The 1995 CIA World Factbook (part 5 of 6)
Infant mortality rate: 36.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.07 years male: 73.01 years female: 76.89 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.13 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Saint Helenian(s) adjective: Saint Helenian
Ethnic divisions: NA
Religions: Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic
Languages: English
Literacy: age 20 and over can read and write (1987) total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98%
Labor force: 2,516 by occupation: professional, technical, and related workers 8.7%, managerial, administrative, and clerical 12.8%, sales people 8.1%, farmer, fishermen, etc. 5.4%, craftspersons, production process workers 14.7%, others 50.3% (1987)
@Saint Helena:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Helena
Digraph: SH
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Jamestown
Administrative divisions: 1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha*
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen, 10 June 1989 (second Saturday in June)
Constitution: 1 January 1989
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: NA
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor A. N. HOOLE (since NA 1991) cabinet: Executive Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council: elections last held July 1993 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (15 total, 12 elected) independents 15
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: none
Member of: ICFTU
Diplomatic representation in US: none (dependent territory of the UK)
US diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship
@Saint Helena:Economy
Overview: The economy depends primarily on financial assistance from the UK. The local population earns some income from fishing, the raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas.
National product: GDP $NA
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -1.1% (1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $11.2 million expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)
Exports: $27,400 (f.o.b., FY92/93) commodities: fish (frozen and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), handicrafts partners: South Africa, UK
Imports: $9.8 million (c.i.f., FY92/93) commodities: food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts partners: UK, South Africa
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 9,800 kW production: 10 million kWh consumption per capita: NA kWh (1993)
Industries: crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing
Agriculture: maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production being developed; crawfishing on Tristan da Cunha
Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1992-93), $13.5 million
Currency: 1 Saint Helenian pound (#S) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Saint Helenian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 0.6350 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6033 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990); note - the Saint Helenian pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Saint Helena:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: NA (mainland 107 km, Ascension NA, Tristan da Cunha NA) paved: 169.7 km (mainland 87 km, Ascension 80 km, Tristan da Cunha 2.70 km) unpaved: NA (mainland 20 km earth roads, Ascension NA, Tristan da Cunha NA)
Ports: Georgetown, Jamestown
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 1 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
@Saint Helena:Communications
Telephone system: 550 telephones; automatic network local: NA intercity: HF radio links to Ascension, then into worldwide submarine cable and satellite networks international: major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: 1,500
Television: broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA
@Saint Helena:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
________________________________________________________________________
SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Geography
Location: Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total area: 269 sq km land area: 269 sq km comparative area: slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 135 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: arable land: 22% permanent crops: 17% meadows and pastures: 3% forest and woodland: 17% other: 41%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: hurricanes (July to October) international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:People
Population: 40,992 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (female 7,072; male 7,430) 15-64 years: 57% (female 11,784; male 11,756) 65 years and over: 8% (female 1,729; male 1,221) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.85% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 23.49 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.56 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -5.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 19.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.51 years male: 63.51 years female: 69.69 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.56 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s) adjective: Kittsian, Nevisian
Ethnic divisions: black African
Religions: Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic
Languages: English
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1980) total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98%
Labor force: 20,000 (1981)
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Government
Names: conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Digraph: SC
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Basseterre
Administrative divisions: 14 parishs; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capisterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capisterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point
Independence: 19 September 1983 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Constitution: 19 September 1983
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clement Athelston ARRINDELL (since 19 September 1983, previously Governor General of theWest Indies Associated States since NA November 1981) head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS (since 19 September 1983, previously Premier of the West Indies Associated States since NA February 1980); Deputy Prime Minister Hugh HEYLIGER (since November 1994) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly: elections last held 29 November 1993 (next to be held by 15 November 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (14 total, 11 elected) PAM 4, SKNLP 4, NRP 1, CCM 2
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia)
Political parties and leaders: People's Action Movement (PAM), Dr. Kennedy SIMMONDS; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP), Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS; Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), Simeon DANIEL; Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance AMORY
Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS (associate), IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Erstein Mallet EDWARDS chancery: Suite 608, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 833-3550 FAX: [1] (202) 833-3553
US diplomatic representation: no official presence; covered by embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados
Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Economy
Overview: The economy has traditionally depended on the growing and processing of sugarcane; decreasing world prices have hurt the industry in recent years. Tourism and export-oriented manufacturing have begun to assume larger roles, although they still only account for 7% and 4% of GDP respectively. Growth in the construction and tourism sectors spurred the economic expansion in 1994. Most food is imported.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $210 million (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $5,300 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (1993)
Unemployment rate: 12.2% (1990)
Budget: revenues: $103.2 million expenditures: $102.6 million, including capital expenditures of $50.1 million (1995 est.)
Exports: $32.4 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: machinery, food, electronics, beverages and tobacco partners: US 50%, UK 30%, CARICOM nations 11% (1992)
Imports: $100 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: machinery, manufactures, food, fuels partners: US 43%, CARICOM nations 18%, UK 12%, Canada 4%, Japan 4%, OECS 4% (1992)
External debt: $43.3 million (1992)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.9% (1992 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 15,800 kW production: 45 million kWh consumption per capita: 990 kWh (1993)
Industries: sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
Agriculture: accounts for 17% of GDP; cash crop - sugarcane; subsistence crops - rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fishing potential not fully exploited
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $10.7 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $67 million
Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Transportation
Railroads: total: 58 km on Saint Kitts for sugarcane narrow gauge: 58 km 0.760-m gauge
Highways: total: 300 km paved: 125 km unpaved: otherwise improved 125 km; unimproved earth 50 km
Ports: Basseterre, Charlestown
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Communications
Telephone system: 2,400 telephones; good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin local: NA intercity: interisland links are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radio; within the islands all calls are local international: international calls are carried by radio to Antigua and Barbuda and there switched to submarine cable or to INTELSAT, or carried to Saint Martin by radio and switched to INTELSAT
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 4 televisions: NA
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
SAINT LUCIA
@Saint Lucia:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total area: 620 sq km land area: 610 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 158 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August
Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Natural resources: forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: 20% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 13% other: 54%
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region natural hazards: hurricanes and volcanic activity international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
@Saint Lucia:People
Population: 156,050 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (female 26,710; male 27,255) 15-64 years: 60% (female 47,584; male 46,326) 65 years and over: 5% (female 5,040; male 3,135) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.17% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 22.48 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.1 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.88 years male: 66.33 years female: 73.67 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.37 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian
Ethnic divisions: African descent 90.3%, mixed 5.5%, East Indian 3.2%, Caucasian 0.8%
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%
Languages: English (official), French patois
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1980) total population: 67% male: 65% female: 69%
Labor force: 43,800 by occupation: agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)
@Saint Lucia:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Lucia
Digraph: ST
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Castries
Administrative divisions: 11 quarters; Anse La Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort
Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Constitution: 22 February 1979
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988) head of government: Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since 3 May 1982) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: consists of an 11-member body, 6 appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups House of Assembly: elections last held 27 April 1992 (next to be held by April 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (17 total) UWP 11, SLP 6
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: United Workers' Party (UWP), John COMPTON; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian HUNTE; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Jon ODLUM
Member of: ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (subscriber), NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728 consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation: no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)
Flag: blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
@Saint Lucia:Economy
Overview: Though foreign investment in manufacturing and information processing in recent years has increased Saint Lucia's industrial base, the economy remains vulnerable due to its heavy dependence on banana production, which is subject to periodic droughts and tropical storms. Indeed, the destructive effect of Tropical Storm Debbie in mid-1994 caused the loss of 60% of the year's banana crop. Increased competition from Latin American bananas will probably further reduce market prices, exacerbating Saint Lucia's need to diversify its economy in coming years, e.g., by expanding tourism, manufacturing, and construction
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $610 million (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $4,200 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.8% (1993)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1993 est.)
Budget: revenues: $121 million expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of $104 million (1992 est.)
Exports: $122.8 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: bananas 60%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil partners: UK 56%, US 22%, CARICOM 19% (1991)
Imports: $276 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 21%, food and live animals, chemicals, fuels partners: US 34%, CARICOM 17%, UK 14%, Japan 7%, Canada 4% (1991)
External debt: $96.4 million (1992 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); accounts for 12% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 20,000 kW production: 112 million kWh consumption per capita: 693 kWh (1993)
Industries: clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
Agriculture: accounts for 14% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops - bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist industry
Illicit drugs: transit country for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $120 million
Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Saint Lucia:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 760 km paved: 500 km unpaved: otherwise improved 260 km
Ports: Castries, Vieux Fort
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 3 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1
@Saint Lucia:Communications
Telephone system: 9,500 telephones local: low density (6 telephones/100 persons) but the system is automatically switched intercity: no intercity traffic international: direct microwave link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland troposcatter link to Barbados
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 1 cable televisions: NA
@Saint Lucia:Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
SAINT PIERRE AND MIQUELON
(territorial collectivity of France)
@Saint Pierre And Miquelon:Geography
Location: Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)
Map references: North America
Area: total area: 242 sq km land area: 242 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 120 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France
Climate: cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy
Terrain: mostly barren rock
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use: arable land: 13% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 4% other: 83%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard international agreements: NA
Note: vegetation scanty
@Saint Pierre And Miquelon:People
Population: 6,757 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 0.78% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 13.02 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.83 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 10.77 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76 years male: 74.4 years female: 77.92 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.67 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
Ethnic divisions: Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Religions: Roman Catholic 98%
Languages: French
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1982) total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99%
Labor force: 2,850 (1988) by occupation: NA
@Saint Pierre And Miquelon:Government
Names: conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
Digraph: SB
Type: territorial collectivity of France
Capital: Saint-Pierre
Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Independence: none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981) head of government: Commissioner of the Republic Yves HENRY (since NA December 1993); President of the General Council Gerard GRIGNON (since NA April 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council: elections last held NA April 1994 (next to be held NA April 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (19 total) seats by party NA French Senate: elections last held NA September 1986 (next to be held NA September 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) PS 1 French National Assembly: elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA June 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) UDF 1
Judicial branch: Superior Tribunal of Appeals (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party (PS), Albert PEN; Union for French Democracy (UDF/CDS), Gerard GRIGNON
Member of: FZ, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in US: none (territorial collectivity of France)
US diplomatic representation: none (territorial collectivity of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used
@Saint Pierre And Miquelon:Economy
Overview: The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, because the number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre has dropped steadily over the years. In March 1989, an agreement between France and Canada set fish quotas for Saint Pierre's trawlers fishing in Canadian and Canadian-claimed waters for three years. The agreement settles a longstanding dispute that had virtually brought fish exports to a halt. The islands are heavily subsidized by France. Imports come primarily from Canada and France.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $66 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $10,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 9.6% (1990)
Budget: revenues: $18.3 million expenditures: $18.3 million, including capital expenditures of $5.5 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $30 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: fish and fish products, fox and mink pelts partners: US 58%, France 17%, UK 11%, Canada, Portugal (1990)
Imports: $82 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials partners: Canada, France, US, Netherlands, UK
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 10,000 kW production: 50 million kWh consumption per capita: 6,013 kWh (1993)
Industries: fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
Agriculture: vegetables, cattle, sheep, pigs for local consumption; fish catch of 20,500 metric tons (1989)
Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $500 million
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.2943 (January 1995), 5.520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Saint Pierre And Miquelon:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 120 km paved: 60 km unpaved: earth 60 km (1985)
Ports: Saint Pierre
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
@Saint Pierre And Miquelon:Communications
Telephone system: 3,601 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: radio communication with most countries in the world; 1 satellite link in French domestic satellite system
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA
@Saint Pierre And Miquelon:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
________________________________________________________________________
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:Geography
Location: Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total area: 340 sq km land area: 340 sq km comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 84 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: arable land: 38% permanent crops: 12% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 41% other: 3%
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive natural hazards: hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Note: the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:People
Population: 117,344 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 34% (female 19,551; male 20,185) 15-64 years: 61% (female 35,565; male 35,573) 65 years and over: 5% (female 3,793; male 2,677) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.65% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 19.62 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.46 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -7.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.66 years male: 71.15 years female: 74.21 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.08 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s) adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Ethnic divisions: African descent, Caucasian, East Indian, Carib Indian
Religions: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages: English, French patois
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970) total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96%
Labor force: 67,000 (1984 est.) by occupation: NA
@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Digraph: VC
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Kingstown
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
Independence: 27 October 1979 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Constitution: 27 October 1979
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since 29 September 1989) head of government: Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Parnel CAMPBELL (since NA February 1994); note - governor general appoints leader of the majority party to position of prime minister cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly: elections last held 21 February 1994 (next to be held NA July 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators) NDP 12, ULP 3
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia)
Political parties and leaders: New Democratic Party (NDP), James MITCHELL (son of Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL); United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS; National Reform Party (NRP), Joel MIGUEL; Unity Labor Party (ULP),Vincent BEACHE - formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party (SVLP) and the Movement for National Unity (MNU)
Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Kingsley C.A. LAYNE chancery: 1717 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 102, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 462-7806, 7846 FAX: [1] (202) 462-7807
US diplomatic representation: no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)
Flag: three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern
@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:Economy
Overview: Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of the economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist industry, is also important. In 1993, economic growth slowed to 1.4%, reflecting a sharp decline in agricultural production caused by drought. The government has been relatively unsuccessful at introducing new industries, and high unemployment rates of 35%-40% continue.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $235 million (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $2,000 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 35%-40% (1994 est.)
Budget: revenues: $66.2 expenditures: $77.3 million, including capital expenditures of $23 million (1993 est.)
Exports: $57.1 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets partners: UK 54%, CARICOM 34%, US 10%
Imports: $134.6 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels partners: US 36%, CARICOM 21%, UK 18%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%
External debt: $74.9 million (1993)
Industrial production: NA
Electricity: capacity: 16,600 kW production: 50 million kWh consumption per capita: 436 kWh (1993)
Industries: food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch
Agriculture: accounts for 14% of GDP and 60% of labor force; provides bulk of exports; products - bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats; small fish catch used locally
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $81 million
Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,000 km paved: 300 km unpaved: improved earth 400 km; unimproved earth 300 km
Ports: Kingstown
Merchant marine: total: 580 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,212,812 GRT/8,530,725 DWT ships by type: bulk 106, cargo 289, chemical tanker 15, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 3, container 36, liquefied gas tanker 5, livestock carrier 2, oil tanker 53, passenger 2, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 30, roll-on/roll-off cargo 25, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 16 countries among which are Croatia 49 ships, Russia 23, Slovenia 11, China 8, Germany 3, Serbia 2, Latvia 1, Montenegro 1, Georgia 1, UAR 1
Airports: total: 6 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 4
@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:Communications
Telephone system: 6,500 telephones; islandwide fully automatic telephone system local: NA intercity: VHF/UHF interisland links from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines international: VHF/UHF interisland links from Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF links to Grenada and to Saint Lucia
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 1 cable televisions: NA
@Saint Vincent And The Grenadines:Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
SAN MARINO
@San Marino:Geography
Location: Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy
Map references: Europe
Area: total area: 60 sq km land area: 60 sq km comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total 39 km, Italy 39 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: none
Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers
Terrain: rugged mountains
Natural resources: building stone
Land use: arable land: 17% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 83%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: international agreements: NA current issues: NA natural hazards: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution
Note: landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines
@San Marino:People
Population: 24,313 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 16% (female 1,944; male 1,962) 15-64 years: 68% (female 8,243; male 8,354) 65 years and over: 16% (female 2,198; male 1,612) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.88% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 10.98 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 7.61 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 5.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.27 years male: 77.26 years female: 85.29 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.52 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sammarinese (singular and plural) adjective: Sammarinese
Ethnic divisions: Sammarinese, Italian
Religions: Roman Catholic
Languages: Italian
Literacy: age 10 and over can read and write (1976) total population: 96% male: 97% female: 95%
Labor force: 4,300 (est.) by occupation: industry 42%, agriculture 3%
@San Marino:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of San Marino conventional short form: San Marino local long form: Repubblica di San Marino local short form: San Marino
Digraph: SM
Type: republic
Capital: San Marino
Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Monte Giardino, San Marino, Serravalle
Independence: 301 AD (by tradition)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Foundation of the Republic, 3 September
Constitution: 8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution
Legal system: based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: co-chiefs of state: Captain Regent Marino BOLLINI and Captain Regent Settimio LONFERNINI (for the period 1 April 1995-30 September 1995) head of government: Secretary of State Gabriele GATTI (since July 1986) cabinet: Congress of State note: the popularly elected parliament (Great and General Council) selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (Co-Chiefs of State) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the Great and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State) which has ten other members, all selected by the Great and General Council; assisting the Captains Regent are three Secretaries of State - Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, and Finance - and several additional secretaries; the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has come to assume many of the prerogatives of a prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Great and General Council: (Consiglio Grande e Generale) elections last held 30 May 1993 (next to be held by NA May 1998); results - PDCS 41.4%, PSS 23.7%, PDP 18.6%, ADP 7.7%, MD 5.3%, RC 3.3%; seats - (60 total) PDCS 26, PSS 14, PDP 11, ADP 4, MD 3, RC 2
Judicial branch: Council of Twelve (Consiglio dei XII)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (PDCS), Cesare GASPERONI, secretary general; Democratic Progressive Party (PDP - formerly San Marino Communist Party (PSS)), Stefano MACINA, secretary general; San Marino Socialist Party (PSS), Maurizio RATTINI, secretary general; Democratic Movement (MD), Emilio Della BALDA; Popular Democratic Alliance (ADP); Communist Refoundation (RC), Guiseppe AMICHI, Renato FABBRI; Moderate Group, Alvaro SELVA; Social Democratic Party
Member of: CE, ECE, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: honorary consulate(s) general: Washington and New York honorary consulate(s): Detroit
US diplomatic representation: no mission in San Marino, but the Consul General in Florence (Italy) is accredited to San Marino
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty)
@San Marino:Economy
Overview: The tourist sector contributes over 50% of GDP. In 1993 more than 3 million tourists visited San Marino. The key industries are banking, wearing apparel, electronics, and ceramics. Main agricultural products are wine and cheeses. The per capita level of output and standard of living are comparable to those of Italy, which supplies much of its food.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $380 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.4% (1993 est.)
National product per capita: $15,800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1993)
Unemployment rate: 4.9% (December 1993)
Budget: revenues: $275 million expenditures: $275 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Exports: trade data are included with the statistics for Italy; commodities: building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, and ceramics
Imports: wide variety of consumer manufactures, food
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 42% of labor force
Electricity: supplied by Italy
Industries: tourism, textiles, electronics, ceramics, cement, wine
Agriculture: employs 3% of labor force; products - wheat, grapes, maize, olives, meat, cheese, hides; small numbers of cattle, pigs, horses
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Italian lire (Lit) = 100 centesimi; note - also mints its own coins
Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1 - 1,609.5 (January 1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@San Marino:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 104 km paved: NA unpaved: NA
Ports: none
Airports: none
@San Marino:Communications
Telephone system: 11,700 telephones; automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system local: NA intercity: NA international: microwave and cable links into Italian networks; no communication satellite facilities
Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA; note - receives broadcasts from Italy televisions: NA
@San Marino:Defense Forces
Branches: public security or police force
Defense expenditures: $3.7 million (1992 est.), 1% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
@Sao Tome And Principe:Geography
Location: Western Africa, island in the Atlantic Ocean, straddling the equator, west of Gabon
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 960 sq km land area: 960 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 209 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 20% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 75% other: 3%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
@Sao Tome And Principe:People
Population: 140,423 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 40% (female 27,995; male 28,452) 15-64 years: 55% (female 38,846; male 38,619) 65 years and over: 5% (female 3,615; male 2,896) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.62% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 34.94 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 62.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.65 years male: 61.76 years female: 65.59 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.44 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sao Tomean(s) adjective: Sao Tomean
Ethnic divisions: mestico, angolares (descendents of Angolan slaves), forros (descendents of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
Religions: Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages: Portuguese (official)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991) total population: 73% male: 85% female: 62%
Labor force: most of population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; labor shortages on plantations and of skilled workers
@Sao Tome And Principe:Government
Names: conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe local short form: Sao Tome e Principe
Digraph: TP
Type: republic
Capital: Sao Tome
Administrative divisions: 2 districts (concelhos, singular - concelho); Principe, Sao Tome
Independence: 12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
Constitution: approved March 1990; effective 10 September 1990
Legal system: based on Portuguese law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Miguel TROVOADA (since 4 April 1991); election last held 3 March 1991 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - Miguel TROVOADA was elected without opposition in Sao Tome's first multiparty presidential election head of government: Prime Minister Carlos da GRACA (since 25 October 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly: (Assembleia Popular Nacional) parliament dissolved by President TROVOADA in July 1994; early elections held 2 October 1994; results - MLSTP 27%, PCD-GR 25.5%, ADI 25.5%; seats - (55 total) MLSTP 27, PCD-GR 14, ADI 14
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group (PCD-GR), Daniel Lima Dos Santos DAIO, secretary general; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe (MLSTP), Carlos da GRACA; Christian Democratic Front (FDC), Alphonse Dos SANTOS; Democratic Opposition Coalition (CODO), leader NA; Independent Democratic Action (ADI), Gabriel COSTA; other small parties
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: Sao Tome and Principe has no embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN, headed by First Secretary Domingos AUGUSTO Ferreira, located at 122 East 42nd Street, Suite 1604, New York, NY 10168, telephone [1] (212) 697-4211
US diplomatic representation: ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands
Flag: three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
@Sao Tome And Principe:Economy
Overview: This small poor island economy has remained dependent on cocoa since independence 20 years ago. Since then, however, cocoa production has gradually declined because of drought and mismanagement, so that by 1987 annual output had fallen from 10,000 tons to 3,900 tons. As a result, a shortage of cocoa for export has created a serious balance-of-payments problem. Production of less important crops, such as coffee, copra, and palm kernels, has also declined. The value of imports generally exceeds that of exports by a ratio of 4:1 or more. The emphasis on cocoa production at the expense of other food crops has meant that Sao Tome has to import 90% of food needs. It also has to import all fuels and most manufactured goods. Over the years, Sao Tome has been unable to service its external debt and has had to depend on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies and to encourage market-based mechanisms, e. g., to facilitate the distribution of imported food. Annual GDP growth is estimated in the 3%-4% range for 1994-96.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $133 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $1,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $10.2 million expenditures: $36.8 million, including capital expenditures of $22.5 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $5.5 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: cocoa 78%, copra, coffee, palm oil (1992) partners: Netherlands, Germany, China, Portugal
Imports: $31.5 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and electrical equipment 44%, food products 18%, petroleum 11% (1992) partners: Portugal, Japan, Spain, France, Angola
External debt: $237 million (1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 1% (1991); accounts for 7% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 5,000 kW production: 17 million kWh consumption per capita: 105 kWh (1993)
Industries: light construction, shirts, soap, beer, fisheries, shrimp processing
Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP; dominant sector of economy, primary source of exports; cash crops - cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, coffee; food products - bananas, papaya, beans, poultry, fish; not self-sufficient in food grain and meat
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $89 million
Currency: 1 dobra (Db) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: dobras (Db) per US$1 - 129.59 (1 July 1993), 230 (1992), 260.0 (November 1991), 122.48 (December 1988), 72.827 (1987)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Sao Tome And Principe:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 300 km paved: 200 km unpaved: 100 km note: roads on Principe are mostly unpaved and in need of repair
Ports: Santo Antonio, Sao Tome
Merchant marine: total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,096 GRT/1,105 DWT
Airports: total: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Sao Tome And Principe:Communications
Telephone system: NA; minimal system local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA
@Sao Tome And Principe:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, National Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 33,789; males fit for military service 17,752 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
SAUDI ARABIA
@Saudi Arabia:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Map references: Middle East
Area: total area: 1,960,582 sq km land area: 1,960,582 sq km comparative area: slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Land boundaries: total 4,415 km, Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Coastline: 2,640 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: large section of boundary with Yemen not defined; status of boundary with UAE not final; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate: harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature
Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 39% forest and woodland: 1% other: 59%
Irrigated land: 4,350 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea
Note: extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
@Saudi Arabia:People
Population: 18,729,576 (July 1995 est.) note: a 1992 census gives the number of Saudi citizens as 12,304,835 and the number of residents who are not citizens as 4,624,459
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (female 3,952,573; male 4,065,224) 15-64 years: 55% (female 4,078,001; male 6,219,737) 65 years and over: 2% (female 203,372; male 210,669) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.68% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 38.78 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.54 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 48.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.5 years male: 66.79 years female: 70.3 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.48 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Saudi(s) adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Ethnic divisions: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Religions: Muslim 100%
Languages: Arabic
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 62% male: 73% female: 48%
Labor force: 5 million-6 million by occupation: government 34%, industry and oil 28%, services 22%, agriculture 16%
@Saudi Arabia:Government
Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conventional short form: Saudi Arabia local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
Digraph: SA
Type: monarchy
Capital: Riyadh
Administrative divisions: 13 provinces (mintaqah, singular - mintaqat); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah, Asir, Hail, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Independence: 23 September 1932 (unification)
National holiday: Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
Constitution: none; governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law)
Legal system: based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: none
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the King, appointed heir to the throne 13 June 1982) cabinet: Council of Ministers; dominated by royal family members appointed by the king
Legislative branch: a consultative council comprised of 60 members and a chairman who are appointed by the King for a term of four years
Judicial branch: Supreme Council of Justice
Political parties and leaders: none allowed
Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan Abd al-Aziz Al Saud chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond E. MABUS, Jr. embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 61307, Riyadh; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693; APO AE 09803-1307 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 482-4364 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
Flag: green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam
@Saudi Arabia:Economy
Overview: This is a well-to-do oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. About 46% of GDP comes from the private sector. Economic (as well as political) ties with the US are especially strong. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 35% of GDP, and almost all export earnings. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved total), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. For the 1990s the government intends to bring its budget, which has been in deficit since 1983, back into balance, and to encourage private economic activity. Roughly four million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and banking sectors. For about a decade, Saudi Arabia's domestic and international outlays have outstripped its income, and the government has cut its foreign assistance and is beginning to rein in domestic programs. For 1995, the country looks for improvement in oil prices and will continue its policies of restraining public spending and encouraging non-oil exports.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $173.1 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: -3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $9,510 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% (1992 est.)
Budget: revenues: $39 billion expenditures: $50 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.5 billion (1993 est.)
Exports: $39.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 92% partners: US 20%, Japan 18%, Singapore 5%, France 5%, South Korea 5% (1992)
Imports: $28.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, motor vehicles, textiles partners: US 21%, Japan 14%, UK 11%, Germany 8%, Italy 6%, France 5% (1992)
External debt: $18.9 billion (December 1989 est., includes short-term trade credits)
Industrial production: growth rate 20% (1991 est.); accounts for 35% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity: capacity: 17,550,000 kW production: 46 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,430 kWh (1993)
Industries: crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, two small steel-rolling mills, construction, fertilizer, plastics
Agriculture: accounts for about 10% of GDP, 16% of labor force; subsidized by government; products - wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus fruit, mutton, chickens, eggs, milk; approaching self-sufficiency in food
Illicit drugs: death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine
Economic aid: donor: pledged bilateral aid (1979-89), $64.7 billion; pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon
Currency: 1 Saudi riyal (SR) = 100 halalah
Exchange rates: Saudi riyals (SR) per US$1 - 3.7450 (fixed rate since late 1986), 3.7033 (1986)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Saudi Arabia:Transportation
Railroads: total: 1,390 km standard gauge: 1,390 km 1.435-m gauge (448 km double track)
Highways: total: 151,530 km paved: 60,610 km unpaved: 90,920 km (1992 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 6,400 km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km)
Ports: Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ras al Khafji, Ras al Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
Merchant marine: total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 855,452 GRT/1,233,477 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 12, chemical tanker 5, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 1, livestock carrier 4, oil tanker 22, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 7
Airports: total: 211 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 30 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4 with paved runways under 914 m: 21 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 73 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 43
@Saudi Arabia:Communications
Telephone system: 1,624,000 telephones; modern system local: NA intercity: extensive microwave and coaxial and fiber optic cable systems international: microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; earth stations - 5 INTELSAT (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 ARABSAT, and 1 INMARSAT
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 43, FM 13, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 80 televisions: NA
@Saudi Arabia:Defense Forces
Branches: Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Coast Guard, Frontier Forces, Special Security Force, Public Security Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 5,303,679; males fit for military service 2,949,842; males reach military age (17) annually 164,220 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $17.2 billion, 13.8% of GDP (1994)
________________________________________________________________________
SENEGAL
@Senegal:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 196,190 sq km land area: 192,000 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries: total 2,640 km, The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: short section of the boundary with The Gambia is indefinite; boundary with Mauritania in dispute;
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (December to April) has strong southeast winds; dry season (May to November) dominated by hot, dry harmattan wind
Terrain: generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore
Land use: arable land: 27% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 30% forest and woodland: 31% other: 12%
Irrigated land: 1,800 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
natural hazards: lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Marine Dumping
Note: The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal
@Senegal:People
Population: 9,007,080 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (female 2,004,514; male 2,021,251) 15-64 years: 52% (female 2,398,609; male 2,301,236) 65 years and over: 3% (female 140,128; male 141,342) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.12% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 42.87 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 11.64 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 73.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 57.16 years male: 55.65 years female: 58.71 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.03 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Senegalese (singular and plural) adjective: Senegalese
Ethnic divisions: Wolof 36%, Fulani 17%, Serer 17%, Toucouleur 9%, Diola 9%, Mandingo 9%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 2%
Religions: Muslim 92%, indigenous beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostly Roman Catholic)
Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1988) total population: 27% male: 37% female: 18%
Labor force: 2.509 million (77% are engaged in subsistence farming; 175,000 wage earners) by occupation: private sector 40%, government and parapublic 60%
@Senegal:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Senegal conventional short form: Senegal local long form: Republique du Senegal local short form: Senegal
Digraph: SG
Type: republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital: Dakar
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Independence: 20 August 1960 (from France; The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
Constitution: 3 March 1963, revised 1991
Legal system: based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court, which also audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981); election last held 21 February 1993 (next to be held NA February 2000); results - Abdou DIOUF (PS) 58.4%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 32.03%, other 9.57% head of government: Prime Minister Habib THIAM (since 7 April 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 9 May 1993 (next to be held NA May 1998); results - PS 70%, PDS 23%, other 7%; seats - (120 total) PS 84, PDS 27, LD-MPT 3, Let Us Unite Senegal 3, PIT 2, UDS-R 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party (PS), President Abdou DIOUF; Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), Abdoulaye WADE; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement (LD-MPT), Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY; Independent Labor Party (PIT), Amath DANSOKHO; Senegalese Democratic Union-Renewal (UDS-R), Mamadou Puritain FALL; Let Us Unite Senegal (coalition of African Party for Democracy and Socialism and National Democratic Rally); other small uninfluential parties
Other political or pressure groups: students; teachers; labor; Muslim Brotherhoods
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIH, UNOMUR, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou Mansour SECK chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540, 0541
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Mark JOHNSON embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Avenue Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: [221] 23 42 96, 23 34 24 FAX: [221] 22 29 91
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
@Senegal:Economy
Overview: In 1994 Senegal embarked on its most concerted structural adjustment effort yet to exploit the 50% devaluation of the currencies of the 14 Francophone African nations on 12 January. After years of foot-dragging, the government finally passed a liberalized labor code which should significantly help lower the cost of labor and improve the manufacturing sector's competitiveness. Inroads also have been made in closing tax loopholes and eliminating monopoly power in several sectors. At the same time the government is holding the line on current fiscal expenditure under the watchful eyes of international organizations on which it depends for substantial support. A bumper peanut crop - Senegal's main source of foreign exchange - coincided with an improvement of international prices and probably resulted in a doubling of earnings in 1994 over 1993. The country's narrow resource base, environmental degradation, and untamed population growth will continue to hold back growth in living standards over the medium term.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: -2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita: $1,450 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -1.8% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $1.2 billion expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $269 million (1992 est.)
