The 1990 CIA World Factbook (part 2 of 4)
Independence: 28 February 1922 (from UK); formerly United Arab Republic
Constitution: 11 September 1971
Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes; judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 23 July (1952)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Majlis al-Shaab); note--there is an Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura) that functions in a consultative role
Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (was made acting President on 6 October 1981 upon the assassination of President Sadat and sworn in as President on 14 October 1981);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Atef Mohammed Najib SEDKY (since 12 November 1986)
Political parties and leaders: formation of political parties must be approved by government; National Democratic Party (NDP), President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, leader, is the dominant party; legal opposition parties are Socialist Liberal Party (SLP), Kamal Murad; Socialist Labor Party, Ibrahim Shukri; National Progressive Unionist Grouping, Khalid Muhyi-al-Din; Umma Party, Ahmad al-Sabahi; and New Wafd Party (NWP), Fuad Siraj al-Din
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections: President--last held 5 October 1987 (next to be held October 1993); results--President Hosni Mubarek was reelected;
People's Assembly--last held 6 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992); results--NDP 69.3%, Socialist Labor Party Coalition 17%, NWP 10.9%; seats--(458 total, 448 elected)--NDP 346, Socialist Labor Party Coalition 60, Labor-Liberal-Muslim Brotherhood Alliance 60 (37 belong to the Muslim Brotherhood), NWP 36, independents 7;
Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)--last held October 1986 (next to be held October 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(210 total, 140 elected)
Communists: about 500 party members
Other political or pressure groups: Islamic groups are illegal, but the largest one, the Muslim Brotherhood, is tolerated by the government and recently gained a sizable presence in the new People's Assembly; trade unions and professional associations are officially sanctioned
Member of: ACC, AfDB, Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WPC, WSG, WTO; Egypt was suspended from Arab League and OAPEC in April 1979 and readmitted in May 1989
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador El Sayed Abdel Raouf EL REEDY; Chancery at 2310 Decatur Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-5400; there are Egyptian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Frank G. WISNER; Embassy at 5 Sharia Latin America, Garden City, Cairo (mailing address is FPO New York 09527); telephone [20] [2] 355-7371; there is a US Consulate General in Alexandria
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with the national emblem (a shield superimposed on a golden eagle facing the hoist side above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; similar to the flags of the YAR which has one star, Syria which has two stars, and Iraq which has three stars--all green and five-pointed in a horizontal line centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: Egypt has one of the largest public sectors of all the Third World economies, most industrial plants being owned by the government. Overregulation holds back technical modernization and foreign investment. Even so, the economy grew rapidly during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but in 1986 the collapse of world oil prices and an increasingly heavy burden of debt servicing led Egypt to begin negotiations with the IMF for balance-of-payments support. As part of the 1987 agreement with the IMF, the government agreed to institute a reform program to reduce inflation, promote economic growth, and improve its external position. The reforms have been slow in coming, however, and the economy has been largely stagnant for the past three years. With 1 million people being added every eight months to Egypt's population, urban growth exerts enormous pressure on the 5% of the total land area available for agriculture.
GDP: $38.3 billion, per capita $700; real growth rate 1.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $7 billion; expenditures $11.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $4 billion (FY89 est.)
Exports: $2.55 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--raw cotton, crude and refined petroleum, cotton yarn, textiles; partners--US, EC, Japan, Eastern Europe
Imports: $10.1 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foods, machinery and equipment, fertilizers, wood products, durable consumer goods, capital goods; partners--US, EC, Japan, Eastern Europe
External debt: $45 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 2-4% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 11,273,000 kW capacity; 42,500 million kWh produced, 780 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, petroleum, construction, cement, metals
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GNP and employs more than one-third of labor force; dependent on irrigation water from the Nile; world's fifth-largest cotton exporter; other crops produced include rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruit, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food; livestock--cattle, water buffalo, sheep, and goats; annual fish catch about 140,000 metric tons
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $14.7 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $7.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $2.4 billion
Currency: Egyptian pound (plural--pounds); 1 Egyptian pound (LE) = 100 piasters
Exchange rates: Egyptian pounds (LE) per US$1--2.5790 (January 1990), 2.5171 (1989), 2.2128 (1988), 1.5015 (1987), 1.3503 (1986), 1.3010 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 5,110 km total; 4,763 km 1,435-meter standard gauge, 347 km 0.750-meter gauge; 951 km double track; 25 km electrified
Highways: 51,925 km total; 17,900 km paved, 2,500 km gravel, 13,500 km improved earth, 18,025 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 3,500 km (including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta); Suez Canal, 193.5 km long (including approaches), used by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 meters of water
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,171 km; refined products, 596 km; natural gas, 460 km
Ports: Alexandria, Port Said, Suez, Bur Safajah, Damietta
Merchant marine: 142 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,141,799 GRT/1,754,181 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 7 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 88 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 13 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 14 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 15 bulk
Civil air: 43 major transport aircraft
Airports: 97 total, 87 usable; 67 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 46 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: system is large but still inadequate for needs; principal centers are Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, and Tanta; intercity connections by coaxial cable and microwave; extensive upgrading in progress; 600,000 telephones (est.); stations--25 AM, 5 FM, 47 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 INMARSAT; 4 submarine coaxial cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan; radio relay to Libya (may not be operational); new radio relay to Jordan
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command
Military manpower: males 15-49, 13,271,942; 8,642,075 fit for military service; 547,084 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 7.2% of GDP, or $2.8 billion (FY90 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: El Salvador - Geography Total area: 21,040 km2; land area: 20,720 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundaries: 545 km total; Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
Coastline: 307 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)
Disputes: several sections of the boundary with Honduras are in dispute
Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April)
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
Natural resources: hydropower and geothermal power, crude oil
Land use: 27% arable land; 8% permanent crops; 29% meadows and pastures; 6% forest and woodland; 30% other; includes 5% irrigated
Environment: The Land of Volcanoes; subject to frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Note: smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea
- People Population: 5,309,865 (July 1990), growth rate 2.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 49 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 68 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Salvadoran(s); adjective--Salvadoran
Ethnic divisions: 89% mestizo, 10% Indian, 1% white
Religion: about 97% Roman Catholic, with activity by Protestant groups throughout the country
Language: Spanish, Nahua (among some Indians)
Literacy: 65%
Labor force: 1,700,000 (1982 est.); 40% agriculture, 16% commerce, 15% manufacturing, 13% government, 9% financial services, 6% transportation; shortage of skilled labor and a large pool of unskilled labor, but manpower training programs improving situation (1984 est.)
Organized labor: 15% total labor force; 10% agricultural labor force; 7% urban labor force (1987 est.)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of El Salvador
Type: republic
Capital: San Salvador
Administrative divisions: 14 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Vicente, Sonsonate, Usulutan
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: 20 December 1983
Legal system: based on civil and Roman law, with traces of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Alfredo CRISTIANI (since 1 June 1989); Vice President Jose Francisco MERINO (since 1 June 1989)
Political parties and leaders: National Republican Alliance (ARENA), Armando Calderon Sol; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Jose Antonio Morales Erlich; National Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro Cruz Zepeda; Democratic Action (AD), Ricardo Gonzalez Camacho; Salvadoran Authentic Institutional Party (PAISA), Roberto Escobar Garcia; Patria Libre (PL), Hugo Barrera; Authentic Christian Movement (MAC), Julio Rey Prendes; Salvadoran Popular Party (PPS), Francisco Quinonez; Democratic Convergence (CD), a coalition composed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario Rene Roldan; the National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Guillermo Ungo; and the Popular Social Christian Movement (MPSC), Ruben Zamora
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held 19 March 1989 (next to be held March 1994); results--Alfredo Cristiani (ARENA) 53.8%, Fidel Chavez Mena (PDC) 36.6%, other 9.6%;
Legislative Assembly--last held 20 March 1988 (next to be held March 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(60 total) ARENA 32, MAC 13, PDC 9, PCN 6
Other political or pressure groups:
Leftist revolutionary movement--Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), leadership body of the insurgency; Popular Liberation Forces (FPL), Armed Forces of National Resistance (FARN), People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), Salvadoran Communist Party/Armed Forces of Liberation (PCES/FAL), and Central American Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRTC)/Popular Liberation Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARLP);
Militant front organizations--Revolutionary Coordinator of Masses (CRM; alliance of front groups), Popular Revolutionary Bloc (BPR), Unified Popular Action Front (FAPU), Popular Leagues of 28 February (LP-28), National Democratic Union (UDN), and Popular Liberation Movement (MLP); Revolutionary Democratic Front (FDR), coalition of CRM and Democratic Front (FD); FD consists of moderate leftist groups--Independent Movement of Professionals and Technicians of El Salvador (MIPTES), National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), and Popular Social Christian Movement (MPSC);
Extreme rightist vigilante organizations--Anti-Communist Army (ESA); Maximiliano Hernandez Brigade; Organization for Liberation From Communism (OLC);
Labor organizations--Federation of Construction and Transport Workers Unions (FESINCONSTRANS), independent; Salvadoran Communal Union (UCS), peasant association; Unitary Federation of Salvadoran Unions (FUSS), leftist; National Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FENASTRAS), leftist; Democratic Workers Central (CTD), moderate; General Confederation of Workers (CGT), moderate; Popular Democratic Unity (UPD), moderate labor coalition which includes FESINCONSTRANS, and other democratic labor organizations; National Unity of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS), leftist; National Union of Workers and Peasants (UNOC), moderate labor coalition of democratic labor organizations;
Business organizations--National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP), conservative; Productive Alliance (AP), conservative; National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen (FENAPES), conservative
Member of: CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Miguel Angel SALAVERRIA; Chancery at 2308 California Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-3480 through 3482; there are Salvadoran Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, US--Ambassador William G. WALKER; Embassy at 25 Avenida Norte No. 1230, San Salvador (mailing address is APO Miami 34023); telephone [503] 26-7100
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicaragua which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band--it features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of Honduras which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: The economy experienced a modest recovery during the period 1983-86, after a sharp decline in the early 1980s. Real GDP grew by 1.5% a year on the strength of value added by the manufacturing and service sectors. In 1987 the economy expanded by 2.5% as agricultural output recovered from the 1986 drought. The agricultural sector accounts for 25% of GDP, employs about 40% of the labor force, and contributes about 66% to total exports. Coffee is the major commercial crop, contributing 60% to export earnings. The manufacturing sector, based largely on food and beverage processing, accounts for 17% of GDP and 16% of employment. Economic losses due to guerrilla sabotage total more than $2.0 billion since 1979. The costs of maintaining a large military seriously constrain the government's ability to provide essential social services.
GDP: $5.5 billion, per capita $1,020 (1988); real growth rate 0.9% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.8% (September 1989)
Unemployment rate: 10% (1989)
Budget: revenues $688 million; expenditures $725 million, including capital expenditures of $112 million (1988)
Exports: $497 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--coffee 60%, sugar, cotton, shrimp; partners--US 49%, FRG 24%, Guatemala 7%, Costa Rica 4%, Japan 4%
Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--petroleum products, consumer goods, foodstuffs, machinery, construction materials, fertilizer; partners--US 40%, Guatemala 12%, Venezuela 7%, Mexico 7%, FRG 5%, Japan 4%
External debt: $1.7 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.9% (1989)
Electricity: 669,000 kW capacity; 1,813 million kWh produced, 350 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, textiles, clothing, petroleum products, cement
Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and 40% of labor force (including fishing and forestry); coffee most important commercial crop; other products--sugarcane, corn, rice, beans, oilseeds, beef, dairy products, shrimp; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $2.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $353 million
Currency: Salvadoran colon (plural--colones); 1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1--5.0000 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 602 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track
Highways: 10,000 km total; 1,500 km paved, 4,100 km gravel, 4,400 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable
Ports: Acajutla, Cutuco
Civil air: 7 major transport aircraft
Airports: 125 total, 84 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: nationwide trunk radio relay system; connection into Central American Microwave System; 116,000 telephones; stations--77 AM, no FM, 5 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police, Treasury Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,180,751; 754,350 fit for military service; 68,805 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 4% of GDP, or $220 million (1990 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Equatorial Guinea - Geography Total area: 28,050 km2; land area: 28,050 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries: 539 km total; Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
Coastline: 296 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Gabon
Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain: coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Natural resources: timber, crude oil, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium
Land use: 8% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 51% forest and woodland; 33% other
Environment: subject to violent windstorms
Note: insular and continental regions rather widely separated
- People Population: 368,935 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 118 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 52 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s); adjective--Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Ethnic divisions: indigenous population of Bioko, primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos; Rio Muni, primarily Fang; less than 1,000 Europeans, mostly Spanish
Religion: natives all nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic; some pagan practices retained
Language: Spanish (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Literacy: 40%
Labor force: 172,000 (1986 est.); 66% agriculture, 23% services, 11% industry (1980); labor shortages on plantations; 58% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: no formal trade unions
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Type: republic
Capital: Malabo
Administrative divisions: 2 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia); Bioko, Rio Muni; note--there may now be 6 provinces named Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele Nzas
Independence: 12 October 1968 (from Spain; formerly Spanish Guinea)
Constitution: 15 August 1982
Legal system: in transition; partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of People's Representatives (Camara de Representantes del Pueblo)
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal
Leaders: Chief of State--President Brig. Gen. Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Cristino SERICHE Bioko Malabo (since 15 August 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Isidoro Eyi Monsuy Andeme (since 15 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea (PDEG), Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, party leader
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: President--last held 25 June 1989 (next to be held 25 June 1996); results--President Brig. Gen. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo was reelected without opposition;
Chamber of Deputies--last held 10 July 1988 (next to be held 10 July 1993); results--PDEG is the only party; seats--(41 total) PDEG 41
Communists: no significant number but some sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, Conference of East and Central African States, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Damaso OBIANG NDONG; Chancery at 801 Second Avenue, Suite 1403, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 599-1523; US--Ambassador Chester E. NORRIS, Jr.; Embassy at Calle de Los Ministros, Malabo (mailing address is P. O. Box 597, Malabo); telephone 2406 or 2507
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)
- Economy Overview: The economy, destroyed during the regime of former President Macias Nguema, is now based on agriculture, forestry, and fishing, which account for about 60% of GNP and nearly all exports. Subsistence agriculture predominates, with cocoa, coffee, and wood products providing income, foreign exchange, and government revenues. There is little industry. Commerce accounts for about 10% of GNP, and the construction, public works, and service sectors for about 34%. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Oil exploration is taking place under concessions offered to US, French, and Spanish firms.
GNP: $103 million, per capita $293; real growth rate NA% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 6.0% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $23 million; expenditures $31 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)
Exports: $30 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--coffee, timber, cocoa beans; partners--Spain 44%, FRG 19%, Italy 12%, Netherlands 11% (1987)
Imports: $50 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery; partners--Spain 34%, Italy 16%, France 14%, Netherlands 8% (1987)
External debt: $191 million (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 170 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fishing, sawmilling
Agriculture: cash crops--timber and coffee from Rio Muni, cocoa from Bioko; food crops--rice, yams, cassava, bananas, oil palm nuts, manioc, livestock
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY81-88), $11 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $100 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $55 million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: Rio Muni--1,024 km; Bioko--216 km
Ports: Malabo, Bata
Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,413 GRT/6,699 DWT; includes 1 cargo and 1 passenger-cargo
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 4 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor system with adequate government services; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; 2,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, and possibly Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 77,363; 39,174 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 11% of GNP (FY81 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Ethiopia - Geography Total area: 1,221,900 km2; land area: 1,101,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 5,141 km total; Djibouti 459 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 2,221 km
Coastline: 1,094 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: southern half of the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis; territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden; separatist movement in Eritrea; antigovernment insurgencies in Tigray and other areas
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation; prone to extended droughts
Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Natural resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash
Land use: 12% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 41% meadows and pastures; 24% forest and woodland; 22% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; frequent droughts; famine
Note: strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; major resettlement project ongoing in rural areas will significantly alter population distribution and settlement patterns over the next several decades
- People Population: 51,666,622 (July 1990), growth rate 3.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 52 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Ethiopian(s); adjective--Ethiopian
Ethnic divisions: 40% Oromo, 32% Amhara and Tigrean, 9% Sidamo, 6% Shankella, 6% Somali, 4% Afar, 2% Gurage, 1% other
Religion: 40-45% Muslim, 35-40% Ethiopian Orthodox, 15-20% animist, 5% other
Language: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Literacy: 55.2%
Labor force: 18,000,000; 80% agriculture and animal husbandry, 12% government and services, 8% industry and construction (1985)
Organized labor: All Ethiopian Trade Union formed by the government in January 1977 to represent 273,000 registered trade union members
- Government Long-form name: People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Type: Communist state
Capital: Addis Ababa
Administrative divisions: 14 administrative regions (plural--NA, singular--kifle hager); Arsi, Bale, Eritrea, Gamo Gofa, Gojam, Gonder, Harerge, Ilubabor, Kefa, Shewa, Sidamo, Tigray, Welega, Welo; note--the administrative structure may be changing to 25 administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular--astedader akababee) and 5 autonomous regions* (rasgez akababiwach, singular--rasgez akababee); Addis Ababa, Arsi, Aseb*, Asosa, Bale, Borena, Dire Dawa*, East Gojam, East Harerge, Eritrea*, Gambela, Gamo Gofa, Ilubabor, Kefa, Metekel, Nazaret, North Gonder, North Shewa, North Welo, Ogaden*, Omo, Sidamo, South Gonder, South Shewa, South Welo, Tigray*, Welega, West Gojam, West Harerge, West Shewa
Independence: oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world--at least 2,000 years
Constitution: 12 September 1987
Legal system: complex structure with civil, Islamic, common, and customary law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Revolution Day, 12 September (1974)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of State prime minister, five deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Shengo)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President MENGISTU Haile-Mariam (Chairman from 11 September 1977 until becoming President on 10 September 1987); Vice President FISSEHA Desta (since 10 September 1987);
Head of Government--Prime Minister (Acting) and Deputy Prime Minister HAILU Yimenu (since 7 November 1989); Deputy Prime Minister WOLLE Chekol (since 21 November 1989); Deputy Prime Minister ALEMU Abebe (since 10 September 1987); Deputy Prime Minister TESFAYE Dinka (since 10 September 1987); Deputy Prime Minister ASHAGRE Yigletu (since 21 November 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE), Mengistu Haile-Mariam, secretary general
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held 10 September 1987 (next to be held September 1992); results--National Assembly elected President Mengistu Haile-Mariam;
National Assembly--last held 14 June 1987 (next to be held June 1992); results--WPE is the only party; seats--(835 total) WPE 835
Other political or pressure groups: important dissident groups include Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) in Eritrea; Tigrean People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian Peoples Democratic Movement in Tigray, Welo, and border regions; Oromo Liberation Front in Welega and Harerge regions
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICO, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad interim GIRMA Amare; Chancery at 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-2281 or 2282; US--Charge d'Affaires Robert G. HOUDEK; Embassy at Entoto Street, Addis Ababa (mailing address is P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa); telephone 254-233-4141
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and the colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors
- Economy Overview: Ethiopia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about 45% of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total employment; coffee generates over 60% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on inputs from the agricultural sector. The economy is centrally planned, and over 90% of large-scale industry is state run. Favorable agricultural weather largely explains the 4.5% growth in output in FY89.
GDP: $6.6 billion, per capita $130, real growth rate 4.5% (FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.6% (FY89)
Unemployment rate: NA; shortage of skilled manpower
Budget: revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.7 billion (FY87)
Exports: $418 million (f.o.b., FY88); commodities--coffee 60%, hides; partners--US, FRG, Djibouti, Japan, PDRY, France, Italy
Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., FY88), commodities--food, fuels, capital goods; partners--USSR, Italy, FRG, Japan, UK, US, France
External debt: $2.6 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate - 0.2% (FY88 est.)
Electricity: 330,000 kW capacity; 700 million kWh produced, 14 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: cement, textiles, food processing, oil refinery
Agriculture: accounts for 45% of GDP and is the most important sector of the economy even though frequent droughts, poor cultivation practices, and state economic policies keep farm output low; famines not uncommon; export crops of coffee and oilseeds grown partly on state farms; estimated 50% of agricultural production at subsistence level; principal crops and livestock--cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseeds, potatoes, sugarcane, vegetables, hides and skins, cattle, sheep, goats
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $471 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $8 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $2.0 billion
Currency: birr (plural--birr); 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: birr (Br) per US$1--2.0700 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 8 July-7 July
- Communications Railroads: 988 km total; 681 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge (nonoperational)
Highways: 44,300 km total; 3,650 km bituminous, 9,650 km gravel, 3,000 km improved earth, 28,000 km unimproved earth
Ports: Aseb, Mitsiwa
Merchant marine: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,837 GRT/92,067 DWT; includes 10 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll off cargo, 1 livestock carrier, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air: 21 major transport aircraft
Airports: 152 total, 111 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 51 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: open-wire and radio relay system adequate for government use; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti; radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; stations--4 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 45,000 TV sets; 3,300,000 radios; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense
Military manpower: males 15-49, 11,438,616; 5,922,555 fit for military service; 589,231 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 8.5% of GDP (1988) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Europa Island (French possession) - Geography Total area: 28 km2; land area: 28 km2
Comparative area: about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 22.2 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
Climate: tropical
Terrain: NA
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; heavily wooded
Environment: wildlife sanctuary
Note: located in the Mozambique Channel 340 km west of Madagascar
- People Population: uninhabited
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Airports: 1 with runway 1,220 to 2,439 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications: 1 meteorological station
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (dependent territory of the UK) - Geography Total area: 12,170 km2; land area: 12,170 km2; includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,288 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 100 meter depth;
Exclusive fishing zone: 150 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina
Climate: cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate
Terrain: rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains
Natural resources: fish and wildlife
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 99% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 1% other
Environment: poor soil fertility and a short growing season
Note: deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors
- People Population: 1,958 (July 1990), growth rate 0.5% (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Falkland Islander(s); adjective--Falkland Island
Ethnic divisions: almost totally British
Religion: primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, and United Free Church; Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: English
Literacy: NA%, but compulsory education up to age 15
Labor force: 1,100 (est.); about 95% in agriculture, mostly sheepherding
Organized labor: Falkland Islands General Employees Union, 400 members
- Government Long-form name: Colony of the Falkland Islands
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Stanley
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution: 3 October 1985
Legal system: English common law
National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government--Governor William Hugh FULLERTON (since NA 1988)
Political parties: NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Council--last held 3 October 1985 (next to be held October 1990); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(10 total, 8 elected) number of seats by party NA
Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms in a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising is the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT
- Economy Overview: The economy is based on sheep farming, which directly or indirectly employs most of the work force. A few dairy herds are kept to meet domestic consumption of milk and milk products, and crops grown are primarily those for providing winter fodder. Major sources of income are from the export of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of stamps and coins. Rich stocks of fish in the surrounding waters are not presently exploited by the islanders, but development plans called for the islands to have six trawlers by 1989. In 1987 the government began to sell fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees amount to more than $25 million per year. To encourage tourism, the Falkland Islands Development Corporation has built three lodges for visitors who are attracted by the abundant wildlife and trout fishing.
GNP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget: revenues $11 million; expenditures $11.8 million, including capital expenditures of $1.2 million (FY87)
Exports: at least $14.7 million; commodities--wool, hides and skins, and other; partners--UK, Netherlands, Japan (1987 est.)
Imports: at least $13.9 million; commodities--food, clothing, fuels, and machinery; partners--UK, Netherlands Antilles (Curacao), Japan (1987 est.)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 9,200 kW capacity; 17 million kWh produced, 8,700 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: wool processing
Agriculture: predominantly sheep farming; small dairy herds and fodder crops
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $102 million
Currency: Falkland pound (plural--pounds); 1 Falkland pound (LF) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Falkland pound (LF) per US$1--0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note--the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: 510 km total; 30 km paved, 80 km gravel, and 400 km unimproved earth
Ports: Port Stanley
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 5 total, 5 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220 to 2,439 m
Telecommunications: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radio networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands; 590 telephones; stations--2 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station with links through London to other countries
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Faroe Islands (part of the Danish realm) - Geography Total area: 1,400 km2; land area: 1,400 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than eight times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 764 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 4 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy
Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 2% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 98% other
Environment: precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets
Note: strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic about midway between Iceland and Shetland Islands
- People Population: 47,715 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 17 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Faroese (sing., pl.); adjective--Faroese
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Scandinavian population
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran
Language: Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 17,585; largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark
Capital: Torshavn
Administrative divisions: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Independence: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark
Constitution: Danish
Legal system: Danish
National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Executive branch: Danish monarch, high commissioner, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyri)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Logting)
Judicial branch: none
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Jogvan SUNDSTEIN (since 17 January 1989)
Political parties and leaders: four-party ruling coalition--People's Party, Jogvan Sundstein; Republican Party, Signer Hansen; Progressive and Fishing Industry Party combined with the Christian People's Party (CPP-PFIP); Home Rule Party, Hilmar Kass; opposition--Social Democratic Party, Atli P. Dam; Cooperation Coalition Party, Pauli Ellefsen; Progress Party
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: Parliament--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(32 total) three-party coalition 21 (People's Party 8, Cooperation Coalition Party 7, Republican Party 6); Social Democrat 7, CPP-PFIP 2, Home Rule 2
Communists: insignificant number
Member of: Nordic Council
Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Flag: white with a red cross outlined in blue that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
- Economy Overview: The Faroese enjoy the high standard of living characteristic of the Danish and other Scandinavian economies. Fishing is the dominant economic activity. It employs over 25% of the labor force, accounts for about 25% of GDP, and contributes over 80% to export revenues. A handicraft industry employs about 20% of the labor force. Because of cool summers agricultural activities are limited to raising sheep and to potato and vegetable cultivation. There is a labor shortage, and immigrant workers accounted for 5% of the work force in 1989. Denmark annually subsidizes the economy, perhaps on the order of 15% of GDP.
GDP: $662 million, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988)
Unemployment rate: labor shortage
Budget: revenues $176 million; expenditures $176 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY86)
Exports: $267 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--fish and fish products 86%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment; partners--Denmark 18%, US 14%, FRG, France, UK, Canada
Imports: $363 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--machinery and transport equipment 38%, food and livestock 11%, fuels 10%, manufactures 10%, chemicals 5%; partners: Denmark 46%, FRG, Norway, Japan, UK
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 80,000 kW capacity; 280 million kWh produced, 5,910 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts
Agriculture: accounts for 27% of GDP and employs 27% of labor force; principal crops--potatoes and vegetables; livestock--sheep; annual fish catch about 360,000 metric tons
Aid: none
Currency: Danish krone (plural--kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore
Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1--6.560 (January 1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: 200 km
Ports: Torshavn, Tvoroyri; 8 minor
Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,249 GRT/11,887 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 2 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo; note--a subset of the Danish register
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international communications; fair domestic facilities; 27,900 telephones; stations--1 AM, 3 (10 repeaters) FM, 3 (29 repeaters) TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Fiji - Geography Total area: 18,270 km2; land area: 18,270 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,129 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Natural resources: timber, fish, gold, copper; offshore oil potential
Land use: 8% arable land; 5% permanent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 65% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes from November to January; includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited
Note: located 2,500 km north of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean
- People Population: 759,567 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Fijian(s); adjective--Fijian
Ethnic divisions: 49% Indian, 46% Fijian, 5% European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and others
Religion: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu with a Muslim minority
Language: English (official); Fijian; Hindustani
Literacy: 80%
Labor force: 176,000; 60% subsistence agriculture, 40% wage earners (1979)
Organized labor: about 45,000 employees belong to some 46 trade unions, which are organized along lines of work and ethnic origin (1983)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Fiji
Type: military coup leader Major General Sitiveni Rabuka formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
Capital: Suva
Administrative divisions: 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western
Independence: 10 October 1970 (from UK)
Constitution: 10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); note--a new constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and awaits final approval
Legal system: based on British system
National holiday: Independence Day, 10 October (1970)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament, consisting of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives, was dissolved following the coup of 14 May 1987; the proposed constitution of NA September 1988 provides for a bicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu GANILAU (since 5 December 1987);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 5 December 1987); note--Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara served as prime minister from 10 October 1970 until the 5-11 April 1987 election; after a second coup led by Major General Sitiveni Rabuka on 25 September 1987, Ratu Mara was reappointed as prime minister
Political parties and leaders: Alliance, primarily Fijian, Ratu Mara; National Federation, primarily Indian, Siddiq Koya; Western United Front, Fijian, Ratu Osea Gavidi; Fiji Labor Party, Adi Kuini Bavadra; coalition of the National Federation Party and the Fiji Labor Party, Adi Kuini Vuikaba Bavadra
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Communists: some
Member of: ACP, ADB, Colombo Plan, EC (associate), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Counselor (Commercial), Vice Consul, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Abdul H. YUSUF; Chancery at Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone (202) 337-8320; there is a Fijian Consulate in New York; US--Ambassador Leonard ROCHWARGER; Embassy at 31 Loftus Street, Suva (mailing address is P. O. Box 218, Suva); telephone [679] 314-466 or 314-069
Flag: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of St. George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove
- Economy Overview: Fiji's economy is primarily agricultural, with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports are a major source of foreign exchange and sugar processing accounts for one-third of industrial output. Industry, including sugar milling, contributes 10% to GDP. Fiji traditionally earned considerable sums of hard currency from the 250,000 tourists who visited each year. In 1987, however, after two military coups, the economy went into decline. GDP dropped by 7.8% in 1987 and by another 2.5% in 1988; political uncertainly created a drop in tourism, and the worst drought of the century caused sugar production to fall sharply. In contrast, sugar and tourism turned in strong performances in 1989, and the economy rebounded vigorously.
GDP: $1.32 billion, per capita $1,750; real growth rate 12.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.8% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 11% (1988)
Budget: revenues $260 million; expenditures $233 million, including capital expenditures of $47 million (1988)
Exports: $312 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--sugar 49%, copra, processed fish, lumber; partners--UK 45%, Australia 21%, US 4.7%
Imports: $454 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--food 15%, petroleum products, machinery, consumer goods; partners--US 4.8%, NZ, Australia, Japan
External debt: $398 million (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 15% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 215,000 kW capacity; 330 million kWh produced, 440 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sugar, copra, tourism, gold, silver, fishing, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries
Agriculture: principal cash crop is sugarcane; coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, and bananas; small livestock sector includes cattle, pigs, horses, and goats
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $677 million
Currency: Fijian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1--1.4950 (January 1990), 1.4833 (1989), 1.4303 (1988), 1.2439 (1987), 1.1329 (1986), 1.1536 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 644 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, belonging to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation
Highways: 3,300 km total (1984)--390 km paved; 1,200 km bituminous-surface treatment; 1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 420 unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
Ports: Lambasa, Lautoka, Savusavu, Suva
Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 42,872 GRT/49,795 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 2 liquefied gas, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
Civil air: 1 DC-3 and 1 light aircraft
Airports: 26 total, 24 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio center; important COMPAC cable link between US-Canada and New Zealand-Australia; 53,228 telephones; stations--7 AM, 1 FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: integrated ground and naval forces
Military manpower: males 15-49, 194,433; 107,317 fit for military service; 7,864 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (1988) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Finland - Geography Total area: 337,030 km2; land area: 305,470 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: 2,578 km total; Norway 729 km, Sweden 536 km, USSR 1,313 km
Coastline: 1,126 km excluding islands and coastal indentations
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 6 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
Natural resources: timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver
Land use: 8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 76% forest and woodland; 16% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: permanently wet ground covers about 30% of land; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
Note: long boundary with USSR; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent
- People Population: 4,977,325 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Finn(s); adjective--Finnish
Ethnic divisions: Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar
Religion: 97% Evangelical Lutheran, 1.2% Eastern Orthodox, 1.8% other
Language: 93.5% Finnish, 6.3% Swedish (both official); small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities
Literacy: almost 100%
Labor force: 2,556,000; 33.1% services, 22.9% mining and manufacturing, 13.8% commerce, 10.3% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 7.2% construction, 7.1% transportation and communications (1989 est.)
