreign-owned: 1,093 (Angola 5, Australia 2, Belgium 13, Canada 18, China 3, Cuba 1, Cyprus 13, Denmark 59, Estonia 1, Finland 8, France 37, Germany 22, Greece 232, Hong Kong 8, Iceland 1, India 1, Indonesia 4, Ireland 2, Israel 1, Italy 5, Japan 51, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Latvia 1, Malaysia 12, Monaco 17, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 24, Nigeria 2, Norway 259, Philippines 1, Poland 15, Reunion 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 12, Singapore 12, Slovenia 1, Spain 12, Sweden 6, Switzerland 2, Thailand 1, Turkey 8, UAE 16, UK 69, Uruguay 2, US 121, Venezuela 1) registered in other countries: 4 (Barbados 1, Liberia 1, Panama 2) (2006) Ports and terminals: Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point Military Bahamas, The Military branches: Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Marines, Air Wing (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 73,121 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 44,309 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 2,804 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: NA Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA Transnational Issues Bahamas, The Disputes - international: disagrees with the US on the alignment of the maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict Haitian refugees fleeing economic privation and political instability Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Bahrain Introduction Bahrain Background: In 1782, the Al Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community and Shia political societies participated in 2006 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shia discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence. Geography Bahrain Location: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia Geographic coordinates: 26 00 N, 50 33 E Map references: Middle East Area: total: 665 sq km land: 665 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 161 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls Land use: arable land: 2.82% permanent crops: 5.63% other: 91.55% (2005) Irrigated land: 40 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms Environment - current issues: desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources, groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean People Bahrain Population: 698,585 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.4% (male 96,567/female 94,650) 15-64 years: 69.1% (male 280,272/female 202,451) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 12,753/female 11,892) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 29.4 years male: 32.4 years female: 25.8 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.45% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 17.8 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 4.14 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.38 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female total population: 1.26 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 16.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.65 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.45 years male: 71.97 years female: 77 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 600 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini Ethnic groups: Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census) Religions: Muslim (Shi'a and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census) Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.1% male: 91.9% female: 85% (2003 est.) Government Bahrain Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn former: Dilmun Government type: constitutional hereditary monarchy Capital: name: Manama geographic coordinates: 26 13 N, 50 35 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK) National holiday: National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 is the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 is the date of independence from British protection Constitution: new constitution 14 February 2002 Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969) head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman al-Khalifa (since 1971); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, Jawad al-ARAIDH cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of Shura Council (40 members appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly elected to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Deputies - last held November-December 2006 (next election to be held NA) election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Sunni Islamists 18, Al Wifaq (Shia) 17, other groupings and independents 5 note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14 February 2001; first legislative term held from December 2002 to December 2006 Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law Political pressure groups and leaders: Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97 and have recently engaged in protests and sporadic violence, demanding more power for the elected Council of Deputies to decrease unemployment; Sunni Islamist legislators support a greater role for shari'a in daily life; several small leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nasir bin Muhammad al-BALUSHI chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111 FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192 consulate(s) general: New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William T. MONROE embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama mailing address: American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama telephone: [973] 1724-2700 FAX: [973] 1727-0547 Flag description: red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam Economy Bahrain Economy - overview: With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 20% of GDP, underpinning Bahrain's strong economic growth in recent years. The financial and construction sectors have also bolstered GDP growth. Bahrain is actively pursuing the diversification and privatization of its economy to reduce the country's dependence on oil. As part of this effort, Bahrain and the US in August 2006 implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems. GDP (purchasing power parity): $17.7 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $12.12 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 7.6% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $25,300 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.5% industry: 38.7% services: 60.8% (2005 est.) Labor force: 352,000 note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1% industry: 79% services: 20% (1997 est.) Unemployment rate: 15% (2005 est.) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 21.1% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $5.582 billion expenditures: $4.197 billion; including capital expenditures of $700 million (2006 est.) Public debt: 34.2% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, ship repairing, tourism Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000 est.) Electricity - production: 7.794 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 7.248 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 188,300 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 27,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - proved reserves: 121 million bbl (2006 est.) Natural gas - production: 9.75 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 9.75 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $1.999 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $12.62 billion (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles Exports - partners: Saudi Arabia 3.3%, US 2.6%, UAE 2.3% (2005) Imports: $9.036 billion (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: crude oil, machinery, chemicals Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 36.5%, Japan 6.6%, Germany 6.4%, US 5.4%, UK 5%, UAE 4.1% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.918 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $7.267 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $150 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from the UAE and Kuwait (2002) Currency (code): Bahraini dinar (BHD) Currency code: BHD Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2006), 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004), 0.376 (2003), 0.376 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Bahrain Telephones - main lines in use: 196,500 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 748,700 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: modern system domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones international: country code - 973; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 1 (1997) Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 338,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 4 (1997) Televisions: 275,000 (1997) Internet country code: .bh Internet hosts: 2,165 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000) Internet users: 152,700 (2005) Transportation Bahrain Airports: 3 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) Heliports: 1 (2006) Pipelines: gas 20 km; oil 52 km (2006) Roadways: total: 3,498 km paved: 2,768 km unpaved: 730 km (2003) Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 235,449 GRT/339,728 DWT by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 1, container 2, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 3 (Kuwait 3) (2006) Ports and terminals: Mina' Salman, Sitrah Military Bahrain Military branches: Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Navy, Air Force, National Guard Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 202,126 females age 18-49: 151,734 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 161,372 females age 18-49: 125,488 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 6,013 females age 18-49: 5,852 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $627.7 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.9% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Bahrain Disputes - international: none Trafficking in persons: current situation: Bahrain is a destination country for men and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly to work as laborers or domestic servants, but may be subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude when faced with exorbitant recruitment and transportation fees, withholding of their passports, restrictions on their movement, non-payment of wages, and physical or sexual abuse; Eastern European women are also believed to be trafficked to Bahrain for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bahrain's efforts to address trafficking in persons are based largely on pledges of future efforts; the government did not enact a comprehensive anti-trafficking law extending labor protection to domestic workers This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Bangladesh Introduction Bangladesh Background: Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region and it became part of British India. In 1947, West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of Pakistan. East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units separated by 1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic development. Geography Bangladesh Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 90 00 E Map references: Asia Area: total: 144,000 sq km land: 133,910 sq km water: 10,090 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Iowa Land boundaries: total: 4,246 km border countries: Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km Coastline: 580 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin Climate: tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October) Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Keokradong 1,230 m Natural resources: natural gas, arable land, timber, coal Land use: arable land: 55.39% permanent crops: 3.08% other: 41.53% (2005) Irrigated land: 47,250 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: droughts, cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season Environment - current issues: many people are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land; water-borne diseases prevalent in surface water; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, results from the use of commercial pesticides; ground water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic; intermittent water shortages because of falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; severe overpopulation Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal People Bangladesh Population: 147,365,352 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.9% (male 24,957,997/female 23,533,894) 15-64 years: 63.6% (male 47,862,774/female 45,917,674) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 2,731,578/female 2,361,435) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 22.2 years male: 22.2 years female: 22.2 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 2.09% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 29.8 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 60.83 deaths/1,000 live births male: 61.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 62.46 years male: 62.47 years female: 62.45 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 13,000 (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 650 (2001 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations water contact disease: leptospirosis animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007) Nationality: noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladeshi Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims (1998) Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998) Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 43.1% male: 53.9% female: 31.8% (2003 est.) Government Bangladesh Country name: conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh local long form: Gana Prajatantri Banladesh local short form: Banladesh former: East Bengal, East Pakistan Government type: parliamentary democracy Capital: name: Dhaka geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 25 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 6 divisions; Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet Independence: 16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971); note - 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972; suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986; amended many times Legal system: based on English common law Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Iajuddin AHMED (since 6 September 2002); note - the president's duties are normally ceremonial, but with the 13th amendment to the constitution ("Caretaker Government Amendment"), the president's role becomes significant at times when Parliament is dissolved and a caretaker government is installed - at presidential direction - to supervise the elections head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA (since 10 October 2001) cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president elections: president elected by National Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election scheduled for 16 September 2002 was not held since Iajuddin AHMED was the only presidential candidate; he was sworn in on 6 September 2002 (next election to be held by 2007); following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually appointed prime minister by the president election results: Iajuddin AHMED declared by the Election Commission elected unopposed as president; percent of National Parliament vote - NA Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament or Jatiya Sangsad; 300 seats elected by popular vote from single territorial constituencies (the constitutional amendment reserving 30 seats for women over and above the 300 regular parliament seats expired in May 2001); members serve five-year terms elections: last held 1 October 2001 (next to be held no later than January 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - BNP and alliance partners 41%, AL 40%; seats by party - BNP 193, AL 58, JI 17, JP (Ershad faction) 14, IOJ 2, JP (Manzur) 4, other 12; note - the election of October 2001 brought a majority BNP government aligned with three other smaller parties - JI, IOJ, and Jatiya Party (Manzur) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (the chief justices and other judges are appointed by the president) Political parties and leaders: Awami League or AL [Sheikh HASINA]; Bangladesh Communist Party or BCP [Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK]; Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP [Khaleda ZIA]; Islami Oikya Jote or IOJ [Mufti Fazlul Haq AMINI]; Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh or JIB [Motiur Rahman NIZAMI]; Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) [Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD]; Jatiya Party (Manzur faction) [Naziur Rahman MANZUR]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Badrudozza CHOWDHURY and Oli AHMED] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ARF, AsDB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Shamsher Mobin CHOWDHURY chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183 FAX: [1] (202) 244-5366 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia A. BUTENIS embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212 mailing address: G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1000 telephone: [880] (2) 885-5500 FAX: [880] (2) 882-3744 Flag description: green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh Economy Bangladesh Economy - overview: Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects, Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and inefficiently-governed nation. Although more than half of GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the single-most-important product. Major impediments to growth include frequent cyclones and floods, inefficient state-owned enterprises, inadequate port facilities, a rapidly growing labor force that cannot be absorbed by agriculture, delays in exploiting energy resources (natural gas), insufficient power supplies, and slow implementation of economic reforms. Reform is stalled in many instances by political infighting and corruption at all levels of government. Progress also has been blocked by opposition from the bureaucracy, public sector unions, and other vested interest groups. The BNP government, led by Prime Minister Khaleda ZIA, has the parliamentary strength to push through needed reforms, but the party's political will to do so has been lacking in key areas. On an encouraging note, growth has been a steady 5-6% for the past several years. GDP (purchasing power parity): $330.8 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $69.02 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 6.1% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $2,200 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 19.9% industry: 20.6% services: 59.5% (2006 est.) Labor force: 68 million note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia; workers' remittances estimated at $1.71 billion in 1998-99 (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 63% industry: 11% services: 26% (FY95/96) Unemployment rate: 2.5% (includes underemployment) (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 45% (2004 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.9% highest 10%: 28.6% (1995-96 est.) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 31.8 (2000) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.2% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 24.9% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $6.389 billion expenditures: $8.694 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Public debt: 46.7% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit; beef, milk, poultry Industries: cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar Industrial production growth rate: 7.2% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 18.09 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 93.7% hydro: 6.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 16.82 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 6,813 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 85,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - proved reserves: 28.45 million bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - production: 13.1 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 13.1 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 300.2 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $339 million (2006 est.) Exports: $11.17 billion (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: garments, jute and jute goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood (2001) Exports - partners: US 23.6%, Germany 13.5%, UK 9.4%, France 6.4% (2005) Imports: $13.77 billion (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement (2000) Imports - partners: India 14.1%, China 13.5%, Kuwait 8.5%, Singapore 6.2%, Japan 4.1%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.278 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $22.55 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $1.575 billion (2000 est.) Currency (code): taka (BDT) Currency code: BDT Exchange rates: taka per US dollar - 70.235 (2006), 64.328 (2005), 59.513 (2004), 58.15 (2003), 57.888 (2002) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June Communications Bangladesh Telephones - main lines in use: 1.07 million (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 9 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern country domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in cities international: country code - 880; satellite earth stations - 6; international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006) Radios: 6.15 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 15 (1999) Televisions: 770,000 (1997) Internet country code: .bd Internet hosts: 469 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 10 (2000) Internet users: 300,000 (2005) Transportation Bangladesh Airports: 16 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 5 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) Pipelines: gas 2,604 km (2006) Railways: total: 2,768 km broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 239,226 km paved: 22,726 km unpaved: 216,500 km (2003) Waterways: 8,372 km note: includes 5,635 km main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in dry season (2005) Merchant marine: total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 341,733 GRT/485,840 DWT by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 29, container 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3 foreign-owned: 1 (China 1) registered in other countries: 10 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Comoros 1, Malta 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Chittagong, Mongla Port Military Bangladesh Military branches: Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force (Bangladesh Biman Bahini, BAF) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2005) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 35,170,019 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 26,841,255 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.01 billion (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.8% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Bangladesh Disputes - international: discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in both countries, allocate divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh resists India's attempts to fence or wall off high-traffic sections of the porous boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary inspection in 2005 revealed 92 pillars are missing; dispute with India over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; Burmese Muslim refugees strain Bangladesh's meager resources Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 21,053 (Burma) IDPs: 65,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2006) Illicit drugs: transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Barbados Introduction Barbados Background: The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. Geography Barbados Location: Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela Geographic coordinates: 13 10 N, 59 32 W Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area: total: 431 sq km land: 431 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 97 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October) Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m Natural resources: petroleum, fish, natural gas Land use: arable land: 37.21% permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2005) Irrigated land: 50 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides Environment - current issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: easternmost Caribbean island People Barbados Population: 279,912 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.1% (male 28,160/female 28,039) 15-64 years: 71.1% (male 97,755/female 101,223) 65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,508/female 15,227) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 34.6 years male: 33.4 years female: 35.6 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.37% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 12.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 8.67 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 11.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.79 years male: 70.79 years female: 74.82 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.5% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,500 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial) adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) Ethnic groups: black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6% Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% Languages: English Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 99.7% male: 99.7% female: 99.7% (2002 est.) Government Barbados Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados Government type: parliamentary democracy Capital: name: Bridgetown geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 11 parishes and 1 city*; Bridgetown*, Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas Independence: 30 November 1966 (from UK) National holiday: Independence Day, 30 November (1966) Constitution: 30 November 1966 Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 7 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May 2003) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7 Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services); Caribbean Court of Justice is the highest court of appeal Political parties and leaders: Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [David COMISSIONG] Political pressure groups and leaders: Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU [Patrick FROST]; Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Herbert GITTENS]; Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, which includes the BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Barbados Workers Union or BWU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]; National Union of Public Workers [Joseph GODDARD] International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200 FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York consulate(s): Los Angeles Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mary M. OURISMAN embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950 FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379 Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, 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 Barbados Economy - overview: Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002-03 mainly due to a decline in tourism. Growth was positive in 2005-06, as economic conditions in the US and Europe moderately improved. GDP (purchasing power parity): $5.108 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $3.157 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $18,200 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6% industry: 16% services: 78% (2000 est.) Labor force: 128,500 (2001 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10% industry: 15% services: 75% (1996 est.) Unemployment rate: 10.7% (2003 est.) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.5% (2003 est.) Budget: revenues: $847 million (including grants) expenditures: $886 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) Agriculture - products: sugarcane, vegetables, cotton Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export Industrial production growth rate: -3.2% (2000 est.) Electricity - production: 896 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 833.3 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 1,000 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 11,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - proved reserves: 1.254 million bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - production: 29.17 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 29.17 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 141.6 million cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Exports: $209 million (2004 est.) Exports - commodities: sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components Exports - partners: US 18.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 15%, UK 12.1%, Saint Lucia 8.4%, Jamaica 7.9%, Grenada 4.6%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.6% (2005) Imports: $1.476 billion (2004 est.) Imports - commodities: consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components Imports - partners: US 37.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 22.1%, UK 5.5%, Japan 5.2% (2005) Debt - external: $668 million (2003) Economic aid - recipient: $9.1 million (1995) Currency (code): Barbadian dollar (BBD) Currency code: BBD Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Barbados Telephones - main lines in use: 134,900 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 206,200 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-246; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004) Radios: 237,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus two cable channels) (2004) Televisions: 76,000 (1997) Internet country code: .bb Internet hosts: 282 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 19 (2000) Internet users: 160,000 (2005) Transportation Barbados Airports: 1 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 1,600 km paved: 1,600 km (2004) Merchant marine: total: 58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 433,390 GRT/664,998 DWT by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 32, chemical tanker 7, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 57 (Bahamas, The 1, Canada 8, Greece 11, Lebanon 1, Monaco 1, Norway 29, UAE 1, UK 5) registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Bridgetown Military Barbados Military branches: Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Coast Guard (2005) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers at earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 71,524 females age 18-49: 72,302 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 54,510 females age 18-49: 54,889 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: NA Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA Military - note: the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is to defend the island against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2005) Transnational Issues Barbados Disputes - international: in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration that will result in a binding award challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters and the southern limit of Barbadian traditional fishing; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea Illicit drugs: one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Belarus Introduction Belarus Background: After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Alexandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion continue. Geography Belarus Location: Eastern Europe, east of Poland Geographic coordinates: 53 00 N, 28 00 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 207,600 sq km land: 207,600 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Kansas Land boundaries: total: 2,900 km border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime Terrain: generally flat and contains much marshland Elevation extremes: lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m Natural resources: forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay Land use: arable land: 26.77% permanent crops: 0.6% other: 72.63% (2005) Irrigated land: 1,310 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: NA Environment - current issues: soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea Geography - note: landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes People Belarus Population: 10,293,011 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.7% (male 825,823/female 791,741) 15-64 years: 69.7% (male 3,490,442/female 3,682,950) 65 years and over: 14.6% (male 498,976/female 1,003,079) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 37.2 years male: 34.5 years female: 39.9 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: -0.06% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 11.16 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 14.02 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.08 years male: 63.47 years female: 74.98 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.43 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 15,000 (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,000 (2001 est.) Nationality: noun: Belarusian(s) adjective: Belarusian Ethnic groups: Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, other 1.1% (1999 census) Religions: Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.) Languages: Belarusian, Russian, other Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.6% male: 99.8% female: 99.5% (2003 est.) Government Belarus Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Belarus conventional short form: Belarus local long form: Respublika Byelarus' local short form: Byelarus' former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic Government type: republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship Capital: name: Minsk geographic coordinates: 53 54 N, 27 34 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (voblastsi, singular - voblasts') and 1 municipality* (horad); Brest, Homyel', Horad Minsk*, Hrodna, Mahilyow, Minsk, Vitsyebsk note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers Independence: 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) National holiday: Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union Constitution: 15 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 November 1996; revised again 17 October 2004 removing presidential term limits Legal system: based on civil law system Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKIY (since 19 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir SEMASHKO (since December 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; subsequent election held 9 September 2001; an October 2004 referendum ended presidential term limits and allowed the president to run in a third election, which was held on 19 March 2006; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 82.6%, Aleksandr MILINKEVICH 6%, Aleksandr KOZULIN 2.3%; note - election marred by electoral fraud Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and 8 members appointed by the president, all for four-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Predstaviteley (110 seats; members elected by universal adult suffrage to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 17 and 31 October 2004; international observers widely denounced the elections as flawed and undemocratic, based on massive government falsification; pro-LUKASHENKO candidates won every seat, after many opposition candidates were disqualified for technical reasons election results: Soviet Respubliki - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Palata Predstaviteley - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives) Political parties and leaders: pro-government parties: Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Nikolai ULAKHOVICH, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH]; Party of Labor and Justice [Viktor SOKOLOV]; Social-Sports Party [Vladimir ALEXANDROVICH] opposition parties: 10 Plus Coalition [Alyaksandr MILINKEVICH], includes: Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB [Syarhey KALYAKIN]; Belarusian Party of Labor (unregistered) [Aleksandr BUKHVOSTOV, Leonid LEMESHONAK]; Belarusian Popular Front or BPF [Vintsyuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Gramada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH]; Green Party [Oleg GROMYKO]; Party of Freedom and Progress (unregistered) [Vladimir NOVOSYAD]; United Civic Party or UCP [Anatol LYABEDKA]; Women's Party "Nadezhda" [Valentina MATUSEVICH, chairperson] other opposition includes: Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Nardonaya Hromada or BSDP NH [Alyaksandr KOZULIN, chairman]; Christian Conservative BPF [Zyanon PAZNIAK]; Ecological Party of Greens [Mikhail KARTASH]; Party of Popular Accord [Sergei YERMAKK]; Republican Party [Vladimir BELAZOR] Political pressure groups and leaders: Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs [Sergey MATSKEVICH]; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Alyaksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Tatiana PROTKO]; Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; Charter 97 [Andrey SANNIKOV]; Lenin Communist Union of Youth (youth wing of the Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB); National Strike Committee of Entrepreneurs [Aleksandr VASILYEV, Valery LEVONEVSKY]; Partnership NGO [Nikolay ASTREYKA]; Perspektiva kiosk watchdog NGO [Anatol SHUMCHENKO]; Vyasna [Ales BYALATSKY]; Women's Independent Democratic Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Dzmitryy DASHKEVICH, Syarhey BAKHUN]; Zubr youth group [Vladimir KOBETS] International organization participation: BSEC (observer), CEI, CIS, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604 FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805 consulate(s) general: New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Karen B. STEWART embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002 mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723 telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83, 217-7347, 217-7348 FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853 Flag description: red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red Economy Belarus Economy - overview: Belarus's economy in 2006 posted more than 8% growth. The government has succeeded in lowering inflation over the past several years. Trade with Russia - by far its largest single trade partner - decreased in 2006, largely as a result of a change in the way the Value Added Tax (VAT) on trade was collected. Trade with European countries increased. Belarus has seen little structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprises. Since 2005, the government has re-nationalized a number of private companies. In addition, businesses have been subject to pressure by central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. A wide range of redistributive policies has helped those at the bottom of the ladder; the Gini coefficient is among the lowest in the world. Because of these restrictive economic policies, Belarus has had trouble attracting foreign investment, which remains low. Growth has been strong in recent years, despite the roadblocks in a tough, centrally directed economy with a high, but decreasing, rate of inflation. Belarus receives heavily discounted oil and natural gas from Russia and much of Belarus' growth can be attributed to the re-export of Russian oil at market prices. This growth will be threatened in 2007, however, when Russia raises energy prices closer to world market prices for Belarus. Russia is planning to increase Belarusian gas prices from $47 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) to $200 per tcm and introduce a first-time export duty of $180 per ton on oil shipped to Belarus. GDP (purchasing power parity): $80.74 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $28.56 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 8.3% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $7,800 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.3% industry: 31.6% services: 59.1% (2005 est.) Labor force: 4.3 million (31 December 2005) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 14% industry: 34.7% services: 51.3% (2003 est.) Unemployment rate: 1.6% officially registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers (2005) Population below poverty line: 27.1% (2003 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 5.1% highest 10%: 20% (1998) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 30.4 (2000) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 25.9% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $6.578 billion expenditures: $7.164 billion; including capital expenditures of $180 million (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk Industries: metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, televisions, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators Industrial production growth rate: 15.6% (2005 est.) Electricity - production: 29.33 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.5% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.4% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 31.05 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 4.723 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 8.5 billion kWh (2004) Oil - production: 34,260 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - consumption: 165,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: 14,500 bbl/day (2003 est.) Oil - imports: 360,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Natural gas - production: 180 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 20.5 billion cu m (2005 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 16.22 billion cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-511.8 million (2006 est.) Exports: $19.61 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs Exports - partners: Russia 35.8%, Netherlands 15.1%, UK 7%, Ukraine 5.7%, Poland 5.3%, Germany 4.4% (2005) Imports: $21.12 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals Imports - partners: Russia 60.6%, Germany 6.7%, Ukraine 5.4% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.329 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $5.498 billion (30 June 2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $194.3 million (1995) Currency (code): Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR) Currency code: BYB/BYR Exchange rates: Belarusian rubles per US dollar - 2,220 (2006), 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004), 2,051.27 (2003), 1,790.92 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Belarus Telephones - main lines in use: 3,284,300 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 4.098 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; state-owned Beltelcom, is the sole provider of fixed line local and long distance service; modernization of the network to digital switching progressing slowly domestic: fixed line penetration is improving although rural areas continue to be underserved; four GSM wireless networks are experiencing rapid growth; strict government controls on telecommunications technologies international: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations Radio broadcast stations: AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998) Radios: 3.02 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995) Televisions: 2.52 million (1997) Internet country code: .by Internet hosts: 33,641 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 23 (2002) Internet users: 3,394,400 (2005) Transportation Belarus Airports: 86 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 41 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 12 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 45 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 35 (2006) Heliports: 1 (2006) Pipelines: gas 5,223 km; oil 2,321 km; refined products 1,686 km (2006) Railways: total: 5,512 km broad gauge: 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified) standard gauge: 15 km 1.435 m (2005) Roadways: total: 93,310 km paved: 81,180 km unpaved: 12,130 km (2004) Waterways: 2,500 km (use limited by location on perimeter of country and by shallowness) (2003) Ports and terminals: Mazyr Military Belarus Military branches: Belarus Armed Forces: Land Force, Air and Air Defense Force (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 2,520,644 females age 18-49: 2,564,696 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,657,984 females age 18-49: 2,102,793 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 85,202 females age 18-49: 82,037 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $420.5 million (2006) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY02) Transnational Issues Belarus Disputes - international: 1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and diminishing border security; the whole boundary with Latvia and more than half the boundary with Lithuania remains undemarcated; discussions toward economic and political union with Russia proceed slowly Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; a small and lightly regulated financial center; new anti-money-laundering legislation does not meet international standards; few investigations or prosecutions of money-laundering activities This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Belgium Introduction Belgium Background: Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. Geography Belgium Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands Geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 00 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 30,528 sq km land: 30,278 sq km water: 250 sq km Area - comparative: about the size of Maryland Land boundaries: total: 1,385 km border countries: France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km Coastline: 66.5 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit continental shelf: median line with neighbors Climate: temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy Terrain: flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast Elevation extremes: lowest point: North Sea 0 m highest point: Signal de Botrange 694 m Natural resources: construction materials, silica sand, carbonates Land use: arable land: 27.42% permanent crops: 0.69% other: 71.89% note: includes Luxembourg (2005) Irrigated land: 400 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes Environment - current issues: the environment is exposed to intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries; uncertainties regarding federal and regional responsibilities (now resolved) have slowed progress in tackling environmental challenges Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants Geography - note: crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO People Belgium Population: 10,379,067 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.7% (male 883,254/female 846,099) 15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,450,879/female 3,389,565) 65 years and over: 17.4% (male 746,569/female 1,062,701) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 40.9 years male: 39.6 years female: 42.1 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.13% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 10.38 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 10.