The 1991 CIA World Factbook (part 3 of 5)
Continental shelf: not specific
Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in the Korea Strait)
_#_Disputes: Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan
_#_Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
_#_Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
_#_Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
_#_Land use: arable land 21%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 67%; other 10%; includes irrigated 12%
_#_Environment: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest; air pollution in large cities
_#_Notes: strategic location along the Korea Strait, Sea of Japan, and Yellow Sea
_*_People _#_Population: 43,134,386 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 73 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Korean(s); adjective--Korean
_#_Ethnic divisions: homogeneous; small Chinese minority (about 20,000)
_#_Religion: strong Confucian tradition; vigorous Christian minority (28% of the total population); Buddhism; pervasive folk religion (Shamanism); Chondokyo (religion of the heavenly way), eclectic religion with nationalist overtones founded in 19th century, claims about 1.5 million adherents
_#_Language: Korean; English widely taught in high school
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 99%, female 94%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 16,900,000; 52% services and other; 27% mining and manufacturing; 21% agriculture, fishing, forestry (1987)
_#_Organized labor: about 10% of nonagricultural labor force in government-sanctioned unions
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Korea; abbreviated ROK
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Seoul
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-jikhalsi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*
_#_Independence: 15 August 1948
_#_Constitution: 25 February 1988
_#_Legal system: combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, State Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Kuk Hoe)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President ROH Tae Woo (since 25 February 1988);
Head of Government--Prime Minister CHUNG Won Shik (since 24 May 1991); Deputy Prime Minister CHOI Kak Kyu (since 19 February 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
ruling party--Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), ROH Tae Woo, president, KIM Young Sam, chairman; note--the DLP resulted from a merger of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Reunification Democratic Party (RDP), and New Democratic Republican Party (NDRP) on 9 February 1990;
opposition--New Democratic Party (NDP, formerly Party for Peace and Democracy or PPD), KIM Dae Jung, president; Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki Taek; several smaller parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20
_#_Elections:
President--last held on 16 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992); results--ROH Tae Woo (DJP) 35.9%, KIM Young Sam (RDP) 27.5%, KIM Dae Jung (PPD) 26.5%, other 10.1%;
National Assembly--last held on 26 April 1988 (next to be held April 1992); results--DJP 34%, RDP 24%, PPD 19%, NDRP 15%, other 8%; seats--(299 total) DJP 125, PPD 70, RDP 59, NDRP 35, other 10; note--on 9 February 1990 the DJP, RDP, and NDRP merged to form the DLP; also the PPD became the NDP; as a result the distribution of seats changed to DLP 218, NDP 70, other 11 (June 1990)
_#_Communists: Communist party activity banned by government
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Korean National Council of Churches; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Council of College Student Representatives; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National Council of Labor Unions; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Veterans' Association; Federation of Korean Industries; Korean Traders Association
_#_Member of: AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador HYUN Hong Joo; Chancery at 2320 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-5600; there are Korean Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle;
US--Ambassador Donald P. GREGG; Embassy at 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96301); telephone [82] (2) 732-2601 through 2618; there is a US Consulate in Pusan
_#_Flag: white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the planned development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously entrepreneurial society. Real GNP--which grew by 6.7% in 1989 after an average annual growth of over 12% between 1986-88--grew about 9% in 1990. Labor unrest--which led to substantial wage hikes in 1987-88--was noticeably calmer in 1990, unemployment averaged a low 2.5%, and investment was strong. Inflation rates, however, are beginning to challenge South Korea's strong economic performance. Consumer prices rose 8.6%, the highest rate in nine years. Policymakers are concerned higher prices could lead to a resurgence of labor unrest.
_#_GNP: $238 billion, per capita $5,600; real growth rate 9% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.6% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2.5% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $38 billion; expenditures $38 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)
_#_Exports: $65 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--textiles, clothing, electronic and electrical equipment, footwear, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, fish;
partners--US 30%, Japan 19%
_#_Imports: $70 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities--machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains;
partners--Japan 27%, US 24% (1990)
_#_External debt: $31.7 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8.6% (1990 est.); accounts for about 45% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 21,000,000 kW capacity; 85,000 million kWh produced, 1,970 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing, chemicals, steel, electronics, automobile production, ship building
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP and employs 21% of work force (including fishing and forestry); principal crops--rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; livestock and livestock products--cattle, hogs, chickens, milk, eggs; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat; fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh-largest in world
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion; non-US countries (1970-89), $3.0 billion
_#_Currency: South Korean won (plural--won); 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chon (theoretical)
_#_Exchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1--718.14 (January 1991), 707.76 (1990), 671.46 (1989), 731.47 (1988), 822.57 (1987), 881.45 (1986), 870.02 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 3,106 km operating in 1983; 3,059 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 47 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 712 km double track, 418 km electrified; government owned
_#_Highways: 62,936 km total (1982); 13,476 km national highway, 49,460 km provincial and local roads
_#_Inland waterways: 1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
_#_Pipelines: 455 km refined products
_#_Ports: Pusan, Inchon, Kunsan, Mokpo, Ulsan
_#_Merchant marine: 439 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,182,519 GRT/11,906,897 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 138 cargo, 45 container, 11 refrigerated cargo, 11 vehicle carrier, 48 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 10 chemical tanker, 13 liquefied gas, 7 combination ore/oil, 146 bulk, 7 combination bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier
_#_Civil air: 93 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 110 total, 102 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 21 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate domestic and international services; 4,800,000 telephones; stations--79 AM, 46 FM, 256 TV (57 of 1 kW or greater); satellite earth stations--2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 12,859,511; 8,294,624 fit for military service; 429,088 reach military age (18) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $10.4 billion, 4.5% of GNP (1991) % _@_Kuwait _*_Geography _#_Total area: 17,820 km2; land area: 17,820 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: 462 km total; Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
_#_Coastline: 499 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Iraqi forces invaded and occupied Kuwait from 2 August 1990 until 27 February 1991; in April 1991 official Iraqi acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 687, which demands that Iraq accept its internationally recognized border with Kuwait, ended earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah Islands or to all of Kuwait; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia
_#_Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
_#_Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain
_#_Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 92%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide most of water; air and water pollution; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
_*_People _#_Population: 2,204,400 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 2 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Kuwaiti(s); adjective--Kuwaiti
_#_Ethnic divisions: Kuwaiti 27.9%, other Arab 39%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 20.1%
_#_Religion: Muslim 85% (Shia 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English widely spoken
_#_Literacy: 74% (male 78%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
_#_Labor force: 566,000 (1986); services 45.0%, construction 20.0%, trade 12.0%, manufacturing 8.6%, finance and real estate 2.6%, agriculture 1.9%, power and water 1.7%, mining and quarrying 1.4%; 70% of labor force was non-Kuwaiti
_#_Organized labor: labor unions exist in oil industry and among government personnel
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: State of Kuwait
_#_Type: nominal constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Kuwait
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli; note--there may be a new governorate of Farwaniyyah
_#_Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29 August 1962)
_#_Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 25 February
_#_Executive branch: amir, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: National Assembly (Majlis al Umma) dissolved 3 July 1986
_#_Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Amir Shaykh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-SABAH (since 31 December 1977);
Head of Government--Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sad al-Abdallah al-Salim al-SABAH (since 8 February 1978); Deputy Prime Minister Salim al-Sabah al-Salim al-SABAH
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21; note--out of all citizens, only 8.3% are eligible to vote and only 3.5% actually vote
_#_Elections:
National Assembly--dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections are scheduled for October 1992
_#_Communists: insignificant
_#_Other political or pressure groups: large (150,000) Palestinian community; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active; prodemocracy opposition
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Shaykh Saud Nasir al-SABAH; Chancery at 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-0702;
US--Ambassador Edward (Skip) GNEHM; Embassy at Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Hilton Hotel), Kuwait City (mailing address is P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait City); telephone [965] 242-4151 through 4159
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Up to the invasion by Iraq in August 1990, the oil sector had dominated the economy. Kuwait has the third-largest oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Earnings from hydrocarbons generated over 90% of both export and government revenues and contributed about 40% to GDP. Most of the nonoil sector has traditionally been dependent upon oil-derived government revenues. Iraq's destruction of Kuwait's oil industry during the Gulf war has devastated the economy. Iraq destroyed or damaged more than 80% of Kuwait's 950 operating oil wells, as well as sabotaging key surface facilities. Western firefighters had brought about 140 of the 600 oil well fires and blowouts under control as of early June 1991. It could take two to three years to restore Kuwait's oil production to its prewar level of about 2.0 million barrels per day.
_#_GDP: $19.8 billion, per capita $9,700; real growth rate 3.5% (1989)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 0% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $10.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY88)
_#_Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--oil 90%;
partners--Japan, Italy, FRG, US
_#_Imports: $6.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing;
partners--Japan, US, FRG, UK
_#_External debt: $7.2 billion (December 1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1988); accounts for 52% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 8,290,000 kW capacity; 10,000 million kWh produced, 5,000 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, salt, construction
_#_Agriculture: virtually none; dependent on imports for food; about 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported
_#_Economic aid: donor--pledged $18.3 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89)
_#_Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
_#_Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1--0.2915 (January 1990), 0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988), 0.2786 (1987), 0.2919 (1986), 0.3007 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 3,000 km total; 2,500 km bituminous; 500 km earth, sand, light gravel
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 877 km; refined products, 40 km; natural gas, 165 km
_#_Ports: Ash Shuaybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Mina al Ahmadi
_#_Merchant marine: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,332,159 GRT/2,099,303 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 4 livestock carrier, 20 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 liquefied gas, 1 bulk; note--all Kuwaiti ships greater than 1,000 GRT were outside Kuwaiti waters at the time of the Iraqi invasion; many of these ships transferred to the Liberian flag or to the flags of other Persian Gulf states; Kuwaiti tankers are currently managed from London and Kuwaiti cargo and container ships are managed from Dubai
_#_Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 7 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent international, adequate domestic facilities; 258,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; 1 INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq and Saudi Arabia
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 738,812; 441,611 fit for military service; 19,452 reach military age (18) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $1.1 billion, 4.8% of GDP (1990) % _@_Laos _*_Geography _#_Total area: 236,800 km2; land area: 230,800 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Utah
_#_Land boundaries: 5,083 km total; Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Disputes: boundary dispute with Thailand
_#_Climate: tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
_#_Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 58%; other 35%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: deforestation; soil erosion; subject to floods
_#_Note: landlocked
_*_People _#_Population: 4,113,223 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 124 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 52 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Lao (sing., Lao or Laotian); adjective--Lao or Laotian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Lao 50%, Phoutheung (Kha) 15%, tribal Thai 20%, Meo, Hmong, Yao, and other 15%
_#_Religion: Buddhist 85%, animist and other 15%
_#_Language: Lao (official), French, and English
_#_Literacy: 84% (male 92%, female 76%) age 15 to 45 can read and write (1985 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1-1.5 million; 85-90% in agriculture (est.)
_#_Organized labor: Lao Federation of Trade Unions is subordinate to the Communist party
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Lao People's Democratic Republic
_#_Type: Communist state
_#_Capital: Vientiane
_#_Administrative divisions: 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamsai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louang Namtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Saravan, Savannakhet, Sekong, Vientiane, Vientiane*, Xaignabouri, Xiangkhoang
_#_Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France)
_#_Constitution: draft constitution under discussion since 1976
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day (proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic), 2 December (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, chairman and four vice chairmen of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: Supreme People's Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President KAYSONE PHOMVIHAN (since 15 August 1991);
Head of Government--Chairman of the Council of Ministers General Gen. KHAMTAI SIPHANDON (since 15 August 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), KAYSONE PHOMVIHAN, party chairman; includes Lao Patriotic Front and Alliance Committee of Patriotic Neutralist Forces; other parties moribund
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Supreme People's Assembly--last held on 26 March 1989 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(79 total) number of seats by party NA
_#_Other political or pressure groups: non-Communist political groups moribund; most leaders have fled the country
_#_Member of: ACCT (associate), AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Charge d'Affaires LINTHONG PHETSAVAN; Chancery at 2222 S Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-6416 or 6417;
US--Charge d'Affaires Charles B. SALMON, Jr.; Embassy at Rue Bartholonie, Vientiane (mailing address is B. P. 114, Vientiane, or Box V, APO San Francisco 96346); telephone 2220, 2357, 2384
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band
_*_Economy _#_Overview: One of the world's poorest nations, Laos has had a Communist centrally planned economy with government ownership and control of productive enterprises of any size. Recently, however, the government has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise. Laos is a landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure, that is, it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, limited external and internal telecommunications, and electricity available in only a limited area. Subsistence agriculture is the main occupation, accounting for over 60% of GDP and providing about 85-90% of total employment. The predominant crop is rice. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend for its survival on foreign aid from the IMF and other international sources; foreign aid from the USSR and Eastern Europe is being cut sharply.
_#_GDP: $600 million, per capita $150; real growth rate 5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 22% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 21% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $83 million; expenditures $188.5 million, including capital expenditures of $94 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $72 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--electricity, wood products, coffee, tin;
partners--Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, USSR, US
_#_Imports: $238 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures;
partners--Thailand, USSR, Japan, France, Vietnam
_#_External debt: $1.1 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8% (1989 est.); accounts for about 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 176,000 kW capacity; 1,100 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tin mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and employs most of the work force; subsistence farming predominates; normally self-sufficient in non-drought years; principal crops--rice (80% of cultivated land), sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, cotton; livestock--buffaloes, hogs, cattle, chicken
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and opium poppy for the international drug trade
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $276 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $546 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $995 million
_#_Currency: new kip (plural--kips); 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at
_#_Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1--695 (April 1991), 700 (September 1990), 576 (1989), 385 (1988), 200 (1987), 108 (1986), 95 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*_Communications _#_Highways: about 27,527 km total; 1,856 km bituminous or bituminous treated; 7,451 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 18,220 km unimproved earth and often impassable during rainy season mid-May to mid-September
_#_Inland waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
_#_Pipelines: 136 km, refined products
_#_Ports: none
_#_Airports: 65 total, 51 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: service to general public considered poor; radio network provides generally erratic service to government users; 7,390 telephones (1986); stations--10 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Lao People's Army (LPA; including naval, aviation, and militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 991,864; 531,084 fit for military service; 45,548 reach military age (18) annually; conscription age NA
_#_Defense expenditures: $NA, 3.8% of GDP (1987) % _@_Lebanon _*_Geography _#_Total area: 10,400 km2; land area: 10,230 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: 454 km total; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
_#_Coastline: 225 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern Lebanon since October 1976
_#_Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
_#_Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state in a water-deficit region
_#_Land use: arable land 21%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 8%; other 61%; includes irrigated 7%
_#_Environment: rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, ethnicity; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification
_#_Note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary
_*_People _#_Population: 3,384,626 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Lebanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Lebanese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
_#_Religion: Islam 75%, Christian 25%, Judaism NEGL%; 17 legally recognized sects--4 Orthodox Christian (Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Nestorean, Syriac Orthodox), 7 Uniate Christian (Armenian Catholic, Caldean, Greek Catholic, Maronite, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Syrian Catholic), 5 Islam (Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Ismailite, Shia, Sunni), and 1 Jewish
_#_Language: Arabic and French (both official); Armenian, English
_#_Literacy: 80% (male 88%, female 73%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 650,000; industry, commerce, and services 79%, agriculture 11%, goverment 10% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 250,000 members (est.)
_*_Government _#_Note: Between early 1975 and late 1976 Lebanon was torn by civil war between its Christians--then aided by Syrian troops--and its Muslims and their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire established in October 1976 between the domestic political groups generally held for about six years, despite occasional fighting. Syrian troops constituted as the Arab Deterrent Force by the Arab League have remained in Lebanon. Syria's move toward supporting the Lebanese Muslims and the Palestinians and Israel's growing support for Lebanese Christians brought the two sides into rough equilibrium, but no progress was made toward national reconciliation or political reforms--the original cause of the war.
Continuing Israeli concern about the Palestinian presence in Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. Israeli forces occupied all of the southern portion of the country and mounted a summer-long siege of Beirut, which resulted in the evacuation of the PLO from Beirut in September under the supervision of a multinational force (MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops.
Within days of the departure of the MNF, Lebanon's newly elected president, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated. In the wake of his death, Christian militiamen massacred hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two Beirut camps. This prompted the return of the MNF to ease the security burden on Lebanon's weak Army and security forces. In late March 1984 the last MNF units withdrew.
Lebanese Parliamentarians met in Taif, Saudi Arabia in late 1989 and concluded a national reconciliation pact that codified a new power-sharing formula, specifiying a Christian president but giving Muslims more authority. Rene Muawad was subsequently elected president on 4 November 1989, ending a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no president and rival Muslim and Christian governments. Muawad was assassinated 17 days later, on 22 November; on 24 November Ilyas Harawi was elected to succeed Muawad.
In October 1990, the chances for ending the 16 year old civil war and implementing Ta'if were markedly improved when Syrian and Lebanese forces ousted renegade Christian General Awn from his stronghold in East Beirut. Awn had defied the legitimate government and established a separate mini-state within East Beirut after being appointed acting Prime Minister by outgoing President Gemayel in 1988. Awn and his supporters feared Ta'if would diminish Christian power in Lebanon and increase the influence of Syria.
Since the removal of Awn, the Lebanese Government has reunited the capital city and implemented a phased plan to disarm the militias and gradually reestablish authority throughout Lebanon. The army has deployed from Beirut north along the coast road to Tripoli, southeast into the Shuf mountains, and south to the vicinity of Sidon. Many militiamen from Christian and Muslim groups have evacuated Beirut for their strongholds in the north, south, and east of the country. Some heavy weapons possessed by the militias have been turned over to the government, which has begun a plan to integrate some militiamen into the military and the internal security forces.
Lebanon and Syria signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation in May 1991. Lebanon continues to be partially occupied by Syrian troops, which are deployed in East and West Beirut, its southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and throughout northern Lebanon.
Iran also maintains a small contingent of revolutionary guards in the Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon to support Lebanese Islamic fundamentalist groups.
Israel withdrew the bulk of its forces from the south in 1985, although it still retains troops in a 10-km-deep security zone north of its border with Lebanon. Israel arms and trains the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), which also occupies the security zone and is Israel's first line of defense against attacks on its northern border.
The following description is based on the present constitutional and customary practices of the Lebanese system.
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Lebanon; note--may be changed to Lebanese Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Beirut
_#_Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular--muhafazah); Al Biqa, Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
_#_Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
_#_Constitution: 26 May 1926 (amended)
_#_Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet; note--by custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shia Muslim
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Arabic--Majlis Alnuwab, French--Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Umar KARAMI (since 20 December 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized along largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist, consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations; most parties have well-armed militias, which are still involved in occasional clashes
_#_Suffrage: compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
_#_Elections:
National Assembly--elections should be held every four years but security conditions have prevented elections since May 1972
_#_Communists: the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970; members and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Nassib S. LAHOUD; Chancery at 2560 28th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6300; there are Lebanese Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles;
US--Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER; Embassy at Antelias, Beirut (mailing address is P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut, and FPO New York 09530); telephone [961] 417774 or 415802, 415803, 402200, 403300
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Since 1975 civil war has seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, disrupted economic activity, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Following October 1990, however, a tentative peace has enabled the central government to begin restoring control in Beirut, collect taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. The battered economy has also been propped up by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers. Family remittances, foreign financial support to political factions, the narcotics trade, and international emergency aid are main sources of foreign exchange. Economic prospects for 1991 have brightened, particularly if the Syrian-backed government is able to maintain law and order and reestablish business confidence. Rebuilding war-ravaged Beirut is likely to provide a major stimulus to the Lebanese economy in 1991.
_#_GDP: $3.3 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate - 15% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 100% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 35% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $120 million; expenditures $1.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products;
partners--Saudi Arabia 16%, Switzerland 8%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 6%, US 5%
_#_Imports: $1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities--NA;
partners--Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3%
_#_External debt: $900 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 1,381,000 kW capacity; 3,870 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal products--citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish), sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in grain
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; opium poppy production in Al Biqa is increasing; hashish production is shipped to Western Europe, Israel, and the Middle East
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $356 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $608 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $962 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $9 million
_#_Currency: Lebanese pound (plural--pounds); 1 Lebanese pound (5L) = 100 piasters
_#_Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds (5L) per US$1--974.22 (January 1991), 695.09 (1990), 496.69 (1989), 409.23 (1988), 224.60 (1987), 38.37 (1986), 16.42 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 378 km total; 296 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 82 km 1.050-meter gauge; all single track; system almost entirely inoperable
_#_Highways: 7,370 km total; 6,270 km paved, 450 km gravel and crushed stone, 650 km improved earth
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 72 km (none in operation)
_#_Ports: Beirut, Tripoli, Ras Silata, Juniyah, Sidon, Az Zahrani, Tyre, Shikka; northern ports are occupied by Syrian forces and southern ports are occupied or partially quarantined by Israeli forces
_#_Merchant marine: 60 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 257,220 GRT/379,691 DWT; includes 39 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 container, 8 livestock carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 3 bulk, 1 combination bulk
_#_Civil air: 15 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 9 total, 8 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m; none under the direct control of the Lebanese Government
_#_Telecommunications: rebuilding program disrupted; had fair system of radio relay, cable; 325,000 telephones; stations--5 AM, 3 FM, 15 TV; 1 inactive Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station; 3 submarine coaxial cables; radio relay to Jordan and Syria, inoperable
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army (includes Navy and Air Force)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 725,974; 449,912 fit for military service
_#_Defense expenditures: $168 million, 7.3% of GDP (1991) % _@_Lesotho _*_Geography _#_Total area: 30,350 km2; land area: 30,350 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundary: 909 km with South Africa
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
_#_Terrain: mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
_#_Natural resources: some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 66%; forest and woodland 0%; other 24%
_#_Environment: population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked; surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will control, store, and redirect water to South Africa
_*_People _#_Population: 1,801,174 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 78 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 63 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Mosotho (sing.), Basotho (pl.); adjective--Basotho
_#_Ethnic divisions: Sotho 99.7%; Europeans 1,600, Asians 800
_#_Religion: Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs
_#_Language: Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu and Xhosa
_#_Literacy: 59% (male 44%, female 68%) age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
_#_Labor force: 689,000 economically active; 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in South Africa
_#_Organized labor: there are two trade union federations; the government favors formation of a single, umbrella trade union confederation
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Kingdom of Lesotho
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Maseru
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qachas Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
_#_Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK; formerly Basutoland)
_#_Constitution: 4 October 1966, suspended January 1970
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Military Council, Military Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: none--the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; note--a National Constituent Assembly convened in June 1990 to rewrite the constitution and debate issues of national importance, but it has no legislative authority
_#_Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--King LETSIE III (since 12 November 1990 following dismissal of his father, exiled King MOSHOESHOE II, by Maj. Gen. LEKHANYA);
Head of Government--Chairman of the Military Council Col. Elias Phisoana RAMAEMA (since 30 April 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Basotho National Party (BNP), Matete MAJARA (interim leader); Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), S. H. MAPHELEBA; United Democratic Party, Charles MOFELI; Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), Jacob KENYA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
National Assembly--dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged elections will take place in June 1992
_#_Communists: small Lesotho Communist Party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador W. T. VAN TONDER; Chancery at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-5 534;
US--Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Jr.; Embassy at address NA, Maseru (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100); telephone [266] 312666
_#_Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no important natural resources other than water. Its economy is based on agriculture, light manufacturing, and remittances from laborers employed in South Africa ($153 million in 1989). The great majority of households gain their livelihoods from subsistence farming and migrant labor. Manufacturing depends largely on farm products to support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries; other industries include textile, clothing, and light engineering. Industry's share of GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 15% in 1989. Political and economic instability in South Africa raise uncertainties for Lesotho's economy, especially with respect to migrant worker remittances--over one-third of GDP.
_#_GDP: $420 million, per capita $240; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 23% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $280 million; expenditures $288 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
_#_Exports: $66 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets;
partners--South Africa 53%, EC 30%, North and South America 13% (1989)
_#_Imports: $499 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum, oil, and lubricants;
partners--South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1989)
_#_External debt: $370 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.8% (1989 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: power supplied by South Africa
_#_Industries: food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 18% of GDP and employs 60-70% of all households; exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $268 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $754 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $14 million
_#_Currency: loti (plural--maloti); 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente
_#_Exchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1--2.5625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985); note--the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 1.6 km; owned, operated, and included in the statistics of South Africa
_#_Highways: 5,167 km total; 508 km paved; 1,585 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 946 km improved earth, 2,128 km unimproved earth
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 3 with permanent surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: rudimentary system consisting of a few land lines, a small radio relay system, and minor radiocommunication stations; 5,920 telephones; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Royal Lesotho Defense Force (RLDF; includes Army, Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 394,829; 212,967 fit for military service
_#_Defense expenditures: $55 million, 8.6% of GDP (1990 est.) % _@_Liberia _*_Geography _#_Total area: 111,370 km2; land area: 96,320 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee
_#_Land boundaries: 1,585 km total; Guinea 563 km, Ivory Coast 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
_#_Coastline: 579 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 39%; other 55%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation
_*_People _#_Population: 2,730,446 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 124 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 59 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Liberian(s); adjective--Liberian
_#_Ethnic divisions: indigenous African tribes, including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella 95%; descendants of repatriated slaves known as Americo-Liberians 5%
_#_Religion: traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%
_#_Language: English (official); more than 20 local languages of the Niger-Congo language group; English used by about 20%
_#_Literacy: 40% (male 50%, female 29%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 510,000, including 220,000 in the monetary economy; agriculture 70.5%, services 10.8%, industry and commerce 4.5%, other 14.2%; non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs; 52% of population of working age
_#_Organized labor: 2% of labor force
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Liberia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Monrovia
_#_Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Jide, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, Rivercess, Sino
_#_Independence: 26 July 1847
_#_Constitution: 6 January 1986
_#_Legal system: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for indigenous sector
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--interim President Dr. Amos SAWYER (since 15 November 1990); interim Vice President Ronald DIGGS (since 15 November 1990); note--this is an interim government appointed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that will be replaced after elections are held under a West African-brokered peace plan; rival rebel factions led by Prince Y. JOHNSON and Charles TAYLOR are challenging the Sawyer government's legitimacy while observing a tenuous cease fire; the former president, Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE, was ousted and killed on 9 September 1990 in a coup led by Prince Y. JOHNSON
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Augustus CAINE, chairman; Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman; Unity Party (UP), Carlos SMITH, chairman; United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results--Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7%; note--President Doe was killed by rebel forces on 9 September 1990;
Senate--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(26 total) NDPL 21, LAP 3, UP 1, LUP 1;
House of Representatives--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, LUP 2
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eugenia A. WORDSWORTH-STEVENSON; Chancery at 5201 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 723-0437 through 0440; there is a Liberian Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Peter J. de VOS; Embassy at 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia (mailing address is P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO New York 09155); telephone [231] 222991 through 222994
_#_Flag: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Civil war during 1990 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Expatriate businessmen fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them. Many will not return. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products, while local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. Political instability threatens prospects for economic reconstruction and repatriation of some 750,000 Liberian refugees who fled to neighboring countries.