Organized labor: 80% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Finland
Type: republic
Capital: Helsinki
Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (laanit, singular--laani); Ahvenanmaa, Hame, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa
Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)
Constitution: 17 July 1919
Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of State (Valtioneuvosto)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Eduskunta)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus)
Leaders: Chief of State--President Mauno KOIVISTO (since 27 January 1982);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Harri HOLKERI (since 30 April 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Pertti PAASIO (since NA January 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party, Pertti Paasio; Center Party, Paavo Vayrynen; People's Democratic League (majority Communist front), Reijo Kakela; National Coalition (Conservative) Party, Ilkka Suominen; Liberal People's Party, Kyosti Lallukka; Swedish People's Party, Christoffer Taxell; Rural Party, leader NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held 31 January-1 February and 15 February 1988 (next to be held January 1994); results--Mauno Koivisto 48%, Paavo Vayrynen 20%, Harri Holkeri 18%;
Parliament--last held 15-16 March 1987 (next to be held March 1991); results--Social Democratic 24.3%, National Coalition (Conservative) 23.9%, Center-Liberal People's 18.6%, People's Democratic League 9.4%, Rural 6.3%, Swedish People's 5.3%, Democratic Alternative 4.3%, Green League 4.0%, Finnish Christian League 2.6%, Finnish Pensioners 1.2%, Constitutional Rightist 0.1%; seats--(200 total) Social Democratic 56, National Coalition (Conservative) 53, Center-Liberal People's 40, People's Democratic League 16, Swedish People's 13, Rural 9, Finnish Christian League 5; Democratic Alternative 4, Green League 4
Communists: 28,000 registered members; an additional 45,000 persons belong to People's Democratic League
Other political or pressure groups: Finnish Communist Party (majority Communist faction), Jarmo Wahlstrom; Finnish Communist Party-Unity (minority faction), Esko-Juhani Tennila; Democratic Alternative (minority Communist front), Kristiina Halkola; Finnish Christian League, Esko Almgren; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Pensioners Party; Green League, Heidi Hautala; Communist Workers Party, Timo Lahdenmaki
Member of: ADB, CCC, CEMA (special cooperation agreement), DAC, EC (free trade agreement), EFTA, ESA (associate), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI; Chancery at 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington DC 20016; telephone (202) 363-2430; there are Finnish Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York, and Consulates in Chicago and Houston; US--Ambassador John G. WEINMANN; Embassy at Itainen Puistotie 14ASF-00140, Helsinki (mailing address is APO New York 09664); telephone [358] (0) 171931
Flag: white with a blue cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
- Economy Overview: Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free market economy, with per capita output nearly three-fourths the US figure. Its main economic force is the manufacturing sector--principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 25% of GNP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imported raw materials, energy, and some components of manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic commodities. Economic prospects are generally bright, the main shadow being the increasing pressures on wages and prices.
GDP: $74.4 billion, per capita $15,000; real growth rate 4.6% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 3.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $28.3 billion; expenditures $28.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1988 est.)
Exports: $22.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing and footwear; partners--EC 44.2% (UK 13.0%, FRG 10.8%), USSR 14.9%, Sweden 14.1%, US 5.8%
Imports: $22.0 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains; partners--EC 43.5% (FRG 16.9%, UK 6.8%), Sweden 13.3%, USSR 12.1%, US 6.3%
External debt: $5.3 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.3% (1989)
Electricity: 13,324,000 kW capacity; 49,330 million kWh produced, 9,940 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: metal manufacturing and shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing
Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GNP (including forestry); livestock production, especially dairy cattle, predominates; forestry is an important export earner and a secondary occupation for the rural population; main crops--cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but short of food and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons
Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion
Currency: markka (plural--markkaa); 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia
Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per US$1--4.0022 (January 1990), 4.2912 (1989), 4.1828 (1988), 4.3956 (1987), 5.0695 (1986), 6.1979 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 5,924 km total; Finnish State Railways (VR) operate a total of 5,863 km 1.524-meter gauge, of which 480 km are multiple track and 1,445 km are electrified
Highways: about 103,000 km total, including 35,000 km paved (bituminous, concrete, bituminous-treated surface) and 38,000 km unpaved (stabilized gravel, gravel, earth); additional 30,000 km of private (state-subsidized) roads
Inland waterways: 6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers
Pipelines: natural gas, 580 km
Ports: Helsinki, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku; 6 secondary, numerous minor ports
Merchant marine: 82 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 737,811 GRT/764,695 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 11 short-sea passenger, 18 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 24 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 12 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 7 bulk, 1 combination bulk
Civil air: 39 major transport
Airports: 160 total, 157 usable; 56 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 23 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good service from cable and radio relay network; 3,140,000 telephones; stations--4 AM, 42 (101 relays) FM, 79 (195 relays) TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite service via Swedish earth stations; satellite earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,312,941; 1,091,416 fit for military service; 32,288 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.5% of GDP (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: France - Geography Total area: 547,030 km2; land area: 545,630 km2; includes Corsica and the rest of metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Colorado
Land boundaries: 2,892.4 km total; Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, FRG 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km
Coastline: 3,427 km (includes Corsica, 644 km)
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12-24 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Canada (St. Pierre and Miquelon); Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; Seychelles claims Tromelin Island; Suriname claims part of French Guiana; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land)
Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean
Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash
Land use: 32% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 23% meadows and pastures; 27% forest and woodland; 16% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: most of large urban areas and industrial centers in Rhone, Garonne, Seine, or Loire River basins; occasional warm tropical wind known as mistral
Note: largest West European nation
- People Population: 56,358,331 (July 1990), growth rate 0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 82 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective--French
Ethnic divisions: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, and Basque minorities
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant, 1% Jewish, 1% Muslim (North African workers), 6% unaffiliated
Language: French (100% of population); rapidly declining regional dialects (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 24,170,000; 61.5% services, 31.3% industry, 7.3% agriculture (1987)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force (est.)
- Government Long-form name: French Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Paris
Administrative divisions: metropolitan France--22 regions (regions, singular--region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes; note--the 22 regions are subdivided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the territorial collectivities (Mayotte, St. Pierre and Miquelon)
Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna
Independence: unified by Clovis in 486, First Republic proclaimed in 1792
Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Michel ROCARD (since 10 March 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR, formerly UDR), Jacques Chirac; Union for French Democracy (UDF, federation of PR, CDS, and RAD), Valery Giscard d'Estaing; Republicans (PR), Francois Leotard; Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Pierre Mehaignerie; Radical (RAD), Yves Gallard; Socialist Party (PS), Pierre Mauroy; Left Radical Movement (MRG), Yves Collin; Communist Party (PCF), Georges Marchais; National Front (FN), Jean-Marie Le Pen
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held May 1995); results--Second Ballot Francois Mitterrand 54%, Jacques Chirac 46%;
Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(321 total; 296 metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad) RPR 93, UDF 143 (PR 53, CDS 65, RAD 25), PS 64, PCF 16, independents 2, unknown 3;
National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--Second Ballot PS-MRG 48.7%, RPR 23.1%, UDF 21%, PCF 3.4%, other 3.8%; seats--(577 total) PS 275, RPR 132, UDF 90, UDC 40, PCF 25, independents 15
Communists: 700,000 claimed but probably closer to 150,000; Communist voters, 2.8 million in 1988 election
Other political or pressure groups: Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail or CFDT) about 800,000 members est.; independent labor union (Force Ouvriere) about 1,000,000 members est.; independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais--CNPF or Patronat)
Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, EIB, EMS, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, NATO (signatory), OAS (observer), OECD, SPC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI; Chancery at 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 944-6000; there are French Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico); US--Ambassador Walter J. P. CURLEY; Embassy at 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08 (mailing address is APO New York 09777); telephone [33] (1) 42-96-12-02 or 42-61-80-75; there are US Consulates General in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, and Strasbourg
Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Ivory Coast, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas
- Economy Overview: One of the world's most developed economies, France has substantial agricultural resources and a highly diversified modern industrial sector. Large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make it the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. France is largely self-sufficient in agricultural products and is a major exporter of wheat and dairy products. The industrial sector generates about one-third of GDP and employs about one-third of the work force. During the period 1982-86 economic growth was sluggish, averaging only 1.4% annually. This trend was reversed by late 1987, however, with a strong expansion of consumer demand, followed by a surge in investment. The economy has had difficulty generating enough jobs for new entrants into the labor force, resulting in a high unemployment rate, but the upward trend in growth recently pushed the jobless rate below 10%. The steadily advancing economic integration within the European Community is a major force affecting the fortunes of the various economic sectors.
GDP: $819.6 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 3.4% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.7% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $197.0 billion; expenditures $213.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports: $183.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing; partners--FRG 15.8%, Italy 12.2%, UK 9.8%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8.9%, Netherlands 8.7%, US 6.7%, Spain 5.6%, Japan 1.8%, USSR 1.3% (1989 est.)
Imports: $194.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products; partners--FRG 19.4%, Italy 11.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 9.2%, US 7.7%, UK 7.2%, Netherlands 5.2%, Spain 4.4%, Japan 4.1%, USSR 2.1% (1989 est.)
External debt: $59.3 billion (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.4% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 109,972,000 kW capacity; 403,570 million kWh produced, 7,210 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, and tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GNP (including fishing and forestry); one of the world's top five wheat producers; other principal products--beef, dairy products, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; self-sufficient for most temperate-zone foods; shortages include fats and oils and tropical produce, but overall net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 850,000 metric tons ranks among world's top 20 countries and is all used domestically
Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $59.8 billion
Currency: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: French National Railways (SNCF) operates 34,568 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 11,674 km electrified, 15,132 km double or multiple track; 2,138 km of various gauges (1.000-meter to 1.440-meter), privately owned and operated
Highways: 1,551,400 km total; 33,400 km national highway; 347,000 km departmental highway; 421,000 km community roads; 750,000 km rural roads; 5,401 km of controlled-access divided autoroutes; about 803,000 km paved
Inland waterways: 14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled
Pipelines: crude oil, 3,059 km; refined products, 4,487 km; natural gas, 24,746 km
Ports: maritime--Bordeaux, Boulogne, Brest, Cherbourg, Dunkerque, Fos-Sur-Mer, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen, Sete, Toulon; inland--42
Merchant marine: 153 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,671,645 GRT/5,950,785 DWT; includes 10 short-sea passenger, 19 cargo, 19 container, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 30 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 37 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 chemical tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 4 specialized tanker, 17 bulk, 1 combination bulk; note--France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in the Kerguelen Islands (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and French Polynesia
Civil air: 355 major transport aircraft (1982)
Airports: 470 total, 460 usable; 204 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 34 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 133 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed system provides satisfactory telephone, telegraph, radio and TV broadcast services; 39,110,000 telephones; stations--42 AM, 138 (777 relays) FM, 215 TV (8,900 relays); 25 submarine coaxial cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT, 3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, EUTELSAT, MARISAT, and domestic systems
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 14,285,904; 12,042,731 fit for military service; 409,544 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 3.8% of GDP, or $31.1 billion (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: French Guiana (overseas department of France) - Geography Total area: 91,000 km2; land area: 89,150 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries: 1,183 km total; Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Coastline: 378 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Natural resources: bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 82% forest and woodland; 18% other
Environment: mostly an unsettled wilderness
- People Population: 97,781 (July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--French Guianese (sing., pl.); adjective--French Guiana
Ethnic divisions: 66% black or mulatto; 12% Caucasian; 12% East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian; 10% other
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic
Language: French
Literacy: 73%
Labor force: 23,265; 60.6% services, government, and commerce, 21.2% industry, 18.2% agriculture (1980)
Organized labor: 7% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Department of Guiana
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Cayenne
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: French president, commissioner of the republic
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Council
Judicial branch: highest local court is the Court of Appeals based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana
Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Pierre LACROIX (since NA August 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Guianese Socialist Party (PSG), Gerard Holder; Rally for the Republic (RPR), Paulin Brune; Guyanese Democratic Action (ADG), Andre Lecante; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Claude Ho A Chuck; National Front, Guy Malon; Popular and National Party of Guiana (PNPG), Claude Robo; National Anti-Colonist Guianese Party (PANGA), Michel Kapel
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Regional Council--last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held March 1991); results--PSG 43%, RPR 27.7%, ADG 12.2%, UDF 8.9%, FN 3.7%, PNPG 1.4%, others 3.1%; seats--(31 total) PSG 15, RPR 9, ADG 4, UDF 3;
French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) PSG 1;
French National Assembly--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) PSG 1, RPR 1
Communists: Communist party membership negligible
Member of: WFTU
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France the interests of French Guiana are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: The economy is tied closely to that of France through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities, with exports of fish and fish products (mostly shrimp) accounting for about two-thirds of total revenue in 1985. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops--rice, cassava, bananas, and sugarcane--are limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers, with an unemployment rate of 15%.
GDP: $210 million, per capita $3,230; real growth rate NA% (1982)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1987)
Budget: revenues $735 million; expenditures $735 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1987)
Exports: $37.0 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence; partners--US 41%, Japan 18%, France 9% (1984)
Imports: $297.7 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, petroleum; partners--France 55%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%, US 3% (1984)
External debt: $1.2 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 92,000 kW capacity; 185 million kWh produced, 1,950 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Agriculture: some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugar
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.1 billion
Currency: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 680 km total; 510 km paved, 170 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km possibly navigable by native craft
Ports: Cayenne
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 11 total, 11 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair open wire and radio relay system; 18,100 telephones; stations--5 AM, 7 FM, 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces 1Military manpower: males 15-49 27,866; 18,430 fit for military service
Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: French Polynesia (overseas territory of France) - Geography Total area: 3,941 km2; land area: 3,660 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 2,525 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderate
Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt
Land use: 1% arable land; 19% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 31% forest and woodland; 44% other
Environment: occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes
Note: Makatea is one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (others are Banaba or Ocean Island in Kiribati and Nauru)
- People Population: 190,181 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 31 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--French Polynesian(s); adjective--French Polynesian
Ethnic divisions: 78% Polynesian, 12% Chinese, 6% local French, 4% metropolitan French
Religion: mainly Christian; 55% Protestant, 32% Roman Catholic
Language: French (official), Tahitian
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 57,863 employed (1983)
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Territory of French Polynesia
Type: overseas territory of France
Capital: Papeete
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France)
Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: based on French system
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: French president, high commissioner of the republic, president of the Council of Ministers, vice president of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); High Commissioner of the Republic Jean MONTPEZAT (since NA November 1987);
Head of Government--President of the Council of Ministers Alexandre LEONTIEFF (since 9 December 1987); Vice President of the Council of Ministers Georges KELLY (since 9 December 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Tahoeraa Huiraatira (Gaullist), Gaston Flosse; Pupu Here Ai'a, Jean Juventin; Front de Liberation, Oscar Temaru; Ai'a Api, Emile Vernaudon; Ia Mana Te Nunaa, Jacques Drollet; Pupu Taina, Michel Law; Toatiraa Polynesia, Arthur Chung; Te E'a Api, Francis Sanford
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Territorial Assembly--last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held March 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(41 total) Tahoeraa Huiraatira 24, Amuitahiraa Mo Porinesia 6, Pupu Here Ai'a 4, Ia Mana 3, Front de Liberation 2, other 2;
French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) Democrats for Progress 1;
French National Assembly last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) Rally for the Republic 1, Ai'a Api 1
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France, French Polynesian interests are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. Tourism accounts for about 20% of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings.
GDP: $2.24 billion, per capita $6,400; real growth rate NA% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.2% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 8% (1986 est.)
Budget: revenues $431; expenditures $418, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986)
Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat; partners--France 44%, US 21%
Imports: $767 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--fuels, foodstuffs, equipment; partners--France 50%, US 16%, New Zealand 6%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 72,000 kW capacity; 265 million kWh produced, 1,350 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts
Agriculture: coconut and vanilla plantations; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef, dairy products
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.6 billion
Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural--francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1--104.71 (January 1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note--linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 600 km (1982)
Ports: Papeete, Bora-bora
Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,732 GRT/4,191 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo; note--a subset of the French register
Civil air: about 6 major transport aircraft
Airports: 43 total, 41 usable; 23 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 33,200 telephones; 84,000 radio receivers; 26,400 TV sets; stations--5 AM, 2 FM, 6 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Note: defense is responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: French Southern and Antarctic Lands (overseas territory of France) - Geography Total area: 7,781 km2; land area: 7,781 km2; includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Crozet; excludes claim not recognized by the US of about 500,000 km2 in Antarctica known as Terre Adelie
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Delaware
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,232 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploration;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claim in Antarctica (Terre Adelie) not recognized by the US
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: volcanic
Natural resources: fish, crayfish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
Note: located in the southern Indian Ocean about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia
- People Population: 210 (July 1990), growth rate 0.00% (1990); mostly researchers
- Government Long-form name: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Type: overseas territory of France governed by High Administrator Claude CORBIER (since NA 1988)
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fishing catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion.
- Communications Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 217,203 GRT/348,632 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note--a subset of the French register
Telecommunications: NA
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Gabon - Geography Total area: 267,670 km2; land area: 257,670 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Colorado
Land boundaries: 2,551 km total; Cameroon 298 km, Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
Coastline: 885 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary with Equatorial Guinea
Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Natural resources: crude oil, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore
Land use: 1% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 78% forest and woodland; 2% other
Environment: deforestation
- People Population: 1,068,240 (July 1990), growth rate 0.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 106 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Gabonese (sing., pl.); adjective--Gabonese
Ethnic divisions: about 40 Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke); about 100,000 expatriate Africans and Europeans, including 27,000 French
Religion: 55-75% Christian, less than 1% Muslim, remainder animist
Language: French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Literacy: 61.6%
Labor force: 120,000 salaried; 65.0% agriculture, 30.0% industry and commerce, 2.5% services, 2.5% government; 58% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: there are 38,000 members of the national trade union, the Gabonese Trade Union Confederation (COSYGA)
- Government Long-form name: Gabonese Republic
Type: republic; one-party presidential regime since 1964
Capital: Libreville
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Independence: 17 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution: 21 February 1961, revised 15 April 1975
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted
National holiday: Renovation Day (Gabonese Democratic Party established), 12 March (1968)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemble Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State--President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Leon MEBIAME (since 16 April 1975)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Gabonese Social Democratic Rally (RSDG), El Hadj Omar Bongo, president; formerly Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), which was dissolved in February 1990
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President--last held on 9 November 1986 (next to be held November 1993); results--President Omar BONGO was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly--last held on 17 February 1985 (next to be held by February 1992); results--PDG was the only party; seats--(120 total, 111 elected) PDG 111
Communists: no organized party; probably some Communist sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jean Robert ODZAGA; Chancery at 2034 20th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 797-1000; US--Ambassador Keith L. WAUCHOPE; Embassy at Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville (mailing address is B. P. 4000, Libreville); telephone 762003 or 762004, 761337, 721348, 740248
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue
- Economy Overview: The economy, dependent on timber and manganese until the early 1970s, is now dominated by the oil sector. During the period 1981-85 oil accounted for about 46% of GDP, 83% of export earnings, and 65% of government revenues on average. The high oil prices of the early 1980s contributed to a substantial increase in per capita income, stimulated domestic demand, reinforced migration from rural to urban areas, and raised the level of real wages to among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. The three-year slide of Gabon's economy, which began with falling oil prices in 1985, stabilized in 1989 because of a near doubling of oil prices over their 1988 lows. The agricultural and industrial sectors are relatively underdeveloped, accounting for only 8% and 10%, respectively, of GDP in 1986.
GDP: $3.2 billion, per capita $3,200; real growth rate 0% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1989)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $927 million; expenditures $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $33 million (1988)
Exports: $1.14 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--crude oil 70%, manganese 11%, wood 12%, uranium 6%; partners--France 53%, US 22%, FRG, Japan
Imports: $0.76 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials, manufactures, machinery; partners--France 48%, US 2.6%, FRG, Japan, UK
External debt: $2.0 billion (October 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.7% (1986)
Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 980 million kWh produced, 920 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sawmills, petroleum, food and beverages; mining of increasing importance (especially manganese and uranium)
Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cash crops--cocoa, coffee, palm oil; livestock not developed; importer of food; small fishing operations provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons; okoume (a tropical softwood) is the most important timber product
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $64 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $27 million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 649 km 1.437-meter standard-gauge single track (Transgabonese Railroad)
Highways: 7,500 km total; 560 km paved, 960 km laterite, 5,980 km earth
Inland waterways: 1,600 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: crude oil, 270 km; refined products, 14 km
Ports: Owendo, Port-Gentil, Libreville
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,563 GRT/25,330 DWT
Civil air: 11 major transport aircraft
Airports: 79 total, 68 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate system of open-wire, radio relay, tropospheric scatter links and radiocommunication stations; 13,800 telephones; stations--6 AM, 6 FM, 8 TV; satellite earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 12 domestic satellite
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 266,110; 133,158 fit for military service; 9,282 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 3.2% of GDP, or $102 million (1990 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: The Gambia - Geography Total area: 11,300 km2; land area: 10,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Delaware
Land boundary: 740 km with Senegal
Coastline: 80 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: short section of boundary with Senegal is indefinite
Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
Terrain: flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 16% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures; 20% forest and woodland; 55% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: deforestation
Note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa
- People Population: 848,147 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 140 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 46 years male, 50 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Gambian(s); adjective--Gambian
Ethnic divisions: 99% African (42% Mandinka, 18% Fula, 16% Wolof, 10% Jola, 9% Serahuli, 4% other); 1% non-Gambian
Religion: 90% Muslim, 9% Christian, 1% indigenous beliefs
Language: English (official); Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
Literacy: 25.1%
Labor force: 400,000 (1986 est.); 75.0% agriculture, 18.9% industry, commerce, and services, 6.1% government; 55% population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: 25-30% of wage labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of The Gambia
Type: republic
Capital: Banjul
Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River, MacCarthy Island, North Bank, Upper River, Western
Independence: 18 February 1965 (from UK); The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 (effective 1 February 1982) that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989
Constitution: 24 April 1970
Legal system: based on a composite of English common law, Koranic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Alhaji Sir Dawda Kairaba JAWARA (since 24 April 1970); Vice President Bakary Bunja DARBO (since 12 May 1982)
Political parties and leaders: People's Progressive Party (PPP), Dawda K. Jawara, secretary general; National Convention Party (NCP), Sheriff Dibba; Gambian People's Party (GPP), Assan Musa Camara; United Party (UP); People's Democratic Organization of Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President--last held on 11 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992); results--Sir Dawda Jawara (PPP) 61.1%, Sherif Mustapha Dibba (NCP) 25.2%, Assan Musa Camara (GPP) 13.7%;
House of Representatives--last held on 11 March 1987 (next to be held by March 1992); results--PPP 56.6%, NCP 27.6%, GPP 14.7%, PDOIS 1%; seats--(43 total, 36 elected) PPP 31, NCP 5
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, IRC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ousman A. SALLAH; Chancery at Suite 720, 1030 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20005; telephone (202) 842-1356 or 842-1359; US--Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at Pipeline Road (Kairaba Avenue), Fajara, Banjul (mailing address is P. M. B. No. 19, Banjul); telephone Serrekunda [220] 92856 or 92858, 91970, 91971
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green
- Economy Overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. It is one of the world's poorest countries with a per capita income of about $250. About 75% of the population is engaged in crop production and livestock raising, which contributes about 30% to GDP. Small-scale manufacturing activity--processing peanuts, fish, and hides--accounts for less than 10% of GDP. Tourism is a growing industry. The Gambia imports about 33% of its food, all fuel, and most manufactured goods. Exports are concentrated on peanut products (over 75% of total value).
GDP: $195 million, per capita $250; real growth rate 4.6% (FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (FY89 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $75 million; expenditures $67 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (FY89)
Exports: $133 million (f.o.b., FY89); commodities--peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels; partners--Ghana 49%, Europe 27%, Japan 12%, US 1% (1986)
Imports: $105 million (c.i.f., FY89); commodities--foodstuffs, manufactures, raw materials, fuel, machinery and transport equipment; partners--Europe 55% (EC 39%, other 16%), Asia 20%, US 11%, Senegal 4% (1986)
External debt: $330 million (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.3% (FY88)
Electricity: 29,000 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: peanut processing, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP and employs about 75% of the population; imports one-third of food requirements; major export crop is peanuts; the principal crops--millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava, palm kernels; livestock--cattle, sheep, and goats; forestry and fishing resources not fully exploited
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $84 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $422 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $39 million
Currency: dalasi (plural--dalasi); 1 dalasi (D) = 100 bututs
Exchange rates: dalasi (D) per US$1--8.3232 (December 1989), 7.5846 (1989), 6.7086 (1988), 7.0744 (1987), 6.9380 (1986), 3.8939 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Highways: 3,083 km total; 431 km paved, 501 km gravel/laterite, and 2,151 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 400 km
Ports: Banjul
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: adequate network of radio relay and wire; 3,500 telephones; stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, paramilitary Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 182,308; 92,001 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Gaza Strip Note: The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan Heights. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. Camp David further specifies that these negotiations will resolve the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has yet to be determined. In the view of the US, the term West Bank describes all of the area west of the Jordan under Jordanian administration before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. With respect to negotiations envisaged in the framework agreement, however, it is US policy that a distinction must be made between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank because of the city's special status and circumstances. Therefore, a negotiated solution for the final status of Jerusalem could be different in character from that of the rest of the West Bank.
- Geography Total area: 380km2; land area: 380 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 62 km total; Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims: Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Disputes: Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain: flat to rolling, sand and dune covered coastal plain
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 13% arable land, 32% permanent crops, 0% meadows and pastures, 0% forest and woodland, 55% other
Environment: desertification
Note: there are 18 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip
- People Population: 615,575 (July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990); in addition, there are 2,500 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip
Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 55 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 66 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: NA
Ethnic divisions: 99.8% Palestinian Arab and other, 0.2% Jewish
Religion: 99% Muslim (predominantly Sunni), 0.7% Christian, 0.3% Jewish
Language: Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely understood
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: (excluding Israeli Jewish settlers) 32.0% small industry, commerce and business, 24.4% construction, 25.5% service and other, and 18.1% agriculture (1984)
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: none
Note: The Gaza Strip is currently governed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US policy that the final status of the Gaza Strip will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties. These negotiations will determine how this area is to be governed.
- Economy Overview: Nearly half of the labor force of the Gaza Strip is employed across the border by Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural enterprises, with worker transfer funds accounting for 40% of GNP in 1989. The once dominant agricultural sector now contributes only 13% to GNP, about the same as that of the construction sector, and industry accounts for 7%. Gaza depends upon Israel for 90% of its imports and as a market for 80% of its exports. Unrest in the territory in 1988-89 (intifadah) has raised unemployment and substantially lowered the incomes of the population.
GNP: $380 million, per capita $650; real growth rate NA% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $36.6 million; expenditures $32.0 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)
Exports: $88 million; commodities--citrus; partners--Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)
Imports: $260 million; commodities--food, consumer goods, construction materials; partners--Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: power supplied by Israel
Industries: generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center
Agriculture: olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, dairy products
Aid: none
Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural--shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1--1.9450 (January 1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-March 31
- Communications Railroads: one line, abandoned and in disrepair, but trackage remains
Highways: small, poorly developed indigenous road network
Ports: facilities for small boats to service Gaza
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway less than 1,220 m
Telecommunications: stations--no AM, no FM, no TV
- Defense Forces Branches: NA
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: German Democratic Republic (East Germany) - Geography Total area: 108,330 km2; land area: 105,980 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Tennessee
Land boundaries: 2,296 km total; Czechoslovakia 459 km, Poland 456 km, FRG 1,381 km
Coastline: 901 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: it is US policy that the final borders of Germany have not been established; the US is seeking to settle the property claims of US nationals against the GDR
Climate: temperate; cloudy, cold winters with frequent rain and snow; cool, wet summers
Terrain: mostly flat plain with hills and mountains in south
Natural resources: lignite, potash, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel
Land use: 45% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 12% meadows and pastures; 28% forest and woodland; 12% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: significant deforestation in mountains caused by air pollution and acid rain
Note: strategic location on North European Plain and near the entrance to the Baltic Sea; West Berlin is an enclave (about 116 km by air or 176 km by road from FRG)
- People Population: 16,307,170 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--German(s); adjective--German
Ethnic divisions: 99.7% German, 0.3% Slavic and other
Religion: 47% Protestant, 7% Roman Catholic, 46% unaffiliated or other; less than 5% of Protestants and about 25% of Roman Catholics active participants
Language: German
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 8,960,000; 37.5% industry, 21.1% services, 10.8% agriculture and forestry, 10.3% commerce, 7.4% transport and communications, 6.6% construction, 3.1% handicrafts, 3.2% other (1987)
Organized labor: 87.7% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: German Democratic Republic; abbreviated GDR
Type: Communist state
Capital: East Berlin (not officially recognized by France, UK, and US, which together with the USSR have special rights and responsibilities in Berlin)
Administrative divisions: 14 districts (bezirke, singular--bezirk); Cottbus, Dresden, Erfurt, Frankfurt, Gera, Halle, Karl-Marx-Stadt, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Neubrandenburg, Potsdam, Rostock, Schwerin, Suhl
Independence: self-government proclaimed 7 October 1949, with permission of the Soviet authorities
Constitution: 9 April 1968, amended 7 October 1974
Legal system: civil law system modified by Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Foundation of the German Democratic Republic, 7 October (1949)
Executive branch: Council of State abolished on 5 April 1990, post of president to be created; chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Chamber (Volkskammer)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Acting President of the People's Chamber Sabine BERGMANN-POHL (since 5 April 1990);
Head of Government--Chairman of the Council of Ministers Lothar DE MAIZIERE (since 12 April 1990); Deputy Chairman Peter-Michael DIESTEL (since 16 April 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Germany--Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Lothar de Maiziere, chairman; German Social Union (DSU), Hans-Wilhelm Ebeling, chairman; and Democratic Awakening (DA), Rainer Eppelmann, chairman;
Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Markus Meckel, acting chairman;
Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS, former Communist), Gregor Gysi, chairman;
League of Free Democrats (BFD)--Liberals, Rainer Ortleb, chairman; Free Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno Menzel, chairman; and German Forum Party (DFP), Juergen Schmieder, chairman;
Alliance '90--New Forum, Baerbel Bohley, Jens Reich, Sebastian Pflugbeil, spokespersons; Democracy Now, Konrad Weiss, spokesperson; and United Left, Herbert Misslitz, spokesperson;
Greens Party (GP), Vera Wollenberger, spokesperson;
Democratic Peasants' Party (DBD), Guenther Maleuda, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: People's Chamber--last held on 18 March 1990 (next to be held March NA); results--Alliance for Germany--CDU 40.9%, DSU 6.3%, DA 0.9%; SPD 21.8; BFD 5.3%; SPD 21.8%; PDS 16.3%; Alliance '90 2.9%; DBD 2.2%; GP 2.0%; NDPD 0.4%; others 1.0%; seats--(400 total, including 66 from East Berlin) Alliance for Germany--CDU 164, DSU 25, DA 4; SPD 87; BFD 21; PDS 65; Alliance '90 12, DBD 9; GP 8; NDPD 2; others 3
Communists: 500,000 to 700,000 party members (1990)
Member of: CEMA, IAEA, IBEC, ICES, ILO, IMO, IPU, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw Pact, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Gerhard HERDER; Chancery at 1717 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 232-3134; US--Ambassador Richard C. BARKLEY; Embassy at 1080 Berlin, Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, East Berlin (mailing address is Box E, APO New York 09742); telephone [37] (2) 220-2741
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and yellow with the coat of arms centered; the coat of arms contains, in yellow, a hammer and compass encircled by a wreath of grain with a black, red, and gold ribbon at the bottom; similar to the flag of the FRG which does not have a coat of arms
- Economy Overview: The GDR is moving rapidly away from its centrally planned economy. As the 1990s begin, economic integration with West Germany appears inevitable, beginning with the establishment of a common currency. The opening of the border with the FRG in late 1989 and the continuing emigration of hundreds of thousands of skilled workers had brought growth to a standstill by yearend 1989. Features of the old economic regime that will quickly change: (a) the collectivization of 95% of East German farms; (b) state ownership of nearly all transportation facilities, industrial plants, foreign trade organizations, and financial institutions; (c) the 65% share in trade of the USSR and other CEMA countries; and (d) the detailed control over economic details exercised by Party and state. Once integrated into the thriving West German economy, the area will have to stem the outflow of workers and renovate the obsolescent industrial base. After an initial readjustment period, living standards and quality of output will steadily rise toward West German levels.