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.77 years male: 75.59 years female: 82.09 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.64 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 10,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian Ethnic groups: Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11% Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25% Languages: Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) Government Belgium Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium conventional short form: Belgium local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie local short form: Belgique/Belgie Government type: federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy Capital: name: Brussels geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Dutch: provincies, singular - provincie) and 3 regions* (French: regions; Dutch: gewesten); Brussels* (Bruxelles) capital region; Flanders* region (five provinces): Antwerpen (Antwerp), Limburg, Oost-Vlaanderen (East Flanders), Vlaams-Brabant (Flemish Brabant), West-Vlaanderen (West Flanders); Wallonia* region (five provinces): Brabant Wallon (Walloon Brabant), Hainaut, Liege, Luxembourg, Namur note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities Independence: 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declares independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King Leopold I ascends to the throne) National holiday: 21 July (1831) ascension to the Throne of King Leopold I Constitution: 7 February 1831; amended many times; revised 14 July 1993 to create a federal state Legal system: civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive branch: chief of state: King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir Apparent Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch head of government: Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT (since 13 July 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and then approved by parliament note: government coalition - VLD, MR, PS, SP.A-Spirit Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 May 2003 (next to be held 10 June 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - SP.A-Spirit 15.5%, VLD 15.4%, CD & V 12.7%, PS 12.8%, MR 12.1%, VB 9.4%, CDH 5.6%; seats by party - SP.A-Spirit 7, VLD 7, CD & V 6, PS 6, MR 5, VB 5, CDH 2, other 2 (note - there are also 31 indirectly elected senators); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD 15.4%, SP.A-Spirit 14.9%, CD & V 13.3%, PS 13.0%, VB 11.6%, MR 11.4%, CDH 5.5%, Ecolo 3.1%; seats by party - VLD 25, SP.A-Spirit 23, CD & V 21, PS 25, VB 18, MR 24, CDH 8, Ecolo 4, other 2 note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments each with its own legislative assembly Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the government; candidacies have to be submitted by the High Justice Council) Political parties and leaders: Flemish parties: Christian Democrats and Flemish or CD & V [Jo VANDEURZEN]; Flemish Liberal and Democrats or VLD [Bart SOMERS]; GROEN! (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens) [Vera DUA]; New Flemish Alliance or NVA [Bart DE WEVER]; Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A [Johan Vande LANOTTE]; Spirit [Geert LAMBERT] (new party now associated with SP.A); Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Frank VANHECKE] Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Michel JAVAUX, Isabelle DURANT, Claude BROUIR]; Humanist and Democratic Center of CDH [Joelle MILQUET]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; Reform Movement or MR [Didier REYNDERS]; Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO]; other minor parties Political pressure groups and leaders: Christian, Socialist, and Liberal 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 Pax Christi and groups representing immigrants International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dominique STRUYE DE SWIELANDE chancery: 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 333-3079 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York consulate(s): Atlanta Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tom C. KOROLOGOS; note - Ambassador-designate Sam FOX may take his place in early 2007; must face Senate confirmation hearing embassy: Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels mailing address: PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710 telephone: [32] (2) 508-2111 FAX: [32] (2) 511-2725 Flag description: three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France Economy Belgium Economy - overview: This modern, 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. With few natural resources, Belgium must import substantial quantities of raw materials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Roughly three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Public debt is more than 90% of GDP. On the positive side, the government has succeeded in balancing its budget, and income distribution is relatively equal. Belgium began circulating the euro currency in January 2002. Economic growth in 2001-03 dropped sharply because of the global economic slowdown, with moderate recovery in 2004-06. GDP (purchasing power parity): $330.4 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $367.8 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $31,800 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 24% services: 74.9% (2005 est.) Labor force: 4.89 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.3% industry: 24.5% services: 74.2% (2003 est.) Unemployment rate: 8.1% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 4% (1989 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 23% (1996) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 25 (1996) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 19.4% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $195.7 billion expenditures: $195.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.56 billion (2006 est.) Public debt: 90.3% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk Industries: engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 80.22 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 38.4% hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 59.3% other: 1.8% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 82.41 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 6.8 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 14.6 billion kWh (2004) Oil - production: 10,690 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 641,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: 450,000 bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: 1.042 million bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 17.06 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 16.88 billion cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $6.925 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $335.3 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs Exports - partners: Germany 19.4%, France 17.3%, Netherlands 11.7%, UK 8.2%, US 6.4%, Italy 5.3% (2005) Imports: $333.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products Imports - partners: Netherlands 17.8%, Germany 17.2%, France 11.4%, UK 6.8%, Ireland 6.5%, US 5.4% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $9.626 billion (August 2006 est.) Debt - external: $1.053 trillion (30 June 2006 est.) Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.072 billion (2002) Currency (code): euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries Currency code: EUR Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.79669 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Belgium Telephones - main lines in use: 4.801 million (2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 9.46 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network international: country code - 32; submarine cables - 5; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2005) Radio broadcast stations: FM 79, AM 7, shortwave 1 (1998) Radios: 8.075 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997) Televisions: 4.72 million (1997) Internet country code: .be Internet hosts: 2,870,770 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 61 (2000) Internet users: 5.1 million (2005) Transportation Belgium Airports: 43 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 25 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 7 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 16 (2006) Heliports: 1 (2006) Pipelines: gas 1,561 km; oil 158 km; refined products 535 km (2006) Railways: total: 3,521 km standard gauge: 3,521 km 1.435-m gauge (2,927 km electrified) (2005) Roadways: total: 150,567 km paved: 117,442 km (including 1,747 km of expressways) unpaved: 33,125 km (2004) Waterways: 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2003) Merchant marine: total: 66 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,952,159 GRT/6,521,645 DWT by type: bulk carrier 19, cargo 4, chemical tanker 2, container 10, liquefied gas 15, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 4 foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 4, Greece 4, UK 2) registered in other countries: 113 (Antigua and Barbuda 4, Bahamas 13, Bermuda 4, Cyprus 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 6, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 2, Greece 12, Hong Kong 3, Luxembourg 9, Malta 10, Mozambique 2, Netherlands 2, Netherlands Antilles 4, Panama 11, Portugal 8, Russia 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Singapore 12, Sweden 2) (2006) Ports and terminals: Antwerp, Brussels, Gent, Liege, Oostende, Zeebrugge Military Belgium Military branches: Belgian Armed Forces: Land, Naval, and Air Operations Commands (2005) Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary military service; women comprise approx. 7% of the Belgian armed forces (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 2,436,736 females age 16-49: 2,369,463 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 1,998,003 females age 16-49: 1,940,918 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 64,263 females age 16-49: 61,402 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3.999 billion (2003) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.3% (2003) Transnational Issues Belgium Disputes - international: none Illicit drugs: growing producer of synthetic drugs; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Belize Introduction Belize Background: Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increasing urban crime. Geography Belize Location: Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico Geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 45 W Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area: total: 22,966 sq km land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts Land boundaries: total: 516 km border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km Coastline: 386 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm in the north, 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 nm; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for negotiating a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Climate: tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m Natural resources: arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower Land use: arable land: 3.05% permanent crops: 1.39% other: 95.56% (2005) Irrigated land: 30 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) Environment - current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean People Belize Population: 287,730 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 39.5% (male 57,923/female 55,678) 15-64 years: 57% (male 82,960/female 81,046) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,888/female 5,235) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 19.6 years male: 19.5 years female: 19.8 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 2.31% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 28.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 24.89 deaths/1,000 live births male: 28.07 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.3 years male: 66.43 years female: 70.26 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.4% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3,600 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Belizean(s) adjective: Belizean Ethnic groups: mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% Religions: Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7.4%, Anglican 5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist 3.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), other 14%, none 9.4% (2000) Languages: English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.1% male: 94.1% female: 94.1% (2003 est.) Government Belize Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras Government type: parliamentary democracy Capital: name: Belmopan geographic coordinates: 17 15 N, 88 46 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK) National holiday: Independence Day, 21 September (1981) Constitution: 21 September 1981 Legal system: English law Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Said Wilbert MUSA (since 28 August 1998); Deputy Prime Minister John BRICENO (since 1 September 1998) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 members appointed by the governor general - 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 1 each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; members are appointed for five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next to be held March 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8 Judicial branch: Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) Political parties and leaders: People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean BARROW, party leader; Douglas SINGH, party chairman] Political pressure groups and leaders: Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert J. DIETER embassy: Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Cayo District mailing address: 3050 Belize Place, Washington DC 20521-3050 telephone: [501] 227-7161 through 7163 FAX: [501] 223-0802 Flag description: 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 Belize Economy - overview: In this small, essentially private-enterprise economy the tourism industry is the number one foreign exchange earner followed by marine products, citrus, cane sugar, bananas, and garments. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to sturdy GDP growth averaging nearly 4% in 1999-2006. Major concerns continue to be the sizable trade deficit and unsustainable foreign debt. The government in 2006 announced it would seek a restructuring of its sovereign debt and has been negotiating with international creditors to find an acceptable formula for doing so. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors. GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.307 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $1.141 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (2005 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $8,400 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 22.5% industry: 14.8% services: 62.6% (2006 est.) Labor force: 90,000 note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (2001 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 27% industry: 18% services: 55% (2001 est.) Unemployment rate: 12.9% (2003) Population below poverty line: 33.5% (2002 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 18.2% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $302.5 million expenditures: $357.5 million; including capital expenditures of $70 million (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: bananas, coca, citrus, sugar; fish, cultured shrimp; lumber; garments Industries: garment production, food processing, tourism, construction Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (1999) Electricity - production: 175 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 59.9% hydro: 40.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 162.8 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 6,400 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-173.4 million (2006 est.) Exports: $359.5 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood Exports - partners: US 30.6%, UK 25%, France 4.8% (2005) Imports: $543 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; food, beverages, tobacco Imports - partners: US 31%, Mexico 11.6%, Russia 8.8%, Cuba 6%, Guatemala 5.6%, China 4.6%, Spain 4.5% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $78.96 million (2006 est.) Debt - external: $1.362 billion (June 2004 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $NA Currency (code): Belizean dollar (BZD) Currency code: BZD Exchange rates: Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Belize Telephones - main lines in use: 33,300 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 93,100 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: above-average system domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: country code - 501; satellite earth station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 133,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997) Televisions: 41,000 (1997) Internet country code: .bz Internet hosts: 3,905 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000) Internet users: 35,000 (2005) Transportation Belize Airports: 43 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 38 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 26 (2006) Roadways: total: 2,872 km paved: 488 km unpaved: 2,384 km (1999) Waterways: 825 km (navigable only by small craft) (2005) Merchant marine: total: 285 ships (1000 GRT or over) 985,464 GRT/1,322,629 DWT by type: bulk carrier 36, cargo 203, chemical tanker 7, container 4, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 13, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 225 (China 103, Croatia 1, Cyprus 2, Estonia 3, Germany 3, Greece 2, Hong Kong 8, Iceland 2, Indonesia 2, Italy 4, Japan 2, North Korea 2, South Korea 4, Latvia 6, Lithuania 1, Malaysia 1, Mexico 1, Norway 2, Poland 2, Russia 36, Singapore 6, Spain 3, Switzerland 1, Turkey 11, UAE 5, Ukraine 7, US 5) (2006) Ports and terminals: Belize City Military Belize Military branches: Belize Defense Force (BDF): Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available positions by 3:1 (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 61,201 females age 18-49: 60,048 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 44,238 females age 18-49: 43,633 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 3,213 females age 18-49: 3,100 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $19 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.7% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Belize Disputes - international: Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the largely uninhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; OAS seeks to revive the 2002 failed Belize-Guatemala Differendum that created a small adjustment to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and substantial US-UK financial package Trafficking in persons: current situation: Belize is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation; women and girls are trafficked mainly from Central America, and exploited in prostitution; children are trafficked to Belize for labor exploitation; Belize's largely unmonitored borders with Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico facilitate the movement of illegal migrants who are vulnerable to traffickers; girls are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation, sometimes with the consent and complicity of their close relatives; there are unconfirmed reports that Indian and Chinese migrants are trafficked for involuntary servitude in homes and shops tier rating: Tier 3 - Belize has failed to show evidence of significant law enforcement or victim protection efforts Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trafficking and offshore sector This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Benin Introduction Benin Background: Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI BONI, a political outsider and independent. Geography Benin Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo Geographic coordinates: 9 30 N, 2 15 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania Land boundaries: total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 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 Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber Land use: arable land: 23.53% permanent crops: 2.37% other: 74.1% (2005) Irrigated land: 120 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands People Benin Population: 7,862,944 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.1% (male 1,751,709/female 1,719,138) 15-64 years: 53.5% (male 2,067,248/female 2,138,957) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 75,694/female 110,198) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 17.6 years male: 17.2 years female: 18 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 2.73% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 38.85 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 12.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 79.56 deaths/1,000 live births male: 84.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 74.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 53.04 years male: 51.9 years female: 54.22 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 5.2 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.9% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 68,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 5,800 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high risks in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2007) Nationality: noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese Ethnic groups: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500 Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 33.6% male: 46.4% female: 22.6% (2002 est.) Government Benin Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey Government type: republic Capital: name: Porto-Novo (official capital) geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Cotonou (seat of government) Administrative divisions: 12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France) National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1960) Constitution: adopted by referendum 2 December 1990 Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011) election results: Thomas YAYI Boni elected president; percent of vote - Thomas YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5% Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held 25 March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD, AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31 Judicial branch: Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice Political parties and leaders: Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD; Key Force or FC; Movement for Development and Solidarity or MDS; Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance or Alliance MDC-PS-CPP; New Alliance or NA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU] note: approximately 20 additional minor parties Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gayleatha B. BROWN embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30-06-50 FAX: [229] 30-06-70 Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side Economy Benin Economy - overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past six years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. Many of these proposals were included in Benin's $307 million Millennium Challenge Account grant signed in February 2006. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. Benin continues to be hurt by Nigerian trade protection that bans imports of a growing list of products from Benin and elsewhere, which has resulted in increased smuggling and criminality in the border region. GDP (purchasing power parity): $8.931 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $4.622 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,100 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 32.8% industry: 13.7% services: 53.5% (2006 est.) Labor force: 3.211 million (1996) Unemployment rate: NA% Population below poverty line: 33% (2001 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 19.1% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $836.8 million expenditures: $1.064 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts; livestock Industries: textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement Industrial production growth rate: 8.3% (2001 est.) Electricity - production: 82 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 14.2% hydro: 85.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 576.3 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 500 million kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 14,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - proved reserves: 4.105 million bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 1.133 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $-342.7 million (2006 est.) Exports: $563.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa Exports - partners: China 31.3%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 7.4%, Niger 6%, Togo 4.8%, Thailand 4.8%, Nigeria 4.6% (2005) Imports: $927.3 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products Imports - partners: France 21.8%, Ghana 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, China 6.7%, UK 5.2%, Belgium 4.9%, Togo 4.5%, Thailand 4.2%, Nigeria 4% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $607.3 million (2006 est.) Debt - external: $1.6 billion (2000) Economic aid - recipient: $342.6 million (2000) Currency (code): Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States Currency code: XOF Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 513.168 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Benin Telephones - main lines in use: 76,300 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 386,700 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections international: country code - 229; satellite earth station - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000) Radios: 660,000 (2000) Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001) Televisions: 66,000 (2000) Internet country code: .bj Internet hosts: 867 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 4 (2002) Internet users: 425,000 (2005) Transportation Benin Airports: 5 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006) Railways: total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 16,000 km paved: 1,400 km unpaved: 14,600 km (2005) Waterways: 150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005) Ports and terminals: Cotonou Military Benin Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force Military service age and obligation: 21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2004) Manpower available for military service: males age 21-49: 1,295,230 females age 21-49: 1,301,936 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 21-49: 749,774 females age 21-49: 751,329 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 76,661 females: 75,068 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $100.9 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.3% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Benin Disputes - international: Benin and Burkina Faso military clash in 2006 over sections of riverine boundary involving disputed villages and squatters; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin as a consequence of a 2004 joint task force to resolve maritime and land boundary disputes, but clashes among rival gangs along the border persist; a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary stones Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 26,632 (Togo) (2006) Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly regulated financial infrastructure This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Bermuda Introduction Bermuda Background: Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be important to the island's economy, although international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. Although a referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995, the present government has reopened debate on the issue. Geography Bermuda Location: North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US) Geographic coordinates: 32 20 N, 64 45 W Map references: North America Area: total: 53.3 sq km land: 53.3 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: about one-third the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 103 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Climate: subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter Terrain: low hills separated by fertile depressions Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Town Hill 76 m Natural resources: limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005) Irrigated land: NA Natural hazards: hurricanes (June to November) Environment - current issues: sustainable development Geography - note: consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995 People Bermuda Population: 65,773 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,146/female 6,098) 15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,562/female 22,954) 65 years and over: 12.2% (male 3,479/female 4,534) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 40.2 years male: 39.3 years female: 41 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.61% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 11.4 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 7.74 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.96 years male: 75.85 years female: 80.1 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.297% (2005) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 163 (2005) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 392 (2005) Nationality: noun: Bermudian(s) adjective: Bermudian Ethnic groups: black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census) Religions: Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census) Languages: English (official), Portuguese Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99% (2005 est.) Government Bermuda Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bermuda former: Somers Islands Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK Government type: parliamentary; self-governing territory Capital: name: Hamilton geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 46 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK) National holiday: Bermuda Day, 24 May Constitution: 8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003 Legal system: English law Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since 11 April 2002) head of government: Premier Ewart BROWN (since 30 October 2006); Deputy Premier Paula COX cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms) elections: last general election held 24 July 2003 (next to be held not later than July 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14 Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts Political parties and leaders: Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Wayne FURBERT] Political pressure groups and leaders: Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES] International organization participation: Caricom (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UPU, WCO Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General Gregory W. SLAYTON consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3 mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300 telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342 FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9233 Flag description: red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green 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 Bermuda Economy - overview: Bermuda enjoys the highest per capita income in the world, more than 50% higher than that of the US. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. A number of reinsurance companies relocated to the island following 11 September 2001 and again after Hurricane Katrina, contributing to the expansion of an already robust international business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - continues to struggle but remains the island's number two industry. Most capital equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is small, although construction continues to be important; the average cost of a house in June 2003 had risen to $976,000. Agriculture is limited with only 20% of the land being arable. GDP (purchasing power parity): $4.5 billion (2004 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): NA GDP - real growth rate: 4.6% (2004 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $69,900 (2004 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 10% services: 89% (2002 est.) Labor force: 38,360 (2004) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 3%, clerical 19%, professional and technical 17%, administrative and managerial 15%, sales 19%, services 19% (2004 est.) Unemployment rate: 2.1% (2004 est.) Population below poverty line: 19% (2000) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (November 2005) Budget: revenues: $738 million expenditures: $665 million (FY04/05) Agriculture - products: bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey Industries: international business, tourism, light manufacturing Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 682.5 million kWh (2005) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 616.7 million kWh (2005) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2005) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 4,658 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2005) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Exports: $1.469 billion (2004 est.) Exports - commodities: reexports of pharmaceuticals Exports - partners: France 65.9%, Spain 11.8%, US 4.5% (2005) Imports: $982 million (2004 est.) Imports - commodities: clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals Imports - partners: France 38.9%, South Korea 20.9%, US 15.5% (2005) Debt - external: $160 million (FY99/00) Economic aid - recipient: $NA Currency (code): Bermudian dollar (BMD) Currency code: BMD Exchange rates: Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Bermuda Telephones - main lines in use: 56,000 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular: 49,000 (2004) Telephone system: general assessment: good domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic trunk lines international: country code - 1-441; submarine cables - 3 (fiber optic); satellite earth stations - 3 (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005) Radios: 82,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 3 (2005) Televisions: 66,000 (1997) Internet country code: .bm Internet hosts: 8,114 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 20 (2000) Internet users: 39,000 (2005) Transportation Bermuda Airports: 1 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 447 km paved: 447 km note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2002) Merchant marine: total: 132 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,873,728 GRT/8,688,692 DWT by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 1, container 24, liquefied gas 23, passenger 19, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 5 foreign-owned: 116 (Australia 3, Belgium 4, France 1, Germany 21, Greece 2, Hong Kong 10, Indonesia 1, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Monaco 2, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 14, Switzerland 2, UK 9, US 27) registered in other countries: 6 (Liberia 1, Marshall Islands 4, Panama 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Hamilton, Saint George Military Bermuda Military branches: no regular military forces Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 15,151 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 12,165 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 408 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $4.03 million (2001) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.11% (FY00/01) Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues Bermuda Disputes - international: none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Bhutan Introduction Bhutan Background: In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land to British India. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the government's draft constitution - which would introduce major democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for its approval. A referendum date has yet to be named. Geography Bhutan Location: Southern Asia, between China and India Geographic coordinates: 27 30 N, 90 30 E Map references: Asia Area: total: 47,000 sq km land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: about half the size of Indiana Land boundaries: total: 1,075 km border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas Terrain: mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna Elevation extremes: lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate Land use: arable land: 2.3% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 97.27% (2005) Irrigated land: 400 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season Environment - current issues: soil erosion; limited access to potable water Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea Geography - note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes People Bhutan Population: 2,279,723 note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.9% (male 458,801/female 426,947) 15-64 years: 57.1% (male 671,057/female 631,078) 65 years and over: 4% (male 46,217/female 45,623) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 20.4 years male: 20.2 years female: 20.6 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 2.1% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 33.65 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 12.7 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 98.41 deaths/1,000 live births male: 96.14 deaths/1,000 live births female: 100.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.78 years male: 55.02 years female: 54.53 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 4.74 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100 (1999 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese Ethnic groups: Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15% Religions: Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% Languages: Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 47% male: 60% female: 34% (2003 est.) Government Bhutan Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan conventional short form: Bhutan local long form: Druk Gyalkhap local short form: Druk Yul Government type: monarchy; special treaty relationship with India Capital: name: Thimphu geographic coordinates: 27 28 N, 89 39 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Dagana, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse Independence: 8 August 1949 (from India) National holiday: National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) Constitution: no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001, the king commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in March 2005 publicly unveiled it; is awaiting national referendum Legal system: based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: each family has one vote in village-level elections; note - in late 2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law Executive branch: chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 and his son immediately succeeded him head of government: Prime Minister Khandu WANGCHUK (since 7 September 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed, five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms in July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests; members serve three-year terms) elections: local elections last held August 2005 (next to be held in 2008) election results: NA Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) Political parties and leaders: no legal parties Political pressure groups and leaders: Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) International organization participation: AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; FAX [1] (212) 826-2998; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US consulate(s) general: New York Diplomatic representation from the US: the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India) Flag description: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side Economy Bhutan Economy - overview: The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 80% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links and dependence on India's financial assistance. The industrial sector is technologically backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are key resources. Model education, social, and environment programs are underway with support from multilateral development organizations. Each economic program takes into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. For example, the government, in its cautious expansion of the tourist sector, encourages visits by upscale, environmentally conscientious tourists. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.9 billion (2003 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $840.5 million (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5.9% (2005 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,400 (2003 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25.8% industry: 37.9% services: 36.3% (2004 est.) Labor force: NA note: major shortage of skilled labor Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 93% industry: 2% services: 5% Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: 31.7% (2003) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (2005 est.) Budget: revenues: $346.6 million expenditures: including capital expenditures of $NA note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures (2004) Public debt: 81.4% of GDP (2004) Agriculture - products: rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs Industries: cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide, tourism Industrial production growth rate: 9.3% (1996 est.) Electricity - production: 2.05 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 99.