The 1990 CIA World Factbook (part 3 of 4)
Pipelines: crude oil 4,383 km; natural gas 1,947 km; refined products 443 km (includes 256 km liquid petroleum gas)
Ports: Tobruk, Tripoli, Banghazi, Misratah, Marsa el Brega
Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 816,546 GRT/1,454,874 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 11 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
Civil air: 59 major transport aircraft
Airports: 130 total, 122 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways; 7 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern telecommunications system using radio relay, coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter, and domestic satellite stations; 370,000 telephones; stations--18 AM, 3 FM, 13 TV; satellite earth stations-- 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 14 domestic; submarine cables to France and Italy; radio relay to Tunisia; tropospheric scatter to Greece; planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik satellite stations
- Defense Forces Branches: Armed Forces of the Libyan Arab Jamahariya includes People's Defense (Army), Arab Air Force and Air Defense Command, Arab Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49, 991,368; 584,512 fit for military service; 50,379 reach military age (17) annually; conscription now being implemented
Defense expenditures: 11.1% of GNP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Liechtenstein - Geography Total area: 160 km2; land area: 160 km2
Comparative area: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 78 km total; Austria 37 km, Switzerland 41 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
Terrain: mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third
Natural resources: hydroelectric potential
Land use: 25% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 38% meadows and pastures; 19% forest and woodland; 18% other
Environment: variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation
Note: landlocked
- People Population: 28,292 (July 1990), growth rate 0.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Liechtensteiner(s); adjective--Liechtenstein
Ethnic divisions: 95% Alemannic, 5% Italian and other
Religion: 82.7% Roman Catholic, 7.1% Protestant, 10.2% other
Language: German (official), Alemannic dialect
Literacy: 100%
Labor force: 12,258; 5,078 foreign workers (mostly from Switzerland and Austria); 54.4% industry, trade, and building; 41.6% services; 4.0% agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Principality of Liechtenstein
Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Vaduz
Administrative divisions: 11 communes (gemeinden, singular--gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz
Independence: 23 January 1719, Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein established
Constitution: 5 October 1921
Legal system: local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: St. Joseph's Day, 19 March
Executive branch: reigning prince, hereditary prince, prime minister, deputy prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Diet (Landtag)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for criminal cases and Superior Court (Obergericht) for civil cases
Leaders: Chief of State--Prince HANS ADAM von und zu Liechtenstein (since 13 November 1989; assumed executive powers 26 August 1984);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Hans BRUNHART (since 26 April 1978); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Herbert WILLE (since 2 February 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Fatherland Union (VU), Dr. Otto Hasler; Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP), Dr. Herbert Batliner; Christian Social Party, Fritz Kaiser
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Diet--last held on 5 March 1989 (next to be held by March 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(25 total) VU 13, FBP 12
Communists: none
Member of: Council of Europe, EFTA, IAEA, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UNICEF, UPU, WIPO; considering UN membership; has consultative status in the EC
Diplomatic representation: in routine diplomatic matters, Liechtenstein is represented in the US by the Swiss Embassy; US--the US has no diplomatic or consular mission in Liechtenstein, but the US Consul General at Zurich (Switzerland) has consular accreditation at Vaduz
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band
- Economy Overview: The prosperous economy is based primarily on small-scale light industry and some farming. Industry accounts for 54% of total employment, the service sector 42% (mostly based on tourism), and agriculture and forestry 4%. The sale of postage stamps to collectors is estimated at $10 million annually and accounts for 10% of revenues. Low business taxes (the maximum tax rate is 20%) and easy incorporation rules have induced about 25,000 holding or so-called letter box companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein. Such companies, incorporated solely for tax purposes, provide an additional 30% of state revenues. The economy is tied closely to that of Switzerland in a customs union, and incomes and living standards parallel those of the more prosperous Swiss groups.
GNP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1987 est.)
Unemployment rate: 0.1% (December 1986)
Budget: revenues $171 million; expenditures $189 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)
Exports: $807 million; commodities--small specialty machinery, dental products, stamps, hardware, pottery; partners--EC 40%, EFTA 26% (Switzerland 19%) (1986)
Imports: $NA; commodities--machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles; partners--NA
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 150 million kWh produced, 5,340 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism
Agriculture: livestock, vegetables, corn, wheat, potatoes, grapes
Aid: none
Currency: Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural--francs, franken, or franchi); 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi
Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1--1.5150 (January 1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987), 1.7989 (1986), 2.4571 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 18.5 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, electrified; owned, operated, and included in statistics of Austrian Federal Railways
Highways: 130.66 km main roads, 192.27 km byroads
Civil air: no transport aircraft
Airports: none
Telecommunications: automatic telephone system; 25,400 telephones; stations--no AM, no FM, no TV
- Defense Forces Note: defense is responsibility of Switzerland ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Luxembourg - Geography Total area: 2,586 km2; land area: 2,586 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 359 km total; Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, FRG 138 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
Terrain: mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle floodplain in the southeast
Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited)
Land use: 24% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 21% forest and woodland; 34% other
Environment: deforestation
Note: landlocked
- People Population: 383,813 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1989)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 9 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Luxembourger(s); adjective--Luxembourg
Ethnic divisions: Celtic base, with French and German blend; also guest and worker residents from Portugal, Italy, and European countries
Religion: 97% Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant and Jewish
Language: Luxembourgish, German, French; many also speak English
Literacy: 100%
Labor force: 161,000; one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and FRG; 48.9% services, 24.7% industry, 13.2% government, 8.8% construction, 4.4% agriculture (1984)
Organized labor: 100,000 (est.) members of four confederated trade unions
- Government Long-form name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Luxembourg
Administrative divisions: 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
Independence: 1839
Constitution: 17 October 1868, occasional revisions
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day (public celebration of the Grand Duke's birthday), 23 June (1921)
Executive branch: grand duke, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes); note--the Council of State (Conseil d'Etat) is an advisory body whose views are considered by the Chamber of Deputies
Judicial branch: Superior Court of Justice (Cour Superieure de de Justice)
Leaders: Chief of State--Grand Duke JEAN (since 12 November 1964); Heir Apparent Prince HENRI (son of Grand Duke Jean, born 16 April 1955);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Jacques SANTER (since 21 July 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Social Party (CSV), Jacques Santer; Socialist Workers Party (LSAP), Jacques Poos; Liberal (DP), Colette Flesch; Communist (KPL), Rene Urbany; Green Alternative (GAP), Jean Huss
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections: Chamber of Deputies--last held on 18 June 1989 (next to be held by June 1994); results--CSV 31.7%, LSAP 27.2%, DP 16.2%, Greens 8.4%, PAC 7.3%, KPL 5.1%, others 4%; seats--(60 total) CSV 22, LSAP 18, DP 11, Greens 4, PAC 4, KPL 1, others 4
Communists: 500 party members (1982)
Other political or pressure groups: group of steel industries representing iron and steel industry, Centrale Paysanne representing agricultural producers; Christian and Socialist labor unions; Federation of Industrialists; Artisans and Shopkeepers Federation
Member of: Benelux, BLEU, CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EIB, EMS, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Andre PHILIPPE; Chancery at 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-4171; there are Luxembourg Consulates General in New York and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Jean B. S. GERARD; Embassy at 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 2535 Luxembourg City (mailing address is APO New York 09132); telephone [352] 460123
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands which uses a darker blue and is shorter; design was based on the flag of France
- Economy Overview: The stable economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and negligible unemployment. Agriculture is based on small but highly productive family-owned farms. The industrial sector, until recently dominated by steel, has become increasingly more diversified, particularly toward high-technology firms. During the past decade growth in the financial sector has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Services, especially banking, account for a growing proportion of the economy. Luxembourg participates in an economic union with Belgium on trade and most financial matters and is also closely connected economically with the Netherlands.
GDP: $6.3 billion, per capita $17,200; real growth rate 4% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)
Exports: $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other industrial products; partners--EC 75%, US 6%
Imports: $5.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods; partners--FRG 40%, Belgium 35%, France 15%, US 3%
External debt: $131.6 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 1,500,000 kW capacity; 1,163 million kWh produced, 3,170 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
Agriculture: accounts for less than 3% of GDP (including forestry); principal products--barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; cattle raising widespread
Aid: none
Currency: Luxembourg franc (plural--francs); 1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1--35.468 (January 1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672 (1986), 59.378 (1985); note--the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: Luxembourg National Railways (CFL) operates 270 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 162 km double track; 162 km electrified
Highways: 5,108 km total; 4,995 km paved, 57 km gravel, 56 km earth; about 80 km limited access divided highway
Inland waterways: 37 km; Moselle River
Pipelines: refined products, 48 km
Ports: Mertert (river port)
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,138 GRT/9,373 DWT; includes 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker
Civil air: 13 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways less than 1,220 m; 1 with runways over 3,659 m
Telecommunications: adequate and efficient system, mainly buried cables; 230,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, 4 FM, 6 TV; 2 communication satellite earth stations operating in EUTELSAT and domestic systems
- Defense Forces Branches: Army
Military manpower: males 15-49, 99,734; 83,237 fit for military service; 2,368 reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.2% of GDP, or $76 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Macau (overseas territory of Portugal) - Geography Total area: 16 km2; land area: 16 km2
Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundary: 0.34 km with China
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999
Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Terrain: generally flat
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: essentially urban; one causeway and one bridge connect the two islands to the peninsula on mainland
Note: 27 km west southwest of Hong Kong on the southeast coast of China
- People Population: 441,691 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 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: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Macanese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Macau
Ethnic divisions: 95% Chinese, 3% Portuguese, 2% other
Religion: mainly Buddhist; 17,000 Roman Catholics, of whom about half are Chinese
Language: Portuguese (official); Cantonese is the language of commerce
Literacy: almost 100% among Portuguese and Macanese; no data on Chinese population
Labor force: 180,000 (1986)
Organized labor: none
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: overseas territory of Portugal; scheduled to revert to China in 1999
Capital: Macau
Administrative divisions: 2 districts (concelhos, singular--concelho); Ilhas, Macau
Independence: none (territory of Portugal); Portugal signed an agreement with China on 13 April 1987 to return Macau to China on 20 December 1999; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Macau's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 years after transition
Constitution: 17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau
Legal system: Portuguese civil law system
National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June
Executive branch: president of Portugal, governor, Consultative Council, (cabinet)
Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President (of Portugal) Mario Alberto SOARES (since 9 March 1986);
Head of Government--Governor Carlos MELANCIA (since 3 July 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Association to Defend the Interests of Macau; Macau Democratic Center; Group to Study the Development of Macau; Macau Independent Group
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Assembly--last held on 9 November 1988 (next to be held November 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(17 total; 6 elected by universal suffrage, 6 by indirect suffrage) number of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups: wealthy Macanese and Chinese representing local interests, wealthy pro-Communist merchants representing China's interests; in January 1967 the Macau Government acceded to Chinese demands that gave China veto power over administration
Member of: Multifiber Agreement
Diplomatic representation: as Chinese territory under Portuguese administration, Macanese interests in the US are represented by Portugal; US--the US has no offices in Macau and US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong
Flag: the flag of Portugal is used
- Economy Overview: The economy is based largely on tourism (including gambling), and textile and fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have spawned other small industries--toys, artificial flowers, and electronics. The tourist sector has accounted for roughly 25% of GDP, and the clothing industry has provided about two-thirds of export earnings. Macau depends on China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy imports. Japan and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw materials and capital goods.
GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $6,300; real growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 2% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $305 million; expenditures $298 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $1.7 billion (1989 est.); commodities--textiles, clothing, toys; partners--US 33%, Hong Kong 15%, FRG 12%, France 10% (1987)
Imports: $1.6 billion (1989 est.); commodities--raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods; partners--Hong Kong 39%, China 21%, Japan 10% (1987)
External debt: $91 million (1985)
Industrial production: NA
Electricity: 179,000 kW capacity; 485 million kWh produced, 1,110 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: clothing, textiles, toys, plastic products, furniture, tourism
Agriculture: rice, vegetables; food shortages--rice, vegetables, meat; depends mostly on imports for food requirements
Aid: none
Currency: pataca (plural--patacas); 1 pataca (P) = 100 avos
Exchange rates: patacas (P) per US$1--8.03 (1989), 8.044 (1988), 7.993 (1987), 8.029 (1986), 8.045 (1985); note--linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 42 km paved
Ports: Macau
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: none; 1 seaplane station
Telecommunications: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services; 52,000 telephones; stations--4 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 75,000 radio receivers (est.); international high-frequency radio communication facility; access to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Military manpower: males 15-49, 166,956; 93,221 fit for military service
Note: defense is responsibility of Portugal ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Madagascar - Geography Total area: 587,040 km2; land area: 581,540 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 4,828 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 150 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island (all administered by France)
Climate: tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish
Land use: 4% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 58% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 11% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: subject to periodic cyclones; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Note: world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
- People Population: 11,800,524 (July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 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: 97 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 54 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Malagasy (sing. and pl.); adjective--Malagasy
Ethnic divisions: basic split between highlanders of predominantly Malayo-Indonesian origin (Merina 1,643,000 and related Betsileo 760,000) on the one hand and coastal tribes, collectively termed the Cotiers, with mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry (Betsimisaraka 941,000, Tsimihety 442,000, Antaisaka 415,000, Sakalava 375,000), on the other; there are also 11,000 European French, 5,000 Indians of French nationality, and 5,000 Creoles
Religion: 52% indigenous beliefs; about 41% Christian, 7% Muslim
Language: French and Malagasy (official)
Literacy: 67.5%
Labor force: 4,900,000; 90% nonsalaried family workers engaged in subsistence agriculture; 175,000 wage earners--26% agriculture, 17% domestic service, 15% industry, 14% commerce, 11% construction, 9% services, 6% transportation, 2% other; 51% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: 4% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Democratic Republic of Madagascar
Type: republic
Capital: Antananarivo
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (plural--NA, singular--faritanin); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
Independence: 26 June 1960 (from France; formerly Malagasy Republic)
Constitution: 21 December 1975
Legal system: based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 June (1960)
Executive branch: president, Supreme Council of the Revolution, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Popular National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme), High Constitutional Court (Haute Cour Constitutionnelle)
Leaders: Chief of State--President Adm. Didier RATSIRAKA (since 15 June 1975);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Lt. Col. Victor RAMAHATRA (since 12 February 1988)
Political parties and leaders: seven parties are now allowed limited political activity under the national front and are represented on the Supreme Revolutionary Council: Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier Ratsiraka; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM); Congress Party for Malagasy Independence-Revival (AKFM-R), Pastor Richard Andriamanjato; Movement for National Unity (VONJY), Dr. Marojama Razanabahiny; Malagasy Christian Democratic Union (UDECMA), Norbert Andriamorasata; Militants for the Establishment of a Proletarian Regime (MFM), Manandafy Rakotonirina; National Movement for the Independence of Madagascar (MONIMA), Monja Jaona; Socialist Organization Monima (VSM, an offshoot of MONIMA), Tsihozony Maharanga
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held on 12 March 1989 (next to be held March 1996); results--Didier Ratsiraka (AREMA) 62%, Manandafy Rakotonirina (MFM/MFT) 20%, Dr. Jerome Marojama Razanabahiny (VONJY) 15%, Monja Jaona (MONIMA) 3%;
People's National Assembly--last held on 28 May 1989 (next to be held May 1994); results--AREMA 88.2%, MFM 5.1%, AKFM 3.7%, VONJY 2.2%, others 0.8%; seats--(137 total) AREMA 120, MFM 7, AKFM 5, VONJY 4, MONIMA 1, independent 1
Communists: Communist party of virtually no importance; small and vocal group of Communists has gained strong position in leadership of AKFM, the rank and file of which is non-Communist
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, EAMA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO; Chancery at 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-5525 or 5526; there is a Malagasy Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Howard K. WALKER; Embassy at 14 and 16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo (mailing address is B. P. 620, Antananarivo); telephone 212-57, 209-56, 200-89, 207-18
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side
- Economy Overview: Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. During the period 1980-85 it had a population growth of 3% a year and a - 0.4% GDP growth rate. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the mainstay of the economy, accounting for over 40% of GDP, employing about 85% of the labor force, and contributing more than 70% to export earnings. Industry is confined to the processing of agricultural products and textile manufacturing; in 1988 it contributed only 16% to GDP and employed 3% of the labor force. Industrial development has been hampered by government policies that have restricted imports of equipment and spare parts and put strict controls on foreign-owned enterprises. In 1986 the government introduced a five-year development plan that stresses self-sufficiency in food (mainly rice) by 1990, increased production for exports, and reduced energy imports.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $155; real growth rate 2.2% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 17.0% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $337 million; expenditures $245 million, including capital expenditures of $163 million (1988)
Exports: $284 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coffee 45%, vanilla 15%, cloves 11%, sugar, petroleum products; partners--France, Japan, Italy, FRG, US
Imports: $319 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--intermediate manufactures 30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 15%, consumer goods 14%, food 13%; partners--France, FRG, UK, other EC, US
External debt: $3.6 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate - 3.9 % (1988)
Electricity: 119,000 kW capacity; 430 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: agricultural processing (meat canneries, soap factories, brewery, tanneries, sugar refining), light consumer goods industries (textiles, glassware), cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops--coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa; food crops--rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts; cattle raising widespread; not self-sufficient in rice and wheat flour
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $118 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.6 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $491 million
Currency: Malagasy franc (plural--francs); 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1--1,531.0 (January 1990), 1603.4 (1989), 1,407.1 (1988), 1,069.2 (1987), 676.3 (1986), 662.5 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 1,020 km 1.000-meter gauge
Highways: 40,000 km total; 4,694 km paved, 811 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, 34,495 km improved and unimproved earth (est.)
Inland waterways: of local importance only; isolated streams and small portions of Canal des Pangalanes
Ports: Toamasina, Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toliara
Merchant marine: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 58,126 GRT/79,420 DWT; includes 8 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 147 total, 115 usable; 30 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: above average system includes open-wire lines, coaxial cables, radio relay, and troposcatter links; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; over 38,200 telephones; stations--14 AM, 1 FM, 7 (30 repeaters) TV
- Defense Forces Branches: Popular Army, Aeronaval Forces (includes Navy and Air Force), paramilitary Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 2,550,775; 1,519,084 fit for military service; 116,438 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.2% of GDP, or $37 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Malawi - Geography Total area: 118,480 km2; land area: 94,080 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries: 2,881 km total; Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Disputes: dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
Climate: tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
Terrain: narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
Natural resources: limestone; unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Land use: 25% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 50% forest and woodland; 5% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: deforestation
Note: landlocked
- People Population: 9,157,528 (July 1990), growth rate 1.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 52 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 16 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 130 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 50 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Malawian(s); adjective--Malawian
Ethnic divisions: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
Religion: 55% Protestant, 20% Roman Catholic, 20% Muslim; traditional indigenous beliefs are also practiced
Language: English and Chichewa (official); other languages important regionally
Literacy: 41.2%
Labor force: 428,000 wage earners; 43% agriculture, 16% manufacturing, 15% personal services, 9% commerce, 7% construction, 4% miscellaneous services, 6% other permanently employed (1986)
Organized labor: small minority of wage earners are unionized
Note: there are 800,000 Mozambican refugees in Malawi (1989 est.)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Malawi
Type: one-party state
Capital: Lilongwe
Administrative divisions: 24 districts; Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Kasupe, Lilongwe, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ncheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhota Kota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba
Independence: 6 July 1964 (from UK; formerly Nyasaland)
Constitution: 6 July 1964; republished as amended January 1974
Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1964)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Dr. Hastings Kamuzu BANDA (since 6 July 1966; sworn in as President for Life 6 July 1971)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Maxwell Pashane, administrative secretary; John Tembo, treasurer general; top party position of secretary general vacant since 1983
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President--President Banda sworn in as President for Life on 6 July 1971;
National Assembly--last held 27-28 May 1987 (next to be held by May 1992); results--MCP is the only party; seats--(133 total, 112 elected) MCP 133
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, EC (associated member), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA; Chancery at 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-1007; US--Ambassador George A. TRAIL, III; Embassy in new capital city development area, address NA (mailing address is P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe); telephone 730-166
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band; similar to the flag of Afghanistan which is longer and has the national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands
- Economy Overview: A landlocked country, Malawi ranks among the world's least developed with a per capita GDP of $180. The economy is predominately agricultural and operates under a relatively free enterprise environment, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved significantly in 1988 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the government. The closure of traditional trade routes through Mozambique continues to be a constraint on the economy.
GDP: $1.4 billion, per capita $180; growth rate 3.6% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 31.5% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $246 million; expenditures $390 million, including capital expenditures of $97 million (FY88 est.)
Exports: $292 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts; partners--US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, FRG
Imports: $402 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--food, petroleum, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment; partners--South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe
External debt: $1.4 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.4% (1988)
Electricity: 181,000 kW capacity; 535 million kWh produced, 60 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: agricultural processing (tea, tobacco, sugar), sawmilling, cement, consumer goods
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops--tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, and corn; subsistence crops--potatoes, cassava, sorghum, pulses; livestock--cattle and goats
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $182 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.8 billion
Currency: Malawian kwacha (plural--kwacha); 1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala
Exchange rates: Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1--2.6793 (January 1990), 2.7595 (1989), 2.5613 (1988), 2.2087 (1987), 1.8611 (1986), 1.7191 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 789 km 1.067-meter gauge
Highways: 13,135 km total; 2,364 km paved; 251 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 10,520 km earth and improved earth
Inland waterways: Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km
Ports: Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, and Nkotakota--all on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 48 total, 47 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communication stations; 36,800 telephones; stations--8 AM, 4 FM, no TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
Note: a majority of exports would normally go through Mozambique on the Beira or Nacala railroads, but now most go through South Africa because of insurgent activity and damage to rail lines
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Army Air Wing, Army Naval Detachment, paramilitary Police Mobile Force Unit, paramilitary Young Pioneers
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,904,445; 967,032 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.6% of GDP, or $22 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Malaysia - Geography Total area: 329,750 km2; land area: 328,550 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries: 2,669 km total; Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782, Thailand 506 km
Coastline: 4,675 km total (2,068 km Peninsular Malaysia, 2,607 km East Malaysia)
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation, specified boundary in the South China Sea;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; state of Sabah claimed by the Philippines; Brunei may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides Brunei into two parts
Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
Natural resources: tin, crude oil, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
Land use: 3% arable land; 10% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 63% forest and woodland; 24% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to flooding; air and water pollution
Note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea
- People Population: 17,510,546 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 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: 30 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Malaysian(s); adjective--Malaysian
Ethnic divisions: 59% Malay and other indigenous, 32% Chinese, 9% Indian
Religion: Peninsular Malaysia--Malays nearly all Muslim, Chinese predominantly Buddhists, Indians predominantly Hindu; Sabah--38% Muslim, 17% Christian, 45% other; Sarawak--35% tribal religion, 24% Buddhist and Confucianist, 20% Muslim, 16% Christian, 5% other
Language: Peninsular Malaysia--Malay (official); English, Chinese dialects, Tamil; Sabah--English, Malay, numerous tribal dialects, Mandarin and Hakka dialects predominate among Chinese; Sarawak--English, Malay, Mandarin, numerous tribal languages
Literacy: 65.0% overall, age 20 and up; Peninsular Malaysia--80%; Sabah--60%; Sarawak--60%
Labor force: 6,800,000; 30.8% agriculture, 17% manufacturing, 13.6% government, 5.8% construction, 4.3% finance, 3.4% business services, transport and communications, 0.6% mining, 24.5% other (1989 est.)
Organized labor: 660,000, 10% of total labor force (1988)
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: Federation of Malaysia formed 9 July 1963; constitutional monarchy nominally headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral Parliament composed of a 58-member Senate and a 177-member House of Representatives; Peninsular Malaysian states--hereditary rulers in all but Penang and Melaka, where governors are appointed by Malaysian Government; powers of state governments are limited by federal Constitution; Sabah--self-governing state, holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government; Sarawak--self-governing state within Malaysia, holds 24 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular--negeri) and 2 federal territories* (wilayah-wilayah persekutuan, singular--wilayah persekutuan); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan*
Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK)
Constitution: 31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963 when Federation of Malaya became Federation of Malaysia
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 31 August (1957)
Executive branch: paramount ruler, deputy paramount ruler, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlimen) consists of an upper house or Senate (Dewan Negara) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Paramount Ruler AZLAN Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Sultan Yusof Izzudin (since 26 April 1989); Deputy Paramount Ruler JA'AFAR ibni Abdul Rahman (since 26 April 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since 16 July 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Abdul GHAFAR Baba (since 7 May 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Peninsular Malaysia--National Front, a confederation of 14 political parties dominated by United Malays National Organization Baru (UMNO Baru), Mahathir bin Mohamad; Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Ling Liong Sik; Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, Datuk Lim Keng Yaik; Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), Datuk Samy Vellu;
Sabah--Berjaya Party, Datuk Haji Mohamed Noor Mansoor; Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Joseph Pairin Kitingan; United Sabah National Organizaton (USNO), Tun Datuk Mustapha;
Sarawak--coalition Sarawak National Front composed of the Party Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud; Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), Datuk Amar Stephen Yong Kuat Tze; Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Datuk James Wong; Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), Datuk Leo Moggie; major opposition parties are Democratic Action Party (DAP), Lim Kit Siang and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), Fadzil Noor
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: House of Representatives--last held 2-3 August 1986 (next to be held by August 1991); results--National Front 57.4%, DAP 20.8%, PAS 15.6%, independents 3.3%, others 2.9%; note--within the National Front, UMNO got 35% and MCA 14% of the vote; seats--(177 total) National Front 148, DAP 24, PAS 1, independents 4; note--within the National Front, UMNO got 83 seats and MCA 17 seats
Communists: Peninsular Malaysia--about 1,000 armed insurgents on Thailand side of international boundary and about 200 full time inside Malaysia surrendered on 2 December 1989; only about 100 Communist insurgents remain in North Kalimantan and Sabah
Member of: ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, Association of Tin Producing Countries, CCC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Albert S. TALALLA; Chancery at 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-2700; there are Malaysian Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York; US--Ambassador Paul M. CLEVELAND; Embassy at 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur (mailing address is P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur); telephone [6] (03) 248-9011
Flag: fourteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the US
- Economy Overview: In 1988-89 booming exports helped Malaysia continue to recover from the severe 1985-86 recession. Real output grew by 8.7% in 1988 and about 7.7% in 1989, helped by vigorous growth in manufacturing output and further increases in foreign direct investment, particularly from Japanese and Taiwanese firms facing higher costs at home. Malaysia has become the world's third-largest producer of semiconductor devices (after the US and Japan) and the world's largest exporter of semiconductor devices. Inflation remained low as unemployment stood at about 8% of the labor force and as the government followed prudent fiscal/monetary policies. The country is not self-sufficient in food, and a majority of the rural population subsists at the poverty level. Malaysia's high export dependence (merchandise exports are 63% of GDP) leaves it vulnerable to a recession in the OECD countries or a fall in world commodity prices.
GDP: $37.9 billion, per capita $2,270; real growth rate 7.7% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 7.9% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $8.8 billion; expenditures $11.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.5 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $24 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--natural rubber, palm oil, tin, timber, petroleum, electronics, light manufactures; partners--Singapore, Japan, USSR, EC, Australia, US
Imports: $20 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--food, crude oil, consumer goods, intermediate goods, capital equipment, chemicals; partners--Japan, Singapore, FRG, UK, Thailand, China, Australia, US
External debt: $16.3 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 13.6% (1988)
Electricity: 5,600,000 kW capacity; 16,500 million kWh produced, 990 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: Peninsular Malaysia--rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging and processing timber; Sabah--logging, petroleum production; Sarawak--agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging
Agriculture: Peninsular Malaysia--natural rubber, palm oil, rice; Sabah--mainly subsistence; main crops--rubber, timber, coconut, rice; Sarawak--main crops--rubber, timber, pepper; there is a deficit of rice in all areas; fish catch of 608,000 metric tons in 1987
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-84), $170 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $42 million
Currency: ringgit (plural--ringgits); 1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen
Exchange rates: ringgits (M$) per US$1--2.7038 (January 1990), 2.7087 (1989), 2.6188 (1988), 2.5196 (1987), 2.5814 (1986), 2.4830 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: Peninsular Malaysia--1,665 km 1.04-meter gauge; 13 km double track, government owned; Sabah--136 km 1.000-meter gauge
Highways: Peninsular Malaysia--23,600 km (19,352 km hard surfaced, mostly bituminous-surface treatment, and 4,248 km unpaved); Sabah--3,782 km; Sarawak--1,644 km
Inland waterways: Peninsular Malaysia--3,209 km; Sabah--1,569 km; Sarawak--2,518 km
Ports: Tanjong, Kidurong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Pasir Gudang, Penang, Port Kelang, Sandakan, Tawau
Merchant marine: 159 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,525,635 GRT/2,216,215 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 71 cargo, 21 container, 2 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 livestock carrier, 28 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 1 passenger-cargo, 22 bulk, 1 passenger
Civil air: 53 major transport aircraft
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,307 km; natural gas, 379 km
Airports: 126 total, 121 usable; 32 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 19 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good intercity service provided to peninsular Malaysia mainly by microwave relay, adequate intercity radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service good; good coverage by radio and television broadcasts; 994,860 telephones (1984); stations--28 AM, 3 FM, 33 TV; submarine cables extend to India and Sarawak; SEACOM submarine cable links to Hong Kong and Singapore; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 domestic
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal Malaysian Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,499,495; 2,744,743 fit for military service; 178,923 reach military age (21) annually
Defense expenditures: 3.8% of GDP, or $1.4 billion (1990 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Maldives - Geography Total area: 300 km2; land area: 300 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 644 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: about 100 nm (defined by geographic coordinates);
Extended economic zone: 37-310 nm (segment of zone coincides with maritime boundary with India);
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Terrain: flat with elevations only as high as 2.5 meters
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 10% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 84% other
Environment: 1,200 coral islands grouped into 19 atolls
Note: archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
- People Population: 217,945 (July 1990), growth rate 3.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 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: 76 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 65 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Maldivian(s); adjective--Maldivian
Ethnic divisions: admixtures of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, and black
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Language: Divehi (dialect of Sinhala; script derived from Arabic); English spoken by most government officials
Literacy: 36%
Labor force: 66,000 (est.); 80% engaged in fishing industry
Organized labor: none
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Maldives
Type: republic
Capital: Male
Administrative divisions: 19 district (atolls); Aliff, Baa, Daalu, Faafu, Gaafu Aliff, Gaafu Daalu, Haa Aliff, Haa Daalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Laviyani, Meemu, Naviyani, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Waavu
Independence: 26 July 1965 (from UK)
Constitution: 4 June 1964
Legal system: based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Citizens' Council (Majlis)
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since since 11 November 1978)
Political parties and leaders: no organized political parties; country governed by the Didi clan for the past eight centuries
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President--last held 23 September 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results--President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom reelected;
Citizens' Council--last held on 7 December 1984 (next to be held 7 December 1989); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(48 total, 40 elected)
Communists: negligible
Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth (special member), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, ITU, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Maldives does not maintain an embassy in the US, but does have a UN mission in New York; US--the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there; US Consular Agency, Mahduedurage, Violet Magu, Henveru, Male; telephone 2581
Flag: red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag
- Economy Overview: The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and shipping. Agriculture is limited to the production of a few subsistence crops that provide only 10% of food requirements. Fishing is the largest industry, employing 80% of the work force and accounting for over 60% of exports; it is also an important source of government revenue. During the 1980s tourism has become one of the most important and highest growth sectors of the economy. In 1988 industry accounted for about 14% of GDP. Real GDP is officially estimated to have increased by about 10% annually during the period 1974-86, and GDP estimates for 1988 show a further growth of 9% on the strength of a record fish catch and an improved tourist season.
