The 2008 CIA World Factbook (part 11 of 20)

The 2008 CIA World Factbook (part 11 of 20)

3.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$35,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 0.9% industry: 23.4% services: 75.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

30.89 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 1.4% industry: 18.2% services: 80.4% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

5.3% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

14% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 28.5% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

34 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

18.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $1.154 trillion expenditures: $1.239 trillion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

6 April - 5 April

Public debt:

43.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.3% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

NA

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

5.52% (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$5.278 trillion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish

Industries:

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, other consumer goods

Industrial production growth rate:

0.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

371 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

348.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

3.398 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

8.613 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 73.8% hydro: 0.9% nuclear: 23.7% other: 1.6% (2001)

Oil - production:

1.69 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

1.763 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

1.749 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

1.673 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

3.6 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

72.3 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

91.1 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

10.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

29.2 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

412 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$119.2 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$442.2 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners:

US 14.2%, Germany 11.1%, France 8.1%, Ireland 8%, Netherlands 6.8%, Belgium 5.3%, Spain 4.5%, Italy 4.1% (2007)

Imports:

$621.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

Germany 14.2%, US 8.6%, China 7.3%, Netherlands 7.3%, France 6.9%, Belgium 4.7%, Norway 4.7%, Italy 4.2% (2007)

Economic aid - donor:

ODA, $12.46 billion (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$57.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$10.45 trillion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$1.288 trillion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$1.707 trillion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$3.058 trillion (2005)

Currency (code):

British pound (GBP)

Currency code:

GBP

Exchange rates:

British pounds (GBP) per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)

Communications United Kingdom

Telephones - main lines in use:

33.682 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

71.992 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and international system domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems international: country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 219, FM 431, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios:

84.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

30.5 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.uk

Internet hosts:

8.269 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

more than 400 (2000)

Internet users:

40.2 million (2007)

Transportation United Kingdom

Airports:

449 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 310 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 131 914 to 1,523 m: 79 under 914 m: 59 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 139 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 113 (2007)

Heliports:

11 (2007)

Pipelines:

condensate 567 km; condensate/gas 22 km; gas 18,980 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 4,930 km; oil/gas/water 165 km; refined products 4,444 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 16,567 km broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) standard gauge: 16,264 km 1.435-m gauge (5,361 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 398,366 km paved: 398,366 km (includes 3,520 km of expressways) (2006)

Waterways:

3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2003)

Merchant marine:

total: 518 by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 67, carrier 5, chemical tanker 61, container 180, liquefied gas 18, passenger 10, passenger/cargo 67, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 24, vehicle carrier 18 foreign-owned: 264 (Cyprus 2, Denmark 62, Finland 1, France 23, Germany 76, Hong Kong 2, Ireland 1, Italy 5, Japan 4, NZ 1, Norway 31, South Africa 3, Spain 1, Sweden 17, Switzerland 1, Taiwan 11, Turkey 2, UAE 9, US 12) registered in other countries: 391 (Algeria 11, Antigua and Barbuda 9, Argentina 4, Australia 5, Bahamas 56, Barbados 9, Belize 5, Bermuda 3, Brunei 1, Cape Verde 1, Cayman Islands 3, Cyprus 19, Gibraltar 2, Greece 32, Hong Kong 39, India 2, Italy 7, South Korea 1, Liberia 20, Luxembourg 8, Malta 19, Marshall Islands 18, Netherlands 2, Norway 5, Panama 59, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 14, Sierra Leone 2, Singapore 17, Slovakia 1, Spain 5, Sweden 2, Thailand 5, Tonga 1, US 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Teesport (England), Forth Ports, Hound Point (Scotland), Milford Haven (Wales)

Military United Kingdom

Military branches:

Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force

Military service age and obligation:

16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18); women serve in military services, but are excluded from ground combat positions and some naval postings; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 16 years of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of the Gurkhas; 16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 14,729,500 females age 16-49: 14,125,600 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 12,121,602 females age 16-49: 11,616,582 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 400,927 female: 383,593 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues United Kingdom

Disputes - international:

in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants since their eviction in 1965; most Chagossians reside in Mauritius, and in 2001 were granted UK citizenship, where some have since resettled; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed the UK Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

Illicit drugs:

producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@United States

Introduction United States

Background:

Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.

Geography United States

Location:

North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

Geographic coordinates:

38 00 N, 97 00 W

Map references:

North America

Area:

total: 9,826,630 sq km land: 9,161,923 sq km water: 664,707 sq km note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia

Area - comparative:

about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union

Land boundaries:

total: 12,034 km border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,141 km note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28 km

Coastline:

19,924 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: not specified

Climate:

mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, 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

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Death Valley -86 m highest point: Mount McKinley 6,198 m

Natural resources:

coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber note: the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total

Land use:

arable land: 18.01% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 81.78% (2005)

Irrigated land:

223,850 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

3,069 cu km (1985)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 477 cu km/yr (13%/46%/41%) per capita: 1,600 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development

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; limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes

Geography - note:

world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley is highest point in North America and Death Valley the lowest point on the continent

People United States

Population:

303,824,640 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 20.1% (male 31,257,108/female 29,889,645) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 101,825,901/female 102,161,823) 65 years and over: 12.7% (male 16,263,255/female 22,426,914) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 36.7 years male: 35.4 years female: 38.1 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.883% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

14.18 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

2.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.14 years male: 75.29 years female: 81.13 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.1 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

950,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

17,011 (2005 est.)

Nationality:

noun: American(s) adjective: American

Ethnic groups:

white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate) note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.); about 15.1% of the total US population is Hispanic

Religions:

Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)

Languages:

English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census) note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 16 years male: 15 years female: 16 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

5.3% of GDP (2005)

Government United States

Country name:

conventional long form: United States of America conventional short form: United States abbreviation: US or USA

Government type:

Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition

Capital:

name: Washington, DC geographic coordinates: 38 53 N, 77 02 W time difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November note: the 50 United States cover six time zones

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 administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; it entered into a political relationship with all four political units: the Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union 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); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994)

Independence:

4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

Constitution:

17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789

Legal system:

federal court system based on English common law; each state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana, which is still influenced by the Napoleonic Code) is based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each state; president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held on 6 November 2012) election results: Barack H. OBAMA elected president; percent of popular vote - Barack H. OBAMA 52.4%, John MCCAIN 46.3%, other 1.3%; note - OBAMA is expected to assume office on 20 January 2009

Legislative branch:

bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats, 2 members are elected from each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third are elected every two years) and the House of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 49, Republican Party 49, independent 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 233, Republican Party 202

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the president and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate; appointed to serve for life); United States Courts of Appeal; United States District Courts; State and County Courts

Political parties and leaders:

Democratic Party [Howard DEAN]; Green Party; Libertarian Party [William (Bill) REDPATH]; Republican Party [Robert M. (Mike) DUNCAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PAC; health groups; education groups; cuvuc griyos; youth groups; transportation groups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform lobbies

International organization participation:

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Flag description:

13 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

Economy United States

Economy - overview:

The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $46,000. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of a "two-tier labor market" in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. The response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed the remarkable resilience of the economy. The war in March-April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq, and the subsequent occupation of Iraq, required major shifts in national resources to the military. The rise in GDP in 2004-07 was undergirded by substantial gains in labor productivity. Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage in the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, but had a small impact on overall GDP growth for the year. Soaring oil prices in 2005-2007 threatened inflation and unemployment, yet the economy continued to grow through year-end 2007. Imported oil accounts for about two-thirds of US consumption. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. The merchandise trade deficit reached a record $847 billion in 2007. Together, these problems caused a marked reduction in the value and status of the dollar worldwide in 2007.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$13.78 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$13.84 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$45,800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 1.2% industry: 19.8% services: 79% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

153.1 million (includes unemployed) (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

farming, forestry, and fishing 0.6%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.6%, managerial, professional, and technical 35.5%, sales and office 24.8%, other services 16.5% note: figures exclude the unemployed (2007)

Unemployment rate:

4.6% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

12% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 30% (2007 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

45 (2007)

Investment (gross fixed):

15.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $2.568 trillion expenditures: $2.73 trillion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 October - 30 September

Public debt:

60.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.9% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

4.83% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

8.05% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$1.374 trillion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$10.1 trillion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$14.15 trillion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products

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

Industrial production growth rate:

-1.7% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

4.167 trillion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

3.892 trillion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports:

20.14 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

51.4 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 71.4% hydro: 5.6% nuclear: 20.7% other: 2.3% (2001)

Oil - production:

8.457 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

20.68 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

1.165 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

13.71 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

20.97 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

545.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

652.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

23.28 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

130.3 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

5.977 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$731.2 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$1.148 trillion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrial supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0% (2003)

Exports - partners:

Canada 21.4%, Mexico 11.7%, China 5.6%, Japan 5.4%, UK 4.3%, Germany 4.3% (2007)

Imports:

$1.968 trillion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery), consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture, toys) (2003)

Imports - partners:

China 16.9%, Canada 15.7%, Mexico 10.6%, Japan 7.4%, Germany 4.8% (2007)

Economic aid - donor:

ODA, $23.53 billion (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$70.57 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$12.25 trillion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$2.093 trillion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$2.791 trillion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$17 trillion (2005)

Currency (code):

US dollar (USD)

Currency code:

USD

Exchange rates:

British pounds per US dollar: 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003) Canadian dollars per US dollar: 1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118 (2005), 1.3010 (2004), 1.4011 (2003) Japanese yen per US dollar: 117.99 (2007), 116.18 (2006) 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004), 115.93 (2003) euros per US dollar: 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.8860 (2003) Chinese yuan per US dollar: 7.61 (2007), 7.97 (2006), 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004), 8.2770 (2003)

Communications United States

Telephones - main lines in use:

163.2 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

255 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose communications system domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile telephone traffic throughout the country international: country code - 1; multiple ocean cable systems provide international connectivity; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 4,789, FM 8,961, shortwave 19 (2006)

Radios:

575 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

2,218 (2006)

Televisions:

219 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.us

Internet hosts:

316 million (2008); note - the US Internet total host count includes the following top level domain host addresses: .us, .com, .edu, .gov, .mil, .net, and .org

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

7,000 (2002 est.)

Internet users:

223 million (2008)

Transportation United States

Airports:

14,947 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 5,143 over 3,047 m: 191 2,438 to 3,047 m: 224 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,452 914 to 1,523 m: 2,323 under 914 m: 953 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 9,804 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 153 914 to 1,523 m: 1,732 under 914 m: 7,912 (2007)

Heliports:

146 (2007)

Pipelines:

petroleum products 244,620 km; natural gas 548,665 km (2006)

Railways:

total: 226,612 km standard gauge: 226,612 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:

total: 6,465,799 km paved: 4,209,835 km (includes 75,040 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,255,964 km (2007)

Waterways:

41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce) note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 422 by type: barge carrier 6, bulk carrier 61, cargo 69, carrier 2, chemical tanker 22, container 81, passenger 19, passenger/cargo 59, petroleum tanker 53, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 25, vehicle carrier 22 foreign-owned: 74 (Australia 1, Denmark 31, Germany 5, Japan 7, Malaysia 2, Netherlands 1, Norway 9, Singapore 12, Sweden 5, UK 1) registered in other countries: 732 (Antigua and Barbuda 8, Australia 2, Bahamas 106, Bermuda 23, Cambodia 6, Canada 10, Cayman Islands 42, Comoros 2, Cyprus 5, Ecuador 1, Greece 8, Hong Kong 29, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 4, Italy 17, South Korea 7, Liberia 98, Luxembourg 4, Malta 23, Marshall Islands 123, Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 1, Norway 7, Panama 126, Portugal 1, Puerto Rico 3, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 22, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Tuvalu 1, UK 12, Vanuatu 1, unknown 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Texas City

Military United States

Military branches:

US Army, US Navy (includes Marine Corps), US Air Force, US Coast Guard; note - Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for male and female voluntary service; maximum enlistment age 42 (Army), 27 (Air Force), 34 (Navy), 28 (Marines); service obligation 8 years, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines) (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 72,715,332 females age 16-49: 71,638,785 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 59,413,358 females age 16-49: 59,187,183 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 2,186,440 female: 2,079,688 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

4.06% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues United States

Disputes - international:

the U.S. has intensified domestic security measures and is collaborating closely with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico, to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across the international borders; abundant rainfall in recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; 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 US-administered 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 states; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island; Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island among the islands listed in its 2006 draft constitution

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): the US admitted 62,643 refugees during FY04/05 including; 10,586 (Somalia); 8,549 (Laos); 6,666 (Russia); 6,479 (Cuba); 3,100 (Haiti); 2,136 (Iran) (2006)

Illicit drugs:

world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Introduction United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Background:

All of the following US Pacific island territories except Midway Atoll constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior. Midway Atoll NWR has been included in a Refuge Complex with the Hawaiian Islands NWR and also designated as part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They sustain many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere. Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the uninhabited atoll was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano deposits until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction, cleanup, and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force. Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge. Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony. Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.

Geography United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Location:

Oceania Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Cook Islands Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km) southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km) northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa

Geographic coordinates:

Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W

Map references:

Oceania

Area:

total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km Baker Island: total - 129.1 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km Howland Island: total - 138.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km

Area - comparative:

Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

none

Coastline:

Baker Island: 4.8 km Howland Island: 6.4 km Jarvis Island: 8 km Johnston Atoll: 34 km Kingman Reef: 3 km Midway Islands: 15 km Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual rainfall occurs during the winter Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year

Terrain:

low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island, unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m; Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location - less than 2 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra Atoll, unnamed location - 3 m

Natural resources:

terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Land use:

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2008)

Natural hazards:

Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 2 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA

Environment - current issues:

Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural fresh water resources Kingman Reef: none Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: NA

Geography - note:

Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; closed to the public Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; supports a large undisturbed stand of Pisonia beach forest

People United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants note: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all US government personnel had left the island Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife staff, and researchers

Government United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll

Dependency status:

unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from Washington, DC by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon

Legal system:

the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (territories of the US)

Flag description:

the flag of the US is used

Economy United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Economy - overview:

no economic activity

Transportation United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Airports:

Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable Johnston Atoll: one closed and not maintained Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938 Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for sale except emergencies Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Kingman Reef: none; offshore anchorage only Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island Midway Islands: Sand Island Palmyra Atoll: West Lagoon

Military United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Uruguay

Introduction Uruguay

Background:

Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century established widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.