GNP: $159.5 billion, per capita $9,679; real growth rate 1.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $123.5 billion; expenditures $123.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $33 billion (1986)
Exports: $30.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--machinery and transport equipment 47%, fuels and metals 16%, consumer goods 16%, chemical products and building materials 13%, semimanufactured goods and processed foodstuffs 8%; partners--USSR, Czechoslovakia, Poland, FRG, Hungary, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Romania
Imports: $31.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--fuels and metals 40%, machinery and transport equipment 29%, chemical products and building materials 9%; partners--CEMA countries 65%, non-Communist 33%, other 2%
External debt: $20.6 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.7% (1989 est.)
Electricity: (including East Berlin) 24,585,000 kW capacity; 122,500 million kWh produced, 7,390 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: metal fabrication, chemicals, brown coal, shipbuilding, machine building, food and beverages, textiles, petroleum
Agriculture: accounts for about 10% of GNP (including fishing and forestry); principal crops--wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruit; livestock products include pork, beef, chicken, milk, hides and skins; net importer of food; fish catch of 193,600 metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor--$4.0 billion extended bilaterally to non-Communist less developed countries (1956-88)
Currency: GDR mark (plural--marks); 1 GDR mark (M) = 100 pfennige
Exchange rates: GDR marks (M) per US$1--3.01 (1988), 3.00 (1987), 3.30 (1986), 3.70 (1985), 3.64 (1984)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 14,005 km total; 13,730 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 275 km 1.000-meter or other narrow gauge, 3,830 (est.) km 1.435-meter double-track standard gauge; 2,754 km overhead electrified (1986)
Highways: 124,615 km total; 47,214 km concrete, asphalt, stone block, of which 1,913 km are autobahn and limited access roads, 11,261 are trunk roads, and 34,040 are regional roads; 77,401 municipal roads (1985)
Inland waterways: 2,319 km (1986)
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,301 km; refined products, 500 km; natural gas, 2,150 km (1988)
Ports: Rostock, Wismar, Stralsund, Sassnitz; river ports are East Berlin, Riesa, Magdeburg, and Eisenhuttenstadt on the Elbe or Oder Rivers and connecting canals
Merchant marine: 145 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,349,537 GRT/1,733,089 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 89 cargo, 10 refrigerated cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 16 container, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas tanker, 16 bulk
Civil air: 45 major transport aircraft
Airports: 190 total, 190 usable; 70 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over 3,659 m; 45 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 40 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--23 AM, 17 FM, 21 TV; 15 Soviet TV relays; 6,181,860 TV sets; 6,700,000 radio receivers; at least 1 satellite earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: National People's Army, Border Troops, Air and Air Defense Command, People's Navy
Military manpower: eligible 15-49, 7,944,305; of the 4,045,396 males 15-49, 3,243,970 are fit for military service; 91,579 reach military age (18) annually; of the 3,898,909 females 15-49, 3,117,847 are fit for military service; 85,892 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 16.2 billion marks, 5.4% of total budget (1989); note--conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Germany, Federal Republic of (West Germany) - Geography Total area: 248,580 km2; land area: 244,280 km2; includes West Berlin
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: 4,256 km total; Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czechoslovakia 356 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, GDR 1,381 km; Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Switzerland 334 km
Coastline: 1,488 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm (extends, at one point, to 16 nm in the Helgolander Bucht)
Disputes: it is US policy that the final borders of Germany have not been established
Climate: temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity
Terrain: lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber
Land use: 30% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures; 30% forest and woodland; 20% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: air and water pollution
Note: West Berlin is an exclave (about 116 km by air or 176 km by road from FRG)
- People Population: 62,168,200 (July 1990), growth rate 0.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--German(s); adjective--German
Ethnic divisions: primarily German; Danish minority
Religion: 45% Roman Catholic, 44% Protestant, 11% other
Language: German
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 27,790,000; 41.6% industry, 35.4% services and other, 18.2% trade and transport, 4.8% agriculture (1987)
Organized labor: 9,300,000 total; 7,760,000 in German Trade Union Federation (DGB); union membership constitutes about 40% of union-eligible labor force, 34% of total labor force, and 35% of wage and salary earners (1986)
- Government Long-form name: Federal Republic of Germany; abbreviated FRG
Type: federal republic
Capital: Bonn
Administrative divisions: 10 states (lander, singular--land); Baden-Wurttemberg, Bayern, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein
Constitution: 23 May 1949, provisional constitution known as Basic Law
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: NA
Executive branch: president, chancellor, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlament) consists of an upper chamber or Federal Assembly (Bundesrat) and a lower chamber or National Assembly (Bundestag)
Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
Leaders: Chief of State--President Dr. Richard von WEIZSACKER (since 1 July 1984);
Head of Government--Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Helmut Kohl; Christian Social Union (CSU), Theo Waigel; Free Democratic Party (FDP), Otto Lambsdorff; Social Democratic Party (SPD), Hans-Jochen Vogel; National Democratic Party (NPD), Martin Mussgnug; Republikaner, Franz Schoerhuber; Communist Party (DKP), Herbert Mies; Green Party--Realos faction, Joschka Fischer; Green Party--Fundis faction, Jutta Ditfurth
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly--last held 25 January 1987 (next to be held by 18 January 1991); results--SPD 37.0%, CDU 34.5%, CSU 9.8%, FDP 9.1%, Green Party 8.2%, others 1.4%; seats--(497 total, 22 are elected by the West Berlin House of Representatives and have limited voting rights) SPD 186, CDU 174, CSU 49, FDP 46, Green Party 42
Communists: about 40,000 members and supporters
Other political or pressure groups: expellee, refugee, and veterans groups
Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, EIB, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IEA, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITC, ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jeurgen RUHFUS; Chancery at 4645 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 298-4000; there are FRG Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York, and Consulates in Miami and New Orleans; US--Ambassador Vernon WALTERS; Embassy at Deichmanns Avenue, 5300 Bonn 2 (mailing address is APO New York 09080); telephone 49 (228) 3391; there are US Consulates General in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and Stuttgart
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and yellow; similar to the flag of the GDR which has a coat of arms in the center
- Economy Overview: West Germany, a major economic power and a leading exporter, has a highly urbanized and skilled population that enjoys excellent living standards and comprehensive social welfare benefits. The FRG is poor in natural resources, coal being the most important mineral. The FRG's comparative advantage lies in the technologically advanced production stages. Thus manufacturing and services dominate economic activity, and raw materials and semimanufactures constitute a large proportion of imports. In 1988 manufacturing accounted for 35% of GDP, with other sectors contributing lesser amounts. The major economic problem in 1989 is persistent unemployment of over 8%. The FRG is well poised to take advantage of the increasing economic integration of the European Community. The dramatic opening of the boundary with East Germany in late 1989 poses new economic challenges that could tax even this powerful economy.
GDP: $945.7 billion, per capita $15,300; real growth rate 4.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 8.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $539 billion; expenditures $563 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.5 billion (1988)
Exports: $323.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--manufactures 86.6% (including machines and machine tools, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products), agricultural products 4.9%, raw materials 2.3%, fuels 1.3%; partners--EC 52.7% (France 12%, Netherlands 9%, Italy 9%, UK 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 7%), other West Europe 18%, US 10%, Eastern Europe 4%, OPEC 3% (1987)
Imports: $250.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--manufactures 68.5%, agricultural products 12.0%, fuels 9.7%, raw materials 7.1%; partners--EC 52.7% (France 12%, Netherlands 11%, Italy 10%, UK 7%, Belgium-Luxembourg 7%), other West Europe 15%, US 6%, Japan 6%, Eastern Europe 5%, OPEC 3% (1987)
External debt: $500 million (June 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.3% (1988)
Electricity: (including West Berlin) 110,075,000 kW capacity; 452,390 million kWh produced, 7,420 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: among world's largest producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, ships, vehicles, and machine tools; electronics, food and beverages
Agriculture: accounts for about 2% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); diversified crop and livestock farming; principal crops and livestock include potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbage, cattle, pigs, poultry; net importer of food; fish catch of 202,000 metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $60.0 billion
Currency: deutsche mark (plural--marks); 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige
Exchange rates: deutsche marks (DM) per US$1--1.6918 (January 1990), 1.8800 (1989), 1.7562 (1988), 1.7974 (1987), 2.1715 (1986), 2.9440 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 31,443 km total; 27,421 km government owned, 1.435-meter standard gauge (12,491 km double track, 11,501 km electrified); 4,022 km nongovernment owned, including 3,598 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (214 km electrified) and 424 km 1.000-meter gauge (186 km electrified)
Highways: 466,305 km total; 169,568 km primary, includes 6,435 km autobahn, 32,460 km national highways (Bundesstrassen), 65,425 km state highways (Landesstrassen), 65,248 km county roads (Kreisstrassen); 296,737 km of secondary communal roads (Gemeindestrassen)
Inland waterways: 5,222 km, of which almost 70% are usable by craft of 1,000-metric ton capacity or larger; major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea
Pipelines: crude oil, 2,343 km; refined products, 3,446 km; natural gas, 95,414 km
Ports: maritime--Bremerhaven, Brunsbuttel, Cuxhaven, Emden, Bremen, Hamburg, Kiel, Lubeck, Wilhelmshaven; inland--27 major
Merchant marine: 422 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,436,568 GRT/4,297,520 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 7 short-sea passenger, 218 cargo, 4 refrigerated cargo, 95 container, 20 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 railcar carrier, 7 barge carrier, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 12 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 21 chemical tanker, 15 liquefied gas, 5 combination ore/oil, 13 combination bulk
Civil air: 194 major transport aircraft
Airports: 466 total, 457 usable; 240 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 41 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 55 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed, modern telecommunication service to all parts of the country; fully adequate in all respects; 40,300,000 telephones; stations--87 AM, 205 (376 relays) FM, 300 (6,400 relays) TV; 6 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (12 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and domestic systems
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 16,006,352; 13,883,536 fit for military service; 326,666 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Ghana - Geography Total area: 238,540 km2; land area: 230,020 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: 2,093 km total; Burkina 548 km, Ivory Coast 668 km, Togo 877 km
Coastline: 539 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber
Land use: 5% arable land; 7% permanent crops; 15% meadows and pastures; 37% forest and woodland; 36% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recent drought in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; dry, northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)
Note: Lake Volta is world's largest artificial lake
- People Population: 15,165,243 (July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 89 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Ghanaian(s); adjective--Ghanaian
Ethnic divisions: 99.8% black African (major tribes--44% Akan, 16% Moshi-Dagomba, 13% Ewe, 8% Ga), 0.2% European and other
Religion: 38% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 24% Christian, 8% other
Language: English (official); African languages include Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga
Literacy: 53.2%
Labor force: 3,700,000; 54.7% agriculture and fishing, 18.7% industry, 15.2% sales and clerical, 7.7% services, transportation, and communications, 3.7% professional; 48% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: 467,000 (about 13% of labor force)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Ghana
Type: military
Capital: Accra
Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK, formerly Gold Coast)
Constitution: 24 September 1979; suspended 31 December 1981
Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
Executive branch: chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC), PNDC, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly dissolved after 31 December 1981 coup, and legislative powers were assumed by the Provisional National Defense Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--Chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council Flt. Lt. (Ret.) Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 31 December 1981)
Political parties and leaders: none; political parties outlawed after 31 December 1981 coup
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Communists: a small number of Communists and sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eric K. OTOO; Chancery at 2460 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-0761; there is a Ghanaian Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Raymond C. EWING; Embassy at Ring Road East, East of Danquah Circle, Accra (mailing address is P. O. Box 194, Accra); telephone 775347 through 775349
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the gold band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
- Economy Overview: Supported by substantial international assistance, Ghana has been implementing a steady economic rebuilding program since 1983. Good harvests in 1988 featured the 6% growth in GNP. Moves toward privatization and relaxation of government controls continued in 1988-89, although at a slower-than-expected pace. In 1988 service on the $2.8 billion debt was equivalent to 75% of export earnings. As Ghana obtains concessional loans and pays off high-interest debt, however, debt service is expected to fall below 30% of export earnings in the early 1990s. The economic rebuilding program has both helped and harmed the manufacturing sector, for example, by improving the supply of raw materials and by increasing competition from imports. The long-term outlook is favorable provided that the political structure can endure the slow pace at which living standards are improving and can manage the problems stemming from excessive population growth.
GNP: $5.2 billion, per capita $400; real growth rate 6% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 32.7% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 26% (April 1987)
Budget: revenues $769 million; expenditures $749 million, including capital expenditures of $179 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $977 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--cocoa 60%, timber, gold, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum; partners--US 23%, UK, other EC
Imports: $988 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--petroleum 16%, consumer goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital equipment; partners--US 10%, UK, FRG, France, Japan, South Korea, GDR
External debt: $3.0 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.5% in manufacturing (1987)
Electricity: 1,172,000 kW capacity; 4,110 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, fishing, aluminum, food processing
Agriculture: accounts for more than 50% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); the major cash crop is cocoa; other principal crops--rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts, corn, shea nuts, timber; normally self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $424 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $84 million
Currency: cedi (plural--cedis); 1 cedi (C) = 100 pesewas
Exchange rates: cedis (C) per US$1--301.68 (December 1989), 270.00 (1989), 202.35 (1988), 153.73 (1987), 89.20 (1986), 54.37 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 953 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 32 km double track; railroads undergoing major renovation
Highways: 28,300 km total; 6,000 km concrete or bituminous surface, 22,300 km gravel, laterite, and improved earth surfaces
Inland waterways: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 155 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways
Pipelines: none
Ports: Tema, Takoradi
Merchant marine: 4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 52,016 GRT/66,627 DWT
Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
Airports: 10 total, 9 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor to fair system of open-wire and cable, radio relay links; 38,000 telephones; stations--6 AM, no FM, 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Palace Guard, paramilitary People's Militia
Military manpower: males 15-49, 3,437,300; 1,927,817 fit for military service; 167,778 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 0.9% of GNP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Gibraltar (dependent territory of the UK) - Geography Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 1.2 km with Spain
Coastline: 12 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: source of occasional friction between Spain and the UK
Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders The Rock
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: natural freshwater sources are meager so large water catchments (concrete or natural rock) collect rain water
Note: strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
- People Population: 29,572 (July 1990), growth rate 0.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Gibraltarian; adjective--Gibraltar
Ethnic divisions: mostly Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish descent
Religion: 75% Roman Catholic, 8% Church of England, 2.25% Jewish
Language: English and Spanish are primary languages; Italian, Portuguese, and Russian also spoken; English used in the schools and for official purposes
Literacy: 99% (est.)
Labor force: about 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers); UK military establishments and civil government employ nearly 50% of the labor force
Organized labor: over 6,000
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Gibraltar
Administrative divisions: none (colony of the UK)
Independence: none (colony of the UK)
Constitution: 30 May 1969
Legal system: English law
National holiday: Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March), 12 March 1990
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister, Gibraltar Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter TERRY (since NA 1985);
Head of Government--Chief Minister Joe BOSSANO (since NA March 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist Labor Party (SL), Joe Bossano; Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (GCL/AACR), Adolfo Canepa; Independent Democratic Party, Joe Pitaluga
Suffrage: universal at age 18, plus other UK subjects resident six months or more
Elections: House of Assembly: last held on 24 March 1988 (next to be held March 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(18 total, 15 elected) SL 8, GCL/AACR 7
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: Housewives Association, Chamber of Commerce, Gibraltar Representatives Organization
Diplomatic representation: none (colony of the UK)
Flag: two horizontal bands of white (top, double-width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band
- Economy Overview: The economy depends heavily on British defense expenditures, revenue from tourists, fees for services to shipping, and revenues from banking and finance activities. Because more than 70% of the economy is in the public sector, changes in government spending have a major impact on the level of employment. Construction workers are particularly affected when government expenditures are cut.
GNP: $129 million, per capita $4,450; real growth rate NA% (FY85)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $105 million; expenditures $104 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY87)
Exports: $62.2 million (1985); commodities--(principally reexports) petroleum 75%, beverages and tobacco 12%, manufactured goods 8%; partners--UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
Imports: $147 million (1985); commodities--manufactured goods, fuels, and foodstuffs; partners--UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 46,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 6,770 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce; support to large UK naval and air bases; transit trade and supply depot in the port; light manufacturing of tobacco, roasted coffee, ice, mineral waters, candy, beer, and canned fish
Agriculture: NA
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $0.8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $162.5 million
Currency: Gibraltar pound (plural--pounds); 1 Gibraltar pound (LG) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (LG) per US$1--0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note--the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 1.000-meter-gauge system in dockyard area only
Highways: 50 km, mostly good bitumen and concrete
Ports: Gibraltar
Merchant marine: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,126,060 GRT/4,189,948 DWT; includes 10 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 16 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker 1 combination oil/ore, 1 liquefied gas, 13 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate international radiocommunication facilities; automatic telephone system with 10,500 telephones; stations--1 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Glorioso Islands (French possession) - Geography Total area: 5 km2; land area: 5 km2; includes Ile Glorieuse, Ile du Lys, Verte Rocks, Wreck Rock, and South Rock
Comparative area: about 8.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 35.2 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
Climate: tropical
Terrain: undetermined
Natural resources: guano, coconuts
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other--lush vegetation and coconut palms
Environment: subject to periodic cyclones
Note: located in the Indian Ocean just north of the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar
- People Population: uninhabited
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Airports: 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Greece - Geography Total area: 131,940 km2; land area: 130,800 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Alabama
Land boundaries: 1,228 km total; Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Yugoslavia 246 km
Coastline: 13,676 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: complex maritime and air (but not territorial) disputes with Turkey in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Macedonia question with Bulgaria and Yugoslavia; Northern Epirus question with Albania
Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magnesite, crude oil, marble
Land use: 23% arable land; 8% permanent crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 20% forest and woodland; 9% other; includes 7% irrigated
Environment: subject to severe earthquakes; air pollution; archipelago of 2,000 islands
Note: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits
- People Population: 10,028,171 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Greek(s); adjective--Greek
Ethnic divisions: Greek 98%, others 2%; note--the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece
Religion: 98% Greek Orthodox, 1.3% Muslim, 0.7% other
Language: Greek (official); English and French widely understood
Literacy: 95%
Labor force: 3,860,000; 43% services, 27% agriculture, 20% manufacturing and mining, 7% construction (1985)
Organized labor: 10-15% of total labor force, 20-25% of urban labor force
- Government Long-form name: Hellenic Republic
Type: presidential parliamentary government; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974
Capital: Athens
Administrative divisions: 51 departments (nomoi, singular--nomos); Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis, Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama, Evritania, Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia, Imathia, Ioannina, Iraklion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkira, Khalkidhiki, Khania, Khios, Kikladhes, Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lesvos, Levkas, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos
Independence: 1827 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Constitution: 11 June 1975
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Independence Day (proclamation of the war of independence), 25 March (1821)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Vouli)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President Christos SARTZETAKIS (since 30 March 1985);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Constantin MITSOTAKIS (since 11 April 1990)
Political parties and leaders: New Democracy (ND; conservative), Constantine Mitsotakis; Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), Andreas Papandreou; Democratic Renewal (DR), Constantine Stefanopoulos; Communist Party (KKE), Grigorios Farakos; Greek Left Party (EAR), Leonidas Kyrkos; KKE and EAR have joined in the Left Alliance, Harilaos Florakis, president
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections: President--last held 30 March 1985 (next to be held 29 April 1990); results--Christos Sartzetakis was elected by Parliament;
Parliament:--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1994); results--New Democracy 46.89%, Panhellenic Socialist Movement 38.62%, Left Alliance 10.27%, PASOK-Left Alliance Cooperation 1.02%, Ecologist-Alternative 0.77%, Democratic Renewal 0.67%, Muslim 0.5%; seats--(300 total) New Democracy 150, Panhellenic Socialist Movement 123, Left Alliance 19, PASOK-Left Alliance Cooperation 4, Muslim independent 2, Democratic Renewal 1, Ecologist-Alternative 1
Communists: an estimated 60,000 members and sympathizers
Member of: CCC, EC, EIB (associate), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS; Chancery at 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-3168; there are Greek Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and a Consulate in New Orleans; US--Ambassador Michael G. SOTIRHOS; Embassy at 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens (mailing address is APO New York 09253); telephone [30] (1) 721-2951 or 721-8401; there is a US Consulate General in Thessaloniki
Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Christianity, the established religion of the country
- Economy Overview: Greece has a mixed capitalistic economy with the basic entrepreneurial system overlaid in 1981-89 by a socialist-left-government that enlarged the public sector and became the nation's largest employer. Like many other Western economies, Greece suffered severely from the global oil price hikes of the 1970s, annual GDP growth plunging from 8% to 2% in the 1980s, and inflation, unemployment, and budget deficits rising sharply. The fall of the socialist government in 1989 and the inability of the conservative opposition to muster a clear majority have led to business uncertainty and the continued prospects for lackluster economic performance. Once the political situation is sorted out, Greece will have to face the challenges posed by the steadily increasing integration of the European Community, including the progressive lowering of tariff barriers. Tourism continues as a major industry, providing a vital offset to the sizable commodity trade deficit.
GDP: $56.3 billion, per capita $5,605; real growth rate 2.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.8% (December 1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.7% (1988)
Budget: revenues $15.5 billion; expenditures $23.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.5 billion (1988)
Exports: $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels and lubricants, raw materials; partners--FRG 24%, Italy 14%, nonoil developing countries 11.8%, France 9.5%, US 7.1%, UK 6.8%
Imports: $13.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--machinery and transport equipment, light manufactures, fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs, chemicals; partners--FRG 22%, nonoil developing countries 14%, oil exporting countries 13%, Italy 12%, France 8%, US 3.2%
External debt: $20.0 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.6% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,420 million kWh produced, 3,630 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, mining, petroleum
Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for 14% of GNP and 27% of the labor force; principal products--wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes, beef, mutton, pork, dairy products; self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 135,000 metric tons in 1987
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $525 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.3 billion
Currency: drachma (plural--drachmas); 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta
Exchange rates: drachma (Dr) per US$1--158.03 (January 1990), 162.42 (1989), 141.86 (1988), 135.43 (1987), 139.98 (1986), 138.12 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 2,479 km total; 1,565 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, of which 36 km electrified and 100 km double track, 892 km 1.000-meter gauge; 22 km 0.750-meter narrow gauge; all government owned
Highways: 38,938 km total; 16,090 km paved, 13,676 km crushed stone and gravel, 5,632 km improved earth, 3,540 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 80 km; system consists of three coastal canals and three unconnected rivers
Pipelines: crude oil, 26 km; refined products, 547 km
Ports: Piraeus, Thessaloniki
Merchant marine: 954 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,544,516 GRT/36,858,545 DWT; includes 15 passenger, 58 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 164 cargo, 18 container, 20 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 27 refrigerated cargo, 182 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 10 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 20 combination ore/oil, 6 specialized tanker, 407 bulk, 15 specialized bulk; note--ethnic Greeks also own large numbers of ships under the registry of Liberia, Panama, Cyprus, and Lebanon
Civil air: 39 major transport aircraft
Airports: 79 total, 77 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; 4,079,000 telephones; stations--30 AM, 17 (20 repeaters) FM, 39 (560 repeaters) TV; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and MARISAT systems
- Defense Forces Branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 2,418,754; 1,861,141 fit for military service; about 73,809 reach military age (21) annually
Defense expenditures: 6.0% of GDP, or $3.4 billion (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Greenland (part of the Danish realm) - Geography Total area: 2,175,600 km2; land area: 341,700 km2 (ice free)
Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 44,087 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 4 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen
Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
Terrain: flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Natural resources: zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, cryolite, uranium, fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 99% other
Environment: sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island
Note: dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe
- People Population: 56,078 (July 1990), growth rate 1.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 28 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 68 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Greenlander(s); adjective--Greenlandic
Ethnic divisions: 86% Greenlander (Eskimos and Greenland-born Caucasians), 14% Danish
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran
Language: Eskimo dialects, Danish
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 22,800; largely engaged in fishing, hunting, sheep breeding
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division
Capital: Nuuk (Godthab)
Administrative divisions: 3 municipalities (kommuner, singular--kommun); Nordgronland, Ostgronland, Vestgronland
Independence: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division
Constitution: Danish
Legal system: Danish
National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Executive branch: Danish monarch, high commissioner, home rule chairman, prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyre)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Landsting)
Judicial branch: High Court (Landsret)
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA);
Head of Government--Home Rule Chairman Jonathan MOTZFELDT (since NA May 1979)
Political parties: Siumut (moderate socialist, advocates more distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark); Atassut Party (more conservative, favors continuing close relations with Denmark); Inuit Ataqatigiit (Marxist-Leninist party that favors complete independence from Denmark rather than home rule); Polar Party (Conservative-Greenland Nationalist)
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Parliament--last held on 27 May 1987 (next to be held by 27 May 1991); results--Siumut 39.8%, Atassut Party 40.1%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 15.3%, Polar Party 4.5%; seats--(27 total) Siumut 11, Atassut Party 11, Inuit Ataqatigiit 4, Polar Party 1;
Danish Parliament--last held on 10 May 1988 (next to be held by 10 May 1992); Greenland elects two representatives to the Danish Parliament; results--(percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) number of seats by party NA
Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Flag: the flag of Denmark is used
- Economy Overview: Over the past 25 years, the economy has changed from one based on subsistence whaling, hunting, and fishing to one dependent on foreign trade. Fishing is still the most important industry, accounting for over two-thirds of exports and about 25% of the population's income. Exploitation of mineral resources is limited to lead and zinc. Maintenance of a social welfare system similar to Denmark's has given the public sector a dominant role in the economy. Greenland is heavily dependent on an annual subsidy of about $400 million from the Danish Government.
GNP: $500 million, per capita $9,000; real growth rate 5% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 10%
Budget: revenues $380 million; expenditures $380 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985)
Exports: $386.2 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--fish and fish products, metallic ores and concentrates; partners--Denmark 76%, FRG 7%, Sweden 5%
Imports: $445.6 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and transport equipment, food products; partners--Denmark 66%, Norway 5%, Sweden 4%, FRG 4%, Japan 4% US 3%
External debt: $445 million (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 84,000 kW capacity; 176 million kWh produced, 3,180 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fish processing, lead and zinc mining, handicrafts
Agriculture: sector dominated by fishing and sheep raising; crops limited to forage and small garden vegetables; 1987 fish catch of 101,000 metric tons
Aid: none
Currency: Danish krone (plural--kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore
Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1--6.560 (January 1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 80 km
Ports: Kangerluarsoruseq (Faeringehavn), Paamiut (Frederikshaab), Nuuk (Godthaab), Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Julianehaab, Maarmorilik, North Star Bay, and at least 10 minor ports
Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,021 GRT/1,778 DWT; note--operates under the registry of Denmark
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 11 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate domestic and international service provided by cables and radio relay; 17,900 telephones; stations--5 AM, 7 (35 relays) FM, 4 (9 relays) TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Note: defense is responsibility of Denmark ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Grenada - Geography Total area: 340 km2; land area: 340 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 121 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds
Terrain: volcanic in origin with central mountains
Natural resources: timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
Land use: 15% arable land; 26% permanent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 9% forest and woodland; 47% other
Environment: lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
Note: islands of the Grenadines group are divided politically with St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- People Population: 84,135 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 33 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Grenadian(s); adjective--Grenadian
Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent
Religion: largely Roman Catholic; Anglican; other Protestant sects
Language: English (official); some French patois
Literacy: 85%
Labor force: 36,000; 31% services, 24% agriculture, 8% construction, 5% manufacturing, 32% other (1985)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Saint George's
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Little Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
Independence: 7 February 1974 (from UK)
Constitution: 19 December 1973
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 February (1974)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Ministers of Government (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Paul SCOON (since 30 September 1978);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Nicholas BRATHWAITE (since 13 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nicholas Brathwaite; Grenada United Labor Party (GULP), Sir Eric Gairy; The National Party (TNP), Ben Jones; New National Party (NNP), Keith Mitchell; Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (MBPM), Terrence Merryshow; New Jewel Movement (NJM), Bernard Coard
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives--last held on 13 March 1990 (next to be held by March 1996); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(15 total) NDC 8, GULP 3, TNP 2, NNP 2
Communists: about 450 members of the New Jewel Movement (pro-Soviet) and the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (pro-Cuban)
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Albert O. XAVIER; Chancery at 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 265-2561; there is a Grenadian Consulate General in New York; US--Charge d'Affaires James F. COOPER; Embassy at Ross Point Inn, Saint George's (mailing address is P. O. Box 54, Saint George's); telephone [440] 1731 or 1734
Flag: a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side) with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions
- Economy Overview: The economy is essentially agricultural and centers on the traditional production of spices and tropical plants. Agriculture accounts for about 20% of GDP and 90% of exports and employs 24% of the labor force. Tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner, followed by agricultural exports. Manufacturing remains relatively undeveloped, but with a more favorable private investment climate since 1983, it is expected to grow. Despite an impressive average annual growth rate for the economy of 5.5% during the period 1984-88, unemployment remains high at about 26%.
GDP: $129.7 million, per capita $1,535; real growth rate 5% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.0% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 26% (1988)
Budget: revenues $74.2 million; expenditures $82.3 million, including capital expenditures of $27.8 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $31.8 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--nutmeg 35%, cocoa beans 15%, bananas 13%, mace 7%, textiles; partners--US 4%, UK, FRG, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago
Imports: $92.6 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--machinery 24%, food 22%, manufactured goods 19%, petroleum 8%; partners--US 32%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada
External debt: $108 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.8% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 11,400 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food and beverage, textile, light assembly operations, tourism, construction
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP and 90% of exports; bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, and mace account for two-thirds of total crop production; world's second-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of nutmeg and mace; small-size farms predominate, growing a variety of citrus fruits, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, and vegetables
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY84-88), $60 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $61 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $32 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 1,000 km total; 600 km paved, 300 km otherwise improved; 100 km unimproved
Ports: Saint George's
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: automatic, islandwide telephone system with 5,650 telephones; new SHF links to Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent; VHF and UHF links to Trinidad and Carriacou; stations--1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal Grenada Police Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Guadeloupe (overseas department of France) - Geography Total area: 1,780 km2; land area: 1,760 km2
Comparative area: 10 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 306 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: subtropical tempered by trade winds; relatively high humidity
Terrain: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grand-Terre is low limestone formation
Natural resources: cultivable land, beaches, and climate that foster tourism
Land use: 18% arable land; 5% permanent crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 40% forest and woodland; 24% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano
Note: located 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
- People Population: 342,175 (July 1990), growth rate 0.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Guadeloupian(s); adjective--Guadeloupe
Ethnic divisions: 90% black or mulatto; 5% white; less than 5% East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 5% Hindu and pagan African
Language: French, creole patois
Literacy: over 70%
Labor force: 120,000; 53.0% services, government, and commerce, 25.8% industry, 21.2% agriculture
Organized labor: 11% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Department of Guadeloupe
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Basse-Terre
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: government commissioner
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Paul PROUST (since November 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Marlene Captant; Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard Celeste; Socialist Party (PSG), Dominique Larifla; Independent Republicans; Union for French Democracy (UDF); Union for a New Majority (UNM)
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: General Council --last held NA 1986 (next to be held by NA 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(42 total) number of seats by party NA;
Regional Council--last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held by 16 March 1992); results--RPR 33.1%, PS 28.7%, PCG 23.8%, UDF 10.7%, others 3.8%; seats--(41 total) RPR 15, PS 12, PCG 10, UDF 4;
French Senate--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) PCG 1, PS 1;
French National Assembly--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1994); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat
Communists: 3,000 est.