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 526.5 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 1.4 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 20 million kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 1,160 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Exports: $154 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) Exports - commodities: electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices Exports - partners: Japan 32.3%, Germany 13.2%, France 13.1%, South Korea 7.6%, US 7.5%, Thailand 5.6%, Italy 5% (2005) Imports: $196 million c.i.f. (2000 est.) Imports - commodities: fuel and lubricants, grain, aircraft, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice Imports - partners: Hong Kong 66.6%, Mexico 20.2%, France 3.8% (2005) Debt - external: $593 million (2004) Economic aid - recipient: $78 million substantial aid from India and other nations (2004) Currency (code): ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) Currency code: BTN; INR Exchange rates: ngultrum per US dollar - 44.101 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003), 48.61 (2002) note: the ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June Communications Bhutan Telephones - main lines in use: 32,700 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 37,800 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poor domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2006) Radios: 37,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (2006) Televisions: 11,000 (1997) Internet country code: .bt Internet hosts: 7,567 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA Internet users: 25,000 (2005) Transportation Bhutan Airports: 2 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 8,050 km paved: 4,991 km unpaved: 3,059 km (2003) Military Bhutan Military branches: Royal Bhutan Army: Royal Bodyguard, Royal Bhutan Police (2005) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 483,860 females age 18-49: 453,683 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 314,975 females age 18-49: 296,833 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 23,939 females age 18-49: 21,979 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $8.29 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Bhutan Disputes - international: approximately 105,000 Bhutanese have lived decades as refugees in Nepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees camps; Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian separatists This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Bolivia Introduction Bolivia Background: Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor majority. However, since taking office, his controversial strategies have exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindian populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities of the eastern lowlands. Geography Bolivia Location: Central South America, southwest of Brazil Geographic coordinates: 17 00 S, 65 00 W Map references: South America Area: total: 1,098,580 sq km land: 1,084,390 sq km water: 14,190 sq km Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana Land boundaries: total: 6,940 km border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,423 km, Chile 860 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 1,075 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid Terrain: rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m Natural resources: tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower Land use: arable land: 2.78% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 97.03% (2005) Irrigated land: 1,320 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: flooding in the northeast (March-April) Environment - current issues: the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection Geography - note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru People Bolivia Population: 8,989,046 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (male 1,603,982/female 1,542,319) 15-64 years: 60.4% (male 2,660,806/female 2,771,807) 65 years and over: 4.6% (male 182,412/female 227,720) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 21.8 years male: 21.2 years female: 22.5 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.45% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 23.3 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 51.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 55.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 48.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.84 years male: 63.21 years female: 68.61 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.85 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 4,900 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Bolivian(s) adjective: Bolivian Ethnic groups: Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%, Aymara 25%, white 15% Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5% Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 87.2% male: 93.1% female: 81.6% (2003 est.) Government Bolivia Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia conventional short form: Bolivia local long form: Republica de Bolivia local short form: Bolivia Government type: republic Capital: name: La Paz (administrative capital) geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Sucre (constitutional capital) Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain) National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825) Constitution: 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994 Legal system: based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single) Executive branch: chief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma elected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 53.7%; Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez 28.6%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 7.8%; Michiaki NAGATANI Morishit 6.5%; Felipe QUISPE Huanca 2.2%; Guildo ANGULA Cabrera 0.7% Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; 70 are directly elected from their districts and 60 are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS 12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MAS 73, PODEMOS 43, UN 8, MNR 6 Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year terms by National Congress); District Courts (one in each department); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases) Political parties and leaders: Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB [Romel PANTOJA]; Civic Solidarity Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz BARRIOS]; Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or VIMA [Freddy ZABALA]; Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZ Zamora]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]; Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; National Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; New Republican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES-VILLA]; Pachakuti Indigenous Movement or MIP [Felipe QUISPE Huanca]; Poder Democratico Nacional or PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Socialist Party or PS [Jeres JUSTINIANO] Political pressure groups and leaders: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions; Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [Roman LOAYZA] International organization participation: CAN, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gustavo GUZMAN Saldana chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410 FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712 consulate(s) general: Houston, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, La Paz mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032 telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000 FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111 Flag description: 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 Bolivia Economy - overview: Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin American countries, reformed its economy after suffering a disastrous economic crisis in the early 1980s. The reforms spurred real GDP growth, which averaged 4% in the 1990s, and poverty rates fell. Economic growth, however, lagged again beginning in 1999 because of a global slowdown and homegrown factors such as political turmoil, civil unrest, and soaring fiscal deficits, all of which hurt investor confidence. In 2003, violent protests against the pro-foreign investment economic policies of President SANCHEZ DE LOZADA led to his resignation and the cancellation of plans to export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large northern hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a controversial natural gas law that imposes on the oil and gas firms significantly higher taxes as well as new contracts that give the state control of their operations. Bolivian officials are in the process of implementing the law; meanwhile, foreign investors have stopped investing and have taken the first legal steps to secure their investments. Real GDP growth in 2003-06 - helped by increased demand for natural gas in neighboring Brazil - was positive, but still below the levels seen during the 1990s. Bolivia's fiscal position has improved in recent years, but the country remains dependent on foreign aid from multilateral lenders and foreign governments to meet budget shortfalls. In 2005, the G8 announced a $2 billion debt-forgiveness plan over the next few decades that should help reduce some fiscal pressures on the government in the near term. GDP (purchasing power parity): $27.21 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $10.22 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 3.3% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $3,000 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.8% industry: 36.1% services: 51.2% (2006 est.) Labor force: 4.3 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% Unemployment rate: 7.8% in urban areas; widespread underemployment (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 64% (2004 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.3% highest 10%: 32% (1999) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 60.6 (2002) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 12.4% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $4.153 billion expenditures: $3.619 billion; including capital expenditures of $741 million (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes; timber Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing Industrial production growth rate: 5.7% (2004 est.) Electricity - production: 4.472 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 44.4% hydro: 54% nuclear: 0% other: 1.5% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 4.168 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 9 million kWh (2004) Oil - production: 42,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 47,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - proved reserves: 458.8 million bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - production: 10.05 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 2.14 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 7.91 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 679.6 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $688 million (2006 est.) Exports: $3.668 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin Exports - partners: Brazil 44.2%, US 12.5%, Argentina 10.9%, Colombia 7.8%, Peru 4.8% (2005) Imports: $2.934 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts, prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans Imports - partners: Brazil 21.9%, Argentina 16.7%, US 13.8%, Chile 6.9%, Peru 6.5%, Japan 6.1%, China 5.8% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.303 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $5.916 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $221 million (2005 est.) Currency (code): boliviano (BOB) Currency code: BOB Exchange rates: bolivianos per US dollar - 8.01039 (2006), 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004), 7.6592 (2003), 7.17 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Bolivia Telephones - main lines in use: 646,300 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.421 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile cellular telephone use expanding rapidly domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999) Radios: 5.25 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 48 (1997) Televisions: 900,000 (1997) Internet country code: .bo Internet hosts: 20,085 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 9 (2000) Internet users: 480,000 (2005) Transportation Bolivia Airports: 1,084 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 16 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1,068 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 60 914 to 1,523 m: 207 under 914 m: 797 (2006) Pipelines: gas 4,860 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,475 km; refined products 1,589 km; unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2006) Railways: total: 3,519 km narrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 62,479 km paved: 3,749 km unpaved: 56,730 km (2004) Waterways: 10,000 km (commercially navigable) (2005) Merchant marine: total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 127,297 GRT/198,525 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 10 foreign-owned: 10 (Argentina 1, China 1, Egypt 2, Iran 1, Singapore 3, Taiwan 1, Yemen 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Puerto Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana waterway, at the Bolivia/Brazil border); also, Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay Military Bolivia Military branches: Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Bolivian Navy (Armada Boliviana; includes marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; one estimate holds that 40% of the armed forces are under the age of 18, with 50% of those under the age of 16; conscript tour of duty - 12 months (2002) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,923,234 females age 18-49: 2,007,315 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,311,414 females age 18-49: 1,502,177 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 101,101 females age 18-49: 98,671 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $130 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Bolivia Disputes - international: Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian natural gas and other commodities Trafficking in persons: current situation: Bolivia is a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation to Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, as well as to Spain; children are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, forced mining, and agricultural labor; illegal migrants from Asia transiting Bolivia are vulnerable as trafficking victims tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bolivia has failed to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in the areas of prosecutions and victim protection Illicit drugs: world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 26,500 hectares under cultivation in August 2005, an 8% increase from 2004; intermediate coca products and cocaine exported mostly to or through Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to European drug markets; cultivation steadily increasing despite eradication and alternative crop programs; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade, especially along the borders with Brazil and Paraguay This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Bosnia and Herzegovina Introduction Bosnia and Herzegovina Background: Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a declaration of independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government comprised of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments were charged with overseeing most government functions. The Office of the High Representative (OHR) was established to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. In 1995-96, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission was to deter renewed hostilities. European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR in December 2004; their mission is to maintain peace and stability throughout the country. EUFOR plans to phase out its mission beginning in 2007. Geography Bosnia and Herzegovina Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia Geographic coordinates: 44 00 N, 18 00 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 51,129 sq km land: 51,129 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia Land boundaries: total: 1,459 km border countries: Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 225 km, Serbia 302 km Coastline: 20 km Maritime claims: no data available Climate: hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast Terrain: mountains and valleys Elevation extremes: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maglic 2,386 m Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, forests, hydropower Land use: arable land: 19.61% permanent crops: 1.89% other: 78.5% (2005) Irrigated land: 30 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes Environment - current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife; deforestation Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east People Bosnia and Herzegovina Population: 4,498,976 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.5% (male 359,739/female 336,978) 15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,590,923/female 1,564,665) 65 years and over: 14.4% (male 265,637/female 381,034) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 38.4 years male: 37.2 years female: 39.5 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.35% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 8.77 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 13.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births male: 11.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78 years male: 74.39 years female: 81.88 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.22 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 900 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 100 (2001 est.) Nationality: noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s) adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian Ethnic groups: Bosniak 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000) note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam Religions: Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14% Languages: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.6% male: 98.4% female: 91.1% (2000 est.) Government Bosnia and Herzegovina Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina local long form: none local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina former: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government type: emerging federal democratic republic Capital: name: Sarajevo geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationally supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*, the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note - Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the district remains under international supervision Independence: 1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence was completed 1 March 1992; independence was declared 3 March 1992) National holiday: National Day, 25 November (1943) Constitution: the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a new constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its own constitution Legal system: based on civil law system Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal Executive branch: chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (chairman since 6 November 2006; presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Serb); other members of the three-member presidency rotating (every eight months): Zeljko KOMSIC (since 1 October 2006 - Croat) and Haris SILAJDZIC (since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak) head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola SPIRIC (since 4 January 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman; approved by the National House of Representatives elections: the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years); the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she was the incumbent chairman at the time of the election, but the chairmanship rotates every eight months; election last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); the chairman of the Council of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the National House of Representatives election results: percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 53.3% of the votes for the Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC received 39.6% of the votes for the Croat seat; Haris SILAJDZIC received 62.8% of the votes for the Bosniak seat note: current government is caretaker in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Niko LOZANCIC (since 27 January 2003); Vice Presidents Sahbaz DZIHANOVIC (since in 2003) and Desnica RADIVOJEVIC (since in 2003); new government will be appointed in coming months; President of the Republika Srpska: Milan JELIC (since 9 November 2006) Legislative branch: bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats - elected by proportional representation, 28 seats allocated from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats from the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures elections: national House of Representatives - elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - last constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007) election results: national House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9, SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, HDZ 1990 2, other 5; House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBiH 24, SDP 17, HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 1i7 Serb, 7 other); last constituted December 2002; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4, SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of the 2002 constitutional reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and four members of the smaller communities Judicial branch: BH Constitutional Court (consists of nine members: four members are selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives, two members by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president of the European Court of Human Rights); BH State Court (consists of nine judges and three divisions - Administrative, Appellate and Criminal - having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law and appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities); note - a War Crimes Chamber opened in March 2005 note: the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has five municipal courts Political parties and leaders: Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK]; Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Civic Democratic Party or GDS [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croat Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HKDU [Marin TOPIC]; Croat Party of Rights or HSP [Zvonko JURISIC]; Croat Peasants Party or HSS [Marko TADIC]; Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BH [Dragan COVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union 1990 or HDZ1990 [Bozo LJUBIC]; Croatian Peoples Union [Milenko BRKIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ [Rifet DOLIC]; Democratic Peoples Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; New Croat Initiative or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina or SBiH [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party for Democratic Action or SDA [Sulejman TIHIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]; Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Mladen BOSIC]; Serb Radical Party of the Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Milanko MIHAJLICA]; Serb Radical Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Radislav KANJERIC]; Social Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Social Democratic Union or SDU [Sejfudin TOKIC]; Socialist Party of Republika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: BIS, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bisera TURKOVIC chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500 FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502 consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas L. McELHANEY embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo mailing address: use street address telephone: [387] (33) 445-700 FAX: [387] (33) 659-722 branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar Flag description: a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle Economy Bosnia and Herzegovina Economy - overview: Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to Macedonia as the poorest republic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture is almost all in private hands, farms are small and inefficient, and the republic traditionally is a net importer of food. Industry remains greatly overstaffed, a holdover from the socialist economic structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development of military industries in the republic with the result that Bosnia was saddled with a host of industrial firms with little commercial potential. The interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by 80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar. With an uneasy peace in place, output recovered in 1996-99 at high percentage rates from a low base; but output growth slowed in 2000-02. Part of the lag in output was made up in 2003-06. National-level statistics are limited and do not capture the large share of black market activity. The konvertibilna marka (convertible mark or BAM)- the national currency introduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro, and confidence in the currency and the banking sector has increased. Implementation of privatization, however, has been slow, and local entities only reluctantly support national-level institutions. Banking reform accelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments bureaus were shut down; foreign banks, primarily from Western Europe, now control most of the banking sector. A sizeable current account deficit and high unemployment rate remain the two most serious economic problems. The country receives substantial amounts of reconstruction assistance and humanitarian aid from the international community but will have to prepare for an era of declining assistance. GDP (purchasing power parity): $24.8 billion note: Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as much as 50% of official GDP (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $9.158 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5.3% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $5,500 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.2% industry: 30.8% services: 55% (2002) Labor force: 1.026 million (2001) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% Unemployment rate: 45.5% official rate; grey economy may reduce actual unemployment to 25-30% (31 December 2004 est.) Population below poverty line: 25% (2004 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Distribution of family income - Gini index: 26.2 (2001) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $5.643 billion expenditures: $5.677 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Public debt: 24.5% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock Industries: steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining Industrial production growth rate: 5.5% (2003 est.) Electricity - production: 12.98 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 53.5% hydro: 46.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 11.03 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 3.05 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 2 billion kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 23,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 300 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 300 million cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-1.73 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $3.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: metals, clothing, wood products Exports - partners: Croatia 18.4%, Italy 17.1%, Slovenia 14.7%, Germany 12.8%, Austria 6.5%, Hungary 5.2%, China 4.2% (2005) Imports: $8.25 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs Imports - partners: Croatia 24.7%, Germany 13.6%, Slovenia 13%, Italy 11%, Austria 6.9%, Hungary 5.5% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.7 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $3.927 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $650 million (2001 est.) Currency (code): marka (BAM) Currency code: BAM Exchange rates: marka per US dollar - 1.55818 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004), 1.7329 (2003), 2.0782 (2002) note: the marka is pegged to the euro Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina Telephones - main lines in use: 968,900 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.594 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: telephone and telegraph network needs modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average as contrasted with services in other former Yugoslav republics domestic: NA international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998) Radios: 940,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995) Televisions: NA Internet country code: .ba Internet hosts: 31,490 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000) Internet users: 806,400 (2005) Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina Airports: 28 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 12 (2006) Heliports: 5 (2006) Railways: total: 608 km (777 km electrified) standard gauge: 608 km 1.435-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 21,846 km paved: 11,425 km (4,686 km of interurban roads) unpaved: 10,421 km (2005) Waterways: Sava River (northern border) open to shipping but use limited (2006) Ports and terminals: Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje Military Bosnia and Herzegovina Military branches: VF Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands within the Army), VRS Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands within the Army) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 16 years of age in times of war; 18 years of age for Republika Srpska; 17 years of age for voluntary military service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; by law, military obligations cover all healthy men between the ages of 18 and 60, and all women between the ages of 18 and 55; service obligation is four months (July 2004) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,119,508 females age 18-49: 1,079,435 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 910,539 females age 18-49: 881,446 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 32,942 females age 18-49: 31,466 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $234.3 million (FY02) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.5% (FY02) Transnational Issues Bosnia and Herzegovina Disputes - international: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro have delimited most of their boundary, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder ratification of the 1999 border agreement Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 7,458 (Croatia) IDPs: 180,251 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in 1992-95 war) (2006) Illicit drugs: minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking routes to Western Europe; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of corruption This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Botswana Introduction Botswana Background: Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease. Geography Botswana Location: Southern Africa, north of South Africa Geographic coordinates: 22 00 S, 24 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 600,370 sq km land: 585,370 sq km water: 15,000 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas Land boundaries: total: 4,013 km border countries: Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers Terrain: predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest Elevation extremes: lowest point: junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m highest point: Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver Land use: arable land: 0.65% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.34% (2005) Irrigated land: 10 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility Environment - current issues: overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country People Botswana Population: 1,639,833 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.3% (male 319,531/female 309,074) 15-64 years: 57.9% (male 460,692/female 488,577) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 23,374/female 38,585) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 19.4 years male: 18.8 years female: 20 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: -0.04% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 23.08 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 29.5 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 53.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 54.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 52.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 33.74 years male: 33.9 years female: 33.56 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.79 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 37.3% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 350,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 33,000 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2007) Nationality: noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) Ethnic groups: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7% Religions: Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspecified 0.4%, none 20.6% (2001 census) Languages: Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sekgalagadi 2.8%, English 2.1% (official), other 8.6%, unspecified 0.4% (2001 census) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79.8% male: 76.9% female: 82.4% (2003 est.) Government Botswana Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Botswana conventional short form: Botswana local long form: Republic of Botswana local short form: Botswana former: Bechuanaland Government type: parliamentary republic Capital: name: Gaborone geographic coordinates: 24 45 S, 25 55 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 9 districts and 5 town councils*; Central, Francistown*, Gaborone*, Ghanzi, Jwaneng*, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Lobatse*, Northeast, Northwest, Selebi-Pikwe*, Southeast, Southern Independence: 30 September 1966 (from UK) National holiday: Independence Day (Botswana Day), 30 September (1966) 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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Festus G. MOGAE (since 1 April 1998) and Vice President Seretse Ian KHAMA (since 13 July 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president indirectly elected for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009); vice president appointed by the president election results: Festus G. MOGAE elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52% Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Chiefs (a largely advisory 15-member body with 8 permanent members consisting of the chiefs of the principal tribes, and 7 non-permanent members serving 5-year terms, consisting of 4 elected subchiefs and 3 members selected by the other 12 members) and the National Assembly (63 seats, 57 members are directly elected by popular vote, 4 are appointed by the majority party, and 2, the President and Attorney-General, serve as ex-officio members; members serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly elections last held 30 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - BDP 51.7%, BNF 26.1%, BCP 16.6%, other 5%; seats by party - BDP 44, BNF 12, BCP 1 Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrates' Courts (one in each district) Political parties and leaders: Botswana Alliance Movement or BAM [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; Botswana Congress Party or BCP [Otlaadisa KOOSALETSE]; Botswana Democratic Party or BDP [Festus G. MOGAE]; Botswana National Front or BNF [Otswoletse MOUPO]; Botswana Peoples Party or BPP; MELS Movement of Botswana or MELS; New Democratic Front or NDF note: a number of minor parties joined forces in 1999 to form the BAM but did not capture any parliamentary seats - includes the United Action Party [Ephraim Lepetu SETSHWAELO]; the Independence Freedom Party or IFP [Motsamai MPHO]; the Botswana Progressive Union [D. K. KWELE] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lapologang Caesar LEKOA chancery: 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 244-4990 FAX: [1] (202) 244-4164 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Katherine H. CANAVAN embassy: address NA, Gaborone mailing address: Embassy Enclave, P. O. Box 90, Gaborone telephone: [267] 353982 FAX: [267] 312782 Flag description: light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center Economy Botswana Economy - overview: Botswana has maintained one of the world's highest economic growth rates since independence in 1966. Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with a per capita GDP of $11,200 in 2006. Two major investment services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP and for 70-80% of export earnings. Tourism, financial services, subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment officially was 23.8% in 2004, but unofficial estimates place it closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the second highest in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic gains. An expected leveling off in diamond mining production overshadows long-term prospects. GDP (purchasing power parity): $18.72 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $9.697 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 4.7% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $11,400 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.4% industry: 46.9% (including 36% mining) services: 50.7% (2003 est.) Labor force: 288,400 formal sector employees (2004) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% Unemployment rate: 23.8% (2004) Population below poverty line: 30.3% (2003) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Distribution of family income - Gini index: 63 (1993) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.4% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 21.8% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $4.256 billion expenditures: $3.968 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Public debt: 7.1% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflowers, groundnuts Industries: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing; textiles Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 823 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 2.464 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 1.699 billion kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 11,500 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: 16,000 bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $1.698 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $4.836 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat, textiles Exports - partners: European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe 4% (2004) Imports: $3.034 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods, transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum products, wood and paper products, metal and metal products Imports - partners: Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2004) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.445 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $520 million (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $73 million (1995) Currency (code): pula (BWP) Currency code: BWP Exchange rates: pulas per US dollar - 5.90646 (2006), 5.1104 (2005), 4.6929 (2004), 4.9499 (2003), 6.3278 (2002) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Botswana Telephones - main lines in use: 132,000 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 823,100 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth of mobile cellular service and participation in regional development domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations; mobile cellular service is growing fast international: country code - 267; two international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 (2001) Radios: 252,720 (2000) Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001) Televisions: 31,000 (1997) Internet country code: .bw Internet hosts: 5,499 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 11 (2001) Internet users: 60,000 (2002) Transportation Botswana Airports: 85 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 75 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 55 under 914 m: 17 (2006) Railways: total: 888 km narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 24,455 km paved: 8,914 km unpaved: 15,441 km (2004) Military Botswana Military branches: Botswana Defense Force (includes an air wing) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the official qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 350,649 females age 18-49: 361,642 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 136,322 females age 18-49: 136,315 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 21,103 females age 18-49: 21,379 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $325.5 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Botswana Disputes - international: commission established with Namibia has yet to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River; downstream Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam at Popavalle (Popa Falls); Botswana has built electric fences to stem the thousands of Zimbabweans who flee to find work and escape political persecution; Namibia has long supported and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing their short, but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Bouvet Island Introduction Bouvet Island Background: This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island the previous year. In 1971, Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters were designated a nature reserve. Since 1977, Norway has run an automated meteorological station on the island. Geography Bouvet Island Location: island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) Geographic coordinates: 54 26 S, 3 24 E Map references: Antarctic Region Area: total: 49 sq km land: 49 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 29.6 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 4 nm Climate: antarctic Terrain: volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible Elevation extremes: lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Olav Peak 935 m Natural resources: none Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (93% ice) (2005) Irrigated land: 0 sq km Natural hazards: NA Environment - current issues: NA Geography - note: covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve People Bouvet Island Population: uninhabited (July 2006 est.) Government Bouvet Island Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bouvet Island Dependency status: territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo Legal system: the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply Flag description: the flag of Norway is used Economy Bouvet Island Economy - overview: no economic activity; declared a nature reserve Communications Bouvet Island Internet country code: .bv Internet hosts: 6 (2006) Communications - note: automatic meteorological station Transportation Bouvet Island Ports and terminals: none; offshore anchorage only Military Bouvet Island Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Norway Transnational Issues Bouvet Island Disputes - international: none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Brazil Introduction Brazil Background: Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem. Geography Brazil Location: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Geographic coordinates: 10 00 S, 55 00 W Map references: South America Area: total: 8,511,965 sq km land: 8,456,510 sq km water: 55,455 sq km note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the US Land boundaries: total: 16,885 km border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730.4 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km Coastline: 7,491 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in south Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m Natural resources: bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber Land use: arable land: 6.93% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.18% (2005) Irrigated land: 29,200 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south Environment - current issues: deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador People Brazil Population: 188,078,227 note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.8% (male 24,687,656/female 23,742,998) 15-64 years: 68.1% (male 63,548,331/female 64,617,539) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 4,712,675/female 6,769,028) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 28.2 years male: 27.5 years female: 29 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.04% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 16.56 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 6.17 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 28.6 deaths/1,000 live births male: 32.