Geography Uruguay

Location:

Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil

Geographic coordinates:

33 00 S, 56 00 W

Map references:

South America

Area:

total: 176,220 sq km land: 173,620 sq km water: 2,600 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than the state of Washington

Land boundaries:

total: 1,648 km border countries: Argentina 580 km, Brazil 1,068 km

Coastline:

660 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or edge of continental margin

Climate:

warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Terrain:

mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m

Natural resources:

arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries

Land use:

arable land: 7.77% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 91.99% (2005)

Irrigated land:

2,100 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

139 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 3.15 cu km/yr (2%/1%/96%) per capita: 910 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind that 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 from weather fronts

Environment - current issues:

water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising

People Uruguay

Population:

3,477,778 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 22.7% (male 401,209/female 388,315) 15-64 years: 64% (male 1,105,891/female 1,120,858) 65 years and over: 13.3% (male 185,704/female 275,801) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 33.2 years male: 31.8 years female: 34.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.486% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

14.17 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

9.12 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 11.66 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 76.14 years male: 72.89 years female: 79.51 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.94 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

6,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Uruguayan(s) adjective: Uruguayan

Ethnic groups:

white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)

Religions:

Roman Catholic 47.1%, non-Catholic Christians 11.1%, nondenominational 23.2%, Jewish 0.3%, atheist or agnostic 17.2%, other 1.1% (2006)

Languages:

Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 97.6% female: 98.4% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 16 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

2.9% of GDP (2006)

Government Uruguay

Country name:

conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay conventional short form: Uruguay local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay local short form: Uruguay former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province

Government type:

constitutional republic

Capital:

name: Montevideo geographic coordinates: 34 53 S, 56 11 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March

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 1825 (from Brazil)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 25 August (1825)

Constitution:

27 November 1966, effective 15 February 1967; suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997

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: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Tabare VAZQUEZ Rosas (since 1 March 2005); Vice President Rodolfo NIN NOVOA (since 1 March 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009) election results: Tabare VAZQUEZ elected president; percent of vote - Tabare VAZQUEZ 50.5%, Jorge LARRANAGA 35.1%, Guillermo STIRLING 10.3%; other 4.1%

Legislative branch:

bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; vice president has one vote in the Senate) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 16, Blanco 11, Colorado Party 3; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - EP-FA 52, Blanco 36, Colorado Party 10, Independent Party 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:

Broad Front (Frente Amplio) - formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA [Jorge BROVETTO] (a broad governing coalition that includes Movement of the Popular Participation or MPP [Jose MUJICA], New Space Party (Nuevo Espacio) [Rafael MICHELINI], Progressive Alliance (Alianza Progresista) [Rodolfo NIN NOVOA], Socialist Party [Eduardo FERNANDEZ], the Communist Party [Marina ARISMENDI], Uruguayan Assembly (Asamblea Uruguay) [Danilo ASTORI], and Vertiente Artiguista [Mariano ARANA]); Colorado Party (Foro Batllista) [Julio Maria SANGUINETTI]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE and Jorge LARRANAGA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization); Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization); PIT/CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan Unions - umbrella labor organization); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); Uruguayan Construction League; Uruguayan Network of Political Women other: Catholic Church; students

International organization participation:

CAN (associate), FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto GIANELLI Derois chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316 FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington, DC consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Frank E. BAXTER embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200 mailing address: APO AA 34035 telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777 FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611

Flag description:

nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy

Economy Uruguay

Economy - overview:

Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated work force, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn, stemming largely from the spillover effects of the economic problems of its large neighbors, Argentina and Brazil. For instance, in 2001-02 Argentina made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso and a massive rise in unemployment. Total GDP in these four years dropped by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year due to the banking crisis. The unemployment rate rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF helped stem the damage. Uruguay in 2007 improved its debt profile by paying off $1.1 billion in IMF debt, and continues to follow the orthodox economic plan set by the Fund in 2005. The construction of a pulp mill in Fray Bentos, which represents the largest foreign direct investment in Uruguay's history at $1.2 billion, came online in November 2007 and is expected to add 1.6% to GDP and boost already rising exports. The economy has grown strongly since 2004 as a result of high commodity prices for Uruguayan exports, a strong peso, growth in the region, and low international interest rates.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$37.5 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$22.95 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

7.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$10,800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 10.1% industry: 32% services: 57.9% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

1.631 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 9% industry: 15% services: 76% (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate:

9.2% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

27.4% of households (2006)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 34% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

45.2 (2006)

Investment (gross fixed):

13.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $6.701 billion expenditures: $6.807 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

64.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

8.1% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

10% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

8.94% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$2.145 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$7.919 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$6.396 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

rice, wheat, soybeans, barley; livestock, beef; fish; forestry

Industries:

food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages

Industrial production growth rate:

7.9% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

9.2 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - consumption:

7.03 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - exports:

995.4 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

788.4 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 0.7% hydro: 99.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.3% (2001)

Oil - production:

935.7 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

33,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

4,410 bbl/day (2007)

Oil - imports:

43,670 bbl/day (2007)

Oil - proved reserves:

NA

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

102.8 million cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

116.9 million cu m (2007)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$185.6 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$5.063 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products

Exports - partners:

Brazil 15.5%, US 9.4%, Argentina 8.4%, Mexico 6.6%, China 6.1%, Germany 4.8% (2007)

Imports:

$5.554 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

crude petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, paper, plastics

Imports - partners:

Brazil 19.1%, Argentina 17.9%, US 9.5%, China 9.1%, Paraguay 7.7%, Nigeria 4.7% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$14.62 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$4.121 billion (December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$11.42 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$4.19 billion (2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$156 million (2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$224 million (2007)

Currency (code):

Uruguayan peso (UYU)

Currency code:

UYU

Exchange rates:

Uruguayan pesos (UYU) per US dollar - 23.947 (2007), 24.048 (2006), 24.479 (2005), 28.704 (2004), 28.209 (2003)

Communications Uruguay

Telephones - main lines in use:

965,200 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

3.004 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: fully digitalized domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is 115 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 598; the UNISOR submarine cable system provides direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 93, FM 191, shortwave 7 (2005)

Radios:

1.97 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

62 (2005)

Televisions:

782,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.uy

Internet hosts:

480,593 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

14 (2001)

Internet users:

968,000 (2007)

Transportation Uruguay

Airports:

60 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 51 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 29 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 257 km; oil 160 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 2,073 km standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in partial use (2006)

Roadways:

total: 77,732 km paved: 7,743 km unpaved: 69,989 km (2004)

Waterways:

1,600 km (2005)

Merchant marine:

total: 17 by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 10 (Argentina 3, Greece 1, Spain 6) registered in other countries: 3 (Liberia 3) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Montevideo

Military Uruguay

Military branches:

Uruguayan Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito), Navy (Armada Nacional; includes naval air arm, Marines, Maritime Prefecture in wartime), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya, FAU) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 837,252 females age 16-49: 824,096 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 703,955 females age 16-49: 690,296 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 27,082 female: 26,075 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.6% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Uruguay

Disputes - international:

in Jan 2007, ICJ provisionally ruled Uruguay may begin construction of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina, while the court examines further whether Argentina has the legal right to stop such construction with potential environmental implications to both countries; uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina

Illicit drugs:

small-scale transit country for drugs mainly bound for Europe, often through sea-borne containers; law enforcement corruption; money laundering because of strict banking secrecy laws; weak border control along Brazilian frontier; increasing consumption of cocaine base and synthetic drugs

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Uzbekistan

Introduction Uzbekistan

Background:

Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic set up in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns include terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.

Geography Uzbekistan

Location:

Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

Geographic coordinates:

41 00 N, 64 00 E

Map references:

Asia

Area:

total: 447,400 sq km land: 425,400 sq km water: 22,000 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:

total: 6,221 km border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

Coastline:

0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline

Maritime claims:

none (doubly landlocked)

Climate:

mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east

Terrain:

mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m

Natural resources:

natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Land use:

arable land: 10.51% permanent crops: 0.76% other: 88.73% (2005)

Irrigated land:

42,810 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

72.2 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 58.34 cu km/yr (5%/2%/93%) per capita: 2,194 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

shrinkage of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including DDT

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world

People Uzbekistan

Population:

27,345,026 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 29% (male 4,047,918/female 3,870,346) 15-64 years: 66% (male 8,971,017/female 9,079,170) 65 years and over: 5% (male 588,498/female 788,077) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 24.3 years male: 23.8 years female: 24.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.965% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

17.99 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-3.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 24.23 deaths/1,000 live births male: 28.61 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 71.69 years male: 68.69 years female: 74.87 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.01 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

11,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Uzbekistani adjective: Uzbekistani

Ethnic groups:

Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

Religions:

Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Languages:

Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.3% male: 99.6% female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 11 years male: 12 years female: 11 years (2007)

Education expenditures:

9.4% of GDP (1991)

Government Uzbekistan

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Uzbekistan conventional short form: Uzbekistan local long form: Ozbekiston Respublikasi local short form: Ozbekiston former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:

republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

Capital:

name: Tashkent (Toshkent) geographic coordinates: 41 20 N, 69 18 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (respublika), and 1 city** (shahar); Andijon Viloyati, Buxoro Viloyati, Farg'ona Viloyati, Jizzax Viloyati, Namangan Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi [Karakalpakstan]* (Nukus), Samarqand Viloyati, Sirdaryo Viloyati (Guliston), Surxondaryo Viloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri**, Toshkent Viloyati, Xorazm Viloyati (Urganch) note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Independence:

1 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 1 September (1991)

Constitution:

adopted 8 December 1992

Legal system:

based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Islom KARIMOV (since 24 March 1990, when he was elected president by the then Supreme Soviet) head of government: Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (since 11 December 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam AZIMOV (since 2 January 2008) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of the Supreme Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term; previously was a five-year term, extended by constitutional amendment in 2002); election last held 23 December 2007 (next to be held in 2014); prime minister, ministers, and deputy ministers appointed by the president election results: Islom KARIMOV reelected president; percent of vote - Islom KARIMOV 88.1%, Aslidden RUSTAMOV 3.2%, Dilorom TASHMUKHAMEDOVA 2.9%, Akmal SAIDOV 2.6%

Legislative branch:

bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of an upper house or Senate (100 seats; 84 members are elected by regional governing councils and 16 appointed by the president; to serve five-year terms) and a lower house or Legislative Chamber (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 26 December 2004 and 9 January 2005 (next to be held December 2009) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDPU 41, NDP 32, Fidokorlar 17, MTP 11, Adolat 9, unaffiliated 10 note: all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President KARIMOV

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Supreme Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:

Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party [Dilorom TASHMUHAMMEDOVA]; Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milly Tiklanish) or MTP [Hurshid DOSMUHAMMEDOV]; Fidokorlar National Democratic Party (Self-Sacrificers) [Ahtam TURSUNOV]; Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan or LDPU [Adham SHADMANOV; People's Democratic Party or NDP (formerly Communist Party) [Asliddin RUSTAMOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Agrarian and Entrepreneurs' Party [Marat ZAHIDOV]; Birlik (Unity) Movement [Abdurakhim POLAT, chairman]; Committee for the Protection of Human Rights [Marat ZAHIDOV]; Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party [Muhammad SOLIH, chairman] (was banned 9 December 1992); Ezgulik Human Rights Society [Vasila INOYATOVA]; Free Farmers' Party or Ozod Dehqonlar [Nigora KHIDOYATOVA]; Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan [Talib YAKUBOV, chairman]; Independent Human Rights Organization of Uzbekistan [Mikhail ARDZINOV, chairman]; Mazlum; Sunshine Coalition [Sanjar UMAROV, chairman]

International organization participation:

ADB, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Abdulaziz KAMILOV chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300 FAX: [1] (202) 293-6804 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard B. NORLAND embassy: 3 Moyqo'rq'on, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent 100093 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [998] (71) 120-5450 FAX: [998] (71) 120-6335

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon and 12 white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

Economy Uzbekistan

Economy - overview:

Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 11% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. More than 60% of its population lives in densely populated rural communities. Uzbekistan is now the world's second-largest cotton exporter and fifth largest producer; it relies heavily on cotton production as the major source of export earnings. Other major export earners include gold, natural gas, and oil. Following independence in September 1991, the government sought to prop up its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. While aware of the need to improve the investment climate, the government still sponsors measures that often increase, not decrease, its control over business decisions. A sharp increase in the inequality of income distribution has hurt the lower ranks of society since independence. In 2003, the government accepted Article VIII obligations under the IMF, providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls and tightening of borders have lessened the effects of convertibility and have also led to some shortages that have further stifled economic activity. The Central Bank often delays or restricts convertibility, especially for consumer goods. Potential investment by Russia and China in Uzbekistan's gas and oil industry may boost growth prospects. In November 2005, Russian President Vladimir PUTIN and Uzbekistan President KARIMOV signed an "alliance," which included provisions for economic and business cooperation. Russian businesses have shown increased interest in Uzbekistan, especially in mining, telecom, and oil and gas. In 2006, Uzbekistan took steps to rejoin the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Community (EurASEC), both organizations dominated by Russia. Uzbek authorities have accused US and other foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan of violating Uzbek tax laws and have frozen their assets.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$64.4 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$22.31 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

9.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$2,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 29.4% industry: 33.1% services: 37.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

14.6 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 44% industry: 20% services: 36% (1995)

Unemployment rate:

0.8% officially by the Ministry of Labor, plus another 20% underemployed (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

33% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 29.6% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

36.8 (2003)

Budget:

revenues: $6.478 billion expenditures: $6.5 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

18.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

12% officially, but 38% based on analysis of consumer prices (2007 est.)