Other political or pressure groups: Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Popular Movement for Independent Guadeloupe (MPGI); General Union of Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG); General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers (CGT-G); Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (KLPG)
Member of: WFTU
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, the interests of Guadeloupe are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It is also dependent upon France for large subsidies and income and social transfers. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US. In addition, an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditionally important sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, which comes mainly from France. Light industry consists mostly of sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young.
GDP: $1.1 billion, per capita $3,300; real growth rate NA% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1983)
Budget: revenues $251 million; expenditures $251 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
Exports: $109 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--bananas, sugar, rum; partners--France 72%, Martinique 16% (1984)
Imports: $792 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--vehicles, foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum products; partners--France 59% (1984)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 103,000 kW capacity; 315 million kWh produced, 920 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
Agriculture: cash crops--bananas and sugarcane; other products include tropical fruits and vegetables; livestock--cattle, pigs, and goats; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $4 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $7.7 billion
Currency: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines
Highways: 1,940 km total; 1,600 km paved, 340 km gravel and earth
Ports: Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 9 total, 9 usable, 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic facilities inadequate; 57,300 telephones; interisland radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique; stations--2 AM, 8 FM (30 private stations licensed to broadcast FM), 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
- Defense Forces Note: defense is responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Guam (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 541 km2; land area: 541 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 125.5 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to June, rainy season from July to December; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coraline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water) with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low-rising hills in center, mountains in south
Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)
Land use: 11% arable land; 11% permanent crops; 15% meadows and pastures; 18% forest and woodland; 45% other
Environment: frequent squalls during rainy season; subject to relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)
Note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean 5,955 km west-southwest of Honolulu about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines
- People Population: 141,039 (July 1990), growth rate 2.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Guamanian(s); adjective--Guamanian
Ethnic divisions: 47% Chamorro, 25% Filipino, 10% Caucasian, 18% Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other
Religion: 98% Roman Catholic, 2% other
Language: English and Chamorro, most residents bilingual; Japanese also widely spoken
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 54,000; 42% government, 58% private (1988)
Organized labor: 13% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Territory of Guam
Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US
Capital: Agana
Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
Independence: none (territory of the US)
Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 1950
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March), 6 March 1989
Executive branch: US president, governor, lieutenant governor, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature
Judicial branch: Superior Court of Guam (Federal District Court)
Leaders: Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989);
Head of Government--Governor Joseph A. ADA (since NA November 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party (controls the legislature); Republican Party (party of the Governor)
Suffrage: universal at age 18; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Elections: Governor--last held on NA November 1986 (next to be held November 1990);
Legislature--last held on 8 November 1988 (next to be held November 1990); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(21 total) Democratic 13, Republican 8;
US House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held November 1990); Guam elects one nonvoting delegate; results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) Republican 1
Communists: none
Note: relations between Guam and the US are under the jurisdiction of the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
Flag: dark blue with a narrow red border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters
- Economy Overview: The economy is based on US military spending and on revenues from tourism. Over the past 20 years the tourist industry has grown rapidly, creating a construction boom for new hotels and the expansion of older ones. Visitors numbered about 800,000 in 1989. The small manufacturing sector includes textile and clothing, beverage, food, and watch production. About 58% of the labor force works for the private sector and the rest for government. Most food and industrial goods are imported, with about 75% from the US. In 1989 the unemployment rate was about 3%, down from 10% in 1983.
GNP: $1.0 billion, per capita $7,675; real growth rate 20% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.9% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 3% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $208.0 million; expenditures $175 million, including capital expenditures of $17 million (1987 est.)
Exports: $39 million (f.o.b., 1983); commodities--mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products, copra, fish; partners--US 25%, others 75%
Imports: $611 million (c.i.f., 1983); commodities--mostly crude petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods; partners--US 77%, others 23%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 500,000 kW capacity; 2,300 million kWh produced, 16,660 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: US military, tourism, petroleum refining, construction, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles
Agriculture: relatively undeveloped with most food imported; fruits, vegetables, eggs, pork, poultry, beef, copra
Aid: NA
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications Highways: 674 km all-weather roads
Ports: Apra Harbor
Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 26,317 telephones (1989); stations--3 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground stations
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Guatemala - Geography Total area: 108,890 km2; land area: 108,430 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Tennessee
Land boundaries: 1,687 km total; Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
Coastline: 400 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claims Belize, but boundary negotiations are under way
Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)
Natural resources: crude oil, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle
Land use: 12% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 12% meadows and pastures; 40% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Note: no natural harbors on west coast
- People Population: 9,097,636 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 61 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 65 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Guatemalan(s); adjective--Guatemalan
Ethnic divisions: 56% Ladino (mestizo--mixed Indian and European ancestry), 44% Indian
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic; also Protestant, traditional Mayan
Language: Spanish, but over 40% of the population speaks an Indian language as a primary tongue (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
Literacy: 50%
Labor force: 2,500,000; 57.0% agriculture, 14.0% manufacturing, 13.0% services, 7.0% commerce, 4.0% construction, 3.0% transport, 0.8% utilities, 0.4% mining (1985)
Organized labor: 8% of labor force (1988 est.)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Guatemala
Type: republic
Capital: Guatemala
Administrative divisions: 22 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quezaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986
Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Mario Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo (since 14 January 1986); Vice President Roberto CARPIO Nicolle (since 14 January 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DCG), Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo; National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge Carpio Nicolle; National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario Sandoval Alarcon; Social Action Movement (MAS), Jorge Serrano Elias; Revolutionary Party (PR) in coalition with National Renewal Party (PNR), Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario Solarzano Martinez; National Authentic Center (CAN), Mario David Garcia; United Anti-Communist Party (PUA), Leonel Sisniega; Emerging Movement for Harmony (MEC), Louis Gordillo; Democratic Party of National Cooperation (PDCN), Adan Fletes; Democratic Institutional Party (PID), Oscar Rivas; Nationalist United Front (FUN), Gabriel Giron
Suffrage: universal at age 18, compulsory for literates, voluntary for illiterates
Elections: President--last held on 3 December 1985 (next to be held 3 November 1990); results--Mario Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo (DCG) 38.7%, Jorge Carpio Nicolle (UCN) 20.2%, Jorge Serrano Elias (PDCN/PR) 14.8%;
National Congress--last held on 3 November 1985 (next to be held 3 November 1990); results--DCG 38.7%, UCN 20.2%, PDCN/PR 13.8%, MLN/PID 12.6%, CAN 6.3%, PSD 3.4%, PNR 3.2%, PUA/FUN/MEC 1.9%; seats--(100 total) DCG 51, UCN 22, MLN 12, PDCN/PR 11, PSD 2, PNR 1, CAN 1
Communists: Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT); main radical left guerrilla groups--Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP), Revolutionary Organization of the People in Arms (ORPA), Rebel Armed Forces (FAR), and PGT dissidents
Other political or pressure groups: Federated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACIF), Mutual Support Group (GAM), Unity for Popular and Labor Action (UASP), Agrarian Owners Group (UNAGRO), Committee for Campesino Unity (CUC)
Member of: CACM, CCC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Rodolfo ROHRMOSER V; Chancery at 2220 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-4952 through 4954; there are Guatemalan Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Thomas F. STROOCK; Embassy at 7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City (mailing address is APO Miami 34024); telephone [502] (2) 31-15-41
Flag: three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath
- Economy Overview: The economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for 25% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds of exports. Industry accounts for about 20% of GDP and 15% of the labor force. The economy has reentered a slow-growth phase, but is hampered by political uncertainty. In 1988 the economy grew by 3.7%, the third consecutive year of mild growth. Government economic reforms introduced since 1986 have stabilized exchange rates and have helped to stem inflationary pressures. The inflation rate has dropped from 36.9% in 1986 to 15% in 1989.
GDP: $10.8 billion, per capita $1,185; real growth rate 1.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 13%, with 30-40% underemployment (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $771 million; expenditures $957 million, including capital expenditures of $188 million (1988)
Exports: $1.02 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coffee 38%, bananas 7%, sugar 7%, cardamom 4%; partners--US 29%, El Salvador, FRG, Costa Rica, Italy
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles; partners--US 38%, Mexico, FRG, Japan, El Salvador
External debt: $3.0 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 807,000 kW capacity; 2,540 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP; most important sector of economy and contributes two-thirds to export earnings; principal crops--sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; livestock--cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; the government has engaged in aerial eradication of opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $869 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $7.7 billion
Currency: quetzal (plural--quetzales); 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: free market quetzales (Q) per US$1--3.3913 (January 1990), 2.8261 (1989), 2.6196 (1988), 2.500 (1987), 1.875 (1986), 1.000 (1985); note--black-market rate 2.800 (May 1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 870 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 780 km government owned, 90 km privately owned
Highways: 26,429 km total; 2,868 km paved, 11,421 km gravel, and 12,140 unimproved
Inland waterways: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season
Pipelines: crude oil, 275 km
Ports: Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT
Civil air: 10 major transport aircraft
Airports: 451 total, 391 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 19 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fairly modern network centered in Guatemala pcityo; 97,670 telephones; stations--91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave; connection into Central American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 2,028,875; 1,327,374 fit for military service; 107,251 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1% of GDP, or $115 million (1990 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Guernsey (British crown dependency) - Geography Total area: 194 km2; land area: 194 km2; includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands
Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 50 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast
Terrain: mostly level with low hills in southwest
Natural resources: cropland
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; about 50% cultivated
Environment: large, deepwater harbor at St. Peter Port
Note: 52 km west of France
- People Population: 57,227 (July 1990), growth rate 0.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Channel Islander(s); adjective--Channel Islander
Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French descent
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist
Language: English, French; Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Literacy: NA%, but universal education
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Bailiwick of Guernsey
Type: British crown dependency
Capital: St. Peter Port
Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
Independence: none (British crown dependency)
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system: English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court
National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, bailiff, deputy bailiff
Legislative branch: States of Deliberation
Judicial branch: Royal Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government--Lieutenant Governor Lt. Gen. Sir Alexander BOSWELL (since 1985); Bailiff Sir Charles FROSSARD (since 1982)
Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: States of Deliberation--last held NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(60 total, 33 elected), all independents
Communists: none
Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
Flag: white with the red cross of St. George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag
- Economy Overview: Tourism is a major source of revenue. Other economic activity includes financial services, breeding the world-famous Guernsey cattle, and growing tomatoes and flowers for export.
GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate 9% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $145.0 million; expenditures $117.2 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
Exports: $NA; commodities--tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables; partners--UK (regarded as internal trade)
Imports: $NA; commodities--coal, gasoline and oil; partners--UK (regarded as internal trade)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 173,000 kW capacity; 525 million kWh produced, 9,340 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, banking
Agriculture: tomatoes, flowers (mostly grown in greenhouses), sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables and fruit; Guernsey cattle
Aid: none
Currency: Guernsey pound (plural--pounds); 1 Guernsey (LG) pound = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds (LG) per US$1--0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note--the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Ports: St. Peter Port, St. Sampson
Airport: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m (La Villiaze)
Telecommunications: stations--1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 41,900 telephones; 1 submarine cable
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Guinea - Geography Total area: 245,860 km2; land area: 245,860 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: 3,399 km total; Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Ivory Coast 610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km
Coastline: 320 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain: generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Natural resources: bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish
Land use: 6% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 12% meadows and pastures; 42% forest and woodland; 40% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; deforestation
- People Population: 7,269,240 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 22 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 147 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 40 years male, 44 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Guinean(s); adjective--Guinean
Ethnic divisions: Fulani, Malinke, Sousou, 15 smaller tribes
Religion: 85% Muslim, 5% indigenous beliefs, 1.5% Christian
Language: French (official); each tribe has its own language
Literacy: 20% in French; 48% in local languages
Labor force: 2,400,000 (1983); 82.0% agriculture, 11.0% industry and commerce, 5.4% services; 88,112 civil servants (1987); 52% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: virtually 100% of wage earners loosely affiliated with the National Confederation of Guinean Workers
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Guinea
Type: republic
Capital: Conakry
Administrative divisions: 29 administrative regions (regions administratives, singular--region administrative); Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou
Independence: 2 October 1958 (from France; formerly French Guinea)
Constitution: 14 May 1982, suspended after coup of 3 April 1984
Legal system: based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)
Executive branch: president, Military Committee for National Recovery (Comite Militaire de Redressement National or CMRN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire) was dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--Gen. Lansana CONTE (since 5 April 1984)
Political parties and leaders: none; following the 3 April 1984 coup all political activity was banned
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Communists: no Communist party, although there are some sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, Mano River Union, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Kekoura CAMARA; Chancery at 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-9420; US--Ambassador Samuel E. LUPO; Embassy at 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry (mailing address is B. P. 603, Conakry); telephone 44-15-20 through 24
Flag: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Rwanda which has a large black letter R centered in the yellow band
- Economy Overview: Although possessing many natural resources and considerable potential for agricultural development, Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world. The agricultural sector contributes about 40% to GDP and employs more than 80% of the work force, while industry accounts for about 25% of GDP. Guinea possesses over 25% of the world's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for more than 80% of total exports in 1986.
GDP: $2.5 billion, per capita $350; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27.0% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $357 million; expenditures $480 million, including capital expenditures of $229 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $553 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels; partners--US 33%, EC 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada
Imports: $509 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles and other grain; partners--US 16%, France, Brazil
External debt: $1.6 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 113,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: bauxite mining, alumina, diamond mining, light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP (includes fishing and forestry); mostly subsistence farming; principal products--rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, timber; livestock--cattle, sheep and goats; not self-sufficient in food grains
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $203 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $882 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $446 million
Currency: Guinean franc (plural--francs); 1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Guinean francs (FG) per US$1--505.00 (October 1988), 440.00 (January 1988), 440.00 (1987), 235.63 (1986), 22.47 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 1,045 km; 806 km 1.000-meter gauge, 239 km 1.435-meter standard gauge
Highways: 30,100 km total; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite (of which barely 4,500 km are currently all-weather roads), 16,000 km unimproved earth (1987)
Inland waterways: 1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft
Ports: Conakry, Kamsar
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 16 total, 16 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system; 10,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 12,000 TV sets; 125,000 radio receivers; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Army (ground forces), Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,657,787; 834,777 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (1984) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Guinea-Bissau - Geography Total area: 36,120 km2; land area: 28,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: 724 km total; Guinea 386, Senegal 338 km
Coastline: 350 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rendered its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary (in favor of Senegal)--that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau
Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoon-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Natural resources: unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite, phosphates; fish, timber
Land use: 11% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 43% meadows and pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 7% other
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
- People Population: 998,963 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 19 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 127 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male, 48 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective--Guinea-Bissauan
Ethnic divisions: about 99% African (30% Balanta, 20% Fula, 14% Manjaca, 13% Mandinga, 7% Papel); less than 1% European and mulatto
Religion: 65% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 5% Christian
Language: Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages
Literacy: 34% (1986)
Labor force: 403,000 (est.); 90% agriculture, 5% industry, services, and commerce, 5% government; 53% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: only one trade union--the National Union of Workers of Guinea-Bissau (UNTG)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Type: republic; highly centralized one-party regime since September 1974
Capital: Bissau
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular--regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali
Independence: 24 September 1973 (from Portugal; formerly Portuguese Guinea)
Constitution: 16 May 1984
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
Executive branch: president of the Council of State, vice presidents of the Council of State, Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)
Judicial branch: none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President of the Council of State Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (assumed power 14 November 1980 and elected President of Council of State on 16 May 1984); First Vice President Col. Iafai CAMARA (since 7 November 1985); Second Vice President Vasco CABRAL (since 21 June 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party--African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), President Joao Bernardo Vieira, leader; the party decided to retain the binational title despite its formal break with Cape Verde
Suffrage: universal at age 15
Elections: President of Council of State--last held 19 June 1989 (next to be held 19 June 1994); results--Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo Vieira was reelected without opposition by the National People's Assembly;
National People's Assembly--last held 15 June 1989 (next to be held 15 June 1994); results--PAIGC is the only party; seats--(150 total) PAIGC 150, appointed by Regional Councils;
Regional Councils--last held 1 June 1989 (next to be held 1 June 1994); results--PAIGC is the only party; seats--(473 total) PAIGC 473, by public plebiscite
Communists: a few Communists, some sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IRC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Alfredo Lopes CABRAL; Chancery (temporary) at the Guinea-Bissauan Permanent Mission to the UN, Suite 604, 211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 661-3977; US--Ambassador William L. JACOBSEN; Embassy at 17 Avenida Domingos Ramos, Bissau (mailing address is C. P. 297, Bissau); telephone [245] 212816, 21817, 213674
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Cape Verde which has the black star raised above the center of the red band and is framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell
- Economy Overview: Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita GDP below $200. Agriculture and fishing are the main economic activities, with cashew nuts, peanuts, and palm kernels the primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of development. The government's four-year plan (1988-91) has targeted agricultural development as the top priority.
GDP: $152 million, per capita $160 (1988); real growth rate 5.6% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $20 million; expenditures $25 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
Exports: $15 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--cashews, fish, peanuts, palm kernels; partners--Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Cape Verde, China
Imports: $49 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--capital equipment, consumer goods, semiprocessed goods, foods, petroleum; partners--Portugal, USSR, EC countries, other Europe, Senegal, US
External debt: $465 million (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.7% (1986 est.)
Electricity: 22,000 kW capacity; 28 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: agricultural processing, beer, soft drinks
Agriculture: accounts for over 50% of GDP, nearly 100% of exports, and 80% of employment; rice is the staple food; other crops include corn, beans, cassava, cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and cotton; not self-sufficient in food; fishing and forestry potential not fully exploited
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $46 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $519 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $41 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $68 million
Currency: Guinea-Bissauan peso (plural--pesos); 1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1--650 pesos (December 1989), NA (1988), 851.65 (1987), 238.98 (1986), 173.61 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 3,218 km; 2,698 km bituminous, remainder earth
Inland waterways: scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce
Ports: Bissau
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 37 total, 18 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor system of radio relay, open-wire lines, and radiocommunications; 3,000 telephones; stations--1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP); Army, Navy, and Air Force are separate components
Military manpower: males 15-49, 215,552; 122,824 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 3.2% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Guyana - Geography Total area: 214,970 km2; land area: 196,850 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries: 2,462 km total; Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline: 459 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Essequibo area claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 83% forest and woodland; 8% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution
- People Population: 764,649 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 19 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Guyanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Guyanese
Ethnic divisions: 51% East Indian, 43% black and mixed, 4% Amerindian, 2% European and Chinese
Religion: 57% Christian, 33% Hindu, 9% Muslim, 1% other
Language: English, Amerindian dialects
Literacy: 85%
Labor force: 268,000; 44.5% industry and commerce, 33.8% agriculture, 21.7% services; public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor force (1985)
Organized labor: 34% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Type: republic
Capital: Georgetown
Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo
Independence: 26 May 1966 (from UK; formerly British Guiana)
Constitution: 6 October 1980
Legal system: based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
Executive branch: executive president, first vice president, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
Leaders: Chief of State--President Hugh Desmond HOYTE (since 6 August 1985); First Vice President Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 1985);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 1985)
Political parties and leaders: People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond Hoyte; People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi Jagan; Working People's Alliance (WPA), Eusi Kwayana, Rupert Roopnarine, Moses Bhagwan; Democratic Labor Movement (DLM), Paul Tennassee; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Llewellyn John; National Democratic Front (NDF), Joseph Bacchus; United Force (UF), Marcellus Feilden Singh; Vanguard for Liberation and Democracy (VLD, also known as Liberator Party), Gunraj Kumar, J. K. Makepeace Richmond
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Executive President--last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held late 1990); Hugh Desmond Hoyte was elected president (the leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections--PNC 78%);
National Assembly--last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held by 9 December 1990); results--PNC 78%, PPP 16%, UF 4%, WPA 2%; seats--(65 total, 53 elected) PNC 42, PPP 8, UF 2, WPA 1
Communists: 100 (est.) hardcore within PPP; top echelons of PPP and PYO (Progressive Youth Organization, militant wing of the PPP) include many Communists; small but unknown number of orthodox Marxist-Leninists within PNC, some of whom formerly belonged to the PPP
Other political or pressure groups: Trades Union Congress (TUC); Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO); Civil Liberties Action Committee (CLAC); the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICJ, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Cedric Hilburn GRANT; Chancery at 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6900; there is a Guyanese Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Theresa A. TULL; Embassy at 31 Main Street, Georgetown; telephone [592] (02) 54900 through 54909
Flag: green with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow white border between the yellow and the green
- Economy Overview: After growing on average at less than 1% a year in 1984-87, GDP dropped by 3% in 1988, the result of bad weather, labor trouble in the canefields, and flooding and equipment problems in the bauxite industry. Consumer prices rose about 35%, and the current account deficit widened substantially as sugar and bauxite exports fell. Moreover, electric power is in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government, in association with international financial agencies, seeks to reduce its payment arrears and to raise new funds. The government's stabilization program--aimed at establishing realistic exchange rates, reasonable price stability, and a resumption of growth--requires considerable public administrative abilities and continued patience by consumers during a long incubation period.
GDP: $323 million, per capita $420; real growth rate - 3.0% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $173 million; expenditures $414 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $215 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.) commodities--bauxite, sugar, rice, shrimp, gold, molasses, timber, rum; partners--UK 37%, US 12%, Canada 10.6%, CARICOM 4.8% (1986)
Imports: $216 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--manufactures machinery, food, petroleum; partners--CARICOM 41%, US 18%, UK 9%, Canada 3% (1984)
External debt: $1.8 billion, including arrears (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate - 5.0% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 221,000 kW capacity; 583 million kWh produced, 760 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: bauxite mining, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold mining
Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for 25% of GDP and over 50% of exports; sugar and rice are key crops; development potential exists for fishing and forestry; not self-sufficient in food, especially wheat, vegetable oils, and animal products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $109 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $234 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $242 million
Currency: Guyanese dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1--33.0000 (January 1990), 27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988), 9.756 (1987), 4.272 (1986), 4.252 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 187 km total, all single track 0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 7,665 km total; 550 km paved, 5,000 km gravel, 1,525 km earth, 590 km unimproved
Inland waterways: 6,000 km total of navigable waterways; Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively
Ports: Georgetown
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 66 total, 63 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system with radio relay network; over 27,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; stations--4 AM, 3 FM, no TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Guyana Defense Force (including Maritime Corps and Air Corps), Guyana Police Force, Guyana People's Militia, Guyana National Service
Military manpower: males 15-49, 201,104; 152,958 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 4.3% of GDP, or $13.8 million (1988 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Haiti - Geography Total area: 27,750 km2; land area: 27,560 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundary: 275 km with the Dominican Republic
Coastline: 1,771 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claims US-administered Navassa Island
Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
Natural resources: bauxite
Land use: 20% arable land; 13% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 45% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; deforestation
Note: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic
- People Population: 6,142,141 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 107 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 55 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Haitian(s); adjective--Haitian
Ethnic divisions: 95% black, 5% mulatto and European
Religion: 75-80% Roman Catholic (of which an overwhelming majority also practice Voodoo), 10% Protestant
Language: French (official) spoken by only 10% of population; all speak Creole
Literacy: 23%
Labor force: 2,300,000; 66% agriculture, 25% services, 9% industry; shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Haiti
Type: republic
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Administrative divisions: 9 departments, (departements, singular--departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France)
Constitution: 27 August 1983, suspended February 1986; draft constitution approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989
Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) consisted of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives, but was dissolved on 20 June 1988 after the coup of 19 June 1988 (there was a subsequent coup on 18 September 1988); after naming a civilian as provisional president on 13 March 1990, it was announced that a Council of State was being formed
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--Provisional President Ertha PASCAL-TROUILLOT (since 13 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Haitian Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Sylvio Claude; Haitian Social Christian Party (PSCH), Gregoire Eugene; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc Bazin; National Alliance Front (FNC), Gerard Gourgue; National Agricultural and Industrial Party (PAIN), Louis Dejoie; Congress of Democratic Movements (CONACOM), Victor Bono; National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA), Serge Gilles; National Patriotic Movement of November 28 (MNP-28), Dejean Belizaire; Movement for the Organization of the Country (MOP), Gesner Comeau; Mobilization for National Development (MDN), Hubert De Ronceray
Suffrage: none
Elections: President--last held 17 January 1988 (next to be held by mid-June 1990); on 13 March 1990 Ertha Pascal-Trouillot became provisional president after the resignation of President Lieut. Gen Prosper Avril;
Legislature--last held 17 January 1988, but dissolved on 20 June 1988; the government has promised an election by mid-June 1990
Communists: United Party of Haitian Communists (PUCH), Rene Theodore (roughly 2,000 members)
Other political or pressure groups: Democratic Unity Confederation (KID), Roman Catholic Church, Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH), Federation of Workers Trade Unions (FOS), Autonomous Haitian Workers (CATH), National Popular Assembly (APN)
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant), Charge d'Affaires Fritz VOUGY; Chancery at 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-4090 through 4092; there are Haitian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico); US--Ambassador Alvin ADAMS; Embassy at Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince (mailing address is P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince), telephone [509] (1) 20354 or 20368, 20200, 20612
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
- Economy Overview: About 85% of the population live in absolute poverty. Agriculture is mainly small-scale subsistence farming and employs 65% of the work force. The majority of the population does not have ready access to safe drinking water, adequate medical care, or sufficient food. Few social assistance programs exist, and the lack of employment opportunities remains the most critical problem facing the economy.
GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 0.3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 50% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $252 million; expenditures $357 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1988)
Exports: $200 million (f.o.b., FY88); commodities--light manufactures 65%, coffee 17%, other agriculture 8%, other products 10%; partners--US 77%, France 5%, Italy 4%, FRG 3%, other industrial 9%, less developed countries 2% (FY86)
Imports: $344 million (c.i.f., FY88); commodities--machines and manufactures 36%, food and beverages 21%, petroleum products 11%, fats and oils 12%, chemicals 12%; partners--US 65%, Netherlands Antilles 6%, Japan 5%, France 4%, Canada 2%, Asia 2% (FY86)
External debt: $820 million (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate - 2% (FY87)
Electricity: 230,000 kW capacity; 482 million kWh produced, 75 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sugar refining, textiles, flour milling, cement manufacturing, bauxite mining, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts
Agriculture: accounts for 32% of GDP and employs 65% of work force; mostly small-scale subsistence farms; commercial crops--coffee and sugarcane; staple crops--rice, corn, sorghum, mangoes; shortage of wheat flour
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $638 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $627 million
Currency: gourde (plural--gourdes); 1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: gourdes (G) per US$1-- 5.0 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications Railroads: 40 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge, single-track, privately owned industrial line
Highways: 4,000 km total; 950 km paved, 900 km otherwise improved, 2,150 km unimproved
Inland waterways: negligible; less than 100 km navigable
Ports: Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 15 total, 10 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly better; 36,000 telephones; stations--33 AM, no FM, 4 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Corps
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,264,238; 679,209 fit for military service; 59,655 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Heard Island and McDonald Islands (territory of Australia) - Geography Total area: 412 km2; land area: 412 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 101.9 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploration;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: Heard Island--bleak and mountainous, with an extinct volcano; McDonald Islands--small and rocky
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: primarily used as research stations
Note: located 4,100 km southwest of Australia in the southern Indian Ocean
- People Population: uninhabited
- Government Long-form name: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Type: territory of Australia administered by the Antarctic Division of the Department of Science in Canberra (Australia)
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Honduras - Geography Total area: 112,090 km2; land area: 111,890 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries: 1,520 km total; Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km
Coastline: 820 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: several sections of the boundary with El Salvador are in dispute
Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Natural resources: timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish
Land use: 14% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 30% meadows and pastures; 34% forest and woodland; 20% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes along Caribbean coast; deforestation; soil erosion
- People Population: 5,259,699 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 62 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Honduran(s); adjective--Honduran
Ethnic divisions: 90% mestizo (mixed Indian and European), 7% Indian, 2% black, 1% white
Religion: about 97% Roman Catholic; small Protestant minority
Language: Spanish, Indian dialects
Literacy: 56%
Labor force: 1,300,000; 62% agriculture, 20% services, 9% manufacturing, 3% construction, 6% other (1985)
Organized labor: 40% of urban labor force, 20% of rural work force (1985)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Honduras
Type: republic
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982
Legal system: rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law; some influence of English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--Rafael Leonardo CALLEJAS Romero (since 26 January 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PLH)--faction leaders, Carlos Flores Facusse (leader of Florista Liberal Movement), Carlos Montoya (Azconista subfaction), Ramon Villeda Bermudez and Jorge Arturo Reina (M-Lider faction); National Party (PNH), Ricardo Maduro, party president; PNH faction leaders--Oswaldo Ramos Soto and Rafael Leonardo Callejas (Monarca faction); National Innovation and Unity Party-Social Democrats (PINU-SD), Enrique Aguilar Cerrato Paz; Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Jorge Illescas; Democratic Action (AD), Walter Lopez Reyes
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections: President--last held on 26 November 1989 (next to be held November 1993); results--Leonardo Rafael Callejas (PNH) 51%, Jose Azcona Hoyo (PLH) 43.3%, others 5.7%;
National Congress--last held on 24 November 1985 (next to be held November 1993); results--PLH 51%, PNH 45%, PDCH 1.9%, PINU 1.5%, others 0.65; seats--(134 total) PLH 62, PNH 71, PINU 1
Communists: up to 1,500; Honduran leftist groups--Communist Party of Honduras (PCH), Party for the Transformation of Honduras (PTH), Morazanist Front for the Liberation of Honduras (FMLH), People's Revolutionary Union/Popular Liberation Movement (URP/MPL), Popular Revolutionary Forces-Lorenzo Zelaya (FPR/LZ), Socialist Party of Honduras Central American Workers Revolutionary Party (PASO/PRTC)
Other political or pressure groups: National Association of Honduran Campesinos (ANACH), Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP), Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH), National Union of Campesinos (UNC), General Workers Confederation (CGT), United Federation of Honduran Workers (FUTH), Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH), Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations (CCOP)
Member of: CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jorge Ramon HERNANDEZ Alcerro; Chancery at Suite 100, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-7700 through 7702; there are Honduran Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Baton Rouge, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and Jacksonville; US--Ambassador Crescencio ARCOS; Embassy at Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa (mailing address is APO Miami 34022); telephone [504] 32-3120
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America--Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua which features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, accounting for nearly 30% of GDP, employing 62% of the labor force, and producing two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low, however, leaving considerable room for improvement. Although industry is still in its early stages, it employs nearly 15% of the labor force, accounts for 23% of GDP, and generates 20% of exports. The service sectors, including public administration, account for 48% of GDP and employ nearly 20% of the labor force. Basic problems facing the economy include a high population growth rate, a high unemployment rate, a lack of basic services, a large and inefficient public sector, and an export sector dependent mostly on coffee and bananas, which are subject to sharp price fluctuations.