GDP: $136 million, per capita $670; real growth rate 9.2% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $51 million; expenditures $50 million, including capital expenditures of $25 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $47.0 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--fish 57%, clothing 39%; partners--Thailand, Western Europe, Sri Lanka
Imports: $90.0 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities-- intermediate and capital goods 47%, consumer goods 42%, petroleum products 11%; partners--Japan, Western Europe, Thailand
External debt: $70 million (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.9% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 10 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fishing and fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, some coconut processing, garments, woven mats, coir (rope), handicrafts
Agriculture: accounts for almost 30% of GDP (including fishing); fishing more important than farming; limited production of coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; most staple foods must be imported
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $28 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $84 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $14 million
Currency: rufiyaa (plural--rufiyaa); 1 rufiyaa (Rf) = 100 laaris
Exchange rates: rufiyaa (Rf) per US$1--9.3043 (January 1990), 9.0408 (1989), 8.7846 (1988), 9.2230 (1987), 7.1507 (1986), 7.0981 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city
Ports: Male, Gan
Merchant marine: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,066 GRT/112,480 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 1 container, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 bulk
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: minimal domestic and international facilities; 2,325 telephones; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: no military force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 49,261; 27,519 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: $1.8 million (1984 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Mali - Geography Total area: 1,240,000 km2; land area: 1,220,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 7,243 km total; Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Ivory Coast 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Disputes: the disputed international boundary between Burkina and Mali was submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both sides agreed to accept; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
Climate: subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
Natural resources: gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium; bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 25% meadows and pastures; 7% forest and woodland; 66% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; desertification
Note: landlocked
- People Population: 8,142,373 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 51 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 21 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 47 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Malian(s); adjective--Malian
Ethnic divisions: 50% Mande (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole), 17% Peul, 12% Voltaic, 6% Songhai, 5% Tuareg and Moor, 10% other
Religion: 90% Muslim, 9% indigenous beliefs, 1% Christian
Language: French (official); Bambara spoken by about 80% of the population; numerous African languages
Literacy: 18%
Labor force: 2,666,000 (1986 est.); 80% agriculture, 19% services, 1% industry and commerce (1981); 50% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) is umbrella organization for over 13 national unions
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Mali
Type: republic; single-party constitutional government
Capital: Bamako
Administrative divisions: 7 regions (regions, singular--region); Gao, Kayes, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou; note--there may be a new capital district of Bamako
Independence: 22 September 1960 (from France; formerly French Sudan)
Constitution: 2 June 1974, effective 19 June 1979; amended September 1981 and March 1985
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Section of Court of State; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 22 September (1960)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemble Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. Moussa TRAORE (since 6 December 1968)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Democratic Union of Malian People (UDPM)
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President--last held on 9 June 1985 (next to be held June 1991); results--General Moussa Traore was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly--last held on 26 June 1988 (next to be held June 1991); results--UDPM is the only party; seats--(82 total) UDPM 82
Communists: a few Communists and some sympathizers (no legal Communist party)
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, NAM, Niger River Commission, OAU, OIC, OMVS (Organization for the Development of the Senegal River Valley), UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO,
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Alhousseyni TOURE; Chancery at 2130 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-2249 or 939-8950; US--Ambassador Robert M. PRINGLE; Embassy at Rue Testard and Rue Mohamed V., Bamako (mailing address is B. P. 34, Bamako); telephone 225834
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
- Economy Overview: Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with about 80% of its land area desert or semidesert. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population lives as nomads and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities.
GDP: $1.94 billion, per capita $220; real growth rate - 0.9% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% (1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $338 million; expenditures $559 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
Exports: $260 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--livestock, peanuts, dried fish, cotton, skins; partners--mostly franc zone and Western Europe
Imports: $493 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--textiles, vehicles, petroleum products, machinery, sugar, cereals; partners--mostly franc zone and Western Europe
External debt: $2.1 billion (December 1988 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 92,000 kW capacity; 165 million kWh produced, 20 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: small local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP; most production based on small subsistence farms; cotton and livestock products account for over 70% of exports; other crops--millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; livestock--cattle, sheep, and goats
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $313 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $190 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: 642 km 1.000-meter gauge; linked to Senegal's rail system through Kayes
Highways: about 15,700 km total; 1,670 km bituminous, 3,670 km gravel and improved earth, 10,360 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 1,815 km navigable
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 37 total, 29 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic system poor but improving; provides only minimal service with radio relay, wire, and radio communications stations; expansion of radio relay in progress; 11,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Air Force; paramilitary, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,585,878; 913,000 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Malta - Geography Total area: 320 km2; land area: 320 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 140 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs
Natural resources: limestone, salt
Land use: 38% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 59% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: numerous bays provide good harbors; fresh water very scarce--increasing reliance on desalination
Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily, 290 km north of Libya
- People Population: 353,465 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Maltese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Maltese
Ethnic divisions: mixture of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, English
Religion: 98% Roman Catholic
Language: Maltese and English (official)
Literacy: 83%
Labor force: 125,674; 30% services, 24% manufacturing, 21% government (except job corps), 8% construction, 5% utilities and drydocks, 4% agriculture (1987)
Organized labor: about 40% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Malta
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Valletta
Administrative divisions: none (administration directly from Valletta)
Independence: 21 September 1964 (from UK)
Constitution: 26 April 1974, effective 2 June 1974
Legal system: based on English common law and Roman civil law; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Freedom Day, 31 March
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State--President Vincent (Censu) TABONE (since 4 April 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Edward (Eddie) FENECH ADAMI (since 12 May 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Guido DE MARCO (since 14 May 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Nationalist Party, Edward Fenech Adami; Malta Labor Party, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives--last held on 9 May 1987 (next to be held by May 1992); results--NP 51.1%, MLP 48.9%; seats--(usually 65 total, but additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; current total 69) MLP 34, NP 31 before popular vote adjustment; MLP 34, NP 35 after adjustment
Communists: fewer than 100 (est.)
Member of: CCC, Commonwealth, Council of Europe, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM,UN, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Salvatore J. STELLINI; Chancery at 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-3611 or 3612; there is a Maltese Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Sally J. NOVETZKE; Embassy at 2nd Floor, Development House, St. Anne Street, Floriana, Valletta (mailing address is P. O. Box 535, Valletta); telephone [356] 623653 or 620424, 623216
Flag: two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross, edged in red
- Economy Overview: Significant resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and a productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies, and has no domestic energy sources. Consequently, the economy is highly dependent on foreign trade and services. Manufacturing and tourism are the largest contributors to the economy. Manufacturing accounts for about 30% of GDP, with the textile and clothing industry a major contributor. In 1988 inflation was held to a low 0.9%. Per capita GDP at $5,100 places Malta in the middle-income range of the world's nations.
GDP: $1.9 billion, per capita $5,100; real growth rate 7.1% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 4.4% (1987)
Budget: revenues $844 million; expenditures $938 million, including capital expenditures of $226 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $710 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--clothing, textiles, footwear, ships; partners--FRG 31%, UK 14%, Italy 14%
Imports: $1,360 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--food, petroleum, nonfood raw materials; partners--FRG 19%, UK 17%, Italy 17%, US 11%
External debt: $90 million, medium and long-term (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.2% (1987)
Electricity: 328,000 kW capacity; 1,110 million kWh produced, 2,990 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, ship repair yard, clothing, construction, food manufacturing, textiles, footwear, clothing, beverages, tobacco
Agriculture: overall, 20% self-sufficient; main products--potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers, hogs, poultry, eggs; generally adequate supplies of vegetables, poultry, milk, pork products; seasonal or periodic shortages in grain, animal fodder, fruits, other basic foodstuffs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $172 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $332 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $76 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $48 million
Currency: Maltese lira (plural--liri); 1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per US$1--0.3332 (January 1990), 0.3483 (1989), 0.3306 (1988), 0.3451 (1987), 0.3924 (1986), 0.4676 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: 1,291 km total; 1,179 km paved (asphalt), 77 km crushed stone or gravel, 35 km improved and unimproved earth
Ports: Valletta, Marsaxlokk
Merchant marine: 314 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,677,797 GRT/6,357,733 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 4 short-sea passenger, 127 cargo, 2 container, 1 passenger-cargo, 13 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 6 refrigerated cargo, 7 chemical tanker, 4 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 61 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 72 bulk, 11 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; China owns 1 ship, Cuba owns 8, and Vietnam owns 1
Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: modern automatic system centered in Valletta; 153,000 telephones; stations--9 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; 1 submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Armed Forces, Police, Paramilitary Dejima Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 92,610; 74,256 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.3% of GDP, or $25 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Man, Isle of (British crown dependency) - Geography Total area: 588 km2; land area: 588 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 113 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: cool summers and mild winters; humid; overcast about half the time
Terrain: hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Natural resources: lead, iron ore
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; extensive arable land and forests
Environment: strong westerly winds prevail
Note: located in Irish Sea equidistant from England, Scotland, and Ireland
- People Population: 64,859 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 11 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: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Manxman, Manxwoman, adjective--Manx
Ethnic divisions: native Manx of Norse-Celtic descent; British
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends
Language: English, Manx Gaelic
Literacy: NA%, but compulsory education between ages of 5 and 15
Labor force: 25,864 (1981)
Organized labor: 22 labor unions patterned along British lines
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: British crown dependency
Capital: Douglas
Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
Independence: none (British crown dependency)
Constitution: 1961, Isle of Man Constitution Act
Legal system: English law and local statute
National holiday: Tynwald Day, 5 July
Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, prime minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Tynwald) consists of an upper house or Legislative Council and a lower house or House of Keys
Judicial branch: High Court of Justice
Leaders: Chief of State--Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Maj. Gen. Laurence NEW (since 1985);
Head of Government--President of the Legislative Council J. C. NIVISON (since 1985)
Political parties and leaders: there is no party system and members sit as independents
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: House of Keys--last held in 1986 (next to be held 1991); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(24 total) independents 24
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
Flag: red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used
- Economy Overview: Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GNP. Banking now contributes over 20% to GNP and manufacturing about 15%. Trade is mostly with the UK.
GNP: $490 million, per capita $7,573; real growth rate NA% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 1.5% (1988)
Budget: revenues $130.4 million; expenditures $114.4 million, including capital expenditures of $18.1 million (FY85 est.)
Exports: $NA; commodities--tweeds, herring, processed shellfish meat; partners--UK
Imports: $NA; commodities--timber, fertilizers, fish; partners--UK
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 61,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced, 2,930 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: an important offshore financial center; financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
Agriculture: cereals and vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
Aid: NA
Currency: Manx pound (plural--pounds); 1 Manx pound (LM) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Manx pounds (LM) per US$1--0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 36 km electric track, 24 km steam track
Highways: 640 km motorable roads
Ports: Douglas, Ramsey, Peel
Merchant marine: 77 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,656,216 GRT/2,984,047 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 8 cargo, 5 container, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 32 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical tanker, 2 combination ore/oil, 6 liquefied gas, 12 bulk; note--a captive register of the United Kingdom, although not all ships on the register are British-owned
Airports: 2 total; 1 usable with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 24,435 telephones; stations--1 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Marshall Islands - Geography Total area: 181.3 km2; land area: 181.3 km2; includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetak, and Kwajalein
Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 370.4 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claims US-administered Wake Island
Climate: wet season May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt
Terrain: low coral limestone and sand islands
Natural resources: phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals
Land use: 0% arable land; 60% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 40% other
Environment: occasionally subject to typhoons; two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands
Note: located 3,825 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea; Bikini and Eniwetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range
- People Population: 43,417 (July 1990), growth rate 3.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 39 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 43 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Marshallese; adjective--Marshallese
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Micronesian
Religion: predominantly Christian, mostly Protestant
Language: English universally spoken and is the official language; two major Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family; Japanese
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 4,800 (1986)
Organized labor: none
- Government Long-form name: Republic of the Marshall Islands
Type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986
Capital: Majuro
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship; formerly the Marshall Islands District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
Constitution: 1 May 1979
Legal system: based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
National holiday: Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 May (1979)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Nitijela)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Amata KABUA (since 1979)
Political parties and leaders: no formal parties; President Kabua is chief political (and traditional) leader
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held NA November 1987 (next to be held November 1991); results--President Amata Kabua was reelected;
Parliament--last held NA November 1987 (next to be held November 1991); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(33 total)
Communists: none
Member of: SPF, ESCAP (associate)
Diplomatic representation: Representative Wilfred I. KENDALL; Representative Office at Suite 1004, 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 223-4952; US--Representative Samuel B. THOMSEN; US Office at NA address (mailing address is P. O. Box 680, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960); telephone 692-9-3348
Flag: blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner--orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes
- Economy Overview: Agriculture and tourism are the mainstays of the economy. Agricultural production is concentrated on small farms, and the most important commercial crops are coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. A few cattle ranches supply the domestic meat market. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry is the primary source of foreign exchange and employs about 10% of the labor force. The islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. In 1987 the US Government provided grants of $40 million out of the Marshallese budget of $55 million.
GDP: $63 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.6% (1981)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $55 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)
Exports: $2.5 million (f.o.b., 1985); commodities--copra, copra oil, agricultural products, handicrafts; partners--NA
Imports: $29.2 million (c.i.f., 1985); commodities--foodstuffs, beverages, building materials; partners--NA
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 12,000 kW capacity; 10 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: copra, fish, tourism; craft items from shell, wood, and pearl; offshore banking (embryonic)
Agriculture: coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, copra; pigs, chickens
Aid: under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US is to provide approximately $40 million in aid annually
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications Highways: macadam and concrete roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks
Ports: Majuro
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 475,968 GRT/949,888 DWT; includes 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk carrier; note--a flag of convenience registry
Airports: 5 total, 5 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: telephone network--570 lines (Majuro) and 186 (Ebeye); telex services; islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes); stations--1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Martinique (overseas department of France) - Geography Total area: 1,100 km2; land area: 1,060 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 290 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Natural resources: coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
Land use: 10% arable land; 8% permanent crops; 30% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 26% other; includes 5% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity that result in an average of one major natural disaster every five years
Note: located 625 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
- People Population: 340,381 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 11 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Martiniquais (sing. and pl.); adjective--Martiniquais
Ethnic divisions: 90% African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture, 5% Caucasian, 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: 100,000; 31.7% service industry, 29.4% construction and public works, 13.1% agriculture, 7.3% industry, 2.2% fisheries, 16.3% other
Organized labor: 11% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Department of Martinique
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Fort-de-France
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: government commissioner
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government--Government Commissioner Jean Claude ROURE (since 5 May 1989); President of the General Council Emile MAURICE (since NA 1988)
Political parties: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Stephen Bago; Union of the Left composed of the Progressive Party of Martinique (PPM), Aime Cesaire; Socialist Federation of Martinique, Michael Yoyo; and the Communist Party of Martinique (PCM), Armand Nicolas; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Jean Maran
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: General Council--last held on NA October 1988 (next to be held by March 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(44 total) number of seats by party NA;
Regional Assembly--last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held by March 1992); results--UDF/RPR coalition 49.8%, PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 41.3%, others 8.9%; seats--(41 total) PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 21, UDF/RPR coalition 20;
French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) UDF 1, PPM 1;
French National Assembly--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(4 total) PPM 1, FSM 1, RPR 1, UDF 1
Communists: 1,000 (est.)
Other political or pressure groups: Proletarian Action Group (GAP); Alhed Marie-Jeanne Socialist Revolution Group (GRS), Martinique Independence Movement (MIM), Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance (ARC), Central Union for Martinique Workers (CSTM), Marc Pulvar; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants
Member of: WFTU
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, Martiniquais interests are represented in the US by France; US--Consul General Ray ROBINSON; Consulate General at 14 Rue Blenac, Fort-de-France (mailing address is B. P. 561, Fort-de-France); telephone [596] 63-13-03
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry. Agriculture accounts for about 7% of GDP and the small industrial sector for 10%. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports are increasing, however, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France. Tourism has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. The majority of the work force is employed in the service sector and in administration. In 1984 the annual per capita income was relatively high at $3,650. During 1985 the unemployment rate was between 25% and 30% and was particularly severe among younger workers.
GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $3,650; real growth rate NA% (1984)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.4% (1986)
Unemployment rate: 25-30% (1985)
Budget: revenues $223 million; expenditures $223 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987 est.)
Exports: $209 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples; partners--France 65%, Guadeloupe 26% (1986)
Imports: $879 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods; partners--France 64% (1986)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 108,000 kW capacity; 330 million kWh produced, 990 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for about 7% of GDP; principal crops--pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, and sugarcane for rum; dependent on imported food, particularly meat and vegetables
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $9.8 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 Highways: 1,680 km total; 1,300 km paved, 380 km gravel and earth
Ports: Fort-de-France
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways less than 2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic facilities are adequate; 68,900 telephones; interisland radio relay links to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and St. Lucia; stations--1 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Mauritania - Geography Total area: 1,030,700 km2; land area: 1,030,400 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Land boundaries: 5,074 km total; Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km
Coastline: 754 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: armed conflict in Western Sahara; boundary with Senegal
Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Terrain: mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Natural resources: iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate
Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 38% meadows and pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 56% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; desertification; only perennial river is the Senegal
- People Population: 1,934,549 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 49 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: 96 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male, 49 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Mauritanian(s); adjective--Mauritanian
Ethnic divisions: 40% mixed Maur/black, 30% Maur, 30% black
Religion: nearly 100% Muslim
Language: Hasaniya Arabic (national); French (official); Toucouleur, Fula, Sarakole, Wolof
Literacy: 17%
Labor force: 465,000 (1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980); 47% agriculture, 29% services, 14% industry and commerce, 10% government; 53% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: 30,000 members claimed by single union, Mauritanian Workers' Union
- Government Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Type: republic; military first seized power in bloodless coup 10 July 1978; a palace coup that took place on 24 December 1984 brought President Taya to power
Capital: Nouakchott
Administrative divisions: 12 regions (regions, singular--region); Adrar, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, El Acaba, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza; note--there may be a new capital district of Nouakchott
Independence: 28 November 1960 (from France)
Constitution: 20 May 1961, abrogated after coup of 10 July 1978; provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned in 1981; new constitutional charter published 27 February 1985
Legal system: based on Islamic law
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
Executive branch: president, Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale), dissolved after 10 July 1978 coup; legislative power resides with the CMSN
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Col. Maaouiya Ould SidAhmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
Political parties and leaders: suspended
Suffrage: none
Elections: none; last presidential election August 1976; National Assembly dissolved 10 July 1978; no national elections are scheduled
Communists: no Communist party, but there is a scattering of Maoist sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, AIOEC, Arab League, CCC, CEAO, CIPEC (associate), EAMA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OMVS (Organization for the Development of the Senegal River Valley), UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdellah OULD DADDAH; Chancery at 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-5700; US--Ambassador William H. TWADDELL; Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott (mailing address is B. P. 222, Nouakchott); telephone [2222] 52660 or 52663
Flag: green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
- Economy Overview: A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent drought in 1983. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore that account for almost 50% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production in recent years. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986.
GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $520; real growth rate 3.6% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.4% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 50% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $358 million; expenditures $334 million, including capital expenditures of $79 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $424 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum, unrecorded but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal; partners--EC 57%, Japan 39%, Ivory Coast 2%
Imports: $365 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods; partners--EC 79%, Africa 5%, US 4%, Japan 2%
External debt: $2.3 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 189,000 kW capacity; 136 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
Agriculture: accounts for 29% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming and nomadic cattle and sheep herding except in Senegal river valley; crops--dates, millet, sorghum, root crops; fish products number-one export; large food deficit in years of drought
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $160 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $277 million
Currency: ouguiya (plural--ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums
Exchange rates: ouguiya (UM) per US$1--83.838 (January 1990), 83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987), 74.375 (1986), 77.085 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 670 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track, owned and operated by government mining company
Highways: 7,525 km total; 1,685 km paved; 1,040 km gravel, crushed stone, or otherwise improved; 4,800 km unimproved roads, trails, tracks
Inland waterways: mostly ferry traffic on the Senegal River
Ports: Nouadhibou, Nouakchott
Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,272 GRT/ 1,840 DWT
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 30 total, 29 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor radio relay links, and radio communications stations; 5,200 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 ARABSAT, with a third planned
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary National Guard, paramilitary National Police, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary Nomad Security Guards
Military manpower: males 15-49, 410,153; 200,212 fit for military service; conscription law not implemented
Defense expenditures: 4.2% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Mauritius - Geography Total area: 1,860 km2; land area: 1,850 km2; includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (St. Brandon) and Rodrigues
Comparative area: slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 177 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claims Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Climate: tropical modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
Terrain: small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Natural resources: arable land, fish
Land use: 54% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 31% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes 9% irrigated
Environment: subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs
Note: located 900 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
- People Population: 1,070,005 (July 1990), growth rate 1.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 21 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 20 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Mauritian(s); adjective--Mauritian
Ethnic divisions: 68% Indo-Mauritian, 27% Creole, 3% Sino-Mauritian, 2% Franco-Mauritian
Religion: 51% Hindu, 30% Christian (mostly Roman Catholic with a few Anglicans), 17% Muslim, 2% other
Language: English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Literacy: 82.8%
Labor force: 335,000; 29% government services, 27% agriculture and fishing, 22% manufacturing, 22% other; 43% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: 35% of labor force in more than 270 unions
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Louis
Administrative divisions: 5 urban councils and 3 district councils*; Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Curepipe, Moka-Flacq*, North*, Port Louis, Quatre Bornes, South*, Vacoas-Phoenix; note--there may now be 4 urban councils and 9 district councils* named Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Black River*, Curepipe, Flacq*, Grand Port*, Moka*, Pamplemousses*, Plaine Wilhems*, Port Louis*, Quartre Bornes, Riviere du Rempart*, Savanne*, and Vacoas-Phoenix
Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)
Constitution: 12 March 1968
Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Veerasamy RINGADOO (since 17 January 1986);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Sir Satcam BOOLELL (since 15 August 1988)
Political parties and leaders: the government is currently controlled by a coalition composed of the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. Jugnauth, and the Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), S. Boolell; the main opposition union consists of the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Prem Nababsing; Socialist Workers Front, Sylvio Michel; Democratic Labor Movement, Anil Baichoo; Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), G. Duval
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Assembly--last held on 30 August 1987 (next to be held 30 August 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(70 total, 62 elected) MSM 24, MMM 21, MLP 10, PMSD 5, others 10
Communists: may be 2,000 sympathizers; several Communist organizations; Mauritius Lenin Youth Organization, Mauritius Women's Committee, Mauritius Communist Party, Mauritius People's Progressive Party, Mauritius Young Communist League, Mauritius Liberation Front, Chinese Middle School Friendly Association, Mauritius/USSR Friendship Society
Other political or pressure groups: various labor unions
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING; Chancery at Suite 134, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-1491 or 1492; US--Ambassador Penne KORTH; Embassy at 4th Floor, Rogers Building, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis; telephone 082347
Flag: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
- Economy Overview: The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism. Despite significant expansion in other sectors over the past decade, sugarcane remains dominant and is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area, accounting for 40% of export earnings. The government's development strategy is centered on industrialization (with a view to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1988 was impressive, with 6.3% real growth rate and low unemployment.
GDP: $1.9 billion, per capita $1,910; real growth rate 6.3% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.2% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 3.6% (1988)
Budget: revenues $351 million; expenditures $414 million, including capital expenditures of $76 million (FY87 est.)
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%; partners--EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%
Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%; partners--EC, US, South Africa, Japan
External debt: $670 million (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 12.9% (FY87)
Electricity: 233,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced, 375 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel, chemical and chemical products, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 14% of GDP; about 90% of cultivated land in sugarcane; other products--tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses, cattle, goats, fish; net food importer, especially rice and fish
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $72 million; Western (non-US) countries (1970-87), $538 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $54 million
Currency: Mauritian rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1--15.033 (January 1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988), 12.878 (1987), 13.466 (1986), 15.442 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Highways: 1,800 km total; 1,640 km paved, 160 km earth
Ports: Port Louis
Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 143,029 GRT/ 248,754 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 3 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 3 bulk
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: small system with good service; new microwave link to Reunion; high-frequency radio links to several countries; 48,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 4 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: paramilitary Special Mobile Force, Special Support Units, regular Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 297,975; 153,130 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Mayotte (territorial collectivity of France) - Geography Total area: 375 km2; land area: 375 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 185.2 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by Comoros
Climate: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)
Terrain: generally undulating with ancient volcanic peaks, deep ravines
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: subject to cyclones during rainy season
Note: part of Comoro Archipelago; located in the Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and Madagascar
- People Population: 72,186 (July 1990), growth rate 3.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 51 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 12 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: 54 years male, 58 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Mahorais (sing., pl.); adjective--Mahoran
Religion: 99% Muslim; remainder Christian, mostly Roman Catholic
Language: Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
Type: territorial collectivity of France
Capital: Dzaoudzi
Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Independence: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French law
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: government commissioner
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council (Conseil General)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
Leaders: Chief of State President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government Government Commissioner Akli KHIDER (since 1983); President of the General Council Youssouf BAMANA (since 1976)
Political parties and leaders: Mahoran Popular Movement (MPM), Zna M'Oere; Party for the Mahoran Democratic Rally (PRDM), Daroueche Maoulida; Mahoran Rally for the Republic (RMPR), Abdoul Anizizi; Union of the Center (UDC)
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: General Council--last held NA June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(17 total) MPM 9, RPR 6, others 2;
French Senate--last held on 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) MPM 1;
French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) UDC 1
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: as a territorial collectivity of France, Mahoran interests are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island is heavily dependent on French financial assistance.
GDP: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues NA; expenditures $37.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1984); commodities--ylang-ylang, vanilla; partners--France 79%, Comoros 10%, Reunion 9%
Imports: $21.8 million (f.o.b., 1984); commodities--building materials, transportation equipment, rice, clothing, flour; partners--France 57%, Kenya 16%, South Africa 11%, Pakistan 8%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: NA kW capacity; NA million kWh produced, NA kWh per capita
Industries: newly created lobster and shrimp industry
Agriculture: most important sector; provides all export earnings; crops--vanilla, ylang-ylang, coffee, copra; imports major share of food needs
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $287.8 million
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: 42 km total; 18 km bituminous
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Ports: Dzaoudzi
Telecommunications: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications; includes radio relay and high-frequency radio communications for links with Comoros and international communications; 450 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Mexico - Geography Total area: 1,972,550 km2; land area: 1,923,040 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 4,538 km total; Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326 km
Coastline: 9,330 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: natural prolongation of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: varies from tropical to desert
Terrain: high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, and desert
Natural resources: crude oil, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Land use: 12% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 39% meadows and pastures; 24% forest and woodland; 24% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: subject to tsunamis along the Pacific coast and destructive earthquakes in the center and south; natural water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; deforestation; erosion widespread; desertification; serious air pollution in Mexico City and urban centers along US-Mexico border
Note: strategic location on southern border of US
- People Population: 87,870,154 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 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: 33 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Mexican(s); adjective--Mexican
Ethnic divisions: 60% mestizo (Indian-Spanish), 30% Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian, 9% white or predominantly white, 1% other
Religion: 97% nominally Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant
Language: Spanish
Literacy: 88%
Labor force: 26,100,000 (1988); 31.4% services; 26% agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing, 13.9% commerce, 12.8% manufacturing, 9.5% construction, 4.8% transportation, 1.3% mining and quarrying, 0.3% electricity, (1986)
Organized labor: 35% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: United Mexican States
Type: federal republic operating under a centralized government
Capital: Mexico
Administrative divisions: 31 states (estados, singular--estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California Norte, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan, Zacatecas
Independence: 16 September 1810 (from Spain)
Constitution: 5 February 1917
Legal system: mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1810)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso de la Union) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Suprema Corte de Justicia)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Carlos SALINAS de Gortari (since 1 December 1988)
Political parties and leaders: (recognized parties) Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta; National Action Party (PAN), Luis Alvarez; Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Indalecio Sayago Herrera; Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Cuauhtemoc Cardenas; Cardenist Front for the National Reconstruction Party (PFCRN), Rafael Aguilar Talamantes; Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution (PARM), Carlos Enrique Cantu Rosas
Suffrage: universal and compulsory (but not enforced) at age 18
Elections: President--last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results--Carlos Salinas de Gortari (PRI) 50.74%, Cuauhtemoc Cardemas Solorzano (FDN) 31.06%, Manuel Clouthier (PAN) 16.81%; others 1.39%; note--several of the smaller parties ran a common candidate under a coalition called the National Democratic Front (FDN)
Senate--last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held September 1991); results--PRI 94%, FDN (now PRD) 6%; seats--(64 total) number of seats by party NA;
Chamber of Deputies--last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held September 1991); results--PRI 53%, PAN 20%, PFCRN 10%, PPS 6%, PARM 7%, PMS (now part of PRD) 4%; seats--(500 total) number of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups: Roman Catholic Church, Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), Confederation of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN), Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce (CONCANACO), National Peasant Confederation (CNC), National Confederation of Popular Organizations (CNOP), Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT), Mexican Democratic Party (PDM), Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC), Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers (CROM), Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX), National Chamber of Transformation Industries (CANACINTRA), Business Coordination Council (CCE)
Member of: FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, LAIA, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gustavo PETRICIOLI Iturbide; Chancery at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 728-1600; there are Mexican Consulates General in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Antonio, San Diego, and Consulates in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico (California), Corpus Christi, Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Kansas City (Missouri), Laredo, McAllen (Texas), Miami, Nogales (Arizona), Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Phoenix, Presidio (Texas), Sacramento, St. Louis, St. Paul (Minneapolis), Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, San Jose, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Seattle; US--Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE, Jr.; Embassy at Paseo de la Reforma 305, Mexico 5, D.F. (mailing address is P. O. Box 3087, Laredo, TX 78044); telephone [52] (5) 211-0042; there are US Consulates General in Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Tijuana, and Consulates in Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mazatlan, Merida, and Nuevo Laredo
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake is its beak) is centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: Mexico's economy is a mixture of state-owned industrial plants (notably oil), private manufacturing and services, and both large-scale and traditional agriculture. In the 1980s Mexico experienced severe economic difficulties: the nation accumulated large external debts as world petroleum prices fell; rapid population growth outstripped the domestic food supply; and inflation, unemployment, and pressures to emigrate became more acute. Growth in national output dropped from 8% in 1980 to 1.1% in 1988 and 2.5% in 1989. The US is Mexico's major trading partner, accounting for two-thirds of its exports and imports. After petroleum, border assembly plants and tourism are the largest earners of foreign exchange. The government, in consultation with international economic agencies, is implementing programs to stabilize the economy and foster growth.