Agriculture - products:

cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock

Industries:

textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, gold, petroleum, natural gas, chemicals

Industrial production growth rate:

12.1% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

48.79 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

42.23 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

11.52 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

11.44 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 88.2% hydro: 11.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

99,260 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

157,100 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

11,940 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

31,440 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

594 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

65.19 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

51.18 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

14.01 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

1.841 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$4.615 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$8.05 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

cotton, gold, energy products, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, textiles, food products, machinery, automobiles

Exports - partners:

Russia 22.4%, Poland 10.4%, Turkey 9.4%, Kazakhstan 6.1%, Hungary 6%, China 5.6%, Ukraine 4.8%, Bangladesh 4.3% (2007)

Imports:

$4.48 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, ferrous and non-ferrous metals

Imports - partners:

Russia 30.1%, China 13.3%, South Korea 13%, Germany 6.3%, Kazakhstan 6.2%, Ukraine 4% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$172.3 million from the US (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$6.75 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$3.927 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$36.89 million (2005)

Currency (code):

soum (UZS)

Currency code:

UZS

Exchange rates:

Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar - 1,263.8 (2007), 1,219.8 (2006), 1,020 (2005), 971.265 (2004), 771.029 (2003)

Communications Uzbekistan

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.793 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

5.8 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious need of modernization domestic: the main line telecommunications system is dilapidated and telephone density is low; the state-owned telecommunications company, Uzbektelecom, is working on improving main line services; mobile services are growing swiftly, with the subscriber base more than doubling in 2007 to 5.8 million international: country code - 998; linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after the completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian facilities for international communications (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 3 (2006)

Radios:

10.8 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

28 (includes 1 cable rebroadcaster in Tashkent and approximately 20 stations in regional capitals) (2006)

Televisions:

6.4 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.uz

Internet hosts:

38,183 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

42 (2000)

Internet users:

1.2 million (2007)

Transportation Uzbekistan

Airports:

54 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 33 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 4 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 under 914 m: 19 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 9,725 km; oil 868 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 3,950 km broad gauge: 3,950 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 86,496 km paved: 75,511 km unpaved: 10,985 km (2000)

Waterways:

1,100 km (2006)

Ports and terminals:

Termiz (Amu Darya)

Military Uzbekistan

Military branches:

Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 1-year conscript service obligation; moving toward a professional military, but conscription will continue; the military cannot accommodate everyone who wishes to enlist, and competition for entrance into the military is similar to the competition for admission to universities (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 7,480,484 females age 16-49: 7,542,017 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 5,684,540 females age 16-49: 6,432,976 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 324,094 female: 323,923 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Uzbekistan

Disputes - international:

prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2004; border delimitation of 130 km of border with Kyrgyzstan is hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 39,202 (Tajikistan); 1,060 (Afghanistan) IDPs: 3,400 (forced population transfers by government from villages near Tajikistan border) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Uzbekistan is a source country for women and girls trafficked to Kazakhstan, Russia, Middle East, and Asia for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; men are trafficked to Kazakhstan and Russia for purposes of forced labor in the construction, cotton, and tobacco industries; men and women are also trafficked internally for the purposes of domestic servitude, forced labor in the agricultural and construction industries, and for commercial sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Uzbekistan is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in 2007; the government did not amend its criminal code to increase penalties for convicted traffickers; in March 2008, Uzbekistan adopted ILO Conventions on minimum age of employment and on the elimination of the worst forms of child labor and is working with the ILO on implementation; the government also demonstrated its increasing commitment to combat trafficking in March 2008 by adopting a comprehensive anti-trafficking law; Uzbekistan has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)

Illicit drugs:

transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for domestic consumption; poppy cultivation almost wiped out by government crop eradication program; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Vanuatu

Introduction Vanuatu

Background:

Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.

Geography Vanuatu

Location:

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates:

16 00 S, 167 00 E

Map references:

Oceania

Area:

total: 12,200 sq km land: 12,200 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

2,528 km

Maritime claims:

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April

Terrain:

mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Natural resources:

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Land use:

arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 6.97% other: 91.39% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis

Environment - current issues:

most of the population does not have access to a reliable supply of potable water; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes

People Vanuatu

Population:

215,446 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 31.3% (male 34,441/female 33,000) 15-64 years: 64.8% (male 71,159/female 68,435) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 4,352/female 4,059) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 23.8 years male: 23.8 years female: 23.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.434% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

21.95 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 50.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 53.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 48.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 63.61 years male: 62.04 years female: 65.27 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.57 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural) adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Ethnic groups:

Ni-Vanuatu 98.5%, other 1.5% (1999 Census)

Religions:

Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%, unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census)

Languages:

local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.7% (1999 Census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74% male: NA female: NA (1999 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 10 years male: 11 years female: 10 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

9.5% of GDP (2003)

Government Vanuatu

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu conventional short form: Vanuatu local long form: Ripablik blong Vanuatu local short form: Vanuatu former: New Hebrides

Government type:

parliamentary republic

Capital:

name: Port-Vila (on Efate) geographic coordinates: 17 44 S, 168 19 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba

Independence:

30 July 1980 (from France and UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

Constitution:

30 July 1980

Legal system:

unified system being created from former dual French and British systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Kalkot Matas KELEKELE (since 16 August 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Edward NATAPEI (since 22 September 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Ham LINI (since 22 September 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils; election for president last held 16 August 2004 (next to be held in 2009); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held 22 September 2008 (next to be held following general elections in 2012) election results: Kalkot Matas KELEKELE elected president, with 49 votes out of 56, after several ballots on 16 August 2004

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 2 September 2008 (next to be held 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - VP 11, NUP 8, UMP 7, VRP 7, PPP 4, GC 2, MPP 1, NA 1, NAG 1, PAP 1, Shepherds Alliance 1, VFFP 1, VLP 1, VNP 1, VPRFP 1, and independent 4; note - political party associations are fluid note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of culture and language

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission)

Political parties and leaders:

Greens Confederation or GC [Moana CARCASSES]; Jon Frum Movement or JF [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; Nagriamel movement or NAG [Havo MOLI]; Namangi Aute or NA [Paul TELUKLUK]; National United Party or NUP [Ham LINI]; People's Action Party or PAP [Peter VUTA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Sato KILMAN]; Shepherds Alliance Party [leader NA]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuatu Family First Party or VFFP [Eta RORI]; Vanuatu Labor Party or VLP [Joshua KALSAKAU]; Vanuatu National Party or VNP [Issac HAMARILIU]; Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]; Vanuatu Republican Farmers Party or VPRFP [Jean RAVOU]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

ACCT, ACP, ADB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US; it does, however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN

Diplomatic representation from the US:

the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Flag description:

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves, all in yellow

Economy Vanuatu

Economy - overview:

This South Pacific island economy is based primarily on small-scale agriculture, which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with more than 60,000 visitors in 2005, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between constituent islands. In response to foreign concerns, the government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center. In mid-2002 the government stepped up efforts to boost tourism through improved air connections, resort development, and cruise ship facilities. Agriculture, especially livestock farming, is a second target for growth. Australia and New Zealand are the main suppliers of tourists and foreign aid.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$897 million (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$455 million (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$3,900 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 26% industry: 12% services: 62% (2000 est.)

Labor force:

76,410 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 65% industry: 5% services: 30% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:

1.7% (1999)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $78.7 million expenditures: $72.23 million (2005)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.9% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

6% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

8.16% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$107.1 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$421.8 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$229.5 million (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits, vegetables; beef; fish

Industries:

food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Industrial production growth rate:

1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:

46 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

39.99 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

660 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

671.1 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$60 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$40 million f.o.b. (2006)

Exports - commodities:

copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee

Exports - partners:

Thailand 58.3%, India 18.5%, Japan 11.3% (2007)

Imports:

$156 million c.i.f. (2006)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels

Imports - partners:

Australia 20.7%, Singapore 11.8%, NZ 11.2%, Norway 8.5%, US 8.3%, Fiji 8.1%, China 7.2%, New Caledonia 4.5% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$39.48 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$40.54 million (2003)

Debt - external:

$81.2 million (2004)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

vatu (VUV)

Currency code:

VUV

Exchange rates:

vatu (VUV) per US dollar - NA (2007), 111.93 (2006), NA (2005), 111.79 (2004), 122.19 (2003)

Communications Vanuatu

Telephones - main lines in use:

8,800 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

26,000 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios:

67,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2004)

Televisions:

2,300 (1999)

Internet country code:

.vu

Internet hosts:

990 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

17,000 (2007)

Transportation Vanuatu

Airports:

31 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 28 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 22 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 1,070 km paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1999)

Merchant marine:

total: 54 by type: bulk carrier 32, cargo 8, container 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 4, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 54 (Australia 2, Belgium 4, Canada 5, Estonia 1, Greece 1, Japan 29, Monaco 1, Poland 7, Russia 2, Switzerland 1, US 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)

Military Vanuatu

Military branches:

no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF), Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF; includes Police Maritime Wing (PMW)) (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 58,900 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 40,577 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 2,385 female: 2,290 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

NA

Transnational Issues Vanuatu

Disputes - international:

Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Venezuela

Introduction Venezuela

Background:

Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since 1999, seeks to implement his "21st Century Socialism," which purports to alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking globalization and undermining regional stability. Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.

Geography Venezuela

Location:

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Geographic coordinates:

8 00 N, 66 00 W

Map references:

South America

Area:

total: 912,050 sq km land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:

total: 4,993 km border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Coastline:

2,800 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 15 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain:

Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Land use:

arable land: 2.85% permanent crops: 0.88% other: 96.27% (2005)

Irrigated land:

5,750 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

1,233.2 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 8.37 cu km/yr (6%/7%/47%) per capita: 313 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:

sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall

People Venezuela

Population:

26,414,816 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 31% (male 4,162,862/female 4,034,044) 15-64 years: 63.8% (male 8,299,266/female 8,562,290) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 602,725/female 753,628) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 25.2 years male: 24.6 years female: 25.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.498% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

20.92 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.1 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 22.02 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.61 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 73.45 years male: 70.4 years female: 76.65 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.52 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.7%; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

110,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

4,100 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne disease: dengue fever, malaria, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Venezuelan(s) adjective: Venezuelan

Ethnic groups:

Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people

Religions:

nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%

Languages:

Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93% male: 93.3% female: 92.7% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 12 years male: 11 years female: 12 years (2003)

Education expenditures:

3.7% of GDP (2006)

Government Venezuela

Country name:

conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela

Government type:

federal republic

Capital:

name: Caracas geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W time difference: UTC-4.5 (half an hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Independence:

5 July 1811 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

Constitution:

30 December 1999

Legal system:

open, adversarial court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Executive Vice President Ramon Alonzo CARRIZALEZ Rengifo (since 4 January 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Executive Vice President Ramon Alonzo CARRIZALEZ Rengifo (since 4 January 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2012) note: in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted a new constitution that increased the presidential term to six years; an election was subsequently held on 30 July 2000 under the terms of this constitution election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 62.9%, Manuel ROSALES 36.9%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela) elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other 25), opposition 0; total seats by party as of 1 January 2008 - pro-government 152 (PSUV 114, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other 25), PODEMOS 15

Judicial branch:

Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term)

Political parties and leaders:

A New Time or UNT [Manuel ROSALES]; Christian Democrats or COPEI [Cesar PEREZ Vivas]; Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV [Jeronimo CARRERA]; Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]; We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)

International organization participation:

Caricom (observer), CDB, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Angelo SANTOS chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214 FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires John CAULFIELD embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080 mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037 telephone: [58] (212) 975-6411, 907-8400 (after hours) FAX: [58] (212) 907-8199

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band

Economy Venezuela

Economy - overview:

Venezuela remains highly dependent on oil revenues, which account for roughly 90% of export earnings, more than 50% of the federal budget revenues, and around 30% of GDP. A nationwide strike between December 2002 and February 2003 had far-reaching economic consequences - real GDP declined by around 9% in 2002 and 8% in 2003 - but economic output since then has recovered strongly. Fueled by high oil prices, record government spending helped to boost GDP in 2006 by about 9% and in 2007 by about 8%. This spending, combined with recent minimum wage hikes and improved access to domestic credit, has created a consumption boom but has come at the cost of higher inflation-roughly 20 percent in 2007. Imports also have jumped significantly. Embolden by his December 2006 reelection, President Hugo CHAVEZ in 2007 nationalized firms in the petroleum, communications, and electricity sectors, which reduced foreign influence in the economy. Although voters in December 2007 rejected CHAVEZ's proposed constitutional changes, CHAVEZ still has significant control of the economy and has indicated he intends to continue to consolidate and centralize authority over the economy by implementing "21st Century Socialism."

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$334.3 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$236.4 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

8.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$12,800 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3.8% industry: 38.4% services: 57.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

12.37 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 13% industry: 23% services: 64% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:

8.5% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

37.9% (end 2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 35.2% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

48.2 (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):

23.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $65.83 billion expenditures: $58.9 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

19.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

18.7% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

28.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

17.11% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$63.18 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$8.889 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$50.24 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish

Industries:

petroleum, construction materials, food processing, textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly

Industrial production growth rate:

3.9% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

110.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

83.84 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

542 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 31.7% hydro: 68.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

2.667 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

738,300 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

2.203 million bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - imports:

0 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

87.04 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

26.5 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

26.5 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

4.708 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

$20 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$69.17 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures

Exports - partners:

US 42.7%, Netherlands Antilles 8%, China 3.1% (2007)

Imports:

$45.46 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials

Imports - partners:

US 26.6%, Colombia 13.5%, Brazil 9.5%, China 6.7%, Mexico 5.2%, Panama 5% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$48.66 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$33.48 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$43.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$43.96 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$13.81 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$8.251 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

bolivar (VEB)

Currency code:

VEB

Exchange rates:

bolivars (VEB) per US dollar - 2,147 (2007), 2,147 (2006), 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003) note: On 1 January 2008 Venezuela revalued its currency with 1000 old bolivares equal to 1 new bolivar

Communications Venezuela

Telephones - main lines in use:

5.082 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

23.82 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: modern and expanding domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines; installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services; fixed-line teledensity 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity more than 90 per 100 persons international: country code - 58; submarine cable systems provide connectivity to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an international fiber-optic network (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)

Radios:

10.75 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:

4.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.ve

Internet hosts:

145,394 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

16 (2000)

Internet users:

5.72 million (2007)

Transportation Venezuela

Airports:

390 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 128 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 61 under 914 m: 18 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 262 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 97 under 914 m: 149 (2007)

Heliports:

2 (2007)

Pipelines:

extra heavy crude oil 992 km; gas 5,400 km; oil 7,607 km; refined products 1,650 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 682 km standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 96,155 km paved: 32,308 km unpaved: 63,847 km (2002)

Waterways:

7,100 km note: Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels (2005)

Merchant marine:

total: 62 by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 16, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 5, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 12 (Chile 1, Denmark 1, Greece 3, Mexico 5, Panama 1, Spain 1) registered in other countries: 12 (Bahamas 1, Panama 10, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon

Transportation - note:

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Caribbean Sea as a significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

Military Venezuela

Military branches:

National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacionale, FAN): Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada; includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)

Military service age and obligation:

18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 30-month conscript service obligation - all citizens 18-50 years old are obligated to register for military service (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 6,647,124 females age 16-49: 6,801,133 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 5,280,974 females age 16-49: 5,768,814 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 275,323 female: 274,106 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Venezuela

Disputes - international:

claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; dispute with Colombia over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's shared border region; in 2006, an estimated 139,000 Colombians sought protection in 150 communities along the border in Venezuela; US, France, and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's granting full effect to Aves Island, thereby claiming a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest Venezuela's full effect claim

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Venezuela is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; Venezuelan women and girls are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation, lured from the nation's interior to urban and tourist areas; child prostitution in urban areas and child sex tourism in resort destinations appear to be growing; Venezuelan women and girls are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Western Europe, Mexico, and Caribbean destinations tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Venezuela is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List, up from Tier 3, as it showed greater resolve to address trafficking through law enforcement measures and prevention efforts in 2007, although stringent punishment of offenders and victim assistance remain lacking (2008)

Illicit drugs:

small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Vietnam

Introduction Vietnam

Background:

The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under Communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to experience protests from various groups - such as the Protestant Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands and the Hoa Hao Buddhists in southern Vietnam over religious persecution. Montagnard grievances also include the loss of land to Vietnamese settlers.