GDP: $4.4 billion, per capita $890; real growth rate 4.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 12% unemployed, 30-40% underemployed (1988)
Budget: revenues $1,053 million; expenditures $949 million, including capital expenditures of $159 million (1989)
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, lumber; partners--US 52%, FRG 11%, Japan, Italy, Belgium
Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f. 1988); commodities--machinery and transport equipment, chemical products, manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs; partners--US 39%, Japan 9%, CACM, Venezuela, Mexico
External debt: $3.2 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1988)
Electricity: 655,000 kW capacity; 1,980 million kWh produced, 390 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles, clothing, wood products
Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for nearly 30% of GDP, over 60% of the labor force, and two-thirds of exports; principal products include bananas, coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruit, shrimp; importer of wheat
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; transshipment point for cocaine
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.3 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $776 million
Currency: lempira (plural--lempiras); 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: lempiras (L) per US$1--2.00 (fixed rate); 3.50 parallel exchange and black-market rate (October 1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 785 km total; 508 km 1.067-meter gauge, 277 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 8,950 km total; 1,700 km paved, 5,000 km otherwise improved, 2,250 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 465 km navigable by small craft
Ports: Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo
Merchant marine: 149 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 438,495 GRT/660,990 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 87 cargo, 12 refrigerated cargo, 9 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 17 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 1 vehicle carrier, 17 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry
Civil air: 9 major transport aircraft
Airports: 180 total, 140 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: improved, but still inadequate; connection into Central American Microwave System; 35,100 telephones; stations--176 AM, no FM, 28 TV, 7 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Branches: Armed Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,222,858; 727,851 fit for military service; 61,493 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.9% of GDP, or $82.5 million (1990 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Hong Kong (colony of the UK) - Geography Total area: 1,040 km2; land area: 990 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundary: 30 km with China
Coastline: 733 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1997
Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land use: 7% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 12% forest and woodland; 79% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: more than 200 islands; occasional typhoons
- People Population: 5,759,990 (July 1990), growth rate 1.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 82 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: adjective--Hong Kong
Ethnic divisions: 98% Chinese, 2% other
Religion: 90% eclectic mixture of local religions, 10% Christian
Language: Chinese (Cantonese), English
Literacy: 75%
Labor force: 2,640,000; 35.8% manufacturing; 22.7% wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotel, 17.1% services, 7.5% construction, 8.4% transport and communications, 6.1% financing, insurance, and real estate (1986)
Organized labor: 15% of labor force (1986)
- Government Long-form name: none; abbreviated HK
Type: colony of the UK; scheduled to revert to China in 1997
Capital: Victoria
Administrative divisions: none (colony of the UK)
Independence: none (colony of the UK); the UK signed an agreement with China on 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 years after transition
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief secretary of the Executive Council
Legislative branch: Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government--Governor Sir David Clive WILSON (since 9 April 1987); Chief Secretary Sir David Robert FORD (since NA February 1987)
Political parties: none
Suffrage: limited to about 71,000 professionals of electoral college and functional constituencies
Elections: Legislative Council--indirect elections last held 26 September 1985 (next to be held in September 1991) seats--(58 total; 26 elected, 32 appointed)
Communists: 5,000 (est.) cadres affiliated with Communist Party of China
Other political or pressure groups: Federation of Trade Unions (Communist controlled), Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (Nationalist Chinese dominated), Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (Communist controlled), Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, and several small pro-democracy groups.
Member of: ADB, ESCAP (associate member), GATT, IMO, INTERPOL, Multifiber Arrangement, WMO
Diplomatic representation: as a British colony, the interests of Hong Kong in the US are represented by the UK; US--Consul General Donald M. ANDERSON; Consulate General at 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong (mailing address is Box 30, Hong Kong, or FPO San Francisco 96659-0002); telephone [852] (5) 239011
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with the Hong Kong coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a shield (bearing two junks below a crown) held by a lion (representing the UK) and a dragon (representing China) with another lion above the shield and a banner bearing the words HONG KONG below the shield
- Economy Overview: Hong Kong has a free-market economy and is autonomous in financial affairs. Natural resources are limited and food and raw materials must be imported. Manufacturing is the backbone of the economy, accounting for more than 20% of GDP, employing 36% of the labor force, and exporting about 90% of output. Real GDP growth averaged a remakable 8% in 1987-88, then slowed to a respectable 3% in 1989. Unemployment, which has been declining since the mid-1980s, is now less than 2%. A shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Short-term prospects remain solid so long as major trading partners continue to be prosperous. The crackdown in China in 1989 casts a long shadow over the longer term economic outlook.
GDP: $57 billion, per capita $10,000; real growth rate 3% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1988)
Budget: $6.9 billion (FY89)
Exports: $63.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988), including reexports of $22.9 billion; commodities--clothing, textile yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys; partners--US 31%, China 14%, FRG 8%, UK 6%, Japan 5%
Imports: $63.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; partners--China 31%, Japan 20%, Taiwan 9%, US 8%
External debt: $9.6 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.0% (1988)
Electricity: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 23,000 million kWh produced, 4,030 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Agriculture: minor role in the economy; rice, vegetables, dairy products; less than 20% self-sufficient; shortages of rice, wheat, water
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $141.2 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $899.8 million
Currency: Hong Kong dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$--7.800 (March 1989), 7.810 (1988), 7.760 (1987), 7.795 (1986), 7.811 (1985); note--linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 35 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned
Highways: 1,100 km total; 794 km paved, 306 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth
Ports: Hong Kong
Merchant marine: 134 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 4,391,102 GRT/7,430,337 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 10 refrigerated cargo, 13 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 9 combination ore/oil, 7 liquefied gas, 69 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; ships registered in Hong Kong fly the UK flag and an estimated 500 Hong Kong-owned ships are registered elsewhere
Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services; 2,300,000 telephones; microwave transmission links and extensive optical fiber transmission network; stations--6 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) relay station and 1 British Forces Broadcasting Service relay station; 2,500,000 radio receivers; 1,312,000 TV sets (1,224,000 color TV sets); satellite earth stations--1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; links to 5 international submarine cables providing access to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
- Defense Forces Branches: Headquarters of British Forces, Gurkha Brigade, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,703,890; 1,320,914 fit for military service; 46,440 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 0.5% of GDP, or $300 million (1989 est.); this represents one-fourth of the total cost of defending the colony, the remainder being paid by the UK
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Howland Island (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 1.6 km2; land area: 1.6 km2
Comparative area: about 2.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 6.4 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain: low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 95% other
Environment: almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; feral cats
Note: remote location 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, just north of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
- People Population: uninhabited
Note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Airports: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan--they left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only, one boat landing area along the middle of the west coast
Note: Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Hungary - Geography Total area: 93,030 km2; land area: 92,340 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries: 2,251 km total; Austria 366 km, Czechoslovakia 676 km, Romania 443 km, USSR 135 km, Yugoslavia 631 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Disputes: Transylvania question with Romania; Nagymaros Dam dispute with Czechoslovakia
Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains
Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils
Land use: 54% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 14% meadows and pastures; 18% forest and woodland; 11% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: levees are common along many streams, but flooding occurs almost every year
Note: landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between USSR and Mediterranean basin
- People Population: 10,568,686 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Hungarian(s); adjective--Hungarian
Ethnic divisions: 96.6% Hungarian, 1.6% German, 1.1% Slovak, 0.3% Southern Slav, 0.2% Romanian
Religion: 67.5% Roman Catholic, 20.0% Calvinist, 5.0% Lutheran, 7.5% atheist and other
Language: 98.2% Hungarian, 1.8% other
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 4,860,000; 43.2% services, trade, government, and other, 30.9% industry, 18.8% agriculture, 7.1% construction (1988)
Organized labor: 96.5% of labor force; Central Council of Hungarian Trade Unions (SZOT) includes 19 affiliated unions, all controlled by the government; independent unions legal; may be as many as 12 small independent unions in operation
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Hungary
Type: republic
Capital: Budapest
Administrative divisions: 19 counties (megyek, singular--megye) and 1 capital city* (fovaros); Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Budapest*, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Komarom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar, Szolnok, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala
Independence: 1001, unification by King Stephen I
Constitution: 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April 1972 and 18 October 1989
Legal system: based on Communist legal theory, with both civil law system (civil code of 1960) and common law elements; Supreme Court renders decisions of principle that sometimes have the effect of declaring legislative acts unconstitutional; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Liberation, 4 April (1945)
Executive branch: president, premier, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Orszaggyules)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President-designate Arpad GONCZ (since 2 May 1990);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Jozsef ANTALL (since 23 May 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Forum, Jozsef Antall, chairman; Free Democrats, Janos Kis, chairman; Independent Smallholders, Istvan Prepeliczay, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP), Rezso Nyers, chairman; Young Democrats; Christian Democrats, Sandor Keresztes, president; note--the Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers' Party (MSZMP) renounced Communism and became the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) in October 1989
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly--last held on 25 March 1990 (first round, with the second round held 8 April 1990); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(394 total) Democratic Forum 165, Free Democrats 92, Independent Smallholders 43, Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) 33, Young Democrats 21, Christian Democrats 21, independent candidates or jointly sponsored candidates 19; an additional 8 seats will be given to representatives of minority nationalities
Communists: fewer than 100,000 (December 1989)
Member of: CCC, CEMA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, IBEC, ICAC, ICAO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw Pact, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Peter VARKONYI; Chancery at 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-6730; there is a Hungarian Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador-designate Charles THOMAS; Embassy at V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest (mailing address is APO New York 09213); telephone [36] (1) 126-450
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
- Economy Overview: Hungary's postwar Communist government spurred the movement from a predominantly agricultural to an industrialized economy. The share of the labor force in agriculture dropped from over 50% in 1950 to under 20% in 1989. Agriculture nevertheless remains an important sector, providing sizable export earnings and meeting domestic food needs. Industry accounts for about 40% of GNP and 30% of employment. Nearly three-fourths of foreign trade is with the USSR and Eastern Europe. Low rates of growth reflect the inability of the Soviet-style economy to modernize capital plant and motivate workers. GNP grew about 1% in 1988 and declined by 1% in 1989. Since 1985 external debt has more than doubled, to nearly $20 billion. In recent years Hungary has moved further than any other East European country in experimenting with decentralized and market-oriented enterprises. These experiments have failed to jump-start the economy because of: limitations on funds for privatization; continued subsidization of insolvent state enterprises; and the leadership's reluctance to implement sweeping market reforms that would cause additional social dislocations in the short term.
GNP: $64.6 billion, per capita $6,108; real growth rate - 1.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 0.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $14.0 billion; expenditures $14.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $944 million (1988)
Exports: $19.1 billion (f.o.b. 1988); commodities--capital goods 36%, foods 24%, consumer goods 18%, fuels and minerals 11%, other 11%; partners USSR 48%, Eastern Europe 25%, developed countries 16%, less developed countries 8% (1987)
Imports: $18.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--machinery and transport 28%, fuels 20%, chemical products 14%, manufactured consumer goods 16%, agriculture 6%, other 16%; partners--USSR 43%, Eastern Europe 28%, less developed countries 23%, US 3% (1987)
External debt: $19.6 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.6% (1988)
Electricity: 7,250,000 kW capacity; 30,300 million kWh produced, 2,870 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining, metallurgy, engineering industries, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals)
Agriculture: including forestry, accounts for about 15% of GNP and 19% of employment; highly diversified crop-livestock farming; principal crops--wheat, corn, sunflowers, potatoes, sugar beets; livestock--hogs, cattle, poultry, dairy products; self-sufficient in food output
Aid: donor--$1.8 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1962-88)
Currency: forint (plural--forints); 1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler
Exchange rates: forints (Ft) per US$1--62.5 (January 1990), 59.2 (1989), 50.413 (1988), 46.971 (1987), 45.832 (1986), 50.119 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 7,770 km total; 7,513 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 222 km narrow gauge (mostly 0.760-meter), 35 km 1.524-meter broad gauge; 1,138 km double track, 2,088 km electrified; all government owned (1987)
Highways: 130,000 km total; 29,701 km national highway system--26,727 km asphalt and bitumen, 146 km concrete, 55 km stone and road brick, 2,345 km macadam, 428 km unpaved; 58,495 km country roads (66% unpaved), and 41,804 km (est.) other roads (70% unpaved) (1987)
Inland waterways: 1,622 km (1986)
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,204 km; refined products, 600 km; natural gas, 3,800 km (1986)
Ports: Budapest and Dunaujvaros are river ports on the Danube; maritime outlets are Rostock (GDR), Gdansk (Poland), Gdynia (Poland), Szczecin (Poland), Galati (Romania), and Braila (Romania)
Merchant marine: 16 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 77,141 GRT/103,189 DWT
Civil air: 22 major transport aircraft
Airports: 90 total, 90 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--13 AM, 11 FM, 21 TV; 8 Soviet TV relays; 3,500,000 TV sets; 5,500,000 receiver sets; at least 1 satellite earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Hungarian People's Army, Frontier Guard, Air and Air Defense Command
Military manpower: males 15-49, 2,645,016; 2,112,651 fit for military service; 86,481 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 43.7 billion forints, NA% of total budget (1989); note--conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Iceland - Geography Total area: 103,000 km2; land area: 100,250 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kentucky
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 4,988 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
Climate: temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
Terrain: mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Natural resources: fish, hydroelectric and geothermal power, diatomite
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 23% meadows and pastures; 1% forest and woodland; 76% other
Environment: subject to earthquakes and volcanic activity
Note: strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country
- People Population: 257,023 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Icelander(s); adjective--Icelandic
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and Celts
Religion: 95% Evangelical Lutheran, 3% other Protestant and Roman Catholic, 2% no affiliation
Language: Icelandic
Literacy: 100%
Labor force: 134,429; 55.4% commerce, finance, and services, 14.3% other manufacturing, 5.8% agriculture, 7.9% fish processing, 5.0% fishing (1986)
Organized labor: 60% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Iceland
Type: republic
Capital: Reykjavik
Administrative divisions: 23 counties (syslar, singular--sysla) and 14 independent towns* (kaupstadar, singular--kaupstadur); Akranes*, Akureyri*, Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla, Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*, Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla, Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasysla, Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*, Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla, Snaefellsnes-og Hanppadalssysla, Strandasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla, Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vestmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Vestur-Hunavatnssysla, Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
Independence: 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
Constitution: 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
Legal system: civil law system based on Danish law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic, 17 June (1944)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Althing) with an Upper House (Efri Deild) and a Lower House (Nedri Deild)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Haestirettur)
Leaders: Chief of State--President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR (since 1 August 1980);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Steingrimur HERMANNSSON (since 28 September 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Independence (conservative), Thorsteinn Palsson; Progressive, Steingrimur Hermannsson; Social Democratic, Jon Baldvin Hannibalsson; People's Alliance (left socialist), Olafur Ragnar Grimsson; Citizens Party (conservative nationalist), Julius Solnes; Women's List
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: President--last held on 29 June 1980 (next scheduled for June 1992); results--there were no elections in 1984 and 1988 as President Vigdis Finnbogadottir was unopposed;
Parliament--last held on 25 April 1987 (next to be held by 25 April 1991); results--Independence 27.2%, Progressive 18.9%, Social Democratic 15.2%, People's Alliance 13.4%, Citizens Party 10.9%, Womens List 10.1%, other 4.3%;
seats--(63 total) Independence 18, Progressive 13, Social Democratic 10, People's Alliance 8, Citizens Party 7, Womens List 6, Regional Equality Platform 1
Communists: less than 100 (est.), some of whom participate in the People's Alliance
Member of: CCC, Council of Europe, EC (free trade agreement pending resolution of fishing limits issue), EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICES, IDA, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, NATO, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ingvi S. INGVARSSON; Chancery at 2022 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6653 through 6655; there is an Icelandic Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Charles E. COBB; Embassy at Laufasvegur 21, Reykjavik (mailing address is FPO New York 09571-0001); telephone [354] (1) 29100
Flag: blue with a red cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
- Economy Overview: Iceland's prosperous Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, but with extensive welfare measures, low unemployment, and comparatively even distribution of income. The economy is heavily dependent on the fishing industry, which provides nearly 75% of export earnings. In the absence of other natural resources, Iceland's economy is vulnerable to changing world fish prices. National output declined for the second consecutive year in 1989, and two of the largest fish farms filed for bankruptcy. Other economic activities include livestock raising and aluminum smelting. A fall in the fish catch is expected for 1990, resulting in a continuation of the recession.
GDP: $4.0 billion, per capita $16,200; real growth rate - 1.8% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 17.4% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 1.3% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1988)
Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--fish and fish products, animal products, aluminum, diatomite; partners--EC 58.9% (UK 23.3%, FRG 10.3%), US 13.6%, USSR 3.6%
Imports: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, textiles; partners--EC 58% (FRG 16%, Denmark 10.4%, UK 9.2%), US 8.5%, USSR 3.9%
External debt: $1.8 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.7% (1987 est.)
Electricity: 1,063,000 kW capacity; 5,165 million kWh produced, 20,780 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferro-silicon production, hydropower
Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GDP (including fishing); fishing is most important economic activity, contributing nearly 75% to export earnings; principal crops--potatoes and turnips; livestock--cattle, sheep; self-sufficient in crops; fish catch of about 1.6 million metric tons in 1987
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $19.1 million
Currency: krona (plural--kronur); 1 Icelandic krona (IKr) = 100 aurar
Exchange rates: Icelandic kronur (IKr) per US$1--60.751 (January 1990), 57.042 (1989), 43.014 (1988), 38.677 (1987), 41.104 (1986), 41.508 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 12,343 km total; 166 km bitumen and concrete; 1,284 km bituminous treated and gravel; 10,893 km earth
Ports: Reykjavik, Akureyri, Hafnarfjordhur, Keflavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Siglufjordur, Vestmannaeyjar; numerous minor ports
Merchant marine: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 62,867 GRT/87,610 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 bulk
Civil air: 20 major transport aircraft
Airports: 99 total, 92 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 14 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate domestic service, wire and radio communication system; 135,000 telephones; stations--10 AM, 17 (43 relays) FM, 14 (132 relays) TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Police, Coast Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 68,688; 61,553 fit for military service; no conscription or compulsory military service
Defense expenditures: none ---------------------------------------------------- Country: India - Geography Total area: 3,287,590 km2; land area: 2,973,190 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries: 14,103 km total; Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Coastline: 7,000 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: boundaries with Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan; water sharing problems with downstream riparians, Bangladesh over the Ganges and Pakistan over the Indus
Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, crude oil, limestone
Land use: 55% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 23% forest and woodland; 17% other; includes 13% irrigated
Environment: droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; air and water pollution; desertification
Note: dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes
- People Population: 849,746,001 (July 1990), growth rate 2.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 30 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 89 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 57 years male, 59 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Indian(s); adjective--Indian
Ethnic divisions: 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, 3% Mongoloid and other
Religion: 82.6% Hindu, 11.4% Muslim, 2.4% Christian, 2.0% Sikh, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.5% Jains, 0.4% other
Language: Hindi, English, and 14 other official languages--Bengali, Telgu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; 24 languages spoken by a million or more persons each; numerous other languages and dialects, for the most part mutually unintelligible; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindustani, a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu, is spoken widely throughout northern India
Literacy: 36%
Labor force: 284,400,000; 67% agriculture (FY85)
Organized labor: less than 5% of the labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of India
Type: federal republic
Capital: New Delhi
Administrative divisions: 24 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Delhi*, Goa and Daman and Diu*, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal; note--Goa may have become a state with Daman and Diu remaining a union territory
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK)
Constitution: 26 January 1950
Legal system: based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 26 January (1950)
Executive branch: president, vice president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Sansad) consists of an upper house or Government Assembly (Rajya Sabha) and a lower house or People's Assembly (Lok Sabha)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President Ramaswamy Iyer VENKATARAMAN (since 25 July 1987); Vice President Dr. Shankar Dayal SHARMA (since 3 September 1987);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap SINGH (since 2 December 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Janata Dal Party, Prime Minister V. P. Singh; Congress (I) Party, Rajiv Gandhi; Bharatiya Janata Party, L. K. Advani; Communist Party of India (CPI), C. Rajeswara Rao; Communist Party of India/Marxist (CPI/M), E. M. S. Namboodiripad; Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist (CPI/ML), Satyanarayan Singh; All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK), a regional party in Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, M. Karunanidhi; Akali Dal factions representing Sikh religious community in the Punjab; Telugu Desam, a regional party in Andhra Pradesh, N. T. Rama Rao; National Conference (NC), a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah; Asom Gana Parishad, a regional party in Assam, Prafulla Mahanta
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: People's Assembly--last held 22, 24, 26 November 1989 (next to be held by November 1994, subject to postponement); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(544 total), 525 elected--Congress (I) Party 193, Janata Dal Party 141, Bharatiya Janata Party 86, Communist Party of India (Marxist) 32, independents 18, Communist Party of India 12, AIADMK 11, Akali Dal 6, Shiv Sena 4, RSP 4, Forward Bloc 3, BSP 3, Telugu Desam 2, Congress (S) Party 1, others 9
Communists: 466,000 members claimed by CPI, 361,000 members claimed by CPI/M; Communist extremist groups, about 15,000 members
Other political or pressure groups: various separatist groups seeking greater communal autonomy; numerous senas or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Shiv Sena (in Bombay), Anand Marg, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Member of: ADB, AIOEC, ANRPC, CCC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Abid HUSSEIN; Chancery at 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-7000; there are Indian Consulates General in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador William CLARK; Embassy at Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi; telephone [91] (11) 600651; there are US Consulates General in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger which has a small orange disk centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: India's Malthusian economy is a mixture of traditional village farming and handicrafts, modern agriculture, old and new branches of industry, and a multitude of support services. It presents both the entrepreneurial skills and drives of the capitalist system and widespread government intervention of the socialist mold. Growth of 4% to 5% annually in the 1980s has softened the impact of population growth on unemployment, social tranquility, and the environment. Agricultural output has continued to expand, reflecting the greater use of modern farming techniques and improved seed that have helped to make India self-sufficient in food grains and a net agricultural exporter. However, tens of millions of villagers, particularly in the south, have not benefited from the green revolution and live in abject poverty. Industry has benefited from a liberalization of controls. The growth rate of the service sector has also been strong.
GNP: $333 billion, per capita $400; real growth rate 5.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 20% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $48 billion; expenditures $53 billion, including capital expenditures of $13.6 billion (1989)
Exports: $17.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--tea, coffee, iron ore, fish products, manufactures; partners--EC 25%, USSR and Eastern Europe 17%, US 19%, Japan 10%
Imports: $24.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--petroleum, edible oils, textiles, clothing, capital goods; partners--EC 33%, Middle East 19%, Japan 10%, US 9%, USSR and Eastern Europe 8%
External debt: $48.7 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 8.8% (1989)
Electricity: 59,000,000 kW capacity; 215,000 million kWh produced, 260 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, steel, machinery, transportation equipment, cement, jute manufactures, mining, petroleum, power, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics
Agriculture: accounts for about 33% of GNP and employs 67% of labor force; self-sufficient in food grains; principal crops--rice, wheat, oilseeds, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; livestock--cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and poultry; fish catch of about 3 million metric tons ranks India in the world's top 10 fishing nations
Illicit drugs: licit producer of opium poppy for the pharmaceutical trade, but some opium is diverted to international drug markets; major transit country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $18.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $315 million; USSR (1970-88), $10.0 billion; Eastern Europe (1970-88), $105 million
Currency: Indian rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise
Exchange rates: Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1--16.965 (January 1990), 16.226 (1989), 13.917 (1988), 12.962 (1987), 12.611 (1986), 12.369 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 61,850 km total (1986); 33,553 km 1.676-meter broad gauge, 24,051 km 1.000-meter gauge, 4,246 km narrow gauge (0.762 meter and 0.610 meter); 12,617 km is double track; 6,500 km is electrified
Highways: 1,633,300 km total (1986); 515,300 km secondary and 1,118,000 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth
Inland waterways: 16,180 km; 3,631 km navigable by large vessels
Pipelines: crude oil, 3,497 km; refined products, 1,703 km; natural gas, 902 km (1989)
Ports: Bombay, Calcutta, Cochin, Kandla, Madras, New Mangalore, Port Blair (Andaman Islands)
Merchant marine: 296 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,855,842 GRT/9,790,260 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 8 passenger-cargo, 95 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 8 container, 53 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 10 chemical tanker, 9 combination ore/oil,109 bulk, 2 combination bulk
Civil air: 93 major transport aircraft
Airports: 345 total, 292 usable; 202 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 57 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 91 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor domestic telephone service, international radio communications adequate; 3,200,000 telephones; stations--170 AM, no FM, 14 TV (government controlled); domestic satellite system for communications and TV; 3 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; submarine cables to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Pakistan
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Security Forces, Coast Guard, Paramilitary Forces
Military manpower: males 15-49, 227,436,282; 134,169,114 fit for military service; about 9,403,063 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.6% of GNP, or $8.7 billion (FY90 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Indian Ocean - Geography Total area: 73,600,000 km2; Arabian Sea, Bass Strait, Bay of Bengal, Java Sea, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Comparative area: slightly less than eight times the size of the US; third-largest ocean (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean)
Coastline: 66,526 km
Climate: northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the north Indian Ocean and January/February in the south Indian Ocean
Terrain: surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the south Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface currents in the north Indian Ocean--low pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninety East Ridge; maximum depth is 7,258 meters in the Java Trench
Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules
Environment: endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea
Note: major choke points include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme south near Antarctica from May to October
- Economy Overview: The Indian Ocean provides a major transportation highway for the movement of petroleum products from the Middle East to Europe and North and South American countries. Fish from the ocean are of growing economic importance to many of the bordering countries as a source of both food and exports. Fishing fleets from the USSR, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean for mostly shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and Western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Industries: based on exploitation of natural resources, particularly marine life, minerals, oil and gas production, fishing, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits
- Communications Ports: Bombay (India), Calcutta (India), Madras (India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South Africa), Fremantle (Australia), Jakarta (Indonesia), Melbourne (Australia), Richard's Bay (South Africa)
Telecommunications: no submarine cables ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Indonesia - Geography Total area: 1,919,440 km2; land area: 1,826,440 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 2,602 km total; Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km
Coastline: 54,716 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: East Timor question with Portugal
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
Natural resources: crude oil, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver
Land use: 8% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 67% forest and woodland; 15% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: archipelago of 13,500 islands (6,000 inhabited); occasional floods, severe droughts, and tsunamis; deforestation
Note: straddles Equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean
- People Population: 190,136,221 (July 1990), growth rate 1.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 75 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 58 years male, 63 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Indonesian(s); adjective--Indonesian
Ethnic divisions: majority of Malay stock comprising 45.0% Javanese, 14.0% Sundanese, 7.5% Madurese, 7.5% coastal Malays, 26.0% other
Religion: 88% Muslim, 6% Protestant, 3% Roman Catholic, 2% Hindu, 1% other
Language: Bahasa Indonesia (modified form of Malay; official); English and Dutch leading foreign languages; local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
Literacy: 62%
Labor force: 67,000,000; 55% agriculture, 10% manufacturing, 4% construction, 3% transport and communications (1985 est.)
Organized labor: 3,000,000 members (claimed); about 5% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Indonesia
Type: republic
Capital: Jakarta
Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular--propinsi), 2 special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular--daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Bengkulu, Irian Jaya, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Lampung, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Riau, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Timor Timur, Yogyakarta*
Independence: 17 August 1945 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands or Dutch East Indies)
Constitution: August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or DPR); note--the People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) includes the DPR plus 500 indirectly elected members who meet every five years to elect the president and vice president and, theoretically, to determine national policy
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. (Ret.) SOEHARTO (since 27 March 1968); Vice President Lt. Gen. (Ret.) SUDHARMONO (since 11 March 1983)
Political parties and leaders: GOLKAR (quasi-official party based on functional groups), Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Wahono, general chairman; Indonesia Democracy Party (PDI--federation of former Nationalist and Christian Parties), Soeryadi, chairman; Development Unity Party (PPP, federation of former Islamic parties), Ismail Hasan Metareum, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 17 and married persons regardless of age
Elections: House of Representatives--last held on 23 April 1987 (next to be held 23 April 1992); results--Golkar 73%, UDP 16%, PDI 11%; seats--(500 total--400 elected, 100 appointed) Golkar 299, UDP 61, PDI 40
Communists: Communist Party (PKI) was officially banned in March 1966; current strength about 1,000-3,000, with less than 10% engaged in organized activity; pre-October 1965 hardcore membership about 1.5 million
Member of: ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, Association of Tin Producing Countries, CCC, CIPEC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdul Rachman RAMLY; Chancery at 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 775-5200; there are Indonesian Consulates General in Houston, New York, and Los Angeles, and Consulates in Chicago and San Francisco; US--Ambassador John C. MONJO; Embassy at Medan Merdeka Selatan 5, Jakarta (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96356); telephone [62] (21) 360-360; there are US Consulates in Medan and Surabaya
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red
- Economy Overview: Indonesia is a mixed economy with many socialist institutions and central planning but with a recent emphasis on deregulation and private enterprise. Indonesia has extensive natural wealth but, with a large and rapidly increasing population, it remains a poor country. GNP growth in 1985-89 averaged about 4%, somewhat short of the 5% rate needed to absorb the 2.3 million workers annually entering the labor force. Agriculture, including forestry and fishing, is the most important sector, accounting for 21% of GDP and over 50% of the labor force. The staple crop is rice. Once the world's largest rice importer, Indonesia is now nearly self-sufficient. Plantation crops--rubber and palm oil--are being encouraged for both export and job generation. The diverse natural resources include crude oil, natural gas, timber, metals, and coal. Of these, the oil sector dominates the external economy, generating more than 20% of the government's revenues and 40% of export earnings in 1989. Japan is Indonesia's most important customer and supplier of aid.
GNP: $80 billion, per capita $430; real growth rate 5.7% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 3.1% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $20.9 billion; expenditures $20.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.5 billion (FY89)
Exports: $21.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum and liquefied natural gas 40%, timber 15%, textiles 7%, rubber 5%, coffee 3%; partners--Japan 42%, US 16%, Singapore 9%, EC 11% (1988)
Imports: $13.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--machinery 39%, chemical products 19%, manufactured goods 16%; partners--Japan 26%, EC 19%, US 13%, Singapore 7% (1988)
External debt: $55.0 billion, medium and long-term (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 11,600,000 kW capacity; 38,000 million kWh produced, 200 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, textiles, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer production, timber, food, rubber
Agriculture: subsistence food production; small-holder and plantation production for export; rice, cassava, peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, copra, other tropical products
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade, but not a major player; government actively eradicating plantings and prosecuting traffickers
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $19.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $213 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $175 million
Currency: Indonesian rupiah (plural--rupiahs); 1 Indonesian rupiah (Rp) = 100 sen (sen no longer used)
Exchange rates: Indonesian rupiahs (Rp) per US$1--1,804.9 (January 1990), 1,770.1 (1989), 1,685.7 (1988), 1,643.8 (1987), 1,282.6 (1986), 1,110.6 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 6,964 km total; 6,389 km 1.067-meter gauge, 497 km 0.750-meter gauge, 78 km 0.600-meter gauge; 211 km double track; 101 km electrified; all government owned
Highways: 119,500 km total; 11,812 km state, 34,180 km provincial, and 73,508 km district roads
Inland waterways: 21,579 km total; Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820 km, Kalimantan 10,460 km, Celebes 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km
Pipelines: crude oil, 2,505 km; refined products, 456 km; natural gas, 1,703 km (1989)
Ports: Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Palembang, Ujungpandang, Semarang, Surabaya
Merchant marine: 313 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,480,912 GRT/2,245,233 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 13 passenger-cargo, 173 cargo, 6 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 77 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 1 livestock carrier, 24 bulk
Civil air: about 216 commercial transport aircraft
Airports: 468 total, 435 usable; 106 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 62 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: interisland microwave system and HF police net; domestic service fair, international service good; radiobroadcast coverage good; 763,000 telephones (1986); stations--618 AM, 38 FM, 9 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station; and 1 domestic satellite communications system
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 49,283,496; 29,137,291 fit for military service; 2,098,169 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GNP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Iran - Geography Total area: 1,648,000 km2; land area: 1,636,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries: 5,492 km total; Afghanistan 936 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, USSR 1,690 km
Coastline: 3,180 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive fishing zone: 50 nm in the Sea of Oman, median-line boundaries in the Persian Gulf;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Iran began formal UN peace negotiations with Iraq in August 1988 to end the war that began on 22 September 1980--troop withdrawal, freedom of navigation, sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway and prisoner-of-war exchange are the major issues for negotiation; Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR; occupies three islands in the Persian Gulf claimed by UAE (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa, Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb); periodic disputes with Afghanistan over Helmand water rights; Boluch question with Afghanistan and Pakistan
Climate: mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Terrain: rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Land use: 8% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 27% meadows and pastures; 11% forest and woodland; 54% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; desertification
- People Population: 55,647,001 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 91 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 63 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Iranian(s); adjective--Iranian
Ethnic divisions: 51% Persian, 25% Azerbaijani, 9% Kurd, 8% Gilaki and Mazandarani, 2% Lur, 1% Baloch, 1% Arab, 3% other
Religion: 95% Shia Muslim, 4% Sunni Muslim, 2% Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Bahai
Language: 58% Persian and Persian dialects, 26% Turkic and Turkic dialects, 9% Kurdish, 2% Luri, 1% Baloch, 1% Arabic, 1% Turkish, 2% other
Literacy: 48% (est.)