Exports: $904 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: fish, ground nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton partners: France, other EC countries, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali
Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum partners: France, other EC countries, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria, China, Japan
External debt: $2.9 billion (1990)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.9% (1991); accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 230,000 kW production: 720 million kWh consumption per capita: 79 kWh (1993)
Industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, petroleum refining, building materials
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP; major products - peanuts (cash crop), millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; estimated two-thirds self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 354,000 metric tons in 1990
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $551 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $5.23 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $589 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $295 million
Currency: 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) note: the official rate is pegged to the French franc, and beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Senegal:Transportation
Railroads: total: 905 km narrow gauge: 905 km 1.000-meter gauge (70 km double track)
Highways: total: 14,007 km paved: 3,777 km unpaved: crushed stone, improved earth 10,230 km
Inland waterways: 897 km total; 785 km on the Senegal, 112 km on the Saloum
Ports: Dakar, Kaolack, Matam, Podor, Richard-Toll, Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor
Merchant marine: total: 1 bulk ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,995 GRT/3,775 DWT
Airports: total: 24 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 4 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7
@Senegal:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; above-average urban system local: NA intercity: microwave and cable international: 3 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA
@Senegal:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police (Surete Nationale)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,021,019; males fit for military service 1,054,855; males reach military age (18) annually 96,589 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $134 million, 2.1% of GDP (1993)
________________________________________________________________________
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
Note--Serbia and Montenegro have asserted the formation of a joint independent state, but this entity has not been formally recognized as a state by the US; the US view is that the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) has dissolved and that none of the successor republics represents its continuation
@Serbia And Montenegro:Geography
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Map references: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe
Area: total area: 102,350 sq km land area: 102,136 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Kentucky note: Serbia has a total area and a land area of 88,412 sq km making it slightly larger than Maine; Montenegro has a total area of 13,938 sq km and a land area of 13,724 sq km making it slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries: total 2,246 km, Albania 287 km (114 km with Serbia; 173 km with Montenegro), Bosnia and Herzegovina 527 km (312 km with Serbia; 215 km with Montenegro), Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia (north) 241 km, Croatia (south) 25 km, Hungary 151 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 221 km, Romania 476 km note: the internal boundary between Montenegro and Serbia is 211 km
Coastline: 199 km (Montenegro 199 km, Serbia 0 km)
Maritime claims: NA
International disputes: Sandzak region bordering northern Montenegro and southeastern Serbia - Muslims seeking autonomy; disputes with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia over Serbian populated areas; Albanian majority in Kosovo seeks independence from Serbian Republic
Climate: in the north, continental climate (cold winter and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion, continental and Mediterranean climate; to the south, Adriatic climate along the coast, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall inland
Terrain: extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountain and hills; to the southwest, extremely high shoreline with no islands off the coast
Natural resources: oil, gas, coal, antimony, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, gold, pyrite, chrome
Land use: arable land: 30% permanent crops: 5% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 25% other: 20%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor; air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows into the Danube natural hazards: destructive earthquakes international agreements: NA
Note: controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East; strategic location along the Adriatic coast
@Serbia And Montenegro:People
Population: total population: 11,101,833 (July 1995 est.) Montenegro: 708,248 (July 1995 est.) Serbia: 10,393,585 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: Montenegro: *** No data for this item *** 0-14 years: 22% (female 77,498; male 82,005) 15-64 years: 68% (female 236,987; male 241,397) 65 years and over: 10% (female 41,625; male 28,736) (July 1995 est.) Serbia: *** No data for this item *** 0-14 years: 22% (female 1,095,121; male 1,173,224) 15-64 years: 66% (female 3,431,823; male 3,483,066) 65 years and over: 12% (female 699,488; male 510,863) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: Montenegro: 0.79% (1995 est.) Serbia: 0.51% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: Montenegro: 14.39 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Serbia: 14.15 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: Montenegro: 5.7 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Serbia: 8.72 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: Montenegro: -0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Serbia: -0.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: Montenegro: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Serbia: 18.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: Montenegro: *** No data for this item *** total population: 79.56 years male: 76.69 years female: 82.61 years (1995 est.) Serbia: *** No data for this item *** total population: 73.94 years male: 71.4 years female: 76.68 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: Montenegro: 1.79 children born/woman (1995 est.) Serbia: 2 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Serb(s) and Montenegrin(s) adjective: Serbian and Montenegrin
Ethnic divisions: Serbs 63%, Albanians 14%, Montenegrins 6%, Hungarians 4%, other 13%
Religions: Orthodox 65%, Muslim 19%, Roman Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%, other 11%
Languages: Serbo-Croatian 95%, Albanian 5%
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 2,640,909 by occupation: industry, mining 40% (1990)
@Serbia And Montenegro:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Serbia and Montenegro local long form: none local short form: Srbija-Crna Gora
Digraph: Serbia: SR Montenegro: MW
Type: republic
Capital: Belgrade
Administrative divisions: 2 republics (pokajine, singular - pokajina); and 2 nominally autonomous provinces*; Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, Vojvodina*
Independence: 11 April 1992 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia formed as self-proclaimed successor to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - SFRY)
National holiday: NA
Constitution: 27 April 1992
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Zoran LILIC (since 25 June 1993); note - Slobodan MILOSEVIC is president of Serbia (since 9 December 1990); Momir BULATOVIC is president of Montenegro (since 23 December 1990); Federal Assembly elected Zoran LILIC on 25 June 1993 head of government: Prime Minister Radoje KONTIC (since 29 December 1992); Deputy Prime Ministers Jovan ZEBIC (since NA March 1993), Uros KLIKOVAC (since 15 September 1994), Nikola SAINOVIC (since 15 September 1995) cabinet: Federal Executive Council
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly Chamber of Republics: elections last held 20 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (40 total, 20 Serbian, 20 Montenegrin) seats by party NA Chamber of Citizens: elections last held 20 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of votes by party NA; seats - (138 total, 108 Serbian, 30 Montenegrin) SPS 47, SRS 34, Depos 20, DPSCG 17, DS 5, SP 5, NS 4, DZVM 3, other 3
Judicial branch: Savezni Sud (Federal Court), Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Serbian Socialist Party (SPS, former Communist Party), Slobodan MILOSEVIC; Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Vojislav SESELJ; Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO), Vuk DRASKOVIC, president; Democratic Party (DS), Zoran DJINDJIC; Democratic Party of Serbia (Depos), Vojlslav KOSTUNICA; Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPSCG), Momir BULATOVIC, president; People's Party of Montenegro (NS), Milan PAROSKI; Liberal Alliance of Montenegro, Slavko PEROVIC; Democratic Community of Vojvodina Hungarians (DZVM), Andras AGOSTON; League of Communists-Movement for Yugoslavia (SK-PJ), Dragan ATANASOVSKI; Democratic Alliance of Kosovo (LDK), Dr. Ibrahim RUGOVA, president; Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Sulejman UGLJANIN; Civic Alliance of Serbia (GSS), Vesna PESIC, chairman; Socialist Party of Montenegro (SP), leader NA
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Diplomatic representation in US: US and Serbia and Montenegro do not maintain full diplomatic relations; the Embassy of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia continues to function in the US
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Rudolf V. PERINA embassy: address NA, Belgrade mailing address: Box 5070, Unit 1310, APO AE 09213-1310 telephone: [381] (11) 645655 FAX: [381] (11) 645221
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and red
@Serbia And Montenegro:Economy
Overview: The swift collapse of the Yugoslav federation in 1991 has been followed by bloody ethnic warfare, the destabilization of republic boundaries, and the breakup of important interrepublic trade flows. Serbia and Montenegro faces major economic problems; output has dropped sharply, particularly in 1993. First, like the other former Yugoslav republics, it depended on its sister republics for large amounts of foodstuffs, energy supplies, and manufactures. Wide differences in climate, mineral resources, and levels of technology among the republics accentuated this interdependence, as did the communist practice of concentrating much industrial output in a small number of giant plants. The breakup of many of the trade links, the sharp drop in output as industrial plants lost suppliers and markets, and the destruction of physical assets in the fighting all have contributed to the economic difficulties of the republics. One singular factor in the economic situation of Serbia and Montenegro is the continuation in office of a communist government that is primarily interested in political and military mastery, not economic reform. A further complication is the imposition of economic sanctions by the UN in 1992. Hyperinflation ended with the establishment of a new currency unit in June 1993; prices were relatively stable in 1994. Reliable statistics are hard to come by; the GDP estimate of $1,000 per capita in 1994 is extremely rough. Output in 1994 seems to have leveled off after the plunge in 1993.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $10 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $1,000 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (January-November 1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: more than 40% (1994 est.)
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $NA commodities: prior to the breakup of the federation, Yugoslavia exported machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, food and live animals, raw materials partners: prior to the imposition of UN sanctions trade partners were the other former Yugoslav republics, Italy, Germany, other EC, the FSU countries, East European countries, US
Imports: $NA commodities: prior to the breakup of the federation, Yugoslavia imported machinery and transport equipment, fuels and lubricants, manufactured goods, chemicals, food and live animals, raw materials including coking coal for the steel industry partners: prior to the imposition of UN sanctions trade partners were the other former Yugoslav republics, the FSU countries, EC countries (mainly Italy and Germany), East European countries, US
External debt: $4.2 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 10,400,000 kW production: 34 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,400 kWh (1994 est.)
Industries: machine building (aircraft, trucks, and automobiles; armored vehicles and weapons; electrical equipment; agricultural machinery), metallurgy (steel, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, antimony, bismuth, cadmium), mining (coal, bauxite, nonferrous ore, iron ore, limestone), consumer goods (textiles, footwear, foodstuffs, appliances), electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals
Agriculture: the fertile plains of Vojvodina produce 80% of the cereal production of the former Yugoslavia and most of the cotton, oilseeds, and chicory; Vojvodina also produces fodder crops to support intensive beef and dairy production; Serbia proper, although hilly, has a well-distributed rainfall and a long growing season; produces fruit, grapes, and cereals; in this area, livestock production (sheep and cattle) and dairy farming prosper; Kosovo produces fruits, vegetables, tobacco, and a small amount of cereals; the mountainous pastures of Kosovo and Montenegro support sheep and goat husbandry; Montenegro has only a small agriculture sector, mostly near the coast where a Mediterranean climate permits the culture of olives, citrus, grapes, and rice
Illicit drugs: NA
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Yugoslav New Dinar (YD) = 100 paras
Exchange rates: Yugoslav New Dinars (YD) per US $1 - 102.6 (February 1995 black market rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Serbia And Montenegro:Transportation
Railroads: total: 3,960 km standard gauge: 3,960 km 1.435-m gauge (partially electrified) (1992)
Highways: total: 46,019 km paved: 26,949 km unpaved: gravel 10,373 km; earth 8,697 km (1990)
Inland waterways: NA km
Pipelines: crude oil 415 km; petroleum products 130 km; natural gas 2,110 km
Ports: Bar, Belgrade, Kotor, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Tivat
Merchant marine: Montenegro: total 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 543,511 GRT/891,664 DWT (controlled by Montenegrin beneficial owners) ships by type: bulk 15, cargo 14, container 5, short-sea passenger ferry 1 note: under Maltese and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flags; no ships remain under Yugoslav flag Serbia: total 2 (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 113,471 GRT/212,742 DWT (controlled by Serbian beneficial owners) ships by type: bulk 2 note: all under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; no ships remain under Yugoslav flag
Airports: total: 54 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 24 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14
@Serbia And Montenegro:Communications
Telephone system: 700,000 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 26, FM 9, shortwave 0 radios: 2.015 million
Television: broadcast stations: 18 televisions: 1 million
@Serbia And Montenegro:Defense Forces
Branches: People's Army (includes Ground Forces with internal and border troops, Naval Forces, and Air and Air Defense Forces), Civil Defense
Manpower availability: Montenegro: males age 15-49 194,154; males fit for military service 157,611; males reach military age (19) annually 5,498 (1995 est.) Serbia: males age 15-49 2,652,224; males fit for military service 2,131,894 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: 245 billion dinars, 4% to 6% of GDP (1992 est.); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
________________________________________________________________________
SEYCHELLES
@Seychelles:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 455 sq km land area: 455 sq km comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 491 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: claims Tromelin Island
Climate: tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
Terrain: Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Natural resources: fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 18% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 18% other: 60%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: no natural fresh water resources, catchments collect rain water natural hazards: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Note: 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
@Seychelles:People
Population: 72,709 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 32% (female 11,630; male 11,811) 15-64 years: 62% (female 23,229; male 21,679) 65 years and over: 6% (female 2,875; male 1,485) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.81% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 21.35 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.7 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 11.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.08 years male: 66.54 years female: 73.73 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.16 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychelles
Ethnic divisions: Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%
Languages: English (official), French (official), Creole
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1971) total population: 58% male: 56% female: 60%
Labor force: 27,700 (1985) by occupation: industry and commerce 31%, services 21%, government 20%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 12%, other 16% (1985)
@Seychelles:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles
Digraph: SE
Type: republic
Capital: Victoria
Administrative divisions: 23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe Island), Grand' Anse (on Praslin Island), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe Larue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka
Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 18 June (1993) (adoption of new constitution)
Constitution: 18 June 1993
Legal system: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); election last held 20-23 July 1993 (next to be held NA); results - President France Albert RENE (SPPF) reelected with 59.5% of the vote, Sir James MANCHAM (DP) 36.72% cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple): elections last held 20-23 July 1993 (next to be held NA); results - SPPF 82%, DP 15%, UO 3%; seats - (33 total, 22 elected, 11 awarded) seats elected - SPPF 21, DP 1; seats awarded - SPPF 6, DP 4, UO 1; total seats by party - SPPF 27, DP 5, UO 1 note: the 11 awarded seats are apportioned according to the share of each party in the total vote
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: ruling party - Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), France Albert RENE; Democratic Party (DP), Sir James MANCHAM; United Opposition (UO), Annette GEORGES - a coalition of the following parties: Seychelles Party (PS), Wavel RAMKALAWAN; Seychelles Democratic Movement (MSPD), Jacques HONDOUL; Seychelles Liberal Party (SLP), Ogilvie BERLOUIS;;
Other political or pressure groups: trade unions; Roman Catholic Church
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marc R. MARENGO chancery: (temporary) 820 Second Avenue, Suite 900F, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 687-9766, 9767 FAX: [1] (212) 922-9177
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Carl Burton STOKES embassy: 4th Floor, Victoria House, Box 251, Victoria, Mahe mailing address: Box 148, Unit 62501, Victoria, Seychelles; APO AE 09815-2501 telephone: [248] 225256 FAX: [248] 225189
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest
@Seychelles:Economy
Overview: Since independence in 1976, per capita output has grown to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level, led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the high dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. The vulnerability of the tourist sector was illustrated by the sharp drop in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf war. Although the industry has rebounded, the government recognizes the continuing need for upgrading the sector in the face of stiff international competition.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $430 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: -2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita: $6,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9% (1987)
Budget: revenues: $227.4 million expenditures: $263 million, including capital expenditures of $54 million (1993 est.)
Exports: $50 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (re-exports) partners: France 43%, UK 22%, Reunion 11%, (1992)
Imports: $261 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: manufactured goods, food, petroleum products, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment partners: Singapore 16%, Bahrain 16%, South Africa, 14%, UK 13% (1992)
External debt: $181 million (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4% (1992); accounts for 12% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 30,000 kW production: 110 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,399 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism, processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage
Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GDP, mostly subsistence farming; cash crops - coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla; other products - sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas; broiler chickens; large share of food needs imported; expansion of tuna fishing under way
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $26 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-89), $315 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $60 million
Currency: 1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Seychelles rupees (SRe) per US$1 - 4.9371 (January 1995), 5.0559 (1994), 5.1815 (1993), 5.1220 (1992), 5.2893 (1991), 5.3369 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Seychelles:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 260 km paved: 160 km unpaved: crushed stone, earth 100 km
Ports: Victoria
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 14 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5 with paved runways under 914 m: 6 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
@Seychelles:Communications
Telephone system: 13,000 telephones; direct radio communications with adjacent islands and African coastal countries local: NA intercity: radio communications international: 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 2 televisions: NA
@Seychelles:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Coast Guard, Marines, National Guard, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 19,829; males fit for military service 10,099 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $12 million, 4% of GDP (1990 est.)
________________________________________________________________________
SIERRA LEONE
@Sierra Leone:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 71,740 sq km land area: 71,620 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries: total 958 km, Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Coastline: 402 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Terrain: coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Natural resources: diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Land use: arable land: 25% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 31% forest and woodland: 29% other: 13%
Irrigated land: 340 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing natural hazards: dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (November to May); sandstorms, dust storms international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Environmental Modification
@Sierra Leone:People
Population: 4,753,120 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (female 1,054,826; male 1,020,943) 15-64 years: 53% (female 1,310,506; male 1,216,510) 65 years and over: 3% (female 72,982; male 77,353) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.63% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 44.65 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 18.38 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: thousands of refugees, fleeing the civil strife in Sierra Leone, are taking refuge in Guinea
Infant mortality rate: 138.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 46.94 years male: 44.07 years female: 49.89 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.9 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sierra Leonean(s) adjective: Sierra Leonean
Ethnic divisions: 13 native African tribes 99% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 39%), Creole, European, Lebanese, and Asian 1%
Religions: Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%
Languages: English (official; regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (the language of the re-settled ex-slave population of the Freetown area and is lingua franca)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic (1990 est.) total population: 21% male: 31% female: 11%
Labor force: 1.369 million (1981 est.) by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 19%, services 16% (1981 est.)
note: only about 65,000 wage earners (1985)
@Sierra Leone:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone conventional short form: Sierra Leone
Digraph: SL
Type: military government
Capital: Freetown
Administrative divisions: 3 provinces and 1 area*; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western*
Independence: 27 April 1961 (from UK)
National holiday: Republic Day, 27 April (1961)
Constitution: 1 October 1991; suspended following 19 April 1992 coup
Legal system: based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: Chairman of the Supreme Council of State Capt. Valentine E. M. STRASSER (since 29 April 1992) cabinet: Council of Secretaries; responsible to the Supreme Council of State (SCS)
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (suspended after coup of 29 April 1992); Chairman STRASSER promises multi-party elections sometime in 1995
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (suspended after coup of 29 April 1992)
Political parties and leaders: status of existing political parties is unknown following 29 April 1992 coup
Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas Kahota KARGBO chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Lauralee M. PETERS embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [232] (22) 226481 trough 226485 FAX: [232] (22) 225471
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
@Sierra Leone:Economy
Overview: Sierra Leone has substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, but the economic and social infrastructure is not well developed. Agriculture generates about 40% of GDP and employs about two-thirds of the working population, with subsistence agriculture dominating the sector. Manufacturing, which accounts for roughly 10% of GDP, consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Diamond mining provides an important source of hard currency. Since 1990, the government has been able to meet its IMF- and World Bank-mandated stabilization targets, holding down fiscal deficits, increasing foreign exchange reserves, and retiring much of its domestic debt - but at a steep cost in terms of capital investments and social spending. Moreover, the economic infrastructure has nearly collapsed due to neglect and war-related disruptions in the mining and agricultural export sectors. The continuing civil war in Liberia has led to a large influx of refugees, who place additional burdens on Sierra Leon's fragile economy.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.5 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: 0.7% (1993 est.)
National product per capita: $1,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 22% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $68 million expenditures: $118 million, including capital expenditures of $28 million (1992 est.)
Exports: $149 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: rutile 48%, bauxite 25%, diamonds 16%, coffee, cocoa, fish partners: US, UK, Belgium, Germany, other Western Europe
Imports: $149 million (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: foodstuffs 48%, machinery and equipment 32%, fuels 9% partners: US, EC countries, Japan, China, Nigeria
External debt: $1.15 billion (yearend 1993)
Industrial production: growth rate -1.5% (FY91/92); accounts for 11% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 130,000 kW production: 220 million kWh consumption per capita: 44 kWh (1993)
Industries: mining (diamonds, bauxite, rutile), small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear), petroleum refinery
Agriculture: largely subsistence farming; cash crops - coffee, cocoa, palm kernels; harvests of food staple rice meets 80% of domestic needs; annual fish catch averages 53,000 metric tons
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $161 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $848 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $18 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $101 million
Currency: 1 leone (Le) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: leones (Le) per US$1 - 617.67 (January 1995), 586.74 (1994), 567.46 (1993), 499.44 (1992), 295.34 (1991), 144.9275 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Sierra Leone:Transportation
Railroads: total: 84 km mineral line is used on a limited basis because the mine at Marampa is closed narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways: total: 7,400 km paved: 1,150 km unpaved: crushed stone, gravel 490 km; improved earth 5,760 km
Inland waterways: 800 km; 600 km navigable year round
Ports: Bonthe, Freetown, Pepel
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 11 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 3 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4
@Sierra Leone:Communications
Telephone system: 23,650 telephones; telephone density - 5 telephones/1,000 persons; marginal telephone and telegraph service local: NA intercity: national microwave radio relay system made unserviceable by military activities international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA
@Sierra Leone:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Police, Security Forces
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,030,332; males fit for military service 498,945 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $14 million, 2.6% of GDP (FY92/93)
________________________________________________________________________
SINGAPORE
@Singapore:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total area: 632.6 sq km land area: 622.6 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice territorial sea: 3 nm
International disputes: two islands in dispute with Malaysia
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons; thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Terrain: lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 7% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 5% other: 84%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
@Singapore:People
Population: 2,890,468 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23% (female 327,417; male 348,345) 15-64 years: 70% (female 991,015; male 1,030,668) 65 years and over: 7% (female 105,081; male 87,942) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.06% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.93 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.35 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.16 years male: 73.28 years female: 79.25 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.87 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Singaporean(s) adjective: Singapore
Ethnic divisions: Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Religions: Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Languages: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 89% male: 95% female: 83%
Labor force: 1.649 million (1994) by occupation: financial, business, and other services 33.5%, manufacturing 25.6%, commerce 22.9%, construction 6.6%, other 11.4% (1994)
@Singapore:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Singapore conventional short form: Singapore
Digraph: SN
Type: republic within Commonwealth
Capital: Singapore
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
National holiday: National Day, 9 August (1965)
Constitution: 3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President ONG Teng Cheong (since 1 September 1993); election last held 28 August 1993 (next to be held NA August 1997); results - ONG Teng Cheong was elected with 59% of the vote in the country's first popular election for president head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990); Deputy Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president, responsible to parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament: elections last held 31 August 1991 (next to be held by 31 August 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (81 total) PAP 77, SDP 3, WP 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: government: People's Action Party (PAP), GOH Chok Tong, secretary general opposition: Workers' Party (WP), J. B. JEYARETNAM; Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), CHEE Soon Juan; National Solidarity Party (NSP), leader NA; Barisan Sosialis (BS, Socialist Front), leader NA; Singapore People's Party (SPP), SIN Kek Tong
Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNIKOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sellapan Rama NATHAN chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100 FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy A. CHORBA embassy: 30 Hill Street, Singapore 0617 mailing address: FPO AP 96534 telephone: [65] 3380251 FAX: [65] 3384550
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
@Singapore:Economy
Overview: Singapore has an open entrepreneurial economy with strong service and manufacturing sectors and excellent international trading links derived from its entrepot history. The economy registered 10.1% growth in 1994, with prospects for 7.5%-8.5% growth in 1995. In 1994, the manufacturing and financial and business services sectors have led economic growth. Exports boomed, led by the electronics sector, particularly US demand for disk drives. Rising labor costs continue to be a threat to Singapore's competitiveness, but there are indications that productivity is keeping up. In applied technology, per capita output, investment, and labor discipline, Singapore has key attributes of a developed country.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $57 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 10.1% (1994)
National product per capita: $19,940 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 2.6% (1994)
Budget: revenues: $11.9 billion expenditures: $10.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.9 billion (FY93/94 est.)
Exports: $96.4 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: computer equipment, rubber and rubber products, petroleum products, telecommunications equipment partners: Malaysia 20%, US 19%, Hong Kong 9%, Japan 7%, Thailand 6% (1994)
Imports: $102.4 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: aircraft, petroleum, chemicals, foodstuffs partners: Japan 22%, Malaysia 16%, US 15%, Taiwan 4%, Saudi Arabia 4% (1994)
External debt: $20 million (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 13% (1994 est.); accounts for 28% of GDP (1993)
Electricity: capacity: 4,510,000 kW production: 17 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,590 kWh (1993)
Industries: petroleum refining, electronics, oil drilling equipment, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, financial services, biotechnology
Agriculture: minor importance in the economy; self-sufficient in poultry and eggs; must import much of other food; major crops - rubber, copra, fruit, vegetables
Illicit drugs: transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe, and the Third World; also a major money-laundering center
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $590 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1 billion
Currency: 1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Singapore dollars (S$) per US$1 - 1.4524 (January 1995), 1.5275 (1994), 1.6158 (1993), 1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Singapore:Transportation
Railroads: total: 38.6 km narrow gauge: 38.6 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways: total: 2,883 km paved: 2,796 km unpaved: 87 km (1991 est.)
Ports: Singapore
Merchant marine: total: 563 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,167,596 GRT/17,845,687 DWT ships by type: bulk 96, cargo 121, chemical tanker 16, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 7, container 78, liquefied gas tanker 6, oil tanker 198, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 12, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 22 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 20 countries among which are Japan 35 ships, Denmark 21, Germany 21, Hong Kong 18, Belgium 14, Thailand 11, Sweden 8, US 7, Indonesia 6, and Norway 5; Singapore owns 1 ship under Malaysia registry
Airports: total: 10 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Singapore:Communications
Telephone system: 1,110,000 telephones; good domestic facilities; good international service; good radio and television broadcast coverage local: NA intercity: NA international: submarine cables extend to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; 2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 2 televisions: NA
@Singapore:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 860,437; males fit for military service 629,973 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $2.7 billion, 6% of GDP (1993 est.)
________________________________________________________________________
SLOVAKIA
@Slovakia:Geography
Location: Central Europe, south of Poland
Map references: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe
Area: total area: 48,845 sq km land area: 48,800 sq km comparative area: about twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundaries: total 1,355 km, Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 515 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 90 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: Gabcikovo Dam dispute with Hungary; unresolved property issues with Czech Republic over redistribution of former Czechoslovak federal property
Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain: rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south
Natural resources: brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt
Land use: arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% meadows and pastures: NA% forest and woodland: NA% other: NA%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea
Note: landlocked
@Slovakia:People
Population: 5,432,383 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23% (female 609,795; male 638,346) 15-64 years: 66% (female 1,807,312; male 1,778,712) 65 years and over: 11% (female 364,610; male 233,608) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.54% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 14.51 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.12 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.24 years male: 69.15 years female: 77.57 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak
Ethnic divisions: Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.7%, Gypsy 1.5% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which could reach 500,000 or more), Czech 1%, Ruthenian 0.3%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%
Languages: Slovak (official), Hungarian
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 2.484 million by occupation: industry 33.2%, agriculture 12.2%, construction 10.3%, communication and other 44.3% (1990)
@Slovakia:Government
Names: conventional long form: Slovak Republic conventional short form: Slovakia local long form: Slovenska Republika local short form: Slovensko
Digraph: LO
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Bratislava
Administrative divisions: 4 departments (kraje, singular - kraj) Bratislava, Zapadoslovensky, Stredoslovensky, Vychodoslovensky
Independence: 1 January 1993 (from Czechoslovakia)
National holiday: Anniversary of Slovak National Uprising, August 29 (1944)
Constitution: ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993
Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Michal KOVAC (since 8 February 1993); election last held 8 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - Michal KOVAC elected by the National Council head of government: Prime Minister Vladimir MECIAR (since 12 December 1994) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral National Council (Narodni Rada): elections last held 30 September-1 October 1994 (next to be held by October 1998); results - HZDS 35%, SDL 10.4%, Hungarian coalition (Hungarian Christian Democrats, Hungarian Civic Party, Coexistence) 10.2%, KDH 10.1%, DU 8.6%, ZRS 7.3%, SNS 5.4%; seats - (150 total) governing coalition 83 (HZDS 61, ZRS 13, SNS 9), opposition 67 (SDL 18, Hungarian coalition 17, KDH 17, DU 15)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), Vladimir MECIAR, chairman; Common Choice/Party of the Democratic Left (SDL), Peter WEISS, chairman; Hungarian Christian Democrats, Vojtech BUGAR; Hungarian Civic Party; Coexistence, Miklos DURAY, chairman; Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Jan CARNOGURSKY; Democratic Union (DU), Jozef MORAVCIK, chairman; Association of Slovak Workers (ZRS), Jan LUPTAK, chairman; Slovak National Party (SNS), Jan SLOTA, chairman
Other political or pressure groups: Green Party; Social Democratic Party of Slovakia; Slovak Christian Union
Member of: Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIL, UNOMUR, UNPROFOR, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Branislav LICHARDUS chancery: (temporary) Suite 380, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 965-5161 FAX: [1] (202) 965-5166
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Theodore E. RUSSELL embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [42] (7) 330-861, 333-338 FAX: [42] (7) 330-096
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue
@Slovakia:Economy
Overview: In 1994 macroeconomic performance improved steadily but privatization progressed only in fits and starts. Most of Slovakia's IMF-approved targets were met by an interim government that lasted 9 months. Annual inflation fell from 23% in 1993 to 12%; unemployment at 14.6% was still well below forecasts of 17%; and the budget deficit was around half that in 1993. Slovakia's nearly $200 million trade surplus also compares favorably with a more than $800 million deficit in 1993. Furthermore, after contracting almost 25% in the three years following 1990, GDP grew 4.3% in 1994, according to official statistics. Bratislava in June qualified for a $254 million IMF stand-by loan and the second $90 million tranche of its Systemic Transformation Facility and, in December, received approval for a European Union loan worth about $160 million. By the end of September 1994, the Central Bank's foreign currency reserves had tripled since the end of 1993. Slovakia continued to have difficulty attracting foreign investment, however, because of perceived political instability and halting progress in privatization. The interim government prepared property worth nearly $2 billion for the second wave of coupon privatization and sold participation in the program to over 80% of Slovakia's eligible citizens. Parties controlling the new Parliament in November 1994, however, put the second wave of coupon privatization on hold and suspended sales of 38 firms until the new government could evaluate the interim government's decisions in early 1995. The new government's targets for 1995 include GDP growth of 3%, inflation of 8%-10%, unemployment of 15%, and a budget deficit under 3% of GDP. Continuing economic recovery in western Europe should boost Slovak exports and production, but Slovakia's image with foreign creditors and investors could suffer setbacks in 1995 if progress on privatization stalls or budget deficits mount beyond IMF-recommended levels.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $32.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $6,070 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 14.6% (1994 est.)