Geography Vietnam

Location:

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia

Geographic coordinates:

16 00 N, 106 00 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: 329,560 sq km land: 325,360 sq km water: 4,200 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries:

total: 4,639 km border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km

Coastline:

3,444 km (excludes islands)

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)

Terrain:

low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m

Natural resources:

phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 20.14% permanent crops: 6.93% other: 72.93% (2005)

Irrigated land:

30,000 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

891.2 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 71.39 cu km/yr (8%/24%/68%) per capita: 847 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta

Environment - current issues:

logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point

People Vietnam

Population:

86,116,560 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 25.6% (male 11,418,642/female 10,598,184) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 29,341,216/female 29,777,696) 65 years and over: 5.8% (male 1,925,609/female 3,055,212) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 26.9 years male: 25.8 years female: 28 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.99% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

16.47 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 23.61 deaths/1,000 live births male: 24.01 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 71.33 years male: 68.52 years female: 74.33 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.86 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

220,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

9,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and plague water contact disease: leptospirosis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) adjective: Vietnamese

Ethnic groups:

Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.7%, Muong 1.5%, Khome 1.4%, Hoa 1.1%, Nun 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1% (1999 census)

Religions:

Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)

Languages:

Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.3% male: 93.9% female: 86.9% (2002 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 10 years male: 11 years female: 10 years (2000)

Education expenditures:

1.8% of GDP (1991)

Government Vietnam

Country name:

conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam conventional short form: Vietnam local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam local short form: Viet Nam abbreviation: SRV

Government type:

Communist state

Capital:

name: Hanoi geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural) provinces: An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Dac Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh

Independence:

2 September 1945 (from France)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 2 September (1945)

Constitution:

15 April 1992

Legal system:

based on communist legal theory and French civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Nguyen Minh TRIET (since 27 June 2006); Vice President Nguyen Thi DOAN (since 25 July 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June 2006); Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh HUNG (since 28 June 2006), Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung HAI (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien NHAN (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia KHIEM (since 28 June 2006), and Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh TRONG (since 28 June 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime minister and confirmed by National Assembly elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its members for five-year term; last held 27 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers confirmed by National Assembly election results: Nguyen Minh TRIET elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 94%; Nguyen Tan DUNG elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 92%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPV 450, non-party CPV-approved 42, self-nominated 1; note - 493 candidates were elected; CPV and non-party CPV-approved delegates were members of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front

Judicial branch:

Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)

Political parties and leaders:

Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH]; other parties proscribed

Political pressure groups and leaders:

8406 Bloc; Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV; People's Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN; Alliance for Democracy note: these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by the government

International organization participation:

ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Le Cong PHUNG chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737 FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917 consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. MICHALAK embassy: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [84] (4) 3850-5000 FAX: [84] (4) 3850-5010 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City

Flag description:

red field with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center

Economy Vietnam

Economy - overview:

Vietnam is a densely-populated developing country that in the last 30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy. Economic stagnation marked the period after reunification from 1975 to 1985. In 1986, the Sixth Party Congress approved a broad economic reform package that introduced market reforms and set the groundwork for Vietnam's improved investment climate. Substantial progress was achieved from 1986 to 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low level of development and significantly reducing poverty. The 1997 Asian financial crisis highlighted the problems in the Vietnamese economy and temporarily allowed opponents of reform to slow progress toward a market-oriented economy. GDP growth averaged 6.8% per year from 1997 to 2004 even against the background of the Asian financial crisis and a global recession. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and international integration. They have moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The economy grew 8.5% in 2007. Vietnam's membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entry into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in December 2001 have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam's trade and economic regime. Vietnam's exports to the US increased 900% from 2001 to 2007. Vietnam joined the WTO in January 2007, following over a decade long negotiation process. WTO membership has provided Vietnam an anchor to the global market and reinforced the domestic economic reform process. Among other benefits, accession allows Vietnam to take advantage of the phase-out of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, which eliminated quotas on textiles and clothing for WTO partners on 1 January 2005. Agriculture's share of economic output has continued to shrink, from about 25% in 2000 to less than 20% in 2007. Deep poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 per day, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of China, India, and the Philippines. Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one-and-a-half million people every year. In an effort to stem high inflation which took off in 2007, early in 2008 Vietnamese authorities began to raise benchmark interest rates and reserve requirements. Hanoi is targeting an economic growth rate of 7.5-8% during the next four years.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$221.1 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$70.02 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

8.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$2,600 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 19.5% industry: 42.3% services: 38.2% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

46.42 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 55.6% industry: 18.9% services: 25.5% (July 2005)

Unemployment rate:

4.3% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

14.8% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 28.9% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

37 (2004)

Investment (gross fixed):

37.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $18.62 billion expenditures: $19.71 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

42% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

8.3% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

6.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

11.18% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$27.15 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$51.08 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$68.63 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

paddy rice, coffee, rubber, cotton, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood

Industries:

food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, paper

Industrial production growth rate:

10.6% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

61.02 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

48.08 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 43.7% hydro: 56.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

350,700 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

271,100 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

394,400 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

271,100 bbl/day (2007)

Oil - proved reserves:

600 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

6.86 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

6.86 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

192.5 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$6.993 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$48.56 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes

Exports - partners:

US 20.8%, Japan 12.5%, Australia 7.3%, China 6.9%, Singapore 4.5% (2007)

Imports:

$58.92 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles

Imports - partners:

China 19.9%, Singapore 12.1%, Taiwan 11%, Japan 9.9%, South Korea 8.5%, Thailand 6% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$5.4 billion in credits and grants pledged by the 2007 Consultative Group meeting in Hanoi (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$23.87 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$21.83 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$32.74 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

dong (VND)

Currency code:

VND

Exchange rates:

dong (VND) per US dollar - 16,119 (2007), 15,983 (2006), 15,746 (2005), NA (2004), 15,510 (2003)

Communications Vietnam

Telephones - main lines in use:

10.8 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

33.2 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system, but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern neighbors domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been substantially increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly international: country code - 84; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3, the C2C, and Thailand-Vietnam-Hong Kong submarine cable systems; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable system, scheduled for completion by the end of 2008, will provide new access links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)

Radios:

8.2 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

67 (includes 61 relay, provincial, and city TV stations) (2006)

Televisions:

3.57 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.vn

Internet hosts:

84,151 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

5 (2000)

Internet users:

17.87 million (2007)

Transportation Vietnam

Airports:

44 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 37 over 3,047 m: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 10 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Pipelines:

condensate/gas 432 km; gas 510 km; oil 49 km; refined products 206 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 2,600 km standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (2006)

Roadways:

total: 222,179 km paved: 42,167 km unpaved: 180,012 km (2004)

Waterways:

17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2005)

Merchant marine:

total: 387 by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 36, cargo 280, chemical tanker 12, container 14, liquefied gas 6, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 32, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 2 (Hong Kong 1, Japan 1) registered in other countries: 64 (Honduras 1, Liberia 4, Mongolia 23, Panama 30, Tuvalu 5, unknown 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City

Transportation - note:

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift

Military Vietnam

Military branches:

People's Armed Forces: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) (includes People's Navy Command (with naval infantry, coast guard), Air and Air Defense Force (Kon Quan Nhan Dan), Border Defense Command), People's Public Security Forces, Militia Force, Self-Defense Forces (2005)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age (male) for compulsory military service; females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (3 to 4 years in the navy); 18-45 years of age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self Defense Forces (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 24,586,328 females age 16-49: 24,335,132 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 18,849,274 females age 16-49: 20,575,884 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 903,734 female: 845,306 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Vietnam

Disputes - international:

southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed encroachments along border; an estimated 300,000 Vietnamese refugees reside in China; establishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is hampered by unresolved dispute over the sovereignty of offshore islands; demarcation of the China-Vietnam boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004, implementation has been delayed; China occupies the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; involved in complex dispute with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; Vietnam continues to expand construction of facilities in the Spratly Islands; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands

Illicit drugs:

minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; government continues to face domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding crackdowns

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Virgin Islands

Introduction Virgin Islands

Background:

During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.

Geography Virgin Islands

Location:

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:

18 20 N, 64 50 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 1,910 sq km land: 346 sq km water: 1,564 sq km

Area - comparative:

twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

188 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November

Terrain:

mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m

Natural resources:

sun, sand, sea, surf

Land use:

arable land: 5.71% permanent crops: 2.86% other: 91.43% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes

Environment - current issues:

lack of natural freshwater resources

Geography - note:

important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean

People Virgin Islands

Population:

109,840 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 21% (male 11,698/female 11,390) 15-64 years: 66.2% (male 34,035/female 38,670) 65 years and over: 12.8% (male 6,312/female 7,735) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 38.5 years male: 38 years female: 39 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.002% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

12.29 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

6.55 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-5.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 7.72 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.92 years male: 75.9 years female: 82.11 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.88 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens) adjective: Virgin Islander

Ethnic groups:

black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census)

Religions:

Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%

Languages:

English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90-95% est. male: NA% female: NA% (2005 est.)

Education expenditures:

NA

Government Virgin Islands

Country name:

conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies abbreviation: USVI

Dependency status:

organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Government type:

NA

Capital:

name: Charlotte Amalie geographic coordinates: 18 21 N, 64 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas

Independence:

none (territory of the US)

National holiday:

Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 31 March (1917)

Constitution:

Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954

Legal system:

based on US laws

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch:

chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor John DeJONGH (since 1 January 2007) cabinet: NA elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in the Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 7 and 21 November 2006 (next to be held November 2010) election results: John DeJONGH elected governor; percent of vote - John DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP 42.7%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 8, ICM 4, independent 3 note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008)

Judicial branch:

US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Superior Court of the Virgin Islands (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:

Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

IOC, UPU, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (territory of the US)

Flag description:

white field with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel

Economy Virgin Islands

Economy - overview:

Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands hosted 2.6 million visitors in 2005. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are small but growing components of the economy. The islands are vulnerable to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$1.577 billion (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$NA

GDP - real growth rate:

2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$14,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)

Labor force:

43,980 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:

6.2% (2004)

Population below poverty line:

28.9% (2002)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA

Fiscal year:

1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.2% (2003)

Agriculture - products:

fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle

Industries:

tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

960 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

892.8 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

17,620 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

91,680 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

398,500 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

492,300 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

NA

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Exports:

$4.234 billion (2001)

Exports - commodities:

refined petroleum products

Exports - partners:

US, Puerto Rico (2006)

Imports:

$4.609 billion (2001)

Imports - commodities:

crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials

Imports - partners:

US, Puerto Rico (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$NA

Debt - external:

$NA

Currency (code):

US dollar (USD)

Currency code:

USD

Exchange rates:

the US dollar is used

Communications Virgin Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:

71,700 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

80,300 (2005)

Telephone system:

general assessment: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay domestic: full range of services available international: country code - 1-340; submarine cable connections to US, the Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth stations - NA

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2005)

Radios:

107,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

5 (2006)

Televisions:

68,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.vi

Internet hosts:

4,610 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

50 (2000)

Internet users:

30,000 (2007)

Transportation Virgin Islands

Airports:

2 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 1,257 km (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay

Military Virgin Islands

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 861 female: 897 (2008 est.)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues Virgin Islands

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Wake Island

Introduction Wake Island

Background:

The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December 1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake was developed as a stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been used by the US military, as well as for emergency landings. All operations on the island were suspended and all personnel evacuated in August 2006 with the approach of super typhoon IOKE (category 5), which struck the island with sustained winds of 250 kph and a 6 m storm surge inflicting major damage. A US Air Force assessment and repair team returned to the island in September and restored limited function to the airfield and facilities. The future status of activities on the island will be determined upon completion of the survey and assessment.

Geography Wake Island

Location:

Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands

Geographic coordinates:

19 17 N, 166 39 E

Map references:

Oceania

Area:

total: 6.5 sq km land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

19.3 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical

Terrain:

atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and Wilkes, built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 6 m

Natural resources:

none

Land use:

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights

People Wake Island

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants note: since super typhoon IOKE, a small military contingent along with 75 contractor personnel have returned to the island to conduct clean-up and restore basic operations on the island (July 2008 est.)

Government Wake Island

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Wake Island

Dependency status:

unorganized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities in the atoll are currently conducted by the US Air Force

Legal system:

the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Flag description:

the flag of the US is used

Economy Wake Island

Economy - overview:

Economic activity is limited to providing services to military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

Electricity - production:

NA kWh

Communications Wake Island

Telephone system:

general assessment: satellite communications; 2 DSN circuits off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS) domestic: NA international: NA

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 0 (Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service provided by satellite (2005)

Television broadcast stations:

0 (2005)

Transportation Wake Island

Airports:

1 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

Ports and terminals:

none; two offshore anchorages for large ships

Transportation - note:

there are no commercial or civilian flights to and from Wake Island, except in direct support of island missions; emergency landing is available

Military Wake Island

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the US; the US Air Force is responsible for overall administration and operation of the island; the launch support facility is administered by the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA)

Transnational Issues Wake Island

Disputes - international:

claimed by Marshall Islands

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Wallis and Futuna

Introduction Wallis and Futuna

Background:

The Futuna island group was discovered by the Dutch in 1616 and Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the French who declared a protectorate over the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory.