GDP: $187.0 billion, per capita $2,165; real growth rate 2.5% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 20% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $36.1 billion; expenditures $56.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.7 biilion (1988)
Exports: $23.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--crude oil, oil products, coffee, shrimp, engines, cotton; partners--US 66%, EC 16%, Japan 11%
Imports: $23.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--grain, metal manufactures, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment; partners--US 62%, EC 18%, Japan 10%
External debt: $95.1 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.3% (1988)
Electricity: 26,900,000 kW capacity; 103,670 million kWh produced, 1,200 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, transportation equipment, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 9% of GDP and over 25% of work force; large number of small farms at subsistence level; major food crops--corn, wheat, rice, beans; cash crops--cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; fish catch of 1.4 million metric tons among top 20 nations (1987)
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis continues in spite of government eradication efforts; major link in chain of countries used to smuggle cocaine from South American dealers to US markets
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $3.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $110 million
Currency: Mexican peso (plural--pesos); 1 Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: market rate of Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1--2,660.3 (January 1990), 2,461.3 (1989), 2,273.1 (1988), 1,378.2 (1987), 611.8 (1986), 256.9 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 20,680 km total; 19,950 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 730 km 0.914-meter narrow gauge
Highways: 210,000 km total; 65,000 km paved, 30,000 km semipaved or cobblestone, 60,000 km rural roads (improved earth) or roads under construction, 55,000 km unimproved earth roads
Inland waterways: 2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals
Pipelines: crude oil, 4,381 km; refined products, 8,345 km; natural gas, 13,254 km
Ports: Acapulco, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada, Guaymas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso, Puerto Vallarta, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Veracruz
Merchant marine: 68 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,041,229 GRT/1,552,478 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 10 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 4 bulk, 4 combination bulk
Civil air: 174 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1,785 total, 1,484 usable; 190 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 259 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed system with extensive radio relay links; connection into Central American Microwave System; 6.41 million telephones; stations--679 AM, no FM, 238 TV, 22 shortwave; 120 domestic satellite terminals; satellite earth stations--4 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps
Military manpower: males 15-49, 21,575,525; 15,803,322 fit for military service; 1,118,046 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 0.5% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Micronesia, Federated States of - Geography Total area: 702 km2; land area: 702 km2; includes Pohnpei, Truk, Yap, and Kosrae
Comparative area: slightly less than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 6,112 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasional severe damage
Terrain: islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk
Natural resources: forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: subject to typhoons from June to December; four major island groups totaling 607 islands
Note: located 5,150 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Indonesia
- People Population: 104,937 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 34 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: 26 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Micronesian(s); adjective--Micronesian; Kosrae(s), Pohnpeian(s), Trukese, Yapese
Ethnic divisions: nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups
Religion: predominantly Christian, divided between Roman Catholic and Protestant; other churches include Assembly of God, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist, Latter Day Saints, and the Baha'i Faith
Language: English is the official and common language; most indigenous languages fall within the Austronesian language family, the exceptions are the Polynesian languages; major indigenous languages are Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, and Kosrean
Literacy: NA%, but education compulsory through eight grades
Labor force: NA; two-thirds are government employees; 45,000 people are between the ages of 15 and 65
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Federated States of Micronesia (no short-form name)
Type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986
Capital: Kolonia (on the island of Pohnpei); note--a new capital is being built about 10 km southwest in the Palikir valley
Administrative divisions: 4 states; Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, Yap
Independence: 3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship; formerly the Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, and Yap districts of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
Constitution: 10 May 1979
Legal system: based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
National holiday: Proclamation of the Federated States of Micronesia, 10 May (1979)
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 John R. HAGLELGAM (since 11 May 1987); Vice President Hiroshi H. ISMAEL (since 11 May 1987)
Political parties and leaders: no formal parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held 11 May 1987 (next to be held May 1991); results--John R. Haglelgam was elected;
House of Representatives--last held on NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(NA total)
Communists: none
Member of: SPF, ESCAP (associate)
Diplomatic representation: Deputy Representative Jesse B. MAREHALAN; Representative Office at 706 G Street SE, Washington DC 20003; telephone (202) 544-2640; US--Representative Michael G. WYGANT; US Office at address NA, Kolonia (mailing address is P. O. Box 1286, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia 96941); telephone 691-320-2187
Flag: light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern
- Economy Overview: Financial assistance from the US is the primary source of revenue, with the US pledged to spend $1 billion in the islands in the 1990s. Micronesia also earns about $4 million a year in fees from foreign commercial fishing concerns. Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remoteness of the location and a lack of adequate facilities hinder development; note--GNP numbers reflect US spending.
GNP: $150 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 80%
Budget: revenues $110.8 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)
Exports: $1.6 million (f.o.b., 1983); commodities--copra; partners--NA
Imports: $48.9 million (c.i.f., 1983); commodities--NA; partners--NA
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 15,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 340 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearl
Agriculture: mainly a subsistence economy; copra, black pepper; tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, pigs, chickens
Aid: under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US will provide $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications Highways: 39 km of paved macadam and concrete roads on major islands, otherwise 187 km stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads
Ports: Colonia (Yap), Truk (Kosrae), Okat (Kosrae)
Airports: 11 total, 10 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439
Telecommunications: 16,000 radio receivers, 1,125 TV sets (est. 1987); telephone network--960 telephone lines at both Kolonia and Truk; islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes); stations--5 AM, 1 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Midway Islands (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 5.2 km2; land area: 5.2 km2; includes Eastern Island and Sand Island
Comparative area: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 15 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderated by prevailing easterly winds
Terrain: low, nearly level
Natural resources: fish and wildlife
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: coral atoll
Note: located 2,350 km west-northwest of Honolulu at the western end of Hawaiian Islands group, about one-third of the way between Honolulu and Tokyo; closed to the public
- People Population: 453 US military personnel (1989)
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Navy, under command of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station in Hawaii and managed cooperatively by the US Navy and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
Flag: the US flag is used
- Economy Overview: The economy is based on providing support services for US naval operations located on the islands. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
- Communications Highways: 32 km total
Pipelines: 7.8 km
Ports: Sand Island
Airports: 3 total; 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Monaco - Geography Total area: 1.9 km2; land area: 1.9 km2
Comparative area: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundary: 4.4 km with France
Coastline: 4.1 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers
Terrain: hilly, rugged, rocky
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: almost entirely urban
Note: second-smallest independent state in world (after Vatican City)
- People Population: 29,453 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 7 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 9 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Monacan(s) or Monegasque(s); adjective--Monacan or Monegasque
Ethnic divisions: 47% French, 16% Monegasque, 16% Italian, 21% other
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic
Language: French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: 4,000 members in 35 unions
- Government Long-form name: Principality of Monaco
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Monaco
Administrative divisions: 4 quarters (quartiers, singular--quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo
Independence: 1419, rule by the House of Grimaldi
Constitution: 17 December 1962
Legal system: based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 19 November
Executive branch: prince, minister of state, Council of Government (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Council (Conseil National)
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal (Tribunal Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State--Prince RAINIER III (since November 1949); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT Alexandre Louis Pierre (born 14 March 1958);
Head of Government Minister of State Jean AUSSEIL (since 10 September 1985)
Political parties and leaders: National and Democratic Union (UND), Democratic Union Movement (MUD), Monaco Action, Monegasque Socialist Party (PSM)
Suffrage: universal adult at age 25
Elections: National Council--last held on 24 January 1988 (next to be held 24 January 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(18 total) UND 18
Member of: IAEA, ICAO, IHO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, UN (permanent observer), UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO
Diplomatic representation: Monaco maintains honorary consulates general in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and honorary consulates in Dallas, Honolulu, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, and Washington; US--no mission in Monaco, but the US Consul General in Marseille, France, is accredited to Monaco; Consul General R. Susan WOOD; Consulate General at 12 Boulevard Paul Peytral, 13286 Marseille Cedex (mailing address APO NY 09777); telephone [33] (91) 549-200
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red
- Economy Overview: No data are published on the economy. Monaco, situated on the French Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. The Principality has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and offices. About 50% of Monaco's annual revenue comes from value-added taxes on hotels, banks, and the industrial sector; about 25% of revenue comes from tourism. Living standards are high, that is, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan suburbs.
GNP: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: full employment (1989)
Budget: revenues $386 million; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
Exports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monacan trade duties; also participates in EC market system through customs union with France
Imports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monacan trade duties; also participates in EC market system through customs union with France
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 10,000 kW standby capacity (1988); power supplied by France
Industries: pharmaceuticals, food processing, precision instruments, glassmaking, printing, tourism
Agriculture: NA
Aid: NA
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: 1.6 km 1.435-meter gauge
Highways: none; city streets
Ports: Monaco
Merchant marine: 1 tanker (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,268 GRT/4,959 DWT
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 usable airfield with permanent-surface runways
Telecommunications: served by the French communications system; automatic telephone system; 38,200 telephones; stations--3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; no communication satellite stations
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Mongolia - Geography Total area: 1,565,000 km2; land area: 1,565,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries: 8,114 km total; China 4,673 km, USSR 3,441 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)
Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains; mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in southeast
Natural resources: coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold
Land use: 1% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 79% meadows and pastures; 10% forest and woodland; 10% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: harsh and rugged
Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and Soviet Union
- People Population: 2,187,275 (July 1990), growth rate 2.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 35 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: 50 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Mongolian(s); adjective--Mongolian
Ethnic divisions: 90% Mongol, 4% Kazakh, 2% Chinese, 2% Russian, 2% other
Religion: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, about 4% Muslim, limited religious activity because of Communist regime
Language: Khalkha Mongol used by over 90% of population; minor languages include Turkic, Russian, and Chinese
Literacy: 80% (est.); 100% claimed (1985)
Labor force: NA, but primarily agricultural; over half the adult population is in the labor force, including a large percentage of women; shortage of skilled labor
Organized labor: 425,000 members of the Central Council of Mongolian Trade Unions (CCMTU) controlled by the government (1984)
- Government Long-form name: Mongolian People's Republic; abbreviated MPR
Type: Communist state
Capital: Ulaanbaatar
Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular--aymag) and 3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular--hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
Independence: 13 March 1921 (from China; formerly Outer Mongolia)
Constitution: 6 July 1960
Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: People's Revolution Day, 11 July (1921)
Executive branch: chairman and deputy chairman of the Presidium of the People's Great Hural, Presidium of the People's Great Hural, chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Great Hural
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Great Hural Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (since 21 March 1990);
Head of Government--Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sharabyn GUNGAADORJ (since 21 March 1990);
Political parties and leaders: only party--Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), Gombojabin Ochirbat, General Secretary
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held 21 March 1990 (next to be held July 1991); results--Punsalmaagiyn Ochirbat elected by the People's Great Hural;
People's Great Hural--last held on 22 June 1986 (next to be held June 1990); results--MPRP was the only party; seats--(370 total) MPRP 370
Communists: MPRP membership 88,150 (1986 est.)
Member of: CEMA, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBEC, ILO, IPU, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gendengiin NYAMDOO; US--Ambassador Richard L. WILLIAMS
Flag: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is a five-pointed star above the national emblem (soyombo--a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representations for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol)
- Economy Overview: Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and the breeding of livestock--Mongolia has the highest number of livestock per person in the world. In recent years extensive mineral resources have been developed with Soviet support. The mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $880 (1985 est.); average real growth rate 3.6% (1976-85 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures $2.19 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.9 billion (1987 est.)
Exports: $388 million (f.o.b., 1985); commodities--livestock, animal products, wool, hides, fluorspar, nonferrous metals, minerals; partners--nearly all trade with Communist countries (about 80% with USSR)
Imports: $1.0 billion (c.i.f., 1985); commodities--machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea; partners--nearly all trade with Communist countries (about 80% with USSR)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 10.9% (1985)
Electricity: 657,000 kW capacity; 29,500 million kWh produced, 1,340 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: processing of animal products, building materials, food and beverage, mining (particularly coal)
Agriculture: accounts for 90% of exports and provides livelihood for about 50% of the population; livestock raising predominates (sheep, goats, horses); crops--wheat, barley, potatoes, forage
Aid: about $500-$700 million annually from USSR
Currency: tughrik (plural--tughriks); 1 tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos
Exchange rates: tughriks (Tug) per US$1--3.355 (1986-1988), 3.600 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 1,750 km 1.524-meter broad gauge (1986)
Highways: 46,700 km total; 1,000 km hard surface; 45,700 km other surfaces (1986)
Inland waterways: 397 km of principal routes (1986)
Civil air: 22 major transport aircraft
Airports: 80 total, 30 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; fewer than 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--13 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (with 18 provincial relays); relay of Soviet TV; 60,000 TV sets; 186,000 radio receivers; at least 1 satellite earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Mongolian People's Army, Air Force (negligible)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 518,482; 338,652 fit for military service; 24,783 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Montserrat (dependent territory of the UK) - Geography Total area: 100 km2; land area: 100 km2
Comparative area: about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 20% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 10% meadows and pastures; 40% forest and woodland; 30% other
Environment: subject to severe hurricanes from June to November
Note: located 400 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
- People Population: 12,467 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 4 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Montserratian(s); adjective--Montserratian
Ethnic divisions: mostly black with a few Europeans
Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
Language: English
Literacy: 77%
Labor force: 5,100; 40.5% community, social, and personal services, 13.5% construction, 12.3% trade, restaurants, and hotels, 10.5% manufacturing, 8.8% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 14.4% other (1983 est.)
Organized labor: 30% of labor force, three trade unions with 1,500 members (1984 est.)
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Plymouth
Administrative divisions: 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
Independence: none (colony of the UK)
Constitution: 1 January 1960
Legal system: English common law and statute law
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday of June)
Executive branch: monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet), chief minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Christopher J. TURNER (since 1987);
Head of Government--Chief Minister John A. OSBORNE (since 1978)
Political parties and leaders: People's Liberation Movement (PLM), John Osborne; Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), Howell Bramble; United National Front (UNF), Dr. George Irish; National Development Party (NDP), Bertrand Osborne
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Council--last held on 25 August 1987 (next to be held NA 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(11 total, 7 elected) PLM 4, NDP 2, PDP 1
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (colony of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross
- Economy Overview: The economy is small and open with economic activity centered on tourism and construction. Tourism is the most important sector and accounted for 20% of GDP in 1986. Agriculture accounted for about 4% of GDP and industry 9%. The economy is heavily dependent on imports, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices. Exports consist mainly of electronic parts sold to the US.
GDP: $45.4 million, per capita $3,780; real growth rate 12% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 3.0% (1987)
Budget: revenues $10.0 million; expenditures $9.4 million, including capital expenditures of $3.2 million (1987)
Exports: $3.0 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--plastic bags, electronic parts, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle; partners--NA
Imports: $25.3 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials; partners--NA
External debt: $3.7 million (1985)
Industrial production: growth rate 8.1% (1986)
Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 12 million kWh produced, 930 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism; light manufacturing--rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; small-scale farming; food crops--tomatoes, onions, peppers; not self-sufficient in food, especially livestock products
Aid: NA
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: 280 km total; about 200 km paved, 80 km gravel and earth
Ports: Plymouth
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,036 m
Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones; stations--8 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Morocco - Geography Total area: 446,550 km2; land area: 446,300 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries: 2,002 km total; Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km
Coastline: 1,835 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved; armed conflict in Western Sahara; Spain controls two coastal presidios or places of sovereignty (Ceuta, Melilla)
Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
Terrain: mostly mountains with rich coastal plains
Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
Land use: 18% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 28% meadows and pastures; 12% forest and woodland; 41% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; desertification
Note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
- People Population: 25,648,241 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 31 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 78 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 66 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Moroccan(s); adjective--Moroccan
Ethnic divisions: 99.1% Arab-Berber, 0.7% non-Moroccan, 0.2% Jewish
Religion: 98.7% Muslim, 1.1% Christian, 0.2% Jewish
Language: Arabic (official); several Berber dialects; French is language of business, government, diplomacy, and postprimary education
Literacy: 28%
Labor force: 7,400,000; 50% agriculture, 26% services, 15% industry, 9% other (1985)
Organized labor: about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union of Moroccan Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT)
- Government Long-form name: Kingdom of Morocco
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Rabat
Administrative divisions: 36 provinces (provinces, singular--province) and 2 municipalities* (wilayas, singular--wilaya); Agadir, Al Hoceima, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El Kelaa des Srarhna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Marrakech, Meknes, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit
Independence: 2 March 1956 (from France)
Constitution: 10 March 1972
Legal system: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court
National holiday: National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne), 3 March (1961)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Representatives (Majlis al Nuwab)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since 30 September 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Morocco has 15 political parties; the major ones are Istiqlal Party, M'Hamed Boucetta; Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Abderrahim Bouabid; Popular Movement (MP), Secretariat General; National Assembly of Independents (RNI), Ahmed Osman; National Democratic Party (PND), Mohamed Arsalane El-Jadidi; Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS), Ali Yata; Constitutional Union (UC), Maati Bouabid
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: Chamber of Representatives--last held on 14 September 1984 (were scheduled for September 1990, but postponed until NA 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(306 total, 206 elected) CU 83, RNI 61, MP 47, Istiqlal 41, USFP 36, PND 24, others 14
Communists: about 2,000
Member of: AfDB, Arab League, CCC, EC (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ali BENGELLOUN; Chancery at 1601 21st Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-7979; there is a Moroccan Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Michael USSERY; Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat, or APO New York 09284); telephone [212] (7) 622-65; there are US Consulates General in Casablanca and Tangier
Flag: red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Solomon's seal in the center of the flag; green is the traditional color of Islam
- Economy Overview: After registering a robust 10% growth in 1988, the economy slowed in 1989 because of higher prices for food and oil imports, lower worker remittances, and a trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid prices that cost Rabat $500 million. To meet the foreign payments shortfall, Rabat has been drawing down foreign exchange reserves. Servicing the $22 billion foreign debt, high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external forces remain severe problems for the 1990s.
GDP: $21.9 billion, per capita $880 (1988); real growth rate 4.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1988)
Budget: revenues $5.1 billion; expenditures $6.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.4 billion (1988)
Exports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer goods 21%, phosphates 17%; partners--EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%
Imports: $5.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 10%; partners--EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%
External debt: $22.2 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 4% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 2,140,000 kW capacity; 7,760 million kWh produced, 300 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism
Agriculture: 50% of employment and 30% of export value; not self-sufficient in food; cereal farming and livestock raising predominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruit, wine, vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in 1987
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis; trafficking on the increase for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of cannabis mostly directed to Western Europe; occasional transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $2.3 billion
Currency: Moroccan dirham (plural--dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1--8.093 (January 1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double track, 974 km electrified)
Highways: 59,198 km total; 27,740 km bituminous treated, 31,458 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, and unimproved earth
Pipelines: 362 km crude oil; 491 km (abandoned) refined products; 241 km natural gas
Ports: Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla
Merchant marine: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 334,931 GRT/513,762 DWT; includes 11 cargo, 2 container, 14 refrigerated cargo, 5 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 12 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger
Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
Airports: 75 total, 68 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good system composed of wire lines, cables, and radio relay links; principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat, secondary centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan; 280,000 telephones; stations--14 AM, 6 FM, 47 TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable to Algeria; microwave network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 6,203,759; 3,946,408 fit for military service; 293,893 reach military age (18) annually; limited conscription
Defense expenditures: 7.1% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Mozambique - Geography Total area: 801,590 km2; land area: 784,090 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: 4,571 km total; Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km
Coastline: 2,470 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical to subtropical
Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west
Natural resources: coal, titanium
Land use: 4% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 56% meadows and pastures; 20% forest and woodland; 20% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: severe drought and floods occur in south; desertification
- People Population: 14,565,656 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 138 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 49 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Mozambican(s); adjective--Mozambican
Ethnic divisions: majority from indigenous tribal groups; about 10,000 Europeans, 35,000 Euro-Africans, 15,000 Indians
Religion: 60% indigenous beliefs, 30% Christian, 10% Muslim
Language: Portuguese (official); many indigenous dialects
Literacy: 38%
Labor force: NA, but 90% engaged in agriculture
Organized labor: 225,000 workers belong to a single union, the Mozambique Workers' Organization (OTM)
Note: there are 800,000 Mozambican refugees in Malawi (1989 est.)
- Government Long-form name: People's Republic of Mozambique
Type: people's republic
Capital: Maputo
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia); Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
Independence: 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
Constitution: 25 June 1975
Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Assembleia Popular)
Judicial branch: People's Courts at all levels
Leaders: Chief of State--President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Mario da Graca MACHUNGO (since 17 July 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) is the only legal party and is a Marxist organization with close ties to the USSR
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
Elections: national elections are indirect and based on mass meetings throughout the country
Communists: about 60,000 FRELIMO members
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Valeriano FERRAO; Chancery at Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 293-7146; US--Ambassador Melissa F. WELLS; Embassy at 3rd Floor, 35 Rua Da Mesquita, Maputo (mailing address is P. O. Box 783, Maputo); telephone 743167 or 744163
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an open white book
- Economy Overview: One of Africa's poorest countries, with a per capita GDP of little more than $100, Mozambique has failed to exploit the economic potential of its sizable agricultural, hydropower, and transportation resources. Indeed, national output, consumption, and investment declined throughout the first half of the 1980s because of internal disorders, lack of government administrative control, and a growing foreign debt. A sharp increase in foreign aid, attracted by an economic reform policy, has resulted in successive years of economic growth since 1985. Agricultural output, nevertheless, is only at about 75% of its 1981 level, and grain has to be imported. Industry operates at only 20-40% of capacity. The economy depends heavily on foreign assistance to keep afloat.
GDP: $1.6 billion, per capita less than $110; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 81.1% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 40.0 (1988)
Budget: revenues $186 million; expenditures $239 million, including capital expenditures of $208 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $100 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--shrimp 48%, cashews 21%, sugar 10%, copra 3%, citrus 3%; partners--US, Western Europe, GDR, Japan
Imports: $764 million (c.i.f., 1988), including aid; commodities--food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum; partners--US, Western Europe, USSR
External debt: $4.4 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 2,265,000 kW capacity; 1,740 million kWh produced, 120 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), petroleum products, textiles, nonmetallic mineral products (cement, glass, asbestos), tobacco
Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP, over 80% of labor force, and about 90% of exports; cash crops--cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, shrimp; other crops--cassava, corn, rice, tropical fruits; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $282 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $37 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $887 million
Currency: metical (plural--meticais); 1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: meticais (Mt) per US$1--800 (September 1989), 528.60 (1988), 289.44 (1987), 40.43 (1986), 43.18 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 3,288 km total; 3,140 km 1.067-meter gauge; 148 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge; Malawi-Nacala, Malawi-Beira, and Zimbabwe-Maputo lines are subject to closure because of insurgency
Highways: 26,498 km total; 4,593 km paved; 829 km gravel, crushed stone, stabilized soil; 21,076 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: about 3,750 km of navigable routes
Pipelines: 306 km crude oil (not operating); 289 km refined products
Ports: Maputo, Beira, Nacala
Merchant marine: 5 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,806 GRT/12,873 DWT
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 203 total, 153 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 29 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of troposcatter, open-wire lines, and radio relay; 57,400 telephones; stations--15 AM, 3 FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
- Defense Forces Branches: Mozambique Armed Forces (including Army, Border Guard, Naval Command, Air Defense Forces)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 3,295,067; 1,892,699 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 8.4% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Namibia - Geography Total area: 824,290 km2; land area: 823,290 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than half the size of Alaska
Land boundaries: 3,935 km total; Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 966 km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline: 1,489 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; possible future claim to South Africa's Walvis Bay
Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of coal and iron ore
Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 64% meadows and pastures; 22% forest and woodland; 13% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification
Note: Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia
- People Population: 1,452,951 (July 1990), growth rate 5.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 20 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 71 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 57 years male, 63 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Namibian(s); adjective--Namibian
Ethnic divisions: 86% black, 6.5% white, 7.5% mixed; about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% from the Kavangos tribe
Religion: predominantly Christian
Language: Afrikaans principal language of about 60% of white population, German of 33%, and English of 7% (all official); several indigenous languages
Literacy: 100% whites, 16% nonwhites
Labor force: 500,000; 60% agriculture, 19% industry and commerce, 8% services, 7% government, 6% mining (1981 est.)
Organized labor: 15 trade unions--largest is the mineworkers' union which has a sizable black membership
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Namibia
Type: republic as of 21 March 1990
Capital: Windhoek
Administrative divisions: 26 districts; Bethanien, Boesmanland, Caprivi Oos, Damaraland, Gobabis, Grootfontein, Hereroland Oos, Hereroland Wes, Kaokoland, Karasburg, Karibib, Kavango, Keetmanshoop, Luderitz, Maltahohe, Mariental, Namaland, Okahandja, Omaruru, Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Owambo, Rehoboth, Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Windhoek
Independence: 21 March 1990
Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law
National holiday: Settlers' Day, 10 December
Executive branch: president, Cabinet, Constitutional Council
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Sam Nujoma; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Dirk Mudge; United Democratic Front (UDF), Justus Garoeb; Action Christian National (ACN), Kosie Pretorius; National Patriotic Front (NPF), Moses Katjiuongua; Federal Convention of Namibia (FCN), Hans Diergaardt; Namibia National Front (NNF), Vekuii Rukoro
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly--last held on 7-11 November 1989 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(72 total) SWAPO 41, DTA 21, UDF 4, ACN 3, NNF 1, FCN 1, NPF 1
Communists: no Communist party
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: FAO, IAEA, ILO, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation: NA
Flag: a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section, and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe which is contrasted by two narrow white edge borders
- Economy Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 35% of GDP, agriculture and fisheries 10-15%, and manufacturing about 5%. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Alluvial diamond deposits are among the richest in the world, making Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten, and it has substantial resources of coal.
GNP: $1.54 billion, per capita $1,245; real growth rate 2.9% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.1% (1989)
Unemployment rate: over 30% (1988)
Budget: revenues $781 million; expenditures $932 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88)
Exports: $935 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--diamonds, uranium, zinc, copper, meat, processed fish, karakul skins; partners--South Africa
Imports: $856 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, manufactured consumer goods, machinery and equipment; partners--South Africa, FRG, UK, US
External debt: about $27 million at independence; under a 1971 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Namibia may not be liable for debt incurred during its colonial period
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 486,000 kW capacity; 1,280 million kWh produced, 930 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining (copper, lead, zinc, diamond, uranium)
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP (including fishing); mostly subsistence farming; livestock raising major source of cash income; crops--millet, sorghum, peanuts; fish catch potential of over 1 million metric tons not being fulfilled, 1987 catch reaching only 520,000 metric tons; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $47.2 million
Currency: South African rand (plural--rand); 1 South African rand (R) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: South African rand (R) per US$1--2.5555 (January 1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: 2,341 km 1.067-meter gauge, single track
Highways: 54,500 km; 4,079 km paved, 2,540 km gravel, 47,881 km earth roads and tracks
Ports: Luderitz; primary maritime outlet is Walvis Bay (South Africa)
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 143 total, 123 usable; 21 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 63 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns, wires extend to other population centers; 62,800 telephones; stations--2 AM, 40 FM, 3 TV
- Defense Forces Branches: NA
Military manpower: males 15-49, 298,249; 176,660 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 4.9% of GNP (1986)
Note: the South-West Africa Territorial Force, established in 1980, was demobilized in June 1989; a new national defense force will probably be formed by the new government ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Nauru - Geography Total area: 21 km2; land area: 21 km2
Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 30 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
Natural resources: phosphates
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: only 53 km south of Equator
Note: one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (others are Banaba or Ocean Island in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia)
- People Population: 9,202 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 41 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 69 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Nauruan(s); adjective--Nauruan
Ethnic divisions: 58% Nauruan, 26% other Pacific Islander, 8% Chinese, 8% European
Religion: Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
Language: Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Island language (official); English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Nauru
Type: republic
Capital: no capital city as such; government offices in Yaren District
Administrative divisions: 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Independence: 31 January 1968 (from UN trusteeship under Australia, New Zealand, and UK); formerly Pleasant Island
Constitution: 29 January 1968
Legal system: own Acts of Parliament and British common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 20
Elections: President--last held 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results--Bernard Dowiyogo elected by Parliament;
Parliament--last held on 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(18 total) independents 18
Member of: Commonwealth (special member), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador T. W. STAR resides in Melbourne (Australia); there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam); US--the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru
Flag: blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru
- Economy Overview: Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World--$10,000 annually. Few other resources exist so most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates constitute serious long-term problems. Substantial investment in trust funds, out of phosphate income, will help cushion the transition.