Labor force: 15,400,000; 33% agriculture, 21% manufacturing; shortage of skilled labor (1988 est.)
Organized labor: none
- Government Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Iran
Type: theocratic republic
Capital: Tehran
Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (ostanha, singular--ostan); Azarbayjan-e Bakhtari, Azarbayjan-e Khavari, Bakhtaran, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmadi, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Independence: 1 April 1979, Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed
Constitution: 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency
Legal system: the new Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
National holiday: Islamic Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
Executive branch: cleric (faqih), president, Council of Cabinet Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis-e-Shura-e-Islami)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Cleric and functional Chief of State--Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 3 June 1989);
Head of Government--President Ali Akbar RAFSANJANI (since 3 August 1989);
Political parties and leaders: there are at least seven licensed parties; the two most important are--Militant Clerics Association, Mehdi Mahdavi-Karubi and Mohammad Asqar Musavi-Khoinima; Fedaiyin Islam Organization, Sadeq Khalkhali
Suffrage: universal at age 15
Elections: President--last held NA July 1989 (next to be held April 1993); results--Ali Akbar Rafsanjani was elected with only token opposition;
Islamic Consultative Assembly--last held 8 April and 13 May 1988 (next to be held April 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(270 seats total) number of seats by party NA
Communists: 1,000 to 2,000 est. hardcore; 15,000 to 20,000 est. sympathizers; crackdown in 1983 crippled the party; trials of captured leaders began in late 1983 and remain incomplete
Other political or pressure groups: groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Hizballah, Hojjatiyeh Society, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, and Tehran Militant Clergy Association; Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), People's Fedayeen, and Kurdish Democratic Party are armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government
Member of: CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, IDA, IDB, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IPU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNIDO, WHO
Diplomatic representation: none; protecting power in the US is Algeria--Iranian Interests Section, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 965-4990; US--protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) in red is centered in the white band; Allah Akbar (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band
- Economy Overview: Since the 1979 revolution, the banks, petroleum industry, transportation, utilities, and mining have been nationalized, but the new five-year plan--the first since the revolution--passed in January 1990, calls for the transfer of many government-controlled enterprises to the private sector. War-related disruptions, massive corruption, mismanagement, demographic pressures, and ideological rigidities have kept economic growth at depressed levels. Oil accounts for 90% of export revenues. A combination of war damage and low oil prices brought a 2% drop in GNP in 1988. GNP probably rose slightly in 1989, considerably short of the 3.4% population growth rate in 1989. Heating oil and gasoline are rationed. Agriculture has suffered from the war, land reform, and shortages of equipment and materials. The five-year plan seeks to reinvigorate the economy by increasing the role of the private sector, boosting nonoil income, and securing foreign loans. The plan is overly ambitious but probably will generate some short-term relief.
GNP: $97.6 billion, per capita $1,800; real growth rate 0-1% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50-80% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 30% (1989)
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $55.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.5 billion (FY88 est.)
Exports: $12.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--petroleum 90%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides; partners--Japan, Turkey, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, France, FRG
Imports: $12.0 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products; partners--FRG, Japan, Turkey, UK, Italy
External debt: $4-5 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 14,579,000 kW capacity; 40,000 million kWh produced, 740 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other building materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating (steel and copper)
Agriculture: principal products--rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool, caviar; not self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy for the domestic and international drug trade
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.5 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $976 million; note--aid fell sharply following the 1979 revolution
Currency: Iranian rial (plural--rials); 1 Iranian rial (IR) = 100 dinars; note--domestic figures are generally referred to in terms of the toman (plural--tomans), which equals 10 rials
Exchange rates: Iranian rials (IR) per US$1--70.019 (January 1990), 72.015 (1989), 68.683 (1988), 71.460 (1987), 78.760 (1986), 91.052 (1985)
Fiscal year: 21 March-20 March
- Communications Railroads: 4,601 km total; 4,509 km 1.432-meter gauge, 92 km 1.676-meter gauge; 730 km under construction from Bafq to Bandar Abbas
Highways: 140,072 km total; 46,866 km gravel and crushed stone; 49,440 km improved earth; 42,566 km bituminous and bituminous-treated surfaces; 1,200 km (est.) of rural road network
Inland waterways: 904 km; the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km, but closed since September 1980 because of Iran-Iraq war
Pipelines: crude oil, 5,900 km; refined products, 3,900 km; natural gas, 3,300 km
Ports: Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Bandar Beheshti, Bandar-e Abbas, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni, Bandar-e Shahid Rajai, Khorramshahr (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war)
Merchant marine: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,631,836 GRT/8,662,454 DWT; includes 36 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 33 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 49 bulk, 2 combination bulk
Civil air: 42 major transport aircraft
Airports: 201 total, 175 usable; 82 with permanent-surface runways; 17 with runways over 3,659 m; 17 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 68 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in Tehran; 2,143,000 telephones; stations--62 AM, 30 FM, 250 TV; satellite earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; HF and microwave to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and USSR
- Defense Forces Branches: Islamic Republic of Iran Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, and Revolutionary Guard Corps (includes Basij militia and own ground, air, and naval forces), Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 12,302,967; 7,332,614 fit for military service; 569,647 reach military age (21) annually
Defense expenditures: 8% of GNP, or $7.8 billion (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Iraq - Geography Total area: 434,920 km2; land area: 433,970 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Land boundaries: 3,454 km total; Iran 1,458 km, Iraq - Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone 191 km, Jordan 134 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 495 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km
Coastline: 58 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Iraq began formal UN peace negotiations with Iran in August 1988 to end the war that began on 22 September 1980--sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway, troop withdrawal, freedom of navigation, and prisoner of war exchange are the major issues for negotiation; Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR; shares Neutral Zone with Saudi Arabia--in July 1975, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to divide the zone between them, but the agreement must be ratified before it becomes effective; disputes Kuwaiti ownership of Warbah and Bubiyan islands; periodic disputes with upstream riparian Syria over Euphrates water rights; potential dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Climate: desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers
Terrain: mostly broad plains; reedy marshes in southeast; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Land use: 12% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 75% other; includes 4% irrigated
Environment: development of Tigris-Euphrates river systems contingent upon agreements with upstream riparians (Syria, Turkey); air and water pollution; soil degradation (salinization) and erosion; desertification
- People Population: 18,781,770 (July 1990), growth rate 3.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 67 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 68 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Iraqi(s); adjective--Iraqi
Ethnic divisions: 75-80% Arab, 15-20% Kurdish, 5% Turkoman, Assyrian or other
Religion: 97% Muslim (60-65% Shia, 32-37% Sunni), 3% Christian or other
Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Literacy: 55-65% (1989 est.)
Labor force: 3,400,000 (1984); 39% services, 33% agriculture, 28% industry, severe labor shortage (1987); expatriate labor force about 1,000,000 (1989)
Organized labor: less than 10% of the labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Iraq
Type: republic
Capital: Baghdad
Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, As Sulaymaniyah, At Tamim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Arbil, Karbala, Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
Independence: 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Constitution: 22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (interim Constitution); new constitution now in final stages of drafting
Legal system: based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil law system elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)
Executive branch: president, vice president, chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al Umma)
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Saddam HUSAYN (since 16 July 1979); Vice President Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since 21 April 1974)
Political parties: National Progressive Front is a coalition of the Arab Bath Socialist Party, Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Kurdistan Revolutionary Party
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
Elections: National Assembly--last held on 1 April 1989 (next to be held NA); results--Shia Arabs 30%, Kurds 15%, Sunni Arabs 53%, Christians 2% est.; seats--(250 total) number of seats by party NA
Communists: about 1,500 hardcore members
Other political or pressure groups: political parties and activity severely restricted; possibly some opposition to regime from disaffected members of the regime, Army officers, and religious and ethnic dissidents
Member of: ACC, Arab League, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Sadiq AL-MASHAT; Chancery at 1801 P Street NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 483-7500; US--Ambassador April C. GLASPIE; Embassy in Masbah Quarter (opposite the Foreign Ministry Club), Baghdad (mailing address is P. O. Box 2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad); telephone [964] (1) 719-6138 or 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; similar to the flags of the YAR which has one star and Syria which has two stars (in a horizontal line centered in the white band)--all green and five-pointed; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: The Bathist regime engages in extensive central planning and management of industrial production and foreign trade while leaving some small-scale industry and services and most agriculture to private enterprise. The economy is dominated by the oil sector, which provides about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. Since the early 1980s financial problems, caused by war expenditures and damage to oil export facilities by Iran, have led the government to implement austerity measures and to reschedule foreign debt payments. Oil exports have gradually increased with the construction of new pipelines. Agricultural development remains hampered by labor shortages, salinization, and dislocations caused by previous land reform and collectivization programs. The industrial sector, although accorded high priority by the government, is under financial constraints. New investment funds are generally allocated only to projects that result in import substitution or foreign exchange earnings.
GNP: $35 billion, per capita $1,940; real growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30-40% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: less than 5% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $NA billion; expenditures $35 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
Exports: $12.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--crude oil and refined products, machinery, chemicals, dates; partners--US, Brazil, USSR, Italy, Turkey, France, Japan, Yugoslavia (1988)
Imports: $10.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--manufactures, food; partners--Turkey, US, FRG, UK, France, Japan, Romania, Yugoslavia, Brazil (1988)
External debt: $40 billion (1988 est.), excluding debt to Persian Gulf Arab states
Industrial production: NA%
Electricity: 9,902,000 kW capacity; 20,000 million kWh produced, 1,110 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing
Agriculture: accounts for less than 10% of GNP but 33% of labor force; principal products--wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, other fruit, cotton, wool; livestock--cattle, sheep; not self-sufficient in food output
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $3 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $607 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1980-89), $37.2 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $3.9 billion
Currency: Iraqi dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1--0.3109 (fixed rate since 1982)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 2,962 km total; 2,457 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 505 km 1.000-meter gauge
Highways: 25,479 km total; 8,290 km paved, 5,534 km improved earth, 11,655 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 1,015 km; Shatt al Arab usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km, but closed since September 1980 because of Iran-Iraq war; Tigris and Euphrates navigable by shallow-draft steamers (of little importance); Shatt al Basrah canal navigable in sections by shallow-draft vessels
Ports: Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr
Merchant marine: 44 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 947,721 GRT/1,703,988 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 passenger-cargo, 18 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 19 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
Pipelines: crude oil, 4,350 km; 725 km refined products; 1,360 km natural gas
Civil air: 64 major transport aircraft (including 30 IL-76s used by the Iraq Air Force)
Airports: 111 total, 101 usable; 72 with permanent-surface runways; 8 with runways over 3,659 m; 53 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 14 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good network consists of coaxial cables, radio relay links, and radiocommunication stations; 632,000 telephones; stations--9 AM, 1 FM, 81 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 GORIZONT Atlantic Ocean in the Intersputnik system; coaxial cable and radio relay to Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard Force, mobile police force, Republican Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,097,190; 2,284,417 fit for military service; 219,701 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Iraq - Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone - Geography Total area: 3,520 km2; land area: 3,520 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 389 km total; 191 km Iraq, 198 km Saudi Arabia
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: harsh, dry desert
Terrain: sandy desert
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other (sandy desert)
Environment: harsh, inhospitable
Note: landlocked; located west of quadripoint with Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia
- People Population: uninhabited
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: joint administration by Iraq and Saudi Arabia; in July 1975, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to divide the zone between them, but the agreement must be ratified, however, before it becomes effective.
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Highways: none; some secondary roads
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the joint responsibility of Iraq and Saudi Arabia ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Ireland - Geography Total area: 70,280 km2; land area: 68,890 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundary: 360 km with UK
Coastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: no precise definition;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary with the UK; Northern Ireland question with the UK; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
Terrain: mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, crude oil, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver
Land use: 14% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 71% meadows and pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 10% other
Environment: deforestation
- People Population: 3,500,212 (July 1990), growth rate -0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Irishman(men), Irish (collective pl.); adjective--Irish
Ethnic divisions: Celtic, with English minority
Religion: 94% Roman Catholic, 4% Anglican, 2% other
Language: Irish (Gaelic) and English; English is the language generally used, with Gaelic spoken in a few areas, mostly along the western seaboard
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 1,310,000; 57.3% services, 19.1% manufacturing and construction, 14.8% agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1988)
Organized labor: 36% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Ireland
Type: republic
Capital: Dublin
Administrative divisions: 26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
Independence: 6 December 1921 (from UK)
Constitution: 29 December 1937; adopted 1937
Legal system: based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: St. Patrick's Day, 17 March
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of an upper house or Senate (Seanad Eireann) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dail Eireann)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President Dr. Patrick J. HILLERY (since 3 December 1976);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Charles J. HAUGHEY (since 12 July 1989, the fourth time elected as prime minister)
Political parties and leaders: Fianna Fail, Charles Haughey; Labor Party, Richard Spring; Fine Gael, Alan Dukes; Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan; Workers' Party, Proinsias DeRossa; Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'Malley; note--Prime Minister Haughey heads a coalition consisting of the Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held 21 October 1983 (next to be held October 1990); results--Dr. Patrick Hillery reelected;
Senate--last held on 17 February 1987 (next to be held February 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(60 total, 49 elected) Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 16, Labor 3, Independents 11;
House of Representatives--last held on 12 July 1989 (next to be held NA June 1994); results--Fianna Fail 44.0%, Fine Gael 29.4%, Labor Party 9.3%, Progressive Democrats 5.4%, Workers' Party 4.9%, Sinn Fein 1.1%, independents 5.9%; seats--(166 total) Fianna Fail 77, Fine Gael 55, Labor Party 15, Workers' Party 7, Progressive Democrats 6, independents 6
Communists: under 500
Member of: CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICES, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Padraic N. MACKERNAN; Chancery at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-3939; there are Irish Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Richard A. MOORE; Embassy at 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin; telephone [353] (1) 688777
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which is shorter and has the colors reversed--orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red
- Economy Overview: The economy is small, open, and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 35% of GNP and about 80% of exports and employs 20% of the labor force. The government has successfully reduced the rate of inflation from double-digit figures in the late 1970s to about 4% in 1989. In 1987, after years of deficits, the balance of payments was brought into the black. Unemployment, however, is a serious problem. A 1989 unemployment rate of 17.7% placed Ireland along with Spain as the countries with the worst jobless records in Western Europe.
GDP: $31.4 billion, per capita $8,900; real growth rate 4.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 17.7% (1989)
Budget: revenues $10.9 billion; expenditures $11.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (1989)
Exports: $20.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--live animals, animal products, chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery; partners--EC 74% (UK 35%, FRG 11%, France 9%), US 8%
Imports: $17.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--food, animal feed, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing; partners--EC 66% (UK 42%, FRG 9%, France 4%), US 16%
External debt: $16.1 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 9.5% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 4,957,000 kW capacity; 14,480 million kWh produced, 4,080 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP and 14.8% of the labor force; principal crops--turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; livestock--meat and dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food shortages include bread grain, fruits, vegetables
Aid: NA
Currency: Irish pound (plural--pounds); 1 Irish pound (LIr) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Irish pounds (LIr) per US$1--0.6399 (January 1990), 0.7047 (1989), 0.6553 (1988), 0.6720 (1987), 0.7454 (1986), 0.9384 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,947 km 1.602-meter gauge, government owned; 485 km double track; 38 km electrified
Highways: 92,294 km total; 87,422 km surfaced, 4,872 km gravel or crushed stone
Inland waterways: limited for commercial traffic
Pipelines: natural gas, 225 km
Ports: Cork, Dublin, Shannon Estuary, Waterford
Merchant marine: 67 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 113,569 GRT/139,681 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 2 container, 23 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 5 bulk
Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
Airports: 40 total, 37 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: small, modern system using cable and radio relay circuits; 900,000 telephones; stations--45 AM, 16 (29 relays) FM, 18 (68 relays) TV; 5 coaxial submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Naval Service, Army Air Corps
Military manpower: males 15-49, 870,161; 705,765 fit for military service; 33,259 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.6% of GDP, or $500 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Israel (also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries) Note: The Arab territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the data below. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The Camp David Accords further specify that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined (see West Bank and Gaza Strip entries). On 25 April 1982 Israel relinquished control of the Sinai to Egypt. Statistics for the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are included in the Syria entry.
- Geography Total area: 20,770 km2; land area: 20,330 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 1,006 km total; Egypt 255 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307, Gaza Strip 51 km
Coastline: 273 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line; differences with Jordan over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line which separates the two countries; West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with status to be determined; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing issues with Jordan
Climate: temperate; hot and dry in desert areas
Terrain: Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Natural resources: copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
Land use: 17% arable land; 5% permanent crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 6% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes 11% irrigated
Environment: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; limited arable land and natural water resources pose serious constraints; deforestation;
Note: there are 173 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, 35 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 18 in the Gaza Strip, and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem
- People Population: 4,409,218 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1989); includes 70,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 10,500 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 2,500 in the Gaza Strip, and 110,000 in East Jerusalem (1989 est.)
Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (July 1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 79 years female (July 1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Israeli(s); adjective--Israeli
Ethnic divisions: 83% Jewish, 17% non-Jewish (mostly Arab)
Religion: 83% Judaism, 13.1% Islam (mostly Sunni Muslim), 2.3% Christian, 1.6% Druze
Language: Hebrew (official); Arabic used officially for Arab minority; English most commonly used foreign language
Literacy: 88% Jews, 70% Arabs
Labor force: 1,400,000 (1984 est.); 29.5% public services; 22.8% industry, mining, and manufacturing; 12.8% commerce; 9.5% finance and business; 6.8% transport, storage, and communications; 6.5% construction and public works; 5.5% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 5.8% personal and other services; 1.0% electricity and water (1983)
Organized labor: 90% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: State of Israel
Type: republic
Capital: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular--mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Constitution: no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of the Parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
Legal system: mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985 Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 10 May 1989; Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May
Executive branch: president, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Knesset
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President Gen. Chaim HERZOG (since 5 May 1983);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Yitzhak SHAMIR (since 20 October 1986); Vice Prime Minister Shimon PERES (Prime Minister from 13 September 1984 to 20 October 1986, when he rotated to Vice Prime Minister)
Political parties and leaders: Israel currently has a national unity government comprising five parties that hold 95 of the Knesset's 120 seats; Members of the unity government--Likud bloc, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir; Labor Party, Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister Shimon Peres; Sephardic Torah Guardians (SHAS), Minister of Immigrant Absorption Yitzhak Peretz; National Religious Party, Minister of Religious Affairs Zevulun Hammer; Agudat Yisrael, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Moshe Zeev Feldman;
Opposition parties--Tehiya Party, Yuval Ne'eman; Tzomet Party, Rafael Eytan; Moledet Party, Rehavam Ze'evi; Degel HaTorah, Avraham Ravitz; Citizens' Rights Movement, Shulamit Aloni; United Workers' Party (MAPAM), Yair Tzaban; Center Movement-Shinui, Amnon Rubenstein; New Communist Party of Israel (RAKAH), Meir Wilner; Progressive List for Peace, Muhammad Mi'ari; Arab Democratic Party, Abd Al Wahab Darawshah
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held 23 February 1988 (next to be held February 1994); results--Gen. Chaim Herzog reelected by Knesset;
Parliament--last held 1 November 1988 (next to be held by November 1992); seats--(120 total) Likud bloc 40, Labor Party 39, SHAS 6, National Religious Party 5, Agudat Yisrael 5, Citizens' Rights Movement 5, RAKAH 4, Tehiya Party 3, MAPAM 3, Tzomet Party 2, Moledet Party 2, Degel HaTorah 2, Center Movement-Shinui 2, Progressive List for Peace 1, Arab Democratic Party 1
Communists: Hadash (predominantly Arab but with Jews in its leadership) has some 1,500 members
Other political or pressure groups: Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now, critical of government's West Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon policies
Member of: CCC, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOOC, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OAS (observer), UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Moshe ARAD; Chancery at 3514 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 364-5500; there are Israeli Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador William A. BROWN; Embassy at 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv (mailing address is APO New York 09672); telephone [972] (3) 654338; there is a US Consulate General in Jerusalem
Flag: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
- Economy Overview: Israel has a market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports for crude oil, food, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has developed its agriculture and industry sectors on an intensive scale over the past 20 years. Industry accounts for about 23% of the labor force, agriculture for 6%, and services for most of the balance. Diamonds, high-technology machinery, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the biggest export earners. The balance of payments has traditionally been negative, but is offset by large transfer payments and foreign loans. Nearly two-thirds of Israel's $16 billion external debt is owed to the US, which is its major source for economic and military aid. To earn needed foreign exchange, Israel must continue to exploit high-technology niches in the international market, such as medical scanning equipment. In 1987 the economy showed a 5.2% growth in real GNP, the best gain in nearly a decade; in 1988-89 the gain was only 1% annually, largely because of the economic impact of the Palestinian uprising (intifadah). Inflation dropped from an annual rate of over 400% in 1984 to about 16% in 1987-88 without any major increase in unemployment.
GNP: $38 billion, per capita $8,700; real growth rate 1% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 9% (December 1989)
Budget: revenues $24.2 billion; expenditures $26.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $7 billion (FY89 est.)
Exports: $10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing, processed foods, fertilizer and chemical products, military hardware, electronics; partners--US, UK, FRG, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy
Imports: $12.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--military equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, cereals, textiles, vehicles, ships, aircraft; partners--US, FRG, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg
External debt: $16.4 billion (March 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.5% (1989)
Electricity: 4,392,000 kW capacity; 17,500 million kWh produced, 4,000 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP; largely self-sufficient in food production, except for bread grains; principal products--citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products--beef, dairy, and poultry
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $15.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.2 billion
Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural--shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1--1.9450 (January 1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 594 km 1.435-meter gauge, single track; diesel operated
Highways: 4,500 km; majority is bituminous surfaced
Pipelines: crude oil, 708 km; refined products, 290 km; natural gas, 89 km
Ports: Ashdod, Haifa, Elat
Merchant marine: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 483,424 GRT/560,085 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 20 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo
Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
Airports: 55 total, 52 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: most highly developed in the Middle East though not the largest; good system of coaxial cable and radio relay; 1,800,000 telephones; stations--11 AM, 24 FM, 54 TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Israel Defense Forces; historically there have been no separate Israeli military services; ground, air, and naval components are branches of Israel Defense Forces
Military manpower: eligible 15-49, 2,159,462; of the 1,089,346 males 15-49, 898,272 are fit for military service; of the 1,070,116 females 15-49, 878,954 are fit for military service; 43,644 males and 41,516 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service
Defense expenditures: 8.5% of GNP, or $3.2 billion (1989 est.); note--does not include an estimated $1.8 billion in US military aid ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Italy - Geography Total area: 301,230 km2; land area: 294,020 km2; includes Sardinia and Sicily
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries: 1,902.2 km total; Austria 430 km, France 488 km, San Marino 39 km, Switzerland 740 km, Vatican City 3.2 km, Yugoslavia 202 km
Coastline: 4,996 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: South Tyrol question with Austria
Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Natural resources: mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal
Land use: 32% arable land; 10% permanent crops; 17% meadows and pastures; 22% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes 10% irrigated
Environment: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, snowslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, pollution; land sinkage in Venice
Note: strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
- People Population: 57,664,405 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 10 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Italian(s); adjective--Italian
Ethnic divisions: primarily Italian but population includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians in the south; Sicilians; Sardinians
Religion: almost 100% nominally Roman Catholic
Language: Italian; parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking; significant French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region; Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area
Literacy: 93%
Labor force: 23,670,000; 56.7% services, 37.9% industry, 5.4% agriculture (1987)
Organized labor: 40-45% of labor force (est.)
- Government Long-form name: Italian Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Rome
Administrative divisions: 20 regions (regioni, singular--regione); Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto
Independence: 17 March 1861, Kingdom of Italy proclaimed
Constitution: 1 January 1948
Legal system: based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
Executive branch: president, prime minister,
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senato) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati)
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)
Leaders: Chief of State--President Francesco COSSIGA (since 3 July 1985);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Giulio ANDREOTTI (since 22 July 1989, heads the government for the sixth time); Deputy Prime Minister Claudio MARTELLI (since 23 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DC), Arnaldo Forlani (general secretary), Ciriaco De Mita (president); Communist Party (PCI), Achille Occhetto (secretary general); Socialist Party (PSI), Bettino Craxi (party secretary); Social Democratic Party (PSDI), Antonio Cariglia (party secretary); Liberal Party (PLI), Renato Altissimo (secretary general); Italian Social Movement (MSI), Giuseppe (Pino) Rauti (national secretary); Republican Party (PRI), Giorgio La Malfa (political secretary); Italy's 49th postwar government was formed on 23 July 1989, with Prime Minister Andreotti, a Christian Democrat, presiding over a five-party coalition consisting of the Christian Democrats, Socialists, Social Democrats, Republicans, and Liberals
Suffrage: universal at age 18 (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
Elections: Senate--last held 14-15 June 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results--DC 33.9%, PCI 28.3%, PSI 10.7%, others 27.1%; seats--(320 total, 315 elected) DC 125, PCI 100, PSI 36, others 54;
Chamber of Deputies--last held 14-15 June 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results--DC 34.3%, PCI 26.6%, PSI 14.3%, MSI 5.9%, PRI 3.7%, PSDI 3.0%, Radicals 2.6%, Greens 2.5%, PLI 2.1%, Proletarian Democrats 1.7%, others 3.3%; seats--(630 total) DC 234, PCI 177, PSI 94, MSI 35, PRI 21, PSDI 17, Radicals 13, Greens 13, PLI 11, Proletarian Democrats 8, others 7
Communists: 1,673,751 members (1983)
Other political or pressure groups: Vatican City; three major trade union confederations (CGIL--Communist dominated, CISL--Christian Democratic, and UIL--Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republican); Italian manufacturers association (Confindustria); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura)
Member of: ADB, ASSIMER, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECOWAS, EIB, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IEA, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Rinaldo PETRIGNANI; Chancery at 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 328-5500; there are Italian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Consulates in Detroit and Newark (New Jersey); US--Ambassador Peter F. SECCHIA; Embassy at Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome (mailing address is APO New York 09794); telephone [39] (6) 46741; there are US Consulates General in Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, and Palermo (Sicily)
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which has the colors reversed--orange (hoist side), white, and green
- Economy Overview: Since World War II the economy has changed from one based on agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. The country is still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by large private companies and state enterprises and an undeveloped agricultural south. Services account for 58% of GDP, industry 37%, and agriculture 5%. Most raw materials needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be imported. The economic recovery that began in mid-1983 has continued through 1989, with the economy growing at an annual average rate of 3%. For the 1990s, Italy faces the problems of refurbishing a tottering communications system, curbing the increasing pollution in major industrial centers, and adjusting to the new competitive forces accompanying the ongoing economic integration of the European Community.
GDP: $803.3 billion, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.6% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 11.9% (1989)
Budget: revenues $355 billion; expenditures $448 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $141.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--textiles, wearing apparel, metals, transportation equipment, chemicals; partners--EC 57%, US 9%, OPEC 4%
Imports: $143.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--petroleum, industrial machinery, chemicals, metals, food, agricultural products; partners--EC 57%, OPEC 6%, US 6%
External debt: NA
Industrial production: growth rate 2.9% (1989)
Electricity: 56,022,000 kW capacity; 201,400 million kWh produced, 3,500 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: machinery and transportation equipment, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles
Agriculture: accounts for about 5% of GNP and 5% of the work force; self-sufficient in foods other than meat and dairy products; principal crops--fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; fish catch of 554,000 metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $18.7 billion
Currency: Italian lira (plural--lire); 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi
Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1--1,262.5 (January 1990), 1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 20,011 km total; 16,066 km 1.435-meter government-owned standard gauge (8,999 km electrified); 3,945 km privately owned--2,100 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (1,155 km electrified) and 1,845 km 0.950-meter narrow gauge (380 km electrified)
Highways: 294,410 km total; autostrada 5,900 km, state highways 45,170 km, provincial highways 101,680 km, communal highways 141,660 km; 260,500 km concrete, bituminous, or stone block, 26,900 km gravel and crushed stone, 7,010 km earth
Inland waterways: 2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,703 km; refined products, 2,148 km; natural gas, 19,400 km
Ports: Cagliari (Sardinia), Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Naples, Palermo (Sicily), Taranto, Trieste, Venice
Merchant marine: 547 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,871,505 GRT/10,805,368 DWT; includes 6 passenger, 41 short-sea passenger, 100 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 22 container, 72 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 vehicle carrier, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 2 livestock carrier, 147 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 37 chemical tanker, 29 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 16 combination ore/oil, 55 bulk, 2 combination bulk
Civil air: 132 major transport aircraft
Airports: 143 total, 138 usable; 88 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 35 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: well engineered, constructed, and operated; 28,000,000 telephones; stations--144 AM, 54 (over 1,800 repeaters) FM, 135 (over 1,300 repeaters) TV; 22 submarine cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT 3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, INMARSAT, and EUTELSAT systems
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 14,721,704; 12,855,022 fit for military service; 430,782 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.4% of GDP, or $19 billion (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Ivory Coast (also known as Cote d'Ivoire) - Geography Total area: 322,460 km2; land area: 318,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries: 3,110 km total; Burkina 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
Coastline: 515 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons--warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
Natural resources: crude oil, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper
Land use: 9% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 52% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; severe deforestation
- People Population: 12,478,024 (July 1990), growth rate 4.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 100 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Ivorian(s); adjective--Ivorian
Ethnic divisions: over 60 ethnic groups; most important are the Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, and Agni; about 2 million foreign Africans, mostly Burkinabe; about 130,000 to 330,000 non-Africans (30,000 French and 100,000 to 300,000 Lebanese)
Religion: 63% indigenous, 25% Muslim, 12% Christian
Language: French (official), over 60 native dialects; Dioula most widely spoken
Literacy: 42.7%
Labor force: 5,718,000; over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, for estry, livestock raising; about 11% of labor force are wage earners, nearly half in agriculture and the remainder in government, industry, commerce, and professions; 54% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: 20% of wage labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of the Ivory Coast; note--the local official name is Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
Type: republic; one-party presidential regime established 1960
Capital: Abidjan (capital city changed to Yamoussoukro in March 1983 but not recognized by US)
Administrative divisions: 49 departments (departements, singular--(departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope, Agboville, Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma, Bondoukou, Bongouanou, Bouafle, Bouake, Bouna, Boundiali, Dabakala, Daloa, Danane, Daoukro, Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue, Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa, Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia, Katiola, Korhogo, Lakota, Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro, Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro, Sassandra, Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre, Tabou, Tanda, Tengrela, Tiassale, Touba, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
Independence: 7 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution: 3 November 1960
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 7 December
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Dr. Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since 27 November 1960)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Democratic Party of the Ivory Coast (PDCI), Dr. Felix Houphouet-Boigny
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President--last held 27 October 1985 (next to be held October 1990); results--President Felix Houphouet-Boigny was reelected without opposition to his fifth consecutive five-year term;
National Assembly--last held 10 November 1985 (next to be held 10 November 1990); results--PDCI is the only party; seats--(175 total) PDCI 175
Communists: no Communist party; possibly some sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, EIB (associate), Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Charles GOMIS; Chancery at 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-0300; US--Ambassador Kenneth BROWN; Embassy at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan (mailing address is B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01); telephone [225] 32-09-79
Flag: three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and has the colors reversed--green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France
- Economy Overview: The Ivory Coast is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm-kernel oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for coffee and cocoa and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government to diversify, the economy is still largely dependent on agriculture and related industries. The agricultural sector accounts for over one-third of GDP and about 80% of export earnings and employs about 85% of the labor force. A collapse of world cocoa and coffee prices in 1986 threw the economy into a recession, from which the country had not recovered by 1989.