Budget: revenues: $4.4 billion expenditures: $4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $350 million (1994 est.)
Exports: $6.3 billion (f.o.b., January-November 1994) commodities: machinery and transport equipment; chemicals; fuels, minerals, and metals; agricultural products partners: Czech Republic 37.7%, Germany 17.1%, Hungary 5.3%, Austria 5.3%, Italy 4.6%, Russia 4.0%, Poland 2.6%, Ukraine 1.8%, US 1.6% (January-September 1994)
Imports: $6.1 billion (f.o.b., January-November 1994) commodities: machinery and transport equipment; fuels and lubricants; manufactured goods; raw materials; chemicals; agricultural products partners: Czech Republic 29.9%, Russia 19.0%, Germany 13.2%, Austria 5.8%, Italy 4.3%, US 2.6%, Poland 2.4%, Ukraine 1.9%, Hungary 1.6% (January-September 1994)
External debt: $4.2 billion hard currency indebtedness (1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 6,300,000 kW production: 20.9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,609 kWh (1993)
Industries: metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, and water; coking, oil production, and nuclear fuel production; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products
Agriculture: largely self-sufficient in food production; diversified crop and livestock production, including grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit, hogs, cattle, and poultry; exporter of forest products
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe
Economic aid: donor: the former Czechoslovakia was a donor - $4.2 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1954-89)
Currency: 1 koruna (Sk) = 100 halierov
Exchange rates: koruny (Sk) per US$1 - 31.14 (September 1994), 32.9 (December 1993), 28.59 (December 1992), 28.26 (1992), 29.53 (1991), 17.95 (1990), 15.05 (1989); note - values before 1993 reflect Czechoslovak exchange rate
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Slovakia:Transportation
Railroads: total: 3,660 km (electrified 635 km) broad gauge: 102 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 3,511 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 47 km (35 km 1,000-m gauge; 12 km 0.750-m gauge) (1994)
Highways: total: 17,650 km (1990) paved: NA unpaved: NA
Inland waterways: NA km
Pipelines: petroleum products NA km; natural gas 2,700 km
Ports: Bratislava, Komarno
Merchant marine: total: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,160 GRT/6,163 DWT
Airports: total: 37 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 4 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 10 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 11
@Slovakia:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: NA
Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA
@Slovakia:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense, Railroad Units
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,443,719; males fit for military service 1,107,453; males reach military age (18) annually 49,045 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: 9.59 billion koruny, 3.1% of GDP (1994 est.); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
________________________________________________________________________
SLOVENIA
@Slovenia:Geography
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Croatia and Italy
Map references: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe
Area: total area: 20,296 sq km land area: 20,296 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey
Land boundaries: total 1,045 km, Austria 262 km, Croatia 501 km, Italy 199 km, Hungary 83 km
Coastline: 32 km
Maritime claims: NA
International disputes: dispute with Croatia over fishing rights in the Adriatic and over some border areas; the border issue is currently under negotiation
Climate: Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east
Terrain: a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy, mixed mountain and valleys with numerous rivers to the east
Natural resources: lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver
Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 45% other: 23%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain natural hazards: flooding and earthquakes international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change
@Slovenia:People
Population: 2,051,522 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (female 191,318; male 200,957) 15-64 years: 69% (female 701,082; male 708,482) 65 years and over: 12% (female 160,662; male 89,021) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.24% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 11.85 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.73 years male: 70.91 years female: 78.76 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.64 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Slovene(s) adjective: Slovenian
Ethnic divisions: Slovene 91%, Croat 3%, Serb 2%, Muslim 1%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 96% (including 2% Uniate), Muslim 1%, other 3%
Languages: Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 7%, other 2%
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 786,036 by occupation: agriculture 2%, manufacturing and mining 46%
@Slovenia:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Slovenia conventional short form: Slovenia local long form: Republika Slovenije local short form: Slovenija
Digraph: SI
Type: emerging democracy
Capital: Ljubljana
Administrative divisions: 60 provinces (pokajine, singular - pokajina) Ajdovscina, Brezice, Celje, Cerknica, Crnomelj, Dravograd, Gornja Radgona, Grosuplje, Hrastnik Lasko, Idrija, Ilirska Bistrica, Izola, Jesenice, Kamnik, Kocevje, Koper, Kranj, Krsko, Lenart, Lendava, Litija, Ljubljana-Bezigrad, Ljubljana-Center, Ljubljana-Moste-Polje, Ljubljana-Siska, Ljubljana-Vic-Rudnik, Ljutomer, Logatec, Maribor, Metlika, Mozirje, Murska Sobota, Nova Gorica, Novo Mesto, Ormoz, Pesnica, Piran, Postojna, Ptuj, Radlje Ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne Na Koroskem, Ribnica, Ruse, Sentjur Pri Celju, Sevnica, Sezana, Skofja Loka, Slovenj Gradec, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje Pri Jelsah, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trzic, Velenje, Vrhnika, Zagorje Ob Savi, Zalec
Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday: Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)
Constitution: adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)
Executive branch: chief of state: President Milan KUCAN (since 22 April 1990); election last held 6 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Milan KUCAN reelected by direct popular vote head of government: Prime Minister Janez DRNOVSEK (since 14 May 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly State Assembly: elections last held 6 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (90 total) LDS 22, SKD 15, United List (former Communists and allies) 14, Slovene National Party 12, SLS 10, Democratic Party 6, ZS 5, SDSS 4, Hungarian minority 1, Italian minority 1 State Council: will become operational after next election in 1996; in the election of 6 December 1992, 40 members were elected to represent local and socioeconomic interests
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic (LDS), Janez DRNOVSEK, chairman; Slovene Christian Democrats (SKD), Lozje PETERLE, chairman; Social Democratic Party of Slovenia (SDSS), Janez JANSA, chairman; Slovene People's National Party, Marjan PODOBNIK, chairman; United List (former Communists and allies), Janez KOCJANCIC, chairman; Slovene People's Party (SLS), Ivan OMAN, chairman; Democratic Party, Igor BAVCAR, chairman; Greens of Slovenia (ZS), Dusan PLUT, chairman note: parties have changed as of the December 1992 elections
Other political or pressure groups: none
Member of: CCC, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ernest PETRIC chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 667-5363 FAX: [1] (202) 667-4563 consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador E. Allan WENDT embassy: P.O. Box 254, Prazakova 4, 61000 Ljubljana mailing address: American Embassy, Ljubljana, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7140 telephone: [386] (61) 301-427, 472, 485 FAX: [386] (61) 301-401
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red with the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav in white against a blue background at the center, beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and around it, there are three six-sided stars arranged in an inverted triangle); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the flag centered in the white and blue bands
@Slovenia:Economy
Overview: Slovenia appears to be making a solid economic recovery, fulfilling the promise it showed at the time of Yugoslavia's breakup. It was by far the most prosperous of the former Yugoslav republics, with a per capita income more than twice the national average. It also benefited from strong ties to Western Europe and suffered comparatively small physical damage in the dismemberment process. The beginning was difficult, however. Real GDP fell 15% during 1991-92, while inflation jumped to 247% in 1991 and unemployment topped 8% - nearly three times the 1989 level. The turning point came in 1993 when real GDP grew 1%, unemployment leveled off at about 9%, and inflation slowed dramatically to 23%. In 1994, the rate of growth of GDP rose to 4%, unemployment remained stable, and inflation dropped to 20%. This was accomplished, moreover, without balance-of-payments problems. The government gets generally good economic marks from foreign observers, particularly with regard to fiscal policy - the budget deficit in 1994 was only about 1% of GDP, following several years of small surpluses. Prospects for 1995 appear good, with economic growth expected to remain strong while unemployment and inflation may decline slightly. Privatization, sluggish to date, is expected to pick up in 1995.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $16 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $8,110 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 9% (1994 est.)
Budget: revenues: $9.9 billion expenditures: $9.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)
Exports: $6.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 27%, intermediate manufactured goods 26%, chemicals 9%, food 4.8%, raw materials 3%, consumer goods 26% (1993) partners: Germany 29.5%, former Yugoslavia 15.8%, Italy 12.4%, France 8.7%, Austria 5.0% (1993)
Imports: $6.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 30%, intermediate manufactured goods 17.6%, chemicals 11.5%, raw materials 5.3%, fuels and lubricants 10.8%, food 8.4% (1993) partners: Germany 25.0%, Italy 16.1%, former Yugoslavia 10.7%, France 8.0%, Austria 8.5% (1993)
External debt: $2.1 billion (1994)
Industrial production: growth rate 6% (1994 est.); accounts for 37% of GDP (1993)
Electricity: capacity: 2,700,000 kW production: 8.9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,470 kWh (1993)
Industries: ferrous metallurgy and rolling mill products, aluminum reduction and rolled products, lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools
Agriculture: accounts for 4.8% of GDP (1993); dominated by stock breeding (sheep and cattle) and dairy farming; main crops - potatoes, hops, hemp, flax; an export surplus in these commodities; Slovenia must import many other agricultural products and has a negative overall trade balance in this sector
Illicit drugs: NA
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 tolar (SlT) = 100 stotins
Exchange rates: tolars (SIT) per US$1 - 127 (January 1995), 112 (June 1993), 28 (January 1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Slovenia:Transportation
Railroads: total: 1,201 km standard gauge: 1,201 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 499 km) (1994)
Highways: total: 14,726 km paved: 11,046 km (187 km expressways) unpaved: gravel 3,680 km (1992)
Inland waterways: NA
Pipelines: crude oil 290 km; natural gas 305 km
Ports: Izola, Koper, Piran
Merchant marine: total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 265,937 GRT/449,205 DWT (controlled by Slovenian owners) ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 6 note: ships under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Liberia; no ships remain under the Slovenian flag
Airports: total: 14 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 5 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
@Slovenia:Communications
Telephone system: 130,000 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: NA
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 0 radios: 370,000
Television: broadcast stations: 7 televisions: 330,000
@Slovenia:Defense Forces
Branches: Slovene Defense Forces
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 542,815; males fit for military service 434,302; males reach military age (19) annually 15,350 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: 13.5 billion tolars, 4.5% of GDP (1993 est.); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
________________________________________________________________________
SOLOMON ISLANDS
@Solomon Islands:Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Map references: Oceania
Area: total area: 28,450 sq km land area: 27,540 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 5,313 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Natural resources: fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 93% other: 4%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying natural hazards: typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
@Solomon Islands:People
Population: 399,206 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46% (female 90,293; male 93,695) 15-64 years: 51% (female 100,183; male 103,374) 65 years and over: 3% (female 5,738; male 5,923) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.4% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 38.48 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 4.51 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.84 years male: 68.38 years female: 73.41 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.59 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
Religions: Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, traditional beliefs 4%
Languages: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population note: 120 indigenous languages
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA by occupation: agriculture, forestry, and fishing 32.4%, services 25%, construction, manufacturing, and mining 7.0%, commerce, transport, and finance 4.7% (1984)
@Solomon Islands:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands
Digraph: BP
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Honiara
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western
Independence: 7 July 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution: 7 July 1978
Legal system: common law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Moses PITAKAKA (since 10 June 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 7 November 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Dennis LULEI (since 10 November 1994) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister from members of parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament: elections last held NA November 1994 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch: High Court
Political parties and leaders: People's Alliance Party (PAP); United Party (UP), leader NA; Solomon Islands Liberal Party (SILP), Bartholemew ULUFA'ALU; Nationalist Front for Progress (NFP), Andrew NORI; Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU; National Action Party, leader NA; Christian Fellowship, leader NA; National Unity Group, Solomon MAMALONI
Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: ambassador traditionally resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)
US diplomatic representation: embassy closed July 1993; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
Flag: divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green
@Solomon Islands:Economy
Overview: The bulk of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986 that caused widespread damage to the infrastructure. In 1993, the government was working with the IMF to develop a structural adjustment program to address the country's fiscal deficit.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate: 8% (1992)
National product per capita: $2,590 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $48 million expenditures: $107 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1991 est.)
Exports: $84 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: fish 46%, timber 31%, palm oil 5%, cocoa, copra partners: Japan 39%, UK 23%, Thailand 9%, Australia 5%, US 2% (1991)
Imports: $110 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: plant and machinery, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuel partners: Australia 34%, Japan 16%, Singapore 14%, NZ 9%
External debt: $128 million (1988 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate -3.8% (1991 est.); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 21,000 kW production: 30 million kWh consumption per capita: 80 kWh (1993)
Industries: copra, fish (tuna)
Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for 31% of GDP; mostly subsistence farming; cash crops - cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, timber; other products - rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs; not self-sufficient in food grains; 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500 metric tons was exported (1988)
Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $250 million
Currency: 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.3113 (September 1994), 3.1877 (1993), 2.9281 (1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Solomon Islands:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,300 km paved: 30 km unpaved: gravel 290 km; earth 980 km note: in addition, there are 800 km of private logging and plantation roads of varied construction (1982)
Ports: Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 31 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 19 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9
@Solomon Islands:Communications
Telephone system: 3,000 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA
@Solomon Islands:Defense Forces
Branches: no military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
SOMALIA
@Somalia:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 637,660 sq km land area: 627,340 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total 2,366 km, Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline: 3,025 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm
International disputes: southern half of boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden
Climate: principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October - southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Natural resources: uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt
Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 46% forest and woodland: 14% other: 38%
Irrigated land: 1,600 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea; signed, but not ratified - Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
Note: strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
@Somalia:People
Population: 7,347,554 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (female 1,653,175; male 1,650,377) 15-64 years: 51% (female 1,845,886; male 1,932,012) 65 years and over: 4% (female 138,264; male 127,840) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 15.58% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 45.53 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 13.3 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 123.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 119.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.74 years male: 55.48 years female: 56 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.13 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Somali(s) adjective: Somali
Ethnic divisions: Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000
Religions: Sunni Muslim
Languages: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 24% male: 36% female: 14%
Labor force: 2.2 million (very few are skilled laborers) by occupation: pastoral nomad 70%, agriculture, government, trading, fishing, handicrafts, and other 30%
@Somalia:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic
Digraph: SO
Type: none
Capital: Mogadishu
Administrative divisions: 18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed
Independence: 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)
National holiday: NA
Constitution: 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: Somalia has no functioning government; the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the regime of Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre on 27 January 1991; the present political situation is one of anarchy, marked by inter-clan fighting and random banditry
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga): not functioning
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (not functioning)
Political parties and leaders: the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the former regime on 27 January 1991; formerly the only party was the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP), headed by former President and Commander in Chief of the Army Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre
Other political or pressure groups: numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power
Member of: ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: Somalian Embassy ceased operations on 8 May 1991
US diplomatic representation: note: the US Embassy in Mogadishu was evacuated and closed indefinitely in January 1991; Ambassador Daniel SIMPSON, ambassador to Kenya, represents US interests in Somalia liaison office: US Embassy, Nairobi, Kenya address: corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi mailing address: P.O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi or APO AE 09831 telephone: [254] (2) 334141 FAX: [254] (2) 340838
Flag: light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust territory)
@Somalia:Economy
Overview: One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. Moreover, much of the economy has been devastated by the civil war. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and seminomads who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood make up about 70% of the population. Crop production generates only 10% of GDP and employs about 20% of the work force. The main export crop is bananas; sugar, sorghum, and corn are grown for the domestic market. The small industrial sector is based on the processing of agricultural products and accounts for less than 10% of GDP; most facilities have been shut down because of the civil strife. The greatly increased political turmoil of 1991-93 has resulted in a substantial drop in agricultural output, with widespread famine. In 1994 economic conditions stabilized in the countryside but may turn worse in 1995 if civil strife intensifies after the UN withdrawal.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $500 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% (1994)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $58 million (1990 est.) commodities: bananas, live animals, fish, hides partners: Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)
Imports: $249 million (1990 est.) commodities: petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials partners: US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)
External debt: $1.9 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: prior to the civil war, 75,000 kW, but now almost completely shut down due to war damage; note - UN and relief organizations use their own portable power systems production: NA kWh consumption per capita: NA kWh
Industries: a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down) (1994)
Agriculture: dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle, sheep, goats); crops - bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food; distribution of food disrupted by civil strife; fishing potential largely unexploited
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $639 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $336 million
Currency: 1 Somali shilling (So. Sh.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1 - approximately 5,000 (1 January 1995), 2,616 (1 July 1993), 4,200 (December 1992), 3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7 (1989),
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Somalia:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 22,500 km paved: 2,700 km unpaved: gravel 3,000 km; improved, stabilized earth 16,800 km (1992)
Pipelines: crude oil 15 km
Ports: Bender Cassim (Boosaaso), Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,529 GRT/6,892 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1
Airports: total: 76 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 14 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 16 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 33
@Somalia:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend on their own private systems (1993) local: NA intercity: NA international: NA
Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA
@Somalia:Defense Forces
Branches: no functioning central government military forces; clan militias continue to battle for control of key economic or political prizes
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,736,673; males fit for military service 972,203 (1995 est.
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
SOUTH AFRICA
@South Africa:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 1,219,912 sq km land area: 1,219,912 sq km comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)
Land boundaries: total 4,750 km, Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 855 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline: 2,798 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: Swaziland has asked South Africa to open negotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African territories that are populated by ethnic Swazis or that were long ago part of the Swazi Kingdom;
Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Natural resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 65% forest and woodland: 3% other: 21%
Irrigated land: 11,280 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage threatens to outpace supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: prolonged droughts international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note: South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland
@South Africa:People
Population: total: 45,095,459 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 40% (female 8,842,764; male 9,091,722) 15-64 years: 56% (female 12,825,617; male 12,508,039) 65 years and over: 4% (female 1,047,285; male 780,032) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: total: 2.61% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 33.39 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 7.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 45.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.42 years male: 62.68 years female: 68.25 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.35 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: South African(s) adjective: South African
Ethnic divisions: black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
Religions: Christian (most whites and Coloreds and about 60% of blacks), Hindu (60% of Indians), Muslim 2%
Languages: eleven official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 76% male: 78% female: 75%
Labor force: 13.4 million economically active (1990) by occupation: services 35%, agriculture 30%, industry 20%, mining 9%, other 6%
@South Africa:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of South Africa conventional short form: South Africa
Abbreviation: RSA
Digraph: SF
Type: republic
Capital: Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial)
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Eastern Transvaal, KwaZulu/Natal, Northern Cape, Northern Transvaal, Northwest, Orange Free State, Gauteng, Western Cape
Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)
National holiday: Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Constitution: 27 April 1994 (interim constitution, replacing the constitution of 3 September 1984)
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: Executive President Nelson MANDELA (since 10 May 1994); Deputy Executive President Thabo MBEKI (since 10 May 1994); Deputy Executive President Frederik W. DE KLERK (since 10 May 1994) note: any political party that wins 20% or more of the National Assembly votes in a general election is entitled to name a Deputy Executive President cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the Executive President
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly: elections last held 26-29 April 1994 (next to be held NA); results - ANC 62.6%, NP 20.4%, IFP 10.5%, FF 2.2%, DP 1.7%, PAC 1.2%, ACDP 0.5%, other 0.9%; seats - (400 total) ANC 252, NP 82, IFP 43, FF 9, DP 7, PAC 5, ACDP 2 Senate: the Senate is composed of members who are nominated by the nine provincial parliaments (which are elected in parallel with the National Assembly) and has special powers to protect regional interests, including the right to limited self-determination for ethnic minorities; seats - (90 total) ANC 61, NP 17, FF 4, IFP 5, DP 3
note: when the National Assembly meets in joint session with the Senate to consider the provisions of the constitution, the combined group is referred to as the Constitutional Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: African National Congress (ANC), Nelson MANDELA, president; National Party (NP), Frederik W. DE KLERK, president; Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president; Freedom Front (FF), Constand VILJOEN, president; Democratic Party (DP); Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Clarence MAKWETU, president; African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), leader NA note: in addition to these seven parties which received seats in the National Assembly, twelve other parties won votes in the national elections in April 1994
Other political or pressure groups: NA;;
Member of: BIS, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin SONN chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400 consulate(s) general: Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, and New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Princeton N. LYMAN embassy: 877 Pretorius St., Arcadia 0083 mailing address: P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001 telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048 FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244 consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Flag: two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horozontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side, embracing a black isoceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes note: prior to 26 April 1994, the flag was actually four flags in one - three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side
@South Africa:Economy
Overview: Many of the white one-seventh of the South African population enjoy incomes, material comforts, and health and educational standards equal to those of Western Europe. In contrast, most of the remaining population suffers from the poverty patterns of the Third World, including unemployment and lack of job skills. The main strength of the economy lies in its rich mineral resources, which provide two-thirds of exports. Economic developments for the remainder of the 1990s will be driven largely by the new government's attempts to improve black living conditions, to set the country on an aggressive export-led growth path, and to cut back the enormous numbers of unemployed. The economy in recent years has absorbed less than 5% of the more than 300,000 workers entering the labor force annually. Local economists estimate that the economy must grow between 5% and 6% in real terms annually to absorb all of the new entrants, much less reduce the accumulated total.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $194.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $4,420 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 32.6% (1994 est.); an additional 11% underemployment
Budget: revenues: $26.3 billion expenditures: $34 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.5 billion (FY93/94 est.)
Exports: $25.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: gold 27%, other minerals and metals 20%-25%, food 5%, chemicals 3% partners: Italy, Japan, US, Germany, UK, other EU countries, Hong Kong
Imports: $21.4 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: machinery 32%, transport equipment 15%, chemicals 11%, oil, textiles, scientific instruments partners: Germany, US, Japan, UK, Italy
External debt: $18 billion (1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for about 40% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 39,750,000 kW production: 163 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,482 kWh (1993)
Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemical, fertilizer, foodstuffs
Agriculture: accounts for about 5% of GDP and 30% of labor force; diversified agriculture, with emphasis on livestock; products - cattle, poultry, sheep, wool, milk, beef, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: transshipment center for heroin and cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries
Economic aid: many aid packages for the new government are still being prepared; current aid pledges include US $600 million over 3 years; UK $150 million over 3 years; Australia $21 million over 3 years; Japan $1.3 billion over 2 years
Currency: 1 rand (R) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1 - 3.5389 (January 1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@South Africa:Transportation
Railroads: total: 20,638 km narrow gauge: 20,324 km 1.067-m gauge (substantial electrification); 314 km 0.610-m gauge
Highways: total: 188,309 km paved: 54,013 km unpaved: crushed stone, gravel, improved earth 134,296 km
Pipelines: crude oil 931 km; petroleum products 1,748 km; natural gas 322 km
Ports: Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mosselbaai, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha
Merchant marine: total: 4 container ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 211,276 GRT/198,602 DWT
Airports: total: 853 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 9 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 47 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 72 with paved runways under 914 m: 327 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 39 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 354
@South Africa:Communications
Telephone system: over 4,500,000 telephones; the system is the best developed, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa local: NA intercity: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber optic cable, and radiocommunication stations; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria international: 1 submarine cable; 3 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 286, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 67 televisions: NA
@South Africa:Defense Forces
Branches: South African National Defence Force (SANDF; includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services), South African Police Service (SAPS)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 10,830,079; males fit for military service 6,601,323; males reach military age (18) annually 439,793 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $3.2 billion, 2.8% of GDP (FY93/94)
________________________________________________________________________
SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS
(dependent territory of the UK)
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Geography
Location: Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area: total area: 4,066 sq km land area: 4,066 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island note: includes Shag Rocks, Clerke Rocks, Bird Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: NA km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina
Climate: variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year, interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
Terrain: most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism international agreements: NA
Note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:People
Population: no indigenous population; there is a small military garrison on South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Survey has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Government
Names: conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short form: none
Digraph: SX
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: none; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Constitution: 3 October 1985
Legal system: English common law
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Commissioner David Everard TATHAM (since August 1992; resident at Stanley, Falkland Islands)
Legislative branch: no elections
Judicial branch: none
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Economy
Overview: Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting fin fish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK.
Budget: revenues: $291,777 expenditures: $451,000, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 900 kW production: 2 million kWh consumption per capita: NA kWh (1992)
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Transportation
Highways: total: NA paved: NA unpaved: NA
Ports: Grytviken
Airports: none
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; coastal radio station at Grytviken local: NA intercity: NA international: NA
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA
@South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
________________________________________________________________________
SPAIN
@Spain:Geography
Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, and North Atlantic Ocean, southwest of France
Map references: Europe
Area: total area: 504,750 sq km land area: 499,400 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Oregon note: includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
Land boundaries: total 1,903.2 km, Andorra 65 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km
Coastline: 4,964 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: Gibraltar question with UK; Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
Climate: temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Terrain: large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north
Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 31% permanent crops: 10% meadows and pastures: 21% forest and woodland: 31% other: 7%
Irrigated land: 33,600 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; air pollution; deforestation; desertification natural hazards: periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
@Spain:People
Population: 39,404,348 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17% (female 3,214,606; male 3,446,643) 15-64 years: 68% (female 13,377,839; male 13,457,683) 65 years and over: 15% (female 3,461,367; male 2,446,210) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.27% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 11.21 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.91 years male: 74.67 years female: 81.39 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.41 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s) adjective: Spanish
Ethnic divisions: composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions: Roman Catholic 99%, other sects 1%
Languages: Castilian Spanish, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986) total population: 96% male: 98% female: 94%
Labor force: 14.621 million by occupation: services 53%, industry 24%, agriculture 14%, construction 9% (1988)
@Spain:Government
Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain conventional short form: Spain local short form: Espana
Digraph: SP
Type: parliamentary monarchy
Capital: Madrid
Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencia, Extremadura, Galicia, Islas Baleares, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco note: there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco (Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera) with administrative status unknown
Independence: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
National holiday: National Day, 12 October
Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975) head of government: Prime Minister Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez (since 2 December 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Narcis SERRA y Serra (since 13 March 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers; designated by the prime minister Council of State: is the supreme consultative organ of the government
Legislative branch: bicameral The General Courts or National Assembly (Las Cortes Generales) Senate (Senado): elections last held 6 June 1993 (next to be held by June 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (255 total) PSOE 117, PP 107, CiU 15, PNV 5, IU 2, other 9 Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados): elections last held 6 June 1993 (next to be held by June 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (350 total) PSOE 159, PP 141, IU 18, CiU 17, PNV 5, CC 4, HB 2, other 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo)
Political parties and leaders: principal national parties, from right to left: Popular Party (PP), Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez; Democratic Social Center (CDS), Rafael CALVO Ortega; Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez, secretary general; Socialist Democracy Party (DS), Ricardo GARCIA Damborenea; Spanish Communist Party (PCE), Julio ANGUITA Gonzalez; United Left (IU - a coalition of parties including the PCE, a branch of the PSOE, and other small parties), Julio ANGUITA Gonzalez
chief regional parties: Convergence and Union (CiU), Miquel ROCA i Junyent, secretary general; Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Xabier ARZALLUS Antia and Jose Antonio ARDANZA; Basque United People (HB), Jon IDIGORAS Guerricabeitia and Inaki ESNAOLA; Canarian Coalition (CC), a coalition of five parties
Other political or pressure groups: on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO) use terrorism to oppose the government; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977) include the Communist-dominated Workers Commissions (CCOO); the Socialist General Union of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union (USO); business and landowning interests; the Catholic Church; Opus Dei; university students
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, FAO, G- 8, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUSAL, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIH, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime De OJEDA Eiseley chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340 FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard N. GARDNER embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid mailing address: APO AE 09642 telephone: [34] (1) 577-4000 FAX: [34] (1) 577-5735 consulate(s) general: Barcelona consulate(s): Bilbao
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar
@Spain:Economy
Overview: Spain, with a per capita output approximately two-thirds that of the four leading economies of Western Europe, has shared with these countries the recession of the early 1990s and the upturn of their economic fortunes in 1994. But whereas unemployment in these countries has hovered just above 10%, Spain has been forced to cope with a 25% unemployment rate. Continued political turmoil has complicated the establishment of stable government policies toward budgetary restraint, interest rates, labor law reform, and Spain's role in the evolving economic integration of Western Europe. Because the recession has been so deep, the growth in industrial output, tourism, and other sectors in 1994, while welcome, falls far short of the growth required to bring unemployment down to, say, 10%. The recovery in the economies of major trade partners, the comparatively low inflation rate, lower interest rates, and prospects in the tourist sector suggest that Spain can make substantial progress in 1995.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $515.8 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 1.8% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $13,120 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.9% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 24.5% (yearend 1994)
Budget: revenues: $97.7 billion expenditures: $128 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Exports: $72.8 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: cars and trucks, semifinished manufactured goods, foodstuffs, machinery partners: EC 71.2%, US 4.8%, other developed countries 7.9% (1992)
Imports: $92.5 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: machinery, transport equipment, fuels, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals partners: EC 60.7%, US 7.4%, other developed countries 11.5%, Middle East 5.9% (1992)
External debt: $90 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4% (1994 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 43,800,000 kW production: 148 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,545 kWh (1993)
Industries: textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for about 5% of GDP and 14% of labor force; major products - grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus fruit, beef, pork, poultry, dairy; largely self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 1.4 million metric tons is among top 20 nations
Illicit drugs: key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1.9 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $545 million note: not currently a recipient
Currency: 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 132.61 (January 1995), 133.96 (1994), 127.26 (1993), 102.38 (1992), 103.91 (1991), 101.93 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Spain:Transportation
Railroads: total: 14,400 km broad gauge: 12,111 km 1.668-m gauge (6,404 km electrified; 2,295 km double track) standard gauge: 515 km 1.435-m gauge (515 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,774 km (privately owned: 1,727 km 1.000-m gauge, 560 km electrified; 28 km 0.914-m gauge, 28 km electrified; government owned: 19 km 1.000-m gauge, all electrified)
Highways: total: 331,961 km paved: 328,641 km (2,700 km of expressways) unpaved: 3,320 km (1991)
Inland waterways: 1,045 km, but of minor economic importance
Pipelines: crude oil 265 km; petroleum products 1,794 km; natural gas 1,666 km
Ports: Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes, Puerto de Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo
Merchant marine: total: 157 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 868,326 GRT/1,382,335 DWT ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 41, chemical tanker 11, container 9, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 25, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 12, roll-on/roll-off cargo 34, short-sea passenger 5, specialized tanker 2
Airports: total: 106 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 15 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 12 with paved runways under 914 m: 34 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 16
@Spain:Communications
Telephone system: 15,350,464 telephones; generally adequate, modern facilities local: NA intercity: NA international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; 2 earth stations for INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); earth stations for working the EUTELSAT, INMARSAT, and MARECS satellite communications systems; microwave tropospheric scatter links to adjacent countries
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 190, FM 406 (repeaters 134), shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 100 (repeaters 1,297) televisions: NA
@Spain:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal Civil Guard
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 10,435,970; males fit for military service 8,434,460; males reach military age (20) annually 335,967 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $8 billion, 1.6% of GDP (1994)
________________________________________________________________________
SPRATLY ISLANDS
@Spratly Islands:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, group of reefs in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total area: NA sq km but less than 5 km2 land area: less than 5 sq km comparative area: NA note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over the South China Sea
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 926 km
Maritime claims: NA
International disputes: all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive economic zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef, but has not publicly claimed the island
Climate: tropical
Terrain: flat
Natural resources: fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals international agreements: NA
Note: strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
@Spratly Islands:People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are scattered garrisons
@Spratly Islands:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Digraph: PG
@Spratly Islands:Economy
Overview: Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Industries: none
@Spratly Islands:Transportation
Ports: none
Airports: total: 4 with paved runways under 914 m: 3 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Spratly Islands:Communications
Telephone system: local: NA intercity: NA international: NA
Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA
@Spratly Islands:Defense Forces
Note: about 50 small islands or reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
________________________________________________________________________
SRI LANKA
@Sri Lanka:Geography
Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Map references: Asia
Area: total area: 65,610 sq km land area: 64,740 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,340 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Natural resources: limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay
Land use: arable land: 16% permanent crops: 17% meadows and pastures: 7% forest and woodland: 37% other: 23%
Irrigated land: 5,600 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff natural hazards: occasional cyclones and tornadoes international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Marine Life Conservation
Note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
@Sri Lanka:People
Population: 18,342,660 (July 1995 est.) note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island; as of late 1992, nearly 115,000 were housed in refugee camps in south India, another 95,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought political asylum in the West
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29% (female 2,597,969; male 2,713,696) 15-64 years: 65% (female 6,042,228; male 5,902,343) 65 years and over: 6% (female 547,715; male 538,709) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.15% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 18.13 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.78 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 21.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.14 years male: 69.58 years female: 74.82 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.08 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic divisions: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%
Religions: Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%
Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken by about 10% of the population
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 88% male: 93% female: 84%
Labor force: 6.6 million by occupation: agriculture 45.9%, mining and manufacturing 13.3%, trade and transport 12.4%, services and other 28.4% (1985 est.)