Geography Wallis and Futuna

Location:

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:

13 18 S, 176 12 W

Map references:

Oceania

Area:

total: 274 sq km land: 274 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets

Area - comparative:

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

129 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C

Terrain:

volcanic origin; low hills

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m

Natural resources:

NEGL

Land use:

arable land: 7.14% permanent crops: 35.71% other: 57.15% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain) largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion; there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of natural fresh water resources

Geography - note:

both island groups have fringing reefs

People Wallis and Futuna

Population:

15,237 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: (male 2,215/female 1,999) 15-64 years: (male 4,982/female 4,996) 65 years and over: (male 465/female 580)

Population growth rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Death rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: NA male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: NA male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

NA (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander

Ethnic groups:

Polynesian

Religions:

Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%

Languages:

Wallisian 58.9% (indigenous Polynesian language), Futunian 30.1%, French 10.8%, other 0.2% (2003 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 50% male: 50% female: 50% (1969 est.)

Government Wallis and Futuna

Country name:

conventional long form: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands conventional short form: Wallis and Futuna local long form: Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna local short form: Wallis et Futuna

Dependency status:

overseas territory of France

Government type:

NA

Capital:

name: Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea) geographic coordinates: 13 57 S, 171 56 W time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis

Independence:

none (overseas territory of France)

National holiday:

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system:

the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Administrator Philippe PAOLANTONI (since 28 July 2008) head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione KANIMOA (since January 2001) cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly

Legislative branch:

unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held 22 April 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7 note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate - elections last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held by September 2010); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - RPR (now UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 17 June 2007 (next to be held by 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - PS 1

Judicial branch:

justice generally administered under French law by the high administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu; a court of appeal is located in Noumea, New Caledonia

Political parties and leaders:

Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG; Rally for the Republic or RPR (UMP) [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Socialist Party or PS; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (overseas territory of France)

Flag description:

unofficial, local flag has a red field with four white isosceles triangles in the middle, representing the three native kings of the islands and the French administrator; the apexes of the triangles are oriented inward and at right angles to each other; the flag of France, outlined in white on two sides, is in the upper hoist quadrant; the flag of France is the only official flag

Economy Wallis and Futuna

Economy - overview:

The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% of labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the population is employed in government. Revenues come from French Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New Caledonia.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$60 million (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$NA

GDP - real growth rate:

NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$3,800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Labor force:

3,104 (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 80% industry: 4% services: 16% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:

15.2% (2003)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $29,730 expenditures: $31,330 (2004)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

5.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.8% (2005)

Agriculture - products:

breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats; fish

Industries:

copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:

NA kWh

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0%

Exports:

$47,450 f.o.b. (2004)

Exports - commodities:

copra, chemicals, construction materials

Exports - partners:

Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% (2006)

Imports:

$61.17 million f.o.b. (2004)

Imports - commodities:

chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods

Imports - partners:

France 97%, Australia 2%, NZ 1% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

assistance from France, $NA

Debt - external:

$3.67 million (2004)

Currency (code):

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Currency code:

XPF

Exchange rates:

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - NA (2007), 95.03 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)

Communications Wallis and Futuna

Telephones - main lines in use:

1,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

NA

Telephone system:

general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 681

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)

Radios:

NA

Television broadcast stations:

2 (2000)

Televisions:

NA

Internet country code:

.wf

Internet hosts:

1 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

900 (2002)

Transportation Wallis and Futuna

Airports:

2 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 8 by type: chemical tanker 2, passenger 6 foreign-owned: 8 (France 6, French Polynesia 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Leava, Mata-Utu

Military Wallis and Futuna

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 172 female: 170 (2008 est.)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Wallis and Futuna

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@West Bank

Introduction West Bank

Background:

The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008.

Geography West Bank

Location:

Middle East, west of Jordan

Geographic coordinates:

32 00 N, 35 15 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 5,860 sq km land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries:

total: 404 km border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Terrain:

mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m

Natural resources:

arable land

Land use:

arable land: 16.9% permanent crops: 18.97% other: 64.13% (2001)

Irrigated land:

150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)

Natural hazards:

droughts

Environment - current issues:

adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment

Geography - note:

landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 340 Israeli civilian sites--including 100 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 29 sites in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.)

People West Bank

Population:

2,407,681 note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 38% (male 469,754/female 445,999) 15-64 years: 58.3% (male 719,267/female 684,790) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 36,606/female 51,265) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 20.2 years male: 20 years female: 20.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.225% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

25.95 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

3.7 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 74.29 years male: 72.32 years female: 76.38 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.31 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: NA adjective: NA

Ethnic groups:

Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%

Religions:

Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%

Languages:

Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.4% male: 96.7% female: 88% (2004 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

NA

Government West Bank

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: West Bank

Economy West Bank

Economy - overview:

The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifada began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of closures and access restrictions in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA when HAMAS ran the PA during March 2006 - June 2007 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since June the Fayyad government in the West Bank has restarted salary payments and the provision of services but would be unable to operate absent high levels of international assistance.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$5.034 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$5.328 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

-8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$1,100 (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 8% industry: 13% services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)

Labor force:

605,000 (2006)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 18% industry: 15% services: 67% (2006)

Unemployment rate:

18.6% (2006)

Population below poverty line:

46% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $1.149 billion expenditures: $2.31 billion note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.6% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

7.73% (31 December 2006)

Stock of money:

$1.574 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$3.048 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$1.455 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products

Industries:

generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers

Industrial production growth rate:

2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)

Electricity - production:

NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants

Electricity - consumption:

NA kWh

Electricity - imports:

NA kWh

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exports:

$301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)

Exports - commodities:

olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone

Exports - partners:

Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)

Imports:

$2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)

Imports - commodities:

food, consumer goods, construction materials

Imports - partners:

Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$1.4 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)

Debt - external:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$4.461 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD)

Currency code:

ILS; JOD

Exchange rates:

new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003)

Communications West Bank

Telephones - main lines in use:

350,400 (includes Gaza Strip) (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.026 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: NA domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services international: country code - 970 (2004)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 25, shortwave 0 (2008)

Radios:

NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999)

Television broadcast stations:

30 (2008)

Televisions:

NA; note - many Palestinian households have televisions (1999)

Internet country code:

.ps; note - same as Gaza Strip

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

8 (1999)

Internet users:

355,500 (includes Gaza Strip) (2007)

Transportation West Bank

Airports:

3 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 5,147 km paved: 5,147 km note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)

Military West Bank

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 29,866 female: 28,372 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

NA

Transnational Issues West Bank

Disputes - international:

West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 722,000 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2007)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Western Sahara

Introduction Western Sahara

Background:

Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. In April 2007, Morocco presented an autonomy plan for the territory to the UN, which the U.S. considers serious and credible. The Polisario also presented a plan to the UN in 2007. Since June 2007, representatives from the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front have met four times to negotiate the status of Western Sahara.

Geography Western Sahara

Location:

Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco

Geographic coordinates:

24 30 N, 13 00 W

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 266,000 sq km land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

about the size of Colorado

Land boundaries:

total: 2,046 km border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km

Coastline:

1,110 km

Maritime claims:

contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue

Climate:

hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew

Terrain:

mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m highest point: unnamed elevation 805 m

Natural resources:

phosphates, iron ore

Land use:

arable land: 0.02% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility

Environment - current issues:

sparse water and lack of arable land

Environment - international agreements:

party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas

People Western Sahara

Population:

393,831 note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 45.1% (male 90,306/female 87,498) 15-64 years: 52.6% (male 101,730/female 105,313) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 3,786/female 5,198) (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.868% NA (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

39.95 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

11.74 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

NA

Infant mortality rate:

total: 71.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 71.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 71.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 53.92 years NA male: 51.64 years NA female: 56.31 years NA (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

NA 5.69 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s) adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian

Ethnic groups:

Arab, Berber

Religions:

Muslim

Languages:

Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic

Literacy:

NA

Government Western Sahara

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara

Government type:

legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented on 6 September 1991 (Security Council Resolution 690) by the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara or MINURSO

Capital:

none time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

none (under de facto control of Morocco)

Suffrage:

none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed

Executive branch:

none

Political pressure groups and leaders:

none

International organization participation:

WFTU

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none

Economy Western Sahara

Economy - overview:

Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the EU signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. However, in 2006 the Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario resolve their dispute over Western Sahara.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$NA

GDP (official exchange rate):

$NA

GDP - real growth rate:

NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$NA

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: 40%

Labor force:

12,000 (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 50% industry and services: 50% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

NA%

Agriculture - products:

fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish

Industries:

phosphate mining, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

90 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

83.7 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

1,760 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

1,925 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Exports:

$NA

Exports - commodities:

phosphates 62%

Exports - partners:

Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)

Imports:

$NA

Imports - commodities:

fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$NA

Debt - external:

$NA

Currency (code):

Moroccan dirham (MAD)

Currency code:

MAD

Exchange rates:

Moroccan dirhams (MAD) per US dollar - 8.3563 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003)

Communications Western Sahara

Telephones - main lines in use:

about 2,000 (1999 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

0 (1999)

Telephone system:

general assessment: sparse and limited system domestic: NA international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:

56,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

NA

Televisions:

6,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.eh

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

NA

Transportation Western Sahara

Airports:

9 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)

Military Western Sahara

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 4,658 female: 4,545 (2008 est.)

Transnational Issues Western Sahara

Disputes - international:

Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; several states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@World

Introduction World

Background:

Globally, the 20th century was marked by: (a) two devastating world wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology, from the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (US) to the landing on the moon; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about the environment, including loss of forests, shortages of energy and water, the decline in biological diversity, and air pollution; (h) the onset of the AIDS epidemic; and (i) the ultimate emergence of the US as the only world superpower. The planet's population continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1988, and 6 billion in 2000. For the 21st century, the continued exponential growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances in medicine) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal weapons of war).

Geography World

Geographic overview:

The surface of the earth is approximately 70.9% water and 29.1% land. The former portion is divided into large water bodies termed oceans. The World Factbook recognizes and describes five oceans, which are in decreasing order of size: the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean. The land portion is generally divided into several, large, discrete landmasses termed continents. Depending on the convention used, the number of continents can vary from five to seven. The most common classification recognizes seven, which are (from largest to smallest): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. Asia and Europe are sometimes lumped together into a Eurasian continent resulting in six continents. Alternatively, North and South America are sometimes grouped as simply the Americas, resulting in a continent total of six (or five, if the Eurasia designation is used). North America is commonly understood to include the island of Greenland, the isles of the Caribbean, and to extend south all the way to the Isthmus of Panama. The easternmost extent of Europe is generally defined as being the Ural Mountains and the Ural River; on the southeast the Caspian Sea; and on the south the Caucasus Mountains, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean. Africa's northeast extremity is frequently delimited at the Isthmus of Suez, but for geopolitical purposes, the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula is often included as part of Africa. Asia usually incorporates all the islands of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The islands of the Pacific are often lumped with Australia into a "land mass" termed Oceania or Australasia. Although the above groupings are the most common, different continental dispositions are recognized or taught in certain parts of the world, with some arrangements more heavily based on cultural spheres rather than physical geographic considerations.

Map references:

Physical Map of the World, Political Map of the World, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:

total: 510.072 million sq km land: 148.94 million sq km water: 361.132 million sq km note: 70.9% of the world's surface is water, 29.1% is land

Area - comparative:

land area about 16 times the size of the US

Land boundaries:

the land boundaries in the world total 251,060 km (not counting shared boundaries twice); two nations, China and Russia, each border 14 other countries note: 45 nations and other areas are landlocked, these include: Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan, are doubly landlocked

Coastline:

356,000 km note: 94 nations and other entities are islands that border no other countries, they include: American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Baker Island, Barbados, Bermuda, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Clipperton Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Cuba, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guernsey, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jan Mayen, Japan, Jarvis Island, Jersey, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated States of Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Nauru, Navassa Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Spratly Islands, Sri Lanka, Svalbard, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands, Wake Island, Wallis and Futuna, Taiwan

Maritime claims:

a variety of situations exist, but in general, most countries make the following claims measured from the mean low-tide baseline as described in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: territorial sea - 12 nm, contiguous zone - 24 nm, and exclusive economic zone - 200 nm; additional zones provide for exploitation of continental shelf resources and an exclusive fishing zone; boundary situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 nm

Climate:

a wide equatorial band of hot and humid tropical climates - bordered north and south by subtropical temperate zones - that separate two large areas of cold and dry polar climates

Terrain:

the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in the Pacific Ocean

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,540 m note: in the oceanic realm, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the lowest point, lying -10,924 m below the surface of the Pacific Ocean highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Natural resources:

the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality (especially in Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only beginning to address

Land use:

arable land: 10.57% permanent crops: 1.04% other: 88.38% (2005)

Irrigated land:

2,770,980 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:

large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions)

Environment - current issues:

large areas subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of wildlife, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion; global warming becoming a greater concern

Geography - note:

the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, just about one-third of the 13.7-billion-year age estimated for the universe

People World

Population:

6,706,993,152 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 27.3% (male 944,665,142/female 887,471,328) 15-64 years: 65.1% 65 years and over: 7.6% (male 222,808,372/female 284,647,297) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: male: 27.4 years female: 28.7 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.188% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

20.18 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8.23 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 42.09 deaths/1,000 live births male: 44.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 39.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 66.26 years male: 64.3 years female: 68.35 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.61 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Religions:

Christians 33.32% (of which Roman Catholics 16.99%, Protestants 5.78%, Orthodox 3.53%, Anglicans 1.25%), Muslims 21.01%, Hindus 13.26%, Buddhists 5.84%, Sikhs 0.35%, Jews 0.23%, Baha'is 0.12%, other religions 11.78%, non-religious 11.77%, atheists 2.32% (2007 est.)