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.97 years male: 68.02 years female: 76.12 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.7% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 660,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 15,000 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Brazilian(s) adjective: Brazilian Ethnic groups: white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2000 census) Religions: Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4% (2000 census) Languages: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.4% male: 86.1% female: 86.6% (2003 est.) Government Brazil Country name: conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil conventional short form: Brazil local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil local short form: Brasil Government type: federative republic Capital: name: Brasilia geographic coordinates: 15 47 S, 47 55 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February note: Brazil is divided into four time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha islands 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 Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal) National holiday: Independence Day, 7 September (1822) Constitution: 5 October 1988 Legal system: based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military conscripts do not vote Executive branch: chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 1 October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October 2010 and, if necessary, 31 October 2010) election results: Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (PT) reelected president - 60.83%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17% Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each state and federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third elected after a four-year period, two-thirds elected after the next four-year period) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held October 2010) election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PDT 1, PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; total seats following election - PFL 18, PMDB 15, PSDB 15, PT 10, PDT 5, PTB 4, PSB 3, PL 3, PCdoB 2, PRB 2, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PSOL 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL 65, PSDB 65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13, PV 13, PSC 9, other 17 Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life); note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federal employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70 Political parties and leaders: Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Flavio de CASTRO MARTINEZ]; Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy Fidelix DA CRUZ]; Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Vitor Paulo Araujo DOS SANTOS]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Tasso JEREISSATI]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Federal Deputy Eduardo Henrique Accioly CAMPOS]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Luis Marques MENDES]; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS [leader NA]; Liberal Party or PL [Federal Deputy Valdemar COSTA Neto]; National Order Reconstruction Party or PRONA [Federal Deputy Dr. Eneas Ferreira CARNEIRO]; Partido Municipalista Renovador or PMR [Natal Wellington Rodrigues FURUCHO]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Federal Deputy Roberto FREIRE]; Progressive Party or PP [Federal Deputy Pedro CORREA]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Vitor Jorge ABDALA NOSSEIS]; Workers' Party or PT [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI] Political pressure groups and leaders: Landless Worker's Movement; labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church International organization participation: AfDB, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar PATRIOTA chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700 FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030 telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000 FAX: [55] (61) 3225-9136 consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo consulate(s): Recife Flag description: green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) 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 Brazil Economy - overview: Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy grew, on average only 2.2% per year, as the country absorbed a series of domestic and international economic shocks. That Brazil absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in place by former President CARDOSO and strengthened by President LULA DA SILVA. Since 2004, Brazil has enjoyed more robust growth that yielded increases in employment and real wages. The three pillars of the economic program are a floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, all reinforced by a series of IMF programs. The currency depreciated sharply in 2001 and 2002, which contributed to a dramatic current account adjustment; from 2003 to 2006, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains - particularly in agriculture - also contributed to the surge in exports. While economic management has been good, there remain important economic vulnerabilities. The most significant are debt-related: the government's largely domestic debt increased steadily from 1994 to 2003 - straining government finances - before falling as a percentage of GDP in 2005. Brazil has improved its debt profile over the past year by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. LULA DA SILVA restated his commitment to fiscal austerity by maintaining the country's primary surplus during the 2006 election and plans to pass a package of further economic reforms upon entering office for his second term. Another challenge is maintaining economic growth over a period of time to generate employment and make the government debt burden more manageable. GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.616 trillion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $620.7 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 3.1% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $8,600 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8% industry: 38% services: 54% (2006 est.) Labor force: 96.34 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 20% industry: 14% services: 66% (2003 est.) Unemployment rate: 9.6% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 31% (2005) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 31.27% (2002) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 56.7 (2005) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 20.2% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $140.6 billion expenditures: $172.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2004) Public debt: 50.7% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef Industries: textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 380.9 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 8.3% hydro: 82.7% nuclear: 4.4% other: 4.6% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 391.7 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 7 million kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 39 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2005) Oil - production: 2.09 million bbl/day (2006 est.) Oil - consumption: 2.194 million bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - exports: 241,700 bbl/day (2004) Oil - imports: 572,600 bbl/day (2001) Oil - proved reserves: 12.22 billion bbl (2006 est.) Natural gas - production: 9.66 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 17.28 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 7.62 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 250 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $5.81 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $138 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos Exports - partners: US 19.2%, Argentina 8.4%, China 5.8%, Netherlands 4.5%, Germany 4.2% (2005) Imports: $95.83 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil Imports - partners: US 17.5%, Argentina 8.5%, Germany 8.4%, China 7.3%, Japan 4.6% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $77.27 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $177.7 billion (30 June 2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $30 billion (2002) Currency (code): real (BRL) Currency code: BRL Exchange rates: reals per US dollar - 2.19132 (2006), 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004), 3.0771 (2003), 2.9208 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Brazil Telephones - main lines in use: 42.382 million (2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 86.21 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: good working system domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations international: country code - 55; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station Radio broadcast stations: AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999) Radios: 71 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 138 (1997) Televisions: 36.5 million (1997) Internet country code: .br Internet hosts: 6,508,431 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 50 (2000) Internet users: 25.9 million (2005) Transportation Brazil Airports: 4,276 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 714 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 24 1,524 to 2,437 m: 164 914 to 1,523 m: 464 under 914 m: 54 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3,562 1,524 to 2,437 m: 81 914 to 1,523 m: 1,634 under 914 m: 1,847 (2006) Heliports: 417 (2006) Pipelines: condensate/gas 244 km; gas 11,669 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km; oil 5,212 km; refined products 4,755 km (2006) Railways: total: 29,252 km broad gauge: 4,877 km 1.600-m gauge (939 km electrified) standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge narrow gauge: 23,785 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified) dual gauge: 396 km 1.000 m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km electrified) (2005) Roadways: total: 1,751,868 km paved: 96,353 km unpaved: 1,655,515 km (2004) Waterways: 50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2005) Merchant marine: total: 137 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,038,923 GRT/3,057,820 DWT by type: bulk carrier 21, cargo 21, chemical tanker 8, container 8, liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 47, roll on/roll off 8 foreign-owned: 15 (Chile 1, Germany 7, Norway 2, Spain 4, UK 1) registered in other countries: 5 (Ghana 1, Liberia 3, Marshall Islands 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Gebig, Itaqui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, San Sebasttiao, Santos, Sepetiba Terminal, Tubarao, Vitoria Military Brazil Military branches: Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - nine to 12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 19-49: 45,586,036 females age 19-49: 45,728,704 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 19-49: 33,119,098 females age 19-49: 38,079,722 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 1,785,930 females age 19-49: 1,731,648 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $9.94 billion (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.3% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Brazil Disputes - international: unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute with Uruguay over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada boundary streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina; in 2004 Brazil submitted its claims to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to extend its maritime continental margin Trafficking in persons: current situation: Brazil is a source and destination country for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation within Brazil and to destinations in South America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, Japan, the US, and the Middle East, and for men trafficked within the country for forced agricultural labor; child sex tourism is a problem within the country, particularly in the resort areas and coastal cities of Brazil's northeast; foreign victims from Bolivia, Peru, China, and Korea are trafficked to Brazil for labor exploitation in factories tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Brazil has failed to show evidence of increasing efforts to fight trafficking, specifically for its failure to apply effective criminal penalties against traffickers who exploit forced labor Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds earned in Brazil are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @British Indian Ocean Territory Introduction British Indian Ocean Territory Background: Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. Geography British Indian Ocean Territory Location: archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Geographic coordinates: 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E Map references: Political Map of the World Area: total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands Area - comparative: land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 698 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Climate: tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds Terrain: flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation) Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m Natural resources: coconuts, fish, sugarcane Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) Irrigated land: 0 sq km Natural hazards: NA Environment - current issues: NA Geography - note: archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility People British Indian Ocean Territory Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2006 est.) Government British Indian Ocean Territory Country name: conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London Legal system: the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Flag description: white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag Economy British Indian Ocean Territory 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, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps. Electricity - production: NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military Electricity - consumption: NA kWh Currency (code): both the British Pound (GBP) and the US Dollar (USD) are accepted Communications British Indian Ocean Territory Telephones - main lines in use: NA Telephone system: general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: NA Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997) Televisions: NA Internet country code: .io Internet hosts: 65 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000) Transportation British Indian Ocean Territory Airports: 1 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: NA paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia Ports and terminals: Diego Garcia Military British Indian Ocean Territory Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 Transnational Issues British Indian Ocean Territory Disputes - international: Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain; This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @British Virgin Islands Introduction British Virgin Islands Background: First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. Geography British Virgin Islands Location: Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Geographic coordinates: 18 30 N, 64 30 W Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area: total: 153 sq km land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke Area - comparative: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 80 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds Terrain: coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 m Natural resources: NEGL Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2005) Irrigated land: NA Natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) Geography - note: strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico People British Virgin Islands Population: 23,098 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.5% (male 2,403/female 2,331) 15-64 years: 74.3% (male 8,811/female 8,340) 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 636/female 577) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 31.4 years male: 31.6 years female: 31.2 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.97% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 14.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 9.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 16.72 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.68 years male: 75.56 years female: 77.84 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.72 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander Ethnic groups: black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed Religions: Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) Languages: English (official) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA% Government British Virgin Islands Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing Government type: NA Capital: name: Road Town geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK) Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK) National holiday: Territory Day, 1 July Constitution: 1 June 1977, amended in 2000 Legal system: English law Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006) head of government: Chief Minister Dr. Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5 Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction Political parties and leaders: Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Flag description: 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 British Virgin Islands Economy - overview: The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959. GDP (purchasing power parity): $853.4 million (2004 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $839.7 million (2003) GDP - real growth rate: 1% (2002 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $38,500 (2004 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8% industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.) Labor force: 12,770 (2004) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 0.6% industry: 40% services: 59.4% Unemployment rate: 3.6% (1997) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2005) Budget: revenues: $204.7 million expenditures: $180.4 million; including capital expenditures of $33.8 million (2004) Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish Industries: tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 42 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 39.06 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 480 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $134.3 million (1999) Exports: $25.3 million (2002) Exports - commodities: rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand Exports - partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2004) Imports: $187 million (2002 est.) Imports - commodities: building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery Imports - partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2004) Debt - external: $36.1 million (1997) Economic aid - recipient: $NA Currency (code): US dollar (USD) Currency code: USD Exchange rates: the US dollar is used Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications British Virgin Islands Telephones - main lines in use: 11,700 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular: 8,000 (2002) Telephone system: general assessment: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004) Radios: 9,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) Televisions: 4,000 (1997) Internet country code: .vg Internet hosts: 525 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2000) Internet users: 4,000 (2002) Transportation British Virgin Islands Airports: 3 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 177 km paved: 177 km (2002) Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 1 (North Korea 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Road Town Military British Virgin Islands Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 6,410 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 5,295 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 201 (2005 est.) Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues British Virgin Islands Disputes - international: none Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Brunei Introduction Brunei Background: The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the developing world. Geography Brunei Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia Geographic coordinates: 4 30 N, 114 40 E Map references: Southeast Asia Area: total: 5,770 sq km land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware Land boundaries: total: 381 km border countries: Malaysia 381 km Coastline: 161 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber Land use: arable land: 2.08% permanent crops: 0.87% other: 97.05% (2005) Irrigated land: 10 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare Environment - current issues: seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia People Brunei Population: 379,444 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.1% (male 54,411/female 52,134) 15-64 years: 68.8% (male 138,129/female 123,017) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,584/female 6,169) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 27.4 years male: 28 years female: 26.7 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.87% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 18.79 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 3.45 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 12.25 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.46 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.01 years male: 72.57 years female: 77.59 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 200 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian Ethnic groups: Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12% Religions: Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10% Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.9% male: 96.3% female: 91.4% (2002) Government Brunei Country name: conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam conventional short form: Brunei local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam local short form: Brunei Government type: constitutional sultanate Capital: name: Bandar Seri Begawan geographic coordinates: 4 52 S, 114 55 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK) National holiday: National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection 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 English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas Suffrage: none Executive branch: chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises elections: none; the monarch is hereditary Legislative branch: Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan; passed constitutional amendments calling for a 45-seat council with 15 elected members; Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and appointed a new council with 29 members as of 2 September 2005 elections: last held in March 1962 (date of next election NA) Judicial branch: Supreme Court - chief justice and judges are sworn in by monarch for three-year terms; Judicial Committee of Privy Council in London is final court of appeal for civil cases; Shariah courts deal with Islamic laws (2006) Political parties and leaders: Brunei Solidarity National Party (PPKB) [Haji Mohd HATTA bin Haji Zainal Abidin]; National Development Party (NDP) [YASSIN Affendi]; People's Awareness Party (PAKAR) [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad] note: parties are small and have limited activity (2005) Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, C, EAS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Pengiran Anak Dato PUTEH chancery: 3520 International Court NW #300, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Emil SKODON embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan, BS8811 mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam telephone: [673] 222-0384 FAX: [673] 222-5293 Flag description: 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 Brunei Economy - overview: This small, well-to-do economy encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for nearly half of GDP and more than 90% of government revenues. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third World countries, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas. GDP (purchasing power parity): $6.842 billion (2003 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $5.486 billion (2004 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 1.7% (2004 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $23,600 (2003 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.6% industry: 56.1% services: 40.3% (2004 est.) Labor force: 146,300 note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary residents make up about 40% of labor force (2003 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 2.9% industry: 61.1% services: 36% (2003 est.) Unemployment rate: 4.8% (2004) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9% (2004) Budget: revenues: $3.765 billion expenditures: $4.815 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2004 est.) Agriculture - products: rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, eggs Industries: petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction Industrial production growth rate: 7.3% (2003 est.) Electricity - production: 2.806 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 2.609 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 200,800 bbl/day (2005) Oil - consumption: 10,770 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - exports: 192,700 bbl/day (2005) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day Oil - proved reserves: 1.255 billion bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - production: 11.5 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 2 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 9.5 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 390.8 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Exports: $4.514 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) Exports - commodities: crude oil, natural gas, refined products Exports - partners: Japan 36.8%, Indonesia 19.3%, South Korea 12.7%, US 9.5%, Australia 9.3% (2005) Imports: $1.641 billion c.i.f. (2004 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals Imports - partners: Singapore 32.7%, Malaysia 23.3%, Japan 6.9%, UK 5.3%, Thailand 4.5%, South Korea 4% (2005) Debt - external: $0 Economic aid - recipient: $770,000 (2004) Currency (code): Bruneian dollar (BND) Currency code: BND Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Brunei Telephones - main lines in use: 90,000 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular: 205,900 (2004) Telephone system: general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US domestic: every service available international: country code - 673; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore (2006) Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2 (transmitting on 18 different frequencies), shortwave 0 note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) station transmits two FM signals with English and Nepali service (2006) Radios: 329,000 (1998) Television broadcast stations: 4; note - including two UHF stations broadcasting a subscription service (2006) Televisions: 201,900 (1998) Internet country code: .bn Internet hosts: 27 (2005) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000) Internet users: 56,000 (2005) Transportation Brunei Airports: 2 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) Heliports: 3 (2006) Pipelines: gas 672 km; oil 463 km (2006) Roadways: total: 2,525 km paved: 2,338 km unpaved: 187 km (2000) Waterways: 209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m) (2005) Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT by type: liquefied gas 8 foreign-owned: 8 (UK 8) (2006) Ports and terminals: Lumut, Muara, Seria Military Brunei Military branches: Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei) (2005) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.) (2004) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 103,885 females age 18-49: 93,024 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 85,045 females age 18-49: 77,436 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 3,478 females age 18-49: 3,342 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $290.7 million (2003 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.1% (2003 est.) Transnational Issues Brunei Disputes - international: in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds and negotiations have stalemated prompting consideration of international legal adjudication; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants Illicit drugs: drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Bulgaria Introduction Bulgaria Background: The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007. Geography Bulgaria Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 110,910 sq km land: 110,550 sq km water: 360 sq km Area - comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee Land boundaries: total: 1,808 km border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km Coastline: 354 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 m Natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land Land use: arable land: 29.94% permanent crops: 1.9% other: 68.16% (2005) Irrigated land: 5,880 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: earthquakes, landslides Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 Geography - note: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia People Bulgaria Population: 7,385,367 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 13.9% (male 527,881/female 502,334) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 2,496,054/female 2,579,680) 65 years and over: 17.3% (male 527,027/female 752,391) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 40.8 years male: 38.7 years female: 42.9 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: -0.86% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 9.65 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 14.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -4.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births male: 23.52 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.3 years male: 68.68 years female: 76.13 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.38 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 346 (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 100 (2001 est.) Nationality: noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian Ethnic groups: Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census) Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census) Languages: Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.6% male: 99.1% female: 98.2% (2003 est.) Government Bulgaria Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria local long form: Republika Balgariya local short form: Balgariya Government type: parliamentary democracy Capital: name: Sofia geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions: 28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol Independence: 3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire) National holiday: Liberation Day, 3 March (1878) Constitution: adopted 12 July 1991 Legal system: civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August 2005); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivaylo KALFIN, Daniel VULCHEV, and Emel ETEM (since 16 August 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 and 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly election results: Georgi PURVANOV reelected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; Sergei STANISHEV elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67 Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 June 2005 (next to be held June 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - CfB 31.1%, NMS2 19.9%, MRF 12.7%, ATAKA 8.2%, UDF 7.7%, DSB 6.5%, BPU 5.2%; seats by party - CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, UDF 20, ATAKA 17, DSB 17, BPU 13, independents 4 Judicial branch: Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary) Political parties and leaders: ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by the Attack National Union); Attack National Union [Volen SIDEROV]; Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia MOZER]; Bulgarian People's Union or BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and BANU); Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Petar STOYANOV]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtDF (a coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF) Political pressure groups and leaders: Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas International organization participation: ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EU (new member), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174 FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John Ross BEYRLE embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407 mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100 FAX: [359] (2) 937-5320 Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; note - the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed Economy Bulgaria Economy - overview: Bulgaria, a former communist country that entered the European Union on 1 January 2007, has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then socialist government. As a result, the government became committed to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning. Minerals, including coal, copper, and zinc, play an important role in industry. In 1997, macroeconomic stability was reinforced by the imposition of a fixed exchange rate of the lev against the German D-mark - the currency is now fixed against the euro - and the negotiation of an IMF standby agreement. Low inflation and steady progress on structural reforms improved the business environment; Bulgaria has averaged 5.1% growth since 2000 and has begun to attract significant amounts of foreign direct investment. Corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain the largest challenges for Bulgaria. GDP (purchasing power parity): $77.13 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $27.85 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $10,400 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.9% industry: 30.1% services: 61% (2006 est.) Labor force: 3.45 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 11% industry: 32.7% services: 56.3% (3rd qtr. 2004 est.) Unemployment rate: 9.6% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 4% (2003 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 23.9% (2003) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 29.2 (2003) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.2% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 24.8% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $13.28 billion expenditures: $12.16 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Public debt: 23.8% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock Industries: electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel Industrial production growth rate: 5% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 41.96 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47.8% hydro: 8.1% nuclear: 44.1% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 35.23 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 5 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 1.2 billion kWh (2004) Oil - production: 3,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 109,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - exports: 51,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - imports: 157,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - proved reserves: 15 million bbl (1 January 2006) Natural gas - production: 1 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 5.301 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 5.3 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 5.947 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $-4.13 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $14.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels Exports - partners: Italy 12%, Turkey 10.5%, Germany 9.8%, Greece 9.5%, Belgium 5.9%, France 4.6% (2005) Imports: $20.69 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials Imports - partners: Russia 15.6%, Germany 13.6%, Italy 9%, Turkey 6.1%, Greece 5%, France 4.7% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $10.58 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $21.1 billion (30 June 2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $475 million (2004-06 est.) Currency (code): lev (BGL) Currency code: BGN Exchange rates: leva per US dollar - 1.56441 (2006), 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003), 2.077 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Bulgaria Telephones - main lines in use: 2,483,500 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 6.245 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: extensive but antiquated domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential; telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay international: country code - 359; direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) Radio broadcast stations: AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001) Radios: 4.51 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001) Televisions: 3.31 million (1997) Internet country code: .bg Internet hosts: 184,975 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 200 (2001) Internet users: 2.2 million (2005) Transportation Bulgaria Airports: 217 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 132 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 96 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 85 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 72 (2006) Heliports: 4 (2006) Pipelines: gas 2,505 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2006) Railways: total: 4,294 km standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified) narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 44,033 km paved: 43,593 km (including 333 km of expressways) unpaved: 440 km (2004) Waterways: 470 km (2006) Merchant marine: total: 75 ships (1000 GRT or over) 872,653 GRT/1,294,877 DWT by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 17, chemical tanker 4, container 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 4 foreign-owned: 2 (Germany 1, Russia 1) registered in other countries: 41 (Cambodia 1, Comoros 1, Malta 13, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17, Slovakia 7, unknown 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Burgas, Varna Military Bulgaria Military branches: Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription into the Army to end as of 1 January 2008; Air and Air Defense Forces and Naval Forces will become fully professional by end of 2006 (2006) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,661,211 females age 18-49: 1,660,982 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,302,037 females age 18-49: 1,365,126 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 51,023 females age 18-49: 48,651 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $356 million (FY02) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.6% (2003) Transnational Issues Bulgaria Disputes - international: none Illicit drugs: major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Burkina Faso Introduction Burkina Faso Background: Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries. Geography Burkina Faso Location: Western Africa, north of Ghana Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 2 00 W Map references: Africa Area: total: 274,200 sq km land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km Area - comparative: slightly larger than Colorado Land boundaries: total: 3,193 km border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers Terrain: mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt Land use: arable land: 17.66% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 82.12% (2005) Irrigated land: 250 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: recurring droughts Environment - current issues: recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas People Burkina Faso Population: 13,902,972 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 46.8% (male 3,267,202/female 3,235,190) 15-64 years: 50.7% (male 3,513,559/female 3,538,623) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 140,083/female 208,315) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 16.5 years male: 16.3 years female: 16.7 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 3% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 45.62 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 15.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 91.35 deaths/1,000 live births male: 99.17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 83.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 48.85 years male: 47.33 years female: 50.42 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.47 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.2% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 300,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 29,000 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007) Nationality: noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural) adjective: Burkinabe Ethnic groups: Mossi over 40%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani Religions: Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% Languages: French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 26.6% male: 36.9% female: 16.6% (2003 est.) Government Burkina Faso Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Burkina Faso local long form: none local short form: Burkina Faso former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta Government type: parliamentary republic Capital: name: Ouagadougou geographic coordinates: 12 22 N, 1 31 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 45 provinces; Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komondjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koulpelogo, Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala, Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondoma, Zoundweogo Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France) National holiday: Republic Day, 11 December (1958) Constitution: 2 June 1991 approved by referendum, 11 June 1991 formally adopted; amended April 2000 and January 2002 Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law Suffrage: universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Paramanga Ernest YONLI (since 6 November 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 November 2005 (next to be held in 2010); in April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005; prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.3%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 4.9% Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5, PAI 5, other 17 Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court Political parties and leaders: African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF-RDA [Gilbert OUEDRAOGO]; Confederation for Federation and Democracy or CFD [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and Progress/Socialist Party or PDP/PS [Ali LANKOANDE]; Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Ram OUEDRAGO]; Republican Party for Integration and Solidarity or PARIS [Cyril GOUNGOUNGA]; Union for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY] Political pressure groups and leaders: Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP; Group of 14 February; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL; watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tertius ZONGO chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanine E. JACKSON embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4 mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440 telephone: [226] 50-30-67-23 FAX: [226] 50-30-38-90, 50-31-23-68 Flag description: 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 Burkina Faso Economy - overview: One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. About 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, which is vulnerable to periodic drought. Cotton is the main cash crop and the government has joined with three other cotton producing countries in the region - Mali, Niger, and Chad - to lobby for improved access to Western markets. GDP growth has largely been driven by increases in world cotton prices. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations. Following the CFA franc currency devaluation in January 1994, the government updated its development program in conjunction with international agencies; exports and economic growth have increased. The government devolved macroeconomic policy and inflation targeting to the West African regional central bank (BCEAO), but maintains control over fiscal and microeconomic policies, including implementing reforms to encourage private investment. The bitter internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire continues to hurt trade and industrial prospects and deepens the need for international assistance. Burkina Faso is eligible for a Millenium Challenge Account grant, which would increase investment in the country's human capital. GDP (purchasing power parity): $17.87 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $5.821 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5.2% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,300 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 32.6% industry: 19.7% services: 47.7% (2006 est.) Labor force: 5 million note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10% (2000 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Population below poverty line: 45% (2003 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 46.8% (1994) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 48.2 (1998) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 20.5% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $1.158 billion expenditures: $1.714 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold Industrial production growth rate: 14% (2001 est.) Electricity - production: 400 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 69.9% hydro: 30.