_#_GDP: $988 million, per capita $400; real growth rate 1.5% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 43% urban (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)
_#_Exports: $505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee;
partners--US, EC, Netherlands
_#_Imports: $394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities--rice, mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other foodstuffs;
partners--US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS
_#_External debt: $1.6 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% in manufacturing (1987); accounts for 22% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 290 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal products--rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava, palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food, imports 25% of rice consumption
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $665 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $853 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $77 million
_#_Currency: Liberian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1--1.00 (fixed rate since 1940); unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$2.5 = US$1, January 1989
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 480 km total; 328 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km 1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian Government
_#_Highways: 10,087 km total; 603 km bituminous treated, 2,848 km all weather, 4,313 km dry weather; there are also 2,323 km of private, laterite-surfaced roads open to public use, owned by rubber and timber companies
_#_Ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas)
_#_Merchant marine: 1,563 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,053,254 DWT/94,597,871 DWT; includes 18 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 156 cargo, 47 refrigerated cargo, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 67 vehicle carrier, 74 container, 5 barge carrier, 450 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 104 chemical, 60 combination ore/oil, 44 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 485 bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 30 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top four owning flags are US 19%, Japan 17%, Hong Kong 12%, and Norway 10%; China owns at least 28 ships, Bulgaria owns 3, and Poland owns 1
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 75 total, 58 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is Monrovia; 8,500 telephones; stations--3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Armed Forces of Liberia (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Coast Guard, National Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 648,636; 346,349 fit for military service; no conscription
_#_Defense expenditures: $NA, 2.4% of GDP (1987) % _@_Libya _*_Geography _#_Total area: 1,759,540 km2; land area: 1,759,540 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska
_#_Land boundaries: 4,383 km total; Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
_#_Coastline: 1,770 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm;
Gulf of Sidra closing line: 32o 30%19 N
_#_Disputes: claims and occupies the 100,000 km2 Aozou Strip in northern Chad; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
_#_Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
_#_Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, gypsum
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland 0%; other 91%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; desertification; sparse natural surface-water resources
_#_Note: the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
_*_People _#_Population: 4,350,742 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 62 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Libyan(s); adjective--Libyan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Berber and Arab 97%; some Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim 97%
_#_Language: Arabic; Italian and English widely understood in major cities
_#_Literacy: 64% (male 75%, female 50%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,000,000, includes about 280,000 resident foreigners; industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18%
_#_Organized labor: National Trade Unions' Federation, 275,000 members; General Union for Oil and Petrochemicals; Pan-Africa Federation of Petroleum Energy and Allied Workers
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
_#_Type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses); in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
_#_Capital: Tripoli
_#_Administrative divisions: 46 municipalities (baladiyat, singular--baladiyah); Ajdabiya, Al Abyar, Al Aziziyah, Al Bayda, Al Jufrah, Al Jumayl, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Qarabulli, Al Qubbah, Al Ujaylat, Ash Shati, Awbari, Az Zahra, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Bani Walid, Bin Jawwad, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Ghat, Jadu, Jalu, Janzur, Masallatah, Misratah, Mizdah, Murzuq, Nalut, Qaminis, Qasr Bin Ghashir, Sabha, Sabratah, Shahhat, Surman, Surt, Tajura, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Tukrah, Yafran, Zlitan, Zuwarah; note--the number of municipalities may have been reduced to 13 named Al Jabal al-Akhdar, Al Jabal al-Gharbi, Al Jabal al-Khums, Al Batnam, Al Kufrah, Al Marqab, Al Marzuq, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Khalij Surt, Sabha, Tripoli, Wadi al-Hayat
_#_Independence: 24 December 1951 (from Italy)
_#_Constitution: 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977
_#_Legal system: based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
_#_Executive branch: revolutionary leader, chairman of the General People's Committee, General People's Committee (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General People's Congress
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since 1 September 1969);
Head of Government--Chairman of the General People's Committee (Premier) Abu Zayd Umar DURDA (since 7 October 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of revolutionary committees
_#_Political parties: none
_#_Communists: no organized party, negligible membership
_#_Other political or pressure groups: various Arab nationalist movements and the Arab Socialist Resurrection (Ba'th) party with almost negligible memberships may be functioning clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which contributes practically all export earnings and about one-third of GNP. Since 1980, however, the sharp drop in oil prices and the resulting decline in export revenues have adversely affected economic development. In 1988 per capita GNP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but it had been $2,000 higher in 1982. Severe cutbacks in imports over the past five years have led to shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs, although the reopening of the Libyan-Tunisian border in April 1988 and the Libyan-Egyptian border in December 1989 have somewhat eased shortages. Austerity budgets and a lack of trained technicians have undermined the government's ability to implement a number of planned infrastructure development projects. Windfall profits from the hike in world oil prices in late 1990 improved the foreign payments position and may permit Tripoli to ease austerity measures. The nonoil industrial and construction sectors, which account for about 22% of GDP, have expanded from processing mostly agricultural products to include petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for less than 5% of GNP, it employs 18% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit farm output, requiring Libya to import about 75% of its food requirements.
_#_GNP: $24 billion, per capita $5,860; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1988 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2% (1988 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $8.1 billion; expenditures $9.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $6.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--petroleum, peanuts, hides;
partners--Italy, USSR, FRG, Spain, France, Belgium/Luxembourg, Turkey
_#_Imports: $6.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods;
partners--Italy, USSR, FRG, UK, Japan
_#_External debt: $3.5 billion, excluding military debt (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 43% of GDP (including oil)
_#_Electricity: 4,705,000 kW capacity; 13,600 million kWh produced, 3,220 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
_#_Agriculture: 5% of GNP; cash crops--wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus fruits, peanuts; 75% of food is imported
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $242 million; no longer a recipient
_#_Currency: Libyan dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
_#_Exchange rates: Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1--0.2669 (January 1991), 0.2699 (1990), 0.2922 (1989), 0.2853 (1988), 0.2706 (1987), 0.3139 (1986), 0.2961 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 32,500 km total; 24,000 km bituminous and bituminous treated, 8,500 km gravel, crushed stone and earth
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 4,383 km; natural gas 1,947 km; refined products 443 km (includes 256 km liquid petroleum gas)
_#_Ports: Tobruk, Tripoli, Banghazi, Misratah, Marsa el Brega
_#_Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 807,539 GRT/1,452,847 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 11 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
_#_Civil air: 59 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 131 total, 123 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways; 7 with runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern telecommunications system using radio relay, coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter, and domestic satellite stations; 370,000 telephones; stations--18 AM, 3 FM, 13 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 14 domestic; submarine cables to France and Italy; radio relay to Tunisia; tropospheric scatter to Greece; planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik satellite stations
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Armed Peoples of the Libyan Arab Jamahariya (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command), National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,023,335; 603,886 fit for military service; 52,059 reach military age (17) annually; conscription now being implemented
_#_Defense expenditures: $NA, 11.1% of GNP (1987) % _@_Liechtenstein _*_Geography _#_Total area: 160 km2; land area: 160 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: 78 km total; Austria 37 km, Switzerland 41 km
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Climate: continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
_#_Terrain: mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third
_#_Natural resources: hydroelectric potential
_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 38%; forest and woodland 19%; other 18%
_#_Environment: variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation
_#_Note: landlocked
_*_People _#_Population: 28,476 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 81 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Liechtensteiner(s); adjective--Liechtenstein
_#_Ethnic divisions: Alemannic 95%, Italian and other 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 87.3%, Protestant 8.3%, unknown 1.6%, other 2.8% (1988)
_#_Language: German (official), Alemannic dialect
_#_Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 10 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 12,258; 5,078 foreign workers (mostly from Switzerland and Austria); industry, trade, and building 54.4%; services 41.6%; agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 4.0%
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Principality of Liechtenstein
_#_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: Saint Joseph's Day, 19 March
_#_Executive branch: reigning prince, hereditary prince, head of government, deputy head of government
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Diet (Landtag)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for criminal cases and Superior Court (Obergericht) for civil cases
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Prince HANS ADAM II (since 13 November 1989; assumed executive powers 26 August 1984); Heir Apparent Prince ALOIS von und zu Liechtenstein (born 11 June 1968);
Head of Government--Hans BRUNHART (since 26 April 1978); Deputy Head of Government Dr. Herbert WILLE (since 2 February 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Fatherland Union (VU), Dr. Otto HASLER; Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP), Emanuel VOGT; Free Electoral List (FW)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Diet--last held on 5 March 1989 (next to be held by March 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(25 total) VU 13, FBP 12
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: CE, CSCE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WIPO
_#_Diplomatic representation: in routine diplomatic matters, Liechtenstein is represented in the US by the Swiss Embassy;
US--the US has no diplomatic or consular mission in Liechtenstein, but the US Consul General at Zurich (Switzerland) has consular accreditation at Vaduz
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The prosperous economy is based primarily on small-scale light industry and tourism. Industry accounts for 54% of total employment, the service sector 42% (mostly based on tourism), and agriculture and forestry 4%. The sale of postage stamps to collectors is estimated at $10 million annually. Low business taxes (the maximum tax rate is 20%) and easy incorporation rules have induced about 25,000 holding or so-called letter box companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein. Such companies, incorporated solely for tax purposes, provide 30% of state revenues. The economy is tied closely to that of Switzerland in a customs union, and incomes and living standards parallel those of the more prosperous Swiss groups.
_#_GDP: $630 million, per capita $22,300; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 0.1% (December 1986)
_#_Budget: revenues $240 million; expenditures $197 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)
_#_Exports: $1.28 billion (1988);
commodities--small specialty machinery, dental products, stamps, hardware, pottery;
partners--EC 40%, EFTA 22% (Switzerland 18%) (1988)
_#_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
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural--francs, franken, or franchi); 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi
_#_Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1--1.2724 (January 1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987), 1.7989 (1986), 2.4571 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 18.5 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, electrified; owned, operated, and included in statistics of Austrian Federal Railways
_#_Highways: 130.66 km main roads, 192.27 km byroads
_#_Civil air: no transport aircraft
_#_Airports: none
_#_Telecommunications: automatic telephone system; 25,400 telephones; stations--no AM, no FM, no TV
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Police Department
_#_Note: defense is responsibility of Switzerland % _@_Luxembourg _*_Geography _#_Total area: 2,586 km2; land area: 2,586 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: 359 km total; Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Climate: modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
_#_Terrain: mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle floodplain in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited)
_#_Land use: arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 21%; other 34%
_#_Environment: deforestation
_#_Note: landlocked
_*_People _#_Population: 388,017 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 8 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 80 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_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: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3%
_#_Language: Luxembourgish, German, French; many also speak English
_#_Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
_#_Labor force: 169,600; one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and FRG; services 50%, industry 23.2%, government 14.4%, construction 9%, agriculture 3.4% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: 100,000 (est.) members of four confederated trade unions
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
_#_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 Justice)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Grand Duke JEAN (since 12 November 1964); Heir Apparent Prince HENRI (son of Grand Duke Jean, born 16 April 1955);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Jacques SANTER (since 21 July 1984); Vice Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Christian Social Party (CSV), Jacques SANTER; Socialist Workers Party (LSAP), Jacques POOS; Liberal (DP), Colette FLESCH; Communist (KPL), Andre HOFFMANN; Green Alternative (GAP), Jean HUSS
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
Chamber of Deputies--last held on 18 June 1989 (next to be held by June 1994); results--CSV 31.7%, LSAP 27.2%, DP 16.2%, Greens 8.4%, PAC 7.3%, KPL 5.1%, other 4.1%; seats--(60 total) CSV 22, LSAP 18, DP 11, Greens 4, PAC 4, KPL 1
_#_Communists: 500 party members (1982)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: group of steel industries representing iron and steel industry, Centrale Paysanne representing agricultural producers; Christian and Socialist labor unions; Federation of Industrialists; Artisans and Shopkeepers Federation
_#_Member of: ACCT, Benelux, CCC, CE, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, EMS, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Andre PHILIPPE; Chancery at 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-4171; there are Luxembourg Consulates General in New York and San Francisco;
US--Ambassador Edward M. ROWELL; Embassy at 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 2535 Luxembourg City (mailing address is APO New York 09132); telephone [352] 460123
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands which uses a darker blue and is shorter; design was based on the flag of France
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The stable economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and negligible unemployment. Agriculture is based on small but highly productive family-owned farms. The industrial sector, until recently dominated by steel, has become increasingly more diversified, particularly toward high-technology firms. During the past decade, growth in the financial sector has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Services, especially banking, account for a growing proportion of the economy. Luxembourg participates in an economic union with Belgium on trade and most financial matters and is also closely connected economically to the Netherlands.
_#_GDP: $6.9 billion, per capita $18,000; real growth rate 2.5% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.3% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)
_#_Exports: $5.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other industrial products;
partners--EC 75%, US 5%
_#_Imports: $6.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities--minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods;
partners--Belgium 37%, FRG 31%, France 12%, US 2%
_#_External debt: $131.6 million (1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1% (1990 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,500,000 kW capacity; 1,163 million kWh produced, 3,170 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
_#_Agriculture: accounts for less than 3% of GDP (including forestry); principal products--barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; cattle raising widespread
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Luxembourg franc (plural--francs); 1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1--31.102 (January 1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672 (1986), 59.378 (1985); note--the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: Luxembourg National Railways (CFL) operates 270 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 162 km double track; 162 km electrified
_#_Highways: 5,108 km total; 4,995 km paved, 57 km gravel, 56 km earth; about 80 km limited access divided highway
_#_Inland waterways: 37 km; Moselle River
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 48 km
_#_Ports: Mertert (river port)
_#_Merchant marine: 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,731 GRT/2,460 DWT
_#_Civil air: 13 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways less than 1,220 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate and efficient system, mainly buried cables; 230,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, 4 FM, 6 TV; 2 communication satellite earth stations operating in EUTELSAT and domestic systems
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, National Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 100,476; 83,724 fit for military service; 2,297 reach military age (19) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $90 million, 1.2% of GDP (1990) % _@_Macau (overseas territory of Portugal) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 16 km2; land area: 16 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundary: 0.34 km with China
_#_Coastline: 40 km
_#_Maritime claims: not known
_#_Disputes: scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999
_#_Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
_#_Terrain: generally flat
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: essentially urban; one causeway and one bridge connect the two islands to the peninsula on mainland
_#_Note: 27 km west southwest of Hong Kong on the southeast coast of China
_*_People _#_Population: 446,262 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 79 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Macanese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Macau
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chinese 95%, Portuguese 3%, other 2%
_#_Religion: Buddhist 45%, Roman Catholic 7%, Protestant 1%, none 45.8%, other 1.2% (1981)
_#_Language: Portuguese (official); Cantonese is the language of commerce
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 93%, female 86%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_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 Gen. Vasco Joachim Rocha VIEIRA (since 20 March 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Association to Defend the Interests of Macau; Macau Democratic Center; Group to Study the Development of Macau; Macau Independent Group
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly--last held on 9 November 1988 (next to be held November 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(17 total; 6 elected by universal suffrage, 6 by indirect suffrage) number of seats by party NA
_#_Other political or pressure groups: wealthy Macanese and Chinese representing local interests, wealthy pro-Communist merchants representing China's interests; in January 1967 the Macau Government acceded to Chinese demands that gave China veto power over administration
_#_Member of: GATT, WTO (associate)
_#_Diplomatic representation: as Chinese territory under Portuguese administration, Macanese interests in the US are represented by Portugal;
US--the US has no offices in Macau and US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong
_#_Flag: the flag of Portugal is used
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy is based largely on tourism (including gambling), and textile and fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have spawned other small industries--toys, artificial flowers, and electronics. The tourist sector has accounted for roughly 25% of GDP, and the clothing industry has provided about two-thirds of export earnings. Macau depends on China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy imports. Japan and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw materials and capital goods.
_#_GDP: $2.9 billion, per capita $6,560; real growth rate 6% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $305 million; expenditures $298 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $1.7 billion (1989 est.);
commodities--textiles, clothing, toys;
partners--US 33%, Hong Kong 15%, FRG 12%, France 10% (1987)
_#_Imports: $1.6 billion (1989 est.);
commodities--raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods;
partners--Hong Kong 39%, China 21%, Japan 10% (1987)
_#_External debt: $91 million (1985)
_#_Industrial production: NA
_#_Electricity: 203,000 kW capacity; 495 million kWh produced, 1,120 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: clothing, textiles, toys, plastic products, furniture, tourism
_#_Agriculture: rice, vegetables; food shortages--rice, vegetables, meat; depends mostly on imports for food requirements
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: pataca (plural--patacas); 1 pataca (P) = 100 avos
_#_Exchange rates: patacas (P) per US$1--8.03 (1989), 8.044 (1988), 7.993 (1987), 8.029 (1986), 8.045 (1985); note--linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 42 km paved
_#_Ports: Macau
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: none useable, 1 under construction; 1 seaplane station
_#_Telecommunications: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services; 52,000 telephones; stations--4 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 75,000 radio receivers (est.); international high-frequency radio communication facility; access to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 167,289; 93,142 fit for military service
_#_Note: defense is responsibility of Portugal % _@_Madagascar _*_Geography _#_Total area: 587,040 km2; land area: 581,540 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 4,828 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island (all administered by France)
_#_Climate: tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
_#_Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 58%; forest and woodland 26%; other 11%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: subject to periodic cyclones; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
_*_People _#_Population: 12,185,318 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 95 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 54 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Malagasy (sing. and pl.); adjective--Malagasy
_#_Ethnic divisions: basic split between highlanders of predominantly Malayo-Indonesian origin (Merina 1,643,000 and related Betsileo 760,000) on the one hand and coastal tribes, collectively termed the Cotiers, with mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry (Betsimisaraka 941,000, Tsimihety 442,000, Antaisaka 415,000, Sakalava 375,000), on the other; there are also 11,000 European French, 5,000 Indians of French nationality, and 5,000 Creoles
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian about 41%, Muslim 7%
_#_Language: French and Malagasy (official)
_#_Literacy: 80% (male 88%, female 73%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,900,000; 90% nonsalaried family workers engaged in subsistence agriculture; 175,000 wage earners--agriculture 26%, domestic service 17%, industry 15%, commerce 14%, construction 11%, services 9%, transportation 6%, other 2%; 51% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 4% of labor force
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Democratic Republic of Madagascar
_#_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 Guy RASANAMAZY (since 8 August 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: a presidential decree issued early last year, legalized the existence of political parties outside of the Ruling Front; some thirty political parties now exist in Madagascar, the most important of which are the Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier RATSIRAKA; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM), RAKOTOVAO-ANDRIATIANA; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence-Revival (AKFM-R), Pastor Richard ANDRIAMANJATO; Movement for National Unity (VONJY), Dr. Marojama RAZANABAHINY; Malagasy Christian Democratic Union (UDECMA), Norbert ANDRIAMORASATA; Militants for the Establishment of a Proletarian Regime (MFM), Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA; National Movement for the Independence of Madagascar (MONIMA), Monja JAONA; Socialist Organization Monima (VSM, an offshoot of MONIMA), Tsihozony MAHARANGA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held on 12 March 1989 (next to be held March 1996); results--Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 62%, Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA (MFM/MFT) 20%, Dr. Jerome Marojama RAZANABAHINY (VONJY) 15%, Monja JAONA (MONIMA) 3%;
Popular National Assembly--last held on 28 May 1989 (next to be held May 1994); results--AREMA 88.2%, MFM 5.1%, AKFM 3.7%, VONJY 2.2%, other 0.8%; seats--(137 total) AREMA 120, MFM 7, AKFM 5, VONJY 4, MONIMA 1
_#_Communists: Communist party of virtually no importance; small and vocal group of Communists has gained strong position in leadership of AKFM, the rank and file of which is non-Communist
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO; Chancery at 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-5525 or 5526; there is a Malagasy Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Howard K. WALKER; Embassy at 14 and 16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo (mailing address is B. P. 620, Antananarivo); telephone 212-57, 209-56, 200-89, 207-18
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. During the period 1980-85 it had a population growth of 3% a year and a - 0.4% GDP growth rate. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the mainstay of the economy, accounting for over 40% of GDP, employing about 80% of the labor force, and contributing to more than 70% of total export earnings. Industry is largely confined to the processing of agricultural products and textile manufacturing; in 1990 it accounted for only 16% of GDP and employed 3% of the labor force. In 1986 the government introduced a five-year development plan that stresses self-sufficiency in food (mainly rice) by 1990, increased production for exports, and reduced energy imports.
_#_GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate 3.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $390 million; expenditures $525 million, including capital expenditures of $240 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $290 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--coffee 45%, vanilla 15%, cloves 11%, sugar, petroleum products;
partners--France, Japan, Italy, FRG, US
_#_Imports: $436 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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 5.2% (1990 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 119,000 kW capacity; 430 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: agricultural processing (meat canneries, soap factories, breweries, tanneries, sugar refining plants), light consumer goods industries (textiles, glassware), cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops--coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa; food crops--rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts; cattle raising widespread; almost self-sufficient in rice
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $136 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $491 million
_#_Currency: Malagasy franc (plural--francs); 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1--1,454.6 (December 1990), 1,494.1 (1990), 1,603.4 (1989), 1,407.1 (1988), 1,069.2 (1987), 676.3 (1986), 662.5 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 1,020 km 1.000-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 40,000 km total; 4,694 km paved, 811 km 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: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,416 GRT/82,869 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 148 total, 115 usable; 30 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: above average system includes open-wire lines, coaxial cables, radio relay, and troposcatter links; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; over 38,200 telephones; stations--14 AM, 1 FM, 7 (30 repeaters) TV
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Popular Armed Forces (includes Intervention Forces, Development Forces, Aeronaval Forces--includes Navy and Air Force), Gendarmerie, Presidential Security Regiment
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,637,866; 1,570,393 fit for military service; 119,882 reach military age (20) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $37 million, 2.2% of GDP (1989 est.) % _@_Malawi _*_Geography _#_Total area: 118,480 km2; land area: 94,080 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Pennsylvania
_#_Land boundaries: 2,881 km total; Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Disputes: dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
_#_Terrain: narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
_#_Natural resources: limestone; unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 50%; other 5%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: deforestation
_#_Note: landlocked
_*_People _#_Population: 9,438,462 (July 1991), growth rate 1.8% (1991); note--900,000 Mozambican refugees in Malawi (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 52 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 17 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 136 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 51 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Malawian(s); adjective--Malawian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
_#_Religion: Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%; traditional indigenous beliefs are also practiced
_#_Language: English and Chichewa (official); other languages important regionally
_#_Literacy: 22% (male 34%, female 12%) age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
_#_Labor force: 428,000 wage earners; agriculture 43%, manufacturing 16%, personal services 15%, commerce 9%, construction 7%, miscellaneous services 4%, other permanently employed 6% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: small minority of wage earners are unionized
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Malawi
_#_Type: one-party state
_#_Capital: Lilongwe
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 districts; Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ncheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhota Kota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba
_#_Independence: 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, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA; Chancery at 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-1007;
US--Ambassador George A. TRAIL, III; Embassy in new capital city development area, address NA (mailing address is P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe); telephone [265] 730-166
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band; similar to the flag of Afghanistan which is longer and has the national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black and red bands
_*_Economy _#_Overview: A landlocked country, Malawi ranks among the world's least developed with a per capita GDP of $175. The economy is predominately agricultural and operates under a relatively free enterprise environment, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved significantly in 1988-90 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the government. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. The closure of traditional trade routes through Mozambique continues to be a constraint on the economy.
_#_GDP: $1.6 billion, per capita $175; growth rate 4.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.7% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $398 million; expenditures $510 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $390 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts;
partners--US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, FRG
_#_Imports: $560 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--food, petroleum, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment;
partners--South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe
_#_External debt: $1.4 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.9% (1989 est.); accounts for about 18% of GDP (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
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $215 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.0 billion
_#_Currency: Malawian kwacha (plural--kwacha); 1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala
_#_Exchange rates: Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1--2.6300 (January 1991), 2.7289 (1990), 2.7595 (1989), 2.5613 (1988), 2.2087 (1987), 1.8611 (1986), 1.7191 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 789 km 1.067-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 13,135 km total; 2,364 km paved; 251 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 10,520 km earth and improved earth
_#_Inland waterways: Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km
_#_Ports: Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, and Nkotakota--all on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 48 total, 46 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communication stations; 36,800 telephones; stations--8 AM, 4 FM, no TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
_#_Note: a majority of exports would normally go through Mozambique on the Beira or Nacala railroads, but now most go through South Africa because of insurgent activity and damage to rail lines
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit), paramilitary Malawi Young Pioneers
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,960,082; 995,864 fit for military service
_#_Defense expenditures: $22 million, 1.6% of GDP (1989 est.) % _@_Malaysia _*_Geography _#_Total area: 329,750 km2; land area: 328,550 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 2,669 km total; Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782, Thailand 506 km
_#_Coastline: 4,675 km total (2,068 km Peninsular Malaysia, 2,607 km East Malaysia)
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation, specified boundary in the South China Sea;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; state of Sabah claimed by the Philippines; Brunei may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides Brunei into two parts
_#_Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
_#_Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
_#_Natural resources: tin, crude oil, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 63%; other 24%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: subject to flooding; air and water pollution
_#_Note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea
_*_People _#_Population: 17,981,698 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 30 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 29 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 71 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Malaysian(s); adjective--Malaysian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Malay and other indigenous 59%, Chinese 32%, Indian 9%
_#_Religion: Peninsular Malaysia--Malays nearly all Muslim, Chinese predominantly Buddhists, Indians predominantly Hindu; Sabah--Muslim 38%, Christian 17%, other 45%; Sarawak--tribal religion 35%, Buddhist and Confucianist 24%, Muslim 20%, Christian 16%, other 5%
_#_Language: Peninsular Malaysia--Malay (official); English, Chinese dialects, Tamil; Sabah--English, Malay, numerous tribal dialects, Mandarin and Hakka dialects predominate among Chinese; Sarawak--English, Malay, Mandarin, numerous tribal languages
_#_Literacy: 78% (male 86%, female 70%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 6,800,000; agriculture 30.8%, manufacturing 17%, government 13.6%, construction 5.8%, finance 4.3%, business services, transport and communications 3.4%, mining 0.6%, other 24.5% (1989 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 660,000, 10% of total labor force (1988)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: Federation of Malaysia formed 9 July 1963; constitutional monarchy nominally headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral Parliament; Peninsular Malaysian states--hereditary rulers in all but Penang and Melaka, where governors are appointed by Malaysian Government; powers of state governments are limited by federal Constitution; Sabah--self-governing state, holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government; Sarawak--self-governing state within Malaysia, holds 27 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government
_#_Capital: Kuala Lumpur
_#_Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular--negeri) and 2 federal territories* (wilayah-wilayah persekutuan, singular--wilayah persekutuan); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan*
_#_Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963 when Federation of Malaya became Federation of Malaysia
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, 31 August (1957)
_#_Executive branch: paramount ruler, deputy paramount ruler, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlimen) consists of an upper house or Senate (Dewan Negara) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Paramount Ruler AZLAN Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Sultan Yusof Izzudin (since 26 April 1989); Deputy Paramount Ruler JA'AFAR ibni Abdul Rahman (since 26 April 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since 16 July 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Abdul GHAFAR Baba (since 7 May 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Peninsular Malaysia-- National Front, a confederation of 13 political parties dominated by United Malays National Organization Baru (UMNO Baru), MAHATHIR bin Mohamad; Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), LING Liong Sik; Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, Datuk LIM Keng Yaik; Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), Datuk S. Samy VELLU;
Sabah--Berjaya Party, Datuk Haji Mohammed NOOR Mansor; Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Joseph Pairin KITINGAN; United Sabah National Organizaton (USNO), Tun Datu Haji MUSTAPHA;
Sarawak--coalition Sarawak National Front composed of the Party Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Datuk Patinggi Amar Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud; Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), Datuk Amar Stephen YONG Kuet Tze; Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Datuk James WONG Kim Min; Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), Datuk Leo MOGGIE; major opposition parties are Democratic Action Party (DAP), LIM Kit Siang and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), Fadzil NOOR
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives--last held 21 October 1990 (next to be held by August 1995); results--National Front 52%, other 48%; seats--(180 total) National Front 127, DAP 20, PAS 7, independents 4, other 22; note--within the National Front, UMNO got 71 seats and MCA 18 seats
_#_Communists: Peninsular Malaysia--about 1,000 armed insurgents on Thailand side of international boundary and about 200 full time inside Malaysia surrendered on 2 December 1989; about 50 Communist insurgents in Sarawak surrendered on 17 October 1990
_#_Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdul MAJID Mohamed; Chancery at 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-2700; there are Malaysian Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York;
US--Ambassador Paul M. CLEVELAND; Embassy at 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur (mailing address is P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur); telephone [60] (3) 248-9011
_#_Flag: fourteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the US
_*_Economy _#_Overview: In 1988-90 booming exports helped Malaysia continue to recover from the severe 1985-86 recession. Real output grew by 8.8% in 1989 and 10% in 1990, helped by vigorous growth in manufacturing output, further increases in foreign direct investment, particularly from Japanese and Taiwanese firms facing higher costs at home, and increased oil production in 1990. Malaysia has become the world's third-largest producer of semiconductor devices (after the US and Japan) and the world's largest exporter of semiconductor devices. Inflation remained low as unemployment stood at 6% of the labor force and as the government followed prudent fiscal/monetary policies. The country is not self-sufficient in food, and some of the rural population subsists at the poverty level. Malaysia's high export dependence leaves it vulnerable to a recession in the OECD countries or a fall in world commodity prices.