GNP: over $90 million, per capita $10,000; real growth rate NA% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget: revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)
Exports: $93 million (f.o.b., 1984); commodities--phosphates; partners--Australia, NZ
Imports: $73 million (c.i.f., 1984); commodities--food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery; partners--Australia, UK, NZ, Japan
External debt: $33.3 million
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 13,250 kW capacity; 48 million kWh produced, 5,300 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts
Agriculture: negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water
Aid: none
Currency: Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($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: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast
Highways: about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth
Ports: Nauru
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 39,597 GRT/50,729 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 1 cargo, 2 bulk
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft, one on order
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate intraisland and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radio receivers; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: no regular armed forces
Military manpower: males 15-49, 298,249; 176,660 fit for military service; 100 reach age 18 annually
Defense expenditures: no formal defense structure ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Navassa Island (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 5.2 km2; land area: 5.2 km2
Comparative area: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 8 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by Haiti
Climate: marine, tropical
Terrain: raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 meters high)
Natural resources: guano
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 10% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 90% other
Environment: mostly exposed rock, but enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees, scattered cactus
Note: strategic location between Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea; 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo, Cuba
- People Population: uninhabited; transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island
- Government Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Coast Guard
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Nepal - Geography Total area: 140,800 km2; land area: 136,800 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arkansas
Land boundaries: 2,926 km total; China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winter in south
Terrain: Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
Natural resources: quartz, water, timber, hydroelectric potential, scenic beauty; small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Land use: 17% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 33% forest and woodland; 37% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India
- People Population: 19,145,800 (July 1990), growth rate 2.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 39 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: 99 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 50 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Nepalese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Nepalese
Ethnic divisions: Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas, as well as many smaller groups
Religion: only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu (about 88% of population) and Buddhist groups; small groups of Muslims and Christians
Language: Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects
Literacy: 20%
Labor force: 4,100,000; 93% agriculture, 5% services, 2% industry; severe lack of skilled labor
Organized labor: Teachers' Union, not officially recognized
- Government Long-form name: Kingdom of Nepal
Type: constitutional monarchy, but King Birendra exercises control over multitiered system of government
Capital: Kathmandu
Administrative divisions: 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
Independence: 1768, unified by Prithyi Narayan Shah
Constitution: 16 December 1962
Legal system: based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty the King, 28 December (1945)
Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Council of State, Council of State, prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Rashtriya Panchayat)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat)
Leaders: Chief of State--King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (since 31 January 1972, crowned King 24 February 1985); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, son of the King (born 21 June 1971);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Marich Man Singh SHRESTHA (since 15 July 1986)
Political parties and leaders: all political parties outlawed but operate more or less openly; Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Ganesh Man Singh, K. P. Bhattarai, G. P. Koirala
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: National Assembly--last held on 12 May 1986 (next to be held May 1991); results--all independents since political parties are officially banned; seats--(140 total, 112 elected) independents 112
Communists: Communist Party of Nepal (CPN); factions include V. B. Manandhar, Man Mohan Adhikari/Sahana Pradhan, Bharat Raj Joshi, Rai Majhi, Tulsi Lal, Krishna Raj Burma
Other political or pressure groups: numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; Indian merchants in Tarai and capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups operating from north India
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohan Man SAINJU; Chancery at 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-4550; there is a Nepalese Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH; Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu; telephone [977] 411179 or 412718, 411601
Flag: red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
- Economy Overview: Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with a per capita income of only $158. Real growth averaged 4% in the 1980s until FY89, when it plunged to 1.5% because of the ongoing trade/transit dispute with India. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 90% of the population and accounting for 60% of GDP and about 75% of exports. Industrial activity is limited, and what there is involves the processing of agricultural produce (jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Apart from agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Despite considerable investment in the agricultural sector, production in the 1980s has not kept pace with the population growth of 2.7%, which has led to a reduction in exportable surpluses and balance-of-payments difficulties. Economic prospects for the 1990s remain grim.
GDP: $2.9 billion, per capita $158; real growth rate 1.5% (FY89)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.1% (FY89 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)
Budget: revenues $296 million; expenditures $635 million, including capital expenditures of $394 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $374 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.), but does not include unrecorded border trade with India; commodities--clothing, carpets, leather goods, grain; partners--India 38%, US 23%, UK 6%, other Europe 9% (FY88)
Imports: $724 million (c.i.f., FY89 est.); commodities--petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%; partners--India 36%, Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US 1% (FY88)
External debt: $1.3 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 4.5% (FY89 est.)
Electricity: 205,000 kW capacity; 535 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textiles, cement, brick; tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and 90% of work force; farm products--rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, buffalo meat; not self-sufficient in food, particularly in drought years
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $285 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $1.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $273 million
Currency: Nepalese rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1--28.559 (January 1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985)
Fiscal year: 16 July-15 July
- Communications Railroads: 52 km (1985), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Tarai close to Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned
Highways: 5,958 km total (1986); 2,645 km paved, 815 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,257 km improved and unimproved earth; also 241 km of seasonally motorable tracks
Civil air: 5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft
Airports: 38 total, 38 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radio communication and broadcast service; international radio communication service is poor; 30,000 telephones (1987); stations--4 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,531,660; 2,347,412 fit for military service; 225,349 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: 2% of GDP, or $58 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Netherlands - Geography Total area: 37,290 km2; land area: 33,940 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries: 1,027 km total; Belgium 450 km, FRG 577 km
Coastline: 451 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, fertile soil
Land use: 25% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 34% meadows and pastures; 9% forest and woodland; 31% other; includes 15% irrigated
Environment: 27% of the land area is below sea level and protected from the North Sea by dikes
Note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, Schelde)
- People Population: 14,936,032 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective--Dutch
Ethnic divisions: 96% Dutch, 4% Moroccans, Turks, and others (1988)
Religion: 36% Roman Catholic, 27% Protestant, 4% other, 33% unaffiliated (1986)
Language: Dutch
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 5,300,000; 50.1% services, 28.2% manufacturing and construction, 15.9% government, 5.8% agriculture (1986)
Organized labor: 29% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Amsterdam, but government resides at The Hague
Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (provincien, singular--provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland
Dependent areas: Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Independence: 1579 (from Spain)
Constitution: 17 February 1983
Legal system: civil law system incorporating French penal theory; judicial review in the Supreme Court of legislation of lower order rather than Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch: bicameral States General (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper chamber or First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and a lower chamber or Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of Queen Beatrix (born 27 April 1967);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since 4 November 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 2 November 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van Velzen; Labor (PvdA), Wim Kok; Liberal (VVD), Joris Voorhoeve; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van Mierio; Communist (CPN), Henk Hoekstra; a host of minor parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: First Chamber--last held on 9 June l987 (next to be held 9 June 1991); results--elected by the country's 12 provincial councils; seats--(75 total) percent of seats by party NA;
Second Chamber--last held on 6 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1993); results--CDA 35.3%, PvdA 31.9%, VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, others 10.3%; seats--(150 total) CDA 54, PvdA 49, VVD 22, D'66 12, others 13
Communists: about 6,000
Other political or pressure groups: large multinational firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and IKV--Interchurch Peace Council
Member of: ADB, Benelux, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, EIB, EMS, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INRO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council (with respect to interests of the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname), NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO,
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Richard H. FEIN; Chancery at 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-5300; there are Dutch Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador C. Howard WILKINS; Embassy at Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ The Hague (mailing address APO New York 09159); telephone [31] (70) 62-49-11; there is a US Consulate General in Amsterdam
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg which uses a lighter blue and is longer
- Economy Overview: This highly developed and affluent economy is based on private enterprise. The government makes its presence felt, however, through many regulations, permit requirements, and welfare programs affecting most aspects of economic activity. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of GDP. Industrial activity, including construction, provides about 25% of GDP, and is led by the food-processing, oil-refining, and metal-working industries. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 6% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. An unemployment rate of over 8.6% and a sizable budget deficit are currently the most serious economic problems.
GDP: $205.9 billion, per capita $13,900; real growth rate 4.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 8.6% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $71 billion; expenditures $82 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1989)
Exports: $110.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--agricultural products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing; partners--EC 74.9% (FRG 28.3%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14.2%, France 10.7%, UK 10.2%), US 4.7% (1988)
Imports: $100.9 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products; partners--EC 63.8% (FRG 26.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 23.1%, UK 8.1%), US 7.9% (1988)
External debt: none
Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,570 million kWh produced, 4,300 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops--grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain, fats, and oils
Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $15.8 billion
Currency: Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1--2.2906 (January 1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766 (1988), 2.0257 (1987), 2.4500 (1986), 3.3214 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 3,037 km track (includes 1,871 km electrified and 1,800 km double track; 2,871 km 1.435-meter standard gauge operated by Netherlands Railways (NS); 166 km privately owned
Highways: 108,360 km total; 92,525 km paved (including 2,185 km of limited access, divided highways); 15,835 km gravel, crushed stone
Inland waterways: 6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger
Pipelines: 418 km crude oil; 965 km refined products; 10,230 km natural gas
Ports: maritime--Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Den Helder, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Ijmuiden, Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Terneuzen, Vlissingen; inland--29 ports
Merchant marine: 345 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,661,822 GRT/3,732,282 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 187 cargo, 42 refrigerated cargo, 23 container, 9 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 livestock carrier, 12 multifunction large-load carrier, 15 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 27 chemical tanker, 11 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 1 combinatio n ore/oil, 9 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note--many Dutch-owned ships are also registered in the captive Netherlands Antilles register
Civil air: 98 major transport aircraft
Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by radio relay links; 9,418,000 telephones; stations--6 AM, 20 (32 repeaters) FM, 21 (8 repeaters) TV; 5 submarine cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy/Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,134,006; 3,660,048 fit for military service; 111,948 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.9% of GDP, or $6.0 billion (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Netherlands Antilles (part of the Dutch realm) - Geography Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2; includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Comparative area: slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 364 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by northeast trade winds
Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use: 8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 92% other
Environment: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October
Note: consists of two island groups--Curacao and Bonaire are located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to the north
- People Population: 183,503 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective--Netherlands Antillean
Ethnic divisions: 85% mixed African; remainder Carib Indian, European, Latin, and Oriental
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: Dutch (official); Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates; English widely spoken; Spanish
Literacy: 95%
Labor force: 89,000; 65% government, 28% industry and commerce (1983)
Organized labor: 60-70% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954
Capital: Willemstad
Administrative divisions: none (part of the Dutch realm)
Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm)
Constitution: 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: Parliament (Staten)
Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since October 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS (since 17 May 1988, previously served from September 1984 to November 1985)
Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous to each island:
Curacao--National People's Party (NVP), Maria Liberia-Peters; New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina; Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustus Diaz; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson (Papa) Godett; Socialist Independent (SI), George Hueck and Nelson Monte;
Bonaire--New Force, Rudy Ellis; Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), John Evert (Jopie) Abraham;
Sint Maarten--Democratic Party of Sint Maarten, Claude Wathey; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten, Romeo Paplophlet;
Sint Eustatius--Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius, Albert K. Van Putten; Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM), Eric Henriquez;
Saba--Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Will Johnston; Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon Hassell; Saba Unity Party, Carmen Simmonds
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Parliament--last held on 22 November 1985 (next to be held November 1989); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(22 total) PNP 6, MAN 4, DP-Curacao 3, DP-St. Maarten 3, DP-Bonaire 2, DP-St. Eustatius 1, FOL 1, UPB 1, WIPM 1; note--the government of Prime Minister Maria Liberia-Peters is a coalition of several parties
Communists: small leftist groups
Member of: EC (associate), INTERPOL; associated with UN through the Netherlands; UPU, WMO
Diplomatic representation: as an autonomous part of the Netherlands, Netherlands Antillean interests in the US are represented by the Netherlands; US--Consul General Sharon P. WILKINSON; Consulate General at St. Anna Boulevard 19, Willemstad, Curacao (mailing address P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao); telephone [599] (9) 613066
Flag: white with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band also centered; five white five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
- Economy Overview: Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the economy. The islands enjoy a comparatively high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles has avoided large international debt. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US being the major supplier. The economy has suffered somewhat in recent years because of the depressed state of the world oil market and declining tax revenues. In 1983 the drop in oil prices led to the devaluation of the Venezuelan bolivar, which ended a substantial flow of Venezuelan tourists to the islands. As a result of a decline in tax revenues, the government has been seeking financial support from the Netherlands.
GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $5,500; real growth rate 3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 26.0% (1988)
Budget: revenues $180 million; expenditures $289 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987 est.)
Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--petroleum products 98%; partners--US 55%, UK 7%, Jamaica 5%
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures; partners--Venezuela 52%, Nigeria 15%, US 12%
External debt: $701.2 million (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,990 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
Agriculture: hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief products--aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $353 million
Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1--1.80 (fixed rate since 1971)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth
Ports: Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk
Merchant marine: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 418,206 GRT/414,325 DWT; includes 4 passenger, 19 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 7 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 multifunction large-load carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note--all but a few are foreign owned
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: generally adequate facilities; extensive interisland radio relay links; stations--9 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Military Manpower: males 15-49 49,299; 27,888 fit for military service; 1,678 reach military age (20) annually
Note: defense is responsibility of the Netherlands ---------------------------------------------------- Country: New Caledonia (overseas territory of France) - Geography Total area: 19,060 km2; land area: 18,760 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 2,254 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains
Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 14% meadows and pastures; 51% forest and woodland; 35% other
Environment: typhoons most frequent from November to March
Note: located 1,750 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean
- People Population: 153,215 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 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: 39 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--New Caledonian(s); adjective--New Caledonian
Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%
Religion: over 60% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant, 10% other
Language: French; Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Labor force: 50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
Type: overseas territory of France
Capital: Noumea
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France)
Independence: none (overseas territory of France); note--a referendum on independence will be held in 1998, with a review of the issue in 1992
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Bernard GRASSET (since 15 July 1988)
Political parties: white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative; Melanesian proindependence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS); Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS); National Front (FN), extreme right; Caledonian Separatist Front, extreme left
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: Territorial Congress--last held NA June 1989 (next to be held NA 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, others 5;
French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) RPCR 1;
French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) RPCR 2
Communists: number unknown; Palita extreme left party; some politically active Communists deported during 1950s; small number of North Vietnamese
Member of: EIB (associate), WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France, New Caledonian interests are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: New Caledonia has more than 40% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.
GNP: $860 million, per capita $5,810; real growth rate 2.4% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1986)
Unemployment rate: 6.2% (1983)
Budget: revenues $110.5 million; expenditures $110.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1981)
Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--nickel metal 87%, nickel ore; partners--France 56.3%, Japan
Imports: $180 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment; partners--France 50.3%, Australia
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced, 14,440 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: nickel mining
Agriculture: large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
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: 5,448 km total; 558 km paved, 2,251 km improved earth, 2,639 km unimproved earth
Ports: Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 29 total, 27 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: 32,578 telephones (1987); stations--5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: New Zealand - Geography Total area: 268,680 km2; land area: 268,670 km2; includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Comparative area: about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 15,134 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
Land use: 2% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 53% meadows and pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe
- People Population: 3,295,866 (July 1990), growth rate 0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--New Zealander(s); adjective--New Zealand
Ethnic divisions: 88% European, 8.9% Maori, 2.9% Pacific Islander, 0.2% other
Religion: 81% Christian, 18% none or unspecified, 1% Hindu, Confucian, and other
Language: English (official), Maori
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 1,591,900; 67.4% services, 19.8% manufacturing, 9.3% primary production (1987)
Organized labor: 681,000 members; 43% of labor force (1986)
- Government Long-form name: none; abbreviated NZ
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Wellington
Administrative divisions: 93 counties, 9 districts*, and 3 town districts**; Akaroa, Amuri, Ashburton, Bay of Islands, Bruce, Buller, Chatham Islands, Cheviot, Clifton, Clutha, Cook, Dannevirke, Egmont, Eketahuna, Ellesmere, Eltham, Eyre, Featherston, Franklin, Golden Bay, Great Barrier Island, Grey, Hauraki Plains, Hawera*, Hawke's Bay, Heathcote, Hikurangi**, Hobson, Hokianga, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt, Inangahua, Inglewood, Kaikoura, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Lake, Mackenzie, Malvern, Manaia**, Manawatu, Mangonui, Maniototo, Marlborough, Masterton, Matamata, Mount Herbert, Ohinemuri, Opotiki, Oroua, Otamatea, Otorohanga*, Oxford, Pahiatua, Paparua, Patea, Piako, Pohangina, Raglan, Rangiora*, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua*, Runanga, Saint Kilda, Silverpeaks, Southland, Stewart Island, Stratford, Strathallan, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo, Tauranga, Thames-Coromandel*, Tuapeka, Vincent, Waiapu, Waiheke, Waihemo, Waikato, Waikohu, Waimairi, Waimarino, Waimate, Waimate West, Waimea, Waipa, Waipawa*, Waipukurau*, Wairarapa South, Wairewa, Wairoa, Waitaki, Waitomo*, Waitotara, Wallace, Wanganui, Waverley**, Westland, Whakatane*, Whangarei, Whangaroa, Woodville
Dependent areas: Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
Independence: 26 September 1907 (from UK)
Constitution: no formal, written constitution; consists of various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; Constitution Act 1986 was to have come into force 1 January 1987, but has not been enacted
Legal system: based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (commonly called Parliament)
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II ( since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General The Most Rev. Sir Paul REEVES (since 20 November 1985);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Geoffrey PALMER (since 8 August 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 8 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: New Zealand Labor Party (NZLP; government), Geoffrey Palmer; National Party (NP; opposition), Jim Bolger; Democratic Party, Neil Morrison; Socialist Unity Party (SUP; pro-Soviet), Ken Douglas
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives--last held on 15 August 1987 (next to be held by August 1990); results--LP 47%, NP 45%, DP 6%; seats--(97 total) LP 58, NP 39
Communists: SUP about 140, other groups, about 200
Member of: ADB, ANZUS, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, OECD, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Harold Huyton FRANCIS; Chancery at 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-4800; there are New Zealand Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York; US--Ambassador Della NEWMAN; Embassy at 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington (mailing address is Private Bag, Wellington, or FPO San Francisco 96690-0001); telephone [64] (4) 722-068; there is a US Consulate General in Auckland
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
- Economy Overview: Since 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy dependent on a guaranteed British market to an open free market economy that can compete on the global scene. The government has hoped that dynamic growth would boost real incomes, reduce inflationary pressures, and permit the expansion of welfare benefits. The results have been mixed: inflation is down from double-digit levels but growth has been sluggish and unemployment, always a highly sensitive issue, has been at a record high 7.4%. In 1988 GDP fell by 1% and in 1989 grew by a moderate 2.4%.
GDP: $39.1 billion, per capita $11,600; real growth rate 2.4% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $18.6 billion; expenditures $19.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.)
Exports: $8.9 billion (f.o.b., FY89); commodities--wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fruit, fish, cheese, manufactures, chemicals, foresty products; partners--EC 18.3%, Japan 17.9%, Australia 17.5%, US 13.5%, China 3.6%, South Korea 3.1%
Imports: $7.5 billion (c.i.f., FY89); commodities--petroleum, consumer goods, motor vehicles, industrial equipment; partners--Australia 19.7%, Japan 16.9%, EC 16.9%, US 15.3%, Taiwan 3.0%
External debt: $17.0 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.6% (FY88)
Electricity: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 27,600 million kWh produced, 8,190 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of GNP and 10% of the work force; livestock predominates--wool, meat, dairy products all export earners; crops--wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, and vegetables; surplus producer of farm products; fish catch reached a record 431,000 metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $448 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6581 (January 1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 4,716 km total; all 1.067-meter gauge; 274 km double track; 113 km electrified; over 99% government owned
Highways: 92,648 km total; 49,547 km paved, 43,101 km gravel or crushed stone
Inland waterways: 1,609 km; of little importance to transportation
Pipelines: 1,000 km natural gas; 160 km refined products; 150 km condensate
Ports: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, Tauranga
Merchant marine: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 190,553 GRT/257,782 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 2 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 railcar carrier, 4 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk
Civil air: about 40 major transport aircraft
Airports: 157 total, 157 usable; 33 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 47 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent international and domestic systems; 2,110,000 telephones; stations 64 AM, 2 FM, 14 TV; submarine cables extend to Australia and Fiji; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 872,336; 740,207 fit for military service; 29,532 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GDP, or $820 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Nicaragua - Geography Total area: 129,494 km2; land area: 120,254 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than New York State
Land boundaries: 1,231 km total; Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Coastline: 910 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 25 nm security zone (status of claim uncertain);
Continental shelf: not specified;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank
Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use: 9% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 43% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 12% other; including 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasional severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
- People Population: 3,722,683 (July 1990), growth rate 2.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 40 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: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 62 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Nicaraguan(s); adjective--Nicaraguan
Ethnic divisions: 69% mestizo, 17% white, 9% black, 5% Indian
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 5% Protestant
Language: Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast
Literacy: 88% (1981)
Labor force: 1,086,000; 43% service, 44% agriculture, 13% industry (1986)
Organized labor: 35% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Nicaragua
Type: republic
Capital: Managua
Administrative divisions: 9 administrative regions encompassing 17 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); North, Atlantic Coast, South, Atlantic Coast, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: January 1987
Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) and municipal courts
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President-Elect Violeta Barios de CHAMORRO (since 25 February 1990; takes office 25 April 1990); Vice President-elect Virgilio GODOY (since 25 February 1990; takes office 25 April 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
Ruling coalition: National Opposition Union (UNO)--14 party alliance: National Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano Matamoros; Conservative Popular Alliance Party (PAPC), Miriam Arguello; National Conservative Action Party (PANC), Hernaldo Zuniga; National Democratic Confidence Party (PDCN), Augustin Jarquin; Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Virgilio Godoy; Neo-Liberal Party (PALI), Andres Zuniga; Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose Ernesto Somarriba; National Action Party (PAN), Eduardo Rivas; Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo Tablada; Communist Party of Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli Altimirano; Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Luis Humberto; Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto Urroz; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Guillermo Potoy; Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), Alejandro Perez;
Opposition parties: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel Ortega; Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca Rojas; Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCDN), Jose Brenes; Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN), Eduardo Coronado; Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco Samper; Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick Ramirez; Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio Miranda; Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando Aguerro; Popular Action Movement--Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro Tellez; Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio Diaz
Suffrage: universal at age 16
Elections: President--last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results--Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel Ortega Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%, others 4.5%;
National Constituent Assembly--last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results--UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%; seats--(92 total) UNO 51, FSLN 39, PSC 1, MUR 1
Communists: FSLN--35,000; other Communists--15,000-20,000
Other political or pressure groups: Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT), Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS), Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN-A), Independent General Confederation of Workers (CTG-I), Communist Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS), Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CST); Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is an umbrella group of 11 different business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Industry, and the Nicaraguan Development Institute (INDE)
Member of: CACM, CEMA (observer), FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Charge d'Affaires Leonor Arguello de HUPER; Chancery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 387-4371 or 4372; US--Charge d'Affaires John P. LEONARD; Embassy at Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua (mailing address is APO Miami 34021); telephone [505] (2) 66010 or 66013, 66015 through 66018, 66026, 66027, 66032 through 66034; note--Nicaragua expelled the US Ambassador on 11 July 1988, and the US expelled the Nicaraguan Ambassador on 12 July 1988
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: Government control of the economy historically has been extensive, although the new government has pledged to reduce it. The financial system is directly controlled by the state, which also regulates wholesale purchasing, production, sales, foreign trade, and distribution of most goods. Over 50% of the agricultural and industrial firms are state owned. Sandinista economic policies and the war have produced a severe economic crisis. The foundation of the economy continues to be the export of agricultural commodities, largely coffee and cotton. Farm production fell by roughly 7% in 1989, the fifth successive year of decline. The agricultural sector employs 44% of the work force and accounts for 23% of GDP and 86% of export earnings. Industry, which employs 13% of the work force and contributes 26% to GDP, showed a sharp drop of - 23% in 1988 and remains below pre-1979 levels. External debt is one of the highest in the world on a per capita basis. In 1989 the annual inflation rate was 1,700%, down from a record 16,000% in 1988. Shortages of basic consumer goods are widespread.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $470; real growth rate - 5.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1,700% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1989)
Budget: revenues $0.9 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.15 billion (1987)
Exports: $250 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, seafood, meat, chemicals; partners--CEMA 15%, OECD 75%, others 10%
Imports: $550 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum, food, chemicals, machinery, clothing; partners--CEMA 55%, EC 20%, Latin America 10%, others 10%
External debt: $8 billion (year end 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate - 23% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 415,000 kW capacity; 1,340 million kWh produced, 380 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear
Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP and 44% of work force; cash crops--coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops--rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans; variety of animal products--beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy; while normally self-sufficient in food, war-induced shortages now exist
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-82), $290 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $981 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $3.3 billion
Currency: cordoba (plural--cordobas); 1 cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: cordobas (C$) per US$1--65,000 (February 1990) is the free market rate; official rate is 46,000 (February 1990), 270 (1988), 0.103 (1987), 0.097 (1986), 0.039 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 373 km 1.067-meter gauge, government owned; majority of system not operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does not connect with mainline)
Highways: 25,930 km total; 4,000 km paved (includes all 2,170 km gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km earth or graded earth, 14,335 km unimproved, 368.5 km of the Pan-American highway)
Inland waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes
Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km
Ports: Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,161 GRT/2,500 DWT
Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft
Airports: 261 total, 169 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: low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; stations--45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; satellite earth stations--1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Sandinista Popular Army, Sandinista Navy, Sandinista Air Force/Air Defense, Sandinista People's Militia
Military manpower: males 15-49, 747,144; 459,333 fit for military service; 44,213 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Niger - Geography Total area: 1,267,000 km2; land area: 1,266,700 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 5,697 km total; Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; exact locations of the Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not been determined, so the boundary has not been demarcated and border incidents have resulted; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Terrain: predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
Natural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates
Land use: 3% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 2% forest and woodland; 88% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
Note: landlocked
- People Population: 7,969,309 (July 1990), growth rate 3.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 52 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 17 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 131 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 53 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Nigerien(s) adjective--Nigerien
Ethnic divisions: 56% Hausa; 22% Djerma; 8.5% Fula; 8% Tuareg; 4.3% Beri Beri (Kanouri); 1.2% Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche; about 4,000 French expatriates
Religion: 80% Muslim, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
Language: French (official); Hausa, Djerma
Literacy: 13.9%
Labor force: 2,500,000 wage earners (1982); 90% agriculture, 6% industry and commerce, 4% government; 51% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: negligible
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Niger
Type: republic; presidential system in which military officers hold key offices
Capital: Niamey
Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular--departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder
Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution: adopted NA December 1989 after 15 years of military rule
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holidays: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Development Council
Judicial branch: State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel)
Leaders: Chief of State--President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987);
Head of Government--Prime Minister ALIOU MAHAMIDA (since 2 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: only party--National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD), leader NA
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
Elections: President--last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1996); results--President Ali Saibou was reelected without opposition;
National Development Council--last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1994); results--MNSD is the only party; seats--(150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected)
Communists: no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4224 through 4227; US--Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue des Ambassadeurs, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone [227] 72-26-61 through 64 and 72-26-70
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of India which has a blue, spoked wheel centered in the white band
- Economy
Overview: About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock rearing, activities which generate almost half of the national income. The economy also depends heavily on exploitation of large uranium deposits. Uranium production grew rapidly in the mid-1970s, but tapered off in the early 1980s, when world prices declined. France is a major customer, while FRG, Japan, and Spain also make regular purchases. The depressed demand for uranium has contributed to an overall sluggishness in the economy, a severe trade imbalance, and a mounting external debt.
GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $330; real growth rate 7.1% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 1.4% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $254 million; expenditures $510 million, including capital expenditures of $239 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $371 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--uranium 76%, livestock, cowpeas, onions, hides, skins; partners--NA
Imports: $441 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--petroleum products, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, cereals, foodstuffs
External debt: $1.8 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.7% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 102,000 kW capacity; 225 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: cement, brick, rice mills, small cotton gins, oilseed presses, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production began in 1971
Agriculture: accounts for roughly 40% of GDP and 90% of labor force; cash crops--cowpeas, cotton, peanuts; food crops--millet, sorghum, cassava, rice; livestock--cattle, sheep, goats; self-sufficient in food except in drought years
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $349 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $61 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 October-30 September
- Communications Highways: 39,970 km total; 3,170 km bituminous, 10,330 km gravel and laterite, 3,470 km earthen, 23,000 km tracks
Inland waterways: Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 31 total, 29 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area; 11,900 telephones; stations--15 AM, 5 FM, 16 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 4 domestic
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary Republican Guard, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,656,466; 894,095 fit for military service; 87,478 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $20.6 million (1988) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Nigeria - Geography Total area: 923,770 km2; land area: 910,770 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: 4,047 km total; Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Coastline: 853 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 30 nm
Disputes: exact locations of the Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not been determined, so the boundary has not been demarcated and border incidents have resulted; Nigerian proposals to reopen maritime boundary negotiations and redemarcate the entire land boundary have been rejected by Cameroon
Climate: varies--equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Terrain: southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
Natural resources: crude oil, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas
Land use: 31% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 23% meadows and pastures; 15% forest and woodland; 28% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; desertification; soil degradation, rapid deforestation
- People Population: 118,819,377 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 17 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 119 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 49 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Nigerian(s); adjective--Nigerian
Ethnic divisions: more than 250 tribal groups; Hausa and Fulani of the north, Yoruba of the southwest, and Ibos of the southeast make up 65% of the population; about 27,000 non-Africans
Religion: 50% Muslim, 40% Christian, 10% indigenous beliefs
Language: English (official); Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and several other languages also widely used
Literacy: 42.4%
Labor force: 42,844,000; 54% agriculture, 19% industry, commerce, and services, 15% government; 49% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: 3,520,000 wage earners belong to 42 recognized trade unions, which come under a single national labor federation--the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC)
- Government Long-form name: Federal Republic of Nigeria
Type: military government since 31 December 1983
Capital: Lagos
Administrative divisions: 21 states and 1 territory*; Abuja Capital Territory*, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bendel, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Gongola, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto
Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)
Constitution: 1 October 1979, amended 9 February 1984, revised 1989
Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic, and tribal law
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960)
Executive branch: president of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, Armed Forces Ruling Council, National Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Assembly was dissolved after the military coup of 31 December 1983
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Ibrahim BABANGIDA (since 27 August 1985)
Political parties and leaders: two political parties established by the government in 1989--Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC)
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President--scheduled for 1 October 1992
Communists: the pro-Communist underground consists of a small fraction of the Nigerian left; leftist leaders are prominent in the country's central labor organization but have little influence on government
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, Lake Chad Basin Commission, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hamzat AHMADU; Chancery at 2201 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 822-1500; there are Nigerian Consulates General in Atlanta, New York and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Lannon WALKER; Embassy at 2 Eleke Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos (mailing address is P. O. Box 554, Lagos); telephone [234] (1) 610097; there is a US Consulate General in Kaduna
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
- Economy Overview: In 1989, despite rising oil prices, the economic performance failed to meet government expectations because of higher inflationary pressures fueled by a relatively poor agricultural performance. Agricultural production was up only 4% following a 10% decline in 1988, and manufacturing remained below the 1985 level with only a 6% increase. The government is continuing an economic adjustment program to reduce Nigeria's dependence on oil and to help create a basis for sustainable noninflationary growth.
GNP: $30.0 billion, per capita $270; real growth rate 4% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 47.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $6.5 billion; expenditures $7.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.9 billion (1988 est.)
Exports: $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--oil 95%, cocoa, palm kernels, rubber; partners--EC 51%, US 32%
Imports: $5.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--consumer goods, capital equipment, chemicals, raw materials; partners--EC, US
External debt: $32 billion, medium and long-term (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1987 est.)
Electricity: 4,737,000 kW capacity; 11,270 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining--crude oil, natural gas, coal, tin, columbite; primary processing industries--palm oil, peanut, cotton, rubber, petroleum, wood, hides and skins; manufacturing industries--textiles, cement, building materials, food products, footwear, chemical, printing, ceramics, steel
Agriculture: accounts for 28% of GNP and half of labor force; inefficient small-scale farming dominates; once a large net exporter of food and now an importer; cash crops--cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, rubber; food crops--corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams; livestock--cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; fishing and forestry resources extensively exploited
Illicit drugs: illicit heroin and some cocaine trafficking; marijuana cultivation for domestic consumption and export; major transit country for heroin en route from Southwest Asia via Africa to Western Europe and the US; growing transit route for cocaine from South America via West Africa to Western Europe and the US
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $662 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $2.2 billion
Currency: naira (plural--naira); 1 naira (N) = 100 kobo
Exchange rates: naira (N) per US$1--7.6221 (December 1989), 7.3647 (1989), 4.5370 (1988), 4.0160 (1987), 1.7545 (1986), 0.8938 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 3,505 km 1.067-meter gauge
Highways: 107,990 km total 30,019 km paved (mostly bituminous-surface treatment); 25,411 km laterite, gravel, crushed stone, improved earth; 52,560 km unimproved
Inland waterways: 8,575 km consisting of Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks
Pipelines: 2,042 km crude oil; 500 km natural gas; 3,000 km refined products
Ports: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Onne, Sapele
Merchant marine: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 428,116 GRT/680,343 DWT; includes 19 cargo, 1 refrigerated, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
Civil air: 76 major transport aircraft
Airports: 84 total, 72 usable; 32 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: above-average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in progress; radio relay and cable routes; 155,000 telephones; stations--37 AM, 19 FM, 38 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, domestic, with 19 stations; 1 coaxial submarine cable
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 27,282,248; 15,587,485 fit for military service; 1,263,883 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1% of GNP, or $300 million (1990 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Niue (free association with New Zealand) - Geography Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 64 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Natural resources: fish, arable land
Land use: 61% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 19% forest and woodland; 12% other
Environment: subject to typhoons
Note: one of world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km east of Tonga
- People Population: 2,019 (July 1990), growth rate NA (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--Niuean(s); adjective--Niuean
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans
Religion: 75% Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)--a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, 10% Mormon, 5% Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Literacy: NA%, but education compulsory between 5 and 14 years of age
Labor force: 1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand
Capital: Alofi
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Constitution: no formal, written constitution
Legal system: English common law
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
Executive branch: British monarch, premier, Cabinet
Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974);
Head of Government--Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since NA October 1974)
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
Political parties and leaders: Niue People's Action Party, leader NA
Elections: Legislative Assembly--last held on 28 March 1987 (next to be held NA 1990); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(20 total, 6 elected) independents 5, Niue People's Action Party 1
Member of: ESCAP (associate member), SPF
Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Flag: yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars--a large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross
- Economy Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, with the shortfall made up by grants from New Zealand--the grants are used to pay wages to the 80% or more of the work force employed in public service. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of migration of Niueans to New Zealand.
GNP: $2.1 million, per capita $1,000; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.6% (1984)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $5.5 million; expenditures $6.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY85 est.)
Exports: $175,274 (f.o.b., 1985); commodities--canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts; partners--NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia
Imports: $3.8 million (c.i.f., 1985); commodities--food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs; partners--NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Western Samoa, Australia, US
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,420 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourist, handicrafts
Agriculture: copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops--taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $58 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6581 (January 1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: 123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation roads
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m
Telecommunications: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island; 383 telephones; 1,000 radio receivers (1987 est.); stations--1 AM, 1 FM, no TV
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Norfolk Island (territory of Australia) - Geography Total area: 34.6 km2; land area: 34.6 km2
Comparative area: about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 32 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 25% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 75% other
Environment: subject to typhoons (especially May to July)
Note: located 1,575 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean
- People Population: 2,533 (July 1990), growth rate 1.7% (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--Norfolk Islander(s); adjective--Norfolk Islander(s)
Ethnic divisions: descendants of the Bounty mutiny; more recently, Australian and New Zealand settlers
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Uniting Church in Australia, and Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: English (official) and Norfolk--a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Territory of Norfolk Island
Type: territory of Australia
Capital: Kingston (administrative center), Burnt Pine (commercial center)
Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
Independence: none (territory of Australia)
Constitution: Norfolk Island Act of 1957
Legal system: wide legislative and executive responsibility under the Norfolk Island Act of 1979; Supreme Court
National holiday: Pitcairners Arrival Day Anniversary, 8 June (1856)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general of Australia, administrator, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Administrator H. B. MACDONALD (since NA 1989), who is appointed by the Governor General of Australia;
Head of Government--Assembly President and Chief Minister John Terence BROWN (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Assembly--last held NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(9 total) percent of seats by party NA
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia)
Flag: three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band
- Economy Overview: The primary economic activity is tourism, which has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific Islands. The number of visitors has increased steadily over the years and reached almost 30,000 in 1986. Revenues from tourism have given the island a favorable balance of trade and helped the agricultural sector to become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.
GNP: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $3.4 million; expenditures $3.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY88)
Exports: $1.8 million (f.o.b., FY85); commodities--postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia Palm, small quantities of avocados; partners--Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
Imports: $16.3 million (c.i.f., FY85); commodities--NA; partners--Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
External debt: NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 7,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 3,210 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism
Agriculture: Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit, cattle, poultry
Aid: none
Currency: Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($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: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Highways: 80 km of roads, including 53 km of sealed roads; remainder are earth formed or coral surfaced
Ports: none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m (Australian owned)
Telecommunications: 1,500 radio receivers (1982); radio link service with Sydney; 987 telephones (1983); stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Northern Mariana Islands (commonwealth associated with the US) - Geography Total area: 477 km2; land area: 477 km2; includes Saipan, Rota, and Tinian
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,482 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to July, rainy season July to October
Terrain: southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic; highest elevation is 471 meters (Mt. Tagpochu on Saipan)
Natural resources: arable land, fish
Land use: 1% arable land; NA% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: Mt. Pagan is an active volcano (last erupted in October 1988); subject to typhoons during the rainy season
Note: strategic location 5,635 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines
- People Population: 22,719 (July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: undetermined
Ethnic divisions: Chamorro majority; Carolinians and other Micronesians; Spanish, German, Japanese admixtures
Religion: Christian with a Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found
Language: English, but Chamorro and Carolinian are also spoken in the home and taught in school
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 17,533, including 10,000 foreign workers (1988 est.)
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Type: commonwealth associated with the US and administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Capital: Saipan
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Constitution: Covenant Agreement effective 3 November 1986
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)
Executive branch: governor, lieutenant governor
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislature consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989);
Head of Government--Governor Pedro P. TENORIO (since 1978); Lieutenant Governor Pedro A. TENORIO (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party, Antonio S. Guerrero; Republican Party, Alonso Igisomar
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Elections: Governor--last held on NA (next to be held NA); results--Pedro P. TENORIO (Democratic Party) was elected;
Senate--last held on NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(9 total) number of seats by party NA;
House of Representatives--last held on NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(14 total) number of seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives--last held NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) party of nonvoting delegate NA
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: blue with a white five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center
- Economy Overview: The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. An agreement for the years 1986 to 1992 entitles the islands to $228 million for capital development, government operations, and special programs. Another major source of income is the tourist industry, which employs about 10% of the work force. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Industry is small scale in nature--mostly handicrafts and fish processing.
GNP: $165 million, per capita $9,170; real growth rate NA% (1982)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $70.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
Exports: $NA; commodities--vegetables, beef, pork; partners--NA
Imports: $NA; commodities--NA; partners--NA
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 1,640 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, construction, light industry, handicrafts
Agriculture: coffee, coconuts, fruits, tobacco, cattle
Aid: none
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications Highways: 300 km total (53 km primary, 55 km secondary, 192 km local)
Ports: Saipan, Rota, Tinian
Airports: 6 total, 4 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Norway - Geography Total area: 324,220 km2; land area: 307,860 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries: 2,582 km total; Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,657, USSR 196 km
Coastline: 21,925 km (3,419 km mainland; 2,413 km large islands; 16,093 km long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations)
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with USSR; territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land); Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween Greenland and Jan Mayen
Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; rainy year-round on west coast
Terrain: glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north
Natural resources: crude oil, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower
Land use: 3% arable land; 0% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 27% forest and woodland; 70% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: air and water pollution; acid rain
Note: strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world; Norway and Turkey only NATO members having a land boundary with the USSR
- People Population: 4,252,806 (July 1990), growth rate 0.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Norwegian(s); adjective--Norwegian
Ethnic divisions: Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic) and racial-cultural minority of 20,000 Lapps
Religion: 94% Evangelical Lutheran (state church), 4% other Protestant and Roman Catholic, 2% other
Language: Norwegian (official); small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Literacy: 100%
Labor force: 2,164,000; 33.6% services, 17.4% commerce, 16.6% mining and manufacturing, 8.4% transportation, 7.8% construction, 6.8% banking and financial services, 6.5% agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1986)
Organized labor: 66% of labor force (1985)
- Government Long-form name: Kingdom of Norway
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Oslo
Administrative divisions: 19 provinces (fylker, singular--fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder, Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland, Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold
Independence: 26 October 1905 (from Sweden)
Constitution: 17 May 1814, modified in 1884
Dependent areas: Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
Legal system: mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, State Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Storting or Stortinget) with an Upper Chamber (Lagting) and a Lower Chamber (Odelsting)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hoiesterett)
Leaders: Chief of State--King OLAV V (since 21 September 1957); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HARALD (born 21 February 1937);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Jan P. SYSE (since 16 October 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Labor, Gro Harlem Brundtland; Conservative, Jan P. Syse; Center, Johan J. Jakobsen; Christian People's, Kjell Magne Bondevik; Socialist Left, Eric Solheim; Norwegian Communist, Hans I. Kleven; Progress, Carl I. Hagen; Liberal, Arne Fjortoft; Finnmark List, leader NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Parliament--last held on 11 September 1989 (next to be held 6 September 1993); results--Labor 34.3%, Conservative 22.2%, Progress 13.0%, Socialist Left 10.1%, Christian People's 8.5%, Center 6.6%, Finnmark List 0.3%, others 5%; seats--(165 total) Labor 63, Conservative 37, Progress 22, Socialist Left 17, Christian People's 14, Center 11, Finnmark List 1
Communists: 15,500 est.; 5,500 Norwegian Communist Party (NKP); 10,000 Workers Communist Party Marxist-Leninist (AKP-ML, pro-Chinese)
Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IEA (associate member), IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, NATO, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Kjeld VIBE; Chancery at 2720 34th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 333-6000; there are Norwegian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Miami and New Orleans; US--Ambassador Loret Miller RUPPE; Embassy at Drammensveien 18, Oslo 2 (mailing address is APO New York 09085); telephone [47] (2) 44-85-50
Flag: red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
- Economy Overview: Norway is a prosperous capitalist nation with the resources to finance extensive welfare measures. Since 1975 exploitation of large crude oil and natural gas reserves has helped achieve an average annual growth of roughly 4%, the third-highest among OECD countries. Growth slackened in 1987-88 because of the sharp drop in world oil prices and a slowdown in consumer spending, but picked up again in 1989. Future economic issues involve the aging of the population, the increased economic integration of Europe, and the balance between private and public influence in economic decisions.
GDP: $75.8 billion, per capita $17,900; real growth rate 5.7% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 3.9% (1989 est., excluding people in job-training programs)
Budget: revenues $40.6 billion; expenditures $41.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $22.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--petroleum and petroleum products 25%, natural gas 11%, fish 7%, aluminum 6%, ships 3.5%, pulp and paper; partners--UK 26%, EFTA 16.3%, less developed countries 14%, Sweden 12%, FRG 12%, US 6%, Denmark 5% (1988)
Imports: $18.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--machinery, fuels and lubricants, transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, clothing, ships; partners--Sweden 18%, less developed countries 18%, FRG 14%, Denmark 8%, UK 7%, US 7%, Japan 5% (1988)
External debt: $18.3 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 15.8% (1989)
Electricity: 26,735,000 kW capacity; 121,685 million kWh produced, 28,950 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for 3.1% of GNP and 6.5% of labor force; among world's top 10 fishing nations; livestock output exceeds value of crops; over half of food needs imported; fish catch of 1.9 million metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $3.7 billion
Currency: Norwegian krone (plural--kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ore
Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1--6.5405 (January 1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987), 7.3947 (1986), 8.5972 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 4,223 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; Norwegian State Railways (NSB) operates 4,219 km (2,450 km electrified and 96 km double track); 4 km other
Highways: 79,540 km total; 18,600 km concrete, bituminous, stone block; 19,980 km bituminous treated; 40,960 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth
Inland waterways: 1,577 km along west coast; 1.5-2.4 m draft vessels maximum
Pipelines: refined products, 53 km
Ports: Oslo, Bergen, Fredrikstad, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Trondheim
Merchant marine: 660 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,702,254 GRT/28,722,304 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 19 short-sea passenger, 104 cargo, 3 passenger-cargo, 19 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 40 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 128 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 86 chemical tanker, 62 liquefied gas, 26 combination ore/oil, 142 bulk, 7 combination bulk; note--the government has created a captive register, the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS), as a subset of the Norwegian register; ships on the NIS enjoy many benefits of flags of convenience and do not have to be crewed by Norwegians; the majority of ships under the Norwegian flag are now registered with the NIS
Civil air: 76 major transport aircraft
Airports: 104 total, 104 usable; 64 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: high-quality domestic and international telephone, telegraph, and telex services; 3,102,000 telephones; stations--8 AM, 46 (1,400 relays) FM, 55 (2,100 relays) TV; 4 coaxial submarine cables; communications satellite earth stations operating in the EUTELSAT, INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean), MARISAT, and domestic systems
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,115,620; 937,555 fit for military service; 32,748 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 3.3% of GDP, or $2.5 billion (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Oman - Geography Total area: 212,460 km2; land area: 212,460 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries: 1,374 km total; Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, PDRY 288 km
Coastline: 2,092 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: to be defined;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Administrative Line with PDRY; no defined boundary with most of UAE, Administrative Line in far north
Climate: dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Terrain: vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Natural resources: crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 95% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources
Note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz (17% of world's oil production transits this point going from Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea)
- People Population: 1,457,064 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 105 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 58 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Omani(s); adjective--Omani
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and Indian groups
Religion: 75% Ibadhi Muslim; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, some Hindu
Language: Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Literacy: 20%
Labor force: 430,000; 60% agriculture (est.); 58% are non-Omani
Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
- Government Long-form name: Sultanate of Oman
Type: absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence
Capital: Muscat
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 1650, expulsion of the Portuguese
Constitution: none
Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch: sultan, Cabinet, State Consultative Assembly
Legislative branch: none
Judicial branch: none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system
National holiday: National Day, 18 November
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970)
Political parties: none
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Other political or pressure groups: outlawed Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), based in South Yemen; small, clandestine Shia fundamentalist groups are active
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Awadh Bader AL-SHANFARI; Chancery at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-1980 through 1982; US--Ambassador Richard BOEHM; Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 966, Muscat); telephone 738-231 or 738-006
Flag: three horizontal bands of white (top, double width), red, and green (double width) with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered at the top of the vertical band
- Economy Overview: Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for nearly all export earnings, about 70% of government revenues, and more than 50% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the current rate of extraction. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population, urban centers depend on imported food.
GDP: $7.8 billion, per capita $6,006; real growth rate - 3.0% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $3.1 billion; expenditures $4.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.0 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--petroleum, reexports, processed copper, dates, nuts, fish; partners--Japan, South Korea, Thailand
Imports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities --machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants; partners--Japan, UAE, UK, FRG, US
External debt: $3.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.0% (1986)
Electricity: 1,130,000 kW capacity; 3,600 million kWh produced, 2,760 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
Agriculture: accounts for 3.4% of GDP and 60% of the labor force (including fishing); less than 2% of land cultivated; largely subsistence farming (dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cattle); not self-sufficient in food; annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $122 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $92 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million
Currency: Omani rial (plural--rials); 1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza
Exchange rates: Omani rials (RO) per US$1--0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 22,800 km total; 3,800 km bituminous surface, 19,000 km motorable track
Pipelines: crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
Ports: Mina Qabus, Mina Raysut
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 128 total, 119 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 63 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire, radio relay, and radio communications stations; 50,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 3 FM, 11 TV; satellite earth stations--2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT and 8 domestic
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 350,173; 198,149 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 16.5% of GDP, or $1.3 billion (1990 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the (Palau) - Geography Total area: 458 km2; land area: 458 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,519 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: wet season May to November; hot and humid
Terrain: islands vary geologically from the high mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs
Natural resources: forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products; deep-seabed minerals
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: subject to typhoons from June to December; archipelago of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain
Note: important location 850 km southeast of the Philippines; includes World War II battleground of Peleliu and world-famous rock islands
- People Population: 14,310 (July 1990), growth rate 0.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 25 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 12 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Palauan(s); adjective--Palauan
Ethnic divisions: Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian races
Religion: predominantly Christian, mainly Roman Catholic
Language: Palauan is the official language, though English is commonplace; inhabitants of the isolated southwestern islands speak a dialect of Trukese
Literacy: NA%, but education compulsory through eight grades
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (no short-form name); may change to Republic of Palau after independence; note--Belau, the native form of Palau, is sometimes used
Type: UN trusteeship administered by the US; constitutional government signed a Compact of Free Association with the US on 10 January 1986, after approval in a series of UN-observed plebiscites; until the UN trusteeship is terminated with entry into force of the Compact, Palau remains under US administration as the Palau District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Capital: Koror; a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast in eastern Babelthuap
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: still part of the US-administered UN trusteeship (the last polity remaining under the trusteeship; the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas have left); administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of Interior
Constitution: 11 January 1981
Legal system: based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
National holiday: Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)
Executive branch: US president, US vice president, national president, national vice president
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Olbiil Era Kelulau or OEK) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Delegates
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President George Walker BUSH (since 20 January 1989), represented by High Commissioner Janet MCCOY (since NA);
Head of Government--President Ngiratkel ETPISON (since 2 November 1988)
Political parties: no formal parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held on 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); Ngiratkel Etpison 26.3%, Roman Tmetuchl 25.9%, Thomas Remengesau 19.5%, others 28.3%;
Senate--last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(18 total);
House of Delegates--last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(16 total)
Diplomatic representation: none; US--US Liaison Officer Steven R. PRUETT; US Liaison Office at Top Side, Neeriyas, Koror (mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Koror, Republic of Palau 96940); telephone 160-680-920 or 990
Flag: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side
- Economy Overview: The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing. Tourism provides some foreign exchange, although the remote location of Palau and a shortage of suitable facilities has hindered development. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US.
GDP: $31.6 million, per capita $2,260; real growth rate NA% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 20% (1986)
Budget: revenues $6.0 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)
Exports: $0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--NA; partners--US, Japan
Imports: $27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--NA; partners--US
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 22 million kWh produced, 1,550 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and agriculture
Agriculture: subsistence-level production of coconut, copra, cassava, sweet potatoes
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $62.6 million
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications Highways: 25.7 km paved macadam and concrete roads, otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads (1986)
Ports: Koror
Airports: 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US and that will not change when the UN trusteeship terminates ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Pacific Ocean - Geography Total area: 165,384,000 km2; includes Arafura Sea, Banda Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Makassar Strait, Philippine Sea, Ross Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Comparative area: slightly less than 18 times the size of the US; the largest ocean (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean); covers about one-third of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
Coastline: 135,663 km
Climate: the western Pacific is monsoonal--a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian land mass back to the ocean
Terrain: surface in the northern Pacific dominated by a clockwise, warm water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool water gyre; sea ice occurs in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk during winter and reaches maximum northern extent from Antarctica in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches; the world's greatest depth is 10,924 meters in the Marianas Trench
Natural resources: oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
Environment: endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); southern shipping lanes subject to icebergs from Antarctica; occasional El Nino phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade winds slacken and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent moves south, which kills the plankton that is the primary food source for anchovies; consequently, the anchovies move to better feeding grounds, causing resident marine birds to starve by the thousands because of their lost food source
Note: the major choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May and in extreme south from May to October; persistent fog in the northern Pacific from June to December is a hazard to shipping; surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire
- Economy Overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides cheap sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1985 over half (54%) of the world's total fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean, which is the only ocean where the fish catch has increased every year since 1978. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever increasing role in the energy supplies of Australia, New Zealand, China, US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the lower world prices for oil since 1985, has slowed but not stopped new drillings.
Industries: fishing, oil and gas production
- Communications Ports: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (USSR), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
Telecommunications: several submarine cables with network focused on Guam and Hawaii ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Pakistan - Geography Total area: 803,940 km2; land area: 778,720 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: 6,774 km total; Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
Coastline: 1,046 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: boundary with India; Pashtun question with Afghanistan; Baloch question with Afghanistan and Iran; water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Indus
Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Terrain: flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west
Natural resources: land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited crude oil, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Land use: 26% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 64% other; includes 19% irrigated
Environment: frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August); deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water logging
Note: controls Khyber Pass and Malakand Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
- People Population: 114,649,406 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 57 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Pakistani(s); adjective--Pakistani
Ethnic divisions: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendents)
Religion: 97% Muslim (77% Sunni, 20% Shia), 3% Christian, Hindu, and other
Language: Urdu and English (official); total spoken languages--64% Punjabi, 12% Sindhi, 8% Pashtu, 7% Urdu, 9% Balochi and other; English is lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries, but official policies are promoting its gradual replacement by Urdu
Literacy: 26%
Labor force: 28,900,000; 54% agriculture, 13% mining and manufacturing, 33% services; extensive export of labor (1987 est.)
Organized labor: about 10% of industrial work force
- Government Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Type: parliamentary with strong executive, federal republic
Capital: Islamabad
Administrative divisions: 4 provinces, 1 tribal area*, and 1 territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh; note--the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK; formerly West Pakistan)
Constitution: 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored 30 December 1985
Legal system: based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's stature as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Pakistan Day (proclamation of the republic), 23 March (1956)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Legislature (Mijlis-e-Shoora) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shariat) Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President GHULAM ISHAQ Khan (since 13 December 1988);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Benazir BHUTTO (since 2 December 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto; Pakistan Muslim League (PML), former Prime Minister Mohammed Khan Junejo; PML is the main party in the anti-PPP Islamic Democratic Alliance (IDA); Muhajir Quami Movement, Altaf Hussain; Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI), Fazlur Rahman; Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain Ahmed; Awami National Party (ANP), Khan Abdul Wali Khan
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President--last held on 12 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results--Ghulam Ishaq Khan was elected by the Federal Legislature;
Senate--last held March 1988 (next to be held March 1990); results--elected by provincial assemblies; seats--(87 total) PML 84, PPP 2, independent 1;
National Assembly--last held on 16 November 1988 (next to be held November 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(237 total) PPP 109, IJI 65, MQM 14, JUI 8, PAI 3, ANP 3, BNA 3, others 3, independents 29
Communists: the Communist party is no longer outlawed and operates openly
Other political or pressure groups: military remains dominant political force; ulema (clergy), industrialists, and small merchants also influential
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Zulfikar ALI KHAN; Chancery at 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6200; there is a Pakistani Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Robert B. OAKLEY; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad (mailing address is P. O. Box 1048, Islamabad); telephone [92] (51) 8261-61 through 79; there are US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, and a Consulate in Peshawar
Flag: green with a vertical white band on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
- Economy Overview: Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and heavy dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support a large military establishment and provide for the needs of 4 million Afghan refugees. A real economic growth rate averaging 5-6% in recent years has enabled the country to cope with these problems. Almost all agriculture and small-scale industry is in private hands, and the government seeks to privatize a portion of the large-scale industrial enterprises now publicly owned. In December 1988, Pakistan signed a three-year economic reform agreement with the IMF, which provides for a reduction in the government deficit and a liberalization of trade in return for further IMF financial support. The so-called Islamization of the economy has affected mainly the financial sector; for example, a prohibition on certain types of interest payments. Pakistan almost certainly will make little headway against its population problem; at the current rate of growth, population would double in 32 years.
GNP: $43.2 billion, per capita $409; real growth rate 5.1% (FY89)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (FY89)
Unemployment rate: 4% (FY89 est.)
Budget: revenues $7.5 billion; expenditures $10.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.3 billion (FY89 est.)