GDP: $10.0 billion, per capita $900; real growth rate - 6.4% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.5% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 14% (1985)
Budget: revenues $1.6 billion (1986); expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $504 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--cocoa 30%, coffee 20%, tropical woods 11%, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton; partners--France, FRG, Netherlands, US, Belgium, Spain (1985)
Imports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--manufactured goods and semifinished products 50%, consumer goods 40%, raw materials and fuels 10%; partners--France, other EC, Nigeria, US, Japan (1985)
External debt: $14.7 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1987)
Electricity: 1,081,000 kW capacity; 2,440 million kWh produced, 210 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: foodstuffs, wood processing, oil refinery, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, beverage
Agriculture: most important sector, contributing one-third to GDP and 80% to exports; cash crops include coffee, cocoa beans, timber, bananas, palm kernels, rubber; food crops--corn, rice, manioc, sweet potatoes; not selfsufficient in bread grain and dairy products
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis on a small scale for the international drug trade
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $344 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.6 billion
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 660 km (Burkina border to Abidjan, 1.00-meter gauge, single track, except 25 km Abidjan-Anyama section is double track)
Highways: 46,600 km total; 3,600 km bituminous and bituminous-treated surface; 32,000 km gravel, crushed stone, laterite, and improved earth; 11,000 km unimproved
Inland waterways: 980 km navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons
Ports: Abidjan, San-Pedro
Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,945 GRT/ 90,684 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft, including multinationally owned Air Afrique fleet
Airports: 49 total, 42 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: system above African average; consists of open-wire lines and radio relay links; 87,700 telephones; stations--3 AM, 17 FM, 11 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; 2 coaxial submarine cables
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 2,874,925; 1,487,909 fit for military service; 141,193 males reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Jamaica - Geography Total area: 10,990 km2; land area: 10,830 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,022 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use: 19% arable land; 6% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 28% forest and woodland; 29% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes (especially July to November); deforestation; water pollution
Note: strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal
- People Population: 2,441,396 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 21 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Jamaican(s); adjective--Jamaican
Ethnic divisions: 76.3% African, 15.1% Afro-European, 3.4% East Indian and Afro-East Indian, 3.2% white, 1.2% Chinese and Afro-Chinese, 0.8% other
Religion: predominantly Protestant (including Anglican and Baptist), some Roman Catholic, some spiritualist cults
Language: English, Creole
Literacy: 74%
Labor force: 728,700; 32% agriculture, 28% industry and commerce, 27% services, 13% government; shortage of technical and managerial personnel (1984)
Organized labor: 25% of labor force (1989)
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Kingston
Administrative divisions: 14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
Independence: 6 August 1962 (from UK)
Constitution: 6 August 1962
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August), 6 August 1990
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Florizel A. GLASSPOLE (since 2 March 1973);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Michael MANLEY (since 9 February 1989)
Political parties and leaders: People's National Party (PNP), Michael Manley; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward Seaga; Workers' Party of Jamaica (WPJ), Trevor Munroe
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives--last held 9 February 1989 (next to be held by February 1994); results--PNP 57%, JLP 43%; seats--(60 total) PNP 45, JLP 15
Communists: Workers' Party of Jamaica (Marxist-Leninist)
Other political or pressure groups: Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Keith JOHNSON; Chancery at Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 452-0660; there are Jamaican Consulates General in Miami and New York; US--Ambassador Glen HOLDEN; Embassy at 3rd Floor, Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, Kingston; telephone [809] 929-4850
Flag: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles--green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)
- Economy Overview: The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In 1985 it suffered a setback with the closure of some facilities in the bauxite and alumina industry, a major source of hard currency earnings. Since 1986 an economic recovery has been under way. In 1987 conditions began to improve for the bauxite and alumina industry because of increases in world metal prices. The recovery has also been supported by growth in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage on crops and the electric power system, a sharp but temporary setback to the economy. By October 1989 the economic recovery from the hurricane was largely complete and real growth was up about 3% for 1989.
GDP: $3.8 billion, per capita $1,529; real growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 18.7% (1988)
Budget: revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88 est.)
Exports: $948 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--bauxite, alumina, sugar, bananas; partners--US 40%, UK, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Norway
Imports: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum, machinery, food, consumer goods, construction goods; partners--US 46%, UK, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago
External debt: $4.4 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 1,437,000 kW capacity; 2,390 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing, light manufactures
Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of GDP, one-third of work force, and 17% of exports; commercial crops--sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, and vegetables; livestock and livestock products include poultry, goats, milk; not self-sufficient in grain, meat, and dairy products
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of cannabis has decreased, with production shifting from large to small plots and nurseries to evade aerial detection and eradication
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $27 million; Communist countries (1974-88), $349 million
Currency: Jamaican dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1--6.5013 (January 1990), 5.7446 (1989), 5.4886 (1988), 5.4867 (1987), 5.4778 (1986), 5.5586 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 370 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track
Highways: 18,200 km total; 12,600 km paved, 3,200 km gravel, 2,400 km improved earth
Pipelines: refined products, 10 km
Ports: Kingston, Montego Bay
Merchant marine: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,048 GRT/21,412 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk
Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
Airports: 41 total, 25 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fully automatic domestic telephone network; 127,000 telephones; stations--10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables
- Defense Forces Branches: Jamaica Defense Force (includes Coast Guard and Air Wing)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 620,400; 440,967 fit for military service; no conscription; 27,014 reach minimum volunteer age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.1% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Jan Mayen (territory of Norway) - Geography Total area: 373 km2; land area: 373 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 124.1 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
Disputes: Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween Greenland and Jan Mayen
Climate: arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain: volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers; Beerenberg is the highest peak, with an elevation of 2,277 meters
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: barren volcanic island with some moss and grass; volcanic activity resumed in 1970
Note: located 590 km north-northwest of Iceland between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea north of the Arctic Circle
- People Population: no permanent inhabitants
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: territory of Norway
Note: administered by a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard)
- Economy Overview: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island.
Electricity: 15,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh produced, NA kWh per capita (1989)
- Communications Airports: 1 with runway 1,220 to 2,439 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications: radio and meteorological station
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of Norway ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Japan - Geography Total area: 377,835 km2; land area: 374,744 km2; includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 29,751 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in international straits--La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait)
Disputes: Habomai Islands, Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Japan; Kuril Islands administered by Soviet Union; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous
Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
Land use: 13% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 67% forest and woodland; 18% other; includes 9% irrigated
Environment: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
Note: strategic location in northeast Asia
- People Population: 123,642,461 (July 1990), growth rate 0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 82 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Japanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Japanese
Ethnic divisions: 99.4% Japanese, 0.6% other (mostly Korean)
Religion: most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites; about 16% belong to other faiths, including 0.8% Christian
Language: Japanese
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 63,330,000; 54% trade and services; 33% manufacturing, mining, and construction; 7% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 3% government (1988)
Organized labor: about 29% of employed workers; 76.4% public service, 57.9% transportation and telecommunications, 48.7% mining, 33.7% manufacturing, 18.2% services, 9.3% wholesale, retail, and restaurant
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Tokyo
Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures (fuken, singular and plural); Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Independence: 660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu; 3 May 1947, constitutional monarchy established
Constitution: 3 May 1947
Legal system: civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
Executive branch: emperor, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house or House of Councillors (Sangi-in) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Shugi-in)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Toshiki KAIFU (since 9 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Toshiki Kaifu, president; Japan Socialist Party (JSP), T. Doi, chairman; Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keigo Ouchi, chairman; Japan Communist Party (JCP), K. Miyamoto, Presidium chairman; Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro Ishida, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: House of Councillors--last held on 23 July 1989 (next to be held 23 July 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(252 total, 100 elected) LDP 109, JSP 67, CGP 21, JCP 14, others 33;
House of Representatives--last held on 18 February 1990 (next to be held by February 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(512 total) LDP 275, JSP 136, CGP 45, JCP 16, JDSP 14, other parties 5, independents 21; note--nine independents are expected to join the LDP, five the JSP
Communists: about 470,000 registered Communist party members
Member of: ADB, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Nobuo MATSUNAGA; Chancery at 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6700; there are Japanese Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland (Oregon), and a Consulate in Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands); US--Ambassador Michael H. ARMACOST; Embassy at 10-1, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96503); telephone [81] (3) 224-5000; there are US Consulates General in Naha, Osaka-Kobe, and Sapporo and a Consulate in Fukuoka
Flag: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
- Economy Overview: Although Japan has few natural resources, since 1971 it has become the world's third-largest industrial economy, ranking behind only the US and the USSR. Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and a comparatively small defense allocation have helped Japan advance rapidly, notably in high-technology fields. Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. Self-sufficent in rice, Japan must import 50% of its requirements for other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the total global catch. Overall economic growth has been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1989 strong investment and consumption spending helped maintain growth at nearly 5%. Inflation remains low at 2.1% despite high oil prices and a somewhat weaker yen. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus, $60 billion in 1989, which supports extensive investment in foreign properties.
GNP: $1,914.1 billion, per capita $15,600; real growth rate 4.8% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 2.3% (1989)
Budget: revenues $392 billion; expenditures $464 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY89)
Exports: $270 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--manufactures 97% (including machinery 38%, motor vehicles 17%, consumer electronics 10%); partners--US 34%, Southeast Asia 22%, Western Europe 21%, Communist countries 5%, Middle East 5%
Imports: $210 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--manufactures 42%, fossil fuels 30%, foodstuffs 15%, nonfuel raw materials 13%; partners--Southeast Asia 23%, US 23%, Middle East 15%, Western Europe 16%, Communist countries 7%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 9.0% (1989)
Electricity: 191,000,000 kW capacity; 700,000 million kWh produced, 5,680 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: metallurgy, engineering, electrical and electronic, textiles, chemicals, automobiles, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for 3% of GNP; highly subsidized and protected sector, with crop yields among highest in world; principal crops--rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; animal products include pork, poultry, dairy and eggs; about 50% self-sufficient in food production; shortages of wheat, corn, soybeans; world's largest fish catch of 11.8 million metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $57.5 billion
Currency: yen (plural--yen); 1 yen (Y) = 100 sen
Exchange rates: yen (Y) per US$1--145.09 (January 1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 27,327 km total; 2,012 km 1.435-meter standard gauge and 25,315 km predominantly 1.067-meter narrow gauge; 5,724 km doubletrack and multitrack sections, 9,038 km 1.067-meter narrow-gauge electrified, 2,012 km 1.435-meter standard-gauge electrified (1987)
Highways: 1,098,900 km total; 718,700 km paved, 380,200 km gravel, crushed stone, or unpaved; 3,900 km national expressways, 46,544 km national highways, 43,907 km principal local roads, 86,930 km prefectural roads, and 917,619 other (1987)
Inland waterways: about 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas
Pipelines: crude oil, 84 km; refined products, 322 km; natural gas, 1,800 km
Ports: Chiba, Muroran, Kitakyushu, Kobe, Tomakomai, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Niigata, Fushiki-Toyama, Shimizu, Himeji, Wakayama-Shimozu, Shimonoseki, Tokuyama-Shimomatsu
Merchant marine: 1,088 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,597,688 GRT/36,655,266 DWT; includes 7 passenger, 57 short-sea passenger, 4 passenger cargo, 108 cargo, 44 container, 27 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 135 refrigerated cargo, 117 vehicle carrier, 237 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 21 chemical tanker, 42 liquefied gas, 12 combination ore/oil, 3 specialized tanker, 272 bulk, 1 combination bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier
Civil air: 341 major transport aircraft
Airports: 165 total, 156 usable; 128 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 27 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 55 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international service; 64,000,000 telephones; stations--318 AM, 58 FM, 12,350 TV (196 major--1 kw or greater); satellite earth stations--4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and USSR
- Defense Forces Branches: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (air force), Maritime Safety Agency (coast guard)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 32,181,866; 27,695,890 fit for military service; 1,004,052 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.0% of GNP at market prices (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Jarvis Island (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 4.5 km2; land area: 4.5 km2
Comparative area: about 7.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 8 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain: sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; feral cats
Note: 2,090 km south of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, just south of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands
- People Population: uninhabited
Note: Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was abandoned; reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and educators
- Government Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Ports: none; offshore anchorage only--one boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the southwest corner of the island
Note: there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Jersey (British crown dependency) - Geography Total area: 117 km2; land area: 117 km2
Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 70 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Terrain: gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Natural resources: agricultural land
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; about 58% of land under cultivation
Environment: about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
Note: largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; 27 km from France
- People Population: 83,609 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 7 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Channel Islander(s); adjective--Channel Islander
Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French descent
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian
Language: English and French (official), with the Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: none
- Government Long-form name: Bailiwick of Jersey
Type: British crown dependency
Capital: Saint Helier
Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
Independence: none (British crown dependency)
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system: English law and local statute
National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, bailiff
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the States
Judicial branch: Royal Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government--Lieutenant Governor Adm. Sir William PILLAR (since NA 1985); Bailiff Peter CRILL (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: Assembly of the States--last held NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(56 total, 52 elected) 52 independents
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
Flag: white with the diagonal red cross of St. Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) extending to the corners of the flag
- Economy Overview: The economy is based largely on financial services, agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EC countries. In 1986 the finance sector overtook tourism as the main contributor to GDP, accounting for 40% of the island's output. In recent years the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs.
GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate 8% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $308.0 million; expenditures $284.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
Exports: $NA; commodities--light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles; partners--UK
Imports: $NA; commodities--machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals; partners--UK
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 50,000 kW standby capacity (1989); power supplied by France
Industries: tourism, banking and finance, dairy
Agriculture: potatoes, cauliflowers, tomatoes; dairy and cattle farming
Aid: none
Currency: Jersey pound (plural--pounds); 1 Jersey pound (LJ) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Jersey pounds (LJ) per US$1--0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Ports: Saint Helier, Gorey, St. Aubin
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m (St. Peter)
Telecommunications: 63,700 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 3 submarine cables
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Johnston Atoll (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 2.8 km2; land area: 2.8 km2
Comparative area: about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 10 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly flat with a maximum elevation of 4 meters
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until about 1890)
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: some low-growing vegetation
Note: strategic location 1,328 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way between Hawaii and the Marshall Islands; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; closed to the public; former nuclear weapons test site
- People Population: 1,203 (December 1989); all US government personnel and contractors
- Government Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) and managed cooperatively by DNA and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
Flag: the flag of the US is used
- Economy Overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
- Communications Ports: Johnston Island
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,743 m
Telecommunications: excellent system including 60-channel submarine cable, Autodin/SRT terminal, digital telephone switch, Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station), and a (receive only) commercial satellite television system
Note: US Coast Guard operates a LORAN transmitting station
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Jordan (see separate West Bank entry) Note: The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in control of the West Bank. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned parties. The Camp David Accords further specify that these negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined.
- Geography Total area: 91,880 km2; land area: 91,540 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries: 1,586 km total; Iraq 134 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 742 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Coastline: 26 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: differences with Israel over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line which separates the two countries
Climate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Terrain: mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Natural resources: phosphates, potash, shale oil
Land use: 4% arable land; 0.5% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 0.5% forest and woodland; 94% other; includes 0.5% irrigated
Environment: lack of natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
- People Population: 3,064,508 (July 1990), growth rate 3.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 55 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Jordanian(s); adjective--Jordanian
Ethnic divisions: 98% Arab, 1% Circassian, 1% Armenian
Religion: 92% Sunni Muslim, 8% Christian
Language: Arabic (official); English widely understood among upper and middle classes
Literacy: 71% (est.)
Labor force: 572,000 (1988); 20% agriculture, 20% manufacturing and mining (1987 est.)
Organized labor: about 10% of labor force
Note: 1.5-1.7 million Palestinians live on the East Bank (55-60% of the population), most are Jordanian citizens
- Government Long-form name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Amman
Administrative divisions: 8 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Balqa, Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa, Irbid, Maan
Independence: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration; formerly Trans-Jordan)
Constitution: 8 January 1952
Legal system: based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al Umma) consists of an upper house or House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayaan) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwwab); note--the House of Representatives was dissolved by King Hussein on 30 July 1988 as part of Jordanian disengagement from the West Bank and in November 1989 the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held, with no seats going to Palestinians on the West Bank
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
Leaders: Chief of State--King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal I (since 11 August 1952);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Mudar BADRAN (since 4 December 1989)
Political parties and leaders: none; after 1989 parliamentary elections, King Hussein promised to allow the formation of political parties
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1989 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(80 total) percent of vote NA
Communists: party actively repressed, membership less than 500 (est.)
Member of: ACC, Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hussein A. HAMMAMI; Chancery at 3504 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-2664; US--Ambassador Roscoe S. SUDDARTH; Embassy on Jebel Amman, Amman (mailing address is P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO New York 09892); telephone [962] (6) 644371 through 644376
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran
- Economy Overview: Jordan was a secondary beneficiary of the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its GNP growth averaged 10-12%. Recent years, however, have witnessed a sharp reduction in cash aid from Arab oil-producing countries and in worker remittances, with growth averaging 1-2%. Imports--mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and foodstuffs--have been outstripping exports by roughly $2 billion annually, the difference being made up by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In 1989 the government pursued policies to encourage private investment, curb imports of luxury goods, promote exports, reduce the budget deficit, and, in general, reinvigorate economic growth. Success will depend largely on exogenous forces, such as the absence of drought and a pickup in outside support. Down the road, the completion of the proposed Unity Dam on the Yarmuk is vital to meet rapidly growing requirements for water.
GNP: $5.2 billion, per capita $1,760; real growth rate 0% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9-10% (December 1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $0.92 billion; expenditures $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $540 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $0.910 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--fruits and vegetables, phosphates, fertilizers; partners--Iraq, Saudi Arabia, India, Kuwait, Japan, China, Yugoslavia, Indonesia
Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--crude oil, textiles, capital goods, motor vehicles, foodstuffs; partners--EC, US, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey, Romania, China, Taiwan
External debt: $8.3 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate - 7.8% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 981,000 kW capacity; 3,500 million kWh produced, 1,180 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing
Agriculture: accounts for only 5% of GDP; principal products are wheat, barley, citrus fruit, tomatoes, melons, olives; livestock--sheep, goats, poultry; large net importer of food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.7 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $44 million
Currency: Jordanian dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1--0.6557 (January 1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3715 (1988), 0.3387 (1987), 0.3499 (1986), 0.3940 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 619 km 1.050-meter gauge, single track
Highways: 7,500 km; 5,500 km asphalt, 2,000 km gravel and crushed stone
Pipelines: crude oil, 209 km
Ports: Al Aqabah
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 32,635 GRT/44,618 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 2 bulk cargo
Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft
Airports: 19 total, 16 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate system of radio relay, cable, and radio; 81,500 telephones; stations--4 AM, 3 FM, 24 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 domestic TV receive-only; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria; radio relay to Lebanon is inactive; a microwave network linking Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Jordan
- Defense Forces Branches: Jordan Arab Army, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Jordanian Coast Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 726,736; 519,972 fit for military service; 38,730 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 11% of GNP, or $570 million (1990 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Juan de Nova Island (French possession) - Geography Total area: 4.4 km2; land area: 4.4 km2
Comparative area: about 7.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 24.1 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
Climate: tropical
Terrain: undetermined
Natural resources: guano deposits and other fertilizers
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 90% forest and woodland; 10% other
Environment: subject to periodic cyclones; wildlife sanctuary
Note: located in the central Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and Madagascar
- People Population: uninhabited
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Railroads: short line going to a jetty
Airports: 1 with nonpermanent-surface runway less than 1,220 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Note: one weather station
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Kenya - Geography Total area: 582,650 km2; land area: 569,250 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Land boundaries: 3,477 km total; Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Coastline: 536 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: international boundary and Administrative Boundary with Sudan; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west
Natural resources: gold, limestone, diotomite, salt barytes, magnesite, feldspar, sapphires, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
Land use: 3% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 85% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; glaciers on Mt. Kenya
Note: Kenyan Highlands one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa
- People Population: 24,639,261 (July 1990), growth rate 3.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Kenyan(s); adjective--Kenyan
Ethnic divisions: 21% Kikuyu, 14% Luhya, 13% Luo, 11% Kalenjin, 11% Kamba, 6% Kisii, 6% Meru, 1% Asian, European, and Arab
Religion: 38% Protestant, 28% Roman Catholic, 26% indigenous beliefs, 6% Muslim
Language: English and Swahili (official); numerous indigenous languages
Literacy: 59.2%
Labor force: 9,003,000; 78% agriculture, 22% nonagriculture (1987 est.)
Organized labor: 390,000 (est.)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Kenya
Type: republic
Capital: Nairobi
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North-Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Independence: 12 December 1963 (from UK; formerly British East Africa)
Constitution: 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, and 1988
Legal system: based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment in 1982 made Kenya a de jure one-party state
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Daniel Teroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); Vice President George SAITOTI (since 10 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Kenya African National Union (KANU), Daniel T. arap Moi, president
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held on 21 March 1988 (next to be held February 1993); results--President Daniel T. arap Moi was reelected;
National Assembly--last held on 21 March 1988 (next to be held March 1993); results--KANU is the only party; seats--(202 total, 188 elected) KANU 200
Communists: may be a few Communists and sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups: labor unions; exile opposition--Mwakenya and other groups
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAU, UN, UNDP, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Denis Daudi AFANDE; Chancery at 2249 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-6101; there are Kenyan Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York; US--Ambassador Smith HEMPSTONE; Embassy at the corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi (mailing address is P. O. Box 30137, Nairobi or APO New York 09675); telephone [254] (2) 334141; there is a US Consulate in Mombasa
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center
- Economy Overview: A serious underlying economic problem is Kenya's 3.8% annual population growth rate--one of the highest in the world. In the meantime, GDP growth in the near term has kept slightly ahead of population--annually averaging 5.2% in the 1986-88 period. Undependable weather conditions and a shortage of arable land hamper long-term growth in agriculture, the leading economic sector.
GDP: $8.5 billion, per capita $360; real growth rate 4.9% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.3% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%, but there is a high level of unemployment and underemployment
Budget: revenues $2.3 billion; expenditures $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.71 billion (FY87)
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coffee 20%, tea 18%, manufactures 15%, petroleum products 10% (1987); partners--Western Europe 45%, Africa 22%, Far East 10%, US 4%, Middle East 3% (1987)
Imports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--machinery and transportation equipment 36%, raw materials 33%, fuels and lubricants 20%, food and consumer goods 11% (1987); partners--Western Europe 49%, Far East 20%, Middle East 19%, US 7% (1987)
External debt: $6.2 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1987 est.)
Electricity: 587,000 kW capacity; 2,250 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining, cement, tourism
Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for 30% of GDP, about 80% of the work force, and over 50% of exports; cash crops--coffee, tea, sisal, pineapple; food products--corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products; food output not keeping pace with population growth
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis used mostly for domestic consumption; widespread cultivation of cannabis and qat on small plots; transit country for heroin and methaqualone en route from Southwest Asia to West Africa, Western Europe, and the US
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $771 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $74 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $83 million
Currency: Kenyan shilling (plural--shillings); 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1--21.749 (December 1989), 20.572 (1989), 17.747 (1988), 16.454 (1987), 16.226 (1986), 16.432 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 2,040 km 1.000-meter gauge
Highways: 64,590 km total; 7,000 km paved, 4,150 km gravel, remainder improved earth
Inland waterways: part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya; principal inland port is at Kisumu
Pipelines: refined products, 483 km
Ports: Mombasa, Lamu
Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
Airports: 247 total, 211 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 45 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: in top group of African systems; consists of radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radiocommunication stations; 260,000 telephones; stations--11 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTLESAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, Air Force; paramilitary General Service Unit
Military manpower: males 15-49, 5,240,551; 3,235,557 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 1.0% of GDP, or $100 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Kingman Reef (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 1 km2; land area: 1 km2
Comparative area: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 3 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderated by prevailing winds
Terrain: low and nearly level with a maximum elevation of about 1 meter
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; wet or awash most of the time
Note: located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa; maximum elevation of about 1 meter makes this a navigational hazard; closed to the public
- People Population: uninhabited
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Navy
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Airports: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Kiribati - Geography Total area: 717 km2; land area: 717 km2; includes three island groups--Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands
Comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,143 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 51% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 46% other
Environment: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; 20 of the 33 islands are inhabited
Note: Banaba or Ocean Island is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (the others are Makatea in French Polynesia and Nauru)
- People Population: 70,012 (July 1990), growth rate 1.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 65 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 57 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Kiribatian(s); adjective--Kiribati
Ethnic divisions: Micronesian
Religion: 48% Roman Catholic, 45% Protestant (Congregational), some Seventh-Day Adventist and Baha'i
Language: English (official), Gilbertese
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 7,870 economically active (1985 est.)
Organized labor: Kiribati Trades Union Congress--2,500 members
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Kiribati
Type: republic
Capital: Tarawa
Administrative divisions: 3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note--a new administrative structure of 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) may have been changed to 20 island councils (one for each of the inhabited islands) named Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina
Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK; formerly Gilbert Islands)
Constitution: 12 July 1979
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Ieremia T. TABAI (since 12 July 1979); Vice President Teatao TEANNAKI (since 20 July 1979)
Political parties and leaders: Gilbertese National Party; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro Tito, secretary; essentially not organized on basis of political parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held on 12 May 1987 (next to be held May 1991); results--Ieremia T. Tabai 50.1%, Tebruroro Tito 42.7%, Tetao Tannaki 7.2%;
National Assembly--last held on 19 March l987 (next to be held March 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(40 total; 39 elected) percent of seats by party NA
Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP (associate member), GATT (de facto), ICAO, IMF, SPF, WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant) lives in Tarawa (Kiribati); US--none
Flag: the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a yellow rising sun and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean
- Economy Overview: The country has few national resources. Phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Real GDP declined about 8% in 1987, as the fish catch fell sharply to only one-fourth the level of 1986 and copra production was hampered by repeated rains. Output rebounded strongly in 1988, with real GDP growing by 17%. The upturn in economic growth came from an increase in copra production and a good fish catch. Following the strong surge in output in 1988, GDP remained about the same in 1989.
GDP: $34 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 0% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 2% (1985); considerable underemployment
Budget: revenues $22.0 million; expenditures $12.7 million, including capital expenditures of $9.7 million (1988)
Exports: $5.1 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--fish 55%, copra 42%; partners--EC 20%, Marshall Islands 12%, US 8%, American Samoa 4% (1985)
Imports: $21.5 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, fuel, transportation equipment; partners--Australia 39%, Japan 21%, NZ 6%, UK 6%, US 3% (1985)
External debt: $2.0 million (December 1987 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 13 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fishing, handicrafts
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish contribute 95% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops--taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $245 million
Currency: Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
Fiscal year: NA
- Communications Highways: 640 km of motorable roads
Inland waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands
Ports: Banaba and Betio (Tarawa)
Civil air: 2 Trislanders; no major transport aircraft
Airports: 22 total; 21 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 1,400 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: NA
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Korea, North - Geography Total area: 120,540 km2; land area: 120,410 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land boundaries: 1,671 km total; China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, USSR 17 km
Coastline: 2,495 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm;
Military boundary line: 50 nm (all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned)
Disputes: short section of boundary with China is indefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea
Climate: temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
Natural resources: coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
Land use: 18% arable land; 1% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 74% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes 9% irrigated
Environment: mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated; late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding
Note: strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and USSR
- People Population: 21,292,649 (July 1990), growth rate 1.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 27 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Korean(s); adjective--Korean
Ethnic divisions: racially homogeneous
Religion: Buddhism and Confucianism; religious activities now almost nonexistent
Language: Korean
Literacy: 95% (est.)
Labor force: 9,615,000; 36% agricultural, 64% nonagricultural; shortage of skilled and unskilled labor (mid-1987 est.)
Organized labor: 1,600,000 members; single-trade union system coordinated by the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea under the Central Committee
- Government Long-form name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea; abbreviated DPRK
Type: Communist state; one-man rule
Capital: P'yongyang
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Chagang-do, Hamgyong-namdo, Hamgyong-bukto, Hwanghae-namdo, Hwanghae-bukto, Kaesong-si*, Kangwon-do, Namp'o-si*, P'yongan-bukto, P'yongan-namdo, P'yongyang-si*, Yanggang-do
Independence: 9 September 1948
Constitution: adopted 1948, revised 27 December 1972
Legal system: based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 9 September (1948)
Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, premier, nine vice premiers, State Administration Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (Choe Ko In Min Hoe Ui)
Judicial branch: Central Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President KIM Il-song (since 28 December 1972); Designated Successor KIM Chong-Il (son of President, born 16 February 1942);
Head of Government--Premier YON Hyong-muk (since NA December 1988)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Korean Workers' Party (KWP); Kim Il-song, General Secretary, and his son, Kim Chong-Il, Secretary, Central Committee
Suffrage: universal at age 17
Elections: President--last held 29 December 1986 (next to be held December 1990); results--President Kim Il Song was reelected without opposition;
Supreme People's Assembly--last held on 2 November 1986 (next to be held November 1990, but the constitutional provision for elections every four years is not always followed); results--KWP is the only party; seats--(655 total) KWP 655; the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition
Communists: KWP claims membership of about 2 million, or about one-tenth of population
Member of: ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, IMO, IPU, ITU, NAM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO, UNIDO, WMO; official observer status at UN
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star
- Economy Overview: More than 90% of this command economy is socialized; agricultural land is collectivized; and state-owned industry produces 95% of manufactured goods. State control of economic affairs is unusually tight even for a Communist country because of the small size and homogeneity of the society and the strict one-man rule of Kim. Economic growth during the period 1984-89 has averaged approximately 3%. Abundant natural resources and hydropower form the basis of industrial development. Output of the extractive industries includes coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals. Manufacturing emphasis is centered on heavy industry, with light industry lagging far behind. The use of high-yielding seed varieties, expansion of irrigation, and the heavy use of fertilizers have enabled North Korea to become largely self-sufficient in food production. North Korea, however, is far behind South Korea in economic development and living standards.