_#_GDP: $43.1 billion, per capita $2,460; real growth rate 10% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 6% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $12.6 billion; expenditures $11.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.2 billion (1991 est.)
_#_Exports: $28.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--natural rubber, palm oil, tin, timber, petroleum, electronics, light manufactures;
partners--Singapore, US, Japan, EC
_#_Imports: $26.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--food, crude oil, consumer goods, intermediate goods, capital equipment, chemicals;
partners--Japan, US, Singapore, FRG, UK
_#_External debt: $20.0 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 15.8% (1990 est.); accounts for 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,600,000 kW capacity; 16,500 million kWh produced, 940 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries:
Peninsular Malaysia--rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging and processing timber;
Sabah--logging, petroleum production;
Sarawak--agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging
_#_Agriculture:
Peninsular Malaysia--natural rubber, palm oil, rice;
Sabah--mainly subsistence, but also rubber, timber, coconut, rice;
Sarawak--rubber, timber, pepper; there is a deficit of rice in all areas; fish catch of 608,000 metric tons in 1987
_#_Illicit drugs: transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe, and the Third World
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-84), $170 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $42 million
_#_Currency: ringgit (plural--ringgits); 1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen
_#_Exchange rates: ringgits (M$) per US$1--2.7151 (January 1991), 1.7048 (1990), 2.7088 (1989), 2.6188 (1988), 2.5196 (1987), 2.5814 (1986), 2.4830 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads:
Peninsular Malaysia--1,665 km 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: 157 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,530,756 GRT/2,246,358 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 65 cargo, 22 container, 2 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 livestock carrier, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 1 passenger-cargo, 23 bulk
_#_Civil air: 53 major transport aircraft
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 1,307 km; natural gas, 379 km
_#_Airports: 125 total, 119 usable; 32 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good intercity service provided to peninsular Malaysia mainly by microwave relay, adequate intercity radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service good; good coverage by radio and television broadcasts; 994,860 telephones (1984); stations--28 AM, 3 FM, 33 TV; submarine cables extend to India and Sarawak; SEACOM submarine cable links to Hong Kong and Singapore; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 domestic
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Royal Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal Malaysian Police Force, Marine Police, Sarawak Border Scouts
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,620,418; 2,815,910 fit for military service; 180,991 reach military age (21) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $1.7 billion, 3.9% of GDP (1990) % _@_Maldives _*_Geography _#_Total area: 300 km2; land area: 300 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 644 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 35-310 nm (defined by geographic coordinates; segment of zone coincides with maritime boundary with India);
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
_#_Terrain: flat with elevations only as high as 2.5 meters
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 3%; other 84%
_#_Environment: 1,200 coral islands grouped into 19 atolls
_#_Note: archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
_*_People _#_Population: 226,200 (July 1991), growth rate 3.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 72 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 65 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_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: 92% (male 92%, female 92%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
_#_Labor force: 66,000 (est.); 25% 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 11 November 1978)
_#_Political parties and leaders: no organized political parties; country governed by the Didi clan for the past eight centuries
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President--last held 23 September 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results--President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected;
Citizens' Council--last held on 7 December 1989 (next to be held 7 December 1994); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(48 total, 40 elected)
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Member of: AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Maldives does not maintain an embassy in the US, but does have a UN mission in New York;
US--the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there; US Consular Agency, Midhath Hilmy, Male; telephone 2581
_#_Flag: red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and shipping. Agriculture is limited to the production of a few subsistence crops that provide only 10% of food requirements. Fishing is the largest industry, employing 25% of the work force and accounting for over 60% of exports; it is also an important source of government revenue. During the 1980s tourism has become one of the most important and highest growth sectors of the economy. In 1988 industry accounted for about 5% of GDP. Real GDP is officially estimated to have increased by about 10% annually during the period 1974-87, and GDP estimates for 1988 show a further growth of 9% on the strength of a record fish catch and an improved tourist season.
_#_GDP: $136 million, per capita $670; real growth rate 9.2% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1988 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NEGL%
_#_Budget: revenues $51 million; expenditures $50 million, including capital expenditures of $25 million (1988 est.)
_#_Exports: $39.4 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--fish 57%, clothing 39%;
partners--Thailand, Western Europe, Sri Lanka
_#_Imports: $105.7 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities--intermediate and capital goods 47%, consumer goods 42%, petroleum products 11%;
partners--Japan, Western Europe, Thailand
_#_External debt: $70 million (December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 5.0% (1988); accounts for 5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 11 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: fishing and fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, some coconut processing, garments, woven mats, coir (rope), handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: accounts for almost 30% of GDP (including fishing); fishing more important than farming; limited production of coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; most staple foods must be imported; fish catch of 63,000 tons (1988 est.)
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $28 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $105 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $14 million
_#_Currency: rufiyaa (plural--rufiyaa); 1 rufiyaa (Rf) = 100 laaris
_#_Exchange rates: rufiyaa (Rf) per US$1--9.937 (January 1991), 9.509 (1990), 9.0408 (1989), 8.7846 (1988), 9.2230 (1987), 7.1507 (1986), 7.0981 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Highways: Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city
_#_Ports: Male, Gan
_#_Merchant marine: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,131 GRT/85,770 DWT; includes 14 cargo, 1 container, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: minimal domestic and international facilities; 2,804 telephones; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: National Security Service (paramilitary police force)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 50,788; 28,378 fit for military service
_#_Defense expenditures: $1.8 million, NA% of GDP (1984 est.) % _@_Mali _*_Geography _#_Total area: 1,240,000 km2; land area: 1,220,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 7,243 km total; Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Ivory Coast 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Disputes: the disputed international boundary between Burkina and Mali was submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both sides agreed to accept; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
_#_Climate: subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
_#_Natural resources: gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium; bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 7%; other 66%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked
_*_People _#_Population: 8,338,542 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 51 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 21 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 114 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 47 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Malian(s); adjective--Malian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Mande (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole) 50%, Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 5%, other 10%
_#_Religion: Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%
_#_Language: French (official); Bambara spoken by about 80% of the population; numerous African languages
_#_Literacy: 32% (male 41%, female 24%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,666,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 80%, services 19%, industry and commerce 1% (1981); 50% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) is umbrella organization for over 13 national unions
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Mali
_#_Type: republic; the single-party constitutional government was overthrown on 26 March 1991; the new ruling National Reconciliation Council has promised a multiparty democracy
_#_Capital: Bamako
_#_Administrative divisions: 7 regions (regions, singular--region); Gao, Kayes, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou; note--there may be a new capital district of Bamako
_#_Independence: 22 September 1960 (from France; formerly French Sudan)
_#_Constitution: 2 June 1974, effective 19 June 1979; amended September 1981 and March 1985; suspended following the coup of 26 March 1991
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Section of Court of State; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 22 September (1960)
_#_Executive branch: National Conciliation Council led by the military, following the coup of 26 March 1991
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemble Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--following the military coup of 26 March 1991 President Gen. Moussa TRAORE was deposed and the National Reconciliation Council, led by Lt. Col. Amadou Toumani TOURE and Lt. Col. Kafougouna KONE, was installed;
Head of Government--Interim Premier Soumana SACKO (since 2 April 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: formerly the only party, the Democratic Union of Malian People (UDPM), was disbanded after the coup of 26 March 1991, and the new regime legalized the formation of political parties on 5 April 1991; new political parties are--Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), Demba DIALLO; Union for Democracy and Development (UDD), Moussa Bala COULIBALY; Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally (US-RDA), Mamadou Madeira KEITA; African Party for Solidarity and Justice (ADEMA), Alpha Oumar KONARE; Party for Democracy and Progress (PDP), Idrissa TRAORE; Democratic Party for Justice (PDJ), Abdul BA; Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Almany SYLLA; Party for the Unity of Malian People (PUPM), Nock AGATTIA; Hisboulah al Islamiya, Hamidou DRAMERA; Union of Progressive Forces (UFP), Yacouba SIDIBE; National Congress of Democratic Initiative (CNID), Mountaga TALL; Assembly for Justice and Progress, Kady DRAME; other parties forming
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President--last held on 9 June 1985 (next to be held June 1991); results--General Moussa TRAORE was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly--last held on 26 June 1988 (next to be held June 1991); results--UDPM is the only party; seats--(82 total) UDPM 82; note--following the military coup of 26 March 1991 President TRAORE was deposed and the UDPM was disbanded; the new ruling National Reconciliation Council, formed of 17 soldiers, has promised to institute a multiparty democracy and is expected to hold elections by December 1991
_#_Communists: a few Communists and some sympathizers (no legal Communist party)
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohamed Alhousseyni TOURE; Chancery at 2130 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-2249 or 939-8950;
US--Ambassador Herbert D. GELBER; Embassy at Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V., Bamako (mailing address is B. P. 34, Bamako); telephone [223] 223712
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with about 70% of its land area desert or semidesert. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of the population live as nomads and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities.
_#_GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $250; real growth rate 9.9% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% (1987)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $329 million; expenditures $519 million, including capital expenditures of $178 (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $285 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--livestock, peanuts, dried fish, cotton, skins;
partners--mostly franc zone and Western Europe
_#_Imports: $513 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--textiles, vehicles, petroleum products, machinery, sugar, cereals;
partners--mostly franc zone and Western Europe
_#_External debt: $2.2 billion (1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 19.9% (1989 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 253,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: small local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold, fishing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP; most production based on small subsistence farms; cotton and livestock products account for over 70% of exports; other crops--millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; livestock--cattle, sheep, and goats
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $349 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.65 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $190 million
_#_Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 642 km 1.000-meter gauge; linked to Senegal's rail system through Kayes
_#_Highways: about 15,700 km total; 1,670 km bituminous, 3,670 km gravel and improved earth, 10,360 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 1,815 km navigable
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 37 total, 29 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: domestic system poor but improving; provides only minimal service with radio relay, wire, and radio communications stations; expansion of radio relay in progress; 11,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Air Force; paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Guard, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,631,445; 940,954 fit for military service; no conscription
_#_Defense expenditures: $45 million, 2.4% of GDP (1988) % _@_Malta _*_Geography _#_Total area: 320 km2; land area: 320 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 140 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs
_#_Natural resources: limestone, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 38%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 59%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: numerous bays provide good harbors; fresh water very scarce--increasing reliance on desalination
_#_Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily, 290 km north of Libya
_*_People _#_Population: 356,427 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 79 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Maltese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Maltese
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixture of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, English
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 98%
_#_Language: Maltese and English (official)
_#_Literacy: 84% (male 86%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
_#_Labor force: 126,135; government (excluding job corps) 37%, services 26%, manufacturing 22%, training programs 9%, construction 4%, agriculture 2% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: about 40% of labor force
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Malta
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Valletta
_#_Administrative divisions: none (administration directly from Valletta)
_#_Independence: 21 September 1964 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 26 April 1974, effective 2 June 1974
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Roman civil law; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Freedom Day, 31 March
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President Vincent (Censu) TABONE (since 4 April 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Edward (Eddie) FENECH ADAMI (since 12 May 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Guido DE MARCO (since 14 May 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Nationalist Party, Edward FENECH ADAMI; Malta Labor Party, Karmenu MIFSUD BONNICI
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives--last held on 9 May 1987 (next to be held by May 1992); results--NP 51.1%, MLP 48.9%; seats--(usually 65 total, but additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; current total 69) MLP 34, NP 31 before popular vote adjustment; MLP 34, NP 35 after adjustment
_#_Communists: fewer than 100 (est.)
_#_Member of: C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Salvatore J. STELLINI; Chancery at 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-3611 or 3612; there is a Maltese Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Sally J. NOVETZKE; Embassy at 2nd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Valletta (mailing address is P. O. Box 535, Valletta); telephone [356] 240424, 240425, 243216, 243217, 243653, 223654
_#_Flag: two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross, edged in red
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Significant resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and a productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies, and has no domestic energy sources. Consequently, the economy is highly dependent on foreign trade and services. Manufacturing and tourism are the largest contributors to the economy. Manufacturing accounts for about 27% of GDP, with the electronics and textile industries major contributors. In 1989 inflation was held to a low 0.9%. Per capita GDP at $5,500 places Malta in the middle-income range of the world's nations.
_#_GDP: $1.9 billion, per capita $5,500 (1988); real growth rate 6.4% (1989)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 3.7% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $1,020 million; expenditures $1,230 million, including capital expenditures of $380 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $866 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--clothing, textiles, footwear, ships;
partners--Italy 30%, FRG 22%, UK 11%
_#_Imports: $1,328 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods;
partners--Italy 30%, UK 16%, FRG 13%, US 4%
_#_External debt: $90 million, medium and long-term (December 1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 19.2% (1989); accounts for 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 328,000 kW capacity; 1,110 million kWh produced, 2,990 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: tourism, electronics, ship repair yard, construction, food manufacturing, textiles, footwear, clothing, beverages, tobacco
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 3% of GDP; overall, 20% self-sufficient; main products--potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers, hogs, poultry, eggs; generally adequate supplies of vegetables, poultry, milk, pork products; seasonal or periodic shortages in grain, animal fodder, fruits, other basic foodstuffs
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $172 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $333 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $76 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $48 million
_#_Currency: Maltese lira (plural--liri); 1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per US$1--0.3004 (January 1991), 0.3172 (1990), 0.3483 (1989), 0.3306 (1988), 0.3451 (1987), 0.3924 (1986), 0.4676 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 1,291 km total; 1,179 km paved (asphalt), 77 km crushed stone or gravel, 35 km improved and unimproved earth
_#_Ports: Valletta, Marsaxlokk
_#_Merchant marine: 415 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,005,791 GRT/8,644,369 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 8 short-sea passenger, 160 cargo, 5 container, 2 passenger-cargo, 13 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 vehicle carrier, 1 barge carrier, 6 refrigerated cargo, 9 chemical tanker, 8 combination ore/oil, 2 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 79 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 104 bulk, 11 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; China owns 1 ship, USSR owns 7, Cuba owns 7, and Vietnam owns 1
_#_Civil air: 7 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern automatic system centered in Valletta; 163,800 telephones; stations--9 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; 1 submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Armed Forces, Maltese Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 94,081; 75,222 fit for military service
_#_Defense expenditures: $21.9 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.) % _@_Man, Isle of (British crown dependency) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 588 km2; land area: 588 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 113 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: cool summers and mild winters; humid; overcast about half the time
_#_Terrain: hills in north and south bisected by central valley
_#_Natural resources: lead, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%; extensive arable land and forests
_#_Environment: strong westerly winds prevail
_#_Note: located in Irish Sea equidistant from England, Scotland, and Ireland
_*_People _#_Population: 64,075 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_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% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education age 5 to 16
_#_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 Tynwald consists of an upper house or Legislative Council and a lower house or House of Keys
_#_Judicial branch: High Court of Justice
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Air Marshal Sir Laurence JONES (since NA 1990);
Head of Government--President of the Legislative Council Sir Charles KERRUISH (since NA 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: there is no party system and members sit as independents
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
House of Keys--last held in 1986 (next to be held 1991); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(24 total) independents 24
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Flag: red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are 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
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: Manx pound (plural--pounds); 1 Manx pound (5M) = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Manx pounds (5M) per US$1--0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 36 km electric track, 24 km steam track
_#_Highways: 640 km motorable roads
_#_Ports: Douglas, Ramsey, Peel
_#_Merchant marine: 73 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,634,471 GRT/2,906,039 DWT; includes 8 cargo, 6 container, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 2 combination ore/oil, 3 liquefied gas, 13 bulk; note--a captive register of the United Kingdom, although not all ships on the register are British-owned
_#_Airports: 2 total; 1 usable with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 24,435 telephones; stations--1 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV
_*_Defense Forces _#_Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % _@_Marshall Islands _*_Geography _#_Total area: 181.3 km2; land area: 181.3 km2; includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetak, and Kwajalein
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 370.4 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims US territory of Wake Island
_#_Climate: wet season May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt
_#_Terrain: low coral limestone and sand islands
_#_Natural resources: phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 60%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 40%
_#_Environment: occasionally subject to typhoons; two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands
_#_Note: located 3,825 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea; Bikini and Eniwetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range
_*_People _#_Population: 48,091 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 53 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 64 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_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: 93% (male 100%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 4,800 (1986)
_#_Organized labor: none
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of the Marshall Islands
_#_Type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986
_#_Capital: Majuro
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: 21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship; formerly the Marshall Islands District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
_#_Constitution: 1 May 1979
_#_Legal system: based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
_#_National holiday: Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 May (1979)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Nitijela
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Amata KABUA (since 1979)
_#_Political parties and leaders: no formal parties; President KABUA is chief political (and traditional) leader
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held NA November 1987 (next to be held November 1991); results--President Amata KABUA was reelected;
Parliament--last held NA November 1987 (next to be held November 1991); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(33 total)
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Wilfred I. KENDALL; Chancery at 2433 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-5414;
US--Ambassador William BODDE, Jr.; Embassy at NA address (mailing address is P. O. Box 680, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-4380); telephone 692-4011
_#_Flag: blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner--orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Agriculture and tourism are the mainstays of the economy. Agricultural production is concentrated on small farms, and the most important commercial crops are coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. A few cattle ranches supply the domestic meat market. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish processing, and copra. The tourist industry is the primary source of foreign exchange and employs about 10% of the labor force. The islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. In 1987 the US Government provided grants of $40 million out of the Marshallese budget of $55 million.
_#_GDP: $63 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.6% (1981)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $55 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)
_#_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: 42,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 1,840 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: copra, fish, tourism; craft items from shell, wood, and pearl; offshore banking (embryonic)
_#_Agriculture: coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, copra; pigs, chickens
_#_Economic aid: under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US is to provide approximately $40 million in aid annually
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*_Communications _#_Highways: macadam and concrete roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks
_#_Ports: Majuro
_#_Merchant marine: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,654,871 GRT/3,236,549 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 3 container, 7 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 11 bulk carrier; note--a flag of convenience registry
_#_Airports: 5 total, 5 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: telephone network--570 lines (Majuro) and 186 (Ebeye); telex services; islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes); stations--1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein
_*_Defense Forces _#_Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % _@_Martinique (overseas department of France) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 1,100 km2; land area: 1,060 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 290 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
_#_Natural resources: coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 30%; forest and woodland 26%; other 26%; includes irrigated 5%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity that result in an average of one major natural disaster every five years
_#_Note: located 625 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_*_People _#_Population: 345,180 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 80 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Martiniquais (sing. and pl.); adjective--Martiniquais
_#_Ethnic divisions: African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture 90%, Caucasian 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
_#_Language: French, Creole patois
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 92%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
_#_Labor force: 100,000; service industry 31.7%, construction and public works 29.4%, agriculture 13.1%, industry 7.3%, fisheries 2.2%, other 16.3%
_#_Organized labor: 11% of labor force
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Department of Martinique
_#_Type: overseas department of France
_#_Capital: Fort-de-France
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Independence: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French legal system
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
_#_Executive branch: government commissioner
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral Regional Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government--Government Commissioner Jean Claude ROURE (since 5 May 1989); President of the General Council Emile MAURICE (since NA 1988)
_#_Political parties: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Stephen BAGO; Union of the Left composed of the Progressive Party of Martinique (PPM), Aime CESAIRE; Socialist Federation of Martinique, Michael YOYO; and the Communist Party of Martinique (PCM), Armand NICOLAS; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Jean MARAN
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
General Council--last held on NA October 1988 (next to be held by March 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(44 total) number of seats by party NA;
Regional Assembly--last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be held by March 1992); results--UDF/RPR coalition 49.8%, PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 41.3%, other 8.9%; seats--(41 total) PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 21, UDF/RPR coalition 20;
French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(2 total) UDF 1, PPM 1;
French National Assembly--last held on 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(4 total) PPM 1, FSM 1, RPR 1, UDF 1
_#_Communists: 1,000 (est.)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Proletarian Action Group (GAP); Alhed Marie-Jeanne Socialist Revolution Group (GRS), Martinique Independence Movement (MIM), Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance (ARC), Central Union for Martinique Workers (CSTM), Marc Pulvar; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants
_#_Member of: FZ, WCL, WFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, Martiniquais interests are represented in the US by France;
US--Consul General Raymond G. ROBINSON; Consulate General at 14 Rue Blenac, Fort-de-France (mailing address is B. P. 561, Fort-de-France 97206); telephone [590] 63-13-03
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry. Agriculture accounts for about 12% of GDP and the small industrial sector for 10%. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France. Tourism has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. The majority of the work force is employed in the service sector and in administration. In 1986 per capita GDP was relatively high at $6,000. During 1986 the unemployment rate was 30% and was particularly severe among younger workers.
_#_GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $6,000; real growth rate NA% (1986)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 30% (1986)
_#_Budget: revenues $268 million; expenditures $268 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $196 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples;
partners--France 65%, Guadeloupe 24%, FRG (1987)
_#_Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities--petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods;
partners--France 65%, UK, Italy, FRG, Japan, US (1987)
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 113,000 kW capacity; 564 million kWh produced, 1,660 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism
_#_Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 12% of GDP; principal crops--pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, and sugarcane for rum; dependent on imported food, particularly meat and vegetables
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $9.9 billion
_#_Currency: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 1,680 km total; 1,300 km paved, 380 km 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 Saint Lucia; stations--1 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 95,235; NA fit for military service
_#_Note: defense is the responsibility of France % _@_Mauritania _*_Geography _#_Total area: 1,030,700 km2; land area: 1,030,400 km2
_#_Comparative area: 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;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: 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: arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 38%; forest and woodland 5%; other 56%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; desertification; only perennial river is the Senegal
_*_People _#_Population: 1,995,755 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 49 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 94 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male, 50 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Mauritanian(s); adjective--Mauritanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%
_#_Religion: Muslim, nearly 100%
_#_Language: Hasaniya Arabic (national); French (official); Toucouleur, Fula, Sarakole, Wolof
_#_Literacy: 34% (male 47%, female 21%) age 10 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 465,000 (1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980); agriculture 47%, services 29%, industry and commerce 14%, government 10%; 53% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 30,000 members claimed by single union, Mauritanian Workers' Union
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
_#_Type: republic; military first seized power in bloodless coup 10 July 1978; a palace coup that took place on 12 December 1984 brought President Taya to power
_#_Capital: Nouakchott
_#_Administrative divisions: 12 regions (regions, singular--region); Adrar, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, El Acaba, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Inchiri, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza; note--there may be a new capital district of Nouakchott
_#_Independence: 28 November 1960 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 20 May 1961, abrogated after coup of 10 July 1978; provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned in 1981; new constitutional charter published 27 February 1985
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
_#_Executive branch: president, Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale), dissolved after 10 July 1978 coup; legislative power resides with the CMSN
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Col. Maaouya Ould SidAhmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
_#_Political parties and leaders: suspended
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: last presidential election August 1976; National Assembly dissolved 10 July 1978; no national elections are scheduled
_#_Communists: no Communist party, but there is a scattering of Maoist sympathizers
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdellah OULD DADDAH; Chancery at 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-5700;
US--Ambassador William H. TWADDELL; Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott (mailing address is B. P. 222, Nouakchott); telephone [222] (2) 252-660 or 252-663
_#_Flag: green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
_*_Economy _#_Overview: A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore that account for almost 50% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In recent years, the droughts, the conflict with Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government now has begun the second stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the IMF, and major donor countries.
_#_GDP: $942 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 3.5% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (1989 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 21% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $280 million; expenditures $346 million, including capital expenditures of $61 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $519 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum, unrecorded but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal;
partners--EC 57%, Japan 39%, Ivory Coast 2%
_#_Imports: $567 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities--foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods;
partners--EC 79%, Africa 5%, US 4%, Japan 2%
_#_External debt: $2.3 billion (December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 189,000 kW capacity; 136 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 29% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming and nomadic cattle and sheep herding except in Senegal river valley; crops--dates, millet, sorghum, root crops; fish products number-one export; large food deficit in years of drought
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $168 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $277 million
_#_Currency: ouguiya (plural--ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums
_#_Exchange rates: ouguiya (UM) per US$1--77.450 (January 1991), 80.609 (1990), 83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987), 74.375 (1986), 77.085 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 670 km 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 1,290 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, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard, Nomad Security Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 423,501; 206,733 fit for military service; conscription law not implemented
_#_Defense expenditures: $37 million, 4.2% of GDP (1987) % _@_Mauritius _*_Geography _#_Total area: 1,860 km2; land area: 1,850 km2; includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 177 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
_#_Climate: tropical modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
_#_Terrain: small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
_#_Natural resources: arable land, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 54%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 31%; other 7%; includes irrigated 9%
_#_Environment: subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs
_#_Note: located 900 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
_*_People _#_Population: 1,081,000 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 20 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 74 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Mauritian(s); adjective--Mauritian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
_#_Religion: Hindu 52%, Christian (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%) 28.3%, Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%
_#_Language: English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
_#_Literacy: 61% (male 72%, female 50%) age 13 and over can read and write (1962)
_#_Labor force: 335,000; government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing 22%, other 22%; 43% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 35% of labor force in more than 270 unions
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Port Louis
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne
_#_Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 12 March 1968
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_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 Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Prem NABABSING (since 26 September 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
government coalition--Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. JUGNAUTH; Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Paul BERENGER; Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR), Louis Serge CLAIR; Democratic Labor Movement (MTD), Anil BAICHOO;
opposition--Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Navin RAMGOOLMAN; Socialist Workers Front, Sylvio MICHEL; Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), G. DUVAL
_#_Suffrage universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly--last held on 15 September 1991 (next to be held by 15 September 1996); results--MSM/MMM 53%, MLP/PMSD 38%; seats--(70 total, 62 elected) MSM/MMM alliance 59 (MSM 29, MMM 26, OPR 2, MTD 2); opposition 3
_#_Communists: may be 2,000 sympathizers; several Communist organizations; Mauritius Lenin Youth Organization, Mauritius Women's Committee, Mauritius Communist Party, Mauritius People's Progressive Party, Mauritius Young Communist League, Mauritius Liberation Front, Chinese Middle School Friendly Association, Mauritius/USSR Friendship Society
_#_Other political or pressure groups: various labor unions
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING; Chancery at Suite 134, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-1491 or 1492;
US--Ambassador Penne Percy KORTH; Embassy at 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis; telephone [230] 208-9763 through 208-9767
_#_Flag: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 32% of export earnings. The government's development strategy is centered on industrialization (with a view to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1989 was impressive, with 5.0% real growth and low unemployment.