Exports: $4.5 billion (f.o.b., FY89); commodities--rice, cotton, textiles, clothing; partners--EC 31%, US 11%, Japan 11% (FY88)
Imports: $7.2 billion (f.o.b., FY89); commodities--petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation, equipment, vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals; partners--EC 26%, Japan 15%, US 11% (FY88)
External debt: $17.4 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (FY89)
Electricity: 7,575,000 kW capacity; 29,300 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, beverages, petroleum products, construction materials, clothing, paper products, international finance, shrimp
Agriculture: 24% of GNP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous irrigation system; major crops--cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables; livestock products--milk, beef, mutton, eggs; self-sufficient in food grain
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of limited success; 1988 output of opium and hashish each estimated at about 200 metric tons
Aid: (including Bangladesh before 1972) US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4.2 billion authorized (excluding what is now Bangladesh); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $7.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $2.9 billion
Currency: Pakistani rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1--21.420 (January 1990), 20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988), 17.399 (1987), 16.648 (1986), 15.928 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km meter gauge, and 610 km narrow gauge; 1,037 km broad-gauge double track; 286 km electrified; all government owned (1985)
Highways: 101,315 km total (1987); 40,155 km paved, 23,000 km gravel, 29,000 km improved earth, and 9,160 km unimproved earth or sand tracks (1985)
Pipelines: 250 km crude oil; 4,044 km natural gas; 885 km refined products (1987)
Ports: Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 338,173 GRT/508,107 DWT; includes 4 passenger-cargo, 24 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air: 30 major transport aircraft
Airports: 115 total, 102 usable; 70 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international radiocommunication service over microwave and INTELSAT satellite; domestic radio communications poor; broadcast service good; 564,500 telephones (1987); stations--16 AM, 8 FM, 16; satellite eath station--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 26,215,898; 16,080,545 fit for military service; 1,282,294 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: 5.6% of GNP, or $2.4 billion (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Palmyra Atoll (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 11.9 km2; land area: 11.9 km2
Comparative area: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 14.5 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Terrain: low, with maximum elevations of about 2 meters
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 100% forest and woodland; 0% other
Environment: about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
Note: located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, almost halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa
- People Population: uninhabited
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Ports: none; offshore anchorage in West Lagoon
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Panama - Geography Total area: 78,200 km2; land area: 75,990 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries: 555 km total; Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
Coastline: 2,490 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
Land use: 6% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 15% meadows and pastures; 54% forest and woodland; 23% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: dense tropical forest in east and northwest
Note: strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
- People Population: 2,425,400 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Panamanian(s); adjective--Panamanian
Ethnic divisions: 70% mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry), 14% West Indian, 10% white, 6% Indian
Religion: over 93% Roman Catholic, 6% Protestant
Language: Spanish (official); 14% speak English as native tongue; many Panamanians bilingual
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 770,472 (1987); 27.9% government and community services; 26.2% agriculture, hunting, and fishing; 16% commerce, restaurants, and hotels; 10.5% manufacturing and mining; 5.3% construction; 5.3% transportation and communications; 4.2% finance, insurance, and real estate; 2.4% Canal Zone; shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
Organized labor: 17% of labor force (1986)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Panama
Type: centralized republic
Capital: Panama
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, Veraguas
Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica) currently being reorganized
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Guillermo ENDARA (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); First Vice President Ricardo Arias CALDERON (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); Second Vice President Guillermo FORD (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Government alliance--Authentic Liberal Party (PLA); faction of Authentic Panamenista Party (PPA), Guillermo Endara; Christian Democrat Party (PDC), Ricardo Arias Calderon; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA), Alfredo Ramirez; former Noriegist parties--Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD, ex-official government party), Carlos Duque; Labor Party (PALA), Ramon Sieiro Murgas; People's Party (PdP, Soviet-oriented Communist party), Ruben Dario Sousa Batista; Democratic Workers Party; National Action Party (PAN);
other opposition parties--Popular Nationalist Party (PNP), Olimpo A. Saez Maruci; factions of the former Liberal and Republican parties; Popular Action Party (PAP), Carlos Ivan Zuniga; Socialist Workers Party (PST, leftist), Jose Cambra; Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT, leftist), Graciela Dixon
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections: President--last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld (next to be held May 1994); results--anti-Noriega coalition believed to have won about 75% of the total votes cast;
Legislative Assembly--last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld; in process of reorganization (next to be held May 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(67 total) the Electoral Tribunal has confirmed 58 of the 67 seats--PDC 27, MOLIRENA 15, PLA 6, Noriegist PRD 7, PPA 3; legitimate holders of the other 9 seats cannot be determined and a special election will be held
Communists: People's Party (PdP), pro-Noriega regime mainline Communist party, did not obtain the necessary 3% of the total vote in the 1984 election to retain its legal status; about 3,000 members
Other political or pressure groups: National Council of Organized Workers (CONATO); National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP); Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE)
Member of: FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eduardo VALLARINO; Chancery at 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-1407; the status of the Consulates General and Consulates has not yet been determined; US--Ambassador Deane R. HINTON; Embassy at Avenida Balboa and Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5 (mailing address is Box E, APO Miami 34002); telephone [507] 27-1777
Flag: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center
- Economy Overview: The GDP contracted an estimated 7.5% in 1989, following a drop of 20% in 1988. Political instability, lack of credit, and the erosion of business confidence prompted declines of 20-70% in the financial, agricultural, commercial, manufacturing, and construction sectors between 1987 and 1989. Transits through the Panama Canal were off slightly, as were toll revenues. Unemployment remained about 23% during 1989. Imports of foodstuffs and crude oil increased during 1989, but capital goods imports continued their slide. Exports were widely promoted by Noriega trade delegations, but sales abroad remained stagnant.
GDP: $3.9 billion, per capita $1,648; real growth rate - 7.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 0.1% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 23% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $598 million; expenditures $750 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports: $220 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--bananas 40%, shrimp 27%, coffee 4%, sugar, petroleum products; partners--US 90%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1989 est.)
Imports: $830 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--foodstuffs 16%, capital goods 9%, crude oil 16%, consumer goods, chemicals; partners--US 35%, Central America and Caribbean, EC, Mexico, Venezuela (1989 est.)
External debt: $5.2 billion (November 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 4.1% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,270 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills, paper products
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP (1989 est.), 26% of labor force (1987); crops--bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables, milk products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $515 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $568 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $4 million
Currency: balboa (plural--balboas); 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1--1.000 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 8,530 km total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal
Pipelines: crude oil, 130 km
Ports: Cristobal, Balboa, Puerto de La Bahia de Las Minas
Merchant marine: 3,187 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 46,502,092 GRT/72,961,250 DWT; includes 34 passenger, 22 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger-cargo, 1,087 cargo, 179 refrigerated cargo, 186 container, 71 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 136 vehicle carrier, 7 livestock carrier, 9 multifunction large-load carrier, 315 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 184 chemical tanker, 30 combination ore/oil, 91 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 767 bulk, 58 combination bulk; note--all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 41%, Greece 9%, Hong Kong 9%, and the US 7% (China owns at least 144 ships, Yugoslavia 12, Cuba 6, and Vietnam 9)
Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
Airports: 123 total, 112 usable; 42 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic and international facilities well developed; connection into Central American Microwave System; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite antennas; 220,000 telephones; stations--91 AM, no FM, 23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine cable
- Defense Forces Branches: the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist as a military institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December 1989; President Endara is attempting to restructure the forces, with more civilian control, under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 628,327; 433,352 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 2.0% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Papua New Guinea - Geography Total area: 461,690 km2; land area: 451,710 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than California
Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia
Coastline: 5,152 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 1% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 71% forest and woodland; 28% other
Environment: one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes
Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia
- People Population: 3,822,875 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Papua New Guinean(s); adjective--Papua New Guinean
Ethnic divisions: predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian
Religion: over half of population nominally Christian (490,000 Roman Catholic, 320,000 Lutheran, other Protestant sects); remainder indigenous beliefs
Language: 715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
Literacy: 32%
Labor force: 1,660,000; 732,806 in salaried employment; 54% agriculture, 25% government, 9% industry and commerce, 8% services (1980)
Organized labor: more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20 members
- Government Long-form name: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Moresby
Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, North Solomons, Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain
Independence: 16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)
Constitution: 16 September 1975
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, National Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Vincent ERI (since 18 January 1990);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Rabbie NAMALIU (since 4 July 1988); Deputy Prime Minister Akoko DOI (since 7 July 1988)
Political parties: Pangu Party, People's Progress Party, United Party, Papua Besena, National Party, Melanesian Alliance
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Parliament--last held 13 June-4 July 1987 (next to be held 4 July 1992); results--PP 14.7%, PDM 10.8%, PPP 6.1%, MA 5.6%, NP 5.1%, PAP 3.2%, independents 42.9%, others 11.6%; seats--(109 total) PP 26, PDM 17, NP 12, MA 7, PAP 6, PPP 5, independents 22, others 14
Communists: no significant strength
Member of: ACP, ADB, ANRPC, CIPEC (associate), Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at Suite 350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 659-0856; US--Ambassador-designate William FERRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby); telephone [675] 211-455 or 594, 654
Flag: divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered
- Economy Overview: Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing an infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for more than half of the population. Mining of numerous deposits, including copper and gold, accounts for about 60% of export earnings. Budgetary support from Australia and development aid under World Bank auspices help sustain the economy.
GDP: $3.26 billion, per capita $890; real growth rate 1.2% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1988)
Budget: revenues $962 million; expenditures $998 million, including capital expenditures of $169 million (1988)
Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--gold, copper ore, coffee, copra, palm oil, timber, lobster; partners--FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US
Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--machinery and transport equipment, fuels, food, chemicals, consumer goods; partners--Australia, Singapore, Japan, US, New Zealand, UK
External debt: $2.5 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: copra crushing, oil palm processing, plywood processing, wood chip production, gold, silver, copper, construction, tourism
Agriculture: one-third of GDP; livelihood for 85% of population; fertile soils and favorable climate permits cultivating a wide variety of crops; cash crops--coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels; other products--tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, poultry, pork; net importer of food for urban centers
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $38.8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $5.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million
Currency: kina (plural--kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea
Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1--1.1592 (December 1989), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987), 1.0296 (1986), 1.0000 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 10,940 km
Ports: Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul
Merchant marine: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,675 GRT/27,954 DWT; includes 6 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 combination ore/oil, 2 bulk
Civil air: about 15 major transport aircraft
Airports: 575 total, 455 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 38 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services; submarine cables extend to Australia and Guam; 51,700 telephones (1985); stations--31 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV (1987); 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 952,454; 529,570 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.3% of GDP, or $42 million (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Paracel Islands - Geography Total area: undetermined
Comparative area: undetermined
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 518 km
Maritime claims: undetermined
Disputes: occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam
Climate: tropical
Terrain: undetermined
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: subject to typhoons
Note: located 400 km east of Vietnam in the South China Sea about one-third of the way between Vietnam and the Philippines
- People Population: no permanent inhabitants
- Government Long-form name: none
- Economy Overview: no economic activity
- Communications Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
- Defense Forces Note: occupied by China ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Paraguay - Geography Total area: 406,750 km2; land area: 397,300 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries: 3,920 km total; Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Disputes: short section of the boundary with Brazil (just west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) is in dispute
Climate: varies from temperate in east to semiarid in far west
Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
Natural resources: iron ore, manganese, limestone, hydropower, timber
Land use: 20% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 39% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 5% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
Note: landlocked; buffer between Argentina and Brazil
- People Population: 4,660,270 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Paraguayan(s); adjective--Paraguayan
Ethnic divisions: 95% mestizo (Spanish and Indian), 5% white and Indian
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic; Mennonite and other Protestant denominations
Language: Spanish (official) and Guarani
Literacy: 81%
Labor force: 1,300,000; 44% agriculture, 34% industry and commerce, 18% services, 4% government (1986)
Organized labor: about 2% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Paraguay
Type: republic
Capital: Asuncion
Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canendiyu, Central, Chaco, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Nueva Asuncion, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
Independence: 14 May 1811 (from Spain)
Constitution 25 August 1967
Legal system: based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Days, 14-15 May (1811)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet), Council of State
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Senate and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. Andres RODRIGUEZ Pedotti (since 15 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Colorado Party, Juan Ramon Chaves; Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), Domingo Laino; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Jorge Dario Cristaldo; Febrerista Revolutionary Party (PRF), Euclides Acevedo; Liberal Party (PL), Reinaldo Odone; Popular Colorado Movement (MOPOCO), Miguel Angel Gonzalez Casabianca; Radical Liberal Party (PLR), Emilio Forestieri; Popular Democratic Movement (MDP)
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 and up to age 60
Elections: President--last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held February 1993); results--Gen. Rodriguez 75.8%, Domingo Laino 19.4%;
Senate--last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held by May 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(36 total) Colorado Party 24, PLRA 10, PLR 1, PRF 1;
Chamber of Deputies--last held on 1 May 1989 (next to be held by May 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(72 total) Colorado Party 48, PLRA 19, PRF 2, PDC 1, PL 1, PLR 1
Communists: Oscar Creydt faction and Miguel Angel Soler faction (both illegal); 3,000 to 4,000 (est.) party members and sympathizers in Paraguay, very few are hard core; party beginning to return from exile is small and deeply divided
Other political or pressure groups: Febrerista; Authentic Radical Liberal; Christian Democratic Parties; Confederation of Workers (CUT); Roman Catholic Church
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, LAIA, OAS, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Marcos MARTINEZ MENDIETA; Chancery at 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-6960 through 6962; there are Paraguayan Consulates General in New Orleans and New York, and a Consulate in Houston; US--Ambassador Timothy L. TOWELL; Embassy at 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Asuncion (mailing address is C. P. 402, Asuncion, or APO Miami 34036-0001); telephone [595] (21) 201-041 or 049
Flag: three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y Justica (Peace and Justice) capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)
- Economy Overview: The economy is predominantly agricultural. Agriculture, including forestry, accounts for about 25% of GNP, employs about 45% of the labor force, and provides the bulk of exports. Paraguay has no known significant mineral or petroleum resources, but does have a large hydropower potential. Since 1981 economic performance has declined compared with the boom period of 1976-81, when real GDP grew at an average annual rate of nearly 11%. During 1982-86 real GDP fell three out of five years, inflation jumped to an annual rate of 32%, and foreign debt rose. Factors responsible for the erratic behavior of the economy were the completion of the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, bad weather for crops, and weak international commodity prices for agricultural exports. In 1987 the economy experienced a modest recovery because of improved weather conditions and stronger international prices for key agricultural exports. The recovery continued through 1988, with a bumper soybean crop and record cotton production. The government, however, must follow through on promises of reforms needed to deal with large fiscal deficits, growing debt arrearages, and falling reserves.
GDP: $8.9 billion, per capita $1,970; real growth rate 5.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 12% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $609 million; expenditures $909 million, including capital expenditures of $401 million (1988)
Exports: $1,020 million (registered f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--cotton, soybean, timber, vegetable oils, coffee, tung oil, meat products; partners--EC 37%, Brazil 25%, Argentina 10%, Chile 6%, US 6%
Imports: $1,010 million (registered c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--capital goods 35%, consumer goods 20%, fuels and lubricants 19%, raw materials 16%, foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco 10%; partners--Brazil 30%, EC 20%, US 18%, Argentina 8%, Japan 7%
External debt: $2.9 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 2% (1987)
Electricity: 5,169,000 kW capacity; 15,140 million kWh produced, 3,350 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: meat packing, oilseed crushing, milling, brewing, textiles, other light consumer goods, cement, construction
Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and 50% of labor force; cash crops--cotton, sugarcane; other crops--corn, wheat, tobacco, soybeans, cassava, fruits, and vegetables; animal products--beef, pork, eggs, milk; surplus producer of timber; self-sufficient in most foods
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade with an estimated 300 hectares cultivated in 1988; important transshipment point for Bolivian cocaine headed for the US and Europe
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $168 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $994 million
Currency: guarani (plural--guaranies); 1 guarani (G) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: guaranies (G) per US$1--1,200.20 (November 1989; floated in February 1989), 550.00 (fixed rate 1986-February 1989), 339.17 (1986), 306.67 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 970 km total; 440 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 60 km 1.000-meter gauge, 470 km various narrow gauge (privately owned)
Highways: 21,960 km total; 1,788 km paved, 474 km gravel, and 19,698 km earth
Inland waterways: 3,100 km
Ports: Asuncion
Merchant marine: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,735 GRT/26,043 DWT; includes 13 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker; note--1 naval cargo ship is sometimes used commercially
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 873 total, 753 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 52 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: principal center in Asuncion; fair intercity microwave net; 78,300 telephones; stations--40 AM, no FM, 5 TV, 7 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Paraguayan Army, Paraguayan Navy, Paraguayan Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,096,227; 798,750 fit for military service; 49,791 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Peru - Geography Total area: 1,285,220 km2; land area: 1,280,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Alaska
Land boundaries: 6,940 km total; Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 2,900 km, Ecuador 1,420 km
Coastline: 2,414 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: two sections of the boundary with Ecuador are in dispute
Climate: varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west
Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 21% meadows and pastures; 55% forest and woodland; 21% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, mild volcanic activity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima
Note: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia
- People Population: 21,905,605 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 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: 67 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 66 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Peruvian(s); adjective--Peruvian
Ethnic divisions: 45% Indian; 37% mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry); 15% white; 3% black, Japanese, Chinese, and other
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic
Language: Spanish and Quechua (official), Aymara
Literacy: 80% (est.)
Labor force: 6,800,000 (1986); 44% government and other services, 37% agriculture, 19% industry (1988 est.)
Organized labor: about 40% of salaried workers (1983 est.)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Peru
Type: republic
Capital: Lima
Administrative divisions: 24 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento) and 1 constitutional province* (provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali
Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: 28 July 1980 (often referred to as the 1979 Constitution because constituent assembly met in 1979, but Constitution actually took effect the following year); reestablished civilian government with a popularly elected president and bicameral legislature
Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (1821)
Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders: Chief of State--President-elect Alberto FUJIMORI (since 10 June 1990; Vice President-elect Maximo San ROMAN (since 10 June 1990); Vice President-elect Carlos GARCIA; President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 1985); First Vice President Luis Alberto SANCHEZ Sanchez (since 28 July 1985); Second Vice President Luis Juan ALVA Castro (since 28 July 1985);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Guillermo LARCO Cox (since 3 October 1989)
Political parties and leaders: American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), Alan Garcia Perez; United Left (IU), run by committee; Democratic Front (FREDEMO), headed by Mario Vargas Llosa of the Liberty Movement (ML), coalition also includes the Popular Christian Party (PPC), Luis Bedoya Reyes and the Popular Action Party (AP), Fernando Belaunde Terry; Socialist Left (ISO), Alfonso Barrantes Lingan
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held on 10 June 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results--Alberto Fujimori xx%, Mario Vargas Llosa xx%, others xx%;
Senate--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(60 total) APRA 32, IU 15, AP 5, others 8;
Chamber of Deputies--last held 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(180 total) APRA 107, IU 48, AP 10, others 15
Communists: Peruvian Communist Party-Unity (PCP-U), pro-Soviet, 2,000; other minor Communist parties
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: Andean Pact, AIOEC, ASSIMER, CCC, CIPEC, FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, INTERPOL, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, LAIA, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Cesar G. ATALA; Chancery at 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 833-9860 through 9869); Peruvian Consulates General are located in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico); US--Ambassador Anthony QUAINTON; Embassy at the corner of Avenida Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Avenida Espana, Lima (mailing address is P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1010, or APO Miami 34031); telephone [51] (14) 338-000
Flag: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a llama, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath
- Economy Overview: The economy is verging on hyperinflation and economic activity is contracting rapidly. Deficit spending is at the root of domestic economic problems, but poor relations with international lenders--the result of curtailing debt payments since 1985--are preventing an inflow of funds to generate a recovery. Reduced standards of living have increased labor tensions, and strikes, particularly in the key mining sector, have cut production and exports. Foreign exchange shortages have forced reductions in vital consumer imports such as food and industrial inputs. Peru is the world's leading producer of coca, from which the drug cocaine is produced.
GDP: $18.9 billion, per capita $880; real growth rate - 12.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2,775% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 15.0%; underemployment estimated at 60% (1989)
Budget: revenues $3.2 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $796 million (1986)
Exports: $3.55 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--fishmeal, cotton, sugar, coffee, copper, iron ore, refined silver, lead, zinc, crude petroleum and byproducts; partners--EC 22%, US 20%, Japan 11%, Latin America 8%, USSR 4%
Imports: $2.50 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--foodstuffs, machinery, transport equipment, iron and steel semimanufactures, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; partners--US 23%, Latin America 16%, EC 12%, Japan 7%, Switzerland 3%
External debt: $17.7 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate - 25.0% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 4,867,000 kW capacity; 15,540 million kWh produced, 725 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing, cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding, metal fabrication
Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP, 37% of labor force; commercial crops--coffee, cotton, sugarcane; other crops--rice, wheat, potatoes, plantains, coca; animal products--poultry, red meats, dairy, wool; not self-sufficient in grain or vegetable oil; fish catch of 4.6 million metric tons (1987), world's fifth-largest
Illicit drugs: world's largest coca producer and source of supply for coca paste and cocaine base; about 85% of cultivation is for illicit production; most of coca base is shipped to Colombian drug dealers for processing into cocaine for the international drug market
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.7 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $577 million
Currency: inti (plural--intis); 1 inti (I/) = 1,000 soles
Exchange rates: intis (I/) per US$1--5,261.40 (December 1989), 128.83 (1988), 16.84 (1987), 13.95 (1986), 10.97 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 1,876 km total; 1,576 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 300 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 56,645 km total; 6,030 km paved, 11,865 km gravel, 14,610 km improved earth, 24,140 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km Lago Titicaca
Pipelines: crude oil, 800 km; natural gas and natural gas liquids, 64 km
Ports: Callao, Ilo, Iquitos, Matarani, Talara
Merchant marine: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 341,213 GRT/535,215 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 8 bulk; note--in addition, 7 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo are sometimes used commercially
Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
Airports: 242 total, 226 usable; 35 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 24 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 39 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fairly adequate for most requirements; nationwide radio relay system; 544,000 telephones; stations--273 AM, no FM, 140 TV, 144 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations, 12 domestic antennas
- Defense Forces Branches: Peruvian Army (Ejercito Peruano), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru), Peruvian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 5,543,166; 3,751,077 fit for military service; 236,814 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 4.9% of GNP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Philippines - Geography Total area: 300,000 km2; land area: 298,170 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 36,289 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth
Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; claims Malaysian state of Sabah
Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
Natural resources: timber, crude oil, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
Land use: 26% arable land; 11% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 40% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes 5% irrigated
Environment: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; subject to landslides, active volcanoes, destructive earthquakes, tsunami; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
- People Population: 66,117,284 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 32 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 69 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Filipino(s); adjective--Philippine
Ethnic divisions: 91.5% Christian Malay, 4% Muslim Malay, 1.5% Chinese, 3% other
Religion: 83% Roman Catholic, 9% Protestant, 5% Muslim, 3% Buddhist and other
Language: Pilipino (based on Tagalog) and English; both official
Literacy: 88% (est.)
Labor force: 22,889,000; 47% agriculture, 20% industry and commerce, 13.5% services, 10% government, 9.5% other (1987)
Organized labor: 2,064 registered unions; total membership 4.8 million (includes 2.7 million members of the National Congress of Farmers Organizations)
- Government Long-form name: Republic of the Philippines
Type: republic
Capital: Manila
Administrative divisions: 73 provinces and 61 chartered cities*; Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Angeles*, Antique, Aurora, Bacolod*, Bago*, Baguio*, Bais*, Basilan, Basilan City*, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Batangas City*, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Butuan*, Cabanatuan*, Cadiz*, Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro*, Calbayog*, Caloocan*, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Canlaon*, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite, Cavite City*, Cebu, Cebu City*, Cotabato*, Dagupan*, Danao*, Dapitan*, Davao City* Davao, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dipolog*, Dumaguete*, Eastern Samar, General Santos*, Gingoog*, Ifugao, Iligan*, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Iloilo City*, Iriga*, Isabela, Kalinga-Apayao, La Carlota*, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Laoag*, Lapu-Lapu*, La Union, Legaspi*, Leyte, Lipa*, Lucena*, Maguindanao, Mandaue*, Manila*, Marawi*, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain, Naga*, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*, Ormoc*, Oroquieta*, Ozamis*, Pagadian*, Palawan, Palayan*, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasay*, Puerto Princesa*, Quezon, Quezon City*, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Roxas*, Samar, San Carlos* (in Negros Occidental), San Carlos* (in Pangasinan), San Jose*, San Pablo*, Silay*, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao*, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacloban*, Tagaytay*, Tagbilaran*, Tangub*, Tarlac, Tawitawi, Toledo*, Trece Martires*, Zambales, Zamboanga*, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur
Independence: 4 July 1946 (from US)
Constitution: 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
Legal system: based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day (from Spain), 12 June (1898)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Corazon C. AQUINO (since 25 February 1986); Vice President Salvador H. LAUREL (since 25 February 1986)
Political parties and leaders: PDP-Laban, Aquilino Pimentel; Struggle of Philippine Democrats (LDP), Neptali Gonzales; Nationalista Party, Salvador Laurel, Juan Ponce Enrile; Liberal Party, Jovito Salonga
Suffrage: universal at age 15
Elections: President--last held 7 February 1986 (next election to be held May 1992); results--Corazon C. Aquino elected after the fall of the Marcos regime;
Senate--last held 11 May 1987 (next to be held May 1993); results--Pro-Aquino LDP 63%, Liberals LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 25%, Opposition Nationalista Party 4%, independents 8%; seats--(24 total) Pro-Aquino LDP 15, Liberals LDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 6, Opposition 1, independents 2;
House of Representatives--last held on 11 May 1987 (next to be held May 1992); results--Pro-Aquino LDP 73%, Liberals LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 10%, Opposition Nationalista Party 17%; seats--(250 total, 180 elected) number of seats by party NA
Communists: the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) controls about 18,000-23,000 full-time insurgents and is not recognized as a legal party; a second Communist party, the pro-Soviet Philippine Communist Party (PKP), has quasi-legal status
Member of: ADB, ASEAN, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Emmanuel PELAEZ; Chancery at 1617 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 483-1414; there are Philippine Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle; US--Ambassador Nicholas PLATT; Embassy at 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96528); telephone [63] (2) 521-7116; there is a US Consulate in Cebu
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star
- Economy Overview: The economy continues to recover from the political turmoil following the ouster of former President Marcos and several coup attempts. After two consecutive years of economic contraction (1984 and 1985), the economy has since 1986 had positive growth. The agricultural sector, together with forestry and fishing, plays an important role in the economy, employing about 50% of the work force and providing almost 30% of GDP. The Philippines is the world's largest exporter of coconuts and coconut products. Manufacturing contributed about 25% of GDP. Major industries include food processing, chemicals, and textiles.
GNP: $40.5 billion, per capita $625; real growth rate 5.2% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.6% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 8.7% (1989)
Budget: $7.2 billion; expenditures $8.12 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.97 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: revenues $8.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--electrical equipment 19%, textiles 16%, minerals and ores 11%, farm products 10%, coconut 10%, chemicals 5%, fish 5%, forest products 4%; partners--US 36%, EC 19%, Japan 18%, ESCAP 9%, ASEAN 7%
Imports: $10.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--raw materials 53%, capital goods 17%, petroleum products 17%; partners--US 25%, Japan 17%, ESCAP 13%, EC 11%, ASEAN 10%, Middle East 10%
External debt: $27.8 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.3% (1989)
Electricity: 6,700,000 kW capacity; 25,000 million kWh produced, 385 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GNP and 50% of labor force; major crops--rice, coconut, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapple, mango; animal products--pork, eggs, beef; net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 2 million metric tons annually
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; growers are producing more and better quality cannabis despite government eradication efforts
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $3.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1975-88), $123 million
Currency: Philippine peso (plural--pesos); 1 Philippine peso (P) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Philippine pesos (P) per US$1--22.464 (January 1990), 21.737 (1989), 21.095 (1988), 20.568 (1987), 20.386 (1986), 18.607 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 378 km operable on Luzon, 34% government owned (1982)
Highways: 156,000 km total (1984); 29,000 km paved; 77,000 km gravel, crushed-stone, or stabilized-soil surface; 50,000 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 3,219 km; limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m) vessels
Pipelines: refined products, 357 km
Ports: Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras, Iloilo, Legaspi, Manila, Subic Bay
Merchant marine: 595 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,134,924 GRT/15,171,692 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 10 short-sea passenger, 16 passenger-cargo, 166 cargo, 17 refrigerated cargo, 30 vehicle carrier, 8 livestock carrier, 7 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 container, 36 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 282 bulk, 5 combination bulk; note--many Philippine flag ships are foreign owned and are on the register for the purpose of long-term bare-boat charter back to their original owners who are principally in Japan and FRG
Civil air: 53 major transport aircraft
Airports: 301 total, 237 usable; 70 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 49 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international radio and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service adequate; 872,900 telephones; stations--267 AM (including 6 US), 55 FM, 33 TV (including 4 US); submarine cables extended to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 11 domestic
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Constabulary--Integrated National Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 16,160,543; 11,417,451 fit for military service; 684,976 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GNP, or $850 million (1990 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Pitcairn Islands (dependent territory of the UK) - Geography Total area: 47 km2; land area: 47 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 51 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical, hot, humid, modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain: rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Natural resources: miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: subject to typhoons (especially November to March)
Note: located in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Peru and New Zealand
- People Population: 56 (July 1990), growth rate 0.0% (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--Pitcairn Islander(s); adjective--Pitcairn Islander
Ethnic divisions: descendants of Bounty mutineers
Religion: 100% Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: English (official); also a Tahitian/English dialect
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA; no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Adamstown
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution: Local Government Ordinance of 1964
Legal system: local island by-laws
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June), 10 June 1989
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, island magistrate
Legislative branch: unicameral Island Council
Judicial branch: Island Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Governor and UK High Commissioner to New Zealand Robin A. C. BYATT (since NA 1988);
Head of Government--Island Magistrate and Chairman of the Island Council Brian YOUNG (since NA 1985)
Political parties and leaders: NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18 with three years residency
Elections: Island Council--last held NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(11 total, 5 elected) number of seats by party NA
Communists: none
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green, and light blue with a shield featuring a yellow anchor
- Economy Overview: The inhabitants exist on fishing and subsistence farming. The fertile soil of the valleys produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams, and beans. Bartering is an important part of the economy. The major sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps to collectors and the sale of handicrafts to passing ships.
GNP: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $430,440; expenditures $429,983, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY87 est.)