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 372 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 8,200 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day Oil - imports: NA bbl/day Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-604.6 million (2006 est.) Exports: $543.5 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: cotton, livestock, gold Exports - partners: China 39.8%, Singapore 13.1%, Thailand 5.9%, Ghana 5.4%, Taiwan 4.6%, Niger 4% (2005) Imports: $1.016 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum Imports - partners: France 23.9%, Cote d'Ivoire 23.3%, Togo 6.7% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.328 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $1.85 billion (2003) Economic aid - recipient: $468.4 million (2003) Currency (code): Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States Currency code: XOF Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 523.721 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Burkina Faso Telephones - main lines in use: 97,400 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 572,200 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: all services only fair domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 3 (2002) Radios: 394,020 (2000) Television broadcast stations: 1 (2002) Televisions: 131,340 (2002) Internet country code: .bf Internet hosts: 399 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002) Internet users: 64,600 (2005) Transportation Burkina Faso Airports: 34 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 32 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 18 (2006) Railways: total: 622 km narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge note:: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire (2005) Roadways: total: 15,272 km paved: 4,766 km unpaved: 10,506 km (2004) Military Burkina Faso Military branches: Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso), National Gendarmerie (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 2,651,687 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,530,324 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $74.83 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.3% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Burkina Faso Disputes - international: two villages are in dispute along the border with Benin; Benin accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; Burkina Faso border regions remain a staging area for Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire rebels and an asylum for refugees caught in local fighting; the Ivoirian Government accuses Burkina Faso of sheltering Ivoirian rebels This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Burma Introduction Burma Background: Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently transferred to house arrest, where she remains virtually incommunicado. In February 2006, the junta extended her detention for another year. Her supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely harassed or jailed. Geography Burma Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand Geographic coordinates: 22 00 N, 98 00 E Map references: Southeast Asia Area: total: 678,500 sq km land: 657,740 sq km water: 20,760 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas Land boundaries: total: 5,876 km border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km Coastline: 1,930 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin 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 Elevation extremes: lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m Natural resources: petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower Land use: arable land: 14.92% permanent crops: 1.31% other: 83.77% (2005) Irrigated land: 18,700 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts Environment - current issues: deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes People Burma Population: 47,382,633 note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 26.4% (male 6,335,236/female 6,181,216) 15-64 years: 68.5% (male 16,011,723/female 16,449,626) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 1,035,853/female 1,368,979) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 27 years male: 26.4 years female: 27.6 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.81% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 17.91 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 9.83 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 61.85 deaths/1,000 live births male: 72.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 50.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 60.97 years male: 58.07 years female: 64.03 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.2% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 330,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 20,000 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007) Nationality: noun: Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese Ethnic groups: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5% Religions: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% Languages: Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85.3% male: 89.2% female: 81.4% (2002) Government Burma Country name: conventional long form: Union of Burma conventional short form: Burma local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar) local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw Government type: military junta Capital: name: Rangoon (Yangon) geographic coordinates: 16 47 N, 96 10 E time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Nay Pyi Taw is administrative capital Administrative divisions: 7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne) divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Yangon states: Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Shan State Independence: 4 January 1948 (from UK) National holiday: Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947) Constitution: 3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; national convention convened in 1993 to draft a new constitution but collapsed in 1996; reconvened in 2004 but does not include participation of democratic opposition Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992) head of government: Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since 19 October 2004) cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by SPDC; military junta, so named 15 November 1997, assumed power 18 September 1988 under name State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) elections: none Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by junta to convene election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60 Judicial branch: remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent of the executive Political parties and leaders: National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP (pro-regime) [TUN YE]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties Political pressure groups and leaders: Ethnic Nationalities Council or ENC (based in Thailand); Federation of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union and labor advocates); National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile); Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen National Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP; National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition of opposition groups); several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a social and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general secretary]; 88 Generation Students (pro-democracy movement) [MIN KO] International organization participation: APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MYINT LWIN chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351 consulate(s) general: New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Shari VILLAROSA embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521) mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546 telephone: [95] (1) 379-880, 379-881 FAX: [95] (1) 256-018 Flag description: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, 14 white five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the seven administrative divisions and seven states Economy Burma Economy - overview: Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. The junta took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism," but those efforts stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were rescinded. Lacking monetary or fiscal stability, the economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including inflation, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, and a distorted interest rate regime. Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the results of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new economic sanctions against Burma - including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. A poor investment climate further slowed the inflow of foreign exchange. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries, especially oil and gas, mining, and timber. Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2006, the largest private banks operate under tight restrictions limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. Official statistics are inaccurate. Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as large as the official economy. Burma's trade with Thailand, China, and India is rising. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote foreign investment, exports, and tourism. GDP (purchasing power parity): $83.84 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $7.845 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 2.6% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,800 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 54.7% industry: 10.6% services: 34.7% (2006 est.) Labor force: 28.49 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 70% industry: 7% services: 23% (2001 est.) Unemployment rate: 10.2% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 25% (2000 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 32.4% (1998) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 21.4% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 11.8% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $494.1 million expenditures: $947.3 million; including capital expenditures of NA (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products Industries: agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; cement; natural gas Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 6.31 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 44.5% hydro: 43.4% nuclear: 0% other: 12.1% (2002) Electricity - consumption: 5.869 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 18,500 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 37,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: 3,356 bbl/day (2003) Oil - imports: 49,230 bbl/day (2003) Oil - proved reserves: less than 1 billion bbl (2005) Natural gas - production: 10.2 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 2.7 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 7.5 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 283.2 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $1.247 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $5.289 billion f.o.b. note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: clothing, gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice Exports - partners: Thailand 43.8%, India 12.1%, China 6.7%, Japan 5% (2005) Imports: $2.049 billion f.o.b. note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: fabric, petroleum products, plastics, machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, crude oil; food products Imports - partners: China 28.8%, Thailand 21.8%, Singapore 18.4%, Malaysia 7.6% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $932 million (2006 est.) Debt - external: $7.162 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $127 million (2001 est.) Currency (code): kyat (MMK) Currency code: MMK Exchange rates: kyats per US dollar - 1,310 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004), 6.0764 (2003), 6.5734 (2002), note, these are official exchange rates; unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar, and by year-end 2005, the unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US dollar Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Burma Telephones - main lines in use: 476,200 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 183,400 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: barely meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is fair domestic: NA international: country code - 95; satellite earth station - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean), and ShinSat Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1 (2004) Radios: 4.2 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 2 (2004) Televisions: 320,000 (2000) Internet country code: .mm Internet hosts: 42 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 note: as of September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000) Internet users: 78,000 (2005) Transportation Burma Airports: 85 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 21 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 64 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 32 (2006) Heliports: 1 (2006) Pipelines: gas 2,224 km; oil 558 km (2006) Railways: total: 3,955 km narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 27,000 km paved: 3,200 km unpaved: 23,800 km (2005) Waterways: 12,800 km (2005) Merchant marine: total: 34 ships (1000 GRT or over) 402,699 GRT/620,642 DWT by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 20, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 9 (Germany 5, Japan 4) (2006) Ports and terminals: Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe Military Burma Military branches: Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (2005) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes (2004) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 12,268,850 females age 18-49: 12,469,771 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 7,946,701 females age 18-49: 8,543,705 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 469,841 females: 455,689 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $39 million (FY97) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.1% (FY97) Transnational Issues Burma Disputes - international: over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups with substantial numbers of kin beyond its borders; despite continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain with Thailand over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; ethnic Karens flee into Thailand to escape fighting between Karen rebels and Burmese troops; in 2005 Thailand sheltered about 121,000 Burmese refugees; Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese hydroelectric dam on the Salween River near the border; environmentalists in Burma and Thailand continue to voice concern over China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province; India seeks cooperation from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists from hiding in remote Burmese uplands Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs: 540,000 (government offensives against ethnic insurgent groups near the eastern borders; most IDPs are ethnic Karen, Karenni, Shan, Tavoyan, and Mon) (2006) Trafficking in persons: current situation: Burma is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked to East and Southeast Asia for sexual exploitation, domestic service, and forced commercial labor; a significant number of victims are economic migrants who wind up in forced or bonded labor and forced prostitution; to a lesser extent, Burma is a country of transit and destination for women trafficked from China for sexual exploitation; internal trafficking of persons occurs primarily for labor in industrial zones and agricultural estates; internal trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation occurs from villages to urban centers and other areas; the military junta's economic mismanagement, human rights abuses, and policy of using forced labor are driving factors behind Burma's large trafficking problem tier rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so Illicit drugs: remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium (estimated production in 2004 - 292 metric tons, down 40% from 2003 due to eradication efforts and drought; cultivation in 2004 - 30,900 hectares, a 34% decline from 2003); lack of government will to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption; currently under Financial Action Task Force countermeasures due to continued failure to address its inadequate money-laundering controls (2005) This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Burundi Introduction Burundi Background: Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. Over 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many challenges. Geography Burundi Location: Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo Geographic coordinates: 3 30 S, 30 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 27,830 sq km land: 25,650 sq km water: 2,180 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland Land boundaries: total: 974 km border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January) Terrain: hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m highest point: Heha 2,670 m Natural resources: nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone Land use: arable land: 35.57% permanent crops: 13.12% other: 51.31% (2005) Irrigated land: 210 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: flooding, landslides, drought Environment - current issues: soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea Geography - note: landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile People Burundi Population: 8,090,068 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 46.3% (male 1,884,825/female 1,863,200) 15-64 years: 51.1% (male 2,051,451/female 2,082,017) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 83,432/female 125,143) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 16.6 years male: 16.4 years female: 16.9 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 3.7% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 42.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 13.46 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 8.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 63.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 70.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 55.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 50.81 years male: 50.07 years female: 51.58 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.55 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 6% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 250,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 25,000 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2007) Nationality: noun: Burundian(s) adjective: Burundian Ethnic groups: Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000 Religions: Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10% Languages: Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51.6% male: 58.5% female: 45.2% (2003 est.) Government Burundi Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Burundi conventional short form: Burundi local long form: Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u Burundi local short form: Burundi former: Urundi Government type: republic Capital: name: Bujumbura geographic coordinates: 3 23 S, 29 22 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 17 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rurale, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration) National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962) Constitution: 28 February 2005; ratified by popular referendum Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult Executive branch: chief of state: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29 August 2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8 September 2006) head of government: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29 August 2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8 September 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the parliament; vice presidents nominated by the president, endorsed by parliament election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA was elected president by the parliament by a vote of 151 to 9; note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the legislature Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats - 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi with at least 30% being women; additional seats appointed by a National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure ethnic representation; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; 34 by indirect vote to serve five year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic groups and former chiefs of state) elections: National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010); Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CNDD-FDD 58.6%, FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD 4.1%, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 59, FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 30, FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1 Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal (there are three in separate locations); Tribunals of First Instance (17 at the province level and 123 small local tribunals) Political parties and leaders: the three national, mainstream, governing parties are: Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA, president]; National Council for the Defense of Democracy, Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Hussein RADJABU, president]; Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Aloys RUBUKA, president] note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are: National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD; National Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA] Political pressure groups and leaders: none International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Celestin NIYONGABO chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574 FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia Newton MOLLER embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura telephone: [257] 223454 FAX: [257] 222926 Flag description: divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and fly 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 Burundi Economy - overview: Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the population. An ethnic-based war that lasted for over a decade resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000 refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally. Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in 10 adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short supply. Political stability and the end of the civil war have improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a weak legal system, and low administrative capacity - risk undermining planned economic reforms. Burundi grew about 5 percent in 2006. Delayed disbursements of funds from the World Bank may add to budget pressures in 2007. Burundi will continue to remain heavily dependent on aid from bilateral and multilateral donors. GDP (purchasing power parity): $5.744 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $778.9 million (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $700 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 44.9% industry: 20.9% services: 34.1% (2006 est.) Labor force: 2.99 million (2002) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 93.6% industry: 2.3% services: 4.1% (2002 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Population below poverty line: 68% (2002 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 32.9% (1998) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 33.3 (1998) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 11.9% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $239.9 million expenditures: $297 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides Industries: light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing Industrial production growth rate: 18% (2001) Electricity - production: 137 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.6% hydro: 99.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 157.4 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 30 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 3,100 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-57.84 million (2006 est.) Exports: $55.68 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides Exports - partners: Germany 24.6%, Belgium 11.2%, Netherlands 8.1%, Switzerland 5.9%, US 4.7% (2005) Imports: $207.3 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs Imports - partners: Kenya 12.9%, Tanzania 10.5%, Belgium 10.4%, Italy 8.1%, France 5.4%, Uganda 5.3%, China 5%, India 4.1% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $87.69 million (2006 est.) Debt - external: $1.2 billion (2003) Economic aid - recipient: $105.5 million (2003) Currency (code): Burundi franc (BIF) Currency code: BIF Exchange rates: Burundi francs per US dollar - 1,170 (2006), 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91 (2004), 1,082.62 (2003), 930.75 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Burundi Telephones - main lines in use: 27,700 (2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 153,000 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: primitive system domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) Radios: 440,000 (2001) Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001) Televisions: 25,000 (1997) Internet country code: .bi Internet hosts: 160 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000) Internet users: 25,000 (2005) Transportation Burundi Airports: 8 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2006) Roadways: total: 12,322 km paved: 1,286 km unpaved: 11,036 km (2004) Waterways: mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2003) Ports and terminals: Bujumbura Military Burundi Military branches: National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationales, FDN): Army (includes Naval Detachment and Air Wing), National Gendarmerie (being disbanded) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 1,676,855 females age 16-49: 1,656,366 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 955,616 females age 16-49: 932,767 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 91,331 females age 16-49: 90,685 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $43.9 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.6% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Burundi Disputes - international: Tutsi, Hutu, other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting in the Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda in an effort to gain control over populated and natural resource areas; government heads pledge to end conflict, but localized violence continues despite the presence of about 6,000 peacekeepers from the UN Operation in Burundi (ONUB) since 2004; although some 150,000 Burundian refugees have been repatriated, as of February 2005, Burundian refugees still reside in camps in western Tanzania as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 20,359 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) IDPs: 100,000 (armed conflict between government and rebels; most IDPs in northern and western Burundi) (2006) This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Cambodia Introduction Cambodia Background: Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863. Cambodia became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders are awaiting trial by a UN-sponsored tribunal for crimes against humanity. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. Geography Cambodia Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 105 00 E Map references: Southeast Asia Area: total: 181,040 sq km land: 176,520 sq km water: 4,520 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oklahoma Land boundaries: total: 2,572 km border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km Coastline: 443 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm Climate: tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation Terrain: mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north Elevation extremes: lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m Natural resources: oil and gas, timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential Land use: arable land: 20.44% permanent crops: 0.59% other: 78.97% (2005) Irrigated land: 2,700 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts Environment - current issues: illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas, most of the population does not have access to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing and overfishing Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea Geography - note: a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap People Cambodia Population: 13,881,427 note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.6% (male 2,497,595/female 2,447,754) 15-64 years: 61% (male 4,094,946/female 4,370,159) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 180,432/female 290,541) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 20.6 years male: 19.9 years female: 21.4 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.78% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 26.9 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 9.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 68.78 deaths/1,000 live births male: 77.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 59.29 years male: 57.35 years female: 61.32 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.37 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.6% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 170,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 15,000 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis are high risks in some locations note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007) Nationality: noun: Cambodian(s) adjective: Cambodian Ethnic groups: Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4% Religions: Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5% Languages: Khmer (official) 95%, French, English Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 73.6% male: 84.7% female: 64.1% (2004 est.) Government Cambodia Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia conventional short form: Cambodia local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea (phonetic pronunciation) local short form: Kampuchea former: Kingdom of Cambodia, Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia Government type: multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy Capital: name: Phnom Penh geographic coordinates: 11 33 N, 104 55 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 20 provinces (khaitt, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural) provinces: Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Krachen, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev municipalities: Keb, Pailin, Phnum Penh (Phnom Penh), Preah Seihanu (Sihanoukville) Independence: 9 November 1953 (from France) National holiday: Independence Day, 9 November (1953) Constitution: promulgated 21 September 1993 Legal system: primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing influence of common law in recent years; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: King Norodom SIHAMONI (since 29 October 2004) head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 14 January 1985) and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 3 February 1992); SOK AN, LU LAY SRENG, TEA BANH, HOR NAMHONG, NHEK BUNCHHAY (since 16 July 2004); KEV PUT REAKSMEI (since 24 October 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers in theory appointed by the monarch; in practice named by the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council; following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or majority coalition is named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the king Legislative branch: bicameral, consists of the National Assembly (123 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61 seats; 2 members appointed by the monarch, 2 elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by parliamentarians and commune councils; members serve five-year terms) elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be held in July 2008); Senate - last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73, FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - CPP 69%, FUNCINPEC 21%, SRP 10%; seats by party - CPP 45, FUNCINPEC 10, SRP 2 (January 2006) Judicial branch: Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority Political parties and leaders: Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [KEV PUT REAKSMEI]; Norodom Ranariddh Party or NRP [Norodom RANARIDDH]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP [SAM RANGSI] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador EK SEREYWATH chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742 FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph A. MUSSOMELI embassy: #1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546 telephone: [855] (23) 728-000 FAX: [855] (23) 728-600 Flag description: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band; only national flag to incorporate an actual building in its design Economy Cambodia Economy - overview: In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, the government made progress on economic reforms. The US and Cambodia signed a Bilateral Textile Agreement, which gave Cambodia a guaranteed quota of US textile imports and established a bonus for improving working conditions and enforcing Cambodian labor laws and international labor standards in the industry. From 2001 to 2004, the economy grew at an average rate of 6.4%, driven largely by an expansion in the garment sector and tourism. With the January 2005 expiration of a WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, Cambodia-based textile producers were forced to compete directly with lower-priced producing countries such as China and India. Better-than-expected garment sector performance led to about 6% growth per year in 2005-06. Faced with the possibility that its vibrant garment industry, with more than 200,000 jobs, could be in serious danger, the Cambodian government has committed itself to a policy of continued support for high labor standards in an attempt to maintain favor with buyers. The tourism industry continues to grow rapidly, with foreign visitors surpassing 1 million for per year beginning in 2005. In 2005, exploitable oil and natural gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a new revenue stream for the government once commercial extraction begins in the coming years. Mining also is attracting significant investor interest, particularly in the northeastern parts of the country. The long-term development of the economy remains a daunting challenge. The Cambodian government is working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the World Bank and IMF, to address the country's many pressing needs. The major economic challenge for Cambodia over the next decade will be fashioning an economic environment in which the private sector can create enough jobs to handle Cambodia's demographic imbalance. More than 50% of the population is less than 21 years old. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure. GDP (purchasing power parity): $36.78 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $5.122 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5.8% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $2,600 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35% industry: 30% services: 35% (2004) Labor force: 7 million (2003 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 75% industry: NA% services: NA% (2004 est.) Unemployment rate: 2.5% (2000 est.) Population below poverty line: 40% (2004 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 33.8% (1997) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 40 (2004 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 18.7% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $731 million expenditures: $931.8 million; including capital expenditures of $291 million (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: rice, rubber, corn, vegetables, cashews, tapioca Industries: tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles Industrial production growth rate: 22% (2002 est.) Electricity - production: 131 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 65% hydro: 35% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 121.8 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 3,750 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-412 million (2006 est.) Exports: $3.331 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: clothing, timber, rubber, rice, fish, tobacco, footwear Exports - partners: US 48.6%, Hong Kong 24.4%, Germany 5.6%, Canada 4.6% (2005) Imports: $4.477 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products Imports - partners: Hong Kong 16.1%, China 13.6%, France 12.1%, Thailand 11.2%, Taiwan 10.2%, South Korea 7.5%, Vietnam 7.1%, Singapore 4.9%, Japan 4.1% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.385 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $3.664 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $504 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2005 by international donors Currency (code): riel (KHR) Currency code: KHR Exchange rates: riels per US dollar - 4,119 (2006), 4,092.5 (2005), 4,016.25 (2004), 3,973.33 (2003), 3,912.08 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Cambodia Telephones - main lines in use: 36,400 (2003) Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.062 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; mobile phone coverage is rapidly expanding in rural areas domestic: NA international: country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 17 (2003) Radios: 1.34 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 11 (including two TV relay stations with French and Vietnamese broadcasts); 12 regional low power TV stations (2006) Televisions: 94,000 (1997) Internet country code: .kh Internet hosts: 1,378 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000) Internet users: 41,000 (2005) Transportation Cambodia Airports: 20 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 14 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Heliports: 2 (2006) Railways: total: 602 km narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 38,257 km paved: 2,406 km unpaved: 35,851 km (2004) Waterways: 2,400 km (mainly on Mekong River) (2005) Merchant marine: total: 544 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,777,907 GRT/2,529,708 DWT by type: bulk carrier 41, cargo 443, chemical tanker 11, container 10, livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 407 (Bulgaria 1, Canada 6, China 128, Cyprus 12, Egypt 8, Gabon 1, Greece 8, Hong Kong 15, Indonesia 1, Japan 4, South Korea 23, Latvia 2, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2, Norway 1, Philippines 1, Russia 105, Singapore 4, Spain 1, Syria 20, Taiwan 2, Turkey 26, UAE 1, Ukraine 17, US 8, Yemen 3, unknown 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Phnom Penh, Preah Seihanu (Sihanoukville) Military Cambodia Military branches: Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2005) Military service age and obligation: conscription law made effective in October 2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service; service obligation is 18 months (2006) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 3,002,718 females age 18-49: 3,108,254 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,955,141 females age 18-49: 2,048,611 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 175,497 females age 18-49: 172,788 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $112 million (FY01 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3% (FY01 est.) Transnational Issues Cambodia Disputes - international: Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers and Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory; maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by unresolved dispute over offshore islands; Cambodia accuses Thailand of obstructing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; in 2004, Cambodian-Laotian and Laotian-Vietnamese boundary commissions re-erected missing markers completing most of their demarcations Trafficking in persons: current situation: Cambodia is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; a significant number of women and children are trafficked to Thailand and Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; men are trafficked primarily to Thailand for forced labor in the construction and agricultural sectors, particularly the fishing industry, while women and girls are trafficked for factory and domestic work; children are trafficked to Vietnam and Thailand for the purpose of forced begging; Cambodia is a transit and destination point for women from Vietnam trafficked for sexual exploitation; trafficking for sexual exploitation also occurs within Cambodia's borders, from rural areas to the cities tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cambodia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is committed to making significant efforts to sustain progress over the coming year Illicit drugs: narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; possible small-scale heroin and methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Cameroon Introduction Cameroon Background: The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite a slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy headed by President Paul BIYA. Geography Cameroon Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria Geographic coordinates: 6 00 N, 12 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 475,440 sq km land: 469,440 sq km water: 6,000 sq km Area - comparative: slightly larger than California Land boundaries: total: 4,591 km border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km Coastline: 402 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm 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 Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon) Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower Land use: arable land: 12.54% permanent crops: 2.52% other: 84.94% (2005) Irrigated land: 260 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes Environment - current issues: waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano People Cameroon Population: 17,340,702 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.2% (male 3,614,430/female 3,531,047) 15-64 years: 55.5% (male 4,835,453/female 4,796,276) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 260,342/female 303,154) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 18.9 years male: 18.7 years female: 19 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 2.04% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 33.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 13.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 63.52 deaths/1,000 live births male: 67.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 51.16 years male: 50.98 years female: 51.34 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 4.39 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 6.9% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 560,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 49,000 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007) Nationality: noun: Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian Ethnic groups: Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1% Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% Languages: 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79% male: 84.7% female: 73.4% (2003 est.) Government Cameroon Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon conventional short form: Cameroon local long form: Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon former: French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime Capital: name: Yaounde geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest Independence: 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) National holiday: Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972) Constitution: 20 May 1972 approved by referendum, 2 June 1972 formally adopted; revised January 1996 Legal system: based on French civil law system, with common law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982) head of government: Prime Minister Ephraim INONI (since 8 December 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held by October 2011); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.7% Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term of the legislature elections: last held 23 June 2002 (next to be held in June 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21 note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges, elected by the National Assembly) Political parties and leaders: Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne TINA]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK] Political pressure groups and leaders: Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]; Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president] International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Niels MARQUARDT embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 220 15 00; Consular: [237] 220 16 03 FAX: [237] 220 16 20; Consular FAX: [237] 220 17 52 branch office(s): Douala Flag description: 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 Cameroon Economy - overview: Because of its modest oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks. In June 2000, the government completed an IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however, the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. International oil and cocoa prices have a significant impact on the economy. GDP (purchasing power parity): $42.2 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $16.37 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 4.1% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $2,400 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 45.2% industry: 16.1% services: 38.7% (2006 est.) Labor force: 6.394 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 70% industry: 13% services: 17% Unemployment rate: 30% (2001 est.) Population below poverty line: 48% (2000 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 36.6% (1996) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 44.6 (2001) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 16.8% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $3.339 billion expenditures: $3.157 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Public debt: 28.4% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber Industries: petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair Industrial production growth rate: 4.2% (1999 est.) Electricity - production: 3.924 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2.7% hydro: 97.