_#_GDP: $2.1 billion, per capita $2,000; real growth rate 5.5% (FY89)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.7% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2.7% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $477 million; expenditures $540 million, including capital expenditures of $112 million (FY89)
_#_Exports: $993 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%;
partners--EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%
_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, 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); accounts for 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 233,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced, 375 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; about 90% of cultivated land in sugarcane; other products--tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses, cattle, goats, fish; net food importer, especially rice and fish
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $76 million; Western (non-US) countries (1970-88), $628 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $54 million
_#_Currency: Mauritian rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1--14.295 (January 1991), 14.839 (1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988), 12.878 (1987), 13.466 (1986), 15.442 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 1,800 km total; 1,640 km paved, 160 km earth
_#_Ports: Port Louis
_#_Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 94,619 GRT/140,345 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 2 cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 liquefied gas, 2 bulk
_#_Civil air: 4 major 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; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: small system with good service; new microwave link to Reunion; high-frequency radio links to several countries; 48,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 4 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: paramilitary Special Mobile Force, Special Support Units, National Police Force, National Coast Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 302,588; 155,176 fit for military service
_#_Defense expenditures: $4 million, 0.2% of GDP (1988) % _@_Mayotte (territorial collectivity of France) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 375 km2; land area: 375 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 185.2 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Comoros
_#_Climate: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)
_#_Terrain: generally undulating with ancient volcanic peaks, deep ravines
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: subject to cyclones during rainy season
_#_Note: part of Comoro Archipelago; located in the Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and Madagascar
_*_People _#_Population: 75,027 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 50 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 59 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Mahorais (sing., pl.); adjective--Mahoran
_#_Religion: Muslim 99%; remainder Christian, mostly Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
_#_Type: territorial collectivity of France
_#_Capital: Dzaoudzi
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)
_#_Independence: none (territorial collectivity of France)
_#_Constitution: 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--Prefect, Representative of the French Government Daniel LIMODIN (since NA 1990); President of the General Council Youssouf BAMANA (since NA 1976)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Mahoran Popular Movement (MPM), Younoussa BAMANA; Party for the Mahoran Democratic Rally (PRDM), Daroueche MAOULIDA; Mahoran Rally for the Republic (RMPR), Mansour KAMARDINE; Union of the Center (UDC)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
General Council--last held NA June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(17 total) MPM 9, RPR 6, other 2;
French Senate--last held on 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) MPM 1;
French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) UDC 1
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: FZ
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a territorial collectivity of France, Mahoran interests are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island is heavily dependent on French financial assistance.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues NA; expenditures $37.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
_#_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
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $323.8 million
_#_Currency: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 42 km total; 18 km bituminous
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Ports: Dzaoudzi
_#_Telecommunications: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications; includes radio relay and high-frequency radio communications for links with Comoros and international communications; 450 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV
_*_Defense Forces _#_Note: defense is the responsibility of France % _@_Mexico _*_Geography _#_Total area: 1,972,550 km2; land area: 1,923,040 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 4,538 km total; Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326 km
_#_Coastline: 9,330 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: natural prolongation of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Clipperton Island (French possession)
_#_Climate: varies from tropical to desert
_#_Terrain: high, rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus, and desert
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and woodland 24%; other 24%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: 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: 90,007,304 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 29 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Mexican(s); adjective--Mexican
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (Indian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white or predominantly white 9%, other 1%
_#_Religion: nominally Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 87% (male 90%, female 85%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985 est.)
_#_Labor force: 26,100,000 (1988); services 31.4%, agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing 26%, commerce 13.9%, manufacturing 12.8%, construction 9.5%, transportation 4.8%, mining and quarrying 1.3%, electricity 0.3% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 35% of labor force
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: United Mexican States
_#_Type: federal republic operating under a centralized government
_#_Capital: Mexico
_#_Administrative divisions: 31 states (estados, singular--estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatan, Zacatecas
_#_Independence: 16 September 1810 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 5 February 1917
_#_Legal system: mixture of US constitutional theory and civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1810)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso de la Union) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Suprema Corte de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Carlos SALINAS de Gortari (since 1 December 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders: (recognized parties) Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Luis Donaldo COLOSIO Murrieta; National Action Party (PAN), Luis ALVAREZ; Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Indalecio SAYAGO Herrera; Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Cuauhtemoc CARDENAS Solorzano; Cardenist Front for the National Reconstruction Party (PFCRN), Rafael AGUILAR Talamantes; Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution (PARM), Carlos Enrique CANTU Rosas
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory (but not enforced) at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results--Carlos SALINAS de Gortari (PRI) 50.74%, Cuauhtemoc CARDENAS Solorzano (FDN) 31.06%, Manuel CLOUTHIER (PAN) 16.81%; other 1.39%; note--several of the smaller parties ran a common candidate under a coalition called the National Democratic Front (FDN);
Senate--last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held mid-year 1991); results--PRI 94%, FDN (now PRD) 6%; seats--(64 total) number of seats by party NA;
Chamber of Deputies--last held on 6 July 1988 (next to be held mid-year 1991); results--PRI 53%, PAN 20%, PFCRN 10%, PPS 6%, PARM 7%, PMS (now part of PRD) 4%; seats--(500 total) number of seats by party NA
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Roman Catholic Church, Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), Confederation of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN), Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce (CONCANACO), National Peasant Confederation (CNC), UNE (no expansion), Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT), Mexican Democratic Party (PDM), Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC), Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers (CROM), Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX), National Chamber of Transformation Industries (CANACINTRA), Business Coordination Council (CCE)
_#_Member of: AG (observer), CCC, CDB, CG, EBRD, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-6, G-11, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gustavo PETRICIOLI Iturbide; Chancery at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 728-1600; there are Mexican Consulates General in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Antonio, San Diego, and Consulates in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico (California), Corpus Christi, Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle Pass (Texas), Fresno (California), Kansas City (Missouri), Laredo, McAllen (Texas), Miami, Nogales (Arizona), Oxnard (California), Philadelphia, Phoenix, Presidio (Texas), Sacramento, St. Louis, St. Paul (Minneapolis), Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, San Jose, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Seattle;
US--Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE, Jr.; Embassy at Paseo de la Reforma 305, 06500 Mexico, D.F. (mailing address is P. O. Box 3087, Laredo, TX 78044-3087); telephone [52] (5) 211-0042; there are US Consulates General in Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Tijuana, and Consulates in Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mazatlan, Merida, and Nuevo Laredo
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake is its beak) is centered in the white band
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Mexico's economy is a mixture of state-owned industrial plants (notably oil), private manufacturing and services, and both large-scale and traditional agriculture. In the 1980s Mexico experienced severe economic difficulties: the nation accumulated large external debts as world petroleum prices fell; rapid population growth outstripped the domestic food supply; and inflation, unemployment, and pressures to emigrate became more acute. Growth in national output, however, appears to be recovering, rising from 1.4% in 1988 to 3.9% in 1990. The US is Mexico's major trading partner, accounting for two-thirds of its exports and imports. After petroleum, border assembly plants and tourism are the largest earners of foreign exchange. The government, in consultation with international economic agencies, is implementing programs to stabilize the economy and foster growth. In 1991 the government also plans to begin negotiations with the US and Canada on a free trade agreement.
_#_GDP: $236 billion, per capita $2,680; real growth rate 3.9% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 15-18% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $44.3 billion; expenditures $55.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.8 billion (1989)
_#_Exports: $26.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--crude oil, oil products, coffee, shrimp, engines, cotton;
partners--US 66%, EC 16%, Japan 11%
_#_Imports: $29.8 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities--grain, metal manufactures, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment;
partners--US 62%, EC 18%, Japan 10%
_#_External debt: $96.0 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.3% (1989); accounts for 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 27,600,000 kW capacity; 108,976 million kWh produced, 1,240 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, transportation equipment, tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 9% of GDP and over 25% of work force; large number of small farms at subsistence level; major food crops--corn, wheat, rice, beans; cash crops--cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; fish catch of 1.4 million metric tons among top 20 nations (1987)
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis continues in spite of government eradication efforts; major link in chain of countries used to smuggle cocaine from South American dealers to US markets
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $110 million
_#_Currency: Mexican peso (plural--pesos); 1 Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: market rate of Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1--2,940.9 (January 1991), 2,812.6 (1990), 2,461.3 (1989), 2,273.1 (1988), 1,378.2 (1987), 611.8 (1986), 256.9 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 20,680 km 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, 28,200 km; refined products, 10,150 km; natural gas, 13,254 km; petrochemical, 1,400 km
_#_Ports: Acapulco, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada, Guaymas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso, Puerto Vallarta, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Veracruz
_#_Merchant marine: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 999,423 GRT/1,509,939 DWT; includes 4 short-sea passenger, 9 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 3 bulk, 3 combination bulk
_#_Civil air: 174 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1,815 total, 1,537 usable; 195 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 33 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 276 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: highly developed system with extensive radio relay links; connection into Central American Microwave System; 6.41 million telephones; stations--679 AM, no FM, 238 TV, 22 shortwave; 120 domestic satellite terminals; earth stations--4 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: National Defense (includes Army and Air Force), Navy (includes Marines)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 22,340,628; 16,360,596 fit for military service; 1,107,163 reach military age (18) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $1 billion, 0.6% of GDP (1988) % _@_Micronesia, Federated States of _*_Geography _#_Total area: 702 km2; land area: 702 km2; includes Pohnpei, Truk, Yap, and Kosrae
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than four times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 6,112 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasional severe damage
_#_Terrain: islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk
_#_Natural resources: forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_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: 107,662 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 73 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_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: 90% (male 90%, female 85%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: NA; two-thirds are government employees; 45,000 people are between the ages of 15 and 65
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Federated States of Micronesia (no short-form name)
_#_Type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986
_#_Capital: Kolonia (on the island of Pohnpei); note--a new capital is being built about 10 km southwest in the Palikir valley
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 states; Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk, 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 Congress
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Bailey OLTER (since 11 May 1991); Vice President Jacob NENA (since 11 May 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: no formal parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held 5 March 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results--Vice President Bailey OLTER elected president;
Congress--last held on 5 March 1991 (next to be held March 1993); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(14 total)
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jesse B. MAREHALAU; Embassy at 706 G Street SE, Washington DC 20003; telephone (202) 544-2640;
US--Ambassador Aurelia BRAZEAL; Embassy at address NA, Kolonia (mailing address is P. O. Box 1286, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia 96941); telephone 691-320-2187
_#_Flag: light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Financial assistance from the US is the primary source of revenue, with the US pledged to spend $1 billion in the islands in the 1990s; also in December 1990 the US authorized the use of disaster relief funds for Micronesia because of damage from Typhoon Russ. In addition Micronesia earns about $4 million a year in fees from foreign commercial fishing concerns. Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remoteness of the location and a lack of adequate facilities hinder development.
_#_GNP: $150 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.); note--GNP numbers reflect US spending
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 80% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $110.8 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.6 million (f.o.b., 1983);
commodities--copra;
partners--NA
_#_Imports: $48.9 million (c.i.f., 1983);
commodities--NA;
partners--NA
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 18,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh produced, 380 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearl
_#_Agriculture: mainly a subsistence economy; copra, black pepper; tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, pigs, chickens
_#_Economic aid: under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US will provide $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 39 km of paved macadam and concrete roads on major islands, otherwise 187 km stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads
_#_Ports: Colonia (Yap), Truk (Kosrae), Okat (Kosrae)
_#_Airports: 11 total, 10 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439
_#_Telecommunications: 16,000 radio receivers, 1,125 TV sets (est. 1987); telephone network--960 telephone lines at both Kolonia and Truk; islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes); stations--5 AM, 1 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*_Defense Forces _#_Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % _@_Midway Islands (territory of the US) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 5.2 km2; land area: 5.2 km2; includes Eastern Island and Sand Island
_#_Comparative area: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 15 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, but moderated by prevailing easterly winds
_#_Terrain: low, nearly level
_#_Natural resources: fish and wildlife
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: coral atoll
_#_Note: located 2,350 km west-northwest of Honolulu at the western end of Hawaiian Islands group, about one-third of the way between Honolulu and Tokyo; closed to the public
_*_People _#_Population: 453 US military personnel (1991)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Navy, under command of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station in Hawaii and managed cooperatively by the US Navy and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
_#_Flag: the US flag is used
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy is based on providing support services for US naval operations located on the islands. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
_#_Electricity: supplied by US Military
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 32 km total
_#_Pipelines: 7.8 km
_#_Ports: Sand Island
_#_Airports: 3 total; 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_*_Defense Forces _#_Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % _@_Monaco _*_Geography _#_Total area: 1.9 km2; land area: 1.9 km2
_#_Comparative area: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundary: 4.4 km with France
_#_Coastline: 4.1 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: hilly, rugged, rocky
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: almost entirely urban
_#_Note: second-smallest independent state in world (after Vatican City)
_*_People _#_Population: 29,712 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 7 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 9 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Monacan(s) or Monegasque(s); adjective--Monacan or Monegasque
_#_Ethnic divisions: French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%
_#_Language: French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: 4,000 members in 35 unions
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Principality of Monaco
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Monaco
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 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: ACCT, CSCE, ICAO, IMF (observer), IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Monaco maintains honorary consulates general in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and honorary consulates in Dallas, Honolulu, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, and Washington;
US--no mission in Monaco, but the US Consul General in Marseille, France, is accredited to Monaco; Consul General R. Susan WOOD; Consulate General at 12 Boulevard Paul Peytral, 13286 Marseille Cedex (mailing address APO NY 09777); telephone [33] (91) 549-200
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Monaco, situated on the French Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. The Principality has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and offices. About 50% of Monaco's annual revenue comes from value-added taxes on hotels, banks, and the industrial sector; about 25% of revenue comes from tourism. Living standards are high, that is, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan suburbs.
_#_GDP: $324 million, per capita $11,000; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: full employment (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $386 million; expenditures $426, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
_#_Exports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monacan trade duties; also participates in EC market system through customs union with France
_#_Imports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monacan trade duties; also participates in EC market system through customs union with France
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 10,000 kW standby capacity (1988); power supplied by France
_#_Industries: tourism, pharmaceuticals, precision instruments, glassmaking, printing, finance
_#_Agriculture: NA
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 1.6 km 1.435-meter gauge
_#_Highways: none; city streets
_#_Ports: Monaco
_#_Merchant marine: 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,268 GRT/4,959 DWT
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 usable airfield with permanent-surface runways
_#_Telecommunications: served by the French communications system; automatic telephone system; 38,200 telephones; stations--3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; no communication satellite stations
_*_Defense Forces _#_Note: defense is the responsibility of France % _@_Mongolia _*_Geography _#_Total area: 1,565,000 km2; land area: 1,565,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska
_#_Land boundaries: 8,114 km total; China 4,673 km, USSR 3,441 km
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)
_#_Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains; mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in southeast
_#_Natural resources: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 79%; forest and woodland 10%; other 10%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: harsh and rugged
_#_Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and Soviet Union
_*_People _#_Population: 2,247,068 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 67 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Mongolian(s); adjective--Mongolian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Mongol 90%, Kazakh 4%, Chinese 2%, Russian 2%, other 2%
_#_Religion: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim (about 4%), limited religious activity because of Communist regime
_#_Language: Khalkha Mongol used by over 90% of population; minor languages include Turkic, Russian, and Chinese
_#_Literacy: 90% (male NA%, female NA%) (1989 est.)
_#_Labor force: NA, but primarily herding/agricultural; over half the adult population is in the labor force, including a large percentage of women; shortage of skilled labor
_#_Organized labor: 425,000 members of the Central Council of Mongolian Trade Unions (CCMTU) controlled by the government (1984)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Mongolian People's Republic; abbreviated MPR
_#_Type: in transition from Communist state to republic
_#_Capital: Ulaanbaatar
_#_Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular--aymag) and 3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular--hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
_#_Independence: 13 March 1921 (from China; formerly Outer Mongolia)
_#_Constitution: 6 July 1960
_#_Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: People's Revolution Day, 11 July (1921)
_#_Executive branch: chairman and deputy chairman of the Presidium of the People's Great Hural, premier, deputy premiers, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: People's Great Hural, People's Small Hural
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (since 3 September 1990); Vice President Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJ (since 7 September 1990);
Head of Government--Premier Dashiyn BYAMBASUREN (since 11 September 1990);
_#_Political parties and leaders:
ruling party--Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), Budragchagiin DASH-YONDON, general secretary;
opposition--Social Democratic Party (SDP), Batbayar; Mongolian Democratic Association, Sanjasuren DZORIG, chief coordinator; Mongolian Party of National Progress, Ganbold;
other--Mongolian Democratic Party (MDP), Batuul; Free Labor Party, Maam; note--opposition parties were legalized in May 1990
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held 3 September 1990 (next to be held July 1994); results--Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT elected by the People's Great Hural;
People's Great Hural--last held on 29 July 1990 (next to be held July 1994); results--MPRP 84.6, MDP 3.8%, PNP 1.4%, SDP 1%, independents 9.2%; seats--(430 total) MPRP 343;
People's Small Hural--last held on 29 July 1990 (next to be held July 1994); results--MPRP 62.3%, MDP 24.5%, SDP 7.5%, PNP 5.7%; seats--(50 total) MPRP 33
_#_Communists: MPRP membership 90,000 (1990 est.)
_#_Member of: AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IIB, ILO, IMF, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gendengiyn NYAMDOO; Chancery, Tel. (202) 983-1962;
US--Ambassador Joseph E. LAKE; Deputy Chief of Mission Michael J. SENKO; Embassy at Ulaanbaatar, c/o American Embassy Beijing; Tel. 29095 and 29639
_#_Flag: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is a five-pointed star above the national emblem (soyombo--a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representations for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol)
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and the breeding of livestock--Mongolia has the highest number of livestock per person in the world. In recent years extensive mineral resources have been developed with Soviet support. The mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production. In early 1991 the Mongolian leadership was struggling with severe economic dislocations, mainly attributable to chaotic economic conditions in the USSR, by far Mongolia's leading trade and development partner. For example, the government doubled most prices in January 1991, and industrial production dropped 10% in the first quarter of 1991. Moscow almost certainly will be cutting aid in 1991.
_#_GDP: $2.2 billion, per capita $1,000 (1990 est.); real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 10% (February 1991)
_#_Budget: deficit of $240 million (1991 est.)
_#_Exports: $784 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--livestock, animal products, wool, hides, fluorspar, nonferrous metals, minerals;
partners--nearly all trade with Communist countries (about 80% with USSR)
_#_Imports: $1.14 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea;
partners--nearly all trade with Communist countries (about 80% with USSR)
_#_External debt: $16.8 billion (yearend 1990); 98.6% with USSR
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 657,000 kW capacity; 2,950 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: copper, processing of animal products, building materials, food and beverage, mining (particularly coal)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 20% of GDP and provides livelihood for about 50% of the population; livestock raising predominates (sheep, goats, horses); crops--wheat, barley, potatoes, forage
_#_Economic aid: about $300 million in trade credits and $34 million in grant aid from USSR and other CEMA countries, plus $7.4 million from UNDP (1990)
_#_Currency: tughrik (plural--tughriks); 1 tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos
_#_Exchange rates: tughriks (Tug) per US$1--7.1 (1991), 5.63 (1990), 3.00 (1989)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 1,750 km 1.524-meter broad gauge (1988)
_#_Highways: 46,700 km total; 1,000 km hard surface; 45,700 km other surfaces (1988)
_#_Inland waterways: 397 km of principal routes (1988)
_#_Civil air: 25 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 81 total, 31 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; fewer than 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations--12 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (with 18 provincial relays); relay of Soviet TV; 120,000 TVs; 186,000 radios; at least 1 earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Mongolian People's Army (includes Border Guards), Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 535,376; 349,548 fit for military service; 25,275 reach military age (18) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP % _@_Montserrat (dependent territory of the UK) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 100 km2; land area: 100 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 40 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and woodland 40%; other 30%
_#_Environment: subject to severe hurricanes from June to November
_#_Note: located 400 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_*_People _#_Population: 12,504 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 80 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Montserratian(s); adjective--Montserratian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly black with a few Europeans
_#_Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 5,100; community, social, and personal services 40.5%, construction 13.5%, trade, restaurants, and hotels 12.3%, manufacturing 10.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 8.8%, other 14.4% (1983 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 30% of labor force, three trade unions with 1,500 members (1984 est.)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Plymouth
_#_Administrative divisions: 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1960
_#_Legal system: English common law and statute law
_#_National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday of June)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet), chief minister
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor David TAYLOR (since NA 1990);
Head of Government--Chief Minister John A. OSBORNE (since NA 1978)
_#_Political parties and leaders: People's Liberation Movement (PLM), John OSBORNE; Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), Howell BRAMBLE; United National Front (UNF), Dr. George IRISH; National Development Party (NDP), Bertrand OSBORNE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council--last held on 25 August 1987 (next to be held NA 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(11 total, 7 elected) PLM 4, NDP 2, PDP 1
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, OECS, WCL
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy is small and open with economic activity centered on tourism and construction. Tourism is the most important sector and accounted for 20% of GDP in 1986. Agriculture accounted for about 4% of GDP and industry 10%. The economy is heavily dependent on imports, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices. Exports consist mainly of electronic parts sold to the US.
_#_GDP: $54.2 million, per capita $4,500; real growth rate 12% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: 3.0% (1987)
_#_Budget: revenues $12.1 million; expenditures $14.3 million, including capital expenditures of $3.2 million (1988)
_#_Exports: $2.3 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--electronic parts, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle;
partners--NA
_#_Imports: $30 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials;
partners--NA
_#_External debt: $2.05 million (1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8.1% (1986); accounts for 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,270 kW capacity; 12.2 million kWh produced, 980 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_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
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $75 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 280 km total; about 200 km paved, 80 km gravel and earth
_#_Ports: Plymouth
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,036 m
_#_Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones; stations--8 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Police Force
_#_Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % _@_Morocco _*_Geography _#_Total area: 446,550 km2; land area: 446,300 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than California
_#_Land boundaries: 2,002 km total; Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km
_#_Coastline: 1,835 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved; armed conflict in Western Sahara; Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco--the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, and the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
_#_Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with rich coastal plains
_#_Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 28%; forest and woodland 12%; other 41%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
_*_People _#_Population: 26,181,889 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 30 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 76 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 66 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Moroccan(s); adjective--Moroccan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 99.1%, non-Moroccan 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
_#_Religion: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); several Berber dialects; French is language of business, government, diplomacy, and postprimary education
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 61%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 7,400,000; agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry 15%, other 9% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union of Moroccan Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Kingdom of Morocco
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Rabat
_#_Administrative divisions: 37 provinces (aqalim, singular--iqlim) and 5 municipalities* (wilayat, singular--wilayah); Agadir, Al Hoceima, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El Kelaa des Srarhna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Fes*, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Larache, Marrakech, Marrakech*, Meknes, Meknes*, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit
_#_Independence: 2 March 1956 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 10 March 1972
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court
_#_National holiday: National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne), 3 March (1961)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis Nawab)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since 30 September 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Morocco has 15 political parties; the major ones are Istiqlal Party, M'Hamed BOUCETTA; Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Abderrahim BOUABID; Popular Movement (MP), Secretariat General; National Assembly of Independents (RNI), Ahmed OSMAN; National Democratic Party (PND), Mohamed Arsalane EL-JADIDI; Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS), Ali YATA; Constitutional Union (UC), Maati BOUABID
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
Chamber of Representatives--last held on 14 September 1984 (were scheduled for September 1990, but postponed until NA 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(306 total, 206 elected) CU 83, RNI 61, MP 47, Istiqlal 41, USFP 36, PND 24, other 14
_#_Communists: about 2,000
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS (observer), NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohamed BELKHAYAT; Chancery at 1601 21st Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-7979; there is a Moroccan Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador E. Michael USSERY; Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat, or APO New York 09284); telephone [212] (7) 76-22-65; there are US Consulates General in Casablanca
_#_Flag: red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Solomon's seal in the center of the flag; green is the traditional color of Islam
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy recovered moderately in 1990 because of the resolution of a trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid sales, a rebound in textile sales to the EC, and lower prices for food imports. In addition, a dramatic increase in worker remittances, increased Arab donor aid, and generous debt rescheduling agreements helped ease foreign payments pressures. On the down side, higher oil import costs fueled inflation. Servicing the $21 billion foreign debt, high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external forces remain severe problems for the 1990s.