Languages:

Mandarin Chinese 13.22%, Spanish 4.88%, English 4.68%, Arabic 3.12%, Hindi 2.74%, Portuguese 2.69%, Bengali 2.59%, Russian 2.2%, Japanese 1.85%, Standard German 1.44%, French 1.2% (2005 est.) note: percents are for "first language" speakers only

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82% male: 87% female: 77% note: over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Egypt); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, South and West Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arab states, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)

Government World

Administrative divisions:

266 nations, dependent areas, and other entities

Legal system:

all members of the UN are parties to the statute that established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court

Economy World

Economy - overview:

Global output rose by 5.2% in 2007, led by China (11.4%), India (9.2%), and Russia (8.1%). The 14 other successor nations of the USSR and the other old Warsaw Pact nations again experienced widely divergent growth rates; the three Baltic nations continued as strong performers, in the 8%-10% range of growth. From 2006 to 2007 growth rates slowed in all the major industrial countries except for the United Kingdom (3.1%). Analysts attribute the slowdown to uncertainties in the financial markets and lowered consumer confidence. Worldwide, nations varied widely in their growth results. Externally, the nation-state, as a bedrock economic-political institution, is steadily losing control over international flows of people, goods, funds, and technology. Internally, the central government often finds its control over resources slipping as separatist regional movements - typically based on ethnicity - gain momentum, e.g., in many of the successor states of the former Soviet Union, in the former Yugoslavia, in India, in Iraq, in Indonesia, and in Canada. Externally, the central government is losing decisionmaking powers to international bodies, notably the EU. In Western Europe, governments face the difficult political problem of channeling resources away from welfare programs in order to increase investment and strengthen incentives to seek employment. The addition of 80 million people each year to an already overcrowded globe is exacerbating the problems of pollution, desertification, underemployment, epidemics, and famine. Because of their own internal problems and priorities, the industrialized countries devote insufficient resources to deal effectively with the poorer areas of the world, which, at least from an economic point of view, are becoming further marginalized. The introduction of the euro as the common currency of much of Western Europe in January 1999, while paving the way for an integrated economic powerhouse, poses economic risks because of varying levels of income and cultural and political differences among the participating nations. The terrorist attacks on the US on 11 September 2001 accentuated a growing risk to global prosperity, illustrated, for example, by the reallocation of resources away from investment to anti-terrorist programs. The opening of war in March 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq added new uncertainties to global economic prospects. After the initial coalition victory, the complex political difficulties and the high economic cost of establishing domestic order in Iraq became major global problems that continued through 2007.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

GWP (gross world product): $65.61 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

GWP (gross world product): $54.62 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

5.2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$10,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 4% industry: 32% services: 64% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

3.131 billion (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 40.2% industry: 20.5% services: 39.4% (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate:

30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 29.8% (2002 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

22.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

developed countries 1% to 4% typically; developing countries 5% to 20% typically; national inflation rates vary widely in individual cases, from declining prices in Japan to hyperinflation in one Third World country (Zimbabwe); inflation rates have declined for most countries for the last several years, held in check by increasing international competition from several low wage countries (2005 est.)

Industries:

dominated by the onrush of technology, especially in computers, robotics, telecommunications, and medicines and medical equipment; most of these advances take place in OECD nations; only a small portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in rapidly adjusting to these technological forces; the accelerated development of new industrial (and agricultural) technology is complicating already grim environmental problems

Industrial production growth rate:

5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

18.96 trillion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

16.88 trillion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports:

655.6 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

627.9 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA

Oil - production:

84.79 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

85.27 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

66.19 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

65.41 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

1.332 trillion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

3.021 trillion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

3.198 trillion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

929.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

957.6 billion cu m (2007)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

175.4 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Exports:

$13.89 trillion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:

the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services top ten - share of world trade: electrical machinery, including computers 14.8%; mineral fuels, including oil, coal, gas, and refined products 14.4%; nuclear reactors, boilers, and parts 14.2%; cars, trucks, and buses 8.9%; scientific and precision instruments 3.5%; plastics 3.4%; iron and steel 2.7%; organic chemicals 2.6%; pharmaceutical products 2.6%; diamonds, pearls, and precious stones 1.9% (2006 est.)

Exports - partners:

US 13.7%, Germany 7.3%, China 6.2%, France 4.6%, UK 4.5%, Japan 4.1% (2007)

Imports:

$13.74 trillion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:

the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services top ten - share of world trade: see listing for exports

Imports - partners:

China 10.7%, Germany 9.23%, US 8.28%, Japan 5.14%, France 3.99% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

ODA, $106.4 billion (2005)

Debt - external:

$51.78 trillion note: this figure is the sum total of all countries' external debt, both public and private (2004 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

World total DFI $14 trillion top ten recipients of DFI: US $1.966 trillion; UK $1.324 trillion; France $872.4 billion; Germany $811.0 billion; HK $780.4 billion; China $758.9 billion; Belgium $703.9 billion; Netherlands $535.1 billion; Canada $527.4 billion; Spain $487.8 billion (year-end 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

World total DFI $14 trillion top ten sources of DFI: US $2.627 trillion; UK $1.741 trillion; France $1.211 trillion; Germany $1.123 trillion; Netherlands $811.4 billion; HK $716.2 billion; Spain $613.9 billion; Switzerland $591.5 billion; Belgium $537.6 billion; Japan $527.8 billion (year-end 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$53.51 trillion (2006)

Communications World

Telephones - main lines in use:

1,263,367,600 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2,168,433,600 (2005)

Telephone system:

general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: NA

Radio broadcast stations:

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA

Radios:

NA

Television broadcast stations:

NA

Televisions:

NA

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

10,350 (2000 est.)

Internet users:

1,018,057,389 (2005)

Transportation World

Airports:

total airports - 49,024 top ten by passengers: Atlanta - 84,846,639; Chicago - 77,028,134; London - 67,530,197; Tokyo - 65,810,672; Los Angeles - 61,041,066; Dallas/Fort Worth - 60,226,138; Paris - 56,849,567; Frankfurt - 52,810,683; Beijing - 48,654,770; Denver - 47,325,016 top ten by cargo (metric tons): Memphis - 3,692,081; Hong Kong - 3,609,780; Anchorage - 2,691,395; Seoul - 2,336,572; Tokyo - 2,280,830; Shanghai - 2,168,122; Paris - 2,130,724; Frankfurt - 2,127,646; Louisville (US) - 1,983,032; Singapore - 1,931,881 (2006)

Heliports:

1,359 (2007)

Railways:

total: 1,370,782 km (2006)

Roadways:

total: 68,937,575 km (2008)

Waterways:

671,886 km (2004)

Ports and terminals:

top ten container ports (TEUs): Singapore - 24,792,400; Hong Kong - 23,539,000; Shanghai - 21,710,000; Shenzhen (China) - 18,468,890; Busan (South Korea) - 12,030,000; Kaohsiung (Taiwan) - 9,774,670; - Rotterdam - 9,603,000; Dubai (UAE) - 8,923,465; Hamburg - 8,861,545; Los Angeles - 8,469,853 (2006)

Military World

Military expenditures:

roughly 2% of GDP of gross world product (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues World

Disputes - international:

stretching over 250,000 km, the world's 322 international land boundaries separate 194 independent states and 70 dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, and other miscellaneous entities; ethnicity, culture, race, religion, and language have divided states into separate political entities as much as history, physical terrain, political fiat, or conquest, resulting in sometimes arbitrary and imposed boundaries; most maritime states have claimed limits that include territorial seas and exclusive economic zones; overlapping limits due to adjacent or opposite coasts create the potential for 430 bilateral maritime boundaries of which 209 have agreements that include contiguous and non-contiguous segments; boundary, borderland/resource, and territorial disputes vary in intensity from managed or dormant to violent or militarized; undemarcated, indefinite, porous, and unmanaged boundaries tend to encourage illegal cross-border activities, uncontrolled migration, and confrontation; territorial disputes may evolve from historical and/or cultural claims, or they may be brought on by resource competition; ethnic and cultural clashes continue to be responsible for much of the territorial fragmentation and internal displacement of the estimated 6.6 million people and cross-border displacements of 8.6 million refugees around the world as of early 2006; just over one million refugees were repatriated in the same period; other sources of contention include access to water and mineral (especially hydrocarbon) resources, fisheries, and arable land; armed conflict prevails not so much between the uniformed armed forces of independent states as between stateless armed entities that detract from the sustenance and welfare of local populations, leaving the community of nations to cope with resultant refugees, hunger, disease, impoverishment, and environmental degradation

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that in December 2006 there was a global population of 8.8 million registered refugees and as many as 24.5 million IDPs in more than 50 countries; the actual global population of refugees is probably closer to 10 million given the estimated 1.5 million Iraqi refugees displaced throughout the Middle East (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: approximately 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked annually across national borders, not including millions trafficked within their own countries; at least 80% of the victims are female and up to 50% are minors; 75% of all victims are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation; almost two-thirds of the global victims are trafficked intra-regionally within East Asia and the Pacific (260,000 to 280,000 people) and Europe and Eurasia (170,000 to 210,000 people) Tier 2 Watch List: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, India, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Niger, Panama, Republic of the Congo, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe Tier 3: Algeria, Burma, Cuba, Fiji, Iran, Kuwait, Moldova, North Korea, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria (2008)

Illicit drugs:

cocaine: worldwide coca leaf cultivation in 2007 amounted to 232,500 hectares; Colombia produced slightly more than two-thirds of the worldwide crop, followed by Peru and Bolivia; potential pure cocaine production decreased 7% to 865 metric tons in 2007; Colombia conducts aggressive coca eradication campaign, but both Peruvian and Bolivian Governments are hesitant to eradicate coca in key growing areas; 551 metric tons of export-quality cocaine (85% pure) is documented to have been seized or destroyed in 2005; US consumption of export quality cocaine is estimated to have been in excess of 380 metric tons opiates: worldwide illicit opium poppy cultivation continued to increase in 2007, with a potential opium production of 8,400 metric tons, reaching the highest levels recorded since estimates began in mid-1980s; Afghanistan is world's primary opium producer, accounting for 95% of the global supply; Southeast Asia - responsible for 9% of global opium - saw marginal increases in production; Latin America produced 1% of global opium, but most was refined into heroin destined for the US market; if all potential opium was processed into pure heroin, the potential global production would be 1,000 metric tons of heroin in 2007

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Yemen

Introduction Yemen

Background:

North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. The British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South Yemen. Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist orientation. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility between the states. The two countries were formally unified as the Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement in 1994 was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to a delimitation of their border.

Geography Yemen

Location:

Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:

15 00 N, 48 00 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 527,970 sq km land: 527,970 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming

Land boundaries:

total: 1,746 km border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km

Coastline:

1,906 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east

Terrain:

narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west

Land use:

arable land: 2.91% permanent crops: 0.25% other: 96.84% (2005)

Irrigated land:

5,500 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

4.1 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 6.63 cu km/yr (4%/1%/95%) per capita: 316 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

sandstorms and dust storms in summer

Environment - current issues:

limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes

People Yemen

Population:

23,013,376 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 46.2% (male 5,415,385/female 5,218,237) 15-64 years: 51.2% (male 5,996,202/female 5,795,779) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 284,195/female 303,578) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 16.7 years male: 16.7 years female: 16.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.46% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

42.42 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

7.83 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 56.27 deaths/1,000 live births male: 60.78 deaths/1,000 live births female: 51.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 62.9 years male: 60.96 years female: 64.94 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

6.41 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

12,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Yemeni(s) adjective: Yemeni

Ethnic groups:

predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans

Religions:

Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shia), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu

Languages:

Arabic

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 50.2% male: 70.5% female: 30% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 9 years male: 11 years female: 7 years (2005)

Education expenditures:

9.6% of GDP (2001)

Government Yemen

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Yemen conventional short form: Yemen local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah local short form: Al Yaman former: Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Sanaa geographic coordinates: 15 21 N, 44 12 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

19 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, 'Adan, Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, 'Amran, Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Sa'dah, San'a', Shabwah, Ta'izz note: for electoral and administrative purposes, the capital city of Sanaa is treated as an additional governorate

Independence:

22 May 1990 (Republic of Yemen was established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]); note - previously North Yemen became independent in November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and became a republic with the overthrow of the theocratic Imamate in 1962; South Yemen became independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)

National holiday:

Unification Day, 22 May (1990)

Constitution:

16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001

Legal system:

based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May 1990, the former president of North Yemen, assumed office upon the merger of North and South Yemen); Vice President Maj. Gen. Abd al-Rab Mansur al-HADI (since 3 October 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Ali Muhammad MUJAWWAR (since 31 March 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 20 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2013); vice president appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Ali Abdallah SALIH elected president; percent of vote - Ali Abdallah SALIH 77.2%, Faysal BIN SHAMLAN 21.8%

Legislative branch:

a bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: last held on 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GPC 228, Islah 47, YSP 7, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 2, independents 14

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:

General People's Congress or GPC [Abdul-Kader BAJAMMAL]; Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah [Mohammed Abdullah AL-YADOUMI (acting)]; Nasserite Unionist Party [Abdal Malik al-MAKHLAFI]; National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Dr. Qasim SALAM]; Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Ali Salih MUQBIL]; note - there are at least seven more active political parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Muslim Brotherhood; Women National Committee other: conservative tribal groups

International organization participation:

AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Abd al-Wahab Abdallah al-HAJRI chancery: 2319 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 965-4760 FAX: [1] (202) 337-2017

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen A. SECHE embassy: Sa'awan Street, Sanaa mailing address: P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa telephone: [967] (1) 755-2000 ext. 2153 or 2266 FAX: [967] (1) 303-182

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, and of Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band

Economy Yemen

Economy - overview:

Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, reported average annual growth in the range of 3-4% from 2000 through 2007. Its economic fortunes depend mostly on declining oil resources, but the country is trying to diversify its earnings. In 2006 Yemen began an economic reform program designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. As a result of the program, international donors pledged about $5 billion for development projects. In addition, Yemen has made some progress on reforms over the last year that will likely encourage foreign investment. Oil revenues probably increased in 2007 as a result of higher prices.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$56.24 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$21.66 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$2,500 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 12.4% industry: 40.9% services: 46.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

6.305 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

note: most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force

Unemployment rate:

35% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line:

45.2% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 25.9% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

33.4 (1998)

Investment (gross fixed):

25% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $7.576 billion expenditures: $8.391 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

33.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

10% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

NA

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

18% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$3.076 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$4.526 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$2.224 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry; fish

Industries:

crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement; commercial ship repair

Industrial production growth rate:

3.2% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

5.017 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

3.804 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

320,600 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

135,400 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

336,600 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

62,850 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

3 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

478.5 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$362 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$7.311 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish

Exports - partners:

China 23.3%, India 20.4%, Thailand 19.1%, Japan 7.2%, UAE 5%, US 4.2% (2007)

Imports:

$6.735 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners:

UAE 15.1%, China 11.6%, US 7.8%, Saudi Arabia 7.1%, Kuwait 5.3%, Germany 4.8% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$2.3 billion (2003-07 disbursements)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$7.76 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$6.044 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Yemeni rial (YER)

Currency code:

YER

Exchange rates:

Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar - 199.14 (2007), 197.18 (2006), 192.67 (2005), 184.78 (2004), 183.45 (2003)

Communications Yemen

Telephones - main lines in use:

968,300 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2.978 million (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have been made to create a national telecommunications network domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM mobile-cellular telephone systems; fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity remains low by regional standards international: country code - 967; landing point for the international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:

1.05 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

3 (including one Egypt-based station that broadcasts in Yemen); plus several repeaters (2007)

Televisions:

470,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.ye

Internet hosts:

167 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

320,000 (2007)

Transportation Yemen

Airports:

50 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 17 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 33 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 4 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 71 km; liquid petroleum gas 22 km; oil 1,309 km (2007)

Roadways:

total: 71,300 km paved: 6,200 km unpaved: 65,100 km (2005)

Merchant marine:

total: 4 by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 registered in other countries: 13 (North Korea 2, Moldova 1, Panama 6, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Sierra Leone 2, unknown 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Aden, Hudaydah, Mukalla

Transportation - note:

the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom

Military Yemen

Military branches:

Army (includes Republican Guard), Navy (includes Marines), Yemen Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Jamahiriya al Yemeniya; includes Air Defense Force) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year service obligation (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 5,080,038 females age 16-49: 4,852,555 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,585,947 females age 16-49: 3,619,195 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 268,468 female: 258,196 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

6.6% of GDP (2006)

Military - note:

a Coast Guard was established in 2002

Transnational Issues Yemen

Disputes - international:

Saudi Arabia has reinforced its concrete-filled security barrier along sections of the fully demarcated border with Yemen to stem illegal cross-border activities

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 91,587 (Somalia) (2007)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Zambia

Introduction Zambia

Background:

The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. The new president launched an anticorruption investigation in 2002 to probe high-level corruption during the previous administration. In 2006-07, this task force successfully prosecuted four cases, including a landmark civil case in the UK in which former President CHILUBA and numerous others were found liable for USD 41 million. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair.