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 3.649 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 82,300 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 24,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day Oil - imports: NA bbl/day Oil - proved reserves: 90 million bbl (2006 est.) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 110.4 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $419 million (2006 est.) Exports: $4.318 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton Exports - partners: Spain 17.4%, Italy 13.8%, France 9.5%, South Korea 8.1%, UK 8.1%, Netherlands 7.9%, Belgium 4.9%, US 4.3% (2005) Imports: $3.083 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food Imports - partners: France 24%, Nigeria 12%, Belgium 6.3%, China 5.6%, US 5.1%, Thailand 4.5%, Germany 4.2% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.336 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $3.657 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: in January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; debt relief now totals $1.26 billion Currency (code): Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States Currency code: XAF Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.592 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June Communications Cameroon Telephones - main lines in use: 99,400 (2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.259 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: available only to business and government domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter international: country code - 237; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2002) Radios: 2.27 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (2002) Televisions: 450,000 (1997) Internet country code: .cm Internet hosts: 39 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002) Internet users: 167,000 (2005) Transportation Cameroon Airports: 47 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 9 (2006) Pipelines: gas 70 km; liquid petroleum gas 9 km; oil 1,107 km (2006) Railways: total: 987 km narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 50,000 km paved: 5,000 km unpaved: 45,000 km (2004) Waterways: navigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainy season (2005) Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 38,613 GRT/68,820 DWT by type: petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Douala, Limboh Terminal Military Cameroon Military branches: Cameroon Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (1999) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 3,525,307 females age 18-49: 3,461,406 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,946,767 females age 18-49: 1,834,600 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 191,619 females age 18-49: 187,082 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $230.2 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Cameroon Disputes - international: ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission, which continues to meet regularly to resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced with demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary, starting in Lake Chad in the north; implementation of the ICJ ruling on the Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea is impeded by imprecisely defined coordinates and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; Nigeria initially rejected cession of the Bakassi Peninsula, then agreed, but much of the indigenous population opposes cession; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 39,303 (Chad) 9,711 (Nigeria) 13,000 (Central African Republic); note - there are an additional 10,000 Central African refugees unregistered with UNHCR as of December 2006 (2006) This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Canada Introduction Canada Background: A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services, as well as responding to separatist concerns in predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment. Geography Canada Location: Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US Geographic coordinates: 60 00 N, 95 00 W Map references: North America Area: total: 9,984,670 sq km land: 9,093,507 sq km water: 891,163 sq km Area - comparative: somewhat larger than the US Land boundaries: total: 8,893 km border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska) Coastline: 202,080 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin Climate: varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north Terrain: mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m Natural resources: iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower Land use: arable land: 4.57% permanent crops: 0.65% other: 94.78% (2005) Irrigated land: 7,850 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains Environment - current issues: air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation Geography - note: second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border People Canada Population: 33,098,932 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.6% (male 2,992,811/female 2,848,388) 15-64 years: 69% (male 11,482,452/female 11,368,286) 65 years and over: 13.3% (male 1,883,008/female 2,523,987) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 38.9 years male: 37.8 years female: 39.9 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.88% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 10.78 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 5.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.22 years male: 76.86 years female: 83.74 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.61 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 56,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,500 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Canadian(s) adjective: Canadian Ethnic groups: British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26% Religions: Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census) Languages: English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5% Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) Government Canada Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Canada Government type: constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation Capital: name: Ottawa geographic coordinates: 45 25 N, 75 40 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November note: Canada is divided into six time zones Administrative divisions: 10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory* Independence: 1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (independence recognized) National holiday: Canada Day, 1 July (1867) Constitution: made up of unwritten and written acts, customs, judicial decisions, and traditions; the written part of the constitution consists of the Constitution Act of 29 March 1867, which created a federation of four provinces, and the Constitution Act of 17 April 1982, which transferred formal control over the constitution from Britain to Canada, and added a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as procedures for constitutional amendments 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 Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Michaelle JEAN (since 27 September 2005) head of government: Prime Minister Stephen HARPER (since 6 February 2006) cabinet: Federal Ministry chosen by the prime minister usually from among the members of his own party sitting in Parliament elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister for a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Commons is automatically designated prime minister by the governor general Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (members appointed by the governor general with the advice of the prime minister and serve until reaching 75 years of age; its normal limit is 105 senators) and the House of Commons or Chambre des Communes (308 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve for up to five-year terms) elections: House of Commons - last held 23 January 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative Party 36.3%, Liberal Party 30.2%, New Democratic Party 17.5%, Bloc Quebecois 10.5%, Greens 4.5%, other 1%; seats by party - Conservative Party 124, Liberal Party 102, New Democratic Party 29, Bloc Quebecois 51, other 2; seats by party as of February 2007 - Conservative Party 125, Liberal Party 100, New Democratic Party 29, Bloc Quebecois 51, other 2 Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Canada (judges are appointed by the prime minister through the governor general); Federal Court of Canada; Federal Court of Appeal; Provincial Courts (these are named variously Court of Appeal, Court of Queens Bench, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Justice) Political parties and leaders: Bloc Quebecois [Gilles DUCEPPE]; Conservative Party of Canada (a merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party) [Stephen HARPER]; Green Party [Elizabeth MAY]; Liberal Party [Stephane DION]; New Democratic Party [Jack LAYTON] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAFTA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael WILSON chancery: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 telephone: [1] (202) 682-1740 FAX: [1] (202) 682-7701 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson consulate(s): Anchorage, Houston, Philadelphia, Princeton (New Jersey), Raleigh, San Jose (California) Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David H. WILKINS embassy: 490 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1G8 mailing address: P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburgh, NY 13669-0430 telephone: [1] (613) 238-5335, 4470 FAX: [1] (613) 688-3082 consulate(s) general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg Flag description: two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width), with white square between them; an 11-pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the official colors of Canada are red and white Economy Canada Economy - overview: As an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion dollar class, Canada resembles the US in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and affluent living standards. 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. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the US. Given its great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada enjoys solid economic prospects. Top-notch fiscal management has produced consecutive balanced budgets since 1997, although public debate continues over how to manage the rising cost of the publicly funded healthcare system. Exports account for roughly a third of GDP. Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus with its principal trading partner, the US, which absorbs about 85% of Canadian exports. Canada is the US' largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power. GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.165 trillion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $1.089 trillion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 2.8% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $35,200 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.3% industry: 29.2% services: 68.5% (2006 est.) Labor force: 17.59 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 2%, manufacturing 14%, construction 5%, services 75%, other 3% (2004) Unemployment rate: 6.4% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 15.9%; note - this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO), a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line (2003) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 23.8% (1994) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 33.1 (1998) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 21.3% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $183.5 billion expenditures: $181.8 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) Public debt: 65.4% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits, vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish Industries: transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 573 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 28% hydro: 57.9% nuclear: 12.9% other: 1.3% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 522.4 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 33.01 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 22.48 billion kWh (2004) Oil - production: 3.135 million bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 2.294 million bbl/day (2004) Oil - exports: 1.6 million bbl/day (2004) Oil - imports: 963,000 bbl/day (2004) Oil - proved reserves: 178.9 billion bbl note: includes oil sands (2004 est.) Natural gas - production: 183.6 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 95.85 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 104 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 10.86 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 1.603 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $20.56 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $405 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum Exports - partners: US 84.2%, Japan 2.1%, UK 1.8% (2005) Imports: $353.2 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods Imports - partners: US 56.7%, China 7.8%, Mexico 3.8% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $35.79 billion (August 2006 est.) Debt - external: $684.7 billion (30 June 2006) Economic aid - donor: ODA, $2.6 billion (2004) Currency (code): Canadian dollar (CAD) Currency code: CAD Exchange rates: Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.13186 (2006), 1.2118 (2005), 1.301 (2004), 1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Canada Telephones - main lines in use: 18.276 million (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 16.6 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations international: country code - 1-xxx; 5 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) Radio broadcast stations: AM 245, FM 582, shortwave 6 (2004) Radios: 32.3 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 80 (plus many repeaters) (1997) Televisions: 21.5 million (1997) Internet country code: .ca Internet hosts: 3,934,223 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 760 (2000 est.) Internet users: 21.9 million (2005) Transportation Canada Airports: 1,337 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 509 over 3,047 m: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 151 914 to 1,523 m: 248 under 914 m: 77 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 828 1,524 to 2,437 m: 66 914 to 1,523 m: 355 under 914 m: 407 (2006) Heliports: 12 (2006) Pipelines: crude and refined oil 23,564 km; liquid petroleum gas 74,980 km (2005) Railways: total: 48,467 km standard gauge: 48,467 km 1.435-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 1,042,300 km paved: 415,600 km (including 17,000 km of expressways) unpaved: 626,700 km (2005) Waterways: 631 km note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States (2003) Merchant marine: total: 173 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,129,243 GRT/2,716,340 DWT by type: bulk carrier 62, cargo 10, chemical tanker 9, container 2, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 63, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 8 foreign-owned: 7 (Germany 3, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, US 2) registered in other countries: 111 (Australia 1, Bahamas 18, Barbados 8, Cambodia 6, Cyprus 2, Denmark 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 28, Liberia 2, Malta 18, Marshall Islands 6, Panama 4, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, US 4, Vanuatu 5) (2006) Ports and terminals: Fraser River Port, Halifax, Montreal, Port Cartier, Quebec, Saint John's (Newfoundland), Sept Isles, Vancouver Military Canada Military branches: Canadian Forces: Land Forces Command, Maritime Command, Air Command, Canada Command (homeland security) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary military service; women comprise approximately 11% of Canada's armed forces (2001) Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 8,216,510 females age 16-49: 8,034,939 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 6,740,490 females age 16-49: 6,580,868 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 223,821 females age 16-49: 212,900 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $9,801.7 million (2003) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.1% (2003) Transnational Issues Canada Disputes - international: managed maritime boundary disputes with the US at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; working toward greater cooperation with US in monitoring people and commodities crossing the border; uncontested sovereignty dispute with Denmark over Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market and export to US; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; transit point for ecstasy entering the US market; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering because of its mature financial services sector This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Cape Verde Introduction Cape Verde Background: The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. Geography Cape Verde Location: Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 24 00 W Map references: Political Map of the World Area: total: 4,033 sq km land: 4,033 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: slightly larger than Rhode Island Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 965 km Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Climate: temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic Terrain: steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island) Natural resources: salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum Land use: arable land: 11.41% permanent crops: 0.74% other: 87.85% (2005) Irrigated land: 30 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active Environment - current issues: soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site People Cape Verde Population: 420,979 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 37.9% (male 80,594/female 79,126) 15-64 years: 55.3% (male 113,450/female 119,423) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 10,542/female 17,844) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 19.8 years male: 19 years female: 20.7 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.64% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 24.87 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 6.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -11.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 46.52 deaths/1,000 live births male: 51.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.73 years male: 67.41 years female: 74.15 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.38 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.035% (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 775 (2001) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 225 (as of 2001) Nationality: noun: Cape Verdean(s) adjective: Cape Verdean Ethnic groups: Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1% Religions: Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene) Languages: Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 76.6% male: 85.8% female: 69.2% (2003 est.) Government Cape Verde Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde conventional short form: Cape Verde local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde local short form: Cabo Verde Government type: republic Capital: name: Praia geographic coordinates: 14 55 N, 23 31 W time difference: UTC-1 (4 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 17 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao Miguel, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal) National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975) Constitution: new constitution came into force 25 September 1992; underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially increasing the powers of the president; a 1999 revision created the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica) Legal system: derived from the legal system of Portugal Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Pedro Verona PIRES (since 22 March 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 12 February 2006 (next to be held February 2011); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president election results: Pedro PIRES reelected president; percent of vote - Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 51.2%, Carlos VIEGA (MPD) 48.8% Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 52.3%, MPD 44%, UCID 2.7%; seats by party - PAICV 41, MPD 29, ADM 2 Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia Political parties and leaders: African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria Pereira NEVES, chairman]; Democratic Alliance for Change or ADM [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO] (a coalition of PCD, PTS, and UCID); Democratic Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES, chairman]; Democratic Renovation Party or PRD [Victor FIDALGO, president]; Democratic and Independent Cape Verdean Union or UCID [Antonio MONTEIRO]; Movement for Democracy or MPD [Agostinho LOPES, president]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO, president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Isaias RODRIGUES, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM, president] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jose BRITO chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820 FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207 consulate(s) general: Boston Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roger D. PIERCE embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo n6, Praia mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia telephone: [238] 2-60-89-00 FAX: [238] 2-61-13-55 Flag description: three horizontal bands of light blue (top, double width), white (with a horizontal red stripe in the middle third), and light blue; a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the hoist end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue bands Economy Cape Verde Economy - overview: This island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought. The economy is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, tourism, and public services accounting for 66% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of food production in GDP in 2004 was only 12%, of which fishing accounted for 1.5%. About 82% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by foreign aid and remittances from emigrants; remittances supplement GDP by more than 20%. Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Future prospects depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, the encouragement of tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program. Cape Verde has been exploring European Union membership in recent years. GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.129 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $1.128 billion (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (2005 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $6,000 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.1% industry: 21.9% services: 66% (2004 est.) Labor force: 120,600 (1990) Unemployment rate: 21% (2000 est.) Population below poverty line: 30% (2000) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.7% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 25.5% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $324.6 million expenditures: $370.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish Industries: food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 44 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 40.92 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 1,150 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day Oil - imports: NA bbl/day Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-44.43 million (2006 est.) Exports: $96.71 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides Exports - partners: Spain 38.2%, Portugal 33.3%, US 9.2%, Morocco 5.4% (2005) Imports: $495.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels Imports - partners: Portugal 40.9%, Italy 7.8%, Netherlands 7.2%, Spain 5.5%, Brazil 5.3%, France 4.7%, Belgium 4.6% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $166.4 million (2006 est.) Debt - external: $325 million (2002) Economic aid - recipient: $136 million (1999) Currency (code): Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) Currency code: CVE Exchange rates: Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 86.2664 (2006), 88.67 (2005), 88.808 (2004), 97.703 (2003), 117.168 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Cape Verde Telephones - main lines in use: 71,400 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 81,700 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: effective system, extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995 domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT); fiber optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in 1998 international: country code - 238; 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 22 (and 12 low power repeaters), shortwave 0 (2002) Radios: 100,000 (2002 est.) Television broadcast stations: 1 (and 7 repeaters) (2002) Televisions: 15,000 (2002 est.) Internet country code: .cv Internet hosts: 234 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002) Internet users: 25,000 (2005) Transportation Cape Verde Airports: 7 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 1,350 km paved: 932 km unpaved: 418 km (2000) Merchant marine: total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,300 GRT/7,726 DWT by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 4 foreign-owned: 2 (Spain 1, UK 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal Military Cape Verde Military branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP): Army, Coast Guard (includes maritime air wing) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 84,641 females age 18-49: 87,310 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 65,614 females age 18-49: 73,662 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $7.18 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.7% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Cape Verde Disputes - international: none Illicit drugs: used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Asia destined for Western Europe; the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Cayman Islands Introduction Cayman Islands Background: The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries, and were administered by Jamaica after 1863. In 1959, the islands became a territory within the Federation of the West Indies, but when the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency. Geography Cayman Islands Location: Caribbean, three island (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) group in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica Geographic coordinates: 19 30 N, 80 30 W Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area: total: 262 sq km land: 262 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 160 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 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 Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: The Bluff (Cayman Brac) 43 m Natural resources: fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism Land use: arable land: 3.85% permanent crops: 0% other: 96.15% (2005) Irrigated land: NA Natural hazards: hurricanes (July to November) Environment - current issues: no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments Geography - note: important location between Cuba and Central America People Cayman Islands Population: 45,436 note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.7% (male 4,708/female 4,700) 15-64 years: 70.9% (male 15,707/female 16,504) 65 years and over: 8.4% (male 1,793/female 2,024) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 37.2 years male: 36.8 years female: 37.5 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 2.56% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 12.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 4.89 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 17.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.07 years male: 77.45 years female: 82.74 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Caymanian(s) adjective: Caymanian Ethnic groups: mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20% Religions: United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic Languages: English Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.) Government Cayman Islands Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Cayman Islands Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK Government type: British crown colony Capital: name: George Town (on Grand Cayman) geographic coordinates: 19 20 N, 81 23 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK) National holiday: Constitution Day, first Monday in July Constitution: 1959; revised 1962, 1972, and 1994 Legal system: British common law and local statutes Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Governor Stuart JACK (since 23 November 2005) head of government: Leader of Government Business Kurt TIBBETTS (since 18 May 2005) cabinet: Executive Council (three members appointed by the governor, four members elected by the Legislative Assembly) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or coalition is appointed by the governor Leader of Government Business Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats, 3 appointed members from the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 11 May 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPM 9, UDP 5, independent 1 Judicial branch: Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal Political parties and leaders: no national teams (loose groupings of political organizations) were formed for the 2000 elections; United Democratic Party or UDP [leader McKeeva BUSH]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [leader Kurt TIBBETTS] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of the UK) Flag description: blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Caymanian coat of arms 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 Cayman Islands Economy - overview: With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 68,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 2003, including almost 500 banks, 800 insurers, and 5000 mutual funds. A stock exchange was opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay, accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of foreign currency earnings. The tourist industry is aimed at the luxury market and caters mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 2.1 million in 2003, with about half from the US. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the world. GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.939 billion (2004 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): NA GDP - real growth rate: 0.9% (2004 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $43,800 (2004 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.4% industry: 3.2% services: 95.4% (1994 est.) Labor force: 23,450 (2004) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.4% industry: 12.6% services: 86% (1995) Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2004) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (2004) Budget: revenues: $423.8 million expenditures: $392.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2004) Agriculture - products: vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming Industries: tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 400 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 372 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 2,600 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Exports: $2.52 million (2004) Exports - commodities: turtle products, manufactured consumer goods Exports - partners: mostly US (2004) Imports: $866.9 million (2004) Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods Imports - partners: US, Netherlands Antilles, Japan (2004) Debt - external: $70 million (1996) Economic aid - recipient: $390,000 (2004) Currency (code): Caymanian dollar (KYD) Currency code: KYD Exchange rates: Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.82 (29 October 2001), 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Cayman Islands Telephones - main lines in use: 38,000 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular: 17,000 (2002) Telephone system: general assessment: reasonably good system domestic: liberalization of telecom market in 2003 reflected in falling prices and improving services international: country code - 1-345; 2 submarine fiber optic cables (Maya-1, Cayman-Jamaica); satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004) Radios: 36,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 4 with cable system (2004) Televisions: 7,000 (1997) Internet country code: .ky Internet hosts: 8,611 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2000) Internet users: 9,909 (2003) Transportation Cayman Islands Airports: 3 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 785 km paved: 785 km (2002) Merchant marine: total: 132 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,746,290 GRT/4,366,790 DWT by type: bulk carrier 32, cargo 14, chemical tanker 42, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 14, refrigerated cargo 23, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 130 (Denmark 5, Germany 13, Greece 21, Italy 12, Japan 1, Malaysia 1, Netherlands 4, Norway 2, Philippines 1, Singapore 10, Sweden 9, UK 10, US 41) (2006) Ports and terminals: Cayman Brac, George Town Military Cayman Islands Military branches: no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 10,703 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 8,600 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 257 (2005 est.) Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues Cayman Islands Disputes - international: none Illicit drugs: offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Central African Republic Introduction Central African Republic Background: The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Geography Central African Republic Location: Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N, 21 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas Land boundaries: total: 5,203 km border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km Coastline: 0 km (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 Elevation extremes: lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m Natural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower Land use: arable land: 3.1% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 96.75% (2005) Irrigated land: 20 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common Environment - current issues: tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea Geography - note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa People Central African Republic Population: 4,303,356 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 907,629/female 897,153) 15-64 years: 53.9% (male 1,146,346/female 1,173,268) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 71,312/female 107,648) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 18.4 years male: 18 years female: 18.8 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.53% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 33.91 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 18.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 85.63 deaths/1,000 live births male: 92.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 78.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 43.54 years male: 43.46 years female: 43.62 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 4.41 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 13.5% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 260,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 23,000 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2007) Nationality: noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African Ethnic groups: Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2% Religions: indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority Languages: French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51% male: 63.3% female: 39.9% (2003 est.) Government Central African Republic Country name: conventional long form: Central African Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire abbreviation: CAR Government type: republic Capital: name: Bangui geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi*, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere*, Vakaga Independence: 13 August 1960 (from France) National holiday: Republic Day, 1 December (1958) Constitution: ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004 Legal system: based on French law Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup) head of government: Prime Minister Elie DOTE (since 13 June 2005); note - Celestin GAOMBALET resigned 11 June 2005 cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: under the new constitution, the president elected to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 13 March and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority election results: Francois BOZIZE elected president; percent of second round balloting - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.6%, Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 35.4% Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held NA 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7 Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior Courts Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [Ange-Felix PATASSE] (the party of deposed president); National Convergence or KNK; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James PANOS embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94 note: the embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff Flag description: 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 Central African Republic Economy - overview: Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry, for 40%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs. GDP (purchasing power parity): $4.913 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $1.542 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,100 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 55% industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.) Labor force: NA Unemployment rate: 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 47.7% (1993) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 61.3 (1993) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (2001 est.) Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA Agriculture - products: cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber Industries: gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2002) Electricity - production: 109 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 19.8% hydro: 80.2% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 101.4 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 2,420 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day Oil - imports: NA bbl/day Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Exports: $131 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) Exports - commodities: diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco Exports - partners: Belgium 34.9%, France 9.6%, Spain 8.7%, Italy 8.1%, China 7.1%, Indonesia 6.3%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 4.7%, US 4.5%, Turkey 4.5% (2005) Imports: $203 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) Imports - commodities: food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals Imports - partners: France 16.6%, Netherlands 10.3%, Cameroon 9.7%, US 7.3% (2005) Debt - external: $1.06 billion (2002 est.) Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $59.8 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2002 est.) Currency (code): Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States Currency code: XAF Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Central African Republic Telephones - main lines in use: 10,000 (2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 60,000 (2004) Telephone system: general assessment: fair system domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) Radios: 283,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001) Televisions: 18,000 (1997) Internet country code: .cf Internet hosts: 10 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002) Internet users: 9,000 (2005) Transportation Central African Republic Airports: 50 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 47 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 13 (2006) Roadways: total: 23,810 km (1999) Waterways: 2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2005) Ports and terminals: Bangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga Military Central African Republic Military branches: Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Ground Forces, Military Air Service; General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), Republican Guard, National Police (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is two years (2005) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 853,760 females age 18-49: 835,426 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 416,091 females age 18-49: 383,056 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $16.37 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Central African Republic Disputes - international: about 30,000 refugees fleeing the 2002 civil conflict in the CAR still reside in southern Chad; periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 19,960 (Sudan) 3,325 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); note - UNHCR resumed repatriation of Southern Sudanese refugees in 2006 IDPs: 150,000 (ongoing unrest following coup in 2003) (2006) Trafficking in persons: current situation: Central African Republic is a source and destination country for children trafficked for domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and forced labor in shops and commercial labor activities; while the majority of child victims are trafficked within the country, some are also trafficked to and from Cameroon and Nigeria tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - the Central African Republic failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons during 2005, specifically its inadequate law enforcement response to trafficking crimes This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Chad Introduction Chad Background: Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which sporadically flares up despite several peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005 new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and have made probing attacks into eastern Chad. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority. In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits. Geography Chad Location: Central Africa, south of Libya Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 19 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 1.284 million sq km land: 1,259,200 sq km water: 24,800 sq km Area - comparative: slightly more than three times the size of California Land boundaries: total: 5,968 km border countries: 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: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none (landlocked) Climate: tropical in south, desert in north Terrain: broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south Elevation extremes: lowest point: Djourab Depression 160 m highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m Natural resources: petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt Land use: arable land: 2.8% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 97.18% (2005) Irrigated land: 300 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping Geography - note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel People Chad Population: 9,944,201 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 47.9% (male 2,396,393/female 2,369,261) 15-64 years: 49.3% (male 2,355,940/female 2,550,535) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 107,665/female 164,407) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 16 years male: 15.3 years female: 16.6 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 2.93% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 45.73 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 16.38 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 91.