_#_GDP: $25.4 billion, per capita $990; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.6% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 16% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $6.6 billion; expenditures $7.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $4.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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: $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 9%;
partners--EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%
_#_External debt: $21 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4% (1989 est.); accounts for an estimated 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 2,262,000 kW capacity; 8,140 million kWh produced, 320 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism
_#_Agriculture: 50% of employment and 30% of export value; not self-sufficient in food; cereal farming and livestock raising predominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruit, wine, vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in 1987
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis; trafficking on the increase for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of cannabis mostly directed to Western Europe; occasional transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.3 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $7.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.5 billion
_#_Currency: Moroccan dirham (plural--dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1--8.071 (January 1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double track, 974 km electrified)
_#_Highways: 59,198 km total; 27,740 km bituminous treated, 31,458 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, and unimproved earth
_#_Pipelines: 362 km crude oil; 491 km (abandoned) refined products; 241 km natural gas
_#_Ports: Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla
_#_Merchant marine: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 315,169 GRT/487,490 DWT; includes 10 cargo, 2 container, 12 refrigerated cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 11 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger
_#_Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 75 total, 67 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good system composed of wire lines, cables, and radio relay links; principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat, secondary centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan; 280,000 telephones; stations--14 AM, 6 FM, 47 TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable to Algeria; microwave network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie, Auxiliary Forces
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 6,437,152; 4,092,027 fit for military service; 299,535 reach military age (18) annually; limited conscription
_#_Defense expenditures: $1.4 billion, 5.2% of GDP % _@_Mozambique _*_Geography _#_Total area: 801,590 km2; land area: 784,090 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 4,571 km total; Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km
_#_Coastline: 2,470 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical to subtropical
_#_Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west
_#_Natural resources: coal, titanium
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 56%; forest and woodland 20%; other 20%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: severe drought and floods occur in south; desertification
_*_People _#_Population: 15,113,282 (July 1991), growth rate 4.6% (1991); note--900,000 Mozambican refugees in Malawi (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 17 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 17 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 134 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 46 years male, 49 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Mozambican(s); adjective--Mozambican
_#_Ethnic divisions: majority from indigenous tribal groups; Europeans about 10,000, Euro-Africans 35,000, Indians 15,000
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 60%, Christian 30%, Muslim 10%
_#_Language: Portuguese (official); many indigenous dialects
_#_Literacy: 33% (male 45%, female 21%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: NA, but 90% engaged in agriculture
_#_Organized labor: 225,000 workers belong to a single union, the Mozambique Workers' Organization (OTM)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Mozambique
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Maputo
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia); Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
_#_Independence: 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
_#_Constitution: 30 November 1990
_#_Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
_#_Judicial branch: People's Courts at all levels
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 1986);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Mario da Graca MACHUNGO (since 17 July 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO)--formerly a Marxist organization with close ties to the USSR--was the only legal party before 30 November 1990 when the new Constitution went into effect establishing a multiparty system; note--the government has announced that multiparty elections will be held in 1991; parties such as the Liberal Democratic Party of Mozambique (PALMO), the Mozambique National Union (UNAMO), and the Mozambique National Movement (MONAMO) have already emerged
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Elections: electoral law--to be ratified in 1991--will provide for periodic, direct presidential and Assembly elections
_#_Communists: about 200,000 FRELIMO members; note--FRELIMO no longer considers itself a Communist party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hipolito PATRICIO; Chancery at Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 293-7146;
US--Ambassador Townsend B. FRIEDMAN, Jr.; Embassy at Avenida Kenneth Kuanda, 193 Maputo (mailing address is P. O. Box 783, Maputo); telephone [258] (1) 49-27-97, 49-01-67, 49-03-50
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an open white book
_*_Economy _#_Overview: One of Africa's poorest countries, with a per capita GDP of little more than $100, Mozambique has failed to exploit the economic potential of its sizable agricultural, hydropower, and transportation resources. Indeed, national output, consumption, and investment declined throughout the first half of the 1980s because of internal disorders, lack of government administrative control, and a growing foreign debt. A sharp increase in foreign aid, attracted by an economic reform policy, has resulted in successive years of economic growth since 1985. Agricultural output, nevertheless, is at about only 75% of its 1981 level, and grain has to be imported. Industry operates at only 20-40% of capacity. The economy depends heavily on foreign assistance to keep afloat.
_#_GDP: $1.6 billion, per capita $110; real growth rate 5.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 22.9% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 50% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $186 million; expenditures $239 million, including capital expenditures of $208 million (1988 est.)
_#_Exports: $90 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--shrimp 48%, cashews 21%, sugar 10%, copra 3%, citrus 3%;
partners--US, Western Europe, GDR, Japan
_#_Imports: $764 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.), including aid;
commodities--food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum;
partners--US, Western Europe, USSR
_#_External debt: $5.1 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5% (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 90% of the labor force, 50% of GDP, and about 90% of exports; cash crops--cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, shrimp; other crops--cassava, corn, rice, tropical fruits; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $350 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $37 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $890 million
_#_Currency: metical (plural--meticais); 1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: meticais (Mt) per US$1--1,700 (November 1990), 800.00 (1989), 528.60 (1988), 289.44 (1987), 40.43 (1986), 43.18 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 3,288 km total; 3,140 km 1.067-meter gauge; 148 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge; 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: 197 total, 145 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of troposcatter, open-wire lines, and radio relay; 57,400 telephones; stations--15 AM, 3 FM, 1 TV; earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Mozambique Armed Forces (including Army, Naval Command, Air Defense Forces, Border Guards), Militia
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 3,407,234; 1,957,123 fit for military service
_#_Defense expenditures: $NA, 8.4% of GDP (1987) % _@_Namibia _*_Geography _#_Total area: 824,290 km2; land area: 823,290 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than half the size of Alaska
_#_Land boundaries: 3,935 km total; Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 966 km, Zambia 233 km
_#_Coastline: 1,489 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands administered by South Africa
_#_Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
_#_Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
_#_Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 64%; forest and woodland 22%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification
_#_Note: Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia
_*_People _#_Population: 1,520,504 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 69 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 58 years male, 63 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Namibian(s); adjective--Namibian
_#_Ethnic divisions: black 86%, white 6.6%, mixed 7.4%; about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% from the Kavangos tribe
_#_Religion: predominantly Christian
_#_Language: English is official language; Afrikaans is common language of most of population and about 60% of white population, German 32%, English 7%; several indigenous languages
_#_Literacy: 38% (male 45%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1960)
_#_Labor force: 500,000; agriculture 60%, industry and commerce 19%, services 8%, government 7%, mining 6% (1981 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 20 trade unions representing about 90,000 workers
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Namibia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Windhoek
_#_Administrative divisions: the former administrative structure of 26 districts has been abolished and 14 temporary regions are still in the process of being determined; note--the 26 districts were Bethanien, Boesmanland, Caprivi Oos, Damaraland, Gobabis, Grootfontein, Hereroland Oos, Hereroland Wes, Kaokoland, Karasburg, Karibib, Kavango, Keetmanshoop, Luderitz, Maltahohe, Mariental, Namaland, Okahandja, Omaruru, Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Owambo, Rehoboth, Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Windhoek
_#_Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
_#_Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990
_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 21 March 1990
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral; House of Review (upper house, to be established with elections in 1992 by planned new regional authorities); National Assembly (lower house elected by universal suffrage)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Sam NUJOMA; Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Dirk MUDGE; United Democratic Front (UDF), Justus GAROEB; Action Christian National (ACN), Kosie PRETORIUS; National Patriotic Front (NPF), Moses KATJIUONGUA; Federal Convention of Namibia (FCN), Hans DIERGAARDT; Namibia National Front (NNF), Vekuii RUKORO
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held 16 February 1990 (next to be held March 1995); Sam NUJOMA was elected president by the Constituent Assembly (now the National Assembly);
National Assembly--last held on 7-11 November 1989 (next to be held by November 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(72 total) SWAPO 41, DTA 21, UDF 4, ACN 3, NNF 1, FCN 1, NPF 1
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Other political or pressure groups: NA
_#_Member of: C, ECA (associate), FAO, FLS, IAEA, IBRD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, WCL, WFTU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Tuliameni KALOMOH; Chancery at 1413 K Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20005 (mailing address is PO Box 34738, Washington DC 20043); telephone (202) 289-3871;
US--Ambassador Genta Hawkins HOLMES; Embassy at Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen St., Windhoek (mailing address is P. O. Box 9890, Windhoek 9000, Namibia); telephone [264] (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680
_#_Flag: a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section, and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe which is contrasted by two narrow white edge borders
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 30% of GDP. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Alluvial diamond deposits are among the richest in the world, making Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten, and it has substantial resources of coal. More than half the population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its livelihood.
_#_GNP: $1.8 billion, per capita $1,240; real growth rate - 2.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.1% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: over 30% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $794.1 million; expenditures $999.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $1,021 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--uranium, diamonds, zinc, copper, cattle, processed fish, karakul skins;
partners--Switzerland, South Africa, FRG, Japan
_#_Imports: $894 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment;
partners--South Africa, FRG, US, Switzerland
_#_External debt: about $27 million at independence; under a 1971 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Namibia may not be liable for debt incurred during its colonial period
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 486,000 kW capacity; 1,280 million kWh produced, 930 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining (copper, lead, zinc, diamond, uranium)
_#_Agriculture: mostly subsistence farming; livestock raising major source of cash income; crops--millet, sorghum, peanuts; fish catch potential of over 1 million metric tons not being fulfilled, 1987 catch reaching only 520,000 metric tons; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $47.2 million
_#_Currency: South African rand (plural--rand); 1 South African rand (R) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: South African rand (R) per US$1--2.625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 2,341 km 1.067-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 54,500 km; 4,079 km paved, 2,540 km gravel, 47,881 km earth roads and tracks
_#_Ports: Luderitz; primary maritime outlet is Walvis Bay (South Africa)
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 143 total, 123 usable; 21 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 67 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns, wires extend to other population centers; 62,800 telephones; stations--2 AM, 40 FM, 3 TV
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: National Defense Force (Army), Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 309,978; 183,730 fit for military service
_#_Defense expenditures: $NA, 4.9% of GNP (1986) % _@_Nauru _*_Geography _#_Total area: 21 km2; land area: 21 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 30 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
_#_Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
_#_Natural resources: phosphates
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: only 53 km south of Equator
_#_Note: Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean--the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia
_*_People _#_Population: 9,333 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 41 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 69 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Nauruan(s); adjective--Nauruan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
_#_Religion: Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
_#_Language: Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Island language (official); English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Nauru
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: no capital city as such; government offices in Yaren District
_#_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: C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Theodore Conrad MOSES resident in Melbourne (Australia); there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam);
US--the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru
_#_Flag: blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World--$10,000 annually. Few other resources exist so most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates constitute serious long-term problems. Substantial investment in trust funds, out of phosphate income, will help cushion the transition.
_#_GNP: over $90 million, per capita $10,000; real growth rate NA% (1989)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 0%
_#_Budget: revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)
_#_Exports: $93 million (f.o.b., 1984);
commodities--phosphates;
partners--Australia, NZ
_#_Imports: $73 million (c.i.f., 1984);
commodities--food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery;
partners--Australia, UK, NZ, Japan
_#_External debt: $33.3 million
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 50 million kWh produced, 5,430 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts
_#_Agriculture: negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries (1970-1988), $2 million
_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast
_#_Highways: about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth
_#_Ports: Nauru
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,261 GRT/39,838 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 2 bulk
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft, one on order
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: adequate intraisland and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radios; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service
_#_Defense expenditures: no formal defense structure % _@_Navassa Island (territory of the US) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 5.2 km2; land area: 5.2 km2
_#_Comparative area: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 8 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Haiti
_#_Climate: marine, tropical
_#_Terrain: raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 meters high)
_#_Natural resources: guano
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and woodland 0%; other 90%
_#_Environment: mostly exposed rock, but enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees, scattered cactus
_#_Note: strategic location between Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea; 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo, Cuba
_*_People _#_Population: uninhabited; transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Coast Guard
_*_Economy _#_Overview: no economic activity
_*_Communications _#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*_Defense Forces _#_Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % _@_Nepal _*_Geography _#_Total area: 140,800 km2; land area: 136,800 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Arkansas
_#_Land boundaries: 2,926 km total; China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winter in south
_#_Terrain: Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
_#_Natural resources: quartz, water, timber, hydroelectric potential, scenic beauty; small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land 17%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 33%; other 37%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_#_Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India
_*_People _#_Population: 19,611,900 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 39 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 98 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 50 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Nepalese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Nepalese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas, as well as many smaller groups
_#_Religion: only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu (about 90% of population) and Buddhist groups (about 5% of population); Muslims 3%, other 2% (1981)
_#_Language: Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects
_#_Literacy: 26% (male 38%, female 13%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,100,000; agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry 2%; severe lack of skilled labor
_#_Organized labor: Teachers' Union and many other nonofficially recognized unions
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Kingdom of Nepal
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_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: 9 November 1990
_#_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, prime minister, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or National Council and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_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 Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 29 May 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
ruling party--Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Girija Prasad KOIRALA, Ganesh Man SINGH, Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI;
center--the NDP has two factions: National Democratic Party/Chand (NDP/Chand), Lokinra Bahadur CHAND, and National Democratic Party/Thapa (NDP/Thapa), Surya Bahadur THAPA; Terai Rights Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, G. N. Naryan SINGH;
Communist--Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist and Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADIKHARY; United People's Front (UPF), N. K. PRASAI; Rohit Party, N. M. BIJUKCHHE; Democratic Party, leader NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives--last held on 12 May 1991 (next to be held May 1996); results--NCP 38%, CPN/UML 28%, NDP/Chand 6%, UPF 5%, NDP/Thapa 5%, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 4%, Rohit 2%, CPN (Democratic) 1%, independent 4%, other 7%; seats--(205 total) NCP 110, CPN/UML 69, UPF 9, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 6, NDP/Chand 3, Rohit 2, CPN (Democratic) 2, NDP/Thapa 1, independent 3;
note--the new Constitution of 9 November 1990 gives Nepal a multiparty democracy system for the first time in 32 years
_#_Communists: Communist Party of Nepal (CPN)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
_#_Member of: AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohan Man SAINJU; Chancery at 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-4550; there is a Nepalese Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH; Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu; telephone [977] (1) 411179 or 412718, 411601, 411613, 413890
_#_Flag: red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with a per capita income of less than $200. Real growth averaged 4% in the 1980s until FY89, when it plunged to 1.5% because of a trade/transit dispute with India. Though the impasse is over, political turmoil and inflated energy costs will probably constrain growth to under 4%. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 90% of the population and accounting for 60% of GDP. Industrial activity is limited, mainly involving the processing of agricultural produce (jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Production of textiles and carpets has expanded recently and accounted for 87% of foreign exchange earnings in FY89. Apart from agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Agricultural production in the late 1980s grew by about 5%, compared with a population growth of 2.6%. Forty percent or more of the population is undernourished partly because of poor distribution. Economic prospects for the 1990s are poor, with economic growth probably outpacing population growth only slightly.
_#_GDP: $3.0 billion, per capita $160; real growth rate 2.1% (FY90)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.0% (FY90 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)
_#_Budget: revenues $316.5 million; expenditures $618.5 million, including capital expenditures of $398 (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $125 million (f.o.b., FY90), but does not include unrecorded border trade with India;
commodities--clothing, carpets, leather goods, grain;
partners--India 38%, US 23%, UK 6%, other Europe 9% (FY88)
_#_Imports: $454.3illion (c.i.f., FY90 est.);
commodities--petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%;
partners--India 36%, Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US 1% (FY88)
_#_External debt: $2.5 billion (April 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 6% (FY90 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 280,000 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textiles, carpets, cement, brick; tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and 90% of work force; farm products--rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, buffalo meat; not self-sufficient in food, particularly in drought years
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $304 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $2.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $286 million
_#_Currency: Nepalese rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
_#_Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1--30.805 (January 1991), 29.370 (1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 16 July-15 July
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 52 km (1990), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Terai close to Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned
_#_Highways: 7,080 km total (1990); 2,898 km paved, 1,660 km gravel or crushed stone; also 2,522 km of seasonally motorable tracks
_#_Civil air: 5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 37 total, 37 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radio communication and broadcast service; international radio communication service is poor; 50,000 telephones (1990); stations--88 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,669,421; 2,420,398 fit for military service; 233,404 reach military age (17) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $38 million, 2% of GDP (FY91) % _@_Netherlands _*_Geography _#_Total area: 37,290 km2; land area: 33,940 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: 1,027 km total; Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
_#_Coastline: 451 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
_#_Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
_#_Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, fertile soil
_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 34%; forest and woodland 9%; other 31%; includes irrigated 15%
_#_Environment: 27% of the land area is below sea level and protected from the North Sea by dikes
_#_Note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, Schelde)
_*_People _#_Population: 15,022,393 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective--Dutch
_#_Ethnic divisions: Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 36%, Protestant 27%, other 6%, unaffiliated 31% (1988)
_#_Language: Dutch
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
_#_Labor force: 5,300,000; services 50.1%, manufacturing and construction 28.2%, government 15.9%, agriculture 5.8% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 29% of 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 the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper chamber or First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and a lower chamber or Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of Queen Beatrix (born 27 April 1967);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since 4 November 1982); Vice Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 2 November 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van VELZEN; Labor (PvdA), Wim KOK; Liberal (VVD), Joris VOORHOEVE; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van MIERIO; Communist (CPN), Henk HOEKSTRA; a host of minor parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
First Chamber--last held on 9 June l987 (next to be held 9 June 1991); results--elected by the country's 12 provincial councils; seats--(75 total) percent of seats by party NA;
Second Chamber--last held on 6 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1993); results--CDA 35.3%, PvdA 31.9%, VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, other 10.3%; seats--(150 total) CDA 54, PvdA 49, VVD 22, D'66 12, other 13
_#_Communists: about 6,000
_#_Other political or pressure groups: large multinational firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and IKV--Interchurch Peace Council
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMS, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Johan Hendrick MEESMAN; Chancery at 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-5300; there are Dutch Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco;
US--Ambassador C. Howard WILKINS, Jr.; Embassy at Lange Voorhout 102, The Hague (mailing address APO New York 09159); telephone [31] (70) 362-4911; there is a US Consulate General in Amsterdam
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg which uses a lighter blue and is longer
_*_Economy _#_Overview: This highly developed and affluent economy is based on private enterprise. The government makes its presence felt, however, through many regulations, permit requirements, and welfare programs affecting most aspects of economic activity. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of GDP. Industrial activity provides about 25% of GDP and is led by the food-processing, oil-refining, and metalworking industries. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 5% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. An unemployment rate of 6.8% and a sizable budget deficit are currently the most serious economic problems.
_#_GDP: $218.0 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 3.1% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 6.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $68 billion; expenditures $76 billion, including capital expenditures of $7 billion (1990)
_#_Exports: $107.8 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--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: $104.2 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% (1990 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,570 million kWh produced, 4,300 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops--grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain, fats, and oils
_#_Economic aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $19.4 billion
_#_Currency: Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1--1.7018 (January 1991), 1.8209 (1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766 (1988), 2.0257 (1987), 2.4500 (1986), 3.3214 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 3,037 km 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: 344 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,722,838 GRT/3,822,230 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 187 cargo, 32 refrigerated cargo, 23 container, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 livestock carrier, 12 multifunction large-load carrier, 17 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 29 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 9 bulk, 3 combination bulk; note--many Dutch-owned ships are also registered in the captive Netherlands Antilles register
_#_Civil air: 98 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by radio relay links; 9,418,000 telephones; stations--6 AM, 20 (33 repeaters) FM, 22 (8 repeaters) TV; 5 submarine cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (including Naval Air Service and Marine Corp), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,141,910; 3,658,056 fit for military service; 105,829 reach military age (20) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $6.8 billion, 2.7% of GDP (1990) % _@_Netherlands Antilles (part of the Dutch realm) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2; includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 364 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; modified by northeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
_#_Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 92%
_#_Environment: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October
_#_Note: consists of two island groups--Curacao and Bonaire are located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to the north
_*_People _#_Population: 183,872 (July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 79 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective--Netherlands Antillean
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixed African 85%; 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: 94% (male 94%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 89,000; government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 60-70% of labor force
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954
_#_Capital: Willemstad
_#_Administrative divisions: none (part of the Dutch realm)
_#_Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm)
_#_Constitution: 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
_#_Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
_#_National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
_#_Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: legislature (Staten)
_#_Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since October 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS (since 17 May 1988, previously served from September 1984 to November 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous to each island:
Curacao--National People's Party (PNP), Maria LIBERIA-PETERS; New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip MARTINA; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson (Papa) GODETT; Socialist Independent (SI), George HUECK and Nelson MONTE; Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustin DIAZ; Nos Patria, Chin BEHILIA;
Bonaire--Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB), C. V. Winklaar; Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), John Evert (Jopie) ABRAHAM; New Force, Rudy ELLIS;
Sint Maarten--Democratic Party of Sint Maarten (DP-St.M), Claude WATHEY; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten (SPM), Romeo PAPLOPHLET;
Sint Eustatius--Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius (DP-St.E), Albert K. Van PUTTEN; Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM), Eric HENRIQUEZ;
Saba--Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Will JOHNSTON; Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon HASSELL; Saba Unity Party, Carmen SIMMONDS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Staten--last held on 16 March 1990 (next to be held March 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(22 total) PNP 7, FOL-SI-Curacao 3, UPB 3, MAN 2, Democratic Party of Sint Maarten 2, Democratic Party of Curacao 1, SPM-Sint Maarten 1, WIPM 1, Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius 1, Nos Patria-Curacao 1; note--the government of Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS is a coalition of several parties
_#_Communists: small leftist groups
_#_Member of: CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WTO (associate)
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an autonomous part of the Netherlands, Netherlands Antillean interests in the US are represented by the Netherlands;
US--Consul General Sharon P. WILKINSON; Consulate General at Sint Anna Boulevard 19, Willemstad, Curacao (mailing address P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao); telephone [599] (9) 613066
_#_Flag: white with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band also centered; five white five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the economy. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles has avoided large international debt. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US being the major supplier.
_#_GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $5,500; real growth rate 3% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $454 million; expenditures $525 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $959 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--petroleum products 98%;
partners--US 55%, UK 7%, Jamaica 5%
_#_Imports: $935 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities--crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures;
partners--Venezuela 52%, Nigeria 15%, US 12%
_#_External debt: $701.2 million (December 1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,990 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
_#_Agriculture: hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief products--aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $428 million
_#_Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1--1.79 (fixed rate since 1989; 1.80 fixed rate 1971-88)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth
_#_Ports: Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk
_#_Merchant marine: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 431,958 GRT/441,056 DWT; includes 4 passenger, 19 cargo, 8 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 7 multifunction large-load carrier, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note--all but a few are foreign owned, mostly in the Netherlands
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_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 _#_Branches: Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49 49,249; 27,803 fit for military service; 1,634 reach military age (20) annually
_#_Note: defense is responsibility of the Netherlands % _@_New Caledonia (overseas territory of France) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 19,060 km2; land area: 18,760 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 2,254 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
_#_Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains
_#_Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 14%; forest and woodland 51%; other 35%
_#_Environment: typhoons most frequent from November to March
_#_Note: located 1,750 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean
_*_People _#_Population: 171,559 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 23 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--New Caledonian(s); adjective--New Caledonian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
_#_Language: French; 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
_#_Literacy: 91% (male 91%, female 90%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
_#_Labor force: 50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
_#_Type: overseas territory of France since 1956
_#_Capital: Noumea
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud
_#_Independence: none (overseas territory of France); note--a referendum on independence will be held in 1998, with a review of the issue in 1992
_#_Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
_#_National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
_#_Executive branch: high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)
_#_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, Jacques LAFLEUR--affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR); Melanesian proindependence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE; Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish NAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE; Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union Oceanienne (UO), conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK), proindependence, Yann CELENE
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Elections:
Territorial Assembly--last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held NA 1993); results--percent of vote by party--RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats--(54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note--election boycotted by FULK;
French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) RPCR 1;
French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--percent of vote by party--RPR 83.5%, FN 13.5%, other 3%; seats--(2 total) RPCR 2
_#_Communists: number unknown; Palita extreme left party; some politically active Communists deported during 1950s; small number of North Vietnamese
_#_Member of: FZ, SPC, WFTU, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France, New Caledonian interests are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*_Economy _#_Overview: New Caledonia has more than 25% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.
_#_GNP: $973 million, per capita $5,790; real growth rate 2.4% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 16.0% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $224.0 million; expenditures $211.0 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
_#_Exports: $344 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--nickel metal 87%, nickel ore;
partners--France 52.3%, Japan 15.8%, US 6.4%
_#_Imports: $389 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities--foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment;
partners--France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced, 12,790 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: nickel mining
_#_Agriculture: large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal source of income for some families
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.9 billion
_#_Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural--francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1--93.28 (January 1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note--linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 6,340 km total; only about 10% paved (1987)
_#_Ports: Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 29 total, 27 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 32,578 telephones (1987); stations--5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Gendarmerie, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 46,388; NA fit for military service
_#_Note: defense is the responsibility of France % _@_New Zealand _*_Geography _#_Total area: 268,680 km2; land area: 268,670 km2; includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
_#_Comparative area: about the size of Colorado
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 15,134 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
_#_Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts
_#_Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
_#_Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 53%; forest and woodland 38%; other 7%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe
_*_People _#_Population: 3,308,973 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 79 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--New Zealander(s); adjective--New Zealand
_#_Ethnic divisions: European 88%, Maori 8.9%, Pacific Islander 2.9%, other 0.2%
_#_Religion: Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 9% (1986)
_#_Language: English (official), Maori
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970)
_#_Labor force: 1,591,900; services 67.4%, manufacturing 19.8%, primary production 9.3% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: 681,000 members; 43% of 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 Dame Catherine TIZARD (since 12 December 1990);
Head of Government--Prime Minister James BOLGER (since 29 October 1990); Deputy Prime Minister Donald McKINNON (since 2 November 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Party (NP; government), James BOLGER; New Zealand Labor Party (NZLP; opposition), Michael MOORE; New Labor Party (NLP), Jim ANDERTON; Democratic Party, Neil MORRISON; Green Party, no official leader; Socialist Unity Party (SUP; pro-Soviet), Kenneth DOUGLAS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives--last held on 27 October 1990 (next to be held October 1993); results--NP 49%, LP 35%, Green Party 7%, New Labor 5%; seats--(97 total) NP 67, LP 29, NLP 1
_#_Communists: SUP about 140, other groups, about 200
_#_Member of: ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, AsDB, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, OECD, PCA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Denis Bazely Gordon McLEAN; Chancery at 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-4800; there are New Zealand Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York;
US--Ambassador Della M. NEWMAN; Embassy at 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington (mailing address is P. O. Box 1190, Wellington, or FPO San Francisco 96690-0001); telephone [64] (4) 722-068; there is a US Consulate General in Auckland
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Since 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy dependent on a guaranteed British market to an open free market economy that can compete on the global scene. The government has hoped that dynamic growth would boost real incomes, reduce inflationary pressures, and permit the expansion of welfare benefits. The results have been mixed: inflation is down from double-digit levels but growth has been sluggish and unemployment, always a highly sensitive issue, has been at a record high 7.4%. In 1988 GDP fell by 1%, in 1989 grew by a moderate 2.4%, and was flat in 1990.