Exports: $NA; commodities--fruits, vegetables, curios; partners--NA
Imports: $NA; commodities--fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs; partners--NA
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 110 kW capacity; 0.30 million kWh produced, 4,410 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: postage stamp sales, handicrafts
Agriculture: based on subsistence fishing and farming; wide variety of fruits and vegetables grown; must import grain products
Aid: none
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6581 (January 1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6866 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Railroads: none
Highways: 6.4 km dirt roads
Ports: Bounty Bay
Airports: none
Telecommunications: 24 telephones; party line telephone service on the island; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; diesel generator provides electricity
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Poland - Geography Total area: 312,680 km2; land area: 304,510 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Mexico
Land boundaries: 2,980 km total; Czechoslovakia 1,309 km, GDR 456 km, USSR 1,215 km
Coastline: 491 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
Terrain: mostly flat plain, mountains along southern border
Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt
Land use: 46% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 28% forest and woodland; 12% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: plain crossed by a few north-flowing, meandering streams; severe air and water pollution in south
Note: historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
- People Population: 37,776,725 (July 1990), growth rate NEGL (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 13 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Pole(s); adjective--Polish
Ethnic divisions: 98.7% Polish, 0.6% Ukrainian, 0.5% Byelorussian, less than 0.05% Jewish
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic (about 75% practicing), 5% Russian Orthodox, Protestant, and other
Language: Polish
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 17,128,000 (1988); 36.5% industry and construction; 28.5% agriculture; 14.7% trade, transport, and communications; 20.3% government and other
Organized labor: trade union pluralism
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Poland
Type: democratic state
Capital: Warsaw
Administrative divisions: 49 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular--wojewodztwo); Biala Podlaska, Bialystok, Bielsko-Biala, Bydgoszcz, Chelm, Ciechanow, Czestochowa, Elblag, Gdansk, Gorzow Wielkopolski, Jelenia Gora, Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin, Krakow, Krosno, Legnica, Leszno, Lodz, Lomza, Lublin, Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn, Opole, Ostroleka, Pila, Piotrkow, Plock, Poznan, Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow, Siedlce, Sieradz, Skierniewice, Slupsk, Suwalki, Szczecin, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow, Torun, Walbrzych, Warszawa, Wloclawek, Wroclaw, Zamosc, Zielona Gora
Independence: 11 November 1918, independent republic proclaimed
Constitution: the Communist-imposed Constitution of 22 July 1952 will be replaced by a democratic Constitution before May 1991
Legal system: mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Liberation Day, 22 July (1952) will probably be replaced by Constitution Day, 3 May (1794)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlament) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or National Assembly (Sejm)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President Gen. Wojciech JARUZELSKI (since 19 July 1989, Chairman of Council of State since 6 November 1985);
Head of Government--Premier Tadeusz MAZOWIECKI (since 24 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Center-right agrarian parties--Polish Peasant Party (PSL, known unofficially as PSL-Wilanowska), Gen. Franciszek Kaminski, chairman; Polish Peasant Party-Solidarity, Josef Slisz, chairman; Polish Peasant Party-Rebirth (formerly the United Peasant Party), Kazimirrz Olrsiak, chairman;
Other center-right parties--National Party, Bronislaw Ekert, chairman; Christian National Union, Urrslaw Chnzanowski, chairman; Christian Democratic Labor Party, Wladyslaw Sila Nowicki, chairman; Democratic Party, Jerzy Jozwiak, chairman;
Center-left parties--Polish Socialist Party, Jan Jozef Lipski, chairman;
Left-wing parties--Polish Socialist Party-Democratic Revolution;
Other--Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (formerly the Communist Party or Polish United Workers' Party/PZPR), Aleksander Kwasnuewski, chairman; Union of the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (breakaway faction of the PZPR), Tadrusz Fiszbach, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Senate--last held 4 and 18 June 1989 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(100 total) Solidarity 99, independent 1;
National Assembly--last held 4 and 18 June 1989 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(460 total) Communists 173, Solidarity 161, Polish Peasant Party 76, Democratic Party 27, Christian National Union 23; note--rules governing the election limited Solidarity's share of the vote to 35% of the seats; future elections are to be freely contested
Communists: 70,000 members in the Communist successor party (1990)
Other political or pressure groups: powerful Roman Catholic Church; Confederation for an Independent Poland (KPN), a nationalist group; Solidarity (trade union); All Poland Trade Union Alliance (OPZZ), populist program; Clubs of Catholic Intellectuals (KIKs); Freedom and Peace (WiP), a pacifist group; Independent Student Union (NZS)
Member of: CCC, CEMA, Council of Europe, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBEC, ICAO, ICES, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMO, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, Warsaw Pact, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jan KINAST; Chancery at 2640 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 234-3800 through 3802; there are Polish Consulates General in Chicago and New York; US--Ambassador-designate Thomas SIMONS, Jr.; Embassy at Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, Warsaw (mailing address is APO New York 09213); telephone [48] 283041 through 283049; there is a US Consulate General in Krakow and a Consulate in Poznan
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red--a crowned eagle is to be added; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white
- Economy Overview: The economy, except for the agricultural sector, had followed the Soviet model of state ownership and control of the country's productive assets. About 75% of agricultural production had come from the private sector and the rest from state farms. The economy has presented a picture of moderate but slowing growth against a background of underlying weaknesses in technology and worker motivation. GNP increased between 3% and 6% annually during the period 1983-1986, but grew only 2.5% and 2.1% in 1987 and 1988, respectively. Output dropped by 1.5% in 1989. The inflation rate, after falling sharply from the 1982 peak of 100% to 22% in 1986, rose to a galloping rate of 640% in 1989. Shortages of consumer goods and some food items worsened in 1988-89. Agricultural products and coal have remained the biggest hard currency earners, but manufactures are increasing in importance. Poland, with its hard currency debt of approximately $40 billion, is severely limited in its ability to import much-needed hard currency goods. The sweeping political changes of 1989 disrupted normal economic channels and exacerbated shortages. In January 1990, the new Solidarity-led government adopted a cold turkey program for transforming Poland to a market economy. The government moved to eliminate subsidies, end artificially low prices, make the zloty convertible, and, in general, halt the hyperinflation. These financial measures are accompanied by plans to privatize the economy in stages. Substantial outside aid will be needed if Poland is to make a successful transition in the 1990s.
GNP: $172.4 billion, per capita $4,565; real growth rate - 1.6% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 640% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%; 215,000 (official number, mid-March 1990)
Budget: revenues $23 billion; expenditures $24 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.5 billion (1988)
Exports: $24.7 billion (f.o.b., 1987 est.); commodities--machinery and equipment 63%; fuels, minerals, and metals 14%; manufactured consumer goods 14%; agricultural and forestry products 5% (1987 est.); partners--USSR 25%, FRG 12%, Czechoslovakia 6% (1988)
Imports: $22.8 billion (f.o.b., 1987 est.); commodities--machinery and equipment 36%; fuels, minerals, and metals 35%; manufactured consumer goods 9%; agricultural and forestry products 12%; partners--USSR 23%, FRG 13%, Czechoslovakia 6% (1988)
External debt: $40 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 2.0% (1988)
Electricity: 31,390,000 kW capacity; 125,000 million kWh produced, 3,260 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: machine building, iron and steel, extractive industries, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP and 28% of labor force; 75% of output from private farms, 25% from state farms; productivity remains low by European standards; leading European producer of rye, rapeseed, and potatoes; wide variety of other crops and livestock; major exporter of pork products; normally self-sufficient in food
Aid: donor--bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries, $2.1 billion (1954-88)
Currency: zloty (plural--zlotych); 1 zloty (Zl) = 100 groszy
Exchange rates: zlotych (Zl) per US$1--9,500.00 (January 1990), 1,439.18 (1989), 430.55 (1988), 265.08 (1987), 175.29 (1986), 147.14 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 27,245 km total; 24,333 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 397 km 1.524-meter broad gauge, 2,515 km narrow gauge; 8,986 km double track; 10,000 km electrified; government owned (1986)
Highways: 299,887 km total; 130,000 km improved hard surface (concrete, asphalt, stone block); 24,000 km unimproved hard surface (crushed stone, gravel); 100,000 km earth; 45,887 km other urban roads (1985)
Inland waterways: 3,997 km navigable rivers and canals (1988)
Pipelines: 4,500 km for natural gas; 1,986 km for crude oil; 360 km for refined products (1987)
Ports: Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Swinoujscie; principal inland ports are Gliwice on Kanal Gliwice, Wroclaw on the Oder, and Warsaw on the Vistula
Merchant marine: 234 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,957,534 GRT/4,164,665 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 93 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 container, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 105 bulk
Civil air: 42 major transport aircraft
Airports: 160 total, 160 usable; 85 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over 3,659 m; 35 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 65 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--30 AM, 28 FM, 41 TV; 4 Soviet TV relays; 9,691,075 TV sets; 9,290,000 radio receivers; at least 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Ground Forces, National Air Defense Forces, Air Force Command, Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49, 9,501,088; 7,503,477 fit for military service; 292,769 reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures: 954 billion zlotych, 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: Portugal - Geography Total area: 92,080 km2; land area: 91,640 km2; includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundary: 1,214 km with Spain
Coastline: 1,793 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Macau is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999; East Timor question with Indonesia
Climate: maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Terrain: mountainous north of the Tagus, rolling plains in south
Natural resources: fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble
Land use: 32% arable land; 6% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 40% forest and woodland; 16% other; includes 7% irrigated
Environment: Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Note: Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
- People Population: 10,354,497 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Portuguese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Portuguese
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Mediterranean stock in mainland, Azores, Madeira Islands; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000
Religion: 97% Roman Catholic, 1% Protestant denominations, 2% other
Language: Portuguese
Literacy: 83%
Labor force: 4,605,700; 45% services, 35% industry, 20% agriculture (1988)
Organized labor: about 55% of the labor force; the Communist-dominated General Confederation of Portuguese Workers--Intersindical (CGTP-IN) represents more than half of the unionized labor force; its main competition, the General Workers Union (UGT), is organized by the Socialists and Social Democrats and represents less than half of unionized labor
- Government Long-form name: Portuguese Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Lisbon
Administrative divisions: 18 districts (distritos, singular--distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular--regiao autonoma); Acores*, Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
Dependent area: Macau (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999)
Independence: 1140; independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910
Constitution: 25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982; new discussions on constitutional revision began October 1987
Legal system: civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June
Executive branch: president, Council of State, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justica)
Leaders: Chief of State--President Dr. Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES (since 9 March 1986);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 6 November 1985); Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (PSD), Anibal Cavaco Silva; Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), Jorge Sampaio; Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Herminio Martinho; Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Alvaro Cunhal; Social Democratic Center (CDS), Diogo Freitas do Amaral
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held 16 February 1986 (next to be held January 1991); results--Dr. Mario Lopes Soares 51.3%, Prof. Diogo Freitas do Amal 48.7%;
Assembly of the Republic--last held 19 July 1987 (next to be held July 1991); results--Social Democrats 59.2%, Socialists 24.0%, Communists (in a front coalition) 12.4%, Democratic Renewal 2.8%, Center Democrats 1.6%; seats--(250 total) Social Democrats 148, Socialists 60, Communists (in a front coalition) 31 seats, Democratic Renewal 7, Center Democrats 4
Communists: Portuguese Communist Party claims membership of 200,753 (December 1983)
Member of: CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Joao Eduardo M. PEREIRA BASTOS; Chancery at 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-8610; there are Portuguese Consulates General in Boston, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Los Angeles, Newark (New Jersey), New Bedford (Massachusetts), and Providence (Rhode Island); US--Ambassador Edward M. ROWELL; Embassy at Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon (mailing address is APO New York 09678-0002); telephone [351] (1) 726-6600 or 6659, 8670, 8880; there are US Consulates in Oporto and Ponta Delgada (Azores)
Flag: two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line
- Economy Overview: During the past four years, the economy has made a sustained recovery from the severe recession of 1983-85. The economy grew by 4.7% in 1987, 4.1% in 1988, and 3.5% in 1989, largely because of strong domestic consumption and investment spending. Unemployment has declined for the third consecutive year, but inflation continues to be about three times the European Community average. The government is pushing economic restructuring and privatization measures in anticipation of the 1992 European Community timetable to form a single large market in Europe.
GDP: $72.1 billion, per capita $6,900; real growth rate 3.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.8% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.9% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $19.0 billion; expenditures $22.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $11.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--cotton textiles, cork and cork products, canned fish, wine, timber and timber products, resin, machinery, appliances; partners--EC 72%, other developed countries 13%, US 6%
Imports: $17.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--petroleum, cotton, foodgrains, industrial machinery, iron and steel, chemicals; partners--EC 67%, other developed countries 13%, less developed countries 15%, US 4%
External debt: $17.2 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.5% (1988)
Electricity: 6,729,000 kW capacity; 16,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 9% of GDP and 20% of labor force; small inefficient farms; imports more than half of food needs; major crops--grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; livestock sector--sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, meat, dairy products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $998 million
Currency: Portuguese escudo (plural--escudos); 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1--149.15 (January 1990), 157.46 (1989), 143.95 (1988), 140.88 (1987), 149.59 (1986), 170.39 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 3,613 km total; state-owned Portuguese Railroad Co. (CP) operates 2,858 km 1.665-meter gauge (434 km electrified and 426 km double track), 755 km 1.000-meter gauge; 12 km (1.435-meter gauge) electrified, double track, privately owned
Highways: 73,661 km total; 61,599 km paved (bituminous, gravel, and crushed stone), including 140 km of limited-access divided highway; 7,962 km improved earth; 4,100 km unimproved earth (motorable tracks)
Inland waterways: 820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300-metric-ton cargo capacity
Pipelines: crude oil, 11 km; refined products, 58 km
Ports: Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Velas (Azores), Setubal, Sines
Merchant marine: 50 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 576,654 GRT/1,005,740 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 21 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 10 bulk, 1 combination bulk; note--Portugal has created a captive register on Madeira (MAR) for Portuguese-owned ships that will have the taxation and crewing benefits of a flag of convenience; although only one ship is currently known to fly the Portuguese flag on the MAR register, it is likely that a majority of Portuguese flag ships will transfer to this subregister in a few years
Airports: 69 total, 64 usable; 37 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 11 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: facilities are generally adequate; 2,250,000 telephones; stations--44 AM, 66 (22 relays) FM, 25 (23 relays) TV; 7 submarine cables; communication satellite ground stations operating in the INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and domestic systems (mainland and Azores)
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 2,583,782; 2,102,835 fit for military service; 88,384 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: $1.3 billion (1989 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Puerto Rico (commonwealth associated with the US) - Geography Total area: 9,104 km2; land area: 8,959 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 501 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast
Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore crude oil
Land use: 8% arable land; 9% permanent crops; 51% meadows and pastures; 25% forest and woodland; 7% other
Environment: many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
Note: important location between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands group along the Mona Passage--a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean
- People Population: 3,291,207 (July 1990), growth rate 0.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Puerto Rican(s); adjective--Puerto Rican
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Hispanic
Religion: mostly Christian, 85% Roman Catholic, 15% Protestant denominations and other
Language: Spanish (official); English is widely understood
Literacy: 89%
Labor force: 1,062,000; 23% government, 20% trade, 18% manufacturing, 4% agriculture, 35% other (1988)
Organized labor: 115,000 members in 4 unions; the largest is the General Confederation of Puerto Rican Workers with 35,000 members (1983)
- Government Long-form name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Type: commonwealth associated with the US
Capital: San Juan
Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952
National holiday: Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
Legal system: based on English common law
Executive branch: US president, US vice president, governor
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989);
Head of Government Governor Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (since 2 January 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael Hernandez Colon; New Progressive Party (PNP), Baltasar Corrado del Rio; Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), Juan Mari Bras and Carlos Gallisa; Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben Berrios Martinez; Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leader(s) unknown
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Elections: Governor--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--Rafael Hernandez Colon (PPD) 48.7%, Baltasar Corrada Del Rio (PNP) 45.8%, Ruben Barrios Martinez (PIP) 5.5%;
Senate--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(27 total) PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1;
House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(53 total) PPD 36, PNP 15, PIP 2
Other political or pressure groups: all have engaged in terrorist activities--Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN), Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution, Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros), Armed Forces of Popular Resistance
Diplomatic representation: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Flag: five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the US flag
- Economy Overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. Industry has surpassed agriculture as the primary sector of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1970s. Important new industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, and processed foods. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income for the island.
GNP: $18.4 billion, per capita $5,574; real growth rate 4.9% (FY88)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 33% (December 1987-88)
Unemployment rate: 12.8% (December 1988)
Budget: revenues $4.9 million; expenditures $4.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88)
Exports: $13.2 billion (f.o.b., FY88); commodities--sugar, coffee, petroleum products, chemical, metal products, textiles, electronic equipment; partners--US 87%
Imports: $11.8 billion (c.i.f., FY88); commodities--chemicals, clothing, food, fish products, crude oil; partners--US 60%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 5.8% (FY87)
Electricity: 4,149,000 kW capacity; 14,050 million kWh produced, 4,260 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of labor force; crops--sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, tobacco, bananas; livestock--cattle, chickens; imports a large share of food needs
Aid: none
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 100 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger railroads
Highways: 13,762 km paved
Ports: San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo
Airports: 33 total; 23 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 2,000,000 radio receivers; 810,000 TV receivers; 769,140 telephones; stations--69 AM, 42 FM, 24 TV (1984)
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; paramilitary National Guard; police force of 10,050 men and women (1984) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Qatar - Geography Total area: 11,000 km2; land area: 11,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: 60 km total; Saudi Arabia 40 km, UAE 20 km
Coastline: 563 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive fishing zone: as delimited with neighboring states, or to limit of shelf, or to median line;
Extended economic zone: to median line;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: boundary with UAE is in dispute; territorial dispute with Bahrain over the Hawar Islands
Climate: desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer
Terrain: mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, fish
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 95% other
Environment: haze, duststorms, sandstorms common; limited freshwater resources mean increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
Note: strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major crude oil sources
- People Population: 490,897 (July 1990), growth rate 5.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 3 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 38 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 25 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Qatari(s); adjective--Qatari
Ethnic divisions: 40% Arab, 18% Pakistani, 18% Indian, 10% Iranian, 14% other
Religion: 95% Muslim
Language: Arabic (official); English is commonly used as second language
Literacy: 40%
Labor force: 104,000; 85% non-Qatari in private sector (1983)
Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
- Government Long-form name: State of Qatar
Type: traditional monarchy
Capital: Doha
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)
Constitution: provisional constitution enacted 2 April 1970
Legal system: discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal matters
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
Executive branch: amir, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--Amir and Prime Minister Khalifa bin Hamad Al THANI (since 22 February 1972); Heir Apparent Hamad bin Khalifa AL THANI (appointed 31 May 1977; son of Amir)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: none
Elections: Advisory Council--constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no elections have been held; seats--(30 total)
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hamad Abd al-Aziz AL-KAWARI, Chancery at Suite 1180, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 338-0111; US--Ambassador Mark G. HAMBLEY; Embassy at Fariq Bin Omran (opposite the television station), Doha (mailing address is P. O. Box 2399, Doha); telephone [974] 864701 through 864703
Flag: maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side
- Economy Overview: Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for 90% of export earnings and more than 80% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.3 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for about 25 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP of about $17,000, among the highest in the world.
GDP: $5.4 billion, per capita $17,070; real growth rate 9.0% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $3.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88 est.)
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--petroleum products 90%, steel, fertilizers; partners--France, FRG, Italy, Japan, Spain
Imports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.), excluding military equipment; commodities--foodstuffs, beverages, animal and vegetable oils, chemicals, machinery and equipment; partners--EC, Japan, Arab countries, US, Australia
External debt: $1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.6% (1987)
Electricity: 1,514,000 kW capacity; 4,000 million kWh produced, 8,540 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel, cement
Agriculture: farming and grazing on small scale, less than 2% of GDP; commercial fishing increasing in importance; most food imported
Aid: donor--pledged $2.7 billion in ODA to less developed countries (1979- 88)
Currency: Qatari riyal (plural--riyals); 1 Qatari riyal (QR) = 100 dirhams
Exchange rates: Qatari riyals (QR) per US$1--3.6400 riyals (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: 1,500 km total; 1,000 km bituminous, 500 km gravel or natural surface (est.)
Pipelines: crude oil, 235 km; natural gas, 400 km
Ports: Doha, Musayid, Halul Island
Merchant marine: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 273,318 GRT/420,227 DWT; includes 7 cargo, 3 container, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; none with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern system centered in Doha; 110,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Department
Military manpower: males 15-49, 255,474; 120,614 fit for military service; 3,982 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Reunion (overseas department of France) - Geography Total area: 2,510 km2; land area: 2,500 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 201 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Natural resources: fish, arable land
Land use: 20% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 39% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: periodic devastating cyclones
Note: located 750 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
- People Population: 595,583 (July 1990), growth rate 1.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 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: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Reunionese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Reunionese
Ethnic divisions: most of the population is of intermixed French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, and Indian ancestry
Religion: 94% Roman Catholic
Language: French (official); Creole widely used
Literacy: NA%, but over 80% among younger generation
Labor force: NA; 30% agriculture, 21% industry, 49% services (1981); 63% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: General Confederation of Workers of Reunion (CGTR)
- Government Long-form name: Department of Reunion
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Saint-Denis
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French law
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: French president, Commissioner of the Republic
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council, unicameral Regional Council
Judicial branch: Court of Appeals (Cour d'appel)
Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN (since September 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Francois Mas; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Gilbert Gerard; Communist Party of Reunion (PCR); France-Reunion Future (FRA), Andre Thien Ah Koon; Socialist Party (PS), Jean-Claude Fruteau; Social Democrats (CDS), other small parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Regional Council--last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held March 1991); results--RPR/UDF 36.8%, PCR 28.2%, FRA and other right wing 17.3%, PS 14.1%, other 3.6%; seats--(45 total) RPR/UDF 18, PCR 13, FRA and other right wing 8, PS 6;
French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(3 total) RPR-UDF 1, PS 1, independent 1;
French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(5 total) PCR 2, RPR 1, UDF-CDS 1, FRA 1
Communists: Communist party small but has support among sugarcane cutters, the minuscule Popular Movement for the Liberation of Reunion (MPLR), and in the district of Le Port
Member of: WFTU
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, Reunionese interests are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture. Sugarcane has been the primary crop for more than a century, and in some years it accounts for 85% of exports. The government is pushing the development of a tourist industry to relieve a high unemployment rate that was over 30% in 1986. The economic well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from France.
GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $4,290 (1985); real growth rate 9% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 32.0%; high seasonal unemployment (1986)
Budget: revenues $358 million; expenditures $914 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986)
Exports: $136 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--sugar 75%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 4%, vanilla and tea 1%; partners--France, Mauritius, Bahrain, S. Africa, Italy
Imports: $1.1 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products; partners--France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
External debt: NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 245,000 kW capacity; 546 million kWh produced, 965 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sugar, rum, cigarettes, several small shops producing handicraft items
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of labor force; dominant sector of economy; cash crops--sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco; food crops--tropical fruits, vegetables, corn; imports large share of food needs
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $13.5 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: 2,800 km total; 2,200 km paved, 600 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized earth
Ports: Pointe des Galets
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate system for needs; modern open-wire line and radio relay network; principal center Saint-Denis; radiocommunication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new radio relay route to Mauritius; 85,900 telephones; stations--3 AM, 13 FM, 1 (18 relays) TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Military manpower: males 15-49, 158,812; 82,400 fit for military service; 6,075 reach military age (18) annually
Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Romania - Geography Total area: 237,500 km2; land area: 230,340 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: 2,904 km total; Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, USSR 1,307 km, Yugoslavia 546 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Transylvania question with Hungary; Bessarabia question with USSR
Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms
Terrain: central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Natural resources: crude oil (reserves being exhausted), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt
Land use: 43% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures; 28% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes 11% irrigated
Environment: frequent earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides, air pollution in south
Note: controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans and western USSR
- People Population: 23,273,285 (July 1990), growth rate 0.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Romanian(s); adjective--Romanian
Ethnic divisions: 89.1% Romanian; 7.8% Hungarian; 1.5% German; 1.6% Ukrainian, Serb, Croat, Russian, Turk, and Gypsy
Religion: 80% Romanian Orthodox; 6% Roman Catholic; 4% Calvinist, Lutheran, Jewish, Baptist
Language: Romanian, Hungarian, German
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 10,690,000; 34% industry, 28% agriculture, 38% other (1987)
Organized labor: until December 1989, a single trade union system organized by the General Confederation of Romanian Trade Unions (UGSR) under control of the Communist Party; since Ceausescu's overthrow, newly-created trade and professional trade unions are joining two rival umbrella organizations--Organization of Free Trade Unions and Fratia (Brotherhood)
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: former Communist state; current multiparty provisional government has scheduled a general democratic election for 20 May 1990
Capital: Bucharest
Administrative divisions: 40 counties (judete, singular--judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea
Independence: 1881 (from Turkey); republic proclaimed 30 December 1947
Constitution: 21 August 1965; new constitution being drafted
Legal system: former mixture of civil law system and Communist legal theory that increasingly reflected Romanian traditions is being revised; Communist regime had not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; Provisional Council of National Unity will probably accept ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Liberation Day, 23 August (1944); new national day to commemorate popular anti-Ceausescu uprising under discussion
Executive branch: president, vice president, prime minister, and Council of Ministers (cabinet) appointed by provisional government
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or House of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
Leaders: Chief of State--President of Provisional Council of National Unity Ion ILIESCU (since 23 December 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister of Council of Ministers Petre ROMAN (since 23 December 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party, Sergiu Cunescu; National Liberal Party, Radu Cimpeanu; National Christian Peasants Party, Corneliu Coposu; Free Democratic Social Justice Party, Gheorghe Susana; several others being formed; Communist Party has ceased to exist; formation of left-wing parties is uncertain
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Senate--elections for the new upper house to be held 20 May 1990;
House of Deputies--elections for the new lower house to be held 20 May 1990
Communists: 3,400,000 (November 1984); Communist Party has ceased to exist
Member of: CCC, CEMA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, ITC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw Pact, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Virgil CONSTANTINESCU; Chancery at 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-4747; US--Ambassador Alan GREEN, Jr., recalled to Washington May 1990; Embassy at Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest (mailing address is APO New York 09213); telephone [40] (0) 10-40-40
Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band, has been removed; now similar to the flags of Andorra and Chad
- Economy Overview: Industry, which accounts for one-third of the labor force and generates over half the GNP, suffers from an aging capital plant and persistent shortages of energy. In recent years the agricultural sector has had to contend with drought, mismanagement, and shortages of inputs. Favorable weather in 1989 helped produce a good harvest, although far below government claims. The new government is slowly loosening the tight central controls of Ceausescu's command economy. It has instituted moderate land reforms, with close to one-third of cropland now in private hands, and it has allowed changes in prices for private agricultural output. Also, the new regime is permitting the establishment of private enterprises of 20 or fewer employees in services, handicrafts, and small-scale industry. Furthermore, the government has halted the old policy of diverting food from domestic consumption to hard currency export markets. So far, the government does not seem willing to adopt a thorough-going market system.
GNP: $79.8 billion, per capita $3,445; real growth rate - 1.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0% (1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $26 billion; expenditures $21.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $13.6 billion (1987)
Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--machinery and equipment 34.7%, fuels, minerals and metals 24.7%, manufactured consumer goods 16.9%, agricultural materials and forestry products 11.9%, other 11.6% (1986); partners--USSR 27%, Eastern Europe 23%, EC 15%, US 5%, China 4% (1987)
Imports: $8.75 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--fuels, minerals, and metals 51.0%, machinery and equipment 26.7%, agricultural and forestry products 11.0%, manufactured consumer goods 4.2% (1986); partners--Communist countries 60%, non-Communist countries 40% (1987)
External debt: none (mid-1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.6% (1988)
Electricity: 22,640,000 kW capacity; 80,000 million kWh produced, 3,440 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine building, food processing, petroleum
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP and 28% of labor force; major wheat and corn producer; other products--sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, milk, eggs, meat, grapes
Aid: donor--$4.3 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1956-88)
Currency: leu (plural--lei); 1 leu (L) = 100 bani
Exchange rates: lei (L) per US$1--20.96 (February 1990), 14.922 (1989), 14.277 (1988), 14.557 (1987), 16.153 (1986), 17.141 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 11,221 km total; 10,755 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 421 km narrow gauge, 45 km broad gauge; 3,328 km electrified, 3,060 km double track; government owned (1986)
Highways: 72,799 km total; 15,762 km concrete, asphalt, stone block; 20,208 km asphalt treated; 27,729 km gravel, crushed stone, and other paved surfaces; 9,100 km unpaved roads (1985)
Inland waterways: 1,724 km (1984)
Pipelines: 2,800 km crude oil; 1,429 km refined products; 6,400 km natural gas
Ports: Constanta, Galati, Braila, Mangalia; inland ports are Giurgiu, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Orsova
Merchant marine: 282 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,313,320 GRT/5,134,335 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 184 cargo, 1 container, 1 rail-car carrier, 14 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 livestock carrier, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 69 bulk
Civil air: 70 major transport aircraft
Airports: 165 total, 165 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 15 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--39 AM, 30 FM, 38 TV; 3,910,000 TV sets; 3,225,000 radio receivers; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Romanian Army, Security Troops, Air and Air Defense Forces, Romanian Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49, 5,736,783; 4,860,427 fit for military service; 193,537 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 11.8 billion lei, 2.8% 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: Rwanda - Geography Total area: 26,340 km2; land area: 24,950 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries: 893 km total; Burundi 290 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km, Zaire 217 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Terrain: mostly grassy uplands and hills; mountains in west
Natural resources: gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), natural gas, hydropower
Land use: 29% arable land; 11% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 10% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; periodic droughts
Note: landlocked
- People Population: 7,609,119 (July 1990), growth rate 3.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 53 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: 113 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 54 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 8.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun and adjective--Rwandan(s)
Ethnic divisions: Hutu 90%, Tutsi 9%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
Religion: Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 25%
Language: Kinyarwanda, French (official); Kiswahili used in commercial centers
Literacy: 46.6%
Labor force: 3,600,000; 93% agriculture, 5% government and services, 2% industry and commerce; 49% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Rwanda
Type: republic; presidential system in which military leaders hold key offices
Capital: Kigali
Administrative divisions: 10 prefectures (prefectures, singular--prefecture in French; plural--NA, singular--prefegitura in Kinyarwanda); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Rigali, Ruhengeri
Constitution: 17 December 1978
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Development Council (Conseil pour le Developpement National)
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (consists of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State in joint session)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Maj. Gen. Juvenal HABYARIMANA (since 5 July 1973)
Political parties and leaders: only party--National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND), Maj. Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana (officially a development movement, not a party)
Suffrage: universal adult, exact age NA
Elections: President--last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results--President Maj. Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana reelected;
National Development Council--last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results--MRND is the only party; seats--(70 total); MRND 70
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, EAMA, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Aloys UWIMANA; Chancery at 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 232-2882; US--Ambassador Leonard H. O. SPEARMAN, Sr.; Embassy at Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali (mailing address is B. P. 28, Kigali); telephone [205] 75601 through 75603 or 72126 through 72128
Flag: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green with a large black letter R centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow band
- Economy Overview: About 40% of GDP comes from the agricultural sector; coffee and tea make up 80-90% of total exports. The amount of fertile land is limited, however, and deforestation and soil erosion have created problems. The industrial sector in Rwanda is small, contributing less than 20% to GDP. Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing of agricultural products. The Rwandan economy remains dependent on coffee exports and foreign aid, with no relief in sight. Weak international prices since 1986 have caused the economy to contract and per capita GDP to decline.