GNP: $28 billion, per capita $1,240; real growth rate 3% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: officially none
Budget: revenues $15.6 billion; expenditures $15.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural products, manufactures; partners--USSR, China, Japan, FRG, Hong Kong, Singapore
Imports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--petroleum, machinery and equipment, coking coal, grain; partners--USSR, Japan, China, FRG, Hong Kong, Singapore
External debt: $2.5 billion hard currency (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 6,440,000 kW capacity; 40,250 million kWh produced, 1,740 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: machine building, military products, electric power, chemicals, mining, metallurgy, textiles, food processing
Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GNP and 36% of work force; principal crops--rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; livestock and livestock products--cattle, hogs, pork, eggs; not self-sufficient in grain; fish catch estimated at 1.7 million metric tons in 1987
Aid: Communist countries (1970-88), $1.3 billion
Currency: North Korean won (plural--won); 1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon
Exchange rates: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1--2.3 (December 1989), 2.13 (December 1988), 0.94 (March 1987), NA (1986), NA (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 4,535 km total operating in 1980; 3,870 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 665 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge, 159 km double track; 3,175 km electrified; government owned
Highways: about 20,280 km (1980); 98.5% gravel, crushed stone, or earth surface; 1.5% concrete or bituminous
Inland waterways: 2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only
Pipelines: crude oil, 37 km
Ports: Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam, Namp'o, Wonsan, Songnim, Najin
Merchant marine: 65 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 437,103 GRT/663,835 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger-cargo, 56 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 bulk, 1 combination bulk
Airports: 50 total, 50 usable; about 30 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 30 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--18 AM, no FM, 11 TV; 200,000 TV sets; 3,500,000 radio receivers; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Ministry of People's Armed Forces (consists of the army, navy, and air force)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 6,054,774; 3,699,088 fit for military service; 223,087 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 22% of GNP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Korea, South - Geography Total area: 98,480 km2; land area: 98,190 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundary: 238 km with North Korea
Coastline: 2,413 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in the Korea Strait)
Disputes: Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan
Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
Land use: 21% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 67% forest and woodland; 10% other; includes 12% irrigated
Environment: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest; air pollution in large cities
Notes: strategic location along the Korea Strait, Sea of Japan, and Yellow Sea
- People Population: 43,045,098 (July 1990), growth rate 0.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Korean(s); adjective--Korean
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous; small Chinese minority (about 20,000)
Religion: strong Confucian tradition; vigorous Christian minority (28% of the total population); Buddhism; pervasive folk religion (Shamanism); Chondokyo (religion of the heavenly way), eclectic religion with nationalist overtones founded in 19th century, claims about 1.5 million adherents
Language: Korean; English widely taught in high school
Literacy: over 90%
Labor force: 16,900,000; 52% services and other; 27% mining and manufacturing; 21% agriculture, fishing, forestry (1987)
Organized labor: about 10% of nonagricultural labor force in government-sanctioned unions
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Korea; abbreviated ROK
Type: republic
Capital: Seoul
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-jikhalsi, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi
Independence: 15 August 1948
Constitution: 25 February 1988
Legal system: combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, State Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President ROH Tae Woo (since 25 February 1988);
Head of Government--Prime Minister KANG Young Hoon (since 5 December 1988); Deputy Prime Minister CHO Soon (since 5 December 1988)
Political parties and leaders: major party is government's Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Roh Tae Woo, president, and Park Tae Chun, chairman; opposition parties are Peace and Democracy Party (PPD), Kim Dae Jung; Korea Reunification Democratic Party (RPD), Kim Young Sam; New Democratic Republican Party (NDRP), Kim Jong Pil; several smaller parties
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: President--last held on 16 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992); results--Roh Tae Woo (DJP) 35.9%, Kim Young Sam (RDP) 27.5%, Kim Dae Jung (PPD) 26.5%, other 10.1%;
National Assembly--last held on 26 April 1988 (next to be held April 1992); results--DJP 34%, RPD 24%, PPD 19%, NDRP 15%, others 8%; seats--(299 total) DJP 125, PPD 71, RPD 59, NDRP 35, others 9
Communists: Communist party activity banned by government
Other political or pressure groups: Korean National Council of Churches; large, potentially volatile student population concentrated in Seoul; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Veterans' Association; Federation of Korean Industries; Korean Traders Association
Member of: ADB, AfDB, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNIDO, UN Special Fund, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO; official observer status at UN
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Tong-Jin PARK; Chancery at 2320 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-5600; there are Korean Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle; US--Ambassador Donald GREGG; Embassy at 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96301); telephone [82] (2) 732-2601 through 2618; there is a US Consulate in Pusan
Flag: white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field
- Economy Overview: The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the planned development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously entrepreneurial society. GNP increased almost 13% in both 1986 and 1987 and 12% in 1988 before slowing to 6.5% in 1989. Such a rapid rate of growth was achieved with an inflation rate of only 3% in the period 1986-87, rising to 7% in 1988 and 5% in 1989. Unemployment is also low, and some labor bottlenecks have appeared in several processing industries. While the South Korean economy is expected to grow at more than 5% annually during the 1990s, labor unrest--which led to substantial wage hikes in 1987-89--threatens to undermine noninflationary growth.
GNP: $200 billion, per capita $4,600; real growth rate 6.5% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 3% (1989)
Budget: revenues $33.6 billion; expenditures $33.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1990)
Exports: $62.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--textiles, clothing, electronic and electrical equipment, footwear, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, fish; partners--US 33%, Japan 21%
Imports: $61.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains; partners--Japan 28%, US 25% (1990)
External debt: $30.5 billion (September 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1989)
Electricity: 20,500,000 kW capacity; 80,000 million kWh produced, 1,850 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing, chemicals, steel, electronics, automobile production, ship building
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP and employs 21% of work force (including fishing and forestry); principal crops--rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; livestock and livestock products--cattle, hogs, chickens, milk, eggs; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat; fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh-largest in world
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $3.9 billion
Currency: South Korean won (plural--won); 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chon (theoretical)
Exchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1--683.43 (January 1990), 671.46 (1989), 731.47 (1988), 822.57 (1987), 881.45 (1986), 870.02 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 3,106 km operating in 1983; 3,059 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 47 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 712 km double track, 418 km electrified; government owned
Highways: 62,936 km total (1982); 13,476 km national highway, 49,460 km provincial and local roads
Inland waterways: 1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
Pipelines: 294 km refined products
Ports: Pusan, Inchon, Kunsan, Mokpo, Ulsan
Merchant marine: 423 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,006,481 GRT/11,658,104 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 130 cargo, 41 container, 11 refrigerated cargo, 11 vehicle carrier, 49 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 10 combination ore/oil, 143 bulk, 7 combination bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier
Civil air: 93 major transport aircraft
Airports: 112 total, 105 usable; 61 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate domestic and international services; 4,800,000 telephones; stations--79 AM, 46 FM, 256 TV (57 of 1 kW or greater); satellite earth stations--2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps
Military manpower: males 15-49, 12,792,426; 8,260,886 fit for military service; 445,320 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 5% of GNP, or $10 billion (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Kuwait - Geography Total area: 17,820 km2; land area: 17,820 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 462 km total; Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Coastline: 499 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: ownership of Warbah and Bubiyan islands disputed by Iraq; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 8% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 92% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide most of water; air and water pollution; desertification
Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
- People Population: 2,123,711 (July 1990), growth rate 3.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 2 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Kuwaiti(s); adjective--Kuwaiti
Ethnic divisions: 27.9% Kuwaiti, 39% other Arab, 9% South Asian, 4% Iranian, 20.1% other
Religion: 85% Muslim (30% Shia, 45% Sunni, 10% other), 15% Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other
Language: Arabic (official); English widely spoken
Literacy: 71% (est.)
Labor force: 566,000 (1986); 45.0% services, 20.0% construction, 12.0% trade, 8.6% manufacturing, 2.6% finance and real estate, 1.9% agriculture, 1.7% power and water, 1.4% mining and quarrying; 70% of labor force is non-Kuwaiti
Organized labor: labor unions exist in oil industry and among government personnel
- Government Long-form name: State of Kuwait
Type: nominal constitutional monarchy
Capital: Kuwait
Administrative divisions: 4 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli; note--there may be a new governorate of Farwaniyyah
Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
Constitution: 16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29 August 1962)
Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 25 February
Executive branch: amir, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Assembly (Majlis al Umma) dissolved 3 July 1986
Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State--Amir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al SABAH (since 31 December 1977);
Head of Government--Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sad Abdallah al-Salim Al SABAH (since 8 February 1978)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21; note--out of all citizens, only 8.3% are eligible to vote and only 3.5% actually vote
Elections: National Assembly--dissolved 3 July 1986 and no elections are planned
Communists: insignificant
Other political or pressure groups: large (350,000) Palestinian community; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Shaikh Saud Nasir AL-SABAH; Chancery at 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-0702; US--Ambassador W. Nathaniel HOWELL; Embassy at Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Hilton Hotel), Kuwait City (mailing address is P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait City); telephone [965] 242-4151 through 4159
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side
- Economy Overview: The oil sector dominates the economy. Of the countries in the Middle East, Kuwait has oil reserves second only to those of Saudi Arabia. Earnings from hydrocarbons generate over 90% of both export and government revenues and contribute about 40% to GDP. Most of the nonoil sector is dependent upon oil-derived government revenues to provide infrastructure development and to promote limited industrial diversification. The economy is heavily dependent upon foreign labor--Kuwaitis account for less than 20% of the labor force. The early years of the Iran-Iraq war pushed Kuwait's GDP well below its 1980 peak; however, during the period 1986-88, GDP increased each year, rising to 5% in 1988.
GDP: $20.5 billion, per capita $10,500; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget: revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $10.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY88)
Exports: $7.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--oil 90%; partners--Japan, Italy, FRG, US
Imports: $5.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--food, construction material, vehicles and parts, clothing; partners--Japan, US, FRG, UK
External debt: $7.2 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1988)
Electricity: 8,287,000 kW capacity; 21,500 million kWh produced, 10,710 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, salt, construction
Agriculture: virtually none; dependent on imports for food; about 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported
Aid: donor--pledged $18.3 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89)
Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1--0.2915 (January 1990), 0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988), 0.2786 (1987), 0.2919 (1986), 0.3007 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Highways: 3,000 km total; 2,500 km bituminous; 500 km earth, sand, light gravel
Pipelines: crude oil, 877 km; refined products, 40 km; natural gas, 165 km
Ports: Ash Shuwaykh, Ash Shuaybah, Mina al Ahmadi
Merchant marine: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,862,010 GRT/2,935,007 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 5 container, 5 livestock carrier, 18 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 liquefied gas
Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft
Airports: 8 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent international, adequate domestic facilities; 258,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; 1 INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq and Saudi Arabia
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, about 688,516; about 411,742 fit for military service; 18,836 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 5.8% of GDP, or $1.2 billion (FY89) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Laos - Geography Total area: 236,800 km2; land area: 230,800 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Utah
Land boundaries: 5,083 km total; Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Disputes: boundary dispute with Thailand
Climate: tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Land use: 4% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 58% forest and woodland; 35% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; soil erosion; subject to floods
Note: landlocked
- People Population: 4,023,726 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 126 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 51 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Lao (sing., Lao or Laotian); adjective--Lao or Laotian
Ethnic divisions: 50% Lao, 15% Phoutheung (Kha), 20% tribal Thai, 15% Meo, Hmong, Yao, and other
Religion: 85% Buddhist, 15% animist and other
Language: Lao (official), French, and English
Literacy: 85%
Labor force: 1-1.5 million; 85-90% in agriculture (est.)
Organized labor: Lao Federation of Trade Unions is subordinate to the Communist party
- Government Long-form name: Lao People's Democratic Republic
Type: Communist state
Capital: Vientiane
Administrative divisions: 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamsai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louang Namtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Saravan, Savannakhet, Sekong, Vientiane, Vientiane*, Xaignabouri, Xiangkhoang
Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France)
Constitution: draft constitution under discussion since 1976
Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day (proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic), 2 December (1975)
Executive branch: president, chairman and five vice chairmen of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: Supreme People's Assembly
Judicial branch: Central Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Acting President PHOUMI VONGVICHIT (since 29 October 1986);
Head of Government--Chairman of the Council of Ministers General KAYSONE PHOMVIHAN (since 2 December 1975)
Political parties and leaders: Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), Kaysone Phomvihan, party chairman; includes Lao Patriotic Front and Alliance Committee of Patriotic Neutralist Forces; other parties moribund
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Supreme People's Assembly--last held on 26 March 1989 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(79 total) number of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups: non-Communist political groups moribund; most leaders have fled the country
Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, Mekong Committee, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: First Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim DONE SOMVORACHIT; Chancery at 2222 S Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-6416 or 6417; US--Charge d'Affaires Charles B. SALMON; Embassy at Rue Bartholonie, Vientiane (mailing address is B. P. 114, Vientiane, or Box V, APO San Francisco 96346); telephone 2220, 2357, 2384
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band
- Economy Overview: One of the world's poorest nations, Laos has had a Communist centrally planned economy with government ownership and control of productive enterprises of any size. Recently, however, the government has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise. Laos is a landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure, that is, it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, limited external and internal telecommunications, and electricity available in only a limited area. Subsistence agriculture is the main occupation, accounting for over 60% of GDP and providing about 85-90% of total employment. The predominant crop is rice. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend for its survival on foreign aid--from CEMA, IMF, and other international sources.
GDP: $585 million, per capita $150; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $71 million; expenditures $198 million, including capital expenditures of $132 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $57.5 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities-- electricity, wood products, coffee, tin; partners--Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, USSR, US
Imports: $219 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures; partners--Thailand, USSR, Japan, France, Vietnam
External debt: $964 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 8% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 176,000 kW capacity; 900 million kWh produced, 225 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tin mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing
Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and employs most of the work force; subsistence farming predominates; normally self-sufficient; principal crops--rice (80% of cultivated land), potatoes, vegetables, coffee, sugarcane, cotton
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and opium poppy for the international drug trade; production of cannabis increased in 1989; marijuana and heroin are shipped to Western countries, including the US
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $276 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $468 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $895 million
Currency: new kip (plural--kips); 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at
Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1--700 (December 1989), 725 (1989), 350 (1988), 200 (1987), 108 (1986), 95 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Highways: about 27,527 km total; 1,856 km bituminous or bituminous treated; 7,451 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 18,220 km unimproved earth and often impassable during rainy season mid-May to mid-September
Inland waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
Pipelines: 136 km, refined products
Ports: none
Airports: 64 total, 50 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: service to general public considered poor; radio network provides generally erratic service to government users; 7,390 telephones (1986); stations--10 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Lao People's Army (LPA, which consists of an army with naval, aviation, and militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department
Military manpower: males 15-49, 967,047; 517,666 fit for military service; 44,176 reach military age (18) annually; conscription age NA
Defense expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Lebanon - Geography Total area: 10,400 km2; land area: 10,230 km2
Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: 454 km total; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern Lebanon since October 1976
Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state in a water-deficit region
Land use: 21% arable land; 9% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 8% forest and woodland; 61% other; includes 7% irrigated
Environment: rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, ethnicity; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification
Note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary
- People Population: 3,339,331 (July 1990), growth rate 1.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 49 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Lebanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Lebanese
Ethnic divisions: 93% Arab, 6% Armenian, 1% other
Religion: 75% Islam, 25% Christian, NEGL% Judaism; 17 legally recognized sects--4 Orthodox Christian (Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Nestorean, Syriac Orthodox), 7 Uniate Christian (Armenian Catholic, Caldean, Greek Catholic, Maronite, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Syrian Catholic), 5 Islam (Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Ismailite, Shia, Sunni), and 1 Jewish
Language: Arabic and French (both official); Armenian, English
Literacy: 75%
Labor force: 650,000; 79% industry, commerce, and services, 11% agriculture, 10% goverment (1985)
Organized labor: 250,000 members (est.)
- Government Note: Between early 1975 and late 1976 Lebanon was torn by civil war between its Christians--then aided by Syrian troops--and its Muslims and their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire established in October 1976 between the domestic political groups generally held for about six years, despite occasional fighting. Syrian troops constituted as the Arab Deterrent Force by the Arab League have remained in Lebanon. Syria's move toward supporting the Lebanese Muslims and the Palestinians and Israel's growing support for Lebanese Christians brought the two sides into rough equilibrium, but no progress was made toward national reconciliation or political reforms--the original cause of the war.
Continuing Israeli concern about the Palestinian presence in Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. Israeli forces occupied all of the southern portion of the country and mounted a summer-long siege of Beirut, which resulted in the evacuation of the PLO from Beirut in September under the supervision of a multinational force (MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops.
Within days of the departure of the MNF, Lebanon's newly elected president, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated. In the wake of his death, Christian militiamen massacred hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two Beirut camps. This prompted the return of the MNF to ease the security burden on Lebanon's weak Army and security forces. In late March 1984 the last MNF units withdrew.
Lebanese Parliamentarians met in Taif, Saudi Arabia in late 1989 and concluded a national reconciliation pact that codified a new power-sharing formula, specifiying a Christian president but giving Muslims more authority. Rene Muawad was subsequently elected president on 4 November 1989, ending a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no president and rival Muslim and Christian governments. Muawad was assassinated 17 days later, on 22 November; on 24 November Elias Harawi was elected to succeed Muawad.
Progress toward lasting political compromise in Lebanon has been stalled by opposition from Christian strongman Gen. Michel Awn. Awn--appointed acting Prime Minister by outgoing president Amin Gemayel in September 1988--called the national reconciliation accord illegitimate and has refused to recognize the new Lebanese Government.
Lebanon continues to be partially occupied by Syrian troops. Syria augmented its troop presence during the weeks following Muawad's assassination. Troops are deployed in West Beirut and its southern suburbs, in Al Biqa, and in northern Lebanon. Iran also maintains a small contingent of revolutionary guards in Al Biqa, from which it supports Lebanese Islamic fundamentalist groups.
Israel withdrew the bulk of its forces from the south in 1985, although it still retains troops in a 10-km-deep security zone north of its border with Lebanon. Israel arms and trains the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), which also occupies the security zone and is Israel's first line of defense against attacks on its northern border.
The following description is based on the present constitutional and customary practices of the Lebanese system.
Long-form name: Republic of Lebanon; note--may be changed to Lebanese Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Beirut
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Biqa, Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Constitution: 26 May 1926 (amended)
Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet; note--by custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the president of the legislature is a Shia Muslim
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Arabic--Majlis Alnuwab, French--Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)
Leaders: Chief of State--Elias HARAWI (since 24 November 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Salim AL-HUSS (since 24 November 1989)
Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized along largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist, consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations; most parties have well-armed militias, which are still involved in occasional clashes
Suffrage: compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
Elections: National Assembly--elections should be held every four years but security conditions have prevented elections since May 1972
Communists: the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970; members and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000
Member of: Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Suleiman RASSI; note--the former Lebanese Ambassador, Dr. Abdallah Bouhabib, is loyal to Gen. Awn and has refused to abandon his residence or relinquish his post; Chancery at 2560 28th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6300; there are Lebanese Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles; US--Ambassador John T. MCCARTHY; Embassy at Avenue de Paris, Beirut (mailing address is P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut); telephone [961] 417774 or 415802, 415803, 402200, 403300
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: Severe factional infighting in 1989 has been destroying physical property, interrupting the established pattern of economic affairs, and practically ending chances of restoring Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. The ordinary Lebanese citizen struggles to keep afloat in an environment of physical danger, high unemployment, and growing shortages. The central government's ability to collect taxes has suffered greatly from militia control and taxation of local areas. As the civil strife persists, the US dollar has become more and more the medium of exchange. Transportation, communications, and other parts of the infrastructure continue to deteriorate. Family remittances, foreign political money going to the factions, international emergency aid, and a small volume of manufactured exports help prop up the battered economy. Prospects for 1990 are grim, with expected further declines in economic activity and living standards.
GDP: $2.3 billion, per capita $700; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 33% (1987 est.)
Budget: revenues $50 million; expenditures $650 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products; partners--Saudi Arabia 16%, Switzerland 8%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 6%, US 5%
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--NA; partners--Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3%
External debt: $935 million (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 1,381,000 kW capacity; 3,870 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating
Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal products--citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish), sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in grain
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; opium poppy production in Al Biqa is increasing; most hashish production is shipped to Western Europe
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $356 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $509 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $962 million; Communist countries (1970-86), $9 million
Currency: Lebanese pound (plural--pounds); 1 Lebanese pound (LL) = 100 piasters
Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds (LL) per US$1--474.21 (December 1989), 496.69 (1989), 409.23 (1988), 224.60 (1987), 38.37 (1986), 16.42 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 378 km total; 296 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 82 km 1.050-meter gauge; all single track; system almost entirely inoperable
Highways: 7,370 km total; 6,270 km paved, 450 km gravel and crushed stone, 650 km improved earth
Pipelines: crude oil, 72 km (none in operation)
Ports: Beirut, Tripoli, Ras Silata, Juniyah, Sidon, Az Zahrani, Tyre, Shikka (none are under the direct control of the Lebanese Government); northern ports are occupied by Syrian forces and southern ports are occupied or partially quarantined by Israeli forces; illegal ports scattered along the central coast are owned and operated by various Christian, Druze, and Shia militias
Merchant marine: 67 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 325,361 GRT/494,319 DWT; includes 43 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 7 livestock carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 6 bulk, 1 combination bulk
Civil air: 15 major transport aircraft
Airports: 9 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m; none under the direct control of the Lebanese Government
Telecommunications: rebuilding program disrupted; had fair system of radio relay, cable; 325,000 telephones; stations--5 AM, 3 FM, 15 TV; 1 inactive Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station; 3 submarine coaxial cables; radio relay to Jordan and Syria, inoperable
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 702,961; 434,591 fit for military service; about 44,625 reach military age (18) yearly
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Lesotho - Geography Total area: 30,350 km2; land area: 30,350 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundary: 909 km with South Africa
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain: mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
Natural resources: some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land
Land use: 10% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 66% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 24% other
Environment: population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification
Note: surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will control, store, and redirect water to South Africa
- People Population: 1,754,664 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 80 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 62 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Mosotho (sing.), Basotho (pl.); adjective--Basotho
Ethnic divisions: 99.7% Sotho; 1,600 Europeans, 800 Asians
Religion: 80% Christian, rest indigenous beliefs
Language: Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu and Xhosa
Literacy: 59% (1989)
Labor force: 689,000 economically active; 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa
Organized labor: there are two trade union federations; the government favors formation of a single, umbrella trade union confederation
- Government Long-form name: Kingdom of Lesotho
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Maseru
Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qachas Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK; formerly Basutoland)
Constitution: 4 October 1966, suspended January 1970
Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Military Council, Military Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: a bicameral Parliament consisting of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly was dissolved in January 1970; following the military coup of 20 January 1986, legislative powers were vested in the monarch
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State--King MOSHOESHOE II (Paramount Chief from 1960 until independence on 4 October 1966, when he became King); Heir Apparent Letsie David SEEISO (son of the King);
Head of Government--Chairman of the Military Council Maj. Gen. Justin Metsing LEKHANYA (since 24 January 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Basotho National Party (BNP), position vacant; Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu Mokhehle; Basotho Democratic Alliance (BDA), A. S. Nqojane; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. Manyeli; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), S. H. Mapheleba; United Democratic Party, C. D. Mofeli
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: National Assembly --dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; no date set for national elections
Communists: small Lesotho Communist Party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, Southern African Customs Union, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador W. T. VAN TONDER; Chancery at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-5 534; US--Ambassador (vacant): Deputy Chief of Mission Howard F. JETER; Embassy at address NA, Maseru (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100); telephone [266] 312666
Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner
- Economy Overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no important natural resources other than water. Its economy is based on agriculture, light manufacturing, and remittances from laborers employed in South Africa. Subsistence farming is the principal occupation for about 86% of the domestic labor force and accounts for about 20% of GDP. Manufacturing depends largely on farm products to support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries; other industries include textile, clothing, and light engineering. Industry's share of total GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 10.5% in 1987. During the period 1985-87 real GDP growth averaged 2.9% per year, only slightly above the population growth rate. In FY89 per capita GDP was only $245 and nearly 25% of the labor force was unemployed.
GDP: $412 million, per capita $245; real growth rate 8.2% (FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.0% (FY89 est.)
Unemployment rate: 23% (1988)
Budget: revenues $159 million; expenditures $224 million, including capital expenditures of $68 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $55 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.); commodities--wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets; partners--South Africa 87%, EC 10%, (1985)
Imports: $526 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.); commodities--mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum, oil, and lubricants; partners--South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1985)
External debt: $235 million (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 10.3% (1988 est.)
Electricity: power supplied by South Africa
Industries: tourism
Agriculture: exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $252 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $714 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $14 million
Currency: loti (plural--maloti); 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente
Exchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1--2.5555 (January 1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985); note--the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 1.6 km; owned, operated, and included in the statistics of South Africa
Highways: 5,167 km total; 508 km paved; 1,585 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 946 km improved earth, 2,128 km unimproved earth
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 2 with permanent surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modest system consisting of a few land lines, a small radio relay system, and minor radiocommunication stations; 5,920 telephones; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Air Wing, Police Department
Military manpower: males 15-49, 381,015; 205,499 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 8.6% of GDP, or $35 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Liberia - Geography Total area: 111,370 km2; land area: 96,320 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries: 1,585 km total; Guinea 563 km, Ivory Coast 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Coastline: 579 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold
Land use: 1% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 2% meadows and pastures; 39% forest and woodland; 55% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation
- People Population: 2,639,809 (July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 126 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 58 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Liberian(s); adjective--Liberian
Ethnic divisions: 95% indigenous African tribes, including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella; 5% descendants of repatriated slaves known as Americo-Liberians
Religion: 70% traditional, 20% Muslim, 10% Christian
Language: English (official); more than 20 local languages of the Niger-Congo language group; English used by about 20%
Literacy: 35%
Labor force: 510,000, including 220,000 in the monetary economy; 70.5% agriculture, 10.8% services, 4.5% industry and commerce, 14.2% other; non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs; 52% of population of working age
Organized labor: 2% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Liberia
Type: republic
Capital: Monrovia
Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Jide, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, Rivercess, Sino
Independence: 26 July 1847
Constitution: 6 January 1986
Legal system: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (since 12 April 1980); Vice President Harry F. MONIBA (since 6 January 1986)
Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Augustus Caine, chairman; Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel Koromah, chairman; Unity Party (UP), Carlos Smith, chairman; United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus Matthews, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held October 1991); results--Samuel Kanyon Doe (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson Doe (LAP) 26.4%, others 22.7%;
Senate--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held 15 October 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(26 total) NDPL 21, LAP 3, UP 1, LUP 1;
House of Representatives--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held October 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, LUP 2
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, Mano River Union, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eugenia A. WORDSWORTH-STEVENSON; Chancery at 5201 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 723-0437 through 0440; there is a Liberian Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador James K. BISHOP; Embassy at 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia (mailing address is P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO New York 09155); telephone [231] 222991 through 222994
Flag: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag
- Economy Overview: In 1988 and 1989 the Liberian economy posted its best two years in a decade, thanks to a resurgence of the rubber industry and rapid growth in exports of forest products. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia is a producer and exporter of basic products. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, is small in scope. Liberia imports primarily machinery and parts, transportation equipment, petroleum products, and foodstuffs. Persistent budget deficits, the flight of capital, and deterioration of transport and other infrastructure continue to hold back economic progress.
GDP: $988 million, per capita $395; real growth rate 1.5% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 43% urban (1988)
Budget: revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)
Exports: $550 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee; partners--US, EC, Netherlands
Imports: $335 million (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--rice, mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other foodstuffs; partners--US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS
External debt: $1.7 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% in manufacturing (1987)
Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 290 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)
Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal products--rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava, palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food, imports 25% of rice consumption
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $634 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $793 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $77 million
Currency: Liberian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1--1.00 (fixed rate since 1940); unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$2.5 = US$1, January 1989
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 480 km total; 328 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km 1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian Government
Highways: 10,087 km total; 603 km bituminous treated, 2,848 km all weather, 4,313 km dry weather; there are also 2,323 km of private, laterite-surfaced roads open to public use, owned by rubber and timber companies
Ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas)
Merchant marine: 1,379 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 48,655,666 DWT/ 90,005,898 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 148 cargo, 26 refrigerated cargo, 18 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 42 vehicle carrier, 42 container, 4 barge carrier, 436 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 100 chemical, 63 combination ore/oil, 41 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 413 bulk, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 26 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top four owning flags are US 17%, Hong Kong 13%, Japan 10%, and Greece 10%; China owns at least 20 ships and Vietnam owns 1
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 76 total, 60 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is Monrovia; 8,500 telephones; stations--3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Branches: Armed Forces of Liberia, Liberia National Coast Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 627,519; 335,063 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 2.4% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Libya - Geography Total area: 1,759,540 km2; land area: 1,759,540 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries: 4,383 km total; Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Coastline: 1,770 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm;
Gulf of Sidra closing line: 32o 30' N
Disputes: claims and occupies a small portion of the Aozou Strip in northern Chad; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, gypsum
Land use: 1% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 8% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 91% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; desertification; sparse natural surface-water resources
Note: the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
- People Population: 4,221,141 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 64 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Libyan(s); adjective--Libyan
Ethnic divisions: 97% Berber and Arab; some Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians
Religion: 97% Sunni Muslim
Language: Arabic; Italian and English widely understood in major cities
Literacy: 50-60%
Labor force: 1,000,000, includes about 280,000 resident foreigners; 31% industry, 27% services, 24% government, 18% agriculture
Organized labor: National Trade Unions' Federation, 275,000 members; General Union for Oil and Petrochemicals; Pan-Africa Federation of Petroleum Energy and Allied Workers
- Government Long-form name: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses); in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
Capital: Tripoli
Administrative divisions: 46 municipalities (baladiyat, singular--baladiyah); Ajdabiya, Al Abyar, Al Aziziyah, Al Bayda, Al Jufrah, Al Jumayl, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Qarabulli, Al Qubbah, Al Ujaylat, Ash Shati, Awbari, Az Zahra, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Bani Walid, Bin Jawwad, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Ghat, Jadu, Jalu, Janzur, Masallatah, Misratah, Mizdah, Murzuq, Nalut, Qaminis, Qasr Bin Ghashir, Sabha, Sabratah, Shahhat, Surman, Surt, Tajura, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Tukrah, Yafran, Zlitan, Zuwarah; note--the number of municipalities may have been reduced to 13 named Al Jabal al-Akhdar, Al Jabal al-Gharbi, Al Jabal al-Khums, Al Batnam, Al Kufrah, Al Marqab, Al Marzuq, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Khalij Surt, Sabha, Tripoli, Wadi al-Hayat
Independence: 24 December 1951 (from Italy)
Constitution: 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977
Legal system: based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
Executive branch: revolutionary leader, chairman of the General People's Committee, General People's Committee (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral General People's Congress
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969);
Head of Government--Chairman of the General People's Committee (Premier) Umar Mustafa al-MUNTASIR (since 1 March 1987)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of revolutionary committees
Flag: plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)
- Economy Overview: The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes virtually all export earnings and over 50% to GNP. Since 1980, however, the sharp drop in oil prices and resulting decline in export revenues has adversely affected economic development. In 1986 per capita GNP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but it had been $2,000 higher in 1982. Severe cutbacks in imports over the past five years have led to shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs, although the reopening of the Libyan-Tunisian border in April 1988 and the Libyan-Egyptian border in December 1989 have somewhat eased shortages. Austerity budgets and a lack of trained technicians have undermined the government's ability to implement a number of planned infrastructure development projects. The nonoil industrial and construction sectors, which account for about 15% of GNP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for less than 5% of GNP, it employs 20% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit farm output, requiring Libya to import about 75% of its food requirements.
GNP: $20 billion, per capita $5,410; real growth rate 0% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $6.4 billion; expenditures $11.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.6 billion (1986 est.)
Exports: $6.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--petroleum, peanuts, hides; partners--Italy, USSR, FRG, Spain, France, Belgium/Luxembourg, Turkey
Imports: $5.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods; partners--Italy, USSR, FRG, UK, Japan
External debt: $2.1 billion, excluding military debt (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 4,580,000 kW capacity; 13,360 million kWh produced, 3,270 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
Agriculture: 5% of GNP; cash crops--wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus fruits, peanuts; 75% of food is imported
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $242 million
Currency: Libyan dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
Exchange rates: Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1--0.2896 (January 1990), 0.2922 (1989), 0.2853 (1988), 0.2706 (1987), 0.3139 (1986), 0.2961 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 32,500 km total; 24,000 km bituminous and bituminous treated, 8,500 km gravel, crushed stone and earth