_#_GDP: $40.2 billion, per capita $12,200; real growth rate 0.7% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.5% (FY90)
_#_Unemployment rate: 7.4% (March 1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $17.6 billion; expenditures $18.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $8.8 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities--wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fruit, fish, cheese, manufactures, chemicals, forestry products;
partners--EC 18.3%, Japan 17.9%, Australia 17.5%, US 13.5%, China 3.6%, South Korea 3.1%
_#_Imports: $8.1 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities--petroleum, consumer goods, motor vehicles, industrial equipment;
partners--Australia 19.7%, Japan 16.9%, EC 16.9%, US 15.3%, Taiwan 3.0%
_#_External debt: $17.4 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.9% (1990); accounts for about 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced, 8,500 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of GNP and 10% of the work force; livestock predominates--wool, meat, dairy products all export earners; crops--wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, and vegetables; surplus producer of farm products; fish catch reached a record 503,000 metric tons in 1988
_#_Economic aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $526 million
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 4,716 km total; all 1.067-meter gauge; 274 km double track; 113 km electrified; over 99% government owned
_#_Highways: 92,648 km total; 49,547 km paved, 43,101 km gravel or crushed stone
_#_Inland waterways: 1,609 km; 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: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 204,269 GRT/281,375 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 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; 46 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: excellent international and domestic systems; 2,110,000 telephones; stations 64 AM, 2 FM, 14 TV; submarine cables extend to Australia and Fiji; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 874,443; 740,831 fit for military service; 28,814 reach military age (20) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $832 million, 1-2% of GDP (FY90) % _@_Nicaragua _*_Geography _#_Total area: 129,494 km2; land area: 120,254 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than New York State
_#_Land boundaries: 1,231 km total; Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
_#_Coastline: 910 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 25 nm security zone (status of claim uncertain);
Continental shelf: not specified;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; unresolved maritime boundary in Golfo de Fonseca
_#_Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
_#_Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
_#_Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 9%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 35%; other 12%; including irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasional severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_*_People _#_Population: 3,751,884 (July 1991), growth rate 2.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 65 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Nicaraguan(s); adjective--Nicaraguan
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast
_#_Literacy: 57% (male 57%, female 57%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
_#_Labor force: 1,086,000; service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 35% of labor force
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Nicaragua
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Managua
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 administrative regions encompassing 16 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, Zelaya; note--Zelaya may have been replaced by 2 autonomous regions (regiones autonomistas, singular--region autonomista) named North Atlantic Coast and South Atlantic Coast
_#_Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: January 1987
_#_Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
_#_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 Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990); Vice President Virgilio GODOY (since 25 April 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
ruling coalition--National Opposition Union (UNO) is a 14-party alliance--National Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano MATAMOROS; Conservative Popular Alliance Party (PAPC), Myriam ARGUELLO; National Conservative Action Party (PANC), Hernaldo ZUNIGA; National Democratic Confidence Party (PDCN), Augustin JARQUIN; Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO; Neo-Liberal Party (PALI), Andres ZUNIGA; Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose Ernesto SOMARRIBA; National Action Party (PAN), Eduardo RIVAS; Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo TABLADA; Communist Party of Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO; Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Luis HUMBERTO; Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Guillermo POTOY; Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), Alejandro PEREZ;
opposition parties--Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel ORTEGA; Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS; Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCDN), Jose BRENES; Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN), Eduardo CORONADO; Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco SAMPER; Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick RAMIREZ; Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA; Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando AGUERRO; Popular Action Movement--Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ; Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio DIAZ
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 16
_#_Elections:
President--last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results--Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN) 40.8%, other 4.5%;
National Assembly--last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results--UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%; seats--(92 total) UNO 51, FSLN 39, PSC 1, MUR 1
_#_Communists: 15,000-20,000
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT), Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS), Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN-A), Independent General Confederation of Workers (CTG-I), Communist Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS), Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CST); Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is an umbrella group of 11 different business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Industry, and the Nicaraguan Development Institute (INDE)
_#_Member of: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ernesto PALAZIO; Chancery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 387-4371 or 4372;
US--Ambassador Harry W. SHLAUDEMAN; Embassy at Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur., Managua (mailing address is APO Miami 34021); telephone [505] (2) 666010 or 666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027, 666032 through 34
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Government control of the economy historically has been extensive, although the Chamorro government has pledged to reduce it. The financial system is directly controlled by the state, which also regulates wholesale purchasing, production, sales, foreign trade, and distribution of most goods. Over 50% of the agricultural and industrial firms are state owned. Sandinista economic policies and the war have produced a severe economic crisis. The foundation of the economy continues to be the export of agricultural commodities, largely coffee and cotton. Farm production fell by roughly 7% in 1989, the fifth successive year of decline. The agricultural sector employs 44% of the work force and accounts for 23% of GDP and 86% of export earnings. Industry, which employs 13% of the work force and contributes about 25% to GDP, showed a drop of 7% in 1989 and remains below pre-1979 levels. External debt is one of the highest in the world on a per capita basis. In 1990 the annual inflation rate was 11,800%, sharply up from 1,800% in 1989.
_#_GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $470; real growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11,800% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 35% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $244 million; expenditures $550 million, including capital expenditures of $73 million (1988)
_#_Exports: $298 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, seafood, meat, chemicals;
partners--OECD 75%, USSR and Eastern Europe 15%, other 10%
_#_Imports: $710 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities--petroleum, food, chemicals, machinery, clothing;
partners--Latin America 30%, US 25%, EC 20%, USSR and Eastern Europe 10%, other 15% (1990 est.)
_#_External debt: $9 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 7% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 415,000 kW capacity; 1,342 million kWh produced, 360 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP and 44% of work force; cash crops--coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops--rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans; variety of animal products--beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy; normally self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1,186 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.5 billion
_#_Currency: cordoba (plural--cordobas); 1 cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: cordobas (C$) per US$1--13,300,000 (January 1991), 15,655 (1989), 270 (1988), 102.60 (1987), 97.48 (1986), 38.90 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 373 km 1.067-meter gauge, government owned; majority of system not operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does not connect with mainline)
_#_Highways: 25,930 km total; 4,000 km paved, 2,170 km gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km earth or graded earth, 14,335 km unimproved; Pan-American highway 368.5 km
_#_Inland waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km
_#_Ports: Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama
_#_Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,161 GRT/2,500 DWT
_#_Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 251 total, 162 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; stations--45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; earth stations--1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 845,961; 521,425 fit for military service; 44,222 reach military age (18) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $70 million, 3.8% of GDP (1991) % _@_Niger _*_Geography _#_Total area: 1,267,000 km2; land area: 1,266,700 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,697 km total; Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
_#_Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
_#_Terrain: predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
_#_Natural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 2%; other 88%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
_#_Note: landlocked
_*_People _#_Population: 8,154,145 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 50 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 129 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 53 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Nigerien(s) adjective--Nigerien
_#_Ethnic divisions: Hausa 56%; Djerma 22%; Fula 8.5%; Tuareg 8%; Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%; Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%; about 4,000 French expatriates
_#_Religion: Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
_#_Language: French (official); Hausa, Djerma
_#_Literacy: 28% (male 40%, female 17%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,500,000 wage earners (1982); agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%; 51% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: negligible
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Niger
_#_Type: republic; presidential system in which military officers hold key offices
_#_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 Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Aliou MAHAMIDOU (since 2 March 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD), leader NA; other political parties now forming
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1996); results--President Ali SAIBOU was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly--last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held NA); results--MNSD was the only party; seats--(150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected); note--Niger is to hold a national conference to decide upon a transitional government and an agenda for multiparty elections
_#_Communists: no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4224 through 4227;
US--Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue des Ambassades, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone [227] 72-26-61 through 64
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of India which has a blue, spoked wheel centered in the white band
_*_Economy _#_Overview: About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock rearing, activities which generate almost half the national income. The economy also depends heavily on exploitation of large uranium deposits. Uranium production grew rapidly in the mid-1970s, but tapered off in the early 1980s, when world prices declined. France is a major customer, while Germany, Japan, and Spain also make regular purchases. The depressed demand for uranium has contributed to an overall sluggishness in the economy, a severe trade imbalance, and a mounting external debt.
_#_GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $270; real growth rate - 3.3% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 2.8% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $220 million; expenditures $446 million, including capital expenditures of $190 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $308 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--uranium 75%, livestock products, cowpeas, onions;
partners--France 65%, Nigeria 11%, Ivory Coast, Italy
_#_Imports: $386 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities--petroleum products, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, cereals, foodstuffs;
partners--France 32%, Ivory Coast 11%, Germany 5%, Italy 4%, Nigeria 4%
_#_External debt: $1.8 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 102,000 kW capacity; 225 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production began in 1971
_#_Agriculture: accounts for roughly 40% of GDP and 90% of labor force; cash crops--cowpeas, cotton, peanuts; food crops--millet, sorghum, cassava, rice; livestock--cattle, sheep, goats; self-sufficient in food except in drought years
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $61 million
_#_Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 39,970 km total; 3,170 km bituminous, 10,330 km gravel and laterite, 3,470 km earthen, 23,000 km tracks
_#_Inland waterways: Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 31 total, 29 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area; 11,900 telephones; stations--15 AM, 5 FM, 16 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 4 domestic
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary Republican Guard, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,713,566; 923,634 fit for military service; 90,801 reach military age (18) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $20.6 million, 0.9% of GDP (1988) % _@_Nigeria _*_Geography _#_Total area: 923,770 km2; land area: 910,770 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 4,047 km total; Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
_#_Coastline: 853 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 30 nm
_#_Disputes: demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; Nigerian proposals to reopen maritime boundary negotiations and redemarcate the entire land boundary have been rejected by Cameroon
_#_Climate: varies--equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
_#_Terrain: southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 31%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and woodland 15%; other 28%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; desertification; soil degradation, rapid deforestation
_*_People _#_Population: 122,470,574 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 118 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 50 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_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: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
_#_Language: English (official); Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and several other languages also widely used
_#_Literacy: 51% (male 62%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 42,844,000; agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%; 49% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 3,520,000 wage earners belong to 42 recognized trade unions, which come under a single national labor federation--the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Federal Republic of Nigeria
_#_Type: military government since 31 December 1983
_#_Capital: Lagos; note--some government departments have relocated to the designated new capital in Abuja
_#_Administrative divisions: 21 states and 1 territory*; Abuja Capital Territory*, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bendel, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Gongola, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto
_#_Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 October 1979, amended 9 February 1984, revised 1989
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic, and tribal law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960)
_#_Executive branch: president of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, Armed Forces Ruling Council, National Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: National Assembly was dissolved after the military coup of 31 December 1983
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Ibrahim BABANGIDA (since 27 August 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: two political parties established by the government in 1989--Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President--scheduled for 1 October 1992;
National Assembly--scheduled for early 1992
_#_Communists: the pro-Communist underground consists of a small fraction of the Nigerian left; leftist leaders are prominent in the country's central labor organization but have little influence on the government
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hamzat AHMADU; Chancery at 2201 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 822-1500; there are Nigerian Consulates General in Atlanta, New York and San Francisco;
US--Ambassador Lannon WALKER; Embassy at 2 Eleke Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos (mailing address is P. O. Box 554, Lagos); telephone [234] (1) 610097; there is a US Consulate General in Kaduna
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Although Nigeria is Africa's leading oil-producing country, it remains poor with a $280 per capita GDP. In 1990, despite rising oil prices and a sharp drop in inflation, performance remained slack with continuing underutilization of industrial capacity and a second year of relatively weak agricultural performance. Agricultural production was up only 4.2% in 1990, still below the 1987 level. Industrial output showed a 7.2% increase, but remained below the 1985 level. Government efforts to reduce Nigeria's dependence on oil exports and to sustain noninflationary growth have fallen short due to inadequate new investment funds. Living standards continue to deteriorate from the higher level of the early 1980s oil boom.
_#_GDP: $27.2 billion, per capita $230; real growth rate 2.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $8.0 billion; expenditures $8.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $13.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--oil 95%, cocoa, rubber;
partners--EC 51%, US 32%
_#_Imports: $9.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--consumer goods, capital equipment, chemicals, raw materials;
partners--EC, US
_#_External debt: $35 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.2% (1990 est.); accounts for 23% of GDP, including petroleum
_#_Electricity: 4,737,000 kW capacity; 11,270 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: crude oil and mining--coal, tin, columbite; primary processing industries--palm oil, peanut, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins; manufacturing industries--textiles, cement, building materials, food products, footwear, chemical, printing, ceramics, steel
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 28% of GNP and half of labor force; inefficient small-scale farming dominates; once a large net exporter of food and now an importer; cash crops--cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, rubber; food crops--corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams; livestock--cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; fishing and forestry resources extensively exploited
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit heroin and some cocaine trafficking; marijuana cultivation for domestic consumption and export; major transit country for heroin en route from Southwest Asia via Africa to Western Europe and the US; growing transit route for cocaine from South America via West Africa to Western Europe and the US
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $705 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.5 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.2 billion
_#_Currency: naira (plural--naira); 1 naira (4) = 100 kobo
_#_Exchange rates: naira (4) per US$1--8.707 (December 1990), 8.038 (1990), 7.3647 (1989), 4.5370 (1988), 4.0160 (1987), 1.7545 (1986), 0.8938 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 3,505 km 1.067-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 107,990 km total 30,019 km paved (mostly bituminous-surface treatment); 25,411 km laterite, gravel, crushed stone, improved earth; 52,560 km unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: 8,575 km consisting of Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks
_#_Pipelines: 2,042 km crude oil; 500 km natural gas; 3,000 km refined products
_#_Ports: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Onne, Sapele
_#_Merchant marine: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 420,658 GRT/668,951 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 76 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 81 total, 68 usable; 32 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: above-average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in progress; radio relay and cable routes; 155,000 telephones; stations--37 AM, 19 FM, 38 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, domestic, with 19 stations; 1 coaxial submarine cable
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 28,070,431; 16,040,870 fit for military service; 1,302,970 reach military age (18) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $300 million, 1% of GNP (1990 est.) % _@_Niue (free association with New Zealand) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 64 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
_#_Natural resources: fish, arable land
_#_Land use: arable land 61%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 19%; other 12%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons
_#_Note: one of world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km east of Tonga
_*_People _#_Population: 1,908 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Niuean(s); adjective--Niuean
_#_Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans
_#_Religion: Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)--a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society 75%, Mormon 10%, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%
_#_Language: Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education age 5 to 14
_#_Labor force: 1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs
_#_Capital: Alofi
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand on 19 October 1974
_#_Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
_#_Legal system: English common law
_#_National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, premier, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974);
Head of Government--Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since NA October 1974)
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Political parties and leaders: Niue Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held March 1993); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(20 total, 6 elected) independents 5, NIP 1
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
_#_Flag: yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars--a large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, with the shortfall made up by grants from New Zealand--the grants are used to pay wages to public employees. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of migration of Niueans to New Zealand.
_#_GNP: $2.1 million, per capita $1,000; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.6% (1984)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $5.5 million; expenditures $6.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY85 est.)
_#_Exports: $175,274 (f.o.b., 1985);
commodities--canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts;
partners--NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia
_#_Imports: $3.8 million (c.i.f., 1985);
commodities--food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs;
partners--NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Western Samoa, Australia, US
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,490 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourist, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops--taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $62 million
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation roads
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m
_#_Telecommunications: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island; 383 telephones; 1,000 radio receivers (1987 est.); stations--1 AM, 1 FM, no TV
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Police Force
_#_Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand % _@_Norfolk Island (territory of Australia) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 34.6 km2; land area: 34.6 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 32 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 0%; other 75%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons (especially May to July)
_#_Note: located 1,575 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean
_*_People _#_Population: 2,576 (July 1991), growth rate NEGL% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Norfolk Islander(s); adjective--Norfolk Islander(s)
_#_Ethnic divisions: descendants of the Bounty mutiny; more recently, Australian and New Zealand settlers
_#_Religion: Anglican 39%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 16.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4.4%, none 9.2%, unknown 16.9%, other 2.4% (1986)
_#_Language: English (official) and Norfolk--a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Territory of Norfolk Island
_#_Type: territory of Australia
_#_Capital: Kingston (administrative center), Burnt Pine (commercial center)
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Independence: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Constitution: Norfolk Island Act of 1957
_#_Legal system: wide legislative and executive responsibility under the Norfolk Island Act of 1979; Supreme Court
_#_National holiday: Pitcairners Arrival Day Anniversary, 8 June (1856)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general of Australia, administrator, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_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 1989 (held every three years); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(9 total) percent of seats by party NA
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Flag: three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The primary economic activity is tourism, which has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific Islands. The number of visitors has increased steadily over the years and reached 29,000 in FY89. Revenues from tourism have given the island a favorable balance of trade and helped the agricultural sector to become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $4.2 million, including capital expenditures of $400,000 (FY89)
_#_Exports: $1.7 million (f.o.b., FY86);
commodities--postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia Palm, small quantities of avocados;
partners--Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
_#_Imports: $15.6 million (c.i.f., FY86);
commodities--NA;
partners--Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
_#_External debt: NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 7,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 3,160 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism
_#_Agriculture: Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit, cattle, poultry
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 80 km of roads, including 53 km of sealed roads; remainder are earth formed or coral surfaced
_#_Ports: none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m (Australian owned)
_#_Telecommunications: 1,500 radio receivers (1982); radio link service with Sydney; 987 telephones (1983); stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV
_*_Defense Forces _#_Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia % _@_Northern Mariana Islands (commonwealth associated with the US) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 477 km2; land area: 477 km2; includes Saipan, Rota, and Tinian
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,482 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to July, rainy season July to October
_#_Terrain: southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic; highest elevation is 471 meters (Mt. Tagpochu on Saipan)
_#_Natural resources: arable land, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: Mt. Pagan is an active volcano (last erupted in October 1988); subject to typhoons during the rainy season
_#_Note: strategic location 5,635 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines
_*_People _#_Population: 23,494 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_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: 96% (male 97%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 12,788 local; 18,799 foreign workers (1990 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 Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO (since NA 1990); Lieutenant Governor Benjamin T. MANGLONA (since NA 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Alonzo IGISOMAR; Democratic Party, Felicidad OGUMORO
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
_#_Elections:
Governor--last held on NA November 1989 (next to be held November 1993); results--Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO, Republican Party, was elected governor;
Senate--last held on NA November 1989 (next to be held November 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(9 total) number of seats by party NA;
House of Representatives--last held on NA November 1989 (next to be held November 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(15 total) number of seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives--last held NA November 1989 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) party of nonvoting delegate NA
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: blue with a white five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. An agreement for the years 1986 to 1992 entitles the islands to $228 million for capital development, government operations, and special programs. Another major source of income is the tourist industry, which employs about 10% of the work force. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Industry is small scale in nature--mostly handicrafts and fish processing.
_#_GNP: $165 million, per capita $9,170; real growth rate NA% (1982)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $70.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
_#_Exports: $153.9 million (1989);
commodities--manufactured goods, garments;
partners--NA
_#_Imports: $313.7 million, a 43% increase over previous year (1989);
commodities--NA;
partners--NA
_#_External debt: none
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 1,540 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, construction, light industry, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: coffee, coconuts, fruits, tobacco, cattle
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 300 km total (53 km 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 % _@_Norway _*_Geography _#_Total area: 324,220 km2; land area: 307,860 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 2,544 km total; Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, USSR 196 km
_#_Coastline: 21,925 km (3,419 km mainland; 2,413 km large islands; 16,093 km long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations)
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with USSR; territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land); Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween Greenland and Jan Mayen
_#_Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; rainy year-round on west coast
_#_Terrain: glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 27%; other 70%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: air and water pollution; acid rain
_#_Note: strategic location 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: 4,273,442 (July 1991), growth rate 0.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Norwegian(s); adjective--Norwegian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic) and racial-cultural minority of 20,000 Lapps
_#_Religion: Evangelical Lutheran (state church) 87.8%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3.8%, none 3.2%, unknown 5.2% (1980)
_#_Language: Norwegian (official); small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,167,000 (September 1990); services 34.7%, commerce 18%, mining and manufacturing 16.6%, banking and financial services 7.5%, transportation and communications 7.2%, construction 7.2%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6.4% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 66% of labor force (1985)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Kingdom of Norway
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Oslo
_#_Administrative divisions: 19 provinces (fylker, singular--fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder, Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland, Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold
_#_Independence: 26 October 1905 (from Sweden)
_#_Constitution: 17 May 1814, modified in 1884
_#_Dependent areas: Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
_#_Legal system: mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, State Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Stortinget) with an Upper Chamber (Lagting) and a Lower Chamber (Odelsting)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hoiesterett)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS (born 20 July 1973);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND (since 3 November 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Labor, Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND; Conservative, Kaci Kullmann FIVE; Center Party, Anne Enger LAHNSTEIN; Christian People's, Kjell Magne BONDEVIK; Socialist Left, Eric SOLHEIM; Norwegian Communist, Kare Andre NILSEN; Progress, Carl I. HAGEN; Liberal, Arne FJORTOFT; Finnmark List, leader NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Storting--last held on 11 September 1989 (next to be held 6 September 1993); results--Labor 34.3%, Conservative 22.2%, Progress 13.0%, Socialist Left 10.1%, Christian People's 8.5%, Center Party 6.6%, Finnmark List 0.3%, other 5%; seats--(165 total) Labor 63, Conservative 37, Progress 22, Socialist Left 17, Christian People's 14, Center Party 11, Finnmark List 1
_#_Communists: 15,500 est.; 5,500 Norwegian Communist Party (NKP); 10,000 Workers Communist Party Marxist-Leninist (AKP-ML, pro-Chinese)
_#_Member of: AfDB, AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Kjeld VIBE; Chancery at 2720 34th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 333-6000; there are Norwegian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Miami and New Orleans;
US--Ambassador Loret Miller RUPPE; Embassy at Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo 2 (mailing address is APO New York 09085); telephone [47] (2) 44-85-50
_#_Flag: red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Norway is a prosperous capitalist nation with the resources to finance extensive welfare measures. Since 1975 exploitation of large crude oil and natural gas reserves has helped maintain high growth; for the past five years growth has averaged 4.1%, the fourth-highest among OECD countries. Growth slackened in 1987-88 partially because of the sharp drop in world oil prices, but picked up again in 1989. The Brundtland government plans to push hard on environmental issues, as well as cutting unemployment, improving child care, upgrading major industries, and negotiating an EC - European Free Trade Association (EFTA) agreement on an Economic European Area.
_#_GDP: $74.2 billion, per capita $17,400; real growth rate 3.1% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.2% (1990, excluding people in job-training programs)
_#_Budget: revenues $47.9 billion; expenditures $48.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Exports: $33.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--petroleum and petroleum products 25%, natural gas 11%, fish 7%, aluminum 6%, ships 3.5%, pulp and paper;
partners--EC 64.9%, Nordic countries 19.5%, developing countries 6.9%, US 6.2%, Japan 1.7% (1990)
_#_Imports: $26.8 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities--machinery, fuels and lubricants, transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, clothing, ships;
partners--EC 46.3%, Nordic countries 25.7%, developing countries 14.3%, US 8.1%, Japan 4.7% (1990)
_#_External debt: $15 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.6% (1990)
_#_Electricity: 26,735,000 kW capacity; 121,685 million kWh produced, 28,950 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 2.8% of GNP and 6.4% of labor force; among world's top 10 fishing nations; livestock output exceeds value of crops; over half of food needs imported; fish catch of 1.76 million metric tons in 1989
_#_Economic aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $4.4 billion
_#_Currency: Norwegian krone (plural--kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ore
_#_Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1--5.9060 (January 1991), 6.2597 (1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987), 7.3947 (1986), 8.5972 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 4,223 km 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: 867 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,270,845 GRT/41,199,182 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 23 short-sea passenger, 121 cargo, 3 passenger-cargo, 24 refrigerated cargo, 14 container, 50 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 18 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 186 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 98 chemical tanker, 69 liquefied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 35 combination ore/oil, 204 bulk, 9 combination bulk; note--the government has created a captive register, the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS), as a subset of the Norwegian register; ships on the NIS enjoy many benefits of flags of convenience and do not have to be crewed by Norwegians; the majority of ships (777) under the Norwegian flag are now registered with the NIS
_#_Civil air: 76 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 104 total, 103 usable; 64 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: high-quality domestic and international telephone, telegraph, and telex services; 3,102,000 telephones; stations--8 AM, 46 (1,400 relays) FM, 55 (2,100 relays) TV; 4 coaxial submarine cables; communications satellite earth stations operating in the EUTELSAT, INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean), MARISAT, and domestic systems
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Home Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,124,201; 942,158 fit for military service; 31,813 reach military age (20) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $3.3 billion, 3.3% of GDP (1990) % _@_Oman _*_Geography _#_Total area: 212,460 km2; land area: 212,460 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas
_#_Land boundaries: 1,374 km total; Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
_#_Coastline: 2,092 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: to be defined;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Administrative Line with Yemen; no defined boundary with most of UAE, Administrative Line in far north
_#_Climate: dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
_#_Terrain: vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 0%; other 95%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources
_#_Note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz (17% of world's oil production transits this point going from Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea)
_*_People _#_Population: 1,534,011 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 41 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 68 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Omani(s); adjective--Omani
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) groups
_#_Religion: Ibadhi Muslim 75%; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, some Hindu
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 430,000; agriculture (est.) 60%; 58% are non-Omani
_#_Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Sultanate of Oman
_#_Type: absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence
_#_Capital: Muscat
_#_Administrative divisions: there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 7 planning regions (manatiq takhtitiyah, singular--mintaqah takhtitiyah) that include 1 governorate* (muhafazah) and 50 districts (wilayat, singular--wilayah);
al-Batinah--Awabi, Barka, Khabura, Liwa, Musanaa, Nakhl, Rustaq, Saham, Shinas, Sohar, Suwaiq, Wadi al-Maawil;
al-Dakhiliah--Adam, al-Hamra, Bahla, Bidbid, Haima, Izki, Manah, Nizwa, Sumail;
al-Dhahirah--al-Buraimi, Dhank, Ibri, Mhadha, Yanqul;
al-Janubiah--Dhalqut, Mirbat, Rokhyut, Sadah, Salalah, Shalim, Taqa, Thamrait;
al-Sharqiya--al Kamil and al-Wafi, al-Mudhaiby, al-Qabil, Bidiya, Dimaa and Tayin, Ibra, Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan, Masirah, Sur, Wadi Bani Khalid;
Musandam--Daba al-Biya, Bukha, Khasab, Madha;
Muscat--Muscat*, Quriyat
_#_Independence: 1650, 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
_#_Legislative branch: State Consultative Assembly (advisory function only)
_#_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 Yemen
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Awadh Bader AL-SHANFARI; Chancery at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-1980 through 1982;
US--Ambassador Richard W. BOEHM; Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 50200 Madinat Qaboos, Muscat); telephone 698-989
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of white (top, double width), red, and green (double width) with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered at the top of the vertical band
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for nearly all export earnings, about 80% of government revenues, and roughly 40% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the current rate of extraction. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population, urban centers depend on imported food.
_#_GDP: $9.2 billion, per capita $5,870 (1990); real growth rate - 3.0% (1987 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $3.5 billion; expenditures $4.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $675 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $3.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--petroleum, reexports, processed copper, dates, nuts, fish;
partners--Japan, South Korea, Taiwan
_#_Imports: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities--machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants;
partners--UK, UAE, Japan, US
_#_External debt: $3.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1989), including petroleum sector
_#_Electricity: 1,136,000 kW capacity; 3,650 million kWh produced, 2,500 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP and 60% of the labor force (including fishing); less than 2% of land cultivated; largely subsistence farming (dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cattle); not self-sufficient in food; annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $137 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $122 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million
_#_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
_#_Merchant marine: 1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 122 total, 114 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 64 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire, radio relay, and radio communications stations; 50,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 3 FM, 11 TV; satellite earth stations--2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, and 8 domestic
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 348,849; 197,870 fit for military service; 20,715 reach military age (14) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $1.0 billion, 12% of GDP (1991) % _@_Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the (Palau) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 458 km2; land area: 458 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,519 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: wet season May to November; hot and humid
_#_Terrain: islands vary geologically from the high mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs
_#_Natural resources: forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products; deep-seabed minerals
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_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: 14,411 (July 1991), growth rate 0.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 25 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 12 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 74 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_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: 92% (male 93%, female 91%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (no short-form name); may change to Republic of Palau after independence; note--Belau, the native form of Palau, is sometimes used
_#_Type: UN trusteeship administered by the US; constitutional government signed a Compact of Free Association with the US on 10 January 1986, after approval in a series of UN-observed plebiscites; until the UN trusteeship is terminated with entry into force of the Compact, Palau remains under US administration as the Palau District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
_#_Capital: Koror; a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast in eastern Babelthuap
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: still part of the US-administered UN trusteeship (the last polity remaining under the trusteeship; the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas have left); administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of Interior
_#_Constitution: 11 January 1981
_#_Legal system: based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)
_#_Executive branch: US president, US vice president, national president, national vice president
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Olbiil Era Kelulau or OEK) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Delegates
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); represented by the Assistant Secretary for Territorial Affairs, US Department of the Interior, Stella GUERRA (since NA July 1989);
Head of Government--President Ngiratkel ETPISON (since 2 November 1988)
_#_Political parties: no formal parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held on 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); Ngiratkel ETPISON 26.3%, Roman TMETUCHL 25.9%, Thomas REMENGESAU 19.5%, other 28.3%;
Senate--last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(18 total);
House of Delegates--last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(16 total)
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF (observer)
_#_Diplomatic representation: none;
US--US Liaison Officer Lloyd MOSS; US Liaison Office at Top Side, Neeriyas, Koror (mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Koror, Republic of Palau 96940); telephone 160-680-920 or 990
_#_Flag: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing. Tourism provides some foreign exchange, although the remote location of Palau and a shortage of suitable facilities has hindered development. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US.