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 100.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 82.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.52 years male: 45.88 years female: 49.21 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.25 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.8% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 200,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 18,000 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2007) Nationality: noun: Chadian(s) adjective: Chadian Ethnic groups: 200 distinct groups; in the north and center: Arabs, Gorane (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa, Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba, most of whom are Muslim; in the south: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang, Moussei, Massa, most of whom are Christian or animist; about 1,000 French citizens live in Chad Religions: Muslim 51%, Christian 35%, animist 7%, other 7% Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in south), more than 120 different languages and dialects Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write French or Arabic total population: 47.5% male: 56% female: 39.3% (2003 est.) Government Chad Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Chad conventional short form: Chad local long form: Republique du Tchad/Jumhuriyat Tshad local short form: Tchad/Tshad Government type: republic Capital: name: N'Djamena geographic coordinates: 12 07 N, 15 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture); Batha, Biltine, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi, Guera, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mayo-Kebbi, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai, Salamat, Tandjile note: instead of 14 prefectures, there may be a new administrative structure of 28 departments (departments, singular - department) and 1 city*; Assongha, Baguirmi, Bahr El Gazal, Bahr Koh, Batha Oriental, Batha Occidental, Biltine, Borkou, Dababa, Ennedi, Guera, Hadjer Lamis, Kabia, Kanem, Lac, Lac Iro, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Boneye, Mayo-Dallah, Monts de Lam, N'Djamena*, Ouaddai, Salamat, Sila, Tandjile Oriental, Tandjile Occidental, Tibesti Independence: 11 August 1960 (from France) National holiday: Independence Day, 11 August (1960) Constitution: passed by referendum 31 March 1996; a June 2005 referendum removed constitutional term limits Legal system: based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno (since 4 December 1990) head of government: Prime Minister Pascal YOADIMNADJI (since 3 February 2005) cabinet: Council of State, members appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote to serve five-year term; if no candidate receives at least 50% of the total vote, the two candidates receiving the most votes must stand for a second round of voting; last held 3 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2011); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno reelected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY 64.7%, Delwa Kassire COUMAKOYE 15.1%, Albert Pahimi PADACKE 7.8%, Mahamat ABDOULAYE 7.1%, Brahim KOULAMALLAH 5.3%; note - a June 2005 national referendum altered the constitution removing presidential term limits and permitting Lt. Gen. Idriss DEBY Itno to run for reelection Legislative branch: bicameral according to constitution, consists of a National Assembly (155 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and a Senate (not yet created and size unspecified, members to serve six-year terms, one-third of membership renewable every two years) elections: National Assembly - last held 21 April 2002 (next to be held by April 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPS 110, RDP 12, FAR 9, RNDP 5, URD 5, UNDR 3, other 11 Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Magistrate Courts Political parties and leaders: Federation Action for the Republic or FAR [Ngarledjy YORONGAR]; National Rally for Development and Progress or RNDP [Delwa Kassire COUMAKOYE]; National Union for Democracy and Renewal or UNDR [Saleh KEBZABO]; Party for Liberty and Development or PLD [Ibni Oumar Mahamat SALEH]; Patriotic Salvation Movement or MPS [Mahamat Saleh AHMAT, chairman]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Lol Mahamat CHOUA]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [Jean ALINGUE]; Union for Renewal and Democracy or URD [Gen. Wadal Abdelkader KAMOUGUE] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mahamat Adam BECHIR chancery: 2002 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 462-4009 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1937 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marc M. WALL embassy: Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena mailing address: B. P. 413, N'Djamena telephone: [235] 516-211 FAX: [235] 515-654 Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France Economy Chad Economy - overview: Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to be boosted by major foreign direct investment projects in the oil sector that began in 2000. Over 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood. Chad's economy has long been handicapped by its landlocked position, high energy costs, and a history of instability. Chad relies on foreign assistance and foreign capital for most public and private sector investment projects. A consortium led by two US companies has been investing $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves - estimated at 1 billion barrels - in southern Chad. The nation's total oil reserves has been estimated to be 2 billion barrels. Oil production came on stream in late 2003. Chad began to export oil in 2004. Cotton, cattle, and gum arabic provide the bulk of Chad's non-oil export earnings. GDP (purchasing power parity): $15.26 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $5.255 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 7% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,500 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 32.5% industry: 26.6% services: 40.8% (2006 est.) Labor force: 2.719 million (1993) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing) industry and services: 20% Unemployment rate: NA% Population below poverty line: 80% (2001 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 9.2% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $617.3 million expenditures: $877.6 million; including capital expenditures of $146 million (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels Industries: oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1995) Electricity - production: 94 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 87.42 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 225,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 1,460 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day Oil - imports: NA bbl/day Oil - proved reserves: 2 billion bbl (2005) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-324.1 million (2006 est.) Exports: $4.342 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: cotton, cattle, gum arabic, oil Exports - partners: US 78.1%, China 9.9%, Taiwan 4.1% (2005) Imports: $823.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles Imports - partners: France 21.2%, Cameroon 15.5%, US 12.1%, Belgium 6.8%, Portugal 4.6%, Saudi Arabia 4.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $352.8 million (2006 est.) Debt - external: $1.5 billion (2003 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $238.3 million received; note - $125 million committed by Taiwan (August 1997); $30 million committed by African Development Bank; ODA $246.9 million (2003 est.) Currency (code): Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States Currency code: XAF Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 508.494 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Chad Telephones - main lines in use: 13,000 (2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 210,000 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: primitive system domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations international: country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 5 (2002) Radios: 1.67 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (2002) Televisions: 10,000 (1997) Internet country code: .td Internet hosts: 9 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002) Internet users: 35,000 (2005) Transportation Chad Airports: 52 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 7 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 10 (2006) Pipelines: oil 205 km (2006) Roadways: total: 33,400 km paved: 267 km unpaved: 33,133 km (1999) Waterways: Chari and Legone rivers are navigable only in wet season (2002) Military Chad Military branches: Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale Tchadienne, ANT), Air Force, Gendarmerie (2004) Military service age and obligation: 20 years of age for conscripts, with three-year service obligation; 18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a guardian; women are subject to one year of compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004) Manpower available for military service: males age 20-49: 1,527,580 females age 20-49: 1,629,510 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 20-49: 794,988 females age 20-49: 849,500 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 94,536 females age 20-49: 93,521 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $68.95 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Chad Disputes - international: since the expulsions of residents from Darfur in 2003 by Janjawid armed militia and Sudanese military, about 200,000 refugees remain in eastern Chad; Chad remains an important mediator in the Sudanese civil conflict, reducing tensions with Sudan arising from cross-border banditry; Chadian Aozou rebels reside in southern Libya; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 234,000 (Sudan), 41,246 (Central African Republic) IDPs: 100,000 (2006) This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Chile Introduction Chile Background: Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians inhabited central and southern Chile; the latter were not completely subjugated by Spain until the early 1880s. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-84), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern lands. A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation. Geography Chile Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru Geographic coordinates: 30 00 S, 71 00 W Map references: South America Area: total: 756,950 sq km land: 748,800 sq km water: 8,150 sq km note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez Area - comparative: slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana Land boundaries: total: 6,339 km border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km Coastline: 6,435 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200/350 nm Climate: temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south Terrain: low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m Natural resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower Land use: arable land: 2.62% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.95% (2005) Irrigated land: 19,000 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis Environment - current issues: widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions People Chile Population: 16,134,219 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.7% (male 2,035,278/female 1,944,754) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 5,403,525/female 5,420,497) 65 years and over: 8.2% (male 555,075/female 775,090) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 30.4 years male: 29.5 years female: 31.4 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.94% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 15.23 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 5.81 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 8.58 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.77 years male: 73.49 years female: 80.21 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 26,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,400 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Chilean(s) adjective: Chilean Ethnic groups: white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2% Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish NEGL% Languages: Spanish Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.2% male: 96.4% female: 96.1% (2003 est.) Government Chile Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Chile conventional short form: Chile local long form: Republica de Chile local short form: Chile Government type: republic Capital: name: Santiago geographic coordinates: 33 27 S, 70 40 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March 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 (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica Independence: 18 September 1810 (from Spain) National holiday: Independence Day, 18 September (1810) Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005 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; note - in June 2005, Chile completed overhaul of its criminal justice system to a new, US-style adversarial system Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive branch: chief of state: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 11 December 2005, with runoff election held 15 January 2006 (next to be held December 2009) election results: Michelle BACHELET Jeria elected president; percent of vote - Michelle BACHELET Jeria 53.5%; Sebastian PINERA Echenique 46.5% Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (38 seats elected by popular vote; members serve eight-year terms - one-half elected every four years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 11 December 2005 (next to be held December 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 2005 (next to be held December 2009) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPD 20 (PDC 6, PS 8, PPD 3, PRSD 3), APC 17 (UDI 9, RN 8), independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPD 65 (PDC 21, PPD 22, PS 15, PRSD 7), APC 54 (UDI 34, RN 20), independent 1 Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates provided by the court itself; the president of the Supreme Court is elected every three years by the 20-member court); Constitutional Tribunal Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Chile ("Alianza") or APC (including National Renewal or RN [Carlos LARRAIN Pena] and Independent Democratic Union or UDI [Hernan LARRAIN Fernandez]); Coalition of Parties for Democracy ("Concertacion") or CPD (including Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Soledad ALVEAR], Socialist Party or PS [Camilo ESCALONA], Party for Democracy or PPD [Sergio BITAR Chacra], Radical Social Democratic Party or PRSD [Jose Antonio GOMEZ Urrutia]); Communist Party or PC [Guillermo TEILLIER] Political pressure groups and leaders: revitalized university student federations at all major universities; Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations International organization participation: APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mariano FERNANDEZ chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 530-4104, 530-4106, 530-4107 FAX: [1] (202) 887-5579 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico) Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Craig A. KELLY embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago mailing address: APO AA 34033 telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600 FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710 Flag description: 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 representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence; design was influenced by the US flag Economy Chile Economy - overview: Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high level of foreign trade. During the early 1990s, Chile's reputation as a role model for economic reform was strengthened when the democratic government of Patricio AYLWIN - which took over from the military in 1990 - deepened the economic reform initiated by the military government. Growth in real GDP averaged 8% during 1991-97, but fell to half that level in 1998 because of tight monetary policies implemented to keep the current account deficit in check and because of lower export earnings - the latter a product of the global financial crisis. A severe drought exacerbated the recession in 1999, reducing crop yields and causing hydroelectric shortfalls and electricity rationing, and Chile experienced negative economic growth for the first time in more than 15 years. Despite the effects of the recession, Chile maintained its reputation for strong financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. By the end of 1999, exports and economic activity had begun to recover, and growth rebounded to 4.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.1% in 2001 and 2.1% in 2002, largely due to lackluster global growth and the devaluation of the Argentine peso. Chile's economy began a slow recovery in 2003, growing 3.2%, and accelerated to about 5% per year in 2004-06, while Chile maintained a low rate of inflation. GDP growth benefited from high copper prices, solid export earnings (particularly forestry, fishing, and mining), and stepped-up foreign direct investment. Unemployment has exhibited a downward trend over the past year, but remains fairly high. Chile deepened its longstanding commitment to trade liberalization with the signing of a free trade agreement with the US, which took effect on 1 January 2004. Chile signed a free trade agreement with China in November 2005, and it already has several trade deals signed with other nations and blocs, including the European Union, Mercosur, South Korea, and Mexico. Record-high copper prices helped to strengthen the peso to a 6 1/2-year high, as of December 2006, and added investment in the mining sector will boost GDP in 2007. GDP (purchasing power parity): $203 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $100.3 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 4.8% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $12,600 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.9% industry: 49.3% services: 44.7% (2006 est.) Labor force: 6.94 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 13.6% industry: 23.4% services: 63% (2003) Unemployment rate: 8.3% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 18.2% (2005) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 47% (2000) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 57.1 (2000) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 21% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $36.71 billion expenditures: $26.68 billion; including capital expenditures of $3.33 billion (2006 est.) Public debt: 3.9% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles Industrial production growth rate: 5% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 50.91 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47% hydro: 51.5% nuclear: 0% other: 1.4% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 49.09 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 1.744 billion kWh (2004) Oil - production: 15,100 bbl/day (2006 est.) Oil - consumption: 238,000 bbl/day (2006 est.) Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2006) Oil - imports: 222,900 bbl/day (2006 est.) Oil - proved reserves: 150 million bbl (1 January 2006) Natural gas - production: 1.09 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 8.29 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 7.2 million cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 7.2 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 97.98 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $5.063 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $58.21 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine Exports - partners: US 15.8%, Japan 11.5%, China 11.1%, Netherlands 5.8%, South Korea 5.5%, Brazil 4.4%, Italy 4.2%, Mexico 4% (2005) Imports: $35.37 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas Imports - partners: Argentina 14.8%, US 14.6%, Brazil 11.7%, China 7.8%, South Korea 4.8%, Yemen 4.4% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $17.16 billion (November 2006 est.) Debt - external: $47.6 billion (30 June 2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $0 (2002) Currency (code): Chilean peso (CLP) Currency code: CLP Exchange rates: Chilean pesos per US dollar - 532.115 (2006), 560.09 (2005), 609.37 (2004), 691.43 (2003), 688.94 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Chile Telephones - main lines in use: 3,435,900 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 10.57 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite system with three earth stations international: country code - 56; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 180 (eight inactive), FM 64, shortwave 17 (one inactive) (1998) Radios: 5.18 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997) Televisions: 3.15 million (1997) Internet country code: .cl Internet hosts: 506,055 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 7 (2000) Internet users: 6.7 million (2005) Transportation Chile Airports: 363 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 73 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 22 under 914 m: 17 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 290 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 58 under 914 m: 216 (2006) Pipelines: gas 2,567 km; gas/lpg 42 km; liquid petroleum gas 539 km; oil 1,003 km; refined products 757 km; unknown (oil/water) 97 km (2006) Railways: total: 6,585 km broad gauge: 2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km electrified) narrow gauge: 3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 79,605 km paved: 16,080 km (including 407 km of expressways) unpaved: 63,525 km (2001) Merchant marine: total: 46 ships (1000 GRT or over) 649,091 GRT/898,110 DWT by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 6, chemical tanker 10, container 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 3 foreign-owned: 1 (Argentina 1) registered in other countries: 17 (Argentina 6, Brazil 1, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 9) (2006) Ports and terminals: Antofagasta, Arica, Huasco, Iquique, Lirquen, San Antonio, San Vicente, Valparaiso Military Chile Military branches: Army of the Nation, National Navy (Armada de Chile, includes naval air, marine corps, and Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine Directorate (Directemar)), Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile, FACh), Chilean Carabineros (National Police) (2006) Military service age and obligation: all male citizens 18-45 are obligated to perform military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy and Air Force (2004) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 3,815,761 females age 18-49: 3,780,864 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 3,123,281 females age 18-49: 3,128,277 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 140,084 females age 18-49: 134,518 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3.91 billion (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.5% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Chile Disputes - international: Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile to Bolivian gas and other commodities; Peru proposes changing its latitudinal maritime boundary with Chile to an equidistance line with a southwestern axis; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British claims; action by the joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001, for mapping and demarcating the disputed boundary in the Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur) remains pending Illicit drugs: important transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe; economic prosperity and increasing trade have made Chile more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits, especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone, but a new anti-money-laundering law improves controls; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @China Introduction China Background: For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Geography China Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 105 00 E Map references: Asia Area: total: 9,596,960 sq km land: 9,326,410 sq km water: 270,550 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the US Land boundaries: total: 22,117 km border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km Coastline: 14,500 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north Terrain: mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east Elevation extremes: lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m Natural resources: coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest) Land use: arable land: 14.86% permanent crops: 1.27% other: 83.87% (2005) Irrigated land: 545,960 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence Environment - current issues: air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in endangered species Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak People China Population: 1,313,973,713 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.8% (male 145,461,833/female 128,445,739) 15-64 years: 71.4% (male 482,439,115/female 455,960,489) 65 years and over: 7.7% (male 48,562,635/female 53,103,902) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 32.7 years male: 32.3 years female: 33.2 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0.59% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 13.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 6.97 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 23.12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.58 years male: 70.89 years female: 74.46 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 840,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 44,000 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese Ethnic groups: Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1% Religions: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2% note: officially atheist (2002 est.) Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.9% male: 95.1% female: 86.5% (2002) Government China Country name: conventional long form: People's Republic of China conventional short form: China local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo local short form: Zhongguo abbreviation: PRC Government type: Communist state Capital: name: Beijing geographic coordinates: 39 56 N, 116 24 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural) provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan) autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang (Tibet) municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau Independence: 221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic); 1 October 1949 (People's Republic established) National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949) Constitution: most recent promulgation 4 December 1982 Legal system: based on civil law system; derived from Soviet and continental civil code legal principles; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and Vice President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003) head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Executive Vice Premier HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), Vice Premiers WU Yi (17 March 2003), ZENG Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003) cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress (NPC) elections: president and vice president elected by the National People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 15-17 March 2003 (next to be held mid-March 2008); premier nominated by the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress election results: HU Jintao elected president by the 10th National People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (four delegates voted against him, four abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong elected vice president by the 10th National People's Congress with a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190 abstained, and 38 did not vote); two seats were vacant Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms) elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held late 2007-February 2008) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's Congress); Local People's Courts (comprise higher, intermediate, and local courts); Special People's Courts (primarily military, maritime, and railway transport courts) Political parties and leaders: Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP Political pressure groups and leaders: no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the government has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and the China Democracy Party as subversive groups International organization participation: AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BCIE, BIS, CDB, EAS, FAO, G-24 (observer), G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador ZHOU Wenzhong chancery: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-2500 FAX: [1] (202) 328-2582 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr. embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [86] (10) 6532-3831 FAX: [86] (10) 6532-3178 consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau, Shanghai, Shenyang Flag description: 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 China Economy - overview: China's economy during the last quarter century has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy. Reforms started in the late 1970s with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the foundation of a diversified banking system, the development of stock markets, the rapid growth of the non-state sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment. China has generally implemented reforms in a gradualist or piecemeal fashion, including the sale of equity in China's largest state banks to foreign investors and refinements in foreign exchange and bond markets in 2005. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2006 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income and 130 million Chinese fall below international poverty lines. Economic development has generally been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and there are large disparities in per capita income between regions. The government has struggled to: (a) sustain adequate job growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; (b) reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) contain environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. From 100 to 150 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs. One demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with more than 100 million users at the end of 2005. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable expansion in world trade and has been an important factor in the growth of urban jobs. In July 2005, China revalued its currency by 2.1% against the US dollar and moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. In 2006 China had the largest current account surplus - nearly $180 billion - in the world. More power generating capacity came on line in 2006 as large scale investments were completed. Thirteen years in construction at a cost of $24 billion, the immense Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze River was essentially completed in 2006 and will revolutionize electrification and flood control in the area. The 11th Five-Year Program (2006-10), approved by the National People's Congress in March 2006, calls for a 20% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP by 2010 and an estimated 45% increase in GDP by 2010. The plan states that conserving resources and protecting the environment are basic goals, but it lacks details on the policies and reforms necessary to achieve these goals. GDP (purchasing power parity): $10 trillion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $2.512 trillion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 10.5% (official data) (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $7,600 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.9% industry: 48.1% services: 40% note: industry includes construction (2006 est.) Labor force: 798 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 45% industry: 24% services: 31% (2005 est.) Unemployment rate: 4.2% official registered unemployment in urban areas in 2005; substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas Population below poverty line: 10% (2004 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 33.1% (2001) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 44 (2002) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 44.3% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $446.6 billion expenditures: $489.6 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Public debt: 22.1% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed; pork; fish Industries: mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites Industrial production growth rate: 22.9% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 2.5 trillion kWh (2005) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 80.2% hydro: 18.5% nuclear: 1.2% other: 0.1% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 2.494 trillion kWh (2005) Electricity - exports: 11.2 billion kWh (2005) Electricity - imports: 5 billion kWh (2005) Oil - production: 3.631 million bbl/day (2005) Oil - consumption: 6.534 million bbl/day (2005) Oil - exports: 443,300 bbl/day (2005) Oil - imports: 3.181 million bbl/day (2005) Oil - proved reserves: 16.1 billion bbl (2006 est.) Natural gas - production: 52.88 billion cu m (2005) Natural gas - consumption: 47.91 billion cu m (2005) Natural gas - exports: 2.79 billion cu m (2005) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2005) Natural gas - proved reserves: 2.35 trillion cu m (2005 est.) Current account balance: $179.1 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $974 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, plastics, optical and medical equipment, iron and steel Exports - partners: US 21.4%, Hong Kong 16.3%, Japan 11%, South Korea 4.6%, Germany 4.3% (2005) Imports: $777.9 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, oil and mineral fuels, plastics, optical and medical equipment, organic chemicals, iron and steel Imports - partners: Japan 15.2%, South Korea 11.6%, Taiwan 11.2%, US 7.4%, Germany 4.6% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.034 trillion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $305.6 billion (2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $NA Currency (code): yuan (CNY); note - also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB) Currency code: CNY Exchange rates: yuan per US dollar - 7.97 (2006), 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004), 8.277 (2003), 8.277 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications China Telephones - main lines in use: 350.433 million (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 437.48 million (2006) Telephone system: general assessment: domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure, and is partnering with foreign providers to expand its global reach; three of China's six major telecommunications operators are part of an international consortium which, in December 2006, signed an agreement with Verizon Business to build the first next-generation optical cable system directly linking the US mainland and China domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth stations is in place international: country code - 86; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); several international fiber-optic links to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany (2000) Radio broadcast stations: AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998) Radios: 417 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations, and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997) Televisions: 400 million (1997) Internet country code: .cn Internet hosts: 232,780 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000) Internet users: 123 million (2006) Transportation China Airports: 486 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 403 over 3,047 m: 56 2,438 to 3,047 m: 127 1,524 to 2,437 m: 138 914 to 1,523 m: 22 under 914 m: 60 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 83 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 39 (2006) Heliports: 32 (2006) Pipelines: gas 22,664 km; oil 15,256 km; refined products 6,106 km (2006) Railways: total: 74,408 km standard gauge: 74,408 km 1.435-m gauge (19,303 km electrified) (2004) Roadways: total: 1,870,661 km paved: 1,515,797 km (with at least 34,288 km of expressways) unpaved: 354,864 km (2004) Waterways: 123,964 km (2003) Merchant marine: total: 1,723 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,405,633 GRT/32,411,260 DWT by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 387, cargo 695, chemical tanker 45, combination ore/oil 1, container 152, liquefied gas 31, passenger 8, passenger/cargo 83, petroleum tanker 261, refrigerated cargo 30, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 14 foreign-owned: 13 (Hong Kong 7, Japan 3, South Korea 2, Norway 1) registered in other countries: 1,191 (Bahamas 3, Bangladesh 1, Belize 103, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 128, Cyprus 11, Georgia 2, Honduras 3, Hong Kong 274, India 2, North Korea 1, Liberia 35, Malaysia 1, Malta 14, Mongolia 4, Norway 3, Panama 420, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 103, Sierra Leone 2, Singapore 23, Thailand 1, Tuvalu 23, unknown 33) (2006) Ports and terminals: Dalian, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai Military China Military branches: People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (includes airborne forces), and Second Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed Police (PAP); Reserve and Militia Forces (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18-22 years of age for compulsory military service, with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-22 years of age for women who meet requirements for specific military jobs (2006) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 342,956,265 females age 18-49: 324,701,244 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 281,240,272 females age 18-49: 269,025,517 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 13,186,433 females age 18-49: 12,298,149 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $81.48 billion (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.3% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues China Disputes - international: in 2005, China and India began drafting principles to resolve all aspects of their extensive boundary and territorial disputes together with a security and foreign policy dialogue to consolidate discussions related to the boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; about 90,000 ethnic Tibetan exiles reside primarily in India as well as Nepal and Bhutan; China asserts sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratlys but is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of facilities in the Spratlys and in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; China and Taiwan have become more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared equidistance line in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are in an uncontested dispute with North Korea and a section of boundary around Mount Paektu is considered indefinite; China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens of thousands of North Koreans; China and Russia prepare to demarcate the boundary agreed to in October 2004 between the long-disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri; demarcation of the China-Vietnam boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004, implementation has been delayed; environmentalists in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 300,897 (Vietnam) estimated 30,000-50,000 (North Korea) IDPs: 90,000 (2006) Trafficking in persons: current situation: China is a source, transit, and destination country for women, men, and children trafficked for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; the majority of trafficking in China is internal, but there is also international trafficking of Chinese citizens; women are lured through false promises of legitimate employment into commercial sexual exploitation in Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan; Chinese men and women are smuggled to countries throughout the world at enormous personal expense and then forced into commercial sexual exploitation or exploitative labor to repay debts to traffickers; women and children are trafficked into China from Mongolia, Burma, North Korea, Russia, and Vietnam for forced labor, marriage, and sexual slavery; most North Koreans enter northeastern China voluntarily, but others reportedly are trafficked into China from North Korea; domestic trafficking remains the most significant problem in China, with an estimated minimum of 10,000-20,000 victims trafficked each year; the actual number of victims could be much greater; some experts believe that the serious and prolonged imbalance in the male-female birth ratio may now be contributing to Chinese and foreign girls and women being trafficked as potential brides tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - China failed to show evidence of increasing efforts to address transnational trafficking; while the government provides reasonable protection to internal victims of trafficking, protection for Chinese and foreign victims of transnational trafficking remain inadequate Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for chemical precursors and methamphetamine This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Christmas Island Introduction Christmas Island Background: Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. Geography Christmas Island Location: Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia Geographic coordinates: 10 30 S, 105 40 E Map references: Southeast Asia Area: total: 135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 138.9 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Climate: tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season (December to April) Terrain: steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 m Natural resources: phosphate, beaches Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005) Irrigated land: NA Natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard Environment - current issues: loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining Geography - note: located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean People Christmas Island Population: 1,493 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0% (2006 est.) Birth rate: NA Death rate: NA Net migration rate: NA Sex ratio: NA Infant mortality rate: total: NA male: NA female: NA Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA male: NA female: NA Total fertility rate: NA HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island Ethnic groups: Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10% note: no indigenous population (2001) Religions: Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) Languages: English (official), Chinese, Malay Literacy: NA Government Christmas Island Country name: conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island conventional short form: Christmas Island Dependency status: non-self governing territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services Government type: NA Capital: name: The Settlement geographic coordinates: 18 44 N, 64 19 W time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia) Independence: none (territory of Australia) National holiday: Australia Day, 26 January (1788) Constitution: Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 Legal system: under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia Legislative branch: unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9 Judicial branch: Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court Political parties and leaders: none Political pressure groups and leaders: none International organization participation: none Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia) Flag description: territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes Economy Christmas Island Economy - overview: Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin operations in the near future. GDP (purchasing power parity): $NA Labor force: NA Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA Agriculture - products: NA Industries: tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA Exports: $NA Exports - commodities: phosphate Exports - partners: Australia, NZ (2004) Imports: $NA Imports - commodities: consumer goods Imports - partners: principally Australia (2004) Economic aid - recipient: $NA Currency (code): Australian dollar (AUD) Currency code: AUD Exchange rates: Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June Communications Christmas Island Telephones - main lines in use: NA Telephones - mobile cellular: NA Telephone system: general assessment: service provided by the Australian network domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - one INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005) Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006) Radios: 1,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 0; note - TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia (2006) Televisions: 600 (1997) Internet country code: .cx Internet hosts: 2,368 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000) Internet users: 464 (2001) Transportation Christmas Island Airports: 1 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 142 km paved: 32 km unpaved: 110 km (2006) Ports and terminals: Flying Fish Cove Military Christmas Island Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Australia Transnational Issues Christmas Island Disputes - international: none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Clipperton Island Introduction Clipperton Island Background: This isolated island was named for John CLIPPERTON, a pirate who made it his hideout early in the 18th century. Annexed by France in 1855, it was seized by Mexico in 1897. Arbitration eventually awarded the island to France, which took possession in 1935. Geography Clipperton Island Location: Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km southwest of Mexico Geographic coordinates: 10 17 N, 109 13 W Map references: Political Map of the World Area: total: 6 sq km land: 6 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 11.1 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Climate: tropical; humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees C, wet season (May to October) Terrain: coral atoll Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Rocher Clipperton 29 m Natural resources: fish Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all coral) (2005) Irrigated land: 0 sq km Natural hazards: NA Environment - current issues: NA Geography - note: reef 12 km in circumference People Clipperton Island Population: uninhabited (July 2006 est.) Government Clipperton Island Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Clipperton Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Clipperton former: sometimes called Ile de la Passion Dependency status: possession of France; administered by France from French Polynesia by a high commissioner of the Republic Legal system: the laws of France, where applicable, apply Flag description: the flag of France is used Economy Clipperton Island Economy - overview: Although 115 species of fish have been identified in the territorial waters of Clipperton Island, the only economic activity is tuna fishing. Transportation Clipperton Island Ports and terminals: none; offshore anchorage only Military Clipperton Island Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France Transnational Issues Clipperton Island Disputes - international: none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Cocos (Keeling) Islands Introduction Cocos (Keeling) Islands Background: There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. Geography Cocos (Keeling) Islands Location: Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka Geographic coordinates: 12 30 S, 96 50 E Map references: Southeast Asia Area: total: 14 sq km land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island Area - comparative: about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 26 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Climate: tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year Terrain: flat, low-lying coral atolls Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m Natural resources: fish Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) Irrigated land: NA Natural hazards: cyclone season is October to April Environment - current issues: fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs Geography - note: islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation People Cocos (Keeling) Islands Population: 574 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 0% (2006 est.) Birth rate: NA Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population Net migration rate: NA Infant mortality rate: total: NA male: NA female: NA Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA male: NA female: NA Total fertility rate: NA HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Cocos Islander(s) adjective: Cocos Islander Ethnic groups: Europeans, Cocos Malays Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) Languages: Malay (Cocos dialect), English Literacy: NA Government Cocos (Keeling) Islands Country name: conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Dependency status: non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services Government type: NA Capital: name: West Island geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 55 E time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia) Independence: none (territory of Australia) National holiday: Australia Day, 26 January (1788) Constitution: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 Legal system: based upon the laws of Australia and local laws Suffrage: NA Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia Legislative branch: unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats) elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007) Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court Political parties and leaders: none Political pressure groups and leaders: none International organization participation: none Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia) Flag description: the flag of Australia is used Economy Cocos (Keeling) Islands Economy - overview: Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. GDP (purchasing power parity): $NA Labor force: NA Labor force - by occupation: note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others Unemployment rate: 60% (2000 est.) Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA Agriculture - products: vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts Industries: copra products and tourism Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA Exports: $NA Exports - commodities: copra Exports - partners: Australia (2004) Imports: $NA Imports - commodities: foodstuffs Imports - partners: Australia (2004) Economic aid - recipient: $NA Currency (code): Australian dollar (AUD) Currency code: AUD Exchange rates: Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June Communications Cocos (Keeling) Islands Telephones - main lines in use: 287 (1992) Telephones - mobile cellular: note - analog cellular service available Telephone system: general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system domestic: NA international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 INTELSAT satellite earth station Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) Radios: 300 (1992) Television broadcast stations: NA Televisions: NA Internet country code: .cc Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000) Internet users: NA Transportation Cocos (Keeling) Islands Airports: 1 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) Roadways: total: 22 km paved: 10 km unpaved: 12 km (2006) Ports and terminals: Port Refuge Military Cocos (Keeling) Islands Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force Transnational Issues Cocos (Keeling) Islands Disputes - international: none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Colombia Introduction Colombia Background: Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A 40-year conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups and illegal paramilitary groups - both heavily funded by the drug trade - escalated during the 1990s. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, and violence has been decreasing since about 2002, but insurgents continue attacks against civilians and large swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence. Paramilitary groups challenge the insurgents for control of territory and the drug trade. Most paramilitary members have demobilized since 2002 in an ongoing peace process, although their commitment to ceasing illicit activity is unclear. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its municipalities. However, neighboring countries worry about the violence spilling over their borders. Geography Colombia Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 72 00 W Map references: South America Area: total: 1,138,910 sq km land: 1,038,700 sq km water: 100,210 sq km note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas Land boundaries: total: 6,309 km border countries: Brazil 1,644 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 1,800 km, Venezuela 2,050 km Coastline: 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km) Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico Cristobal Colon 5,775 m note: nearby Pico Simon Bolivar also has the same elevation Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower Land use: arable land: 2.01% permanent crops: 1.37% other: 96.62% (2005) Irrigated land: 9,000 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea Geography - note: only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea People Colombia Population: 43,593,035 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.3% (male 6,683,079/female 6,528,563) 15-64 years: 64.5% (male 13,689,384/female 14,416,439) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 996,022/female 1,279,548) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 26.3 years male: 25.4 years female: 27.2 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.46% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 20.48 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 5.58 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: -0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 20.35 deaths/1,000 live births male: 24.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.99 years male: 68.15 years female: 75.96 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.54 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.7% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 190,000 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 3,600 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Colombian(s) adjective: Colombian Ethnic groups: mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1% Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, other 10% Languages: Spanish Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.5% male: 92.4% female: 92.6% (2003 est.) Government Colombia Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Colombia conventional short form: Colombia local long form: Republica de Colombia local short form: Colombia Government type: republic; executive branch dominates government structure Capital: name: Bogota geographic coordinates: 4 36 N, 74 05 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico, Bogota*, 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 Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain) National holiday: Independence Day, 20 July (1810) Constitution: 5 July 1991 Legal system: based on Spanish law; a new criminal code modeled after US procedures was enacted into law in 2004 and is gradually being implemented; judicial review of executive and legislative acts Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Alvaro URIBE Velez (since 7 August 2002); Vice President Francisco SANTOS (since 7 August 2002) cabinet: Cabinet consists of a coalition of the three largest parties that supported President URIBE's reelection - the PSUN, PC, and CR - and independents elections: president and vice president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 May 2006 (next to be held in May 2010) election results: President Alvaro URIBE Velez reelected president; percent of vote - Alvaro URIBE Velez 62%, Carlos GAVIRIA Diaz 22%, Horacio SERPA Uribe 12%, other 4% Legislative branch: bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Senate or Senado (102 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (166 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010); House of Representatives - last held 12 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PSUN 20, PC 18, PL 18, CR 15, PDI 10, other parties 21; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL 35, PSUN 33, PC 29, CR 20, PDA 8, other parties 41 Judicial branch: four roughly coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (highest court of criminal law; judges are selected by their peers from the nominees of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Council of State (highest court of administrative law; judges are selected from the nominees of the Superior Judicial Council for eight-year terms); Constitutional Court (guards integrity and supremacy of the constitution; rules on constitutionality of laws, amendments to the constitution, and international treaties); Superior Judicial Council (administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; resolves jurisdictional conflicts arising between other courts; members are elected by three sister courts and Congress for eight-year terms) Political parties and leaders: Colombian Conservative Party or PC [Julio MANZUR Abdala]; Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Samuel MORENO Rojas]; Liberal Party or PL [Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo]; Social National Unity Party or PSUN [Carlos GARCIA]; Radical Change or CR [German VARGAS Lleras] note: Colombia has 15 formally recognized political parties, and numerous unofficial parties that did not meet the vote threshold in the March 2006 legislative elections required for recognition Political pressure groups and leaders: two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC and National Liberation Army or ELN International organization participation: BCIE, CAN, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carolina BARCO Isakson chancery: 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-8338 FAX: [1] (202) 232-8643 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Washington, DC Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William B. WOOD embassy: Calle 22D-BIS, numbers 47-51, Apartado Aereo 3831 mailing address: Carrera 45 #22D-45, Bogota, D.C., APO AA 34038 telephone: [57] (1) 315-0811 FAX: [57] (1) 315-2197 Flag description: 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 Colombia Economy - overview: Colombia's economy has experienced positive growth over the past three years despite a serious armed conflict. The economy continues to improve in part because of austere government budgets, focused efforts to reduce public debt levels, an export-oriented growth strategy, an improved security situation in the country, and high commodity prices. Ongoing economic problems facing President URIBE range from reforming the pension system to reducing high unemployment, and to achieving congressional passage of a fiscal transfers reform. New exploration is needed to offset declining oil production. International and domestic financial analysts note with concern the growing central government deficit, which hovers at 5% of GDP. However, the government's economic policy and democratic security strategy have engendered a growing sense of confidence in the economy, particularly within the business sector. GDP (purchasing power parity): $366.7 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $105.5 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5.4% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $8,400 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12% industry: 35.2% services: 52.7% (2006 est.) Labor force: 20.81 million (2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 22.7% industry: 18.7% services: 58.5% (2000 est.) Unemployment rate: 11.1% (2006 est.) Population below poverty line: 49.2% (2005) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 7.9% highest 10%: 34.3% (2004) Distribution of family income - Gini index: 53.8 (2005) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (2006 est.) Investment (gross fixed): 22.8% of GDP (2006 est.) Budget: revenues: $50.7 billion expenditures: $52.29 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) Public debt: 45.3% of GDP (2006 est.) Agriculture - products: coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; forest products; shrimp Industries: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds Industrial production growth rate: 5.8% (2006 est.) Electricity - production: 46.93 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 26% hydro: 72.7% nuclear: 0% other: 1.3% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 42.01 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 1.682 billion kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 48 million kWh (2004) Oil - production: 512,400 bbl/day (2005 est.) Oil - consumption: 269,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2003) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2003) Oil - proved reserves: 1.282 billion bbl (2006 est.) Natural gas - production: 6.18 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 6.18 billion cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 114.4 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Current account balance: $-2.219 billion (2006 est.) Exports: $24.86 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Exports - commodities: petroleum, coffee, coal, nickel, emeralds, apparel, bananas, cut flowers Exports - partners: US 41.8%, Venezuela 9.9%, Ecuador 6.3% (2005) Imports: $24.33 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports - commodities: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity Imports - partners: US 28.5%, Mexico 8.3%, China 7.6%, Brazil 6.5%, Venezuela 5.7% (2005) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $16.5 billion (2006 est.) Debt - external: $37.21 billion (30 June 2006 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $NA Currency (code): Colombian peso (COP) Currency code: COP Exchange rates: Colombian pesos per US dollar - 2,382.9 (2006), 2,320.75 (2005), 2,628.61 (2004), 2,877.65 (2003), 2,504.24 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Colombia Telephones - main lines in use: 7,678,800 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 21.85 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: modern system in many respects domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking 50 cities international: country code - 57; satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3 fully digitalized international switching centers; 8 submarine cables Radio broadcast stations: AM 454, FM 34, shortwave 27 (1999) Radios: 21 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 60 (includes seven low-power stations) (1997) Televisions: 4.59 million (1997) Internet country code: .co Internet hosts: 581,877 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 18 (2000) Internet users: 4.739 million (2005) Transportation Colombia Airports: 984 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 101 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 38 914 to 1,523 m: 40 under 914 m: 12 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 883 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 35 914 to 1,523 m: 275 under 914 m: 572 (2006) Heliports: 2 (2006) Pipelines: gas 4,360 km; oil 6,140 km; refined products 3,158 km (2006) Railways: total: 3,304 km standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 112,988 km paved: 16,270 km unpaved: 96,718 km (2004) Waterways: 18,000 km (2005) Merchant marine: total: 17 ships (1000 GRT or over) 42,413 GRT/58,737 DWT by type: cargo 13, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3 registered in other countries: 7 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Panama 5) (2006) Ports and terminals: Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Muelles El Bosque, Puerto Bolivar, Santa Marta, Turbo Military Colombia Military branches: Army (Ejercito Nacional), National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes naval aviation, marines, and coast guard), Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia, FAC) (2006) Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 10,212,456 females age 18-49: 10,561,562 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 6,986,228 females age 18-49: 8,794,465 (2005 est.) Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 389,735 females age 18-49: 383,146 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3.3 billion (FY01) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (FY01) Transnational Issues Colombia Disputes - international: Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in 1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over disputed maritime boundary involving 50,000 sq km in the Caribbean Sea, including the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics, guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all of its neighbors' borders and have created a serious refugee crisis with over 300,000 persons having fled the country, mostly into neighboring states Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs: 1.8-3.8 million (conflict between government and illegal armed groups and FARC factions; drug wars) (2006) Illicit drugs: illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 2004 was 114,100 hectares, virtually unchanged from 2003, but down one-third from its peak of 169,800 ha); producing a potential of 430 mt of pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplying most of the US market and the great majority of cocaine to other international drug markets; important supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation fell 50% between 2003 and 2004 to 2,100 hectares yielding a potential 3.8 metric tons of pure heroin, mostly for the US market; in 2004, aerial eradication treated over 130,000 hectares of coca but aggressive replanting on the part of growers means Colombia remains a key producer; a significant portion of non-US narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Comoros Introduction Comoros Background: Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power. He pledged to resolve the secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the 2000 Fomboni Accord. In December 2001, voters approved a new constitution and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002. Each island in the archipelago elected its own president and a new union president took office in May 2002. Geography Comoros Location: Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique Geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 44 15 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 2,170 sq km land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 340 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Climate: tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) Terrain: volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m Natural resources: NEGL Land use: arable land: 35.87% permanent crops: 23.32% other: 40.81% (2005) Irrigated land: NA Natural hazards: cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano Environment - current issues: soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel People Comoros Population: 690,948 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.7% (male 148,009/female 147,038) 15-64 years: 54.3% (male 185,107/female 190,139) 65 years and over: 3% (male 9,672/female 10,983) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 18.6 years male: 18.4 years female: 18.9 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 2.87% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 36.93 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 72.85 deaths/1,000 live births male: 81.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 64.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 62.33 years male: 60 years female: 64.72 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 5.03 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.12% (2001 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA Nationality: noun: Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran Ethnic groups: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava Religions: Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% Languages: Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 56.5% male: 63.6% female: 49.3% (2003 est.) Government Comoros Country name: conventional long form: Union of the Comoros conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Union des Comores local short form: Comores Government type: republic Capital: name: Moroni geographic coordinates: 11 41 S, 43 16 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli (Mwali), Moroni*, Moutsamoudou* Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France) National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1975) Constitution: 23 December 2001 Legal system: French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006); head of government: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006); cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three main islands in the Union; election last held 14 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2010); prime minister appointed by the president; note - the post of Prime Minister has been vacant since May 2002 election results: Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI elected president; percent of vote - Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI 58.0%, Ibrahim HALIDI 28.3%, Mohamed DJAANFAMI 13.7% Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the 18 by universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years); elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CdIA 12, CRC 6; note - 15 additional seats are filled by deputies from local island assemblies Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of the republic) Political parties and leaders: Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros [AZALI Assowmani]; Camp of the Autonomous Islands (a coalition of parties organized by the island Presidents in opposition to the Union President); Front National pour la Justice or FNJ [Ahmed RACHID] (Islamic party in opposition); Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Representative to the US and Ambassador to the UN Mahmoud M. ABOUD chancery: Mission to the US, 336 East 45th Street (2nd floor), New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 750-1637 Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered within the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing the hoist and four white, five-pointed stars placed vertically in a line between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago - Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros); the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam Economy Comoros Economy - overview: One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of three islands that have inadequate transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, contributes 40% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government - which is hampered by internal political disputes - is struggling to upgrade education and technical training, privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, improve health services, diversify exports, promote tourism, and reduce the high population growth rate. Increased foreign support is essential if the goal of 4% annual GDP growth is to be met. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP. GDP (purchasing power parity): $441 million (2002 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $402 million (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2005 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $600 (2005 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 40% industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.) Labor force: 144,500 (1996 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% Unemployment rate: 20% (1996 est.) Population below poverty line: 60% (2002 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2005 est.) Budget: revenues: $27.6 million expenditures: $NA (2001 est.) Agriculture - products: vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca) Industries: fishing, tourism, perfume distillation Industrial production growth rate: -2% (1999 est.) Electricity - production: 19 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 90.6% hydro: 9.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 17.67 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004) Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 720 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day Oil - imports: NA bbl/day Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Current account balance: $-17 million (2005 est.) Exports: $34 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) Exports - commodities: vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), cloves, copra Exports - partners: France 26.9%, Singapore 16.3%, Japan 14.6%, Germany 13.2%, US 5.6%, Netherlands 5% (2005) Imports: $115 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) Imports - commodities: rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement, transport equipment Imports - partners: France 19.2%, Kenya 18.2%, UAE 8.5%, South Africa 6.3%, Pakistan 5.6%, Belgium 4% (2005) Debt - external: $232 million (2000 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $24 million (2003 est.) Currency (code): Comoran franc (KMF) Currency code: KMF Exchange rates: Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 395.6 (2005), 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002), note, the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677 Comoran francs per euro Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Comoros Telephones - main lines in use: 16,900 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 16,100 (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay international: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) Radios: 90,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: NA Televisions: 1,000 (1997) Internet country code: .km Internet hosts: 5 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000) Internet users: 20,000 (2005) Transportation Comoros Airports: 4 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006) Roadways: total: 880 km paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1999) Merchant marine: total: 121 ships (1000 GRT or over) 564,882 GRT/801,238 DWT by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 85, chemical tanker 1, container 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 72 (Bangladesh 1, Bulgaria 1, Greece 10, India 1, Kenya 1, Kuwait 1, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2, Norway 1, Pakistan 2, Philippines 1, Russia 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Syria 4, Turkey 11, UAE 6, Ukraine 14, US 2) (2006) Ports and terminals: Mayotte, Moutsamoudou Military Comoros Military branches: Comoran Defense Force: Comoran Security Force (includes Gendarmerie and Army), Comoran Federal Police (2006) Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 138,940 females age 18-49: 139,491 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 98,792 females age 18-49: 106,415 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $12.87 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Comoros Disputes - international: claims French-administered Mayotte This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007 ====================================================================== @Congo, Democratic Republic of the Introduction Congo, Democratic Republic of the Background: Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32 years through several subsequent sham elections, as well as through the use of brutal force. Ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees in 1994 from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by an insurrection backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Angola, Chad, Namibia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed in July 1999 by the DRC, Congolese armed rebel groups, Angola, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe but sporadic fighting continued. Laurent KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and his son, Joseph KABILA, was named head of state. In October 2002, the new president was successful in negotiating the withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying eastern Congo; two months later, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and establish a government of national unity. A transitional government was set up in July 2003; with Joseph KABILA as president and joined by four vice presidents representing the former government, former rebel groups, and the political opposition. The transitional government held a successful constitutional referendum in December 2005 and elections for the presidency, National Assembly, and provincial legislatures in 2006. KABILA was inaugurated president in December 2006. Geography Congo, Democratic Republic of the Location: Central Africa, northeast of Angola Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 2,345,410 sq km land: 2,267,600 sq km water: 77,810 sq km Area - comparative: slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US Land boundaries: total: 10,730 km border countries: Angola 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of Angola's discontiguous Cabinda Province), Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 459 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km Coastline: 37 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: boundaries with neighbors Climate: tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season (April to October), dry season (December to February); south of Equator - wet season (November to March), dry season (April to October) Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m Natural resources: cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber Land use: arable land: 2.86% permanent crops: 0.47% other: 96.67% (2005) Irrigated land: 110 sq km (2003) Natural hazards: periodic droughts in south; Congo River floods (seasonal); in the east, in the Great Rift Valley, there are active volcanoes Environment - current issues: poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching; mining of minerals (coltan - a mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing environmental damage Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification Geography - note: straddles equator; has very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands People Congo, Democratic Republic of the Population: 62,660,551 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 47.4% (male 14,906,488/female 14,798,210) 15-64 years: 50.1% (male 15,597,353/female 15,793,350) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 632,143/female 933,007) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 16.2 years male: 16 years female: 16.4 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 3.07% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 43.69 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 13.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: fighting between the Congolese Government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DRC in August 1998, which left 2.33 million Congolese internally displaced and caused 412,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 88.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 96.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 80.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 51.46 years male: 50.01 years female: 52.94 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.45 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.2% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.1 million (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: 100,000 (2003 est.) Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, plague, and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2007) Nationality: noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo Ethnic groups: over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10% Languages: French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba total population: 65.5% male: 76.2% female: 55.1% (2003 est.) Government Congo, Democratic Republic of the Country name: conventional long form: Democratic Republic of the Congo conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo local short form: none former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire abbreviation: DRC Government type: transitional government Capital: name: Kinshasa geographic coordinates: 4 18 S, 15 18 E time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and 1 city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu note: According to the Constitution adopted in December 2005, the current administrative divisions will be subdivided into 26 new provinces Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) National holiday: Independence Day, 30 June (1960) Constitution: 18 February 2006 Legal system: a new constitution was adopted by referendum 18 December 2005; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive branch: chief of state: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency, his presidency was reconfirmed by the October 2006 elections; the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - following the assassination of his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, on 16 January 2001, Joseph KABILA succeeded to the presidency, his presidency was reconfirmed by the October 2006 elections; the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the president elections: under the new constitution the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 30 July 2006 with a second round held on 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: results of 29 October 2006 elections (second round); Joseph KABILA 58%, Jean-Pierre BEMBA Gombo 42% note: Joseph KABILA succeeded his father, Laurent Desire KABILA, following the latter's assassination in January 2001; negotiations with rebel leaders led to the establishment of a transitional government in July 2003 with free elections held on 30 July 2006 and 29 October 2006 where the poplar vote confirmed Joseph KABILA as president Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of a National Assembly (500 seats; 60 members elected by majority vote in single-member constituencies 440 members elected by open list proportional-representation in multi-member constituencies; members serve 5-year terms) and a Senate (108 seats; members elected by provincial assemblies to serve 5-year terms) elections: National Assembly - last held 30 July 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPRD 111, MLC 64, PALU 34, MSR 27, FR 26, RCD 15, Independents 63, others 160 (includes 63 political parties that won fewer than 10 seats) Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme Political parties and leaders: Congolese Rally for Democracy or RCD [Azaria RUBERWA]; Forces for Renovation for Union and Solidarity or FONUS [Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; Forces of Renewal or FR [Mbusa NYAMWISI]; Movement for the Liberation of the Congo or MLC [Jean-Pierre BEMBA]; National Congolese Lumumbist Movement or MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy or PPRD [Joseph Kabila]; Social Movement for Renewal or MSR; Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba] Political pressure groups and leaders: NA International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009: note - Consular Office at 1726 M Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691 FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roger MEECE embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828 telephone: [243] (88) 43608 FAX: [243] (88) 43467 Flag description: sky blue field divided diagonally from the lower hoist corner to upper fly corner by a red stripe bordered by two narrow yellow stripes; a yellow, five-pointed star appears in the upper hoist corner Economy Congo, Democratic Republic of the Economy - overview: The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The war, which began in August 1998, dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, increased external debt, and resulted in the deaths of perhaps 3.5 million people from violence, famine, and disease. Foreign businesses curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. The transitional government has reopened relations with international financial institutions and international donors, and President KABILA has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity lies outside the GDP data. Economic stability improved in 2003-06, although an uncertain legal framework, corruption, and a lack of openness in government policy continues to hamper growth. In 2005-06, renewed activity in the mining sector, the source of most exports, boosted Kinshasa's fiscal position and GDP growth. Business and economic prospects are expected to improve once a new government is installed after elections. GDP (purchasing power parity): $44.6 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $8.061 billion (2006 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 7.5% (2006 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $700 (2006 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 55% industry: 11% services: 34% (2000 est.) Labor force: 14.51 million (1993 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% Unemployment rate: NA% Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (2004 est.) Budget: revenues: $700 million expenditures: $750 million; including capital expenditures of $24 million (2004 est.) Agriculture - products: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products Industries: mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, commercial ship repair Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 353 million kWh (2004) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.8% hydro: 98.2% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Electricity - consumption: 658.3 million kWh (2004) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004) Electricity - imports: 330 million kWh (2004) Oil - production: 21,090 bbl/day (2004) Oil - consumption: 8,200 bbl/day (2004 est.) Oil - exports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - imports: NA bbl/day (2001) Oil - proved reserves: 1.538 billion bbl (1 January 2002) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 991.1 million cu m (1 January 2005 est.) Exports: $1.108 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt Exports - partners: Belgium 38.1%, US 17.8%, China 11.6%, France 8%, Finland 7.7%, Chile 4.3% (2005) Imports: $1.319 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels Imports - partners: South Africa 18%, Belgium 15.6%, France 8.8%, Zambia 6.7%, Kenya 6.2%, Germany 4.5%, US 4.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.2%, Netherlands 4% (2005) Debt - external: $10.6 billion (2003 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $2.2 billion (FY03/04) Currency (code): Congolese franc (CDF) Currency code: CDF Exchange rates: Congolese francs per US dollar - 437.86 (2005), 401.04 (2004), 405.34 (2003), 346.49 (2002) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Congo, Democratic Republic of the Telephones - main lines in use: 10,600 (2005) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2.746 million (2005) Telephone system: general assessment: poor domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2001) Radios: 18.03 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 4 (2001) Televisions: 6.478 million (1997) Internet country code: .cd Internet hosts: 1,778 (2006) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2001) Internet users: 140,600 (2005) Transportation Congo, Democratic Republic of the Airports: 234 (2006) Airports - with paved runways: total: 25 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 209 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 94 under 914 m: 97 (2006) Pipelines: gas 54 km; oil 78 km (2006) Railways: total: 5,138 km narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2005) Roadways: total: 153,497 km paved: 2,794 km unpaved: 150,703 km (2004) Waterways: 15,000 km (2005) Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,004 GRT/1,640 DWT by type: petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 1 (Congo, Republic of the 1) (2006) Ports and terminals: Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka Military Congo, Democratic Republic of the Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force Military service age and obligation: 18-45 years of age for military service Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 11,365,610 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 6,464,223 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $103.7 million (2005 est.) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Congo, Democratic Republic of the Disputes - international: heads of the Great Lakes states and UN pledge to end conflict but unchecked tribal, rebel, and militia fighting continues unabated in the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, drawing in the neighboring states of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda; the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has maintained over 14,000 peacekeepers in the region since 1999; thousands of Ituri refugees from the Congo continue to flee the fighting primarily into Uganda; 90,000 Angolan refugees were repatriated by 2004 with the remainder in the DRC expected to return in 2005; in 2005, DRC and Rwanda established a border verification mechanism to address accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the DRC providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means and bases to attack Rwandan forces; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 106,772 (Angola), 42,360 (Rwanda), 19,032 (Burundi), 18,954 (Uganda), 11,723 (Sudan), 5,243 (Republic of Congo) IDPs: 1.1 million (fighting between government forces and rebels since mid-1990s; most IDPs are in eastern provinces) (2006) Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to mone