@Sri Lanka:Government
Names: conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka conventional short form: Sri Lanka former: Ceylon
Digraph: CE
Type: republic
Capital: Colombo
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
Independence: 4 February 1948 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence and National Day, 4 February (1948)
Constitution: adopted 16 August 1978
Legal system: a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE is the Prime Minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered to be both the chief of state and the head of the government, this is in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist; election last held 9 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 2000); results - Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (People's Alliance) 62%, Srima DISSANAYAKE (United National Party) 37%, other 1% cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament: elections last held 16 August 1994 (next to be held by August 2000); results - PA 49.0%, UNP 44.0%, SLMC 1.8%, TULF 1.7%, SLPF 1.1%, EPDP 0.3%, UPF 0.3%, PLOTE 0.1%, other 1.7%; seats - (225 total) PA 105, UNP 94, EPDP 9, SLMC 7, TULF 5, PLOTE 3, SLPF 1, UPF 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), C. G. Kumar PONNAMBALAM; Ceylon Workers Congress (CLDC), S. THONDAMAN; Communist Party, K. P. SILVA; Communist Party/Beijing (CP/B), N. SHANMUGATHASAN; Democratic People's Liberation Front (DPLF), leader NA; Democratic United National Front (DUNF), G. M. PREMACHANDRA; Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), Douglas DEVANANDA; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRL), Suresh PREMACHANDRAN; Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS), Shankar RAJI; Lanka Socialist Party/Trotskyite (LSSP, or Lanka Sama Samaja Party), Colin R. DE SILVA; Liberal Party (LP), Chanaka AMARATUNGA; New Socialist Party (NSSP, or Nava Sama Samaja Party), Vasudeva NANAYAKKARA; People's Alliance (PA), Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA; People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Dharmalingam SIDARTHAN; People's United Front (MEP, or Mahajana Eksath Peramuna), Dinesh GUNAWARDENE; Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), M. H. M. ASHRAFF; Sri Lanka People's Party (SLMP, or Sri Lanka Mahajana Party), Ossie ABEYGUNASEKERA; Sri Lanka Progressive Front (SLPF), leader NA; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), leader NA; Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), M. SIVASITHAMBARAM; United National Party (UNP), Ranil WICKREMANSINGHE; Upcountry People's Front (UPF), leader NA; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in either parliament or provincial councils note: the United Socialist Alliance (USA), which was formed in 1987 and included the NSSP, LSSP, SLMP, CP/M, and CP/B, was defunct as of 1993, following the formation of the People's Alliance Party (PA)
Other political or pressure groups: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other smaller Tamil separatist groups; other radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups; Buddhist clergy; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups; labor unions
Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jayantha DHANAPALA chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 through 4028 FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181 consulate(s): New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Teresita C. SCHAFFER embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo telephone: [94] (1) 448007 FAX: [94] (1) 437345
Flag: yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border that goes around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
@Sri Lanka:Economy
Overview: Industry - dominated by the fast-growing apparel industry - has surpassed agriculture as the main source of export earnings and accounts for over 16% of GDP. The economy has been plagued by high rates of unemployment since the late 1970s. Economic growth, which has been depressed by ethnic unrest, accelerated in 1991-94 as domestic conditions began to improve and conditions for foreign investment brightened. Currently, however, the new government's emphasis on populist measures has clouded Sri Lanka's economic prospects.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $57.6 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $3,190 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 13.6% (1993 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.3 billion expenditures: $3.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (1993)
Exports: $2.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: garments and textiles, teas, diamonds, other gems, petroleum products, rubber products, other agricultural products, marine products, graphite partners: US 35.2%, Germany, UK, Belgium-Luxembourg, Japan, Netherlands, France (1993)
Imports: $4 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: textiles and textile materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, petroleum, building materials partners: Japan, India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China (1993)
External debt: $7.2 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 9% (1993 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 1,410,000 kW production: 3.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 168 kWh (1993)
Industries: processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco
Agriculture: accounts for one-fourth of GDP; field crops - rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseeds, roots, spices; cash crops - tea, rubber, coconuts; animal products - milk, eggs, hides, meat; not self-sufficient in rice production
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $169 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $369 million
Currency: 1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Sri Lankan rupees (SLRes) per US$1 - 50.115 (January 1995), 49.415 (1994), 48.322 (1993), 43.830 (1992), 41.372 (1991), 40.063 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Sri Lanka:Transportation
Railroads: total: 1,948 km broad gauge: 1,948 km 1.868-m gauge (102 km double track) (1990)
Highways: total: 75,263 km paved: mostly bituminous treated 27,637 km unpaved: crushed stone, gravel 32,887 km; improved, unimproved earth 14,739 km
Inland waterways: 430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft
Pipelines: crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)
Ports: Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee
Merchant marine: total: 26 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 289,115 GRT/453,609 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 12, container 1, oil tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 8
Airports: total: 14 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
@Sri Lanka:Communications
Telephone system: 114,000 telephones (1982); very inadequate domestic service, good international service local: NA intercity: NA international: submarine cables extend to Indonesia and Djibouti; 2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 5, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 5 televisions: NA
@Sri Lanka:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 4,990,661; males fit for military service 3,888,372; males reach military age (18) annually 178,926 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $412 million, 3.6% of GDP (1994)
________________________________________________________________________
SUDAN
@Sudan:Geography
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 2,505,810 sq km land area: 2.376 million sq km comparative area: slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Land boundaries: total 7,687 km, Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km, Zaire 628 km
Coastline: 853 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: administrative boundary with Kenya does not coincide with international boundary; administrative boundary with Egypt does not coincide with international boundary creating the "Hala'ib Triangle," a barren area of 20,580 sq km, tensions over this disputed area began to escalate in 1992 and remain high
Climate: tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April to October)
Terrain: generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in east and west
Natural resources: small reserves of petroleum, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold
Land use: arable land: 5% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 24% forest and woodland: 20% other: 51%
Irrigated land: 18,900 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: dust storms international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification
Note: largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries
@Sudan:People
Population: 30,120,420 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46% (female 6,801,001; male 7,124,892) 15-64 years: 52% (female 7,706,864; male 7,830,980) 65 years and over: 2% (female 280,297; male 376,386) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.35% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 41.29 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 11.74 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: the flow of refugees from the civil war in Sudan into neighboring countries continues, often at the rate of tens of thousands annually; Uganda was the main recipient of Sudanese refugees in the past year; repatriation of Eritrean and Ethiopean refugees in Sudan continues
Infant mortality rate: 77.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.71 years male: 53.81 years female: 55.65 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Sudanese (singular and plural) adjective: Sudanese
Ethnic divisions: black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum)
Languages: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English note: program of Arabization in process
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1983) total population: 32% male: 44% female: 21%
Labor force: 6.5 million by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 10%, government 6% note: labor shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment (1983 est.)
@Sudan:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan conventional short form: Sudan local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan local short form: As-Sudan former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Digraph: SU
Type: ruling military junta - Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) - dissolved on 16 October 1993 and government civilianized
Capital: Khartoum
Administrative divisions: 9 states (wilayat, singular - wilayat or wilayah*); A'ali an Nil, Al Wusta*, Al Istiwa'iyah*, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah*, Ash Sharqiyah*, Bahr al Ghazal, Darfur, Kurdufan note: on 14 February 1994, the 9 states comprising Sudan were divided into 26 new states; the new state boundary alignments are undetermined
Independence: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Constitution: 12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989
Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; the council is still studying criminal provisions under Islamic law; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: none
Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government: President Lt. General Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); prior to 16 October 1993, BASHIR served concurrently as Chief of State, Chairman of the RCC, Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence (since 30 June 1989); First Vice President Major General al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH (since 19 October 1993); Second Vice President (Police) Maj. General George KONGOR (since NA February 1994); note - upon its dissolution on 16 October 1993, the RCC's executive and legislative powers were devolved to the President and the Transitional National Assembly (TNA), Sudan's appointed legislative body cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president; note - on 30 October 1993, President BASHIR announced a new, predominantly civilian cabinet, consisting of 20 federal ministers, most of whom retained their previous cabinet positions; on 9 February 1995, he abolished three ministries and redivided their portfolios to create several new ministries; these changes increased National Islamic Front presence at the ministerial level and consolidated its control over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; President BASHIR's government is dominated by members of Sudan's National Islamic Front, a fundamentalist political organization formed from the Muslim Brotherhood in 1986; front leader Hasan al-TURABI controls Khartoum's overall domestic and foreign policies
Legislative branch: appointed 300-member Transitional National Assembly; officially assumes all legislative authority for Sudan until the proposed 1995 resumption of national elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Special Revolutionary Courts
Political parties and leaders: none; banned following 30 June 1989 coup
Other political or pressure groups: National Islamic Front, Hasan al-TURABI
Member of: ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ahmad SULAYMAN chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565 through 8570 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Donald K. PETTERSON embassy: Shar'ia Ali Abdul Latif, Khartoum mailing address: P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829 telephone: 74700, 74611 (operator assistance required) FAX: Telex 22619 AMEMSD
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
@Sudan:Economy
Overview: Sudan is buffeted by civil war, chronic political instability, adverse weather, high inflation, a drop in remittances from abroad, and counterproductive economic policies. Governmental entities account for more than 70% of new investment. The private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture and trading, with most private industrial investment predating 1980. Agriculture employs 80% of the work force. Industry mainly processes agricultural items. Sluggish economic performance over the past decade, attributable largely to declining annual rainfall, has reduced levels of per capita income and consumption. A large foreign debt and huge arrearages continue to cause difficulties. In 1990 the International Monetary Fund took the unusual step of declaring Sudan noncooperative because of its nonpayment of arrearages to the Fund. After Sudan backtracked on promised reforms in 1992-93, the IMF threatened to expel Sudan from the Fund. To avoid expulsion, Khartoum agreed to make payments on its arrears to the Fund, liberalize exchange rates, and reduce subsidies. These measures have been partially implemented. The government's continued prosecution of the civil war and its growing international isolation led to a further deterioration of the nonagricultural sectors of the economy during 1994. Agriculture, on the other hand, after several disappointing years, enjoyed a bumper fall harvest in 1994; its strong performance produced an overall growth rate in GDP of perhaps 7%.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $23.7 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 7% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $870 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 112% (FY93/94 est.)
Unemployment rate: 30% (FY92/93 est.)
Budget: revenues: $493 million expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $225 million (1994 est.)
Exports: $419 million (f.o.b., FY93/94) commodities: gum arabic 29%, livestock/meat 24%, cotton 13%, sesame, peanuts partners: Western Europe 46%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Eastern Europe 9%, Japan 9%, US 3% (FY87/88)
Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., FY93/94) commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum products, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles partners: Western Europe 32%, Africa and Asia 15%, US 13%, Eastern Europe 3% (FY87/88)
External debt: $17 billion (June 1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.8% (FY92/93 est.); accounts for 11% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 500,000 kW production: 1.3 billion kWh consumption per capita: 42 kWh (1993)
Industries: cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining
Agriculture: accounts for 35% of GDP; major products - cotton, oilseeds, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sheep; marginally self-sufficient in most foods
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $588 million
Currency: 1 Sudanese pound (#Sd) = 100 piastres
Exchange rates: official rate - Sudanese pounds (#Sd) per US$1 - 434.8 (January 1995), 277.8 (1994), 153.8 (1993), 69.4 (1992), 5.4288 (1991), 4.5004 (1990); note - the commercial rate is 300 Sudanese pounds per US$1
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Sudan:Transportation
Railroads: total: 5,516 km narrow gauge: 4,800 km 1.067-m gauge; 716 km 1.6096-m gauge plantation line
Highways: total: 20,703 km paved: bituminous treated 2,000 km unpaved: gravel 4,000 km; improved earth 2,304 km; unimproved earth 12,399 km
Inland waterways: 5,310 km navigable
Pipelines: refined products 815 km
Ports: Juba, Khartoum, Kusti, Malakal, Nimule, Port Sudan, Sawakin
Merchant marine: total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 43,024 GRT/122,379 DWT ships by type: cargo 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2
Airports: total: 70 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 13 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 14 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 33
@Sudan:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; large, well-equipped system by African standards, but barely adequate and poorly maintained by modern standards local: NA intercity: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radio communications, troposcatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 stations international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 11, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 3 televisions: NA
@Sudan:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Force Militia
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 6,806,588; males fit for military service 4,185,206; males reach military age (18) annually 313,958 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $600 million, 7.3% of GDP (FY93/94 est.)
________________________________________________________________________
SURINAME
@Suriname:Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Map references: South America
Area: total area: 163,270 sq km land area: 161,470 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries: total 1,707 km, Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
Coastline: 386 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa Rivier); claims area in Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Koetari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Natural resources: timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold
Land use: arable land: NEGL% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 97% other: 3%
Irrigated land: 590 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: deforestation as foreign producers obtain timber concessions natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note: mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna which for the most part is not threatened because of the lack of development; relatively small population most of which lives along the coast
@Suriname:People
Population: 429,544 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 34% (female 70,845; male 74,330) 15-64 years: 61% (female 130,153; male 133,693) 65 years and over: 5% (female 10,897; male 9,626) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.58% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 24.72 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.91 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 30.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.76 years male: 67.24 years female: 72.41 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.73 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Surinamer(s) adjective: Surinamese
Ethnic divisions: Hindustani (also known locally as "East" Indians; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed European and African ancestry) 31%, Javanese 15.3%, "Bush Black" (also known as "Bush Creole" whose ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves) 10.3%, Amerindian 2.6%, Chinese 1.7%, Europeans 1%, other 1.1%
Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5%
Languages: Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 95% male: 95% female: 95%
Labor force: NA
@Suriname:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Suriname conventional short form: Suriname local long form: Republiek Suriname local short form: Suriname former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
Digraph: NS
Type: republic
Capital: Paramaribo
Administrative divisions: 10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica
Independence: 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President Ronald R. VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991); Prime Minister Jules R. AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991); election last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - elected by the National Assembly - Ronald VENETIAAN (NF) 80% (645 votes), Jules WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) 14% (115 votes), Hans PRADE (DA '91) 6% (49 votes) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers; appointed by the president from members of the National Assembly note: Commander in Chief of the National Army maintains significant power
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (51 total) NF 30, NDP 10, DA '91 9, independents 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: The New Front (NF), a coalition of four parties (NPS, VHP, KTPI, SPA), leader Ronald R. VENETIAAN; Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath LACHMON; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Ronald VENETIAAN; Party of National Unity and Solidarity (KTPI), Willy SOEMITA; Suriname Labor Party (SPA), Fred DERBY; Democratic Alternative '91 (DA '91), Winston JESSURUN, a coalition of four parties (AF, HPP, Pendawa Lima, BEP) formed in January 1991; Alternative Forum (AF), Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN; Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalal PARMESSAR; Party for Brotherhood and Unity in Politics (BEP), Caprino ALLENDY; Pendawa Lima, Marsha JAMIN; National Democratic Party (NDP), Desire BOUTERSE; Progressive Workers' and Farm Laborers' Union (PALU), Ir Iwan KROLIS, chairman;
Other political or pressure groups: Surinamese Liberation Army (SLA), Ronnie BRUNSWIJK, Johan "Castro" WALLY; Union for Liberation and Democracy, Kofi AFONGPONG; Mandela Bushnegro Liberation Movement, Leendert ADAMS; Tucayana Amazonica, Alex JUBITANA, Thomas SABAJO
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT chancery: Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-7488, 7490 through 7492 FAX: [1] (202) 244-5878 consulate(s) general: Miami
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Roger R. GAMBLE embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo mailing address: P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo telephone: [597] 472900, 477881, 476459 FAX: [597] 410025
Flag: five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a large yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band
@Suriname:Economy
Overview: The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for 15% of GDP and about 70% of export earnings. Paramaribo has failed to initiate the economic reforms necessary to stabilize the economy or win renewed Dutch aid disbursements. The government continues to finance deficit spending with monetary emissions. As a result, high inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market activity, and hard currency shortfalls continue to mark the economy.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: -0.8% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $2,800 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 225% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA
Budget: revenues: $300 million expenditures: $700 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1994 est.)
Exports: $443.3 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: alumina, aluminum, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas partners: Norway 33%, Netherlands 26%, US 13%, Japan 6%, Brazil 6%, UK 3% (1992)
Imports: $520.5 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods partners: US 42%, Netherlands 22%, Trinidad and Tobago 10%, Brazil 5% (1992)
External debt: $180 million (March 1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1992 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 420,000 kW production: 1.4 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,123 kWh (1993)
Industries: bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food processing, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and 25% of export earnings; paddy rice planted on 85% of arable land and represents 60% of total farm output; other products - bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts, beef, chicken; shrimp and forestry products of increasing importance; self-sufficient in most foods
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $2.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5 billion
Currency: 1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1 - 1.7850 (fixed rate); parallel rate 510 (December 1994), 109 (January 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Suriname:Transportation
Railroads: total: 166 km (single track) standard gauge: 80 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 86 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways: total: 8,800 km paved: 500 km unpaved: bauxite, gravel, crushed stone 5,400 km; improved and unimproved earth 2,900 km
Inland waterways: 1,200 km; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging up to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways
Ports: Albina, Moengo, Nieuw Nickerie, Paramaribo, Paranam, Wageningen
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,421 GRT/2,990 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, container 1
Airports: total: 46 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 38 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7
@Suriname:Communications
Telephone system: 27,500 telephones; international facilities good local: NA intercity: microwave radio relay network international: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 14, shortwave 1 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 6 televisions: NA
@Suriname:Defense Forces
Branches: National Army (includes small Navy and Air Force elements), Civil Police
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 116,456; males fit for military service 69,011 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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SVALBARD
(territory of Norway)
@Svalbard:Geography
Location: Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway
Map references: Arctic Region
Area: total area: 62,049 sq km land area: 62,049 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 3,587 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia territorial sea: 4 nm
International disputes: focus of maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and Russia
Climate: arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year
Terrain: wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about half the year; fjords along west and north coasts
Natural resources: coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% (no trees and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: ice floes often block up the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic international agreements: NA
Note: northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area
@Svalbard:People
Population: 2,914 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: -3.5% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman
Ethnic divisions: Russian 64%, Norwegian 35%, other 1% (1981)
Languages: Russian, Norwegian
Labor force: NA
@Svalbard:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Svalbard
Digraph: SV
Type: territory of Norway administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway
Capital: Longyearbyen
Independence: none (territory of Norway)
National holiday: NA
Legal system: NA
Executive branch: Chief of State: King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991) Head of Government: Governor Odd BLOMDAL (since NA); Assistant Governor Jan-Atle HANSEN (since NA September 1993)
Member of: none
Flag: the flag of Norway is used
@Svalbard:Economy
Overview: Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. By treaty (9 February 1920), the nationals of the treaty powers have equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus.
Budget: revenues: $13.3 million expenditures: $13.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 21,000 kW production: 45 million kWh consumption per capita: 13,860 kWh (1992)
Currency: 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere
Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 6.7014 (January 1995), 7.0469 (1994), 7.0941 (1993), 6.2145 (1992), 6.4829 (1991), 6.2597 (1990)
@Svalbard:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: NA paved: NA unpaved: NA
Ports: Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 4 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 3
@Svalbard:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; local telephone service local: NA intercity: NA international: satellite communication with Norwegian mainland
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1 (repeaters 2), shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA
Note: there are 5 meteorological/radio stations
@Svalbard:Defense Forces
Note: demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)
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SWAZILAND
@Swaziland:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 17,360 sq km land area: 17,200 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: total 535 km, Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: Swaziland has asked South Africa to open negotiations on reincorporating some nearby South African territories that are populated by ethnic Swazis or that were long ago part of the Swazi Kingdom
Climate: varies from tropical to near temperate
Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Natural resources: asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Land use: arable land: 10.9% permanent crops: 0.2% meadows and pastures: 62.2% forest and woodland: 6.9% other: 19.8%
Irrigated land: 640 sq km (1993 est.)
Environment: current issues: limited access to potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note: landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
@Swaziland:People
Population: 966,977 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46% (female 222,544; male 221,003) 15-64 years: 52% (female 261,973; male 238,726) 65 years and over: 2% (female 13,291; male 9,440) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.23% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 43.06 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 10.8 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 90.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 56.84 years male: 52.83 years female: 60.96 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.1 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Swazi(s) adjective: Swazi
Ethnic divisions: African 97%, European 3%
Religions: Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%
Languages: English (official; government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986) total population: 67% male: 70% female: 65%
Labor force: NA by occupation: private sector about 65%, public sector 35%
@Swaziland:Government
Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland conventional short form: Swaziland
Digraph: WZ
Type: monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth
Capital: Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)
Administrative divisions: 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence: 6 September 1968 (from UK)
National holiday: Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)
Constitution: none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12 April 1973; a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but has not been formally presented to the people
Legal system: based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts, Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: none
Executive branch: chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986) head of government: Prime Minister Prince Jameson Mbilini DLAMINI (since 12 November 1993) cabinet: Cabinet; designated by the monarch
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament is advisory Senate: consists of 30 members (10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the king) House of Assembly: elections last held NA October 1993 (next to be held NA); results - NA; seats - (65 total, 55 directly elected, 10 appointed by the king) - balloting held on a non-party basis
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: note: political parties are banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978; illegal parties are prohibited from holding large public gatherings illegal parties: Peoples' United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Kilson SHONOWE; Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYCO), Benedict TSABEDZE; Swaziland Communist Party (SWACOPA), Mphandlana SHONGWE
Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Madzandza Mary KHANYA chancery: 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 362-6683, 6685 FAX: [1] (202) 244-8059
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John T. SPROTT embassy: Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane telephone: [268] 46441 through 46445 FAX: [268] 45959
Flag: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally
@Swaziland:Economy
Overview: The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies more than 60% of the population and contributes nearly 25% to GDP. Manufacturing, which includes a number of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another quarter of GDP. Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore deposits were depleted by 1978, and health concerns cut world demand for asbestos. Exports of sugar and forestry products are the main earners of hard currency. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa, from which it receives 90% of its imports and to which it sends about half of its exports. Remittances from Swazi workers in South African mines may supplement domestically produced income by as much as 20%.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $3,490 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.3% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1992 est.)
Budget: revenues: $342 million expenditures: $410 million, including capital expenditures of $130 million (1994 est.)
Exports: $632 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: sugar, edible concentrates, wood pulp, cotton yarn, asbestos partners: South Africa 50% (est.), EC countries, Canada
Imports: $734 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, chemicals partners: South Africa 90% (est.), Switzerland, UK
External debt: $240 million (1992)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.2% (1993 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 120,000 kW production: 410 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,003 kWh (1993)
Industries: mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar
Agriculture: accounts for over 60% of labor force; mostly subsistence agriculture; cash crops - sugarcane, cotton, maize, tobacco, rice, citrus fruit, pineapples; other crops and livestock - corn, sorghum, peanuts, cattle, goats, sheep; not self-sufficient in grain
Economic aid: recipient: bilateral aid (1991) $35 million of which US disbursements $12 million, UK disbursements $6 million, and Denmark $2 million; multilateral aid (1991) $24 million of which EC disbursements $8 million
Currency: 1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: emalangeni (E) per US$1 -3.5389 (January 1995), 3.5490 (1994), 3.2636 (1993), 2.8497 (1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990); note - the Swazi emalangeni is at par with the South African rand
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Swaziland:Transportation
Railroads: total: 297 km; note - includes 71 km which are not in use narrow gauge: 297 km 1.067-m gauge (single track)
Highways: total: 2,853 km paved: 510 km unpaved: crushed stone, gravel, stabilized earth 1,230 km; improved earth 1,113 km
Ports: none
Airports: total: 18 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 9 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 8
@Swaziland:Communications
Telephone system: 17,000 telephones; telephone density is only 17.6 telephones/1,000 persons local: NA intercity: system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity radio relay microwave links international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 6, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 10 televisions: NA
@Swaziland:Defense Forces
Branches: Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army), Royal Swaziland Police Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 212,239; males fit for military service 122,782 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $22 million, NA% of GDP (FY93/94)
________________________________________________________________________
SWEDEN
@Sweden:Geography
Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway
Map references: Europe
Area: total area: 449,964 sq km land area: 410,928 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries: total 2,205 km, Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km
Coastline: 3,218 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
Terrain: mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential
Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 64% other: 27%
Irrigated land: 1,120 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: acid rain damaging soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea natural hazards: ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas
@Sweden:People
Population: 8,821,759 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (female 810,859; male 854,553) 15-64 years: 64% (female 2,761,060; male 2,856,012) 65 years and over: 17% (female 887,597; male 651,678) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.46% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 13.19 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 10.84 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.43 years male: 75.64 years female: 81.39 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Swede(s) adjective: Swedish
Ethnic divisions: white, Lapp (Sami), foreign born or first-generation immigrants 12% (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks)
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 94%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Pentecostal 1%, other 3.5% (1987)
Languages: Swedish note: small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities; immigrants speak native languages
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991 est.) total population: 99%
Labor force: 4.552 million (84% unionized,1992) by occupation: community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining and manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants 14.1%, banking, insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%, construction 7.0%, agriculture, fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991)
@Sweden:Government
Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden conventional short form: Sweden local long form: Konungariket Sverige local short form: Sverige
Digraph: SW
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Stockholm
Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (lan, singular and plural); Alvsborgs Lan, Blekinge Lan, Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs och Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan, Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan, Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan, Kristianstads Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan, Ostergotlands Lan, Skaraborgs Lan, Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan, Uppsala Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan, Vastmanlands Lan
Independence: 6 June 1809 (constitutional monarchy established)
National holiday: Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June
Constitution: 1 January 1975
Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977) head of government: Prime Minister Ingvar CARLSSON (since 6 October 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mona SAHLIN (since 6 October 1994) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Riksdag): elections last held 18 September 1994 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - Social Democrats 45.4%, Moderate Party (Conservatives) 22.3%, Center Party 7.7%, Liberals 7.2%, Left Party 6.2%, Greens 5.8%, Christian Democrats 4.1%, New Democracy Party 1.2%; seats - (349 total) Social Democrats 162, Moderate Party (Conservatives) 80, Center Party 27, Liberals 26, Left Party 22, Greens 18, Christian Democrats 14; note - the New Democracy Party did not receive a seat because parties require a minimum of 4.8% of votes for a seat in parliament
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen)
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party, Ingvar CARLSSON; Moderate Party (conservative), Carl BILDT; Liberal People's Party, Maria LEISSNER; Center Party, Olof JOHANSSON; Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON; New Democracy Party, Vivianne FRANZEN; Left Party (VP; Communist), Gudrun SCHYMAN; Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL; Green Party, no formal leader but party spokesperson is Birger SHLAUG
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 8, G- 9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, ONUSAL, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carl Henrik Sihver LILJEGREN chancery: 1501 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600 FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas L. SIEBERT embassy: Strandvagen 101, S-115 89 Stockholm mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [46] (8) 783 53 00 FAX: [46] (8) 661 19 64
Flag: blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
@Sweden:Economy
Overview: Aided by a long period of peace and neutrality during World War I through World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy that is heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. In 1990, agriculture accounted for only 1.2% of GDP and 1.9% of the jobs, Sweden being about 50% sufficient in most products. In the last few years, however, this extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by inflation, growing unemployment, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets. Although Prime Minister BILDT's center-right minority coalition had hoped to charge ahead with free-market-oriented reforms, a skyrocketing budget deficit - about 14% of GDP in FY93/94 projections - and record unemployment have forestalled many of the plans. Unemployment in 1994 is estimated at around 9% with another 5% in job training. Continued heavy foreign exchange speculation forced the government to cooperate in late 1992 with the opposition Social Democrats on two crisis packages - one a severe austerity pact and the other a program to spur industrial competitiveness - which basically set economic policy through 1997. In November 1992, Sweden broke its tie to the EC's ECU, and the krona has since depreciated about 25% against the dollar. The boost in export competitiveness from the depreciation helped lift Sweden out of its 3-year recession. To curb the budget deficit and bolster confidence in the economy, the new Social Democratic government is proposing cuts in welfare benefits, subsidies, defense, and foreign aid. Sweden has harmonized its economic policies with those of the EU, which it joined at the start of 1995.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $163.1 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $18,580 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 8.8% (1994 est.)