_#_GDP: $31.6 million, per capita $2,260; real growth rate NA% (1986)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1986)
_#_Budget: revenues $6.0 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)
_#_Exports: $0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986);
commodities--NA;
partners--US, Japan
_#_Imports: $27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986);
commodities--NA;
partners--US
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 22 million kWh produced, 1,540 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and agriculture
_#_Agriculture: subsistence-level production of coconut, copra, cassava, sweet potatoes
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $62.6 million
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 25.7 km paved macadam and concrete roads, otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads (1986)
_#_Ports: Koror
_#_Airports: 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_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 % _@_Pacific Ocean _*_Geography _#_Total area: 165,384,000 km2; includes Arafura Sea, Banda Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Makassar Strait, Philippine Sea, Ross Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 18 times the size of the US; the largest ocean (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean); covers about one-third of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
_#_Coastline: 135,663 km
_#_Climate: the western Pacific is monsoonal--a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian land mass back to the ocean
_#_Terrain: surface in the northern Pacific dominated by a clockwise, warm water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool water gyre; sea ice occurs in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk during winter and reaches maximum northern extent from Antarctica in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches; the world's greatest depth is 10,924 meters in the Marianas Trench
_#_Natural resources: oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
_#_Environment: endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); southern shipping lanes subject to icebergs from Antarctica; occasional El Nino phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade winds slacken and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent moves south, which kills the plankton that is the primary food source for anchovies; consequently, the anchovies move to better feeding grounds, causing resident marine birds to starve by the thousands because of their lost food source
_#_Note: the major choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May and in extreme south from May to October; persistent fog in the northern Pacific from June to December is a hazard to shipping; surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides cheap sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1985 over half (54%) of the world's total fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean, which is the only ocean where the fish catch has increased every year since 1978. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of Australia, New Zealand, China, US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has slowed but not stopped new drillings.
_#_Industries: fishing, oil and gas production
_*_Communications _#_Ports: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (USSR), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
_#_Telecommunications: several submarine cables with network focused on Guam and Hawaii % _@_Pakistan _*_Geography _#_Total area: 803,940 km2; land area: 778,720 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 6,774 km total; Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
_#_Coastline: 1,046 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: boundary with India; Pashtun question with Afghanistan; Baloch question with Afghanistan and Iran; water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Indus
_#_Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
_#_Terrain: flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west
_#_Natural resources: land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited crude oil, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
_#_Land use: arable land 26%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 4%; other 64%; includes irrigated 19%
_#_Environment: frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August); deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water logging
_#_Note: controls Khyber Pass and Malakand Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
_*_People _#_Population: 117,490,278 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 109 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 57 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Pakistani(s); adjective--Pakistani
_#_Ethnic divisions: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendents)
_#_Religion: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shia 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
_#_Language: Urdu and English (both official); total spoken languages--Punjabi 64%, Sindhi 12%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu 7%, Balochi and other 9%; English is lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries, but official policies are promoting its gradual replacement by Urdu
_#_Literacy: 35% (male 47%, female 21%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 28,900,000; agriculture 54%, mining and manufacturing 13%, services 33%; extensive export of labor (1987 est.)
_#_Organized labor: about 10% of industrial work force
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
_#_Type: parliamentary with strong executive, federal republic
_#_Capital: Islamabad
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh; note--the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas
_#_Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK; formerly West Pakistan)
_#_Constitution: 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments, 30 December 1985
_#_Legal system: based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's stature as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Pakistan Day (proclamation of the republic), 23 March (1956)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Mijlis-e-Shoora) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shariat) Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President GHULAM ISHAQ Khan (since 13 December 1988);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Mian Nawaz SHARIF (since 6 November 1990);
_#_Political parties and leaders: Islamic Democratic Alliance (Islami Jamuri Ittehad or IJI)--the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) led by Mohammed Khan JUNEJO is the main party in the IJI; Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Benazir BHUTTO; note--in September 1990 the PPP announced the formation of the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA), an electoral alliance including the following four parties--PPP, Solidarity Movement (Tehrik Istiqlal), Movement for the Implementation of Shia Jurisprudence (Tehrik-i-Nifaz Fiqh Jafariya or TNFJ), and the PML (Malik faction); Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf HUSSAIN; Awami National Party (ANP), Khan Abdul Wali KHAN; Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI), Fazlur RAHMAN; Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), Mohammad Akbar Khan BUGTI; Pakistan National Party (PNP), Mir Ghaus Bakhsh BIZENJO; Pakistan Khawa Milli Party (PKMP), leader NA; Assembly of Pakistani Clergy (Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Pakistan or JUP), Maulana Shah Ahmed NOORANI; Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain AHMED
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President--last held on 12 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results--Ghulam Ishaq KHAN was elected by Parliament and the four provincial assemblies;
Senate--last held March 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results--elected by provincial assemblies; seats--(87 total) IJI 57, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, PPP 5, ANP 5, JWP 4, MQM 3, PNP 2, PKMP 1, JUI 1, independent 1;
National Assembly--last held on 24 October 1990 (next to be held by October 1995); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(217 total) IJI 107, PDA 45, MQM 15, ANP 6, JUI 6, JWP 2, PNP 2, PKMP 1, independent 14, religious minorities 10, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, vacant 1
_#_Communists: the Communist party is officially banned but is allowed to operate openly
_#_Other political or pressure groups: military remains dominant political force; ulema (clergy), industrialists, and small merchants also influential
_#_Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Najmuddin SHAIKH; Chancery at 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6200; there is a Pakistani Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Robert B. OAKLEY; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad (mailing address is P. O. Box 1048, Islamabad or APO New York 09614); telephone [92] (51) 826161 through 79; there are US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, and a Consulate in Peshawar
_#_Flag: green with a vertical white band on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and heavy dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support a large military establishment and provide for the needs of 4 million Afghan refugees. A real economic growth rate averaging 5-6% in recent years has enabled the country to cope with these problems. Almost all agriculture and small-scale industry is in private hands, and the government seeks to privatize a portion of the large-scale industrial enterprises now publicly owned. In December 1988, Pakistan signed a three-year economic reform agreement with the IMF, which provides for a reduction in the government deficit and a liberalization of trade in return for further IMF financial support. Late in 1990, the IMF suspended assistance to Pakistan because the government failed to follow through on deficit reforms. Pakistan almost certainly will make little headway on raising living standards for its rapidly expanding population; at the current rate of growth, population would double in 29 years.
_#_GNP: $43.3 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 5.0% (FY90 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.7% (FY90)
_#_Unemployment rate: 10% (FY91 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $5.6 billion; expenditures $10.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.7 billion (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $4.8 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities--rice, cotton, textiles, clothing;
partners--EC 31%, Japan 11.6%, US 11.5% (FY89)
_#_Imports: $6.5 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities--petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation equipment, vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals;
partners--EC 26%, US 16%, Japan 14% (FY89)
_#_External debt: $20.1 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.5% (FY91 est.); accounts for almost 20% of GNP
_#_Electricity: 7,575,000 kW capacity; 29,300 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles, food processing, beverages, petroleum products, construction materials, clothing, paper products, international finance, shrimp
_#_Agriculture: 25% of GDP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous irrigation system; major crops--cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables; livestock products--milk, beef, mutton, eggs; self-sufficient in food grain
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of limited success
_#_Economic aid: (including Bangladesh before 1972) US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.5 billion authorized (excluding what is now Bangladesh); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $8.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.2 billion
_#_Currency: Pakistani rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
_#_Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1--22.072 (January 1991), 21.707 (1990), 20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988), 17.399 (1987), 16.648 (1986), 15.928 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km meter gauge, and 610 km narrow gauge; 1,037 km broad-gauge double track; 286 km electrified; all government owned (1985)
_#_Highways: 101,315 km total (1987); 40,155 km paved, 23,000 km gravel, 29,000 km improved earth, and 9,160 km unimproved earth or sand tracks (1985)
_#_Pipelines: 250 km crude oil; 4,044 km natural gas; 885 km refined products (1987)
_#_Ports: Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
_#_Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 339,855 GRT/500,627 DWT; includes 4 passenger-cargo, 24 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
_#_Civil air: 30 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 115 total, 105 usable; 75 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good international radiocommunication service over microwave and INTELSAT satellite; domestic radio communications poor; broadcast service good; 813,000 telephones (1990); stations--19 AM, 8 FM, 29 TV; earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 26,840,840; 16,466,334 fit for military service; 1,322,883 reach military age (17) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $2.9 billion, 6% of GNP (FY91) % _@_Palmyra Atoll (territory of the US) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 11.9 km2; land area: 11.9 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 14.5 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: equatorial, hot, and very rainy
_#_Terrain: low, with maximum elevations of about 2 meters
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 100%; other 0%
_#_Environment: about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
_#_Note: located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, almost halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa
_*_People _#_Population: uninhabited
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
_*_Economy _#_Overview: no economic activity
_*_Communications _#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage in West Lagoon
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
_*_Defense Forces _#_Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % _@_Panama _*_Geography _#_Total area: 78,200 km2; land area: 75,990 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina
_#_Land boundaries: 555 km total; Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
_#_Coastline: 2,490 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
_#_Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
_#_Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 54%; other 23%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: 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: 2,476,281 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Panamanian(s); adjective--Panamanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 70%, West Indian 14%, white 10%, Indian 6%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic over 93%, Protestant 6%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); English as native tongue 14%; many Panamanians bilingual
_#_Literacy: 88% (male 88%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 770,472 (1987); government and community services 27.9%; agriculture, hunting, and fishing 26.2%; commerce, restaurants, and hotels 16%; manufacturing and mining 10.5%; construction 5.3%; transportation and communications 5.3%; finance, insurance, and real estate 4.2%; Canal Zone 2.4%; shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
_#_Organized labor: 17% of labor force (1986)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Panama
_#_Type: centralized republic
_#_Capital: Panama
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, Veraguas
_#_Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
_#_Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) currently being reorganized
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Guillermo ENDARA (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); First Vice President Ricardo ARIAS Calderon (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); Second Vice President Guillermo FORD (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
government alliance--Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA), Alfredo RAMIREZ; Authentic Liberal Party (PLA); Arnulfista Party (PA), Francisco ARTOLA;
opposition parties--Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Ricardo ARIAS Calderon; Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD, ex-official government party), Gerardo GONZALEZ; Agrarian Labor Party (PALA), Carlos ELETA Almaran; Liberal Party (PL); People's Party (PdP, Soviet-oriented Communist party), Ruben DARIO Sousa Batista; Democratic Workers Party (PDT, leftist), Eduardo RIOS; National Action Party (PAN, rightist); Popular Action Party (PAPO), Carlos Ivan ZUNIGA; Socialist Workers Party (PST, leftist), Jose CAMBRA; Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT, leftist), Graciela DIXON
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld (next to be held May 1994); results--anti-NORIEGA coalition believed to have won about 75% of the total votes cast;
Legislative Assembly--last held on 27 January 1991 (next to be held May 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(67 total) progovernment parties--PDC 28, MOLIRENA 16, PA 6, PLA 5;
opposition parties--PRD 10, PALA 1, PL 1; note--the PDC went into opposition after President Guillermo ENDARA ousted the PDC from the coalition government in April 1991
_#_Communists: People's Party (PdP), pro-Soviet mainline Communist party, did not obtain the necessary 3% of the total vote in the 1984 election to retain its legal status; about 3,000 members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: National Council of Organized Workers (CONATO); National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP); Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE); National Civic Crusade; National Committee for the Right to Life
_#_Member of: AG (associate), CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime FORD; Chancery at 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-1407; the status of the Consulates General and Consulates has not yet been determined;
US--Ambassador Deane R. HINTON; Embassy at Avenida Balboa and Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5 (mailing address is Box E, APO Miami 34002); telephone [507] 27-1777
_#_Flag: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center
_*_Economy _#_Overview: GDP expanded by an estimated 5% in 1990, after contracting 1% in 1988 and 14% in 1989. Political stability prompted greater business confidence and consumer demand, leading to increased production by the agricultural, commercial, manufacturing, construction, and utilities sectors. The transportation sector and government services declined slightly due to slack early-1990 transits through the Panama Canal, lower oil pipeline flowthrough, and Panama City's budget cuts. Imports and exports posted gains during the year, and government revenues were up sharply over 1989's levels.
_#_GDP: $4.8 billion, per capita $1,980; real growth rate 5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $355 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--bananas 27%, shrimp 21%, clothing 6%, coffee 4%, sugar 4%;
partners--US 90%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1989 est.)
_#_Imports: $1,250 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--foodstuffs 13%, capital goods 12%, crude oil 12%, consumer goods, chemicals;
partners--US 35%, Central America and Caribbean, EC, Mexico, Venezuela (1989 est.)
_#_External debt: $5 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,264 million kWh produced, 1,350 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills, paper products
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP (1990 est.), 25% of labor force (1989); crops--bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables, milk products
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $516 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $575 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4 million
_#_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: 2,932 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,314,623 GRT/66,226,104 DWT; includes 22 passenger, 22 short-sea passenger, 5 passenger-cargo, 1,060 cargo, 188 refrigerated cargo, 165 container, 62 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 105 vehicle carrier, 8 livestock carrier, 5 multifunction large-load carrier, 301 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 175 chemical tanker, 27 combination ore/oil, 91 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 651 bulk, 37 combination bulk; note--all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 36%, Greece 9%, Hong Kong 9%, and the US 8%; (China owns at least 127 ships, Vietnam 10, Yugoslavia 10, Cuba 5, Cyprus 3, and USSR 2)
_#_Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 113 total, 101 usable; 41 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: domestic and international facilities well developed; connection into Central American Microwave System; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite antennas; 220,000 telephones; stations--91 AM, no FM, 23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine cable
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: note--the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist as a military institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December 1989; President Endara is attempting to restructure the forces into a civilian police service under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF); a Council of Public Security and National Defense under Menalco Solis in the office of the president coordinates the activities of the security forces; the Institutional Protection Service under Carlos Bares is attached to the presidency
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 644,895; 444,522 fit for military service; no conscription
_#_Defense expenditures: $75.5 million, 1.5% of GDP (1990) % _@_Papua New Guinea _*_Geography _#_Total area: 461,690 km2; land area: 451,710 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than California
_#_Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia
_#_Coastline: 5,152 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
_#_Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 71%; other 28%
_#_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: 3,913,186 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 55 years male, 56 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Papua New Guinean(s); adjective--Papua New Guinean
_#_Ethnic divisions: predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant sects 10%; indigenous beliefs 34%
_#_Language: 715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
_#_Literacy: 52% (male 65%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,660,000; 732,806 in salaried employment; agriculture 54%, government 25%, industry and commerce 9%, services 8% (1980)
_#_Organized labor: more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20 members
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Port Moresby
_#_Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, North Solomons, Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain
_#_Independence: 16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)
_#_Constitution: 16 September 1975
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, National Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Vincent ERI (since 18 January 1990);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Rabbie NAMALIU (since 4 July 1988); Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO (since 29 April 1990); note--Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO has the title only since he has been suspended pending trial for alleged corruption charges
_#_Political parties: Papua New Guinea United Party (Pangu Party), Rabbie NAMALIU; People's Progress Party (PPP), Sir Julius CHAN; United Party (UP), Paul TORATO; Papua Party (PP), Galeva KWARARA; National Party (NP), Paul PORA; Melanesian Alliance (MA), Fr. John MOMIS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Parliament--last held 13 June-4 July 1987 (next to be held 4 July 1992); results--PP 14.7%, PDM 10.8%, PPP 6.1%, MA 5.6%, NP 5.1%, PAP 3.2%, independents 42.9%, other 11.6%; seats--(109 total) PP 26, PDM 17, NP 12, MA 7, PAP 6, PPP 5, independents 22, other 14
_#_Communists: no significant strength
_#_Member of: ACP, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (observer), SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at Suite 350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 659-0856;
US--Ambassador Robert W. FERRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby); telephone [675] 211-455 or 594, 654
_#_Flag: divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing an infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mining of numerous deposits, including copper and gold, accounts for about 60% of export earnings. Budgetary support from Australia and development aid under World Bank auspices help sustain the economy.
_#_GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $725; real growth rate - 3.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $867 million; expenditures $873 million, including capital expenditures of $119 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--gold, copper ore, coffee, cocoa, copra, palm oil, timber, lobster;
partners--FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US
_#_Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities--machinery and transport equipment, fuels, food, chemicals, consumer goods;
partners--Australia, Singapore, Japan, US, New Zealand, UK
_#_External debt: $2.76 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_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
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $40.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $6.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million
_#_Currency: kina (plural--kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea
_#_Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1--1.0549 (January 1991), 1.0467 (1990), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987), 1.0296 (1986), 1.0000 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Highways: 19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 10,940 km
_#_Ports: Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul
_#_Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 26,711 GRT/34,682 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 combination ore/oil, 2 bulk
_#_Civil air: about 15 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 567 total, 479 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 40 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services; submarine cables extend to Australia and Guam; 51,700 telephones (1985); stations--31 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV (1987); 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 983,175; 546,824 fit for military service
_#_Defense expenditures: $42 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.) % _@_Paracel Islands _*_Geography _#_Total area: undetermined
_#_Comparative area: undetermined
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 518 km
_#_Maritime claims: undetermined
_#_Disputes: occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: undetermined
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons
_#_Note: located 400 km east of Vietnam in the South China Sea about one-third of the way between Vietnam and the Philippines
_*_People _#_Population: no permanent inhabitants
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: none
_*_Economy _#_Overview: no economic activity
_*_Communications _#_Ports: small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island currently under expansion
_#_Airports: 1 on Woody Island
_*_Defense Forces _#_Note: occupied by China % _@_Paraguay _*_Geography _#_Total area: 406,750 km2; land area: 397,300 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
_#_Land boundaries: 3,920 km total; Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
_#_Coastline: none--landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none--landlocked
_#_Disputes: short section of the boundary with Brazil (just west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) has not been determined
_#_Climate: varies from temperate in east to semiarid in far west
_#_Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, manganese, limestone, hydropower, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and woodland 35%; other 5%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
_#_Note: landlocked; buffer between Argentina and Brazil
_*_People _#_Population: 4,798,739 (July 1991), growth rate 2.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Paraguayan(s); adjective--Paraguayan
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (Spanish and Indian) 95%, white and Indian 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 90%; Mennonite and other Protestant denominations
_#_Language: Spanish (official) and Guarani
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 92%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,300,000; agriculture 44%, industry and commerce 34%, services 18%, government 4% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: about 2% of labor force
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Paraguay
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Asuncion
_#_Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Chaco, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Nueva Asuncion, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
_#_Independence: 14 May 1811 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution 25 August 1967
_#_Legal system: based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Days, 14-15 May (1811)
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet), Council of State
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. Andres RODRIGUEZ Pedotti (since 15 May 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Colorado Party, Luis Maria ARGANA, acting president; Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), Juan Manuel BENITEZ Florentin; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Jorge Dario CRISTALDO; Febrerista Revolutionary Party (PRF), Euclides ACEVEDO; Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Hugo RICHER
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 and up to age 60
_#_Elections:
President--last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held February 1993); results--Gen. RODRIGUEZ 75.8%, Domingo LAINO 19.4%;
Chamber of Senators--last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held by May 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(36 total) Colorado Party 24, PLRA 10, PLR 1, PRF 1;
Chamber of Deputies--last held on 1 May 1989 (next to be held by May 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(72 total) Colorado Party 48, PLRA 19, PRF 2, PDC 1, PL 1, PLR 1
_#_Communists: Oscar Creydt faction and Miguel Angel SOLER faction (both illegal); 3,000 to 4,000 (est.) party members and sympathizers in Paraguay, very few are hard core; party beginning to return from exile is small and deeply divided
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Confederation of Workers (CUT); Roman Catholic Church
_#_Member of: AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Marcos MARTINEZ MENDIETA; Chancery at 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-6960 through 6962; there are Paraguayan Consulates General in New Orleans and New York, and a Consulate in Houston;
US--Ambassador Jon GLASSMAN; Embassy at 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Asuncion (mailing address is C. P. 402, Asuncion, or APO Miami 34036-0001); telephone [595] (21) 213-715
_#_Flag: three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy is predominantly agricultural. Agriculture, including forestry, accounts for about 25% of GNP, employs about 45% of the labor force, and provides the bulk of exports. Paraguay has no known significant mineral or petroleum resources but does have a large hydropower potential. Since 1981 economic performance has declined compared with the boom period of 1976-81, when real GDP grew at an average annual rate of nearly 11%. During 1982-86 real GDP fell in three of five years, inflation jumped to an annual rate of 32%, and foreign debt rose. Factors responsible for the erratic behavior of the economy were the completion of the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, bad weather for crops, and weak international commodity prices for agricultural exports. In 1987 the economy experienced a minor recovery because of improved weather conditions and stronger international prices for key agricultural exports. The recovery continued through 1990, on the strength of bumper crops in 1988-89. The government, however, must follow through on promises of reforms needed to deal with escalating inflation, large fiscal deficits, growing debt arrearages, and falling reserves.
_#_GDP: $4.6 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 44% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 12% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $487 million (1991)
_#_Exports: $980 million (registered f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--cotton, soybean, timber, vegetable oils, coffee, tung oil, meat products;
partners--EC 37%, Brazil 25%, Argentina 10%, Chile 6%, US 6%
_#_Imports: $1.4 billion (registered c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--capital goods 35%, consumer goods 20%, fuels and lubricants 19%, raw materials 16%, foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco 10%;
partners--Brazil 30%, EC 20%, US 18%, Argentina 8%, Japan 7%
_#_External debt: $1.7 billion (1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.9% (1989 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,169,000 kW capacity; 15,144 million kWh produced, 3,250 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: meat packing, oilseed crushing, milling, brewing, textiles, other light consumer goods, cement, construction
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and 44% of labor force; cash crops--cotton, sugarcane; other crops--corn, wheat, tobacco, soybeans, cassava, fruits, and vegetables; animal products--beef, pork, eggs, milk; surplus producer of timber; self-sufficient in most foods
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; important transshipment point for Bolivian cocaine headed for the US and Europe
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $172 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.05 billion
_#_Currency: guarani (plural--guaranies); 1 guarani (0) = 100 centimos
_#_Exchange rates: guaranies (0) per US$1--1,204.5 (October 1989), 1,056.2 (1989), 550.00 (fixed rate 1986-February 1989), 339.17 (1986), 306.67 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 970 km total; 440 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 60 km 1.000-meter gauge, 470 km various narrow gauge (privately owned)
_#_Highways: 21,960 km total; 1,788 km paved, 474 km gravel, and 19,698 km earth
_#_Inland waterways: 3,100 km
_#_Ports: Asuncion
_#_Merchant marine: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,743 GRT/22,954 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker; note--1 naval cargo ship is sometimes used commercially
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 851 total, 738 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 60 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: principal center in Asuncion; fair intercity microwave net; 78,300 telephones; stations--40 AM, no FM, 5 TV, 7 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Navy (including Naval Air and Marines), Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,130,690; 823,136 fit for military service; 51,415 reach military age (17) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $84 million, 1.4% of GDP (1988 est.) % _@_Peru _*_Geography _#_Total area: 1,285,220 km2; land area: 1,280,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Alaska
_#_Land boundaries: 6,940 km total; Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 2,900 km, Ecuador 1,420 km
_#_Coastline: 2,414 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: two sections of the boundary with Ecuador are in dispute
_#_Climate: varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west
_#_Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
_#_Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 21%; forest and woodland 55%; other 21%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: 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: 22,361,785 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Peruvian(s); adjective--Peruvian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Indian 45%; mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 37%; white 15%; black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%
_#_Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Spanish and Quechua (both official), Aymara
_#_Literacy: 85% (male 92%, female 29%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 6,800,000 (1986); government and other services 44%, agriculture 37%, industry 19% (1988 est.)
_#_Organized labor: about 40% of salaried workers (1983 est.)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Peru
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Lima
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento) and 1 constitutional province* (provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali; note--the 1979 Constitution and legislation enacted from 1987 to 1990 mandate the creation of regions (regiones, singular--region) intended to function eventually as autonomous economic and administrative entities; so far, 12 regions have been constituted from 23 existing departments--Amazonas (from Loreto), Andres Avelino Caceres (from Huanuco, Pasco, Junin), Arequipa (from Arequipa), Chavin (from Ancash), Grau (from Tumbes, Piura), Inca (from Cusco, Madre de Dios, Apurimac), La Libertad (from La Libertad), Los Libertadores-Huari (from Ica, Ayacucho, Huancavelica), Mariategui (from Moquegua, Tacna, Puno), Nor Oriental del Maranon (from Lambayeque, Cajamarca, Amazonas), San Martin (from San Martin), Ucayali (from Ucayali); formation of another region has been delayed by the reluctance of the constitutional province of Callao to merge with the department of Lima; because of inadequate funding from the central government, the regions have yet to assume their reponsibilities and at the moment co-exist with the departmental structure
_#_Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 28 July 1980 (often referred to as the 1979 Constitution because the Constituent Assembly met in 1979, but the Constitution actually took effect the following year); reestablished civilian government with a popularly elected president and bicameral legislature
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President Alberto FUJIMORI (since 28 July 1990); Vice President Maximo SAN ROMAN (since 28 July 1990); Vice President Carlos GARCIA (since 28 July 1990);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Carlos TORRES Y TORRES Lara (since 15 February 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Change 90 (Cambio 90), Alberto FUJIMORI; Democratic Front (FREDEMO), a loosely organized three-party coalition--Popular Christian Party (PPC), Luis BEDOYA Reyes; Popular Action Party (AP), Fernando BELAUNDE Terry; and Liberty Movement; American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), Luis ALVA Castro; National Front of Workers and Peasants (FRENATRACA), Roger CACERES; United Left (IU), run by committee; Socialist Left (IS), Enrique BERNALES
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held on 10 June 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results--Alberto FUJIMORI 56.53%, Mario VARGAS Llosa 33.92%, other 9.55%;
Senate--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(60 total) FREDEMO 20, APRA 16, Change 90 14, IU 6, IS 3, FRENATRACA 1;
Chamber of Deputies--last held 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(180 total) FREDEMO 62, APRA 53, Change 90 32, IU 16, IS 4, FRENATRACA 3, other 10
_#_Communists: Peruvian Communist Party-Unity (PCP-U), pro-Soviet, 2,000; other minor Communist parties
_#_Other political or pressure groups:
leftist guerrilla groups--Shining Path, leader Abimael GUZMAN; Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, Nestor CERPA and Victor POLLAY
_#_Member of: AG, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Roberto G. MACLEAN; Chancery at 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 833-9860 through 9869); Peruvian Consulates General are located in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US--Ambassador Anthony C.E. QUAINTON; Embassy at the corner of Avenida Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Avenida Espana, Lima (mailing address is P. O. Box 1995, Lima 100, or APO Miami 34031); telephone [51] (14) 338-000
_#_Flag: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a llama, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The Peruvian economy is basically capitalistic, with a large dose of government welfare programs and government management of credit. In the 1980s the economy suffered from hyperinflation, declining per capita output, and mounting external debt. Peru was shut off from IMF and World Bank support in the mid-1980s because of its huge debt arrears. An austerity program implemented shortly after the Fujimori government took office in July 1990 contributed to a third consecutive yearly contraction of economic activity, but was able to generate a small recovery in the last quarter. After a burst of inflation as the program eliminated government price subsidies, monthly price increases eased to the single-digit level for the first time since mid-1988. Lima has restarted current payments to multilateral lenders and, although it faces $14 billion in arrears on its external debt, is working toward an accommodation with its creditors.