GDP: $2.3 billion, per capita $325; real growth rate - 2.5% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $413 million; expenditures $522 million, including capital expenditures of $230 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $118 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coffee 85%, tea, tin, cassiterite, wolframite, pyrethrum; partners--FRG, Belgium, Italy, Uganda, UK, France, US
Imports: $278 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--textiles, foodstuffs, machines and equipment, capital goods, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material; partners--US, Belgium, FRG, Kenya, Japan
External debt: $645 million (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.2% (1988)
Electricity: 26,000 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced, 15 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining of cassiterite (tin ore) and wolframite (tungsten ore), tin, cement, agricultural processing, small-scale beverage production, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Agriculture: cash crops--coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums); main food crops--bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; stock raising; self-sufficiency declining; country imports foodstuffs as farm production fails to keep up with a 3.8% annual growth in population
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $118 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $45 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $58 million
Currency: Rwandan franc (plural--francs); 1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1--78.99 (December 1989), 79.98 (1989), 76.45 (1988), 79.67 (1987), 87.64 (1986), 101.26 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 4,885 km total; 460 km paved, 1,725 km gravel and/or improved earth, 2,700 km unimproved
Inland waterways: Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 8 total, 8 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: fair system with low-capacity radio relay system centered on Kigali; 6,600 telephones; stations--2 AM, 5 FM, no TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, paramilitary, Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,586,989; 810,560 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: St. Helena (dependent territory of the UK) - Geography Total area: 410 km2; land area: 410 km2; includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 60 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
Terrain: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
Natural resources: fish; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; no minerals
Land use: 7% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 83% other
Environment: very few perennial streams
Note: Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial; the remains were taken to Paris in 1840
- People Population: 6,657 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGl migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 46 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--St. Helenian(s); adjective--St. Helenian
Ethnic divisions: NA
Religion: Anglican majority; also Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Roman Catholic
Language: English
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: St. Helena General Workers' Union, 472 members; 17% crafts, 10% professional and technical, 10% service, 9% management and clerical, 9% farming and fishing, 6% transport, 5% sales, 1% security, and 33% other
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Jamestown
Administrative divisions: 2 dependencies and 1 administrative area*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution: 1 January 1967
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June), 10 June 1989
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government--Governor and Commander in Chief Robert F. STIMSON (since 1987)
Political parties and leaders: St. Helena Labor Party, G. A. O. Thornton; St. Helena Progressive Party, leader unknown; note--both political parties inactive since 1976
Suffrage: NA
Elections: Legislative Council--last held October 1984 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(15 total, 12 elected) number of seats by party NA
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the St. Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship
- Economy Overview: The economy depends primarily on financial assistance from the UK. The local population earns some income from fishing, the rearing of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, a large proportion of the work force have left to seek employment overseas.
GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 1.1% (1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $3.2 million; expenditures $2.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1984)
Exports: $23.9 thousand (f.o.b., 1984); commodities--fish (frozen skipjack, tuna, salt-dried skipjack), handicrafts; partners--South Africa, UK
Imports: $2.4 million (c.i.f., 1984); commodities--food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts; partners--UK, South Africa
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 9,800 kW capacity; 10 million kWh produced, 1,390 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fish
Agriculture: maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production being developed; crawfishing on Tristan da Cunha
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $168 million
Currency: St. Helenian pound (plural--pounds); 1 St. Helenian pound (LS) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: St. Helenian pounds (LS) per US$1--0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note--the St. Helenian pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: 87 km bitumen-sealed roads, 20 km earth roads on St. Helena; 80 km bitumen-sealed on Ascension; 2.7 km bitumen-sealed on Tristan da Cunha
Ports: Jamestown (St. Helena), Georgetown (Ascension)
Merchant marine: 1 passenger-cargo ship totaling 3,150 GRT/2,264 DWT
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 m on Ascension
Telecommunications: 1,500 radio receivers; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 550 telephones in automatic network; HF radio links to Ascension, then into worldwide submarine cable and satellite networks; major coaxial cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK ---------------------------------------------------- Country: St. Kitts and Nevis - Geography Total area: 360 km2; land area: 360 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 135 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 22% arable land; 17% permanent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 17% forest and woodland; 41% other
Environment: subject to hurricanes (July to October)
Note: located 320 km southeast of Puerto Rico
- People Population: 40,157 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1990)
Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent
Nationality: noun--Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s); adjective--Kittsian, Nevisian
Religion: Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic
Language: English
Literacy: 80%
Labor force: 20,000 (1981)
Organized labor: 6,700
- Government Long-form name: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Basseterre
Administrative divisions: 14 parishs; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capisterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capisterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point
Independence: 19 September 1983 (from UK)
Constitution: 19 September 1983
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (sometimes referred to as the National Assembly)
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clement Athelston ARRINDELL (since 19 September 1983, previously Governor General of the Associated State since November 1981);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS (since 19 September 1983, previously Premier of the Associated State since February 1980); Deputy Prime Minister Michael Oliver POWELL (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: People's Action Movement (PAM), Kennedy Simmonds; St. Kitts and Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP), Lee Moore; Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), Simeon Daniel; Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance Amory
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: House of Assembly--last held 21 March 1989 (next to be held by 21 March 1994); seats--(14 total, 11 elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2, NRP 2, CCM 1
Communists: none known
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, Commonwealth, FAO, IBRD, IMF, ISO, OAS, OECS, UN
Diplomatic representation: Minister-Counselor (Deputy Chief of Mission), Charge d'Affaires ad interim Erstein M. EDWARDS; Chancery at Suite 540, 2501 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 833-3550; US--none
Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red
- Economy Overview: The economy has historically depended on the growing and processing of sugarcane and on remittances from overseas workers. In recent years, tourism and export-oriented manufacturing have assumed larger roles.
GDP: $119 million, per capita $3,240; real growth rate 6% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 20-25% (1987)
Budget: revenues $38.5 million; expenditures $45.0 million, including capital expenditures of $15.8 million (1988)
Exports: $30.3 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--sugar, manufactures, postage stamps; partners--US 44%, UK 30%, Trinidad and Tobago 12% (1987)
Imports: $94.7 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, intermediate manufactures, machinery, fuels; partners--US 35%, UK 18%, Trinidad and Tobago 10%, Canada 6%, Japan 4% (1987)
External debt: $27.6 million (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.8% (1986)
Electricity: 15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 1,120 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; cash crop--sugarcane; subsistence crops--rice, yams, bananas; fishing potential not fully exploited; most food imported
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $13.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $46 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 58 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge on St. Kitts for sugarcane
Highways: 300 km total; 125 km paved, 125 km otherwise improved, 50 km unimproved earth
Ports: Basseterre (St. Kitts), Charlestown (Nevis)
Civil air: no 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: good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and St. Martin; 2,400 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 4 TV
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: St. Lucia - Geography Total area: 620 km2; land area: 610 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 158 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August
Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Natural resources: forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Land use: 8% arable land; 20% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 13% forest and woodland; 54% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion
Note: located 700 km southeast of Puerto Rico
- People Population: 153,196 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 33 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: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--St. Lucian(s); adjective--St. Lucian
Ethnic divisions: 90.3% African descent, 5.5% mixed, 3.2% East Indian, 0.8% Caucasian
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic, 7% Protestant, 3% Anglican
Language: English (official), French patois
Literacy: 78%
Labor force: 43,800; 43.4% agriculture, 38.9% services, 17.7% industry and commerce (1983 est.)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Castries
Administrative divisions: 11 parishes; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)
Constitution: 22 February 1979
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
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 Assembly
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988);
Head of Government--Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since 3 May 1982)
Political parties and leaders: United Workers' Party (UWP), John Compton; St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian Hunte; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George Odlum
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Assembly--last held 6 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7
Communists: negligible
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, NAM, OAS, OECS, PAHO, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS; Chancery at Suite 309, 2100 M Street NW, Washington DC 30037; telephone (202) 463-7378 or 7379; there is a St. Lucian Consulate General in New York; US--none
Flag: blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
- Economy Overview: Since 1983 the economy has shown an impressive average annual growth rate of almost 5% because of strong agricultural and tourist industry sectors. There is also an expanding industrial base supported by foreign investment in manufacturing and other activities, such as in data processing. The economy, however, remains vulnerable because the important agricultural sector is dominated by banana production. St. Lucia is subject to periodic droughts and/or tropical storms, and its protected market agreement with the UK for bananas may end in 1992.
GDP: $172 million, per capita $1,258; real growth rate 6.8% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.0% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 18.6% (1986)
Budget: revenues $71.7 million; expenditures $79.3 million, including capital expenditures of $19.6 million (1987)
Exports: $76.8 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--bananas 67%, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil, clothing; partners--UK 55%, CARICOM 21%, US 18%, other 6%
Imports: $178.1 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--manufactured goods 22%, machinery and transportation equipment 21%, food and live animals 20%, mineral fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fertilizers, petroleum products; partners--US 33%, UK 16%, CARICOM 14.8%, Japan 6.5%, other 29.7%
External debt: $39.5 million (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.4% (1987)
Electricity: 20,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops--bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist industry
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $4 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $93 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal Year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: 760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km otherwise improved
Ports: Castries
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439
Telecommunications: fully automatic telephone system; 9,500 telephones; direct radio relay link with Martinique and St. Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland troposcatter link to Barbados; stations--4 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (cable)
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal St. Lucia Police Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: St. Pierre and Miquelon (territorial collectivity of France) - Geography Total area: 242 km2; land area: 242 km2; includes eight small islands in the St. Pierre and the Miquelon groups
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 120 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France
Climate: cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy
Terrain: mostly barren rock
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use: 13% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 83% other
Environment: vegetation scanty
Note: located 25 km south of Newfoundland, Canada, in the North Atlantic Ocean
- People Population: 6,330 (July 1990), growth rate 0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 17 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: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective--French
Ethnic divisions: originally Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Religion: 98% Roman Catholic
Language: French
Literacy: NA%, but compulsory education between 6 and 16 years of age
Labor force: 2,510 (1982)
Organized labor: Workers' Force trade union
- Government Long-form name: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Type: territorial collectivity of France
Capital: St. Pierre
Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Independence: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French law
National holiday: National Day, 14 July
Executive branch: commissioner of the Republic
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council
Judicial branch: Superior Tribunal of Appeals (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Pierre MARQUIE (since February 1989); President of the General Council Marc PLANTEGENEST (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party (PS); Union for French Democracy (UDF/CDS), Gerard Grignon
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: General Council--last held September-October 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(19 total) Socialist and other left-wing parties 13, UDF and right-wing parties 6;
French President--last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held May 1995); results--(second ballot) Jacques Chirac 56%, Francois Mitterrand 44%;
French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) PS 1;
French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) UDF/CDS 1
Diplomatic representation: as a territorial collectivity of France, local interests are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, because the number of ships stopping at St. Pierre has steadily dropped over the years. In March 1989, an agreement between France and Canada set fish quotas for St. Pierre's trawlers fishing in Canadian and Canadian-claimed waters for three years. The agreement settles a longstanding dispute that had virtually brought fish exports to a halt. The islands are heavily subsidized by France. Imports come primarily from Canada.
GDP: $NA, per capita $2,495 (1984); real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 13.3% (1987)
Budget: revenues $NA million; expenditures $13.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
Exports: $23.3 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--fish and fish products, fox and mink pelts; partners--US 58%, France 17%, UK 11%, Canada, Portugal
Imports: $50.3 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials; partners--Canada, France, US, Netherlands, UK
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 10,000 kW capacity; 25 million kWh produced, 3,970 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fishing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
Agriculture: vegetables, cattle, sheep and pigs for local consumption; fish catch, 14,750 metric tons (1986)
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $477 million
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: 120 km total; 60 kM paved (1985)
Ports: St. Pierre
Civil air: Air Saint-Pierre
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways, none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 3,601 telephones; stations--1 AM, 3 FM, no TV; radiotelecommunication with most countries in the world; 1 satellite earth station in French domestic system
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Geography Total area: 340 km2; land area: 340 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 84 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island of St. Vincent
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 38% arable land; 12% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 41% forest and woodland; 3% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat
Note: some islands of the Grenadines group are administered by Grenada
- People Population: 112,646 (July 1990), growth rate 1.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 32 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 72 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--St. Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s); adjectives--St. Vincentian or Vincentian
Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent; remainder mixed, with some white, East Indian, Carib Indian
Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: English, some French patois
Literacy: 82%
Labor force: 67,000 (1984 est.)
Organized labor: 10% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Kingstown
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
Independence: 27 October 1979 (from UK)
Constitution: 27 October 1979
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (includes 15 elected representatives and six appointed senators)
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 Septermber 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984)
Political parties and leaders: New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) Mitchell; St. Vincent Labor Party (SVLP), Vincent Beach; United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian Saunders; Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph Gonsalves; National Reform Party (NRP), Joel Miguel
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Assembly--last held 16 May 1989 (next to be held July 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(15 total) NDP 15
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IMO, OAS, OECS, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern
- Economy Overview: Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of the economy, providing employment for over 60% of the labor force and contributing about 20% to GDP. The services sector is next in importance, based mostly on a growing tourist industry. The economy continues to have a high unemployment rate of 30% because of an overdependence on the weather-plagued banana crop as a major export earner. Government progress toward diversifying into new industries has been relatively unsuccessful.
GDP: $136 million, per capita $1,305; real growth rate 8.4% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 30% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $42.7 million; expenditures $67.5 million, including capital expenditures of $25.8 (FY88)
Exports: $63.8 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, copra; partners--CARICOM 60%, UK 27%, US 10%
Imports: $87.3 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels; partners--US 37%, CARICOM 18%, UK 13%
External debt: $35 million (July 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.2% (1986)
Electricity: 16,600 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 610 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing (sugar, flour), cement, furniture, rum, starch, sheet metal, beverage
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP and 60% of labor force; provides bulk of exports; products--bananas, arrowroot (world's largest producer), coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats; small fish catch used locally
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $71 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Highways: about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unimproved
Ports: Kingstown
Merchant marine: 175 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,305,945 GRT/2,029,935 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 1 passenger cargo, 103 cargo, 10 container, 8 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 refrigerated cargo, 9 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 28 bulk, 4 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: islandwide fully automatic telephone system; 6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF interisland links to Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF links to Grenada and St. Lucia; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV (cable)
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: San Marino - Geography Total area: 60 km2; land area: 60 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundary: 39 km with Italy
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers
Terrain: rugged mountains
Natural resources: building stones
Land use: 17% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 83% other
Environment: dominated by the Appenines
Note: landlocked; world's smallest republic; enclave of Italy
- People Population: 23,123 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 8 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Sanmarinese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Sanmarinese
Ethnic divisions: Sanmarinese, Italian
Religion: Roman Catholic
Language: Italian
Literacy: 97%
Labor force: about 4,300
Organized labor: Democratic Federation of Sanmarinese Workers (affiliated with ICFTU) has about 1,800 members; Communist-dominated General Federation of Labor, 1,400 members
- Government Long-form name: Republic of San Marino
Type: republic
Capital: San Marino
Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (castelli, singular--castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Monte Giardino, San Marino, Serravalle
Independence: 301 (by tradition)
Constitution: 8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution
Legal system: based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Foundation of the Republic, 3 September
Executive branch: two captains regent, Congress of State (cabinet); real executive power is wielded by the secretary of state for foreign affairs and the secretary of state for internal affairs
Legislative branch: unicameral Grand and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale)
Judicial branch: Council of Twelve (Consiglio dei XII)
Leaders: Co-Chiefs of State and Co-Heads of Government--Captain Regent Salvatori REVES (since April 1989) and Captain Regent Luciano CARDELLI (since April 1989); Captains Regent are elected for six-month terms
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DCS), Gabriele Gatti; Communist Party (PCS), Gilberto Ghiotti; Socialist Unity Party (PSU), Emilio Della Balda and Patrizia Busignani; San Marino Socialist Party (PSS), Antonio Volpinari; San Marino Social Democratic Party (PSDS), Augusto Casali; San Marino Republican Party (PRS), Cristoforo Buscarini
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Grand and General Council--last held 29 May 1988 (next to be held by May 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(60 total) DCS 27, PCS 18, PSU 8, PSS 7
Communists: about 300 members; the PCS, in conjunction with the PSS, PSU, and PSDS, has led the government since 1978
Other political parties or pressure groups: political parties influenced by policies of their counterparts in Italy
Member of: ICJ, ITU, IRC, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WTO; observer status in NAM
Diplomatic representation: San Marino maintains honorary Consulates General in Washington and New York, and an honorary Consulate in Detroit; US--no mission in San Marino, but the Consul General in Florence (Italy) is accredited to San Marino; Consulate General at 38 Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci, Florence, Italy (mailing address is APO NY 09019); telephone [39] (55) 298-276
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty)
- Economy Overview: The economy relies heavily on the tourist industry as a source of revenue. More than 2 million tourists visit each year, contributing about 60% to GDP. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is another important income producer. The manufacturing sector employs nearly 40% of the labor force and agriculture less than 4%. The per capita level of output and standard of living are comparable to northern Italy.
GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.4% (1986)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% (1985)
Budget: revenues $99.2 million; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1983)
Exports: trade data are included with the statistics for Italy; commodity trade consists primarily of exchanging building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, and ceramics for a wide variety of consumer manufactures
Imports: see Exports
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: supplied by Italy
Industries: wine, olive oil, cement, leather, textile, tourist
Agriculture: employs less than 4% of labor force; products--wheat, grapes, corn, olives, meat, cheese, hides; small numbers of cattle, pigs, horses; depends on Italy for food imports
Aid: NA
Currency: Italian lira (plural--lire); 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi; also mints its own coins
Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1--1,262.5 (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 Highways: 104 km
Telecommunications: automatic telephone system; 11,700 telephones; stations--no AM, 20 FM, no TV; radio relay and cable links into Italian networks; no communication satellite facilities
- Defense Forces Branches: public security or police force of less than 50 people
Military manpower: all fit men ages 16-60 constitute a militia that can serve as an army
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Sao Tome and Principe - Geography Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 209 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 1% arable land; 20% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 75% forest and woodland; 3% other
Environment: deforestation; soil erosion
Note: located south of Nigeria and west of Gabon near the Equator in the North Atlantic Ocean
- People Population: 124,765 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 38 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: 61 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Sao Tomean(s); adjective--Sao Tomean
Ethnic divisions: mestico, angolares (descendents of Angolan slaves), forros (descendents of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), and Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
Religion: Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: Portuguese (official)
Literacy: 50% (est.)
Labor force: 21,096 (1981); most of population engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; labor shortages on plantations and of skilled workers; 56% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
Type: republic
Capital: Sao Tome
Administrative divisions: 2 districts (concelhos, singular--concelho); Principe, Sao Tome
Independence: 12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Constitution: 5 November 1975, approved 15 December 1982
Legal system: based on Portuguese law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly, sometimes referred to as the National Popular Assembly (Assembleia Popular Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--President Dr. Manuel Pinto da COSTA (since 12 July 1975);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Celestino Rocha da COSTA (since 8 January 1988)
Political parties and leaders: only party--Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe (MLSTP), Dr. Manuel Pinto da Costa
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President--last held 30 September 1985 (next to be held September 1990); results--President Dr. Manuel Pinto da Costa was reelected without opposition by the National People's Assembly;
National People's Assembly--last held 30 September 1985 (next to be held September 1990); results--MLSTP is the only party; seats--(40 total) MLSTP 40 (indirectly elected)
Member of: ACP, AfDB, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Joaquim Rafael BRANCO; Chancery (temporary) at 801 Second Avenue, Suite 1504, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 697-4211; US--the US Ambassador in Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands
Flag: three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
- Economy Overview: The economy has remained dependent on cocoa since the gained independence nearly 15 years ago. Since then, however, cocoa production has gradually deteriorated because of drought and mismanagement, so that by 1987 output had fallen to less than 50% of its former levels. As a result, a shortage of cocoa for export has created a serious balance-of-payments problem. Production of less important crops, such as coffee, copra, and palm kernels, has also declined. The value of imports generally exceeds that of exports by a ratio of 4 to 1. The emphasis on cocoa production at the expense of other food crops has meant that Sao Tome has to import 90% of food needs. It also has to import all fuels and most manufactured goods. Over the years, Sao Tome has been unable to service its external debt, which amounts to roughly 80% of export earnings. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also implemented a Five-Year Plan covering 1986-90 to restructure the economy and reschedule external debt service payments in cooperation with the International Development Association and Western lenders.
GDP: $37.9 million, per capita $340; real growth rate 1.8% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2% (1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $19.2 million; expenditures $25.1 million, including capital expenditures of $19.9 million (1987)
Exports: $9.1 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--cocoa 90%, copra, coffee, palm oil; partners--FRG, GDR, Netherlands, China
Imports: $17.3 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--machinery and electrical equipment 59%, food products 32%, fuels 9%; partners--Portugal, GDR, Angola, China
External debt: $95 million (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.1% (1986)
Electricity: 6,000 kW capacity; 12 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: light construction, shirts, soap, beer, fisheries, shrimp processing
Agriculture: dominant sector of economy, primary source of exports; cash crops--cocoa (90%), coconuts, palm kernels, coffee; food products--bananas, papaya, beans, poultry, fish; not self-sufficient in food grain and meat
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $7 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), 41.9 million
Currency: dobra (plural--dobras); 1 dobra (Db) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: dobras (Db) per US$1--122.48 (December 1988), 72.827 (1987), 36.993 (1986), 41.195 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 300 km (two-thirds are paved); roads on Principe are mostly unpaved and in need of repair
Ports: Sao Tome, Santo Antonio
Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: minimal system; 2,200 telephones; stations--1 AM, 2 FM, no TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49, 27,805; 14,662 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.6% of GDP (1980) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Saudi Arabia - Geography Total area: 2,149,690 km2; land area: 2,149,690 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than one-fourth the size of US
Land boundaries: 4,410 km total; Iraq 488 km, Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone 198 km, Jordan 742 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 40 km, UAE 586 km, PDRY 830 km, YAR 628 km
Coastline: 2,510 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive fishing zone: not specific;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: no defined boundaries with PDRY, UAE, and YAR; shares Neutral Zone with Iraq--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; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate: harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature
Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 39% meadows and pastures; 1% forest and woodland; 59% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: no perennial rivers or permanent water bodies; developing extensive coastal seawater desalination facilities; desertification
Note: extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
- People Population: 17,115,728 (July 1990), growth rate 4.4% (1990); note--the population figure is based on growth since the last official Saudi census of 1974 reported a total of 7 million persons and includes foreign workers, while estimates from other sources may be 15-30% lower
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 13 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 71 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Saudi(s); adjective--Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Ethnic divisions: 90% Arab, 10% Afro-Asian
Religion: 100% Muslim
Language: Arabic
Literacy: 52%
Labor force: 4,200,000; about 60% are foreign workers; 34% government, 28% industry and oil, 22% services, and 16% agriculture
Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
- Government Long-form name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Type: monarchy
Capital: Riyadh
Administrative divisions: 14 emirates (imarat, singular--imarah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Al Qurayyat, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah, Asir, Hail, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Independence: 23 September 1932 (unification)
Constitution: none; governed according to Sharia (Islamic law)
Legal system: based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
Executive branch: monarch and prime minister, crown prince and deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: none
Judicial branch: Supreme Council of Justice
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the King, appointed heir to the throne 13 June 1982)
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Communists: negligible
Member of: Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador BANDAR Bin Sultan; Chancery at 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-3800; there are Saudi Arabian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, and New York; US--Ambassador Charles W. FREEMAN; Embassy at Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh (mailing address is P. O. Box 9041, Riyadh 11143, or APO New York 09038); telephone [966] (1) 488-3800; there are US Consulates General in Dhahran and Jiddah (Jeddah)
Flag: green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam
- Economy Overview: By far the most important economic activity is the production of petroleum and petroleum products. The petroleum sector accounts for about 85% of budget revenues, 80% of GDP, and almost all export earnings. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world, is the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. Oil wealth has provided a per capita GDP that is comparable to most industrialized countries. Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries where consumer prices have been dropping or showing little change in recent years.
GDP: $73 billion, per capita $4,720; real growth rate 3.2% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 0% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $31.5 billion; expenditures $38.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
Exports: $24.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum and petroleum products 89%; partners--Japan 26%, US 26%, France 6%, Bahrain 6%
Imports: $21.8 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--manufactured goods, transportation equipment, construction materials, processed food products; partners--US 20%, Japan 18%, UK 16%, Italy 11%
External debt: $18.9 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.1% (1980-86)
Electricity: 25,066,000 kW capacity; 50,000 million kWh produced, 3,100 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, small steel-rolling mill, construction, fertilizer, plastic
Agriculture: accounts for about 10% of GDP, 16% of labor force; fastest growing economic sector; subsidized by government; products--wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus fruit, mutton, chickens, eggs, milk; approaching self-sufficiency in food
Aid: donor--pledged $64.7 billion in bilateral aid (1979-89)
Currency: Saudi riyal (plural--riyals); 1 Saudi riyal (SR) = 100 halalas
Exchange rates: Saudi riyals (SR) per US$1--3.7450 (fixed rate since late 1986), 3.7033 (1986), 3.6221 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 886 km 1.435-meter standard gauge
Highways: 74,000 km total; 35,000 km bituminous, 39,000 km gravel and improved earth
Pipelines: 6,400 km crude oil; 150 km refined products; 2,200 km natural gas, includes 1,600 km of natural gas liquids
Ports: Jiddah, Ad Dammam, Ras Tanura, Jizan, Al Jubayl, Yanbu al Bahr, Yanbu al Sinaiyah
Merchant marine: 94 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,988,322 GRT/3,474,788 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 6 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger-cargo, 15 cargo, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 container, 6 refrigerated cargo, 4 livestock carrier, 32 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 1 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 3 bulk
Civil air: 182 major transport aircraft available
Airports: 204 total, 179 usable; 66 with permanent-surface runways; 13 with runways over 3,659 m; 33 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 98 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good system with extensive microwave and coaxial cable systems; 1,624,000 telephones; stations--21 AM, 16 FM, 97 TV; radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, YAR, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait; submarine cable to Djibouti and Egypt; satellite earth stations--3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Saudi Arabian Land Forces, Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Royal Saudi Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Defense Force, Saudi Arabian National Guard, Coast Guard and Frontier Forces, Special Security Force, Public Security Force, Special Emergency Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 6,437,039; 3,606,344 fit for military service; 159,186 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 16.9% of GDP, or $12.3 billion (1990 est.) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Senegal - Geography Total area: 196,190 km2; land area: 192,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries: 2,640 km total; The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: short section of the boundary with The Gambia is indefinite; the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rendered its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary in favor of Senegal--that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau; boundary with Mauritania
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (December to April) has strong southeast winds; dry season (May to November) dominated by hot, dry harmattan wind
Terrain: generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore
Land use: 27% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 30% meadows and pastures; 31% forest and woodland; 12% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: lowlands seasonally flooded; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Note: The Gambia is almost an enclave
- People Population: 7,713,851 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male, 56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Senegalese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Senegalese
Ethnic divisions: 36% Wolof, 17% Fulani, 17% Serer, 9% Toucouleur, 9% Diola, 9% Mandingo, 1% European and Lebanese, 2% other
Religion: 92% Muslim, 6% indigenous beliefs, 2% Christian (mostly Roman Catholic)
Language: French (official); Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo
Literacy: 28.1%
Labor force: 2,509,000; 77% subsistence agricultural workers; 175,000 wage earners--40% private sector, 60% government and parapublic; 52% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: majority of wage-labor force represented by unions; however, dues-paying membership very limited; major confederation is National Confederation of Senegalese Labor (CNTS), an affiliate of governing party
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Senegal
Type: republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital: Dakar
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular--region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Independence: 4 April 1960 (from France); The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 (effective 1 February 1982) that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989
Constitution: 3 March 1963, last revised in 1984
Legal system: based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court, which also audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
Executive branch: president, 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 Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party (PS), Abdou Diouf; Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), Abdoulaye Wade; 13 other small uninfluential parties
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President--last held 28 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993); results--Abdou Diouf (PS) 73%, Abdoulaye Wade (PDS) 26%, others 1%;
National Assembly--last held 28 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993); results--PS 71%, PDS 25%, others 4%; seats--(120 total) PS 103, PDS 17
Communists: small number of Communists and sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups: students, teachers, labor, Muslim Brotherhoods
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, OMVS (Organization for the Development of the Senegal River Valley), UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ibra Deguene KA; Chancery at 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-0540 or 0541; US--Ambassador George E. MOOSE; Embassy on Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Avenue Kleber, Dakar (mailing address is B. P. 49, Dakar); telephone [221] 21-42-96
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
- Economy Overview: The agricultural sector accounts for about 20% of GDP and provides employment for about 75% of the labor force. About 40% of the total cultivated land is used to grow peanuts, an important export crop. The principal economic resource is fishing, which brought in about $200 million or about 25% of total foreign exchange earnings in 1987. Mining is dominated by the extraction of phosphate, but production has faltered because of reduced worldwide demand for fertilizers in recent years. Over the past 10 years tourism has become increasingly more important to the economy.
GDP: $5.0 billion, per capita $680; real growth rate 5.1% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 1.8% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3.5% (1987)
Budget: revenues $921 million; expenditures $1,024 million; including capital expenditures of $14 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $761 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--manufactures 30%, fish products 27%, peanuts 11%, petroleum products 11%, phosphates 10%; partners--US, France, other EC, Ivory Coast, India
Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--semimanufactures 30%, food 27%, durable consumer goods 17%, petroleum 12%, capital goods 14%; partners--US, France, other EC, Nigeria, Algeria, China, Japan
External debt: $3.8 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.9% (1986)
Electricity: 210,000 kW capacity; 760 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fishing, agricultural processing, phosphate mining, petroleum refining, building materials
Agriculture: including fishing, accounts for 20% of GDP and 75% of labor force; major products--peanuts (cash crop), millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; estimated two-thirds self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 299,000 metric tons in 1987
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $492 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $589 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $295 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 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 1,034 km 1.000-meter gauge; all single track except 70 km double track Dakar to Thies
Highways: 14,000 km total; 3,770 km paved, 10,230 km laterite or improved earth
Inland waterways: 900 km total; 785 km on the Senegal, 115 km on the Saloum
Ports: Dakar, Kaolack