Budget: revenues: $47.9 billion expenditures: $70.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93/94)
Exports: $59.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products partners: EC 55.8% (Germany 15%, UK 9.7%, Denmark 7.2%, France 5.8%), EFTA 17.4% (Norway 8.4%, Finland 5.1%), US 8.2%, Central and Eastern Europe 2.5% (1992)
Imports: $49.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing partners: EC 53.6% (Germany 17.9%, UK 6.3%, Denmark 7.5%, France 4.9%), EFTA (Norway 6.6%, Finland 6%), US 8.4%, Central and Eastern Europe 3% (1992)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 9% (1994)
Electricity: capacity: 34,560,000 kW production: 141 billion kWh consumption per capita: 14,891 kWh (1993)
Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles
Agriculture: animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy products accounting for 37% of farm income; main crops - grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 100% self-sufficient in grains and potatoes; Sweden is about 50% self-sufficient in most products
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics shipped via the CIS and Baltic states for the European market
Economic aid: donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.3 billion
Currency: 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 oere
Exchange rates: Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 7.4675 (January 1995), 7.7160 (1994), 7.7834 (1993), 5.8238 (1992), 6.0475 (1991) 5.9188 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Sweden:Transportation
Railroads: total: 12,000 km (includes 953 km of privately owned railways) standard gauge: 10,742 km 1.435-m gauge (7,502 km electrified and 1,152 km double track); 8 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified; privately owned) narrow gauge: 61 km 0.891-m gauge (electrified; privately owned) other: 1,189 km NA-m gauge (1994)
Highways: total: 135,859 km paved: 97,818 km (including 936 km of expressways) unpaved: gravel 38,041 km (1991)
Inland waterways: 2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges
Pipelines: natural gas 84 km
Ports: Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Hudiksvall, Kalmar, Karlshamn, Malmo, Solvesborg, Stockholm, Sundsvall
Merchant marine: total: 157 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,872,350 GRT/2,075,722 DWT ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 24, chemical tanker 25, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, oil tanker 31, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 37, short-sea passenger 8, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 12
Airports: total: 253 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 84 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 26 with paved runways under 914 m: 129 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4
@Sweden:Communications
Telephone system: 8,200,000 telephones; excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system local: NA intercity: coaxial and multiconductor cable carry most voice traffic; parallel microwave network carries TV, radio, and some additional telephone channels international: 5 submarine coaxial cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 EUTELSAT earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 360 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0 radios: 7 million
Television: broadcast stations: 880 (mostly repeaters) televisions: 3.5 million
@Sweden:Defense Forces
Branches: Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,133,420; males fit for military service 1,864,258; males reach military age (19) annually 52,937 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $5.4 billion, 2.4% of GDP (FY94/95)
________________________________________________________________________
SWITZERLAND
@Switzerland:Geography
Location: Central Europe, east of France
Map references: Europe
Area: total area: 41,290 sq km land area: 39,770 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries: total 1,852 km, Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Natural resources: hydropower potential, timber, salt
Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 40% forest and woodland: 26% other: 23%
Irrigated land: 250 sq km (1989)
Environment: current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions and open air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity natural hazards: avalanches, landslides, flash floods international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the highest elevations in Europe
@Switzerland:People
Population: 7,084,984 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17% (female 594,565; male 622,436) 15-64 years: 68% (female 2,375,792; male 2,448,213) 65 years and over: 15% (female 623,136; male 420,842) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.57% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 12.04 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.16 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.36 years male: 74.99 years female: 81.88 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Swiss (singular and plural) adjective: Swiss
Ethnic divisions: total population: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% Swiss nationals: German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 47.6%, Protestant 44.3%, other 8.1% (1980)
Languages: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 12%, Romansch 1%, other 4% note: figures for Swiss nationals only - German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) total population: 99%
Labor force: 3.48 million (900,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian) by occupation: services 50%, industry and crafts 34%, government 10%, agriculture and forestry 6% (1992)
@Switzerland:Government
Names: conventional long form: Swiss Confederation conventional short form: Switzerland local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German) Confederation Suisse (French) Confederazione Svizzera (Italian) local short form: Schweiz (German) Suisse (French) Svizzera (Italian)
Digraph: SZ
Type: federal republic
Capital: Bern
Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich
Independence: 1 August 1291
National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)
Constitution: 29 May 1874
Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President Kaspar VILLIGER (1995 calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President Jean-Pascal DELAMURAZ (term runs concurrently with that of president) cabinet: Federal Council (German - Bundesrat, French - Censeil Federal, Italian - Consiglio Federale); elected by the Federal Assembly from own members
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (German - Bundesversammlung, French - Assemblee Federale, Italian - Assemblea Federale) Council of States: German - Standerat, French - Conseil des Etats, Italian - Consiglio degli Stati; elections last held throughout 1991 (next to be held NA 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (46 total) FDP 18, CVP 16, SVP 4, SPS 3, LPS 3, LdU 1, Ticino League 1 National Council: German - Nationalrat, French - Conseil National, Italian - Consiglio Nazionale; elections last held 20 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (200 total) FDP 44, SPS 42, CVP 37, SVP 25, GPS 14, LPS 10, AP 8, LdU 6, SD 5, EVP 3, PdA 2, Ticino League 2, other 2
Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Free Democratic Party (FDP), Franz STEINEGGER, president; Social Democratic Party (SPS), Peter BODENMANN, president; Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Anton COTTIER, president; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans UHLMANN, president; Green Party (GPS), Verena DIENER, president; Freedom Party (FPS), Roland BORER, president; Liberal Party (LPS), Christoph EYMANN, president; Alliance of Independents' Party (LdU), Monica WEBER, president; Ticino League, Giuliano BIGNASCA, president; and other minor parties including the Automobile Party (AP), Swiss Democratic Party (SD), Workers' Party (PdA), and the Evangelical People's Party (EVP); note - see elections
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G- 8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNOMIG, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carlo JAGMETTI chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900 FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador M. Larry LAWRENCE embassy: Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [41] (31) 357 70 11 FAX: [41] (31) 357 73 44 branch office: Geneva consulate(s) general: Zurich
Flag: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag
@Switzerland:Economy
Overview: Switzerland's economy - one of the most prosperous and stable in the world - is nonetheless undergoing a stressful adjustment after both the inflationary boom of the late 1980s and the electorate's rejection of membership in the European Economic Area (EEA) in 1992. So far the decision to remain outside the European single market structure does not appear to have harmed Swiss interests. In December 1994, the Swiss began bilateral negotiations with the EU aimed at establishing closer ties in areas of mutual interest and progressing toward the free circulation of persons, goods, capital, and services between the two parties. The Swiss emerged from a three-year recession in mid-1993 and posted 1.8% GDP growth in 1994. The Swiss central bank's tight monetary policies brought inflation down from about 4% in 1992 to just under 1% in 1994. Unemployment has fallen slightly from 5.1% in 1993 to 4.7% in 1994. Swiss per capita output, living standards, education, and health care remain unsurpassed in Europe. The country has few mineral resources, but its spectacular natural beauty sustains a substantial tourism industry.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $148.4 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 1.8% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $22,080 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 4.7% (1994 est.)
Budget: revenues: $26.7 billion expenditures: $32 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)
Exports: $69.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment, precision instruments, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles and clothing partners: Western Europe 63.1% (EU countries 56%, other 7.1%), US 8.8%, Japan 3.4%
Imports: $68.2 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: agricultural products, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles, construction materials partners: Western Europe 79.2% (EU countries 72.3%, other 6.9%), US 6.4%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1993 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 15,430,000 kW production: 58 billion kWh consumption per capita: 6,699 kWh (1993)
Industries: machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments
Agriculture: dairy farming predominates; less than 50% self-sufficient in food; must import fish, refined sugar, fats and oils (other than butter), grains, eggs, fruits, vegetables, meat
Illicit drugs: money-laundering center
Economic aid: donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $3.5 billion
Currency: 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi
Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1 - 1.2880 (January 1995), 1.3677 (1994), 1.4776 (1993), 1.4062 (1992), 1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Switzerland:Transportation
Railroads: total: 5,763 km (1,432 km double track) standard gauge: 3,533 km 1.435-m gauge (99% electrified; 560 km nongovernment owned) narrow gauge: 1,094 km 1.000-m gauge (99% electrified; 1,020 km nongovernment owned) other: 1,136 km NA-m gauge (1994)
Highways: total: 71,118 km paved: 71,118 km (including 1,514 km of expressways)
Inland waterways: 65 km; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Bodensee); 12 navigable lakes
Pipelines: crude oil 314 km; natural gas 1,506 km
Ports: Basel
Merchant marine: total: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 374,935 GRT/669,353 DWT ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 2, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, specialized tanker 1
Airports: total: 69 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 4 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5 with paved runways under 914 m: 42 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Switzerland:Communications
Telephone system: 5,890,000 telephones; excellent domestic, international, and broadcast services local: NA intercity: extensive cable and microwave networks international: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean) earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 265, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 18 (repeaters 1,322) televisions: NA
@Switzerland:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force and Antiaircraft Command
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,847,639; males fit for military service 1,582,335; males reach military age (20) annually 41,831 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $4.1 billion, 1.4% of GDP (1995)
________________________________________________________________________
SYRIA
@Syria:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references: Middle East
Area: total area: 185,180 sq km land area: 184,050 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than North Dakota note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
Land boundaries: total 2,253 km, Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 41 nm territorial sea: 35 nm
International disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Hatay question with Turkey; ongoing dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; Syrian troops in northern Lebanon since October 1976
Climate: mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically hits Damascus
Terrain: primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum
Land use: arable land: 28% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 46% forest and woodland: 3% other: 20%
Irrigated land: 10,000 sq km (1992)
Environment: current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from dumping of raw sewage and wastes from petroleum refining; inadequate supplies of potable water natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms international agreements: party to - Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification, Environmental Modification
Note: there are 42 Jewish settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1994 est.)
@Syria:People
Population: 15,451,917 (July 1995 est.) note: in addition, there are 31,000 people living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 16,500 Arabs (15,000 Druze and 1,500 Alawites) and 14,500 Jewish settlers (August 1994 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 48% (female 3,639,776; male 3,826,154) 15-64 years: 49% (female 3,691,862; male 3,854,989) 65 years and over: 3% (female 219,251; male 219,885) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.71% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 43.21 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.07 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 41.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.81 years male: 65.67 years female: 68.01 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.55 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Syrian(s) adjective: Syrian
Ethnic divisions: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Languages: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French widely understood
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 64% male: 78% female: 51%
Labor force: 4.3 million (1994 est.) by occupation: miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%, industry and construction 32%; note - shortage of skilled labor (1984)
@Syria:Government
Names: conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic conventional short form: Syria local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah local short form: Suriyah former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)
Digraph: SY
Type: republic under leftwing military regime since March 1963
Capital: Damascus
Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus
Independence: 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
National holiday: National Day, 17 April (1946)
Constitution: 13 March 1973
Legal system: based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Hafiz al-ASAD (since 22 February 1971 see note); Vice Presidents 'Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM, Rif'at al-ASAD, and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984); election last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held NA December 1998); results - President Hafiz al-ASAD was reelected for a fourth seven-year term with 99.98% of the vote; note - President ASAD seized power in the November 1970 coup, assumed presidential powers 22 February 1971, and was confirmed as president in the 12 March 1971 national elections head of government: Prime Minister Mahmud ZU'BI (since 1 November 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Salim YASIN (since NA December 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Rashid AKHTARINI (since 4 July 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Council (Majlis al-Chaab): elections last held 24-25 August 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (250 total) National Progressive Front 167, independents 83
Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court, High Judicial Council, Court of Cassation, State Security Courts
Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Front includes: the ruling Arab Socialist Resurrectionist (Ba'th) Party, Hafiz al-ASAD, President of the Republic, Secretary General of the party, and Chairman of the National Progressive Front; Syrian Arab Socialist Party (ASP), 'Abd al-Ghani KANNUT; Arab Socialist Union (ASU), Jamal ATASSI; Syrian Communist Party (SCP), Khalid BAKDASH; Arab Socialist Unionist Movement, Sami SOUFAN; and Democratic Socialist Union Party, leader NA
Other political or pressure groups: non-Ba'th parties have little effective political influence; Communist party ineffective; conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood
Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Walid MUALEM chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313 FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street No. 2, Damascus mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus telephone: [963] (11) 333-2814, 714-108, 333-3788 FAX: [963] (11) 224-7938
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
@Syria:Economy
Overview: In 1990-93 Syria's state-dominated Ba'thist economy benefited from the Gulf war, increased oil production, good weather, and economic deregulation. Economic growth averaged roughly 10%. The Gulf war provided Syria an aid windfall of nearly $5 billion dollars from Arab, European, and Japanese donors. However, the benefits of the 1990-93 boom were not evenly distributed and the gap between rich and poor is widening. A nationwide financial scandal and increasing inflation were accompanied by a decline in GDP growth to 4% in 1994. For the long run, Syria's economy is still saddled with a large number of poorly performing public sector firms, and industrial productivity remains to be improved. Oil production is likely to fall off dramatically by the end of the decade. Unemployment will become a problem for the government when the more than 60% of the population under the age of 20 enter the labor force.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $74.4 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $5,000 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.3% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1993 est.)
Budget: NA
Exports: $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: petroleum 53%, textiles 22%, cotton, fruits and vegetables, wheat, barley, chickens partners: EC 48%, former CEMA countries 24%, Arab countries 18% (1991)
Imports: $4 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: foodstuffs 21%, metal products 17%, machinery 15% partners: EC 37%, former CEMA countries 15%, US and Canada 10% (1991)
External debt: $19.4 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 4,160,000 kW production: 13.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 865 kWh (1993)
Industries: textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, petroleum
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP and one-third of labor force; all major crops (wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas) grown mainly on rain-watered land causing wide swings in production; animal products - beef, lamb, eggs, poultry, milk; not self-sufficient in grain or livestock products
Illicit drugs: a transit country for Lebanese and Turkish refined cocaine going to Europe and heroin and hashish bound for regional and Western markets
Economic aid: recipient: no US aid; about $4.2 billion in loans and grants from Arab and Western donors 1990-92 as a result of Gulf war stance
Currency: 1 Syrian pound (#S) = 100 piastres
Exchange rates: Syrian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 11.2 (official fixed rate), 26.6 (blended rate used by the UN and diplomatic missions), 42.0 (neighboring country rate - applies to most state enterprise imports), 46.0 - 53.0 (offshore rate) (yearend 1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Syria:Transportation
Railroads: total: 1,998 km broad gauge: 1,766 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 232 km 1.050-m gauge
Highways: total: 31,569 km paved: 24,308 km (including 670 km of expressways) unpaved: 7,261 km
Inland waterways: 870 km; minimal economic importance
Pipelines: crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km
Ports: Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus
Merchant marine: total: 80 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 233,701 GRT/364,714 DWT ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 68, vehicle carrier 2
Airports: total: 107 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 5 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 67 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 3 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 15
@Syria:Communications
Telephone system: 512,600 telephones; 37 telephones/1,000 persons; fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber optic technology local: NA intercity: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network international: 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik earth station; 1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 1, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 17 televisions: NA
@Syria:Defense Forces
Branches: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces, Police and Security Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 3,440,030; males fit for military service 1,927,930; males reach military age (19) annually 159,942 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $2.2 billion, 6% of GDP (1992)
________________________________________________________________________
TAIWAN
@Taiwan:Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total area: 35,980 sq km land area: 32,260 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland and Delaware combined note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai) claimed by China and Taiwan
Climate: tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Terrain: eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
Natural resources: small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Land use: arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 55% other: 15%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; air pollution; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species natural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Marine Life Conservation
@Taiwan:People
Population: 21,500,583 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24% (female 2,543,134; male 2,665,878) 15-64 years: 68% (female 7,191,964; male 7,482,814) 65 years and over: 8% (female 734,535; male 882,258) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.93% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.33 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.71 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.47 years male: 72.17 years female: 78.93 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese
Ethnic divisions: Taiwanese 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%
Religions: mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 86% male: 93% female: 79%
Labor force: 7.9 million by occupation: industry and commerce 53%, services 22%, agriculture 15.6%, civil administration 7% (1989)
@Taiwan:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Taiwan local long form: none local short form: T'ai-wan
Digraph: TW
Type: multiparty democratic regime; opposition political parties legalized in March, 1989
Capital: Taipei
Administrative divisions: some of the ruling party in Taipei claim to be the government of all China; in keeping with that claim, the central administrative divisions include 2 provinces (sheng, singular and plural) and 2 municipalities* (shih, singular and plural) - Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province including Quemoy and Matsu), Kao-hsiung*, T'ai-pei*, and Taiwan (the island of Taiwan and the Pescadores islands); the more commonly referenced administrative divisions are those of Taiwan Province - 16 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5 municipalities* (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special municipalities** (chuan-shih, singular and plural); Chang-hua, Chia-i, Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung, Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-chung*, T'ai-nan, T'ai-nan*, T'ai-pei, T'ai-pei**, T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin; the provincial capital is at Chung-hsing-hsin-ts'un note: Taiwan uses the Wade-Giles system for romanization
National holiday: National Day, 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of the Revolution)
Constitution: 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, presently undergoing revision
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President LI Teng-hui (since 13 January 1988); Vice President LI Yuan-zu (since 20 May 1990) head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIEN Chan (since 23 February 1993); Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) HSU Li-teh (since 23 February 1993); presidential election last held 21 March 1990 (next election will probably be a direct popular election and will be held NA March 1996); results - President LI Teng-hui was reelected by the National Assembly; vice presidential election last held 21 March 1990; results - LI Yuan-zu was elected by the National Assembly cabinet: Executive Yuan; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan and unicameral National Assembly Legislative Yuan: elections last held 19 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1995); results - KMT 60%, DPP 31%, independents 9%; seats - (304 total, 161 elected) KMT 96, DPP 50, independents 15 National Assembly: first National Assembly elected in November 1946 with a supplementary election in December 1986; second and present National Assembly elected in December 1991; seats - (403 total) KMT 318, DPP 75, other 10; (next election to be held probably in 1996 and will be a direct popular election)
Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan
Political parties and leaders: Kuomintang (KMT, Nationalist Party), LI Teng-hui, chairman; Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), SHIH Ming-teh, chairman; Chinese New Party (CNP); Labor Party (LP)
Other political or pressure groups: Taiwan independence movement, various environmental groups note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization and the increased representation of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate on the island's national identity; advocates of Taiwan independence, both within the DPP and the ruling Kuomintang, oppose the ruling party's traditional stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland China; the aims of the Taiwan independence movement include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the UN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the World United Formosans for Independence and the Organization for Taiwan Nation Building
Member of: expelled from UN General Assembly and Security Council on 25 October 1971 and withdrew on same date from other charter-designated subsidiary organs; expelled from IMF/World Bank group April/May 1980; seeking to join GATT; attempting to retain membership in INTELSAT; suspended from IAEA in 1972, but still allows IAEA controls over extensive atomic development, APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, IOC, WCL
Diplomatic representation in US: none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through a private instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 10 other US cities
US diplomatic representation: unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of Taiwan are maintained through a private institution, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which has offices in Taipei at #7, Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, telephone [886] (2) 709-2000, and in Kao-hsiung at #2 Chung Cheng 3d Road, telephone [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, and the American Trade Center at Room 3207 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10548, telephone [886] (2) 720-1550
Flag: red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
@Taiwan:Economy
Overview: Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with considerable government guidance of investment and foreign trade and partial government ownership of some large banks and industrial firms. Real growth in GNP has averaged about 9% a year during the past three decades. Export growth has been even faster and has provided the impetus for industrialization. Inflation and unemployment are remarkably low. Agriculture contributes about 4% to GDP, down from 35% in 1952. Taiwan currently ranks as number 13 among major trading countries. Traditional labor-intensive industries are steadily being replaced with more capital- and technology-intensive industries. Taiwan has become a major investor in China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The tightening of labor markets has led to an influx of foreign workers, both legal and illegal.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $257 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 6% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $12,070 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.2% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1994)
Budget: revenues: $30.3 billion expenditures: $30.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
Exports: $93 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: electrical machinery 19.7%, electronic products 19.6%, textiles 10.9%, footwear 3.3%, foodstuffs 1.0%, plywood and wood products 0.9% (1993 est.) partners: US 27.6%, Hong Kong 21.7%, EC countries 15.2%, Japan 10.5% (1994 est.)
Imports: $85.1 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: machinery and equipment 15.7%, electronic products 15.6%, chemicals 9.8%, iron and steel 8.5%, crude oil 3.9%, foodstuffs 2.1% (1993 est.) partners: Japan 30.1%, US 21.7%, EC countries 17.6% (1993 est.)
External debt: $620 million (1992 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.5% (1994 est.); accounts for more than 40% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 21,460,000 kW production: 108 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,789 kWh (1993)
Industries: electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum refining
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP and 16% of labor force (includes part-time farmers); heavily subsidized sector; major crops - vegetables, rice, fruit, tea; livestock - hogs, poultry, beef, milk; not self-sufficient in wheat, soybeans, corn; fish catch increasing, reached 1.4 million metric tons in 1988
Illicit drugs: an important heroin transit point; also a major drug money laundering center
Economic aid: recipient: US, including Ex-Im (FY46-82), $4.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $500 million
Currency: 1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Taiwan dollars per US$1 - 26.2 (1994), 26.6 (1993), 25.4 (1992), 25.748 (1991), 27.108 (1990), 26.407 (1989)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Taiwan:Transportation
Railroads: total: 4,600 km; note - 1,075 km in common carrier service and about 3,525 km is dedicated to industrial use narrow gauge: 4,600 km 1.067-m
Highways: total: 20,041 km paved: bituminous, concrete pavement 17,095 km unpaved: crushed stone, gravel 2,371 km; graded earth 575 km
Pipelines: petroleum products 615 km; natural gas 97 km
Ports: Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung
Merchant marine: total: 198 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,635,682 GRT/8,652,111 DWT ships by type: bulk 55, cargo 30, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 1, container 78, oil tanker 17, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 12, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports: total: 41 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 8 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 6 with paved runways under 914 m: 8 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2
@Taiwan:Communications
Telephone system: 7,800,000 telephones; best developed system in Asia outside of Japan local: NA intercity: extensive microwave radio relay links on east and west coasts international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations; submarine cable links to Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 91, FM 23, shortwave 0 radios: 8.62 million
Television: broadcast stations: 15 (repeaters 13) televisions: 6.386 million (color 5,680,000, monochrome 706,000)
@Taiwan:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Military Police Command
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 6,293,884; males fit for military service 4,863,014; males reach military age (19) annually 201,191 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $9.8 billion, 3.4% of GDP (FY94/95); $9.77 billion proposed for FY95/96 budget
________________________________________________________________________
TAJIKISTAN
Note--Tajikistan has experienced three changes of government since it gained independence in September 1991. The current president, Emomali RAKHMONOV, was elected to the presidency in November 1994, yet has been in power since 1992. The country is suffering through its third year of a civil war, with no clear end in sight. Underlying the conflict are deeply-rooted regional and clan-based animosities that pit a government consisting of people primarily from the Kulob (Kulyab), Khujand (Leninabad), and Hisor (Hissar) regions against a secular and Islamic-led opposition from the Gharm, Gorno-Badakhshan, and Qurghonteppa (Kurgan-Tyube) regions. Government and opposition representatives have held periodic rounds of UN-mediated peace talks and agreed in September 1994 to a cease-fire. Russian-led peacekeeping troops are deployed throughout the country, and Russian border guards are stationed along the Tajik-Afghan border.
@Tajikistan:Geography
Location: Central Asia, west of China
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States - Central Asian States
Area: total area: 143,100 sq km land area: 142,700 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries: total 3,651 km, Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: boundary with China in dispute; territorial dispute with Kyrgyzstan on northern boundary in Isfara Valley area; Afghanistan's and other foreign support to Tajik rebels based in northern Afghanistan
Climate: midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain: Pamir and Altay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Natural resources: significant hydropower potential, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten
Land use: arable land: 6% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 23% forest and woodland: 0% other: 71%
Irrigated land: 6,940 sq km (1990)
Environment: current issues: inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides; part of the basin of the shrinking Aral Sea which suffers from severe overutilization of available water for irrigation and associated pollution natural hazards: NA international agreements: NA
Note: landlocked
@Tajikistan:People
Population: 6,155,474 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (female 1,303,627; male 1,340,086) 15-64 years: 53% (female 1,612,429; male 1,624,379) 65 years and over: 4% (female 157,841; male 117,112) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.6% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 34.06 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.58 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 60.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.03 years male: 66.11 years female: 72.1 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.55 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Tajik(s) adjective: Tajik
Ethnic divisions: Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of emigration), other 6.6%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 5%
Languages: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97%
Labor force: 1.95 million (1992) by occupation: agriculture and forestry 43%, government and services 24%, industry 14%, trade and communications 11%, construction 8% (1990)
@Tajikistan:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan conventional short form: Tajikistan local long form: Jumhurii Tojikistan local short form: none former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph: TI
Type: republic
Capital: Dushanbe
Administrative divisions: 2 oblasts (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and one autonomous oblast* (viloyati avtonomii); Viloyati Avtonomii Badakhshoni Kuni* (Khorugh - formerly Khorog), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa - formerly Kurgan-Tyube), Viloyati Leninobad (Khujand - formerly Leninabad) note: the administrative center names are in parentheses
Independence: 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: National Day, 9 September (1991)
Constitution: new constitution adopted 6 November 1994
Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Emomili RAKHMONOV (since 6 November 1994; was Head of State and Assembly Chairman since NA November 1992); election last held 6 November 1994 (next to be held NA 1998); results - Emomili RAKHMONOV 58%, Abdumalik ABDULLAJANOV 40% head of government: Prime Minister Jamshed KARIMOV (since 2 December 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Soviet: elections last held 26 February 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; estimated seats - (181 total) Communist Party and affiliates 100, Popular Party 10, Party of Political and Economic Progress 1, Party of Popular Unity 6, other 64
Judicial branch: Prosecutor General
Political parties and leaders: Communist Party (People's Party of Tajikistan - PPT), Abdumalik ABDULAJANOV; Party of Economic Freedom (PEF), Abdumalik ABDULAJANOV; Tajik Socialist Party (TSP), Shodi SHABDOLOV; Tajik Democratic Party (TDP), Abdu-Nabi SATARZADE, chairman; note - suspended for six months; Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP), Sayed Abdullo NURI, chairman; Rebirth (Rastokhez), Takhir ABDUZHABOROV; Lali Badakhshan Society, Atobek AMIRBEK; People's Democratic Party (PDP), Abdujalil HAMIDOV, chairman; Tajikistan Party of Economic and Political Renewal (TPEPR), Mukhtor BOBOYEV note: all the above-listed parties except the Communist Party, the Party of National Unity, and the People's Party were banned in June 1993
Other political or pressure groups: Tajikistan Opposition Movement based in northern Afghanistan
Member of: CIS, EBRD, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: NA chancery: NA telephone: NA
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley T. ESCUDERO embassy: Interim Chancery, #39 Ainii Street, Oktyabrskaya Hotel, Dushanbe mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (3772) 21-03-56
Flag: three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a crown surmounted by seven five-pointed stars is located in the center of the white stripe
@Tajikistan:Economy
Overview: Tajikistan had the next-to-lowest per capita GDP in the former USSR, the highest rate of population growth, and an extremely low standard of living. Agriculture dominates the economy, cotton being the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry is limited to a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food processing. The Tajik economy has been gravely weakened by three years of civil war and by the loss of subsidies and markets for its products, which has left Tajikistan dependent on Russia and Uzbekistan and on international humanitarian assistance for much of its basic subsistence needs. Moreover, constant political turmoil and the continued dominance by former Communist officials have impeded the introduction of meaningful economic reforms. In the meantime, Tajikistan's efforts to adopt the Russian ruble as its domestic currency despite Russia's unwillingness to supply sufficient rubles left the country in a severe monetary crisis throughout 1994, keeping inflation low but leaving workers and pensioners unpaid for months at a time. The government has announced plans to introduce its own currency in 1995 to help resolve the problem.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $8.5 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product real growth rate: -12% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $1,415 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 1.5% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and unregistered unemployed people (September 1994)
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $320 million to outside the FSU countries (1994) commodities: cotton, aluminum, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles partners: Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan
Imports: $318 million from outside the FSU countries (1994) commodities: fuel, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs partners: Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate -31% (1994)
Electricity: capacity: 3,800,000 kW production: 17 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,800 kWh (1994)
Industries: aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers
Agriculture: cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep and goats
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; used as transshipment points for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America
Economic aid: recipient: Russia and Uzbekistan reportedly provided substantial general assistance throughout 1993 and 1994; Western aid and credits promised through the end of 1993 were $700 million but disbursements were only $104 million; large scale development loans await IMF approval of a reform and stabilization plan
Currency: 1 ruble (R) = 100 kopeks; Tajikistan uses the Russian ruble as its currency by agreement with Russia; government has plans to introduce its own currency, the Tajik ruble, in 1995
Exchange rates: NA
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Tajikistan:Transportation
Railroads: total: 480 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways: total: 29,900 km paved: 21,400 km unpaved: earth 8,500 km (1990)
Pipelines: natural gas 400 km (1992)
Ports: none
Airports: total: 59 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 36
@Tajikistan:Communications
Telephone system: 303,000 telephones (December 1991); about 55 telephones/1,000 persons (1991); poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns are not reached by the national network local: NA intercity: cable and microwave radio relay international: linked by cable and microwave to other CIS republics, and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by INTELSAT to international gateway switch in Ankara; 1 Orbita and 2 INTELSAT earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA note: 1 INTELSAT earth station provides TV receive-only service from Turkey
@Tajikistan:Defense Forces
Branches: Army (being formed), National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,410,229; males fit for military service 1,153,638; males reach military age (18) annually 57,942 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
TANZANIA
@Tanzania:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 945,090 sq km land area: 886,040 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than twice the size of California note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
Land boundaries: total 3,402 km, Burundi 451 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
Coastline: 1,424 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: boundary dispute with Malawi in Lake Nyasa; Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Terrain: plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
Natural resources: hydropower potential, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Land use: arable land: 5% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 40% forest and woodland: 47% other: 7%
Irrigated land: 1,530 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture natural hazards: the tsetse fly and lack of water limit agriculture; flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification
Note: Mount Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa
@Tanzania:People
Population: 28,701,077 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 47% (female 6,724,575; male 6,676,652) 15-64 years: 50% (female 7,462,615; male 7,027,551) 65 years and over: 3% (female 425,211; male 384,473) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.55% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 45.25 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 19.81 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: in February 1995, a fresh influx of refugees from civil strife in Burundi brought the total number of Burundian refugees in Tanzania to about 60,000; in addition, since April 1994 more than a half million refugees from Rwanda have taken refuge in Tanzania to escape civil strife in Rwanda
Infant mortality rate: 109 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 42.53 years male: 40.88 years female: 44.22 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.15 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Tanzanian(s) adjective: Tanzanian
Ethnic divisions: mainland: native African 99% (consisting of well over 100 tribes), Asian, European, and Arab 1% Zanzibar: NA
Religions: mainland: Christian 45%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 20% Zanzibar: Muslim 99% plus
Languages: Swahili (official; widely understood and generally used for communication between ethnic groups and is used in primary education), English (official; primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education) note: first language of most people is one of the local languages
Literacy: age 15 and over has ability to read and write a letter or message in Kisahili (1988) total population: 59% male: 71% female: 48%
Labor force: 732,200 wage earners by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 10% (1986 est.)
@Tanzania:Government
Names: conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania conventional short form: Tanzania former: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Digraph: TZ
Type: republic
Capital: Dar es Salaam note: some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital by the end of the 1990s
Administrative divisions: 25 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar Urban/West, Ziwa Magharibi
Independence: 26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from UN trusteeship under British administration); Zanzibar became independent 19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964
National holiday: Union Day, 26 April (1964)
Constitution: 25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ali Hassan MWINYI (since 5 November 1985); First Vice President Cleopa MSUYA (since 5 December 1994); Second Vice President and President of Zanzibar Salmin AMOUR (since 9 November 1990) election last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held 29 October 1995); results - Ali Hassan MWINYI was elected without opposition head of government: Prime Minister Cleopa David MSUYA (since 7 December 1994) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president from the National Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Bunge): elections last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held 29 October 1995); results - CCM was the only party; seats - (241 total, 168 elected) CCM 168
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
Political parties and leaders: Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM or Revolutionary Party), Ali Hassan MWINYI; Civic United Front (CUF), James MAPALALA; National Convention for Construction and Reform (NCCR), Lyatonga (Augustine) MREMA; Union for Multiparty Democracy (UMD), Abdullah FUNDIKIRA; Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), Edwin I. M. MTEI, chairman; Democratic Party (unregistered), Reverend MTIKLA
Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, FLS, G- 6, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles Musama NYIRABU chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6125 FAX: [1] (202) 797-7408
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Brady ANDERSON embassy: 36 Laibon Road (off Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Salaam mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam telephone: [255] (51) 66010 through 66015 FAX: [255] (51) 66701
Flag: divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is blue
@Tanzania:Economy
Overview: Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 58% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops to only 5% of the land area. Industry accounts for 8% of GDP and is mainly limited to processing agricultural products and light consumer goods. The economic recovery program announced in mid-1986 has generated notable increases in agricultural production and financial support for the program by bilateral donors. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure. Growth in 1991-94 has featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantial increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Recent banking reforms have helped increase private sector growth and investment.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $21 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $750 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $495 million expenditures: $631 million, including capital expenditures of $118 million (1990 est.)
Exports: $462 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: coffee, cotton, tobacco, tea, cashew nuts, sisal partners: Germany, UK, Japan, Netherlands, Kenya, Hong Kong, US
Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, cotton piece goods, crude oil, foodstuffs partners: Germany, UK, US, Japan, Italy, Denmark
External debt: $6.7 billion (1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 9.3% (1990); accounts for 8% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 440,000 kW production: 880 million kWh consumption per capita: 30 kWh (1993)
Industries: primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond and gold mining, oil refining, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer
Agriculture: accounts for about 58% of GDP; cash crops - coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashews, tobacco, cloves (Zanzibar); food crops - corn, wheat, cassava, bananas, fruits, vegetables; small numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food grain production
Illicit drugs: growing role in transshipment of Southwest Asian heroin destined for European and US markets
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $400 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $9.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $44 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $614 million
Currency: 1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1 - 523.40 (December 1994), 509.63 (1994), 405.27 (1993), 297.71 (1992), 219.16 (1991), 195.06 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Tanzania:Transportation
Railroads: total: 2,600 km; note - not a part of Tanzania Railways Corporation is the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), which operates 1,860 km of 1.067-m narrow gauge track between Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri M'poshi in Zambia; 969 km are in Tanzania and 891 km are in Zambia; because of the difference in gauge, this system does not connect to Tanzania Railways narrow gauge: 2,600 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways: total: 81,900 km paved: 3,600 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 5,600 km; improved, unimproved earth 72,700 km
Inland waterways: Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa
Pipelines: crude oil 982 km
Ports: Bukoba, Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Lindi, Mkoani, Mtwara, Musoma, Mwanza, Tanga, Wete, Zanzibar
Merchant marine: total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 29,145 GRT/39,186 DWT ships by type: cargo 3, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports: total: 108 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 30 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 16 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 51
@Tanzania:Communications
Telephone system: 103,800 telephones; fair system operating below capacity local: NA intercity: open wire, microwave radio relay, troposcatter international: 2 satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 2 televisions: NA
@Tanzania:Defense Forces
Branches: Tanzanian People's Defense Force (TPDF; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary Police Field Force Unit, Militia
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 6,188,455; males fit for military service 3,584,912 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $69 million, NA% of GDP (FY94/95)
________________________________________________________________________
THAILAND
@Thailand:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total area: 514,000 sq km land area: 511,770 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Land boundaries: total 4,863 km, Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km
Coastline: 3,219 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: boundary dispute with Laos; unresolved maritime boundary with Vietnam; parts of border with Thailand in dispute; maritime boundary with Thailand not clearly defined
Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
Terrain: central plain; Khorat plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere
Natural resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite
Land use: arable land: 34% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 30% other: 31%
Irrigated land: 42,300 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting natural hazards: land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea
Note: controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
@Thailand:People
Population: 60,271,300 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29% (female 8,545,362; male 8,866,271) 15-64 years: 66% (female 19,733,773; male 20,185,392) 65 years and over: 5% (female 1,636,426; male 1,304,076) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.24% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 18.87 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.48 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 35.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.42 years male: 64.94 years female: 72.08 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.04 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Thai (singular and plural) adjective: Thai
Ethnic divisions: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions: Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)
Languages: Thai, English the secondary language of the elite, ethnic and regional dialects
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 93% male: 96% female: 91%
Labor force: 30.87 million by occupation: agriculture 62%, industry 13%, commerce 11%, services (including government) 14% (1989 est.)
@Thailand:Government
Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand conventional short form: Thailand
Digraph: TH
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Bangkok
Administrative divisions: 76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural); Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon, Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon
Independence: 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty the King, 5 December (1927)
Constitution: new constitution approved 7 December 1991; amended 10 June 1992
Legal system: based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; martial law in effect since 23 February 1991 military coup
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946); Heir Apparent Crown Prince WACHIRALONGKON (born 28 July 1952) head of government: Prime Minister CHUAN Likphai (since 23 September 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers Privy Council: NA
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Rathasatha) Senate (Vuthisatha): consists of a 270-member appointed body House of Representatives (Saphaphoothan-Rajsadhorn): elections last held 13 September 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (360 total) DP 79, TNP 77, NDP 60, NAP 51, Phalang Tham 47, SAP 22, LDP 8, SP 8, Mass Party 4, Thai Citizen's Party 3, People's Party 1, People's Force Party 0
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sarndika)
Political parties and leaders: Democrat Party (DP), CHUAN Likphai; Thai Nation Party (TNP or Chat Thai Party), Banhan SINLAPA-ACHA; National Development Party (NDP or Chat Phattana), Chatchai CHUNHAWAN; New Aspiration Party (NAP), Gen. Chawalit YONGCHAIYUT; Phalang Tham (Palang Dharma), CHAMLONG Simuang; Social Action Party (SAP), Montri PHONGPHANIT; Liberal Democratic Party (LDP or Seri Tham), Athit URAIRAT; Solidarity Party (SP), Uthai PHIMCHAICHON; Mass Party (Muanchon), Pol. Cpt. Choem YUBAMRUNG; Thai Citizen's Party (Prachakon Thai), Samak SUNTHONWET; People's Party (Ratsadon), Chaiphak SIRIWAT; People's Force Party (Phalang Prachachon), Col. Sophon HANCHAREON
Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador MANATPHAT Chuto chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600 FAX: [1] (202) 944-3611 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador David F. LAMBERTSON embassy: 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok mailing address: APO AP 96546 telephone: [66] (2) 252-5040 FAX: [66] (2) 254-2990 consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai consulate(s): Udorn (Udon Thani)
Flag: five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red
@Thailand:Economy
Overview: Thailand's economy recovered rapidly from the political unrest in May 1992 to post an impressive 7.5% growth rate for the year, 7.8% in 1993, and 8% in 1994. One of the more advanced developing countries in Asia, Thailand depends on exports of manufactures and the development of the service sector to fuel the country's rapid growth. Much of Thailand's recent imports have been for capital equipment, suggesting that the export sector is poised for further growth. With foreign investment slowing, Bangkok is working to increase the generation of domestic capital. Prime Minister CHUAN's government - Thailand's fifth government in less than three years - is pledged to continue Bangkok's probusiness policies, and the return of a democratically elected government has improved business confidence. Even so, CHUAN must overcome divisions within his ruling coalition to complete much needed infrastructure development programs if Thailand is to remain an attractive place for business investment. Over the longer-term, Bangkok must produce more college graduates with technical training and upgrade workers' skills to continue its rapid economic development.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $355.2 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 8% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $5,970 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3.2% (1993 est.)
Budget: revenues: $28.4 billion expenditures: $28.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $9.6 billion (FY94/95 est.)
Exports: $46 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery and manufactures 83%, agricultural products and fisheries 16%, others 1% (1994 est.) partners: US 22%, Japan 17%, Singapore 12%, Hong Kong 5%, Germany 4% (1993)
Imports: $52.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: capital goods 44%, intermediate goods and raw materials 37%, consumer goods 16%, other 3% (1994 est.) partners: Japan 30%, US 12%, Singapore 6%, Germany 5%, Taiwan 5% (1993)
External debt: $64.3 billion (1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 11.5% (1993 est.); accounts for about 26% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 12,810,000 kW production: 56.8 billion kWh consumption per capita: 909 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism is the largest source of foreign exchange; textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing, such as jewelry; electric appliances and components, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics; world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GDP and 62% of labor force; leading producer and exporter of rice and cassava (tapioca); other crops - rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans; except for wheat, self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: a minor producer of opium and marijuana; major illicit transit point for heroin, particularly from Burma and Laos, for the international drug market; eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication efforts; also a major drug money laundering center; rapidly growing role in amphetamine production for regional consumption; increasing indigenous abuse of heroin and cocaine
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $870 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $8.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million
Currency: 1 baht (B) = 100 satang
Exchange rates: baht (B) per US$1 - 25.074 (January 1995), 25.150 (1994), 25.319 (1993), 25.400 (1992), 25.517 (1991), 25.585 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
@Thailand:Transportation
Railroads: total: 3,940 km narrow gauge: 3,940 km 1.000-m gauge (99 km double track)
Highways: total: 77,697 km paved: 35,855 km (including 88 km of expressways) unpaved: gravel, other stabilization 14,092 km; earth 27,750 km (1988)
Inland waterways: 3,999 km principal waterways; 3,701 km with navigable depths of 0.9 m or more throughout the year; numerous minor waterways navigable by shallow-draft native craft
Pipelines: petroleum products 67 km; natural gas 350 km
Ports: Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha, Songkhla
Merchant marine: total: 229 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,231,172 GRT/1,931,117 DWT ships by type: bulk 22, cargo 122, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, container 15, liquefied gas tanker 9, oil tanker 45, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 7, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1
Airports: total: 105 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 6 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 23 with paved runways under 914 m: 42 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14
@Thailand:Communications
Telephone system: 739,500 telephones (1987); service to general public inadequate; bulk of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and microwave radio relay network local: NA intercity: microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic satellite system being developed international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 200 (in government-controlled network), FM 100 (in government-controlled network), shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 11 (in government-controlled network) televisions: NA
@Thailand:Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (includes Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force, Paramilitary Forces
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 17,297,854; males fit for military service 10,489,564; males reach military age (18) annually 585,009 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $4.0 billion, 2.5% of GNP (FY94/95)
________________________________________________________________________
TOGO
@Togo:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Benin and Ghana
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 56,790 sq km land area: 54,390 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total 1,647 km, Benin 644 km, Burkina 126 km, Ghana 877 km
Coastline: 56 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 30 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Terrain: gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Natural resources: phosphates, limestone, marble
Land use: arable land: 25% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 28% other: 42%
Irrigated land: 70 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; recent droughts affecting agriculture natural hazards: hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Tropical Timber 94
@Togo:People
Population: 4,410,370 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 49% (female 1,069,171; male 1,079,999) 15-64 years: 49% (female 1,121,685; male 1,043,000) 65 years and over: 2% (female 51,392; male 45,123) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.58% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 46.78 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 11.01 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 86.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 57.42 years male: 55.29 years female: 59.6 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.83 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Togolese (singular and plural) adjective: Togolese
Ethnic divisions: 37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabye, European and Syrian-Lebanese under 1%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 70%, Christian 20%, Muslim 10%
Languages: French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Dagomba and Kabye (the two major African languages in the north)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 43% male: 56% female: 31%
Labor force: NA by occupation: agriculture 80% note: about 88,600 wage earners, evenly divided between public and private sectors
@Togo:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Togo conventional short form: Togo local long form: Republique Togolaise local short form: none former: French Togo
Digraph: TO
Type: republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Capital: Lome
Administrative divisions: 23 circumscriptions (circonscriptions, singular - circonscription); Amlame (Amou), Aneho (Lacs), Atakpame (Ogou), Badou (Wawa), Bafilo (Assoli), Bassar (Bassari), Dapango (Tone), Kande (Keran), Klouto (Kloto), Pagouda (Binah), Lama-Kara (Kozah), Lome (Golfe), Mango (Oti), Niamtougou (Doufelgou), Notse (Haho), Pagouda, Sotouboua, Tabligbo (Yoto), Tchamba, Nyala, Tchaoudjo, Tsevie (Zio), Vogan (Vo) note: the 23 units may now be called prefectures (singular - prefecture) and reported name changes for individual units are included in parentheses
Independence: 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 April (1960)
Constitution: multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992; adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992
Legal system: French-based court system
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch: chief of state: President Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA (since 14 April 1967); election last held 25 August 1993 (next election to be held NA 1998); all major opposition parties boycotted the election; Gen. EYADEMA won 96.5% of the vote head of government: Prime Minister Edem KODJO (since April 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly: elections last held 6 and 20 February 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (81 total) CAR 36, RPT 35, UTD 7, UJD 2, CFN 1 note: the Supreme Court ordered new elections for 3 seats of the Action Committee for Renewal (CAR) and the Togolese Union for Democracy (UTD), lowering their total to 34 and 6 seats, respectively; the remaining 3 seats have not been filled
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel), Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: Rally of the Togolese People (RPT), President Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA; Coordination des Forces Nouvelles (CFN), Joseph KOFFIGOH; The Togolese Union for Democracy (UTD), Edem KODJO; The Action Committee for Renewal (CAR), Yao AGBOYIBOR; The Union for Democracy and Solidarity (UDS), Antoine FOLLY; The Pan-African Sociodemocrats Group (GSP), an alliance of three radical parties: The Democratic Convention of African Peoples (CDPA), Leopold GNININVI; The Party for Democracy and Renewal (PDR), Zarifou AYEVA; The Pan-African Social Party (PSP), Francis AGBAGLI; The Union of Forces for Change (UFC), Gilchrist OLYMPIO (in exile); Union of Justice and Democracy (UJD), Lal TAXPANDJAN note: Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) led by President EYADEMA was the only party until the formation of multiple parties was legalized 12 April 1991
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Edem Frederic HEGBE chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Johnny YOUNG (since September 1994) embassy: Rue Pelletier Caventou and Rue Vauban, Lome mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome telephone: [228] 21 77 17, 21 29 91 through 21 29 94 FAX: [228] 21 79 52
Flag: five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
@Togo:Economy
Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about half of GDP and provides employment for 80% of the labor force. Primary agricultural exports are cocoa, coffee, and cotton, which together generate about 30% of total export earnings. Togo is self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs when harvests are normal. In the industrial sector phosphate mining is by far the most important activity, although it has suffered from the collapse of world phosphate prices and increased foreign competition. Togo serves as a regional commercial and trade center. The government's decade-long IMF and World Bank supported effort to implement economic reform measures to encourage foreign investment and bring revenues in line with expenditures has stalled. Political unrest, including private and public sector strikes throughout 1992 and 1993, has jeopardized the reform program, shrunk the tax base, and disrupted vital economic activity. Although strikes had ended in 1994, political unrest and lack of funds prevented the government from taking advantage of the 50% currency devaluation of January 1994. Resumption of World Bank and IMF flows will depend on implementation of several controversial moves toward privatization and on downsizing the military, on which the regime depends to stay in power.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.5% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $284 million expenditures: $407 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
Exports: $221 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: phosphates, cotton, cocoa, coffee partners: EC 40%, Africa 16%, US 1% (1990)
Imports: $292 million (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: machinery and equipment, consumer goods, food, chemical products partners: EC 57%, Africa 17%, US 5%, Japan 4% (1990)
External debt: $1.3 billion (1991)
Industrial production: growth rate 9% (1991 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 30,000 kW production: 60 million kWh consumption per capita: 83 kWh (1993)
Industries: phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages
Agriculture: accounts for 49% of GDP; cash crops - coffee, cocoa, cotton; food crops - yams, cassava, corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock production not significant; annual fish catch of 10,000-14,000 tons
Illicit drugs: increasingly used as transit hub by heroin traffickers
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $142 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $51 million
Currency: 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) note: the official rate is pegged to the French franc, and beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Togo:Transportation
Railroads: total: 532 km narrow gauge: 532 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways: total: 6,462 km paved: 1,762 km unpaved: unimproved earth 4,700 km
Inland waterways: 50 km Mono River
Ports: Kpeme, Lome
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 9 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5
@Togo:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; fair system based on network of radio relay routes supplemented by open wire lines local: NA intercity: microwave radio relay and open wire lines international: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 3 (relays 2) televisions: NA
@Togo:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 936,270; males fit for military service 491,578 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $48 million, 2.9% of GDP (1993)
________________________________________________________________________
TOKELAU
(territory of New Zealand)
@Tokelau:Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references: Oceania
Area: total area: 10 sq km land area: 10 sq km comparative area: about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 101 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)
Terrain: coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand natural hazards: lies in Pacific typhoon belt international agreements: NA
@Tokelau:People
Population: 1,503 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: -1.3% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman
Nationality: noun: Tokelauan(s) adjective: Tokelauan
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian
Religions: Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2% note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant
Languages: Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English
Labor force: NA
@Tokelau:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tokelau
Digraph: TL
Type: territory of New Zealand
Capital: none; each atoll has its own administrative center
Administrative divisions: none (territory of New Zealand)
Independence: none (territory of New Zealand)
National holiday: Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand)
Constitution: administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970
Legal system: British and local statutes
Suffrage: NA
Executive branch: Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) Head of Government: Administrator Graham ANSELL (since NA 1990; appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in New Zealand); Official Secretary Casimilo J. PEREZ (since NA), Office of Tokelau Affairs; Tokelau's governing Council will elect its first head of government
Legislative branch: unicameral Council of Elders (Taupulega) on each atoll
Judicial branch: High Court in Niue, Supreme Court in New Zealand
Political parties and leaders: NA
Member of: SPC, WHO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in US: none (territory of New Zealand)
US diplomatic representation: none (territory of New Zealand)
Flag: the flag of New Zealand is used
@Tokelau:Economy
Overview: Tokelau's small size, isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people must rely on aid from New Zealand to maintain public services, annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.5 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $1,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $430,830 expenditures: $2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $37,300 (1987 est.)
Exports: $98,000 (f.o.b., 1983) commodities: stamps, copra, handicrafts partners: NZ
Imports: $323,400 (c.i.f., 1983) commodities: foodstuffs, building materials, fuel partners: NZ
External debt: $0
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 200 kW production: 300,000 kWh consumption per capita: 180 kWh (1990)
Industries: small-scale enterprises for copra production, wood work, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing
Agriculture: coconuts, copra; basic subsistence crops - breadfruit, papaya, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats
Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $24 million
Currency: 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.5601 (January 1995), 1.6844 (1994), 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992), l.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Tokelau:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: NA paved: NA unpaved: NA
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine: none
Airports: none; lagoon landings by amphibious aircraft from Western Samoa
@Tokelau:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones local: NA intercity: radiotelephone service between islands international: radiotelephone service to Western Samoa
Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA
@Tokelau:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
________________________________________________________________________
TONGA
@Tonga:Geography
Location: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references: Oceania
Area: total area: 748 sq km land area: 718 sq km comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 419 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
Terrain: most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Natural resources: fish, fertile soil
Land use: arable land: 25% permanent crops: 55% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 12% other: 2%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations natural hazards: cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou international agreements: party to - Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban
Note: archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)
@Tonga:People
Population: 105,600 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 0.78% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 24.37 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.75 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -9.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.16 years male: 65.8 years female: 70.62 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.56 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Tongan(s) adjective: Tongan
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, Europeans about 300
Religions: Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)
Languages: Tongan, English
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write simple message in Tongan or English (1976) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%
Labor force: NA by occupation: agriculture 70%, mining (600 engaged in mining)
@Tonga:Government
Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga conventional short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands
Digraph: TN
Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Nuku'alofa
Administrative divisions: three island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u
Independence: 4 June 1970 (emancipation from UK protectorate)
National holiday: Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
Constitution: 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967
Legal system: based on English law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965) head of government: Prime Minister Baron VAEA (since 22 August 1991); Deputy Prime Minister S. Langi KAVALIKU (since 22 August 1991) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the king Privy Council: consists of the king and the cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral; consists of twelve cabinet ministers sitting ex-officio, nine nobles selected by the country's thirty-three nobles, and nine people's representatives elected by the populace Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea): elections last held 3-4 February 1993 (next to be held NA February 1996); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (30 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3 traditionalist
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Tonga People's Party, Viliami FUKOFUKA
Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US: Ambassador Sione KITE, resides in London consulate(s) general: San Francisco
US diplomatic representation: the US has no offices in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga
Flag: red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
@Tonga:Economy
Overview: The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the labor force and contributes 40% to GDP. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The manufacturing sector accounts for only 11% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings, but the country also remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to offset its trade deficit. The economy continued to grow in 1993-94 largely because of a rise in squash exports, increased aid flows, and several large construction projects. The government is now turning its attention to further development of the private sector and the reduction of the budget deficit.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $214 million (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $2,050 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1993)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $36.4 million expenditures: $68.1 million, including capital expenditures of $33.2 million (1991 est.)
Exports: $11.3 million (f.o.b., FY92/93) commodities: squash, vanilla, fish, root crops, coconut oil partners: Japan 34%, US 17%, Australia 13%, NZ 13% (FY90/91)
Imports: $56 million (c.i.f., FY92/93) commodities: food products, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels, chemicals partners: NZ 33%, Australia 22%, US 8%, Japan 8% (FY90/91)
External debt: $47.5 million (FY90/91)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% (FY91/92); accounts for 11% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 6,000 kW production: 30 million kWh consumption per capita: 231 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $258 million
Currency: 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.2653 (January 1995), 1.3202 (1994), 1.3841 (1993), 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961 (1991), 1.2800 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Tonga:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 366 km paved: 272 km (198 km on Tongatapu; 74 km on Vava'u) unpaved: 94 km (usable only in dry weather)
Ports: Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,440 GRT/8,984 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports: total: 6 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
@Tonga:Communications
Telephone system: 3,529 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: 66,000
Television: broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA
@Tonga:Defense Forces
Branches: Tonga Defense Services, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines, Tongan Royal Guards, Police
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
@Trinidad And Tobago:Geography
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total area: 5,130 sq km land area: 5,130 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 362 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Terrain: mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Land use: arable land: 14% permanent crops: 17% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 44% other: 23%
Irrigated land: 220 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion natural hazards: outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity
@Trinidad And Tobago:People
Population: 1,271,159 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 31% (female 191,627; male 198,225) 15-64 years: 64% (female 399,726; male 407,495) 65 years and over: 5% (female 40,577; male 33,509) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.12% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 16.62 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.88 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -8.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 18.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.14 years male: 67.75 years female: 72.6 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Ethnic divisions: black 43%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%
Languages: English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 97% male: 98% female: 96%
Labor force: 463,900 by occupation: construction and utilities 18.1%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14.8%, agriculture 10.9%, other 56.2% (1985 est.)
@Trinidad And Tobago:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago
Digraph: TD
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port-of-Spain
Administrative divisions: 8 counties, 3 municipalities*, and 1 ward**; Arima*, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva, Port-of-Spain*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria
Independence: 31 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1962)
Constitution: 1 August 1976
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING (since 17 December 1991) cabinet: Cabinet; responsible to parliament
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: consists of a 31-member body appointed by the president House of Representatives: elections last held 16 December 1991 (next to be held by December 1996); results - PNM 32%, UNC 13%, NAR 2%; seats - (36 total) PNM 21, UNC 13, NAR 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Selby WILSON; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH; National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA; Republican Party, Nello MITCHELL; National Development Party (NDP), Carson CHARLES; Movement for Unity and Progress (MUP), Hulsie BHAGGAN
Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Corinne Averille McKNIGHT chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490 FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130 consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Brian DONNELLY (since September 1994) embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: [1] (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176 FAX: [1] (809) 628-5462
Flag: red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side
@Trinidad And Tobago:Economy
Overview: Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy still enjoys a high per capita income by Latin American standards, even though output and living standards are substantially below the boom years of 1973-82. The country suffers from widespread unemployment, large foreign-debt payments, and periods of low international oil prices. The government has begun to make progress in its efforts to diversify exports and to liberalize its trade regime, making 1994 the first year of substantial growth since the early 1980s.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $15 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $11,280 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.1% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 18.1% (1994 )
Budget: revenues: $1.6 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $158 million (1993 est.)
Exports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers partners: US 44%, CARICOM 15%, Latin America 9%, EC 5% (1993)
Imports: $996 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals partners: US 43%, Venezuela 10%, UK 8%, other EC 8% (1993)
External debt: $2 billion (1994)
Industrial production: growth rate 1% (1994 est.); accounts for 39% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity: capacity: 1,150,000 kW production: 3.9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,740 kWh (1993)
Industries: petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles
Agriculture: accounts for 3% of GDP; major crops - cocoa, sugarcane; sugarcane acreage is being shifted into rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry sector most important source of animal protein; must import large share of food needs
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe and producer of cannabis
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $373 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million
Currency: 1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 5.8758 (January 1995), 5.9160 (1994), 5.3511 (1993), 4.2500 (fixed rate 1989-1992); note - effective 13 April 1993, the exchange rate of the TT dollar is market-determined as opposed to the prior fixed relationship to the US dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Trinidad And Tobago:Transportation
Railroads: note: minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando
Highways: total: 8,000 km paved: 4,000 km unpaved: improved earth 1,000 km; unimproved earth 3,000 km
Pipelines: crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km
Ports: Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora
Merchant marine: total: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,507 GRT/21,923 DWT
Airports: total: 6 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Trinidad And Tobago:Communications
Telephone system: 109,000 telephones; excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados and Guyana; good local service local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; linked to Barbados and Guyana by tropospheric scatter system
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 5 televisions: NA
@Trinidad And Tobago:Defense Forces
Branches: Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 347,841; males fit for military service 249,904 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $83 million, 1.5% of GDP (1994)
________________________________________________________________________
TROMELIN ISLAND
(possession of France)
@Tromelin Island:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 1 sq km land area: 1 sq km comparative area: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 3.7 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: claimed by Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles
Climate: tropical
Terrain: sandy
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% (scattered bushes)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km
Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: NA international agreements: NA
Note: climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones; wildlife sanctuary
@Tromelin Island:People
Population: uninhabited
@Tromelin Island:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tromelin Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Tromelin
Digraph: TE
Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion
Capital: none; administered by France from Reunion
Independence: none (possession of France)
@Tromelin Island:Economy
Overview: no economic activity
@Tromelin Island:Transportation
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: total: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1
@Tromelin Island:Communications
Note: important meteorological station
@Tromelin Island:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
________________________________________________________________________
TUNISIA
@Tunisia:Geography
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 163,610 sq km land area: 155,360 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries: total 1,424 km, Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Coastline: 1,148 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Libya; land boundary dispute with Algeria settled in 1993; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Terrain: mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 10% meadows and pastures: 19% forest and woodland: 4% other: 47%
Irrigated land: 2,750 sq km (1989)
Environment: current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and presents human health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Marine Life Conservation
Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean
@Tunisia:People
Population: 8,879,845 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (female 1,507,866; male 1,563,411) 15-64 years: 60% (female 2,665,586; male 2,672,712) 65 years and over: 5% (female 226,201; male 244,069) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.69% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 22.52 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 4.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 32.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.25 years male: 71.16 years female: 75.44 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.73 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian
Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%
Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish 1%
Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 57% male: 69% female: 45%
Labor force: 2.25 million by occupation: agriculture 32% note: shortage of skilled labor
@Tunisia:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis
Digraph: TS
Type: republic
Capital: Tunis
Administrative divisions: 23 governorates; Beja, Ben Arous, Bizerte, Gabes, Gafsa, Jendouba, Kairouan, Kasserine, Kebili, L'Ariana, Le Kef, Mahdia, Medenine, Monastir, Nabeul, Sfax, Sidi Bou Zid, Siliana, Sousse, Tataouine, Tozeur, Tunis, Zaghouan
Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956)
Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition head of government: Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab): elections last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%, others 1.3%; seats - (163 total) RCD 144, MDS 10, others 9; note - the government changed the electoral code to guarantee that the opposition won seats
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President BEN ALI (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Mohammed MOUAADA; five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party
Other political or pressure groups: the Islamic fundamentalist party, An Nahda (Rebirth), is outlawed
Member of: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAPEC (withdrew from active membership in 1986), OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNPROFOR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Azzouz ENNAIFER chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY embassy: 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] (1) 782-566 FAX: [216] (1) 789-719
Flag: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam
@Tunisia:Economy
Overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Detailed governmental control of economic affairs has gradually lessened over the past decade, including increasing privatization of trade and commerce, simplification of the tax structure, and a cautious approach to debt. Real growth has averaged roughly 5% in 1991-94, and inflation has been moderate. Growth in tourism and IMF support have been key elements in this solid record. Further privatization and further improvements in government administrative efficiency are among the challenges for the future.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $37.1 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $4,250 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 16.2% (1993 est.)
Budget: revenues: $4.3 billion expenditures: $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures to $NA (1993 est.)
Exports: $4.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals partners: EC countries 75%, Middle East 10%, Algeria 2%, India 2%, US 1%
Imports: $6.5 billion (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods partners: EC countries 70%, US 5%, Middle East 2%, Japan 2%, Switzerland 1%, Algeria 1%
External debt: $7.7 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for 22% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity: capacity: 1,410,000 kW production: 5.4 billion kWh consumption per capita: 595 kWh (1993)
Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, food, beverages
Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output subject to severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts; export crops - olives, dates, oranges, almonds; other products - grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, dairy; not self-sufficient in food
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $730 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89) $52 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $410 million
Currency: 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes
Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 0.9849 (January 1995), 1.0116 (1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Tunisia:Transportation
Railroads: total: 2,260 km standard gauge: 492 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,758 km 1.000-m gauge dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges
Highways: total: 29,183 km paved: bituminous 17,510 km unpaved: improved, unimproved earth 11,673 km
Pipelines: crude oil 797 km; petroleum products 86 km; natural gas 742 km
Ports: Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis
Merchant marine: total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 129,035 GRT/168,032 DWT ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 5, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1
Airports: total: 31 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 8 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7
@Tunisia:Communications
Telephone system: 233,000 telephones; 28 telephones/1,000 persons; the system is above the African average; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis local: NA intercity: facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay international: 5 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station with back-up control station; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 8, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 19 televisions: NA
@Tunisia:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,294,912; males fit for military service 1,317,642; males reach military age (20) annually 93,601 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $549 million, 3% of GDP (1994)
________________________________________________________________________
TURKEY
@Turkey:Geography
Location: Southwestern Asia (that part west of the Bosporus is sometimes included with Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
Map references: Middle East
Area: total area: 780,580 sq km land area: 770,760 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries: total 2,627 km, Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 331 km, Syria 822 km
Coastline: 7,200 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only - to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former USSR territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea, 12 nm in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean Sea
International disputes: complex maritime, air and territorial disputes with Greece in Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Hatay question with Syria; ongoing dispute with downstream riparians (Syria and Iraq) over water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)
Natural resources: antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulphur, iron ore
Land use: arable land: 30% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 12% forest and woodland: 26% other: 28%
Irrigated land: 22,200 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation natural hazards: very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification, Environmental Modification
Note: strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas
@Turkey:People
Population: 63,405,526 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (female 10,815,288; male 11,203,723) 15-64 years: 60% (female 18,723,772; male 19,391,037) 65 years and over: 5% (female 1,764,363; male 1,507,343) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.97% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 25.33 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.64 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 45.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.48 years male: 69.11 years female: 73.96 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.12 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Turk(s) adjective: Turkish
Ethnic divisions: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20%
Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and Jews)
Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 79% male: 90% female: 68%
Labor force: 20.4 million by occupation: agriculture 44%, services 41%, industry 15% note: between 1.5 million and 1.8 million Turks work abroad (1994)
@Turkey:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Turkey conventional short form: Turkey local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti local short form: Turkiye
Digraph: TU
Type: republican parliamentary democracy
Capital: Ankara
Administrative divisions: 73 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gazi Antep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahraman Maras, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanli Urfa, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van, Yozgat, Zonguldak
Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic, 29 October (1923)
Constitution: 7 November 1982
Legal system: derived from various continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Suleyman DEMIREL (since 16 May 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Tansu CILLER (since 5 July 1993); Deputy Prime Minister Hikmet CETIN (since 27 March 1995) National Security Council: advisory body to the President and the Cabinet cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on nomination of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey: (Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi) elections last held 20 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1996); results - DYP 27.03%, ANAP 24.01%, SHP 20.75%, RP 16.88%, DSP 10.75%, SBP 0.44%, independent 0.14%; seats - (450 total) DYP 178, ANAP 115, SHP 86, RP 40, MCP 19, DSP 7, other 5 note: seats held by various parties are subject to change due to defections, creation of new parties, and ouster or death of sitting deputies; present seats by party are as follows: DYP 183, ANAP 97, RP 38, CHP 65, MHP 17, BBP 7, DSP 10, YP 3, MP 2, independents 6, vacant 22
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
Political parties and leaders: True Path Party (DYP), Tansu CILLER; Motherland Party (ANAP), Mesut YILMAZ; Welfare Party (RP), Necmettin ERBAKAN; Democratic Left Party (DSP), Bulent ECEVIT; Nationalist Action Party (MHP - members also regroup under the name of National Labor Party or MCP), Alparslan TURKES; Socialist Unity Party (SBP), Sadun AREN; New Party (YP), Yusuf Bozkurt OZAL; Republican People's Party (CHP), Hikmet CETIN; note - Social Democrat Populist Party (SHP) has merged with CHP; Workers Party (IP), Dogu PERINCEK; Nation Party (MP), Aykut EDIBALI; Democrat Party (DP), Aydin MENDERES; Grand Unity Party (BBP), Muhsin YAZICIOGLU; Rebirth Party (YDP), Hasan Celal GUZEL; People's Democracy Party (HADEP), Murat BOZLAK; Main Path Party (ANAYOL), Gurcan BASER; Democratic Target Party (DHP), Abdulkadir Yasar TURK; Liberal Party (LP), Besim TIBUK; New Democracy Movement (YDH), Cem BOYNER; Democracy and Change Party (DDP), Ibrahim AKSOY
Other political or pressure groups: Turkish Confederation of Labor (TURK-IS), Bayram MERAL; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions (DISK), Ridvan BUDAK; Moral Rights Workers Union (HAK-IS), Negati CECIK; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), Halis KOMILI; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), Yalim EREZ; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions (TISK), Refik BAYDUR
Member of: AsDB, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, ECO, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NATO, NEA, OECD, OIC, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNRWA, UPU, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nuzhet KANDEMIR chancery: 1714 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 659-8200 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Marc GROSSMAN embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Ankara mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, Ankara; APO AE 09823 telephone: [90] (312) 468-6110 through 6128 FAX: [90] (312) 467-0019 consulate(s) general: Istanbul consulate(s): Adana
Flag: red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening
@Turkey:Economy
Overview: In early 1995, after an impressive economic performance through most of the 1980s, Turkey continues to suffer through its most damaging economic crisis in the last 15 years. Sparked by the downgrading in January 1994 of Turkey's international credit rating by two US credit rating agencies, the crisis stems from years of loose fiscal and monetary policies that had exacerbated inflation and allowed the public debt, money supply, and current account deficit to explode. In April 1994, Prime Minister CILLER introduced an austerity package aimed at restoring domestic and international confidence in her fragile coalition government. Three months later the IMF endorsed the program, paving the way for a $740 million IMF standby loan. Although the economy showed signs of improvement following the stabilization measures, CILLER has been unable to overcome the political obstacles to tough structural reforms necessary for sustained, longer-term growth. As a consequence, the economy is suffering the worst of both worlds: at the end of 1994, inflation hit a record 126% (annual rate), and real GDP dropped an estimated 5% for the year as a whole, the worst decline in Turkey's post-war history. At the same time, the government missed key 1994 targets stipulated in the IMF agreement: the budget deficit is estimated to have overshot the government's goal by 47%; the total public sector borrowing requirement likely reached 10%-12% of GDP, rather than 8.5% called for in the program; and the Turkish lira's value fell 5% to 7% more than expected. The unprecedented effort by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to raise the economic costs of its insurgency against the Turkish state is adding to Turkey's economic problems. Attacks against tourists have jeopardized tourist revenues, which account for about 3% of GDP, while economic activity in southeastern Turkey, where most of the violence occurs, has dropped considerably. Turkish officials are now negotiating a new letter of intent with the IMF that will stipulate more realistic macroeconomic goals for 1995 and allow the release of remaining funds of the standby agreement.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $305.2 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: -5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $4,910 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 106% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 12.6% (1994)
Budget: revenues: $28.3 billion expenditures: $33.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.2 billion (1995)
Exports: $15.3 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: manufactured products 72%, foodstuffs 23%, mining products 4% (1993) partners: Germany 24%, Russia 7%, US 7%, UK 6% (1993)
Imports: $27.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: manufactured products 71%, fuels 14%, foodstuffs 6% (1993) partners: Germany 15%, US 11%, Italy 9%, Russia 8% (1993)
External debt: $66.6 billion (1994)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.7% (1993); accounts for 26% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 18,710,000 kW production: 71 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,079 kWh (1993)
Industries: textiles, food processing, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP; products - tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulses, citrus fruit, variety of animal products; self-sufficient in food most years
Illicit drugs: major transit route for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish to Western Europe and the US via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey as well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2.3 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $10.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $665 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4.5 billion note: aid for Persian Gulf war efforts from coalition allies (1991), $4.1 billion; aid pledged for Turkish Defense Fund, $2.5 billion
Currency: 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus
Exchange rates: Turkish liras (TL) per US$1 - 37,444.1 (December 1994), 29,608.7 (1994), 10,984.6 (1993), 6,872.4 (1992), 4,171.8 (1991), 2,608.6 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Turkey:Transportation
Railroads: total: 10,413 km standard gauge: 10,413 km 1.435-m gauge (1,033 km electrified)
Highways: total: 320,611 km paved: 29,915 km (including 862 km of expressways) unpaved: 290,696 km (1992)
Inland waterways: about 1,200 km
Pipelines: crude oil 1,738 km; petroleum products 2,321 km; natural gas 708 km
Ports: Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Izmit, Mersin, Samsun, Trabzon
Merchant marine: total: 423 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,014,004 GRT/8,695,636 DWT ships by type: bulk 113, cargo 203, chemical tanker 14, combination bulk 7, combination ore/oil 12, container 2, liquefied gas tanker 4, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 46, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 9, short-sea passenger 7, specialized tanker 2
Airports: total: 116 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 16 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 21 with paved runways under 914 m: 34 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 11
@Turkey:Communications
Telephone system: 3,400,000 telephones; fair domestic and international systems local: NA intercity: trunk radio relay microwave network; limited open wire network international: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 EUTELSAT earth station; 1 submarine cable
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 94, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 357 televisions: NA
@Turkey:Defense Forces
Branches: Land Forces, Navy (includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 16,519,152; males fit for military service 10,067,089; males reach military age (20) annually 625,476 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $6.9 billion, 4.1% of GDP (1993); note - figures do not include about $7 billion for the government's counterinsurgency efforts against the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
________________________________________________________________________
TURKMENISTAN
@Turkmenistan:Geography
Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States - Central Asian States
Area: total area: 488,100 sq km land area: 488,100 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries: total 3,736 km, Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Coastline: 0 km note: Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined
Climate: subtropical desert
Terrain: flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulphur, salt
Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 69% forest and woodland: 0% other: 29%
Irrigated land: 12,450 sq km (1990)
Environment: current issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals, pesticides; salinization, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Ozone Layer Protection
Note: landlocked
@Turkmenistan:People
Population: 4,075,316 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 40% (female 798,620; male 821,550) 15-64 years: 56% (female 1,155,392; male 1,128,844) 65 years and over: 4% (female 105,424; male 65,486) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.97% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 29.93 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 7.34 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 68.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.35 years male: 61.85 years female: 69.02 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.72 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Turkmen(s) adjective: Turkmen
Ethnic divisions: Turkmen 73.3%, Russian 9.8%, Uzbek 9%, Kazakh 2%, other 5.9%
Religions: Muslim 87%, Eastern Orthodox 11%, unknown 2%
Languages: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97%
Labor force: 1.642 million (January 1994) by occupation: agriculture and forestry 44%, industry and construction 20%, other 36% (1992)
@Turkmenistan:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turkmenistan local long form: none local short form: Turkmenistan former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph: TX
Type: republic
Capital: Ashgabat
Administrative divisions: 5 welayatlar (singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty (Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Nebitdag), Dashhowuz Welayaty (formerly Tashauz), Lebap Welayaty (Charjew), Mary Welayaty note: names in parentheses are administrative centers when name differs from welayat name
Independence: 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Constitution: adopted 18 May 1992
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Saparmurad NIYAZOV (since NA October 1990); election last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held NA 2002); results - Saparmurad NIYAZOV 99.5% (ran unopposed); note - a 15 January 1994 referendum extended NIYAZOV's term an additional five years until 2002 (99.99% approval) head of government: Prime Minister (vacant); Deputy Prime Ministers Orazgeldi AYDOGDIYEV (since NA), Babamurad BAZAROV (since NA), Khekim ISHANOV (since NA), Valeriy OTCHERTSOV (since NA), Yagmur OVEZOV (since NA), Matkarim RAJAPOV (since NA), Abad RIZAYEVA (since NA), Rejep SAPAROV (since NA), Boris SHIKHMURADOV (since NA), Batyr SARJAYEV (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: under 1992 constitution there are two parliamentary bodies, a unicameral People's Council (Halk Maslahaty - having more than 100 members and meeting infrequently) and a 50-member unicameral Assembly (Majlis) Assembly (Majlis): elections last held 11 December 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (50 total) Democratic Party 45, other 5; note - all 50 preapproved by President NIYAZOV
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, Saparmurad NIYAZOV; Party for Democratic Development, Durdymurat HOJA-MUKHAMMED, chairman; Agzybirlik, Nurberdy NURMAMEDOV, cochairman, Hubayberdi HALLIYEV, cochairman note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries
Member of: CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Khalil UGUR chancery: 1511 K Street NW, Suite 412, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 737-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 737-1152
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph S. HULINGS III embassy: 6 Teheran Street, Yubilenaya Hotel, Ashgabat mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (3632) 24-49-25, 24-49-22 FAX: [7] (3632) 25-53-79
Flag: green field, including a vertical stripe on the hoist side, with a claret vertical stripe in between containing five white, black, and orange carpet guls (an assymetrical design used in producing rugs) associated with five different tribes; a white crescent and five white stars in the upper left corner to the right of the carpet guls
@Turkmenistan:Economy
Overview: Turkmenistan is largely desert country with nomadic cattle raising, intensive agriculture in irrigated oases, and huge gas and oil resources. Half its irrigated land is planted in cotton making it the world's tenth largest producer. It also has the world's fifth largest reserves of natural gas and significant oil resources. Until the end of 1993, Turkmenistan had experienced less economic disruption than other former Soviet states because its economy received a boost from higher prices for oil and gas and a sharp increase in hard currency earnings. In 1994, Russia's refusal to export Turkmen gas to hard currency markets and mounting debts of its major customers in the former USSR for gas deliveries contributed to a sharp fall in industrial production and caused the budget to shift from a surplus to a slight deficit. Furthermore, with an authoritarian ex-Communist regime in power and a tribally-based social structure, Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to economic reform, hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its inefficient economy. With the onset of economic hard times, even cautious moves toward economic restructuring and privatization have slowed down. For 1995, Turkmenistan will face continuing constraints on its earnings because of its customers' inability to pay for their gas and a low average cotton crop in 1994. Turkmenistan is working hard to open new gas export channels through Iran and Turkey, but these may take many years to realize.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $13.1 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product real growth rate: -24% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $3,280 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% per month (1994)
Unemployment rate: NA
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $382 million to states outside the FSU (1994) commodities: natural gas, cotton, petroleum products, electricity, textiles, carpets partners: Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Argentina
Imports: $304 million from states outside the FSU (1994) commodities: machinery and parts, grain and food, plastics and rubber, consumer durables, textiles partners: Russia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey
External debt: NEGL
Industrial production: growth rate -25% (1994)
Electricity: capacity: 2,480,000 kW production: 10.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,600 kWh (1994)
Industries: natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Agriculture: cotton, grain, animal husbandry
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Western Europe
Economic aid: recipient: Turkmenistan has received about $200 million in bilateral aid credits
Currency: Turkmenistan introduced its national currency, the manat, on 1 November 1993
Exchange rates: manats per US$1 - multiple rate system: 10 (official) and 230 (permitted in transactions between the government and individuals)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Turkmenistan:Transportation
Railroads: total: 2,120 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 2,120 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Highways: total: 23,000 km paved and graveled: 18,300 km unpaved: earth 4,700 km (1990)
Pipelines: crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,400 km
Ports: Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnowodsk)
Airports: total: 64 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 35
@Turkmenistan:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; only 7.5 telephones/100 persons (1991); poorly developed local: NA intercity: NA international: linked by cable and microwave to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via INTELSAT; 1 Orbita and 1 INTELSAT earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA
@Turkmenistan:Defense Forces
Branches: National Guard, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), Joint Command Turkmenistan/Russia (Ground, Air, and Air Defense)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 993,321; males fit for military service 810,392; males reach military age (18) annually 40,430 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
(dependent territory of the UK)
@Turks And Caicos Islands:Geography
Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total area: 430 sq km land area: 430 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 389 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain: low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch
Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 98%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater natural hazards: frequent hurricanes international agreements: NA
Note: 30 islands (eight inhabited)
@Turks And Caicos Islands:People
Population: 13,941 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 2.41% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 13.46 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.16 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 15.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 12.63 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.37 years male: 73.44 years female: 77.04 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: none adjective: none
Ethnic divisions: African
Religions: Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980)
Languages: English (official)
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970) total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98%
Labor force: NA by occupation: majority engaged in fishing and tourist industries; some subsistence agriculture
@Turks And Caicos Islands:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
Digraph: TK
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Grand Turk
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
National holiday: Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution: introduced 30 August 1976, suspended in 1986, restored and revised 5 March 1988
Legal system: based on laws of England and Wales with a small number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Martin BOURKE (since NA February 1993) head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January 1995) cabinet: Executive Council; consists of three ex-officio members and five appointed by the governor from the Legislative Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council: elections last held 31 January 1995 (next to be held by NA 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (20 total, 13 elected) PDM 8, PNP 4, independent (Norman SAUNDERS) 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Progressive National Party (PNP), Washington MISSICK; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Derek H. TAYLOR; National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ariel MISSICK
Member of: CARICOM (associate), CDB, INTERPOL (subbureau)
Diplomatic representation in US: none (dependent territory of the UK)
US diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
@Turks And Caicos Islands:Economy
Overview: The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and offshore banking. Only subsistence farming - corn, cassava, citrus, and beans - exists on the Caicos Islands, so that most foods, as well as nonfood products, must be imported.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $80.8 million (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate: -1.5% (1992)
National product per capita: $6,000 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 12% (1992)
Budget: revenues: $20.3 million expenditures: $44 million, including capital expenditures of $23.9 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $6.8 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells partners: US, UK
Imports: $42.8 million (1993) commodities: food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials partners: US, UK
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 9,050 kW production: 11.1 million kWh consumption per capita: 860 kWh (1992)
Industries: fishing, tourism, offshore financial services
Agriculture: subsistence farming prevails, based on corn and beans; fishing more important than farming; not self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US
Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $110 million
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Turks And Caicos Islands:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 121 km (including 24 km tarmac) paved: NA unpaved: NA
Ports: Cockburn Harbour, Grand Turk, Providenciales, Salt Cay
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 7 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
@Turks And Caicos Islands:Communications
Telephone system: 1,446 telephones; fair cable and radio services local: NA intercity: NA international: 2 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA
@Turks And Caicos Islands:Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
________________________________________________________________________
TUVALU
@Tuvalu:Geography
Location: Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Map references: Oceania
Area: total area: 26 sq km land area: 26 sq km comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 24 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain: very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% note: Tuvalu's nine coral atolls have enough soil to grow coconuts and support subsistence agriculture
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, all water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities; beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the crown of thorns starfish natural hazards: severe tropical storms are rare international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
@Tuvalu:People
Population: 9,991 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 36% (female 1,787; male 1,852) 15-64 years: 59% (female 3,105; male 2,764) 65 years and over: 5% (female 258; male 225) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.58% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 24.82 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.01 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 27.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.15 years male: 61.87 years female: 64.34 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.11 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Tuvaluans(s) adjective: Tuvaluan
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian 96%
Religions: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Languages: Tuvaluan, English
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA by occupation: NA
@Tuvalu:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tuvalu former: Ellice Islands
Digraph: TV
Type: democracy; began debating republic status in 1992
Capital: Funafuti
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Constitution: 1 October 1978
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Tulaga MANUELLA (since NA June 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Kamuta LATASI (since 10 December 1993); Deputy Prime Minister Otinielu TAUSI (since 10 December 1993) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Palamene): elections last held 25 November 1993 (next to be held by NA 1997); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (12 total)
Judicial branch: High Court
Political parties and leaders: none
Member of: ACP, AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US: Tuvalu has no mission in the US
US diplomatic representation: none
Flag: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
@Tuvalu:Economy
Overview: Tuvalu consists of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. The islands are too small and too remote for development of a tourist industry. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.8 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9% (1989)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $4.3 million expenditures: $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports: $165,000 (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: copra partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
Imports: $4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: capacity: 2,600 kW production: 3 million kWh consumption per capita: 330 kWh (1990)
Industries: fishing, tourism, copra
Agriculture: coconuts and fish
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $101 million
Currency: 1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3058 (January 1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990)
Fiscal year: NA
@Tuvalu:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 8 km unpaved: gravel 8 km
Ports: Funafuti, Nukufetau
Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,473 GRT/73,652 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1
Airports: total: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
@Tuvalu:Communications
Telephone system: 108 telephones; 300 radiotelephones local: NA intercity: NA international: NA
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: 4,000
Television: broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA
@Tuvalu:Defense Forces
Branches: no military forces; Police Force
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
UGANDA
@Uganda:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Map references: Africa
Area: total area: 236,040 sq km land area: 199,710 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total 2,698 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km, Zaire 765 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain: mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, limestone, salt
Land use: arable land: 23% permanent crops: 9% meadows and pastures: 25% forest and woodland: 30% other: 13%
Irrigated land: 90 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching is widespread natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Environmental Modification
Note: landlocked
@Uganda:People
Population: 19,573,262 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 49% (female 4,792,164; male 4,834,757) 15-64 years: 49% (female 4,802,650; male 4,704,159) 65 years and over: 2% (female 215,648; male 223,884) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.25% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 48.03 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 24.35 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: Uganda is host to refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including Zaire, Sudan, and Rwanda; probably in excess of 100,000 southern Sudanese fled to Uganda during the past year; many of the 8,000 Rwandans who took refuge in Uganda have returned home
Infant mortality rate: 112.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 36.58 years male: 36.26 years female: 36.91 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ugandan(s) adjective: Ugandan
Ethnic divisions: Baganda 17%, Karamojong 12%, Basogo 8%, Iteso 8%, Langi 6%, Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Bunyoro 3%, Batobo 3%, European, Asian, Arab 1%, other 23%
Religions: Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%
Languages: English (official), Luganda, Swahili, Bantu languages, Nilotic languages
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991) total population: 56% male: 68% female: 45%
Labor force: 4.5 million (est.) by occupation: agriculture over 80%
@Uganda:Government
Names: conventional long form: Republic of Uganda conventional short form: Uganda
Digraph: UG
Type: republic
Capital: Kampala
Administrative divisions: 39 districts; Apac, Arua, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi, Lira, Luwero, Masaka, Masindi, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Sototi, Tororo
Independence: 9 October 1962 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Constitution: 8 September 1967, in process of constitutional revision
Legal system: government plans to restore system based on English common law and customary law and reinstitute a normal judicial system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since 29 January 1986); Vice President Dr. Specioza Wandira KAZIBWE (since 18 November 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Kintu MUSOKE (since 18 November 1994) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Resistance Council: elections last held 28 March 1993 (next to be held end of 1995); results - 284 non-partisan delegates elected to an interim Constituent Assembly with the principal task of writing a final draft of a new constitution for Uganda on the basis of which a regular Constituent Assembly will be elected note: first free and fair election in 30 years is to be held by end of 1995
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
Political parties and leaders: only party - National Resistance Movement (NRM), Yoweri MUSEVENI note: Ugandan People's Congress (UPC), Milton OBOTE; Democratic Party (DP), Paul SSEMOGEERE; and Conservative Party (CP), Joshua S. MAYANJA-NKANGI continue to exist but are all proscribed from conducting public political activities
Other political or pressure groups: Lord's Resistance Army (LRA); Ruwenzori Movement
Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen Kapimpina KATENTA-APULI chancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416 FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador E. Michael SOUTHWICK embassy: Parliament Avenue, Kampala mailing address: P. O. Box 7007, Kampala telephone: [256] (41) 259792, 259793, 259795 FAX: [256] (41) 259794
Flag: six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the staff side
@Uganda:Economy
Overview: Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee is the major export crop and accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986 the government - with the support of foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and export earnings. In 1990-94, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, and gradually improving domestic security. The economy again prospered in 1994 with rapid growth, low inflation, growing foreign investment, a trimmed bureaucracy, and the continued return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $16.2 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 6% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $850 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $365 million expenditures: $545 million, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $237 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: coffee 97%, cotton, tea partners: US 25%, UK 18%, France 11%, Spain 10%
Imports: $696 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: petroleum products, machinery, cotton piece goods, metals, transportation equipment, food partners: Kenya 25%, UK 14%, Italy 13%
External debt: $2.9 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% (1992); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 160,000 kW production: 780 million kWh consumption per capita: 32 kWh (1993)
Industries: sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement
Agriculture: mainly subsistence; accounts for 57% of GDP and over 80% of labor force; cash crops - coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco; food crops - cassava, potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; livestock products - beef, goat meat, milk, poultry; self-sufficient in food
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $145 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $169 million
Currency: 1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1 - 1,195 (December 1994), 1,195.0 (1993), 1.133.8 (1992), 734.0 (1991), 428.85 (1990), 223.1 (1989)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Uganda:Transportation
Railroads: total: 1,300 km single track narrow gauge: 1,300 km 1.000-m-gauge
Highways: total: 26,200 km paved: 1,970 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 5,849 km; earth, tracks 18,381 km
Inland waterways: Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward; Victoria Nile, Albert Nile; principal inland water ports are at Jinja and Port Bell, both on Lake Victoria
Ports: Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell
Merchant marine: total: 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,091 GRT/NA DWT
Airports: total: 29 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 9 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 6 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9
@Uganda:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; fair system local: NA intercity: microwave and radio communications stations international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 9 televisions: NA
@Uganda:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Wing
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 4,231,019; males fit for military service 2,298,654 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 1.7% of budget (FY93/94)
________________________________________________________________________
UKRAINE
@Ukraine:Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States - European States
Area: total area: 603,700 sq km land area: 603,700 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total 4,558 km, Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km, Poland 428 km, Romania (southwest) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 90 km
Coastline: 2,782 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: undefined territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: certain territory of Moldova and Ukraine - including Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina - are considered by Bucharest as historically a part of Romania; this territory was incorporated into the former Soviet Union following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1940; potential dispute with Russia over Crimea; has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation
Climate: temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south
Terrain: most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaux, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulphur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber
Land use: arable land: 56% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 12% forest and woodland: 0% other: 30%
Irrigated land: 26,000 sq km (1990)
Environment: current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note: strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second largest country in Europe
@Ukraine:People
Population: 51,867,828 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (female 5,217,850; male 5,407,450) 15-64 years: 65% (female 17,563,924; male 16,334,299) 65 years and over: 14% (female 4,976,893; male 2,367,412) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.04% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 12.31 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 12.67 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.11 years male: 65.59 years female: 74.87 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ukrainian(s) adjective: Ukrainian
Ethnic divisions: Ukrainian 73%, Russian 22%, Jewish 1%, other 4%
Religions: Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate, Ukrainian Orthodox - Kiev Patriarchate, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic (Uniate), Protestant, Jewish
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 98% male: 100% female: 97%
Labor force: 23.55 million (January 1994) by occupation: industry and construction 33%, agriculture and forestry 21%, health, education, and culture 16%, trade and distribution 7%, transport and communication 7%, other 16% (1992)
@Ukraine:Government
Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ukraine local long form: none local short form: Ukrayina former: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph: UP
Type: republic
Capital: Kiev (Kyyiv)
Administrative divisions: 24 oblasti (singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtomnaya respublika), and 2 municipalites (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkas'ka (Cherkasy), Chernihivs'ka (Chernihiv), Chernivets'ka (Chernivtsi), Dnipropetrovs'ka (Dnipropetrovs'k), Donets'ka (Donets'k), Ivano-Frankivs'ka (Ivano-Frankivs'k), Kharkivs'ka (Kharkiv), Khersons'ka (Kherson), Khmel'nyts'ka (Khmel'nyts'kyy), Kirovohrads'ka (Kirovohrad), Kyyiv**, Kyyivs'ka (Kiev), Luhans'ka (Luhans'k), L'vivs'ka (L'viv), Mykolayivs'ka (Mykolayiv), Odes'ka (Odesa), Poltavs'ka (Poltava), Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Rivnens'ka (Rivne), Sevastopol'**, Sums'ka (Sevastopol'), Ternopil's'ka (Ternopil'), Vinnyts'ka (Vinnytsya), Volyns'ka (Luts'k), Zakarpats'ka (Uzhhorod), Zaporiz'ka (Zaporizhzhya), Zhytomyrs'ka (Zhytomyr) note: names in parentheses are administrative centers when name differs from oblast' name
Independence: 1 December 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991)
Constitution: using 1978 pre-independence constitution; new constitution currently being drafted
Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Leonid D. KUCHMA (since 19 July 1994); election last held 26 June and 10 July 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - Leonid KUCHMA 52.15%, Leonid KRAVCHUK 45.06% head of government: Acting Prime Minister Yeuben MARCHUK (since 3 March 1995); First Deputy Prime Ministers Yevhen MARCHUK and Viktor PYNZENYK (since 31 October 1994) and six deputy prime ministers cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and approved by the Supreme Council National Security Council: originally created in 1992, but signficantly revamped and strengthened under President KUCHMA; members include the president, prime minister, Ministers of Finance, Environment, Justice, Internal Affairs, Foreign Economic Relations, Economic and Foreign Affairs; the NSC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president Presidential Administration: helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president Council of Regions: advisory body created by President KUCHMA in September 1994; includes the Chairmen of Oblast and Kiev and Sevastopol City Supreme Councils
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council: elections last held 27 March 1994 with repeat elections continuing through December 1998 to fill empty seats (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (450 total) Communists 91, Rukh 22, Agrarians 18, Socialists 15, Republicans 11, Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists 5, Labor 5, Party of Democratic Revival 4, Democrats 2, Social Democrats 2, Civil Congress 2, Conservative Republicans 1, Party of Economic Revival of Crimea 1, Christian Democrats 1, independents 225; note - 405 deputies have been elected; run-off elections for the remaining 45 seats to be held by December 1998
Judicial branch: joint commission formed in April 1995 to define a program of judicial reform by year-end
Political parties and leaders: Green Party of Ukraine, Vitaliy KONONOV, leader; Liberal Party of Ukraine; Liberal Democratic Party of Ukraine, Volodymyr KLYMCHUK, chairman; Democratic Party of Ukraine, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych YAVORIVSKIY, chairman; People's Party of Ukraine, Leopol'd TABURYANSKYY, chairman; Peasants' Party of Ukraine, Serhiy DOVHRAN', chairman; Party of Democratic Rebirth (Revival) of Ukraine, Volodymyr FILENKO, chairman; Social Democratic Party of Ukraine, Yuriy VUZDUHAN, chairman; Socialist Party of Ukraine, Oleksandr MOROZ, chairman; Ukrainian Christian Democratic Party, Vitaliy ZHURAVSKYY, chairman; Ukrainian Conservative Republican Party, Stepan KHMARA, chairman; Ukrainian Labor Party, Valentyn LANDYK, chairman; Ukrainian Party of Justice, Mykhaylo HRECHKO, chairman; Ukrainian Peasants' Democratic Party, Serhiy PLACHINDA, chairman; Ukrainian Republican Party, Mykhaylo HORYN', chairman; Ukrainian National Conservative Party, Viktor RADIONOV, chairman; Ukrainian People's Movement for Restructuring (Rukh), Vyacheslav CHORNOVIL, chairman; Ukrainian Communist Party, Petr SYMONENKO; Agrarian Party; Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists, S. STESTKO; Civil Congress, O. BAZYLUK; Party of Economic Revival of Crimea; Democratic Party Of Ukraine, Serhiy DOVMAN', chairman
Other political or pressure groups: New Ukraine (Nova Ukrayina); Congress of National Democratic Forces
Member of: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), CEI (associate members), CIS, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Yuriy SHCHERBAK chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 333-0606 FAX: [1] (202) 333-0817 consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador William Green MILLER embassy: 10 Yuria Kotsyubinskovo, 252053 Kiev 53 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (044) 244-73-49, 244-37-45 FAX: [7] (044) 244-73-50
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grainfields under a blue sky
@Ukraine:Economy
Overview: After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing more than three times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied equipment and raw materials to industrial and mining sites in other regions of the former USSR. In early 1992, the Ukrainian government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Loose monetary and fiscal policies pushed inflation to hyperinflationary levels in late 1993. Greater monetary and fiscal restraint lowered inflation in 1994, but also contributed to an accelerated decline in industrial output. Since his election in July 1994, President KUCHMA has developed - and parliament has approved - a comprehensive economic reform program, maintained financial discipline, and reduced state controls over prices, the exchange rate, and foreign trade. Implementation of KUCHMA's economic agenda will encounter considerable resistance from parliament, entrenched bureaucrats, and industrial interests and will contribute to further declines in output and rising unemployment which will sorely test the government's ability to stay the course on reform in 1995.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $189.2 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product real growth rate: -19% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $3,650 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% per month (1994)
Unemployment rate: 0.4% officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $11.8 billion (1994) commodities: coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, grain, meat partners: FSU countries, China, Italy, Switzerland
Imports: $14.2 billion (1994) commodities: energy, machinery and parts, transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles partners: FSU countries, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic
External debt: $7.5 billion (yearend 1994)
Industrial production: growth rate -28% (1994 est.); accounts for 50% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 54,380,000 kW production: 182 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,200 kWh (1994)
Industries: coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food-processing (especially sugar)
Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GDP; grain, vegetables, meat, milk, sugar beets
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid: $550 million economic aid and $350 million to help disassemble the atomic weapons from the US in 1994
Currency: Ukraine withdrew the Russian ruble from circulation on 12 November 1992 and declared the karbovanets (plural karbovantsi) sole legal tender in Ukrainian markets; Ukrainian officials claim this is an interim move toward introducing a new currency - the hryvnya - possibly in mid-1995
Exchange rates: karbovantsi per 1$US - 107,900 (end December 1994), 130,000 (April 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Ukraine:Transportation
Railroads: total: 23,350 km broad gauge: 23,350 km 1.524-m gauge (8,600 km electrified)
Highways: total: 273,700 km paved and graveled: 236,400 km unpaved: earth 37,300 km
Inland waterways: 1,672 km perennially navigable (Pryp''yat' and Dnipro Rivers)
Pipelines: crude oil 2,010 km; petroleum products 1,920 km; natural gas 7,800 km (1992)
Ports: Berdyans'k, Illichivs'k, Izmayil, Kerch, Kherson, Kiev (Kyyiv), Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Pivdenne, Reni
Merchant marine: total: 379 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,799,253 GRT/5,071,175 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 7, bulk 55, cargo 221, chemical tanker 2, container 20, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 10, passenger 12, passenger-cargo 5, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 32, short-sea passenger 7
Airports: total: 706 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 14 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 55 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 57 with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 7 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 16 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 37 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 476
@Ukraine:Communications
Telephone system: 7,886,000 telephone circuits; about 151.4 telephone circuits/1,000 persons (1991); the telephone system is inadequate both for business and for personal use; 3.56 million applications for telephones had not been satisfied as of January 1991; electronic mail services have been established in Kiev, Odesa, and Luhans'k by Sprint local: an NMT-450 analog cellular telephone network operates in Kiev (Kyyiv) and allows direct dialing of international calls through Kiev's EWSD digital exchange intercity: NA international: calls to other CIS countries are carried by land line or microwave; other international calls to 167 countries are carried by satellite or by the 150 leased lines through the Moscow gateway switch; INTELSAT, INMARSAT, and Intersputnik earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: 15 million
Television: broadcast stations: NA televisions: 20 million
@Ukraine:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 12,324,832; males fit for military service 9,667,642; males reach military age (18) annually 359,546 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: 544.3 billion karbovantsi, less than 4% of GDP (forecast for 1993); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
________________________________________________________________________
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
@United Arab Emirates:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Map references: Middle East
Area: total area: 75,581 sq km land area: 75,581 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries: total 867 km, Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
Coastline: 1,318 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final; no defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north; claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran (Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb); claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa); in 1992, the dispute over Abu Musa and the Tunb islands became more acute when Iran unilaterally tried to control the entry of third country nationals into the UAE portion of Abu Musa island, Tehran subsequently backed off in the face of significant diplomatic support for the UAE in the region
Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 0% other: 98%
Irrigated land: 50 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Note: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
@United Arab Emirates:People
Population: 2,924,594 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35% (female 499,559; male 521,415) 15-64 years: 64% (female 643,819; male 1,229,730) 65 years and over: 1% (female 10,296; male 19,775) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 4.55% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 27.02 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 3.03 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 21.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.51 years male: 70.42 years female: 74.71 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.53 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Emirian(s) adjective: Emirian
Ethnic divisions: Emirian 19%, other Arab 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982) note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%
Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literary not available (1985) total population: 71% male: 72% female: 69%
Labor force: 580,000 (1986 est.) by occupation: industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 5% note: 80% of labor force is foreign (est.)
@United Arab Emirates:Government
Names: conventional long form: United Arab Emirates conventional short form: none local long form: Al Imarata al Arabiyah al Muttahidah local short form: none former: Trucial States
Abbreviation: UAE
Digraph: TC
Type: federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central government and other powers reserved to member emirates
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Dubai, Ra's al Khaymah, Sharjah, Umm al Qaywayn
Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1971)
Constitution: 2 December 1971 (provisional)
Legal system: secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in several member emirates; Islamic law remains influential
Suffrage: none
Executive branch: chief of state: President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Dhabi; Vice President Shaykh MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy head of government: Prime Minister Shaykh MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy; Deputy Prime Minister SULTAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) Supreme Council of Rulers: composed of the seven emirate rulers, the council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation, Abu Dhabi and Dubayy rulers have veto power; council meets four times a year cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad); no elections
Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: none
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn al-SHAALI chancery: Suite 600, 3000 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 338-6500
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador William A. RUGH embassy: Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi; American Embassy Abu Dhabi, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-6010 (pouch) telephone: [971] (2) 436691, 436692 FAX: [971] (2) 434771 consulate(s) general: Dubayy (Dubai)
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side
@United Arab Emirates:Economy
Overview: The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest incomes per capita and with a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gas output (about 40% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of production, crude oil reserves should last for over 100 years. Although much stronger economically than most Gulf states, the UAE faces similar problems with weak international oil prices and the pressures for cuts in OPEC oil production quotas. The UAE government is encouraging increased privatization within the economy.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $62.7 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: -0.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $22,480 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.1% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: NEGL% (1988)
Budget: revenues: $4.3 billion expenditures: $4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est)
Exports: $24 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: crude oil 66%, natural gas, re-exports, dried fish, dates
partners: Japan 35%, South Korea 5%, Iran 4%, Oman 4%, Singapore 4% (1993)
Imports: $20 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, food partners: Japan 12%, UK 10%, US 9%, Germany 7%, South Korea 5% (1993)
External debt: $11.6 billion (1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.7% (1992 est.); accounts for 50% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity: capacity: 4,760,000 kW production: 16.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,796 kWh (1993)
Industries: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling
Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP and 5% of labor force; cash crop - dates; food products - vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25% self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center
Economic aid: donor: pledged in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89) $9.1 billion
Currency: 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils
Exchange rates: Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - 3.6710 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@United Arab Emirates:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 2,000 km paved: 1,800 km unpaved: gravel, graded earth 200 km
Pipelines: crude oil 830 km; natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km
Ports: Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Das Island, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal' Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Umm al Qiwain
Merchant marine: total: 57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,128,253 GRT/1,938,770 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 18, chemical tanker 1, container 10, liquefied gas tanker 1, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3
Airports: total: 41 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 9 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 12 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 3 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 8
@United Arab Emirates:Communications
Telephone system: 386,600 telephones; modern system consisting of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy local: NA intercity: microwave and coaxial cable international: 3 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 3, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 12 televisions: NA
@United Arab Emirates:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary (includes Federal Police Force)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,072,261; males fit for military service 583,967; males reach military age (18) annually 19,266 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.59 billion, 4.3% of GDP (1994)
________________________________________________________________________
UNITED KINGDOM
@United Kingdom:Geography
Location: Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Map references: Europe
Area: total area: 244,820 sq km land area: 241,590 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Land boundaries: total 360 km, Ireland 360 km
Coastline: 12,429 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: Northern Ireland question with Ireland; Gibraltar question with Spain; Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims island of Diego Garcia in British Indian Ocean Territory; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area); territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory)
Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than half of the days are overcast
Terrain: mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Natural resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica
Land use: arable land: 29% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 48% forest and woodland: 9% other: 14%
Irrigated land: 1,570 sq km (1989)
Environment: current issues: sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants contribute to air pollution; some rivers polluted by agricultural wastes and coastal waters polluted because of large-scale disposal of sewage at sea natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification
Note: lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
@United Kingdom:People
Population: 58,295,119 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (female 5,572,189; male 5,843,192) 15-64 years: 65% (female 18,723,583; male 18,935,931) 65 years and over: 16% (female 5,471,383; male 3,748,841) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.27% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 13.18 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 10.66 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77 years male: 74.18 years female: 79.95 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural) adjective: British
Ethnic divisions: English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
Religions: Anglican 27 million, Roman Catholic 9 million, Muslim 1 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 400,000, Hindu 350,000, Jewish 300,000 (1991 est.) note: the UK does not include a question on religion in its census
Languages: English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991 est.) total population: 99%
Labor force: 28.048 million by occupation: services 62.8%, manufacturing and construction 25.0%, government 9.1%, energy 1.9%, agriculture 1.2% (June 1992)
@United Kingdom:Government
Names: conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland conventional short form: United Kingdom
Abbreviation: UK
Digraph: UK
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: London
Administrative divisions: 47 counties, 7 metropolitan counties, 26 districts, 9 regions, and 3 islands areas England: 39 counties, 7 metropolitan counties*; Avon, Bedford, Berkshire, Buckingham, Cambridge, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derby, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucester, Greater London*, Greater Manchester*, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Hertford, Humberside, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester, Lincoln, Merseyside*, Norfolk, Northampton, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Nottingham, Oxford, Shropshire, Somerset, South Yorkshire*, Stafford, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne and Wear*, Warwick, West Midlands*, West Sussex, West Yorkshire*, Wiltshire Northern Ireland: 26 districts; Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Londonderry, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane Scotland: 9 regions, 3 islands areas*; Borders, Central, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Grampian, Highland, Lothian, Orkney*, Shetland*, Strathclyde, Tayside, Western Isles* Wales: 8 counties; Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan, Powys, South Glamorgan, West Glamorgan
Dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China on 1 July 1997), Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
Independence: 1 January 1801 (United Kingdom established)
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June)
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system: common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the Queen, born 14 November 1948) head of government: Prime Minister John MAJOR (since 28 November 1990)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament House of Lords: consists of a 1,200-member body, four-fifths are hereditary peers, 2 archbishops, 24 other senior bishops, serving and retired Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, other life peers, Scottish peers House of Commons: elections last held 9 April 1992 (next to be held by NA April 1997); results - Conservative 41.9%, Labor 34.5%, Liberal Democratic 17.9%, other 5.7%; seats - (651 total) Conservative 336, Labor 271, Liberal Democratic 20, other 24
Judicial branch: House of Lords
Political parties and leaders: Conservative and Unionist Party, John MAJOR; Labor Party, Anthony (Tony) Blair; Liberal Democrats (LD), Jeremy (Paddy) ASHDOWN; Scottish National Party, Alex SALMOND; Welsh National Party (Plaid Cymru), Dafydd Iwan WIGLEY; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), James MOLYNEAUX; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), Rev. Ian PAISLEY; Ulster Popular Unionist Party (Northern Ireland); Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP, Northern Ireland), John HUME; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland), Gerry ADAMS
Other political or pressure groups: Trades Union Congress; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Robin William RENWICK chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 462-1340 FAX: [1] (202) 898-4255 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, consulate(s): Dallas, Miami, and Seattle
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Adm. William W. CROWE embassy: 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W. 1A1AE mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040 telephone: [44] (71) 499-9000 FAX: [44] (71) 409-1637 consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh
Flag: blue with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union Flag or Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including dependencies, Commonwealth countries, and others
@United Kingdom:Economy
Overview: The UK is one of the world's great trading powers and financial centers, and its economy ranks among the four largest in Western Europe. The economy is essentially capitalistic; over the past 13 years the ruling Tories have greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves, and primary energy production accounts for 12% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance, now employing only 25% of the work force and generating only 21% of GDP. The economy registered 4.2% GDP growth in 1994, its fastest annual rate for six years. Exports and manufacturing output are the primary engines of growth. Unemployment is gradually falling. Inflation is at the lowest level in 27 years, but British monetary authorities raised interest rates to 6.25% in 1994 in a preemptive strike on emerging inflationary pressures such as higher taxes and rising manufacturing costs. The combination of a buoyant economy and fiscal tightening is projected to trim the FY94/95 budget shortfall to about $50 billion - down from about $75 billion in FY93/94. The major economic policy question for Britain in the 1990s is the terms on which it participates in the financial and economic integration of Europe.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.0452 trillion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $17,980 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 9.3% (1994)
Budget: revenues: $325.5 billion expenditures: $400.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $33 billion (FY93/94 est.)
Exports: $200 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, transport equipment partners: EU countries 56.7% (Germany 14.0%, France 11.1%, Netherlands 7.9%), US 10.9%
Imports: $215 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods partners: EU countries 51.7% (Germany 14.9%, France 9.3%, Netherlands 8.4%), US 11.6%
External debt: $16.2 billion (June 1992)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.6% (1994)
Electricity: capacity: 65,360,000 kW production: 303 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,123 kWh (1993)
Industries: production machinery including machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods
Agriculture: accounts for only 1.5% of GDP; wide variety of crops and livestock products
Illicit drugs: gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; producer of synthetic drugs; transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering center
Economic aid: donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1992-93), $3.2 billion
Currency: 1 British pound (#) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: British pounds (#) per US$1 - 0.6350 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6033 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@United Kingdom:Transportation
Railroads: total: 16,888 km; note - several additional small standard-gauge and narrow-gauge lines are privately owned and operated broad gauge: 330 km 1.600-m gauge (190 km double track) standard gauge: 16,558 km 1.435-m gauge (4,950 km electrified; 12,591 km double or multiple track)
Highways: total: 360,047 km (includes Northern Ireland) paved: 360,047 km (includes Northern Ireland; Great Britain has 3,100 km limited access divided highway)
Inland waterways: 2,291 total; British Waterways Board, 606 km; Port Authorities, 706 km; other, 979 km
Pipelines: crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km; petroleum products 2,993 km; natural gas 12,800 km
Ports: Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Grangemouth, Hull, Leith, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Medway, Sullom Voe, Tees, Tyne
Merchant marine: total: 155 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,249,823 GRT/3,978,336 DWT ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 24, chemical tanker 2, container 23, liquefied gas tanker 3, oil tanker 56, passenger 7, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 13, short-sea passenger 13, specialized tanker 1
Airports: total: 505 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 10 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 30 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 174 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 91 with paved runways under 914 m: 172 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 27
@United Kingdom:Communications
Telephone system: 30,200,000 telephones; technologically advanced domestic and international system local: NA intercity: NA equal mix of buried cables, microwave and optical-fiber systems international: 40 coaxial submarine cables; 10 INTELSAT (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 INMARSAT, and 1 EUTELSAT earth satellite; at least 8 large international switching centers
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 225, FM 525 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0 radios: 70 million
Television: broadcast stations: 207 (repeaters 3,210) televisions: 20 million
@United Kingdom:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 14,429,485; males fit for military service 12,041,935 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $35.1 billion, 3.1% of GDP (FY95/96)
________________________________________________________________________
UNITED STATES
@United States:Geography
Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Map references: North America
Area: total area: 9,372,610 sq km land area: 9,166,600 sq km comparative area: about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly smaller than China; about two and one-half times the size of Western Europe note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia
Land boundaries: total 12,248 km, Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 km
Coastline: 19,924 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 12 nm continental shelf: not specified exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal Island); US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation; Republic of Marshall Islands claims Wake Island
Climate: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida and arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Terrain: vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 26% forest and woodland: 29% other: 25%
Irrigated land: 181,020 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; very limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification natural hazards: tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic coast; tornadoes in the midwest; mudslides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Tropical Timber 94
Note: world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China)
@United States:People
Population: 263,814,032 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 22% (female 28,391,451; male 29,845,630) 15-64 years: 65% (female 86,454,415; male 85,474,002) 65 years and over: 13% (female 19,949,978; male 13,698,559) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.02% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.25 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.38 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.88 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.99 years male: 72.8 years female: 79.7 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.08 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: American(s) adjective: American
Ethnic divisions: white 83.4%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Native American 0.8% (1992)
Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)
Languages: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Literacy: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling (1979) total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97%
Labor force: 131.056 million (includes unemployed) (1994) by occupation: managerial and professional 27.5%, technical, sales and administrative support 30.3%, services 13.7%, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 25.5%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.9%
@United States:Government
Names: conventional long form: United States of America conventional short form: United States
Abbreviation: US or USA
Digraph: US
Type: federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital: Washington, DC
Administrative divisions: 50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Dependent areas: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US has administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship with all four political units: the Northern Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth in political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986)
Independence: 4 July 1776 (from England)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993); election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5 November 1996); results - William Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic Party) 43.2%, George BUSH (Republican Party) 37.7%, Ross PEROT (Independent) 19.0%, other 0.1% cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president with Senate approval
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress Senate: elections last held 8 November 1994 (next to be held 5 November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (100 total) Republican Party 54, Democratic Party 46 House of Representatives: elections last held 8 November 1994 (next to be held 5 November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (435 total) Republican Party 231, Democratic Party 203, independent 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Haley BARBOUR, national committee chairman; Jeanie AUSTIN, co-chairman; Democratic Party, David C. WILHELM, national committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Flag: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
@United States:Economy
Overview: The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $25,850, the largest among major industrial nations. The economy is market oriented with most decisions made by private individuals and business firms and with government purchases of goods and services made predominantly in the marketplace. In 1989 the economy enjoyed its seventh successive year of substantial growth, the longest in peacetime history. The expansion featured moderation in wage and consumer price increases and a steady reduction in unemployment to 5.2% of the labor force. In 1990, however, growth slowed to 1% because of a combination of factors, such as the worldwide increase in interest rates, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August, the subsequent spurt in oil prices, and a general decline in business and consumer confidence. In 1991 output fell by 0.6%, unemployment grew, and signs of recovery proved premature. Growth picked up to 2.3% in 1992 and to 3.1% in 1993. Unemployment, however, declined only gradually, the increase in GDP being mainly attributable to gains in output per worker. The year 1994 witnessed a solid 4% gain in real output, a low inflation rate of 2.6%, and a drop in unemployment below 6%. The capture of both houses of Congress by the Republicans in the elections of 8 November 1994 means substantial changes are likely in US economic policy, including changes in the ways the US will address its major economic problems in 1995-96. These problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs of an aging population, and sizable budget and trade deficits.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.7384 trillion (1994)
National product real growth rate: 4.1% (1994)
National product per capita: $25,850 (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 5.5% (March 1995)
Budget: revenues: $1.258 trillion expenditures: $1.461 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)
Exports: $513 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products partners: Western Europe 24.3%, Canada 22.1%, Japan 10.5% (1993)
Imports: $664 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages partners: Canada, 19.3%, Western Europe 18.1%, Japan 18.1% (1993)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 5.4% (1994 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 695,120,000 kW production: 3.1 trillion kWh consumption per capita: 11,236 kWh (1993)
Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining
Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP and 2.9% of labor force; favorable climate and soils support a wide variety of crops and livestock production; world's second largest producer and number one exporter of grain; surplus food producer; fish catch of 4.4 million metric tons (1990)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption with 1987 production estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of the available marijuana; ongoing eradication program aimed at small plots and greenhouses has not reduced production
Economic aid: donor: commitments, including ODA and OOF, (FY80-89), $115.7 billion
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: British pounds: (#) per US$ - 0.6350 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6033 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990) Canadian dollars: (Can$) per US$ - 1.4129 (January 1995), 1.3656 (1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990) French francs: (F) per US$ - 5.2943 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990) Italian lire: (Lit) per US$ - 1,609.5 (January 1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990) Japanese yen: (Y) per US$ - 99.75 (January 1995), 102.21 (1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990) German deutsche marks: (DM) per US$ - 1.5313 (January 1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992), 1.6595 (1991), 1.6157 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
@United States:Transportation
Railroads: total: 240,000 km mainline routes (nongovernment owned) standard gauge: 240,000 km 1.435-m gauge (1989)
Highways: total: 6,243,163 km paved: 3,633,520 km (including 84,865 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,609,643 km (1990)
Inland waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes (est.)
Pipelines: petroleum 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km (1991)
Ports: Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Portland (Oregon), Prudhoe Bay, San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Toledo
Merchant marine: total: 354 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,462,000 GRT/16,477,000 DWT ships by type: bulk 22, cargo 28, chemical tanker 16, intermodal 130, liquefied gas tanker 13, passenger-cargo 2, tanker 130, tanker tug-barge 13 note: in addition, there are 189 government-owned vessels
Airports: total: 15,032 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 181 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 208 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,242 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2,489 with paved runways under 914 m: 8,994 with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 180 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1,730
@United States:Communications
Telephone system: 126,000,000 telephones; 7,557,000 cellular telephones local: NA intercity: large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites international: 16 satellites and 24 ocean cable systems in use; 61 INTELSAT (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean) earth stations (1990)
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 4,987, FM 4,932, shortwave 0 radios: 530 million
Television: broadcast stations: 1,092 (about 9,000 cable TV systems) televisions: 193 million
@United States:Defense Forces
Branches: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (includes Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force
Defense expenditures: $284.4 billion, 4.2% of GDP (1994 est.)
________________________________________________________________________
URUGUAY
@Uruguay:Geography
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
Map references: South America
Area: total area: 176,220 sq km land area: 173,620 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Washington State
Land boundaries: total 1,564 km, Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Coastline: 660 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 200 nm; overflight and navigation guaranteed beyond 12 nm
International disputes: short section of boundary with Argentina is in dispute; two short sections of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute - Arroyo de la Invernada (Arroio Invernada) area of the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the Uruguay River
Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Natural resources: soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Land use: arable land: 8% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 78% forest and woodland: 4% other: 10%
Irrigated land: 1,100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues: substantial pollution from Brazilian industry along border; one-fifth of country affected by acid rain generated by Brazil; water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal natural hazards: seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in weather fronts international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
@Uruguay:People
Population: 3,222,716 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25% (female 392,262; male 409,580) 15-64 years: 63% (female 1,026,314; male 995,492) 65 years and over: 12% (female 233,377; male 165,691) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.74% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 17.57 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.27 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 16.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.46 years male: 71.24 years female: 77.83 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.41 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Uruguayan(s) adjective: Uruguayan
Ethnic divisions: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than half adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%
Languages: Spanish, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 96% male: 97% female: 96%
Labor force: 1.355 million (1991 est.) by occupation: government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)
@Uruguay:Government
Names: conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay conventional short form: Uruguay local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay local short form: Uruguay
Digraph: UY
Type: republic
Capital: Montevideo
Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres
Independence: 25 August 1828 (from Brazil)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980
Legal system: based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President Julio Maria SANGUINETTI (since 1 March 1995); Vice President Hugo BATALLA (since 1 March 1995); election last held 27 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General) Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores): elections last held 27 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1999); results - Colorado 36%, Blanco 34 %, Encuentro Progresista 27%, New Sector 3%; seats - (30 total) Colorado 11, Blanco 10, Encuentro Progresista 8, New Sector 1 Chamber of Representatives (Camera de Representantes): elections last held 27 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1999); results - Colorado 32%, Blanco 31%, Encuentro Progresista 31%, New Sector 5%; seats - (99 total) Colorado 32, Blanco 31, Encuentro Progresista 31, New Sector 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: National (Blanco) Party; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE; Broad Front Coalition, Gen. Liber SEREGNI Mosquera; New Sector Coalition, Hugo BATALLA; Encuentro Progresista
Member of: AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MERCOSUR, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOMIL, UNOMOZ, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLYCUDDY chancery: 1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, and New York consulate(s): New Orleans
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas J. DODD embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo mailing address: APO AA 34035 telephone: [598] (2) 23 60 61, 48 77 77 FAX: [598] (2) 48 86 11
Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy
@Uruguay:Economy
Overview: Uruguay's economy is a small one with favorable climate, good soils, and substantial hydropower potential. Economic development has been restrained in recent years by excessive government regulation of economic detail and 40% to 130% inflation. Although the GDP growth rate slowed in 1993 to 1.7%, following a healthy expansion to 7.5% in 1992, it rebounded in 1994 to an estimated 4%, spurred mostly by increasing agricultural and other exports and a surprise reversal of the downward trend in industrial production. In a major step toward regional economic cooperation, Uruguay confirmed its commitment to the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR) customs union by implementing MERCOSUR's common external tariff on most tradables on 1 January 1995. Inflation in 1994 declined for the third consecutive year, yet, at 44%, it remains the highest in the region; analysts predict that the expanding fiscal deficit and wage indexation will force the inflation rate back toward the 50% mark in 1995.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $23 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $7,200 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 44% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9% (1994 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.9 billion expenditures: $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $388 million (1991 est.)
Exports: $1.78 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: wool and textile manufactures, beef and other animal products, leather, rice partners: Brazil, Argentina, US, China, Italy
Imports: $2.461 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, minerals, plastics partners: Brazil, Argentina, US, Nigeria
External debt: $4.2 billion (1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.9% (1992); accounts for 28% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 2,070,000 kW production: 9 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,575 kWh (1993)
Industries: meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, petroleum refining, wine
Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP; large areas devoted to livestock grazing; wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; fishing; self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs
Economic aid: recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $420 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million
Currency: 1 Uruguayan peso ($Ur) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates: Uruguayan pesos ($Ur) per US$1 - 5.6 (January 1995), 4.4710 (January 1994), 3.9484 (1993), 3.0270 (1992), 2.0188 (1991), 1.1710 (1990) note: on 1 March 1993 the former New Peso (N$Ur) was replaced as Uruguay's unit of currency by the Peso which is equal to 1,000 of the New Pesos
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Uruguay:Transportation
Railroads: total: 3,000 km standard gauge: 3,000 km 1.435-m gauge
Highways: total: 49,900 km paved: 6,700 km unpaved: gravel 3,000 km; earth 40,200 km
Inland waterways: 1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft
Ports: Fray Bentos, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Paysandu, Punta del Este
Merchant marine: total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,405 GRT/110,939 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, container 1, oil tanker 1
Airports: total: 85 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 8 with paved runways under 914 m: 54 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14
@Uruguay:Communications
Telephone system: 337,000 telephones; telephone density 10/100 persons; some modern facilities local: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo intercity: new nationwide microwave network international: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 99, FM 0, shortwave 9 radios: NA
Television: broadcast stations: 26 televisions: NA
@Uruguay:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines), Air Force, Grenadier Guards, Coracero Guard, Police