_#_GDP: $19.3 billion, per capita $898; real growth rate - 3.9% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7,650% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20.0%; underemployment estimated at 60% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $3.01 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--fishmeal, cotton, sugar, coffee, copper, iron ore, refined silver, lead, zinc, crude petroleum and byproducts;
partners--EC 22%, US 20%, Japan 11%, Latin America 8%, USSR 4%
_#_Imports: $2.78 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--foodstuffs, machinery, transport equipment, iron and steel semimanufactures, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
partners--US 23%, Latin America 16%, EC 12%, Japan 7%, Switzerland 3%
_#_External debt: $20.0 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 21% (1989); accounts for almost 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 4,867,000 kW capacity; 15,540 million kWh produced, 710 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing, cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding, metal fabrication
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP, 37% of labor force; commercial crops--coffee, cotton, sugarcane; other crops--rice, wheat, potatoes, plantains, coca; animal products--poultry, red meats, dairy, wool; not self-sufficient in grain or vegetable oil; fish catch of 4.6 million metric tons (1987), world's fifth-largest
_#_Illicit drugs: world's largest coca leaf producer with about 121,000 hectares under cultivation; source of supply for most of the world's coca paste and cocaine base; about 85% of cultivation is for illicit production; most of cocaine base is shipped to Colombian drug dealers for processing into cocaine for the international drug market
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $577 million
_#_Currency: inti (plural--intis); 1 inti (I/) = 1,000 soles
_#_Exchange rates: intis (I/) per US$1--530,000 (January 1991), 187,886 (1990), 2,666 (1989), 128.83 (1988), 16.84 (1987), 13.95 (1986), 10.97 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 1,884 km total; 1,584 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 300 km 0.914-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 56,645 km total; 6,030 km paved, 11,865 km gravel, 14,610 km improved earth, 24,140 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km Lago Titicaca
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 800 km; natural gas and natural gas liquids, 64 km
_#_Ports: Callao, Ilo, Iquitos, Matarani, Talara
_#_Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 321,541 GRT/516,859 DWT; includes 16 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 bulk; note--in addition, 8 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo are sometimes used commercially
_#_Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 222 total, 205 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 24 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fairly adequate for most requirements; nationwide radio relay system; 544,000 telephones; stations--273 AM, no FM, 140 TV, 144 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations, 12 domestic antennas
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army (Ejercito Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru), Peruvian National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 5,704,684; 3,859,123 fit for military service; 241,792 reach military age (20) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $430 million, 2.4% of GDP (1991) % _@_Philippines _*_Geography _#_Total area: 300,000 km2; land area: 298,170 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 36,289 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth
_#_Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; claims Malaysian state of Sabah
_#_Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
_#_Natural resources: timber, crude oil, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
_#_Land use: arable land 26%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 40%; other 19%; includes irrigated 5%
_#_Environment: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; subject to landslides, active volcanoes, destructive earthquakes, tsunami; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_*_People _#_Population: 65,758,788 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 54 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Filipino(s); adjective--Philippine
_#_Ethnic divisions: Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 3%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3%
_#_Language: Pilipino (based on Tagalog) and English; both official
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 90%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 24,120,000; agriculture 46%, industry and commerce 16%, services 18.5%, government 10%, other 9.5% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 3,945 registered unions; total membership 5.7 million (includes 2.8 million members of the National Congress of Farmers Organizations)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of the Philippines
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Manila
_#_Administrative divisions: 73 provinces and 61 chartered cities*; Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Angeles*, Antique, Aurora, Bacolod*, Bago*, Baguio*, Bais*, Basilan, Basilan City*, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Batangas City*, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Butuan*, Cabanatuan*, Cadiz*, Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro*, Calbayog*, Caloocan*, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Canlaon*, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite, Cavite City*, Cebu, Cebu City*, Cotabato*, Dagupan*, Danao*, Dapitan*, Davao City* Davao, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dipolog*, Dumaguete*, Eastern Samar, General Santos*, Gingoog*, Ifugao, Iligan*, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Iloilo City*, Iriga*, Isabela, Kalinga-Apayao, La Carlota*, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Laoag*, Lapu-Lapu*, La Union, Legaspi*, Leyte, Lipa*, Lucena*, Maguindanao, Mandaue*, Manila*, Marawi*, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain, Naga*, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*, Ormoc*, Oroquieta*, Ozamis*, Pagadian*, Palawan, Palayan*, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasay*, Puerto Princesa*, Quezon, Quezon City*, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Roxas*, Samar, San Carlos* (in Negros Occidental), San Carlos* (in Pangasinan), San Jose*, San Pablo*, Silay*, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao*, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacloban*, Tagaytay*, Tagbilaran*, Tangub*, Tarlac, Tawitawi, Toledo*, Trece Martires*, Zambales, Zamboanga*, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur
_#_Independence: 4 July 1946 (from US)
_#_Constitution: 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day (from Spain), 12 June (1898)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Kongreso) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senado) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Corazon C. AQUINO (since 25 February 1986); Vice President Salvador H. LAUREL (since 25 February 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: PDP-Laban, Aquilino PIMENTEL; Struggle of Philippine Democrats (LDP), Neptali GONZALES; Nacionalista Party, Salvador LAUREL, Juan Ponce ENRILE; Liberal Party, Jovito SALONGA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 15
_#_Elections:
President--last held 7 February 1986 (next election to be held May 1992); results--Corazon C. AQUINO elected, precipitating the fall of the MARCOS regime;
Senate--last held 11 May 1987 (next to be held May 1992); results--pro-Aquino LDP 63%, liberal LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 25%, opposition Nationalista Party 4%, independent 8%; seats--(24 total) pro-Aquino LDP 15, liberal LDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 6, opposition Nationalista Party 1, independent 2;
House of Representatives--last held on 11 May 1987 (next to be held May 1992); results--pro-Aquino LDP 73%, liberal LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 10%, opposition Nationalista Party 17%; seats--(250 total, 180 elected) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) controls about 18,000-23,000 full-time insurgents and is not recognized as a legal party; a second Communist party, the pro-Soviet Philippine Communist Party (PKP), has quasi-legal status
_#_Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Emmanuel PELAEZ; Chancery at 1617 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 483-1414; there are Philippine Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle;
US--Ambassador Nicholas PLATT; Embassy at 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96528); telephone [63] (32) 211-101 through 3; there is a US Consulate in Cebu
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy continues to recover from the political turmoil following the ouster of former President Marcos and several coup attempts. After two consecutive years of economic contraction (1984 and 1985), the economy has since 1986 had positive growth, although in 1990 the economy slowed considerably from 1989. The agricultural sector together with forestry and fishing, plays an important role in the economy, employing about 45% of the work force and providing almost 30% of GDP. The Philippines is the world's largest exporter of coconuts and coconut products. Manufacturing contributes about 25% of GDP. Major industries include food processing, chemicals, and textiles.
_#_GNP: $45.2 billion, per capita $700; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9.3% (1990 est.)
_#_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., 1990 est.);
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: $12.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--raw materials 53%, capital goods 17%, petroleum products 17%;
partners--US 25%, Japan 17%, ESCAP 13%, EC 11%, ASEAN 10%, Middle East 10%
_#_External debt: $28.4 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.9% (1990 est.); accounts for 30-35% of GNP
_#_Electricity: 6,755,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced, 420 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GNP and 45% of labor force; major crops--rice, coconut, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapple, mango; animal products--pork, eggs, beef; net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 2 million metric tons annually
_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; growers are producing more and better quality cannabis despite government eradication efforts
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $6.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1975-89), $123 million
_#_Currency: Philippine peso (plural--pesos); 1 Philippine peso (1) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Philippine pesos (1) per US$1--28.055 (January 1991), 24.311 (1990), 21.737 (1989), 21.095 (1988), 20.568 (1987), 20.386 (1986), 18.607 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 378 km operable on Luzon, 34% government owned (1982)
_#_Highways: 156,000 km total (1984); 29,000 km paved; 77,000 km gravel, crushed-stone, or stabilized-soil surface; 50,000 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 3,219 km; limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m) vessels
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 357 km
_#_Ports: Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras, Iloilo, Legaspi, Manila, Subic Bay
_#_Merchant marine: 569 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,429,829 GRT/15,171,692 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 9 short-sea passenger, 17 passenger-cargo, 163 cargo, 18 refrigerated cargo, 24 vehicle carrier, 8 livestock carrier, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 8 container, 41 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 252 bulk, 7 combination bulk; note--many Philippine flag ships are foreign owned and are on the register for the purpose of long-term bare-boat charter back to their original owners who are principally in Japan and Germany
_#_Civil air: 53 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 280 total, 235 usable; 71 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 50 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good international radio and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service adequate; 872,900 telephones; stations--267 AM (including 6 US), 55 FM, 33 TV (including 4 US); submarine cables extended to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 11 domestic
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Navy (including Coast Guard), Marine Corps, Air Force, Constabulary
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 16,254,775; 11,491,155 fit for military service; 715,462 reach military age (20) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $1.1 billion, 2% of GNP (1990) % _@_Pitcairn Islands (dependent territory of the UK) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 47 km2; land area: 47 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 51 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, hot, humid, modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
_#_Terrain: rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
_#_Natural resources: miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons (especially November to March)
_#_Note: located in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Peru and New Zealand
_*_People _#_Population: 56 (July 1991), growth rate 0.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Pitcairn Islander(s); adjective--Pitcairn Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: descendants of Bounty mutineers
_#_Religion: Seventh-Day Adventist 100%
_#_Language: English (official); also a Tahitian/English dialect
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA; no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Adamstown
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: Local Government Ordinance of 1964
_#_Legal system: local island by-laws
_#_National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June), 10 June 1989
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, island magistrate
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Island Council
_#_Judicial branch: Island Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Governor and UK High Commissioner to New Zealand David Joseph MOSS (since NA 1990);
Head of Government--Island Magistrate and Chairman of the Island Council Brian YOUNG (since NA 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18 with three years residency
_#_Elections:
Island Council--last held NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(11 total, 5 elected) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: none
_#_Other political or pressure groups: NA
_#_Member of: SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green, and light blue with a shield featuring a yellow anchor
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The inhabitants exist on fishing and subsistence farming. The fertile soil of the valleys produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams, and beans. Bartering is an important part of the economy. The major sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps to collectors and the sale of handicrafts to passing ships.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $430,440; expenditures $429,983, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY87 est.)
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities--fruits, vegetables, curios;
partners--NA
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities--fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs;
partners--NA
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 110 kW capacity; 0.30 million kWh produced, 5,360 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: postage stamp sales, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: based on subsistence fishing and farming; wide variety of fruits and vegetables grown; must import grain products
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6866 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: none
_#_Highways: 6.4 km dirt roads
_#_Ports: Bounty Bay
_#_Airports: none
_#_Telecommunications: 24 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 % _@_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, Germany 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: arable land 46%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 28%; other 12%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_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: 37,799,638 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 77 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Pole(s); adjective--Polish
_#_Ethnic divisions: Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belorussian (Byelorussian) 0.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Russian Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5%
_#_Language: Polish
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 99%, female 98%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978)
_#_Labor force: 17,104,000; industry and construction 36.1%; agriculture 27.3%; trade, transport, and communications 14.8%; government and other 21.8% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: trade union pluralism
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Republic of Poland
_#_Type: democratic state
_#_Capital: Warsaw
_#_Administrative divisions: 49 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular--wojewodztwo); Biala Podlaska, Bialystok, Bielsko, Bydgoszcz, Chelm, Ciechanow, Czestochowa, Elblag, Gdansk, Gorzow, Jelenia Gora, Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin, Krakow, Krosno, Legnica, Leszno, Lodz, Lomza, Lublin, Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn, Opole, Ostroleka, Pila, Piotrkow, Plock, Poznan, Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow, Siedlce, Sieradz, Skierniewice, Slupsk, Suwalki, Szczecin, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow, Torun, Walbrzych, Warszawa, Wloclawek, Wroclaw, Zamosc, Zielona Gora
_#_Independence: 11 November 1918, independent republic proclaimed
_#_Constitution: the Communist-imposed Constitution of 22 July 1952 will probably be replaced by a democratic Constitution in 1992
_#_Legal system: mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, 3 May (1794)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Zgromadzenie Narodowe) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or Diet (Sejm)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President Lech WALESA (since 22 December 1990);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof BIELECKI (since 4 January 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: center-right agrarian parties--Polish Peasant Party (PSL), Roman BARTOSZCZE, chairman; Polish Peasant Party-Solidarity, Gabriel JANOWSKI, chairman;
other center-right parties--Center Alliance, Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI, chairman; Christian National Union, Wieslaw CHRZANOWSKI, chairman; Christian Democratic Labor Party, Wladyslaw SILA-NOWICKI, chairman; Democratic Party, Jerzy JOZWIAK, chairman;
center-left parties--Polish Socialist Party, Jan Jozef LIPSKI, chairman; Democratic Union, Tadeusz MAZOWIECKI, chairman; ROAD, Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK and Zbigniew BUJAK, chairmen;
left-wing parties--Polish Socialist Party-Democratic Revolution, Piotr IKONOWICZ;
other--Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (formerly the Communist party or Polish United Workers' Party/PZPR), Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI, chairman; Union of the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (breakaway faction of the PZPR), Tadeusz FISZBACH, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--first round held 25 November 1990, second round held 9 December 1990 (next to be held November 1995); results--second round Lech WALESA 74.7%, Stanislaw TYMINSKI 25.3%;
Senate--last held 4 and 18 June 1989 (next to be held late 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(100 total) Solidarity 99, independent 1;
Diet--last held 4 and 18 June 1989 (next to be held late 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(460 total) Communists 173, Solidarity 161, Polish Peasant Party 76, Democratic Party 27, Christian National Union 23; note--rules governing the election limited Solidarity's share of the vote to 35% of the seats; future elections, which will probably be held before late 1991, are to be freely contested
_#_Communists: 70,000 members in the Communist successor parties (1990)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: powerful Roman Catholic Church; Confederation for an Independent Poland (KPN), a nationalist group; Solidarity (trade union); All Poland Trade Union Alliance (OPZZ), populist program; Clubs of Catholic Intellectuals (KIKs); Freedom and Peace (WiP), a pacifist group; Independent Student Union (NZS)
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CERN (observer, but scheduled to become a member l July 1991), CSCE, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Kazimierz DZIEWANOWSKI; Chancery at 2640 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 234-3800 through 3802; there are Polish Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York;
US--Ambassador Thomas W. SIMONS, Jr.; Embassy at Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, Warsaw (mailing address is American Embassy Warsaw, c/o American Consulate General (WAW) or APO New York 09213-5010); telephone [48] (22) 283041 through 283049; there is a US Consulate General in Krakow and a Consulate in Poznan
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red--a crowned eagle is to be added; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white
_*_Economy _#_Overview: The economy, except for the agricultural sector, had followed the Soviet model of state ownership and control of productive assets. About 75% of agricultural production had come from the private sector and the rest from state farms. The economy has presented a picture of moderate but slowing growth against a background of underlying weaknesses in technology and worker motivation. GNP dropped by 2.0% in 1989 and by a further 8.9% in 1990. The inflation rate, after falling sharply from the 1982 peak of 100% to 22% in 1986, rose to a galloping rate of 640% in 1989 and dropped back to 250% in 1990. Shortages of consumer goods and some food items worsened in 1988-89. Agricultural products and coal are among the biggest hard currency earners, but manufactures are increasing in importance. Poland, with its hard currency debt of $48.5 billion, is severely limited in its ability to import much-needed hard currency goods. The sweeping political changes of 1989 disrupted normal economic channels and exacerbated shortages. In January 1990, the new Solidarity-led government adopted a cold turkey program for transforming Poland to a market economy. The government moved to eliminate subsidies, free prices, make the zloty convertible, and, in general, halt the hyperinflation. These financial measures were accompanied by plans to privatize the economy in stages. While inflation fell to an annual rate of 77.5% by November of 1990, the rise in unemployment and the drop in living standards have led to growing popular discontent and to a change of government in January 1991. The new government is continuing the previous government's economic program, while trying to speed privatization and to better cushion the populace from the dislocations associated with reform. Substantial outside aid will be needed if Poland is to make a successful transition in the 1990s.
_#_GNP: $158.5 billion, per capita $4,200; real growth rate - 8.9% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 250% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 6.1% (end-December 1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $20.9 billion; expenditures $23.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.8 billion (1989)
_#_Exports: $12.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--machinery and equipment 38%; fuels, minerals, and metals 21%; manufactured consumer goods 15%; agricultural and forestry products 4% (1989);
partners--USSR 25%, FRG 14%, UK 6.5%, Czechoslovakia 5.5% (1989)
_#_Imports: $12.8 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--machinery and equipment 37%; fuels, minerals, and metals 31%; manufactured consumer goods 17%; agricultural and forestry products 5% (1989);
partners--USSR 18%, FRG 16%, Austria 6%, Czechoslovakia 6% (1989)
_#_External debt: $48.5 billion (January 1991)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 23% (State sector 1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 31,530,000 kW capacity; 136,300 million kWh produced, 3,610 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: machine building, iron and steel, extractive industries, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP and 27% of labor force; 75% of output from private farms, 25% from state farms; productivity remains low by European standards; leading European producer of rye, rapeseed, and potatoes; wide variety of other crops and livestock; major exporter of pork products; normally self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: donor--bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries, $2.2 billion (1954-89)
_#_Currency: zloty (plural--zlotych); 1 zloty (Zl) = 100 groszy
_#_Exchange rates: zlotych (Zl) per US$1--11,100.00 (May 1991), 9,500 (1990), 1,439.18 (1989), 430.55 (1988), 265.08 (1987), 175.29 (1986), 147.14 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 27,041 km total; 24,287 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 397 km 1.520-meter broad gauge, 2,357 km narrow gauge; 8,987 km double track; 11,016 km electrified; government owned (1989)
_#_Highways: 299,887 km total; 130,000 km improved hard surface (concrete, asphalt, stone block); 24,000 km unimproved hard surface (crushed stone, gravel); 100,000 km earth; 45,887 km other urban roads (1985)
_#_Inland waterways: 3,997 km navigable rivers and canals (1989)
_#_Pipelines: 4,500 km for natural gas; 1,986 km for crude oil; 360 km for refined products (1987)
_#_Ports: Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Swinoujscie; principal inland ports are Gliwice on Kanal Gliwice, Wroclaw on the Oder, and Warsaw on the Vistula
_#_Merchant marine: 235 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,957,600 GRT/4,163,820 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 92 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 container, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 107 bulk; Poland owns 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) of 6,333 DWT operating under Liberian registry
_#_Civil air: 48 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 160 total, 160 usable; 85 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over 3,659 m; 35 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 65 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: phone density is 10.5 phones per 100 residents (October 1990); 3.1 million subscribers; exchanges are 86% automatic (February 1990); stations--29 AM, 29 FM, 37 (5 Soviet relays) TV; 9.6 million TVs
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: External Front Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Internal Defense Forces (WOW), Territorial Defense Forces (JOT), Border Guards (WOP), Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense (OC)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 9,571,708; 7,543,565 fit for military service; 302,000 reach military age (19) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: 22.3 trillion zlotych, NA% of GDP (1991); note--conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results % _@_Portugal _*_Geography _#_Total area: 92,080 km2; land area: 91,640 km2; includes Azores and Madeira Islands
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
_#_Land boundary: 1,214 km with Spain
_#_Coastline: 1,793 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed with Indonesia
_#_Climate: maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
_#_Terrain: mountainous north of the Tagus, rolling plains in south
_#_Natural resources: fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble
_#_Land use: arable land 32%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 40%; other 16%; includes irrigated 7%
_#_Environment: Azores subject to severe earthquakes
_#_Note: Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
_*_People _#_Population: 10,387,617 (July 1991), growth rate 0.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 13 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 78 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Portuguese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Portuguese
_#_Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Mediterranean stock in mainland, Azores, Madeira Islands; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%
_#_Language: Portuguese
_#_Literacy: 85% (male 89%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,605,700; services 45%, industry 35%, agriculture 20% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: about 55% of the labor force; the Communist-dominated General Confederation of Portuguese Workers--Intersindical (CGTP-IN) represents more than half of the unionized labor force; its main competition, the General Workers Union (UGT), is organized by the Socialists and Social Democrats and represents less than half of unionized labor
_*_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); Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*, 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 and 1 June 1989
_#_Legal system: civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of State, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justica)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President Dr. Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES (since 9 March 1986);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 6 November 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (PSD), Anibal CAVACO Silva; Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), Jorge SAMPAIO; Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Herminio MARTINHO; Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Alvaro CUNHAL; Social Democratic Center (CDS), Andriano MORREIRA (interim); National Solidarity Party, Manuel SERGIO
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President--last held 13 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results--Dr. Mario Lopes SOARES 70%, Basilio HORTA 14%, Carlos CARVALHAS 13%, Carlos MARQUES 3%;
Assembly of the Republic--last held 6 October 1991 (next to be held October 1995); results--Social Democrats 50.4%, Socialists 29.3%, United Democratic Coalition (CDU; Communists) 8.8%, Christian Democrats 4.4%, National Solidarity Party 1.7%, Democratic Renewal 0.6%, other 4.8%; seats--(230 total) Social Democrats 132, Socialists 70, United Democratic Coalition (CDU; Communists) 17, Christian Democrats 5, National Solidarity Party 1; after absentee ballots counted five seats to be allocated
_#_Communists: Portuguese Communist Party claims membership of 200,753 (December 1983)
_#_Member of: AfDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Joao Eduardo M. PEREIRA BASTOS; Chancery at 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-8610; there are Portuguese Consulates General in Boston, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Los Angeles, Newark (New Jersey), New Bedford (Massachusetts), and Providence (Rhode Island);
US--Ambassador Everett E. BRIGGS; Embassy at Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon (mailing address is APO New York 09678-0002); telephone [351] (1) 726-6600 or 6659, 8670, 8880; there is a US Consulate in Ponta Delgada (Azores)
_#_Flag: two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line
_*_Economy _#_Overview: During the past four years, the economy has made a sustained recovery from the severe recession of 1983-85. The economy grew by 14% during the 1987-89 period, largely because of strong domestic consumption and investment spending. Unemployment has declined for the third consecutive year, but inflation continues to be about three times the European Community average. The government is pushing economic restructuring and privatization measures in anticipation of the 1992 European Community timetable to form a single large market in Europe.
_#_GDP: $57.8 billion, per capita $5,580; real growth rate 3.5% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.4% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $21.6 billion; expenditures $23.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $6.9 billion (1990)
_#_Exports: $16.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--cotton textiles, cork and cork products, canned fish, wine, timber and timber products, resin, machinery, appliances;
partners--EC 72%, other developed countries 13%, US 5%
_#_Imports: $24.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities--petroleum, cotton, foodgrains, industrial machinery, iron and steel, chemicals;
partners--EC 69%, other developed countries 11%, less developed countries 13%, US 4%
_#_External debt: $18.4 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.9% (1989); accounts for 40% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 6,729,000 kW capacity; 16,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 9% of GDP and 20% of labor force; small inefficient farms; imports more than half of food needs; major crops--grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; livestock sector--sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, meat, dairy products
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.13 billion
_#_Currency: Portuguese escudo (plural--escudos); 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1--134.46 (January 1991), 142.55 (1990), 157.46 (1989), 143.95 (1988), 140.88 (1987), 149.59 (1986), 170.39 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications _#_Railroads: 3,613 km 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: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 684,350 GRT/1,190,454 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 20 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 12 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 10 bulk, 1 combination bulk; note--Portugal has created a captive register on Madeira (MAR) for Portuguese-owned ships that will have the taxation and crewing benefits of a flag of convenience; although only one ship currently is known to fly the Portuguese flag on the MAR register, it is likely that a majority of Portuguese flag ships will transfer to this subregister in a few years
_#_Civil air: 29 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 69 total, 63 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: facilities are generally adequate; 2,690,000 telephones; stations--57 AM, 66 (22 relays) FM, 25 (23 relays) TV; 7 submarine cables; communication satellite ground stations operating in the INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and domestic systems (mainland and Azores)
_*_Defense Forces _#_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard, Fiscal Guard, Public Security Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,621,116; 2,131,628 fit for military service; 88,718 reach military age (20) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $1.6 billion, 3% of GDP (1990) % _@_Puerto Rico (commonwealth associated with the US) _*_Geography _#_Total area: 9,104 km2; land area: 8,959 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 501 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine, mild, little seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast
_#_Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore crude oil
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 41%; forest and woodland 20%; other 22%
_#_Environment: many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
_#_Note: important location between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands group along the Mona Passage--a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean
_*_People _#_Population: 3,294,997 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Puerto Rican(s); adjective--Puerto Rican
_#_Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Hispanic
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); English is widely understood
_#_Literacy: 89% (male 90%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 1,068,000; government 28%, manufacturing 15%, trade 14%, agriculture 3%, other 40% (1990)
_#_Organized labor: 115,000 members in 4 unions; the largest is the General Confederation of Puerto Rican Workers with 35,000 members (1983)
_*_Government _#_Long-form name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
_#_Type: commonwealth associated with the US
_#_Capital: San Juan
_#_Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
_#_Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
_#_Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish civil code
_#_Executive branch: US president, US vice president, governor
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989);
Head of Government Governor Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (since 2 January 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon; New Progressive Party (PNP), Carlos ROMERO Barcelo; Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), Juan MARI Bras and Carlos GALLISA; Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben BERRIOS Martinez; Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leader(s) unknown
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
_#_Elections:
Governor--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results--Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (PPD) 48.7%, Baltasar CORRADA Del Rio (PNP) 45.8%, Ruben BERRIOS Martinez (PIP) 5.5%;
Senate--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(27 total) PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1;
House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(53 total) PPD 36, PNP 15, PIP 2;
US House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results--Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting representative
_#_Other political or pressure groups: all have engaged in terrorist activities--Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN), Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution, Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros), Armed Forces of Popular Resistance
_#_Member of: ECLAC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WFTU, WTO (associate)
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
_#_Flag: five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the US flag
_*_Economy _#_Overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. Industry has surpassed agriculture as the primary sector of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. Important new industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, and processed foods. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income for the island. The economy is slowly recovering from the disruptions caused by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989. The tourism infrastructure was especially hard hit.
_#_GNP: $20.1 billion, per capita $6,100; real growth rate 3.6% (FY89)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.3% (October 1989-90)
_#_Unemployment rate: 14.9% (October 1990)