Geography Zambia

Location:

Southern Africa, east of Angola

Geographic coordinates:

15 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 752,614 sq km land: 740,724 sq km water: 11,890 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries:

total: 5,664 km border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)

Terrain:

mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m

Natural resources:

copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 6.99% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 92.97% (2005)

Irrigated land:

1,560 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

105.2 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.74 cu km/yr (17%/7%/76%) per capita: 149 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April)

Environment - current issues:

air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe

People Zambia

Population:

11,669,534 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 45.4% (male 2,659,572/female 2,634,379) 15-64 years: 52.3% (male 3,045,536/female 3,053,465) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 115,662/female 160,920) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 16.9 years male: 16.8 years female: 17.1 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.654% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

40.52 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

21.35 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 100.96 deaths/1,000 live births male: 105.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 96.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 38.59 years male: 38.49 years female: 38.7 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.23 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

16.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

920,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

89,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis animal contact disease: rabies (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Zambian(s) adjective: Zambian

Ethnic groups:

African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%

Religions:

Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Languages:

English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write English total population: 80.6% male: 86.8% female: 74.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 7 years male: 7 years female: 7 years (2000)

Education expenditures:

2% of GDP (2005)

Government Zambia

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Zambia conventional short form: Zambia former: Northern Rhodesia

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Lusaka geographic coordinates: 15 25 S, 28 17 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western

Independence:

24 October 1964 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 24 October (1964)

Constitution:

24 August 1991; amended in 1996 to establish presidential term limits

Legal system:

based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Rupiah BANDA (since 19 August 2008); Vice President George KUNDA (since 14 November 2008); note - President BANDA was acting president since the illness and eventual death of President Levy MWANAWASA on 18 August 2008, he was then elected president on 30 October 2008 to serve out the remainder of MWANAWASA's term; the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Rupiah BANDA (since 19 August 2008); Vice President George KUNDA (since 14 November 2008) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 October 2008 (next to be held in 2011); vice president appointed by the president; note - due to the untimely death of former President Levy MWANAWASA, early elections were held to identify a replacement to serve out the remainder of his term election results: Rupiah BANDA elected president; percent of vote - Rupiah BANDA 40.1%, Michael SATA 38.1%, Hakainde HICHILEMA 19.7%, Godfrey MIYANDA 0.8%, other 1.3%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly (158 seats; 150 members are elected by popular vote, 8 members are appointed by the president, to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 28 September 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MMD 72, PF 44, UDA 27, ULP 2, NDF 1, independents 2; seats not determined 2

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (the final court of appeal; justices are appointed by the president); High Court (has unlimited jurisdiction to hear civil and criminal cases)

Political parties and leaders:

All Peoples Congress Party [Winright NGONDO]; Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI]; Heritage Party or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Levy MWANAWASA]; National Democratic Focus or NDF; Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Party of Unity for Democracy and Development or PUDD [Dan PULE]; Reform Party [Nevers MUMBA]; United Democratic Alliance or UDA; United Liberal Party or ULP [Sakwiba SIKOTA]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Tilyenji KAUNDA]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Hakainde HICHILEMA]; Zambia Democratic Congress or ZADECO [Langton SICHONE]; Zambian Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0826

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues, Lusaka mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka telephone: [260] (211) 250-955 FAX: [260] (211) 252-225

Flag description:

green field with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag

Economy Zambia

Economy - overview:

Zambia's economy has experienced modest growth in recent years, with real GDP growth in 2005-07 between 5-6% per year. Privatization of government-owned copper mines in the 1990s relieved the government from covering mammoth losses generated by the industry and greatly improved the chances for copper mining to return to profitability and spur economic growth. Copper output has increased steadily since 2004, due to higher copper prices and foreign investment. In 2005, Zambia qualified for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative, consisting of approximately USD 6 billion in debt relief. Zambia experienced a bumper harvest in 2007, which helped to boost GDP and agricultural exports and contain inflation. Although poverty continues to be significant problem in Zambia, its economy has strengthened, featuring single-digit inflation, a relatively stable currency, decreasing interest rates, and increasing levels of trade.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$16.1 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$11.16 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$1,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 17.4% industry: 26.1% services: 56.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

4.989 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 85% industry: 6% services: 9% (2004)

Unemployment rate:

50% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line:

86% (1993)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 38.8% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

50.8 (2004)

Investment (gross fixed):

26.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $2.655 billion expenditures: $2.8 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

28.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

10.6% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

11.73% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

18.89% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$995.8 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$1.709 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$1.968 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), coffee; cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides

Industries:

copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture

Industrial production growth rate:

6.3% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

9.289 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

8.625 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

255 million kWh (2006)

Electricity - imports:

68 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 0.5% hydro: 99.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

150 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

14,760 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

190.6 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

13,810 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

NA

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$228 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$4.594 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton

Exports - partners:

Switzerland 41.8%, South Africa 12%, Thailand 5.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 5.3%, Egypt 5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, China 4.1% (2007)

Imports:

$3.611 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners:

South Africa 47.4%, UAE 6.3%, China 6%, India 4.1%, UK 4% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$504 million (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$1.09 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$2.596 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$4.5 billion (2007)

Currency (code):

Zambian kwacha (ZMK)

Currency code:

ZMK

Exchange rates:

Zambian kwacha (ZMK) per US dollar - 3,990.2 (2007), 3,601.5 (2006), 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9 (2004), 4,733.3 (2003)

Communications Zambia

Telephones - main lines in use:

91,800 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2.639 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: facilities are aging but still among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation and network coverage is improving; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 (2001)

Radios:

1.2 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations:

9 (2001)

Televisions:

277,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.zm

Internet hosts:

7,610 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

5 (2001)

Internet users:

500,000 (2007)

Transportation Zambia

Airports:

107 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 98 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 64 under 914 m: 29 (2007)

Pipelines:

oil 771 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 2,157 km narrow gauge: 2,157 km 1.067-m gauge note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 91,440 km paved: 20,117 km unpaved: 71,323 km (2001)

Waterways:

2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers) (2005)

Ports and terminals:

Mpulungu

Military Zambia

Military branches:

Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Zambian Army, Zambian Air Force, National Service (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,678,668 females age 16-49: 2,567,433 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,329,343 females age 16-49: 1,218,114 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 147,358 female: 146,771 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Zambia

Disputes - international:

in 2004, Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river; 42,250 Congolese refugees in Zambia are offered voluntary repatriation in November 2006, most of whom are expected to return in the next two years; Angolan refugees too have been repatriating but 26,450 still remain with 90,000 others from other neighboring states in 2006

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 42,565 (Angola); 60,874 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 4,100 (Rwanda) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Zambia is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; many Zambian child laborers, particularly those in the agriculture, domestic service, and fishing sectors, are also victims of human trafficking; Zambian women, lured by false employment or marriage offers abroad, are trafficked to South Africa via Zimbabwe and to Europe via Malawi for sexual exploitation; Zambia is a transit point for regional trafficking of women and children, particularly from Angola to Namibia and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to South Africa for agricultural labor tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Zambia is on the Tier 2 Watch List for failing to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking, particularly in regard to its inability to bring alleged traffickers to justice through prosecutions and convictions; unlike 2006, there were no new prosecutions or convictions of alleged traffickers in 2007; government efforts to protect victims of trafficking remained extremely limited throughout the year (2008)

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for southern Africa and possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it an unattractive venue for money launderers; major consumer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Zimbabwe

Introduction Zimbabwe

Background:

The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system since independence. His chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 2000, caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his reelection. The ruling ZANU-PF party used fraud and intimidation to win a two-thirds majority in the March 2005 parliamentary election, allowing it to amend the constitution at will and recreate the Senate, which had been abolished in the late 1980s. In April 2005, Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban rationalization program, which resulted in the destruction of the homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition. President MUGABE in June 2007 instituted price controls on all basic commodities causing panic buying and leaving store shelves empty for months. General elections held in March 2008 contained irregularities but still amounted to a censure of the ZANU-PF-led government with significant gains in opposition seats in parliament. MDC opposition leader Morgan TSVANGIRAI won the presidential polls, and may have won an out right majority, but official results posted by the Zimbabwe Electoral Committee did not reflect this. In the lead up to a run-off election in late June 2008, considerable violence enacted against opposition party members led to the withdrawal of TSVANGIRAI from the ballot. Extensive evidence of vote tampering and ballot-box stuffing resulted in international condemnation of the process, and calls for the creation of a power-sharing government have been ignored.

Geography Zimbabwe

Location:

Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia

Geographic coordinates:

20 00 S, 30 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 390,580 sq km land: 386,670 sq km water: 3,910 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Montana

Land boundaries:

total: 3,066 km border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

Terrain:

mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

Natural resources:

coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals

Land use:

arable land: 8.24% permanent crops: 0.33% other: 91.43% (2005)

Irrigated land:

1,740 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

20 cu km (1987)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 4.21 cu km/yr (14%/7%/79%) per capita: 324 cu m/yr (2002)

Natural hazards:

recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water

People Zimbabwe

Population:

11,350,111 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 43.9% (male 2,514,135/female 2,465,715) 15-64 years: 52.3% (male 2,671,164/female 3,260,457) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 194,854/female 243,786) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 17.6 years male: 16.4 years female: 18.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.787% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

31.62 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

17.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 33.86 deaths/1,000 live births male: 36.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 31.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 44.28 years male: 45.08 years female: 43.46 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.72 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

24.6% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

1.8 million (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

170,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria water contact disease: schistosomiasis animal contact disease: rabies (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Zimbabwean(s) adjective: Zimbabwean

Ethnic groups:

African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less than 1%

Religions:

syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%

Languages:

English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write English total population: 90.7% male: 94.2% female: 87.2% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 9 years male: 9 years female: 9 years (2003)

Education expenditures:

4.6% of GDP (2000)

Government Zimbabwe

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe conventional short form: Zimbabwe former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Harare geographic coordinates: 17 50 S, 31 03 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands

Independence:

18 April 1980 (from UK)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 18 April (1980)

Constitution:

21 December 1979

Legal system:

mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Vice President Joseph MSIKA (since December 1999) and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987); Vice President Joseph MSIKA (since December 1999) and Vice President Joyce MUJURU (since 6 December 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the House of Assembly elections: presidential candidates nominated with a nomination paper signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least one from each province) and elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); elections last held 28 March 2008 followed by a run-off on 27 June 2008 (next to be held in 2013); co-vice presidents appointed by the president election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 85.5%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 9.3%, other 5.2%; note - first round voting results - Morgan TSVANGIRAI 47.9%, Robert Gabriel MUGABE 43.2%, Simba MAKONI 8.3%, other 0.6%; first-round round polls were deemed to be flawed suppressing TSVANGIRAI's results; the 27 June 2008 run-off between MUGABE and TSVANGIRAI were severely flawed and internationally condemned

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate (93 seats - 60 elected by popular vote for a five-year term, 10 provincial governors nominated by the president, 16 traditional chiefs elected by the Council of Chiefs, 2 held by the president and deputy president of the Council of Chiefs, and 5 appointed by the president) and a House of Assembly (210 seats - all elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held 28 March 2008 (next to be held in 2013) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - MDC 51.6%, ZANU-PF 45.8%, other 2.6%; seats by party - MDC 30, ZANU-PF 30; House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - MDC 51.3%, ZANU-PF 45.8%, other 2.9%; seats by party - MDC 109, ZANU-PF 97, other 4

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court; High Court

Political parties and leaders:

African National Party or ANP [Egypt DZINEMUNHENZVA]; Movement for Democratic Change or MDC [Morgan TSVANGIRAI, anti-Senate faction; Arthur MUTAMBARA, pro-Senate faction]; Peace Action is Freedom for All or PAFA; United Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; United People's Party or UPP [Daniel SHUMBA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or ZANU-Ndonga [Wilson KUMBULA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert Gabriel MUGABE]; Zimbabwe African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Agrippa MADLELA]; Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance or ZIYA

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition [Xolani ZITHA]; National Constitutional Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Women of Zimbabwe Arise or WOZA [Jenny WILLIAMS]; Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions or ZCTU [Wellington CHIBEBE]

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100 FAX: [1] (202) 483-9326

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador James D. MCGEE embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare telephone: [263] (4) 250-593 and 250-594 FAX: [263] (4) 796-488, or 722-618

Flag description:

seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird representing the long history of the country is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which symbolizes peace; green symbolizes agriculture, yellow - mineral wealth, red - blood shed to achieve independence, and black stands for the native people

Economy Zimbabwe

Economy - overview:

The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety of difficult economic problems as it struggles with an unsustainable fiscal deficit, an overvalued official exchange rate, hyperinflation, and bare store shelves. Its 1998-2002 involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo drained hundreds of millions of dollars from the economy. The government's land reform program, characterized by chaos and violence, has badly damaged the commercial farming sector, the traditional source of exports and foreign exchange and the provider of 400,000 jobs, turning Zimbabwe into a net importer of food products. The EU and the US provide food aid on humanitarian grounds. Badly needed support from the IMF has been suspended because of the government's arrears on past loans and the government's unwillingness to enact reforms that would stabilize the economy. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe routinely prints money to fund the budget deficit, causing the official annual inflation rate to rise from 32% in 1998, to 133% in 2004, 585% in 2005, passed 1000% in 2006, and 26000% in November 2007. Private sector estimates of inflation in 2007 are well above 100,000%. Meanwhile, the official exchange rate fell from approximately 1 (revalued) Zimbabwean dollar per US dollar in 2003 to 30,000 per US dollar in 2007.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$2.342 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$641 million note: hyperinflation and the plunging value of the Zimbabwean dollar makes Zimbabwe's GDP at the official exchange rate a highly inaccurate statistic (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

-5.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$200 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 18.1% industry: 22.6% services: 59.3% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

4.032 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 66% industry: 10% services: 24% (1996)

Unemployment rate:

80% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:

68% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 40.4% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

50.1 (2006)

Investment (gross fixed):

16.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $2.442 billion expenditures: $3.017 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

218.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

12,563% official data; private sector estimates are much higher (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

975% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

578.96% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$14.18 billion note: This number reflects the vastly overvalued official exchange rate of 30,000 Zimbabwe dollars per US dollar. At an unofficial rate of 800,000 Zimbabwe dollars per US dollar, the stock of Zimbabwe dollars would equal only about US$500 million and Zimbabwe's velocity of money (the number of times money turns over in the course of a year) would be nine, in line with the velocity of money for other countries in the region. (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$5.349 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$24.91 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; sheep, goats, pigs

Industries:

mining (coal, gold, platinum, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel; wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages

Industrial production growth rate:

-5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

9.467 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

11.59 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

34 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

2.867 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 47% hydro: 53% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

14,590 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:

15,800 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$649 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$1.52 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

platinum, cotton, tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing

Exports - partners:

South Africa 33.8%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 8.3%, Japan 8.1%, Botswana 7.4%, Netherlands 5.2%, China 5.2%, Italy 4.1%, Zambia 4.1% (2007)

Imports:

$2.183 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals, fuels

Imports - partners:

South Africa 50.7%, China 8.4%, US 4.5%, Botswana 4.3% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$367.7 million (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$120 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$5.155 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$26.56 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

Zimbabwean dollar (ZWD)

Currency code:

ZWD

Exchange rates:

Zimbabwean dollars (ZWD) per US dollar - 30,000 (2007), 162.07 (2006), 77.965 (2005), 5.729 (2004), 0.824 (2003) note: these are official exchange rates; non-official rates vary significantly

Communications Zimbabwe

Telephones - main lines in use:

344,500 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.226 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile-cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; 2 international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 7, FM 20 (plus 17 repeater stations), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:

1.14 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

16 (1997)

Televisions:

370,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.zw

Internet hosts:

19,157 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

6 (2000)

Internet users:

1.351 million (2007)

Transportation Zimbabwe

Airports:

341 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 19 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 10 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 322 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 152 under 914 m: 166 (2007)

Pipelines:

refined products 270 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 3,077 km narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 97,267 km paved: 18,481 km unpaved: 78,786 km (2002)

Waterways:

on Lake Kariba (2005)

Ports and terminals:

Binga, Kariba

Military Zimbabwe

Military branches:

Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF): Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ), Zimbabwe Republic Police (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18-24 years of age for compulsory military service; women are eligible to serve (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,264,258 females age 16-49: 3,048,049 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,643,036 females age 16-49: 1,404,663 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 144,601 female: 147,627 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

3.8% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues Zimbabwe

Disputes - international:

Botswana built electric fences and South Africa has placed military along the border to stem the flow of thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing to find work and escape political persecution; Namibia has supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 2,500 (Democratic Republic of Congo) IDPs: 569,685 (MUGABE-led political violence, human rights violations, land reform, and economic collapse) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Zimbabwe is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; large scale migration of Zimbabweans to surrounding countries - as they flee a progressively more desperate situation at home - has increased; rural Zimbabwean men, women, and children are trafficked internally to farms for agricultural labor and domestic servitude and to cities for domestic labor and commercial sexual exploitation; young men and boys are trafficked to South Africa for farm work, often laboring for months in South Africa without pay before "employers" have them arrested and deported as illegal immigrants; young women and girls are lured abroad with false employment offers that result in involuntary domestic servitude or commercial sexual exploitation; men, women, and children from neighboring states are trafficked through Zimbabwe en route to South Africa tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Zimbabwe is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of human trafficking, and because the absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is significantly increasing; the trafficking situation in the country is worsening as more of the population is made vulnerable by declining socio-economic conditions (2008)

Illicit drugs:

transit point for cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines en route to South Africa

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@2001 GDP (purchasing power parity)

Afghanistan $35 billion (2007 est.)

Albania $20.87 billion note: Albania has a large gray economy that may be as large as 50% of official GDP (2007 est.)

Algeria $222.3 billion (2007 est.)

American Samoa $510.1 million (2003 est.)

Andorra $2.77 billion (2005)

Angola $95.46 billion (2007 est.)

Anguilla $108.9 million (2004 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda $1.526 billion (2007 est.)

Argentina $526.4 billion (2007 est.)

Armenia $17.17 billion (2007 est.)

Aruba $2.258 billion (2005 est.)

Australia $773 billion (2007 est.)

Austria $322 billion (2007 est.)

Azerbaijan $64.66 billion (2007 est.)

Bahamas, The $8.553 billion (2007 est.)

Bahrain $24.01 billion (2007 est.)

Bangladesh $208.3 billion (2007 est.)

Barbados $5.31 billion (2007 est.)

Belarus $103.5 billion (2007 est.)

Belgium $376.5 billion (2007 est.)

Belize $2.444 billion (2007 est.)

Benin $12 billion (2007 est.)

Bermuda $4.5 billion (2004 est.)

Bhutan $3.359 billion (2007 est.)

Bolivia $39.75 billion (2007 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina $27.7 billion note: Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as much as 50% of official GDP (2007 est.)

Botswana $26.04 billion (2007 est.)

Brazil $1.849 trillion (2007 est.)

British Virgin Islands $853.4 million (2004 est.)

Brunei $19.64 billion (2007 est.)

Bulgaria $86.71 billion (2007 est.)

Burkina Faso $17.41 billion (2007 est.)

Burma $91.13 billion (2007 est.)

Burundi $2.907 billion (2007 est.)

Cambodia $26.19 billion (2007 est.)

Cameroon $40.24 billion (2007 est.)

Canada $1.271 trillion (2007 est.)

Cape Verde $1.603 billion (2007 est.)

Cayman Islands $1.939 billion (2004 est.)

Central African Republic $3.007 billion (2007 est.)

Chad $15.26 billion (2007 est.)

Chile $232.8 billion (2007 est.)

China $7.099 trillion (2007 est.)

Christmas Island $NA

Cocos (Keeling) Islands $NA

Colombia $327.7 billion (2007 est.)

Comoros $1.262 billion (2007 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the $19.03 billion (2007 est.)

Congo, Republic of the $12.86 billion (2007 est.)

Cook Islands $183.2 million (2005 est.)

Costa Rica $45.77 billion (2007 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire $32.85 billion (2007 est.)

Croatia $69.59 billion (2007 est.)

Cuba $125.5 billion (2007 est.)

Cyprus $21.4 billion (2007 est.)

Czech Republic $251 billion (2007 est.)

Denmark $203.3 billion (2007 est.)

Djibouti $1.738 billion (2007 est.)

Dominica $648 million (2007 est.)

Dominican Republic $61.67 billion (2007 est.)

Ecuador $98.71 billion (2007 est.)

Egypt $405.4 billion (2007 est.)

El Salvador $41.63 billion (2007 est.)

Equatorial Guinea $15.54 billion (2007 est.)

Eritrea $3.619 billion (2007 est.)

Estonia $28.69 billion (2007 est.)

Ethiopia $56.05 billion (2007 est.)

European Union $14.43 trillion (2007 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) $75 million (2002 est.)

Faroe Islands $1 billion (2001 est.)

Fiji $5.079 billion (2007 est.)

Finland $188.4 billion (2007 est.)

France $2.075 trillion (2007 est.)

French Polynesia $4.58 billion (2003 est.)

Gabon $20.44 billion (2007 est.)

Gambia, The $2.061 billion (2007 est.)

Gaza Strip $5.034 billion (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)

Georgia $20.6 billion (2007 est.)

Germany $2.807 trillion (2007 est.)

Ghana $31.13 billion (2007 est.)

Gibraltar $1.066 billion (2005 est.)

Greece $327.6 billion (2007 est.)

Greenland $1.1 billion (2001 est.)

Grenada $1.108 billion (2007 est.)

Guam $2.5 billion (2005 est.)

Guatemala $64.76 billion (2007 est.)

Guernsey $2.742 billion (2005)

Guinea $10.96 billion (2007 est.)

Guinea-Bissau $826.4 million (2007 est.)

Guyana $2.819 billion (2007 est.)

Haiti $11.38 billion (2007 est.)

Holy See (Vatican City) $NA

Honduras $32.26 billion (2007 est.)

Hong Kong $293.3 billion (2007 est.)

Hungary $191.7 billion (2007 est.)

Iceland $12.19 billion (2007 est.)

India $2.966 trillion (2007 est.)

Indonesia $843.7 billion (2007 est.)

Iran $762.9 billion (2007 est.)

Iraq $102.4 billion (2007 est.)

Ireland $191.6 billion (2007 est.)

Isle of Man $2.719 billion (2005 est.)

Israel $185.8 billion (2007 est.)

Italy $1.8 trillion (2007 est.)

Jamaica $20.48 billion (2007 est.)

Japan $4.272 trillion (2007 est.)

Jersey $5.1 billion (2005 est.)

Jordan $28.45 billion (2007 est.)

Kazakhstan $168.2 billion (2007 est.)

Kenya $61.22 billion (2007 est.)

Kiribati $348 million (2007 est.)

Korea, North $40 billion note: North Korea does not publish any reliable National Income Accounts data; the datum shown here is derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by Angus MADDISON in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999 was extrapolated to 2007 using estimated real growth rates for North Korea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator; the result was rounded to the nearest $10 billion (2007 est.)

Korea, South $1.206 trillion (2007 est.)

Kosovo $4 billion (2007 est.)

Kuwait $140 billion (2007 est.)

Kyrgyzstan $10.55 billion (2007 est.)

Laos $12.8 billion (2007 est.)

Latvia $40.05 billion (2007 est.)

Lebanon $40.44 billion (2007 est.)

Lesotho $3.063 billion (2007 est.)

Liberia $1.525 billion (2007 est.)

Libya $74.72 billion (2007 est.)

Liechtenstein $1.786 billion (2001 est.)

Lithuania $59.98 billion (2007 est.)

Luxembourg $38.14 billion (2007 est.)

Macau $12.5 billion (2006)

Macedonia $17.35 billion note: Macedonia has a large informal sector (2007 est.)

Madagascar $18.44 billion (2007 est.)

Malawi $10.59 billion (2007 est.)

Malaysia $361.2 billion (2007 est.)

Maldives $1.588 billion (2007 est.)

Mali $13.63 billion (2007 est.)

Malta $9.4 billion (2007 est.)

Marshall Islands $115 million (2001 est.)

Mauritania $5.974 billion (2007 est.)

Mauritius $14.27 billion (2007 est.)

Mayotte $953.6 million (2005 est.)

Mexico $1.353 trillion (2007 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of $277 million; note - supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps $100 million annually (2002 est.)

Moldova $9.756 billion (2007 est.)

Monaco $976.3 million note: Monaco does not publish national income figures; the estimates are extremely rough (2006 est.)

Mongolia $8.542 billion (2007 est.)

Montenegro $5.918 billion (2007 est.)

Montserrat $29 million (2002 est.)

Morocco $125 billion (2007 est.)

Mozambique $17.64 billion (2007 est.)

Namibia $10.69 billion (2007 est.)

Nauru $60 million (2005 est.)

Nepal $29.29 billion (2007 est.)

Netherlands $645.5 billion (2007 est.)

Netherlands Antilles $2.8 billion (2004 est.)

New Caledonia $3.158 billion (2003 est.)

New Zealand $112.4 billion (2007 est.)

Nicaragua $16.17 billion (2007 est.)

Niger $8.859 billion (2007 est.)

Nigeria $296.1 billion (2007 est.)

Niue $7.6 million (2000 est.)

Norfolk Island $NA

Northern Mariana Islands $900 million note: GDP estimate includes US subsidy (2000 est.)

Norway $246.6 billion (2007 est.)

Oman $60.89 billion (2007 est.)

Pakistan $411.9 billion (2007 est.)

Palau $124.5 million note: GDP estimates includes US subsidy (2004 est.)

Panama $34.81 billion (2007 est.)

Papua New Guinea $12.05 billion (2007 est.)

Paraguay $26.7 billion (2007 est.)

Peru $219.6 billion (2007 est.)

Philippines $300.1 billion (2007 est.)

Pitcairn Islands $NA

Poland $623.1 billion (2007 est.)

Portugal $232.3 billion (2007 est.)

Puerto Rico $72.61 billion (2007 est.)

Qatar $71.42 billion (2007 est.)

Romania $247.1 billion (2007 est.)

Russia $2.097 trillion (2007 est.)

Rwanda $8.057 billion (2007 est.)

Saint Helena $18 million (1998 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis $721 million (2007 est.)

Saint Lucia $1.794 billion (2007 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon $48.3 million note: supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million (2003 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $1.042 billion (2007 est.)

Samoa $1.029 billion (2007 est.)

San Marino $850 million (2004 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe $256 million (2007 est.)

Saudi Arabia $546 billion (2007 est.)

Senegal $21.02 billion (2007 est.)

Serbia $77.28 billion (2007 est.)

Seychelles $1.378 billion (2007 est.)

Sierra Leone $3.991 billion (2007 est.)

Singapore $227.1 billion (2007 est.)

Slovakia $110.2 billion (2007 est.)

Slovenia $56.19 billion (2007 est.)

Solomon Islands $948 million (2007 est.)

Somalia $5.387 billion (2007 est.)

South Africa $467.8 billion (2007 est.)

Spain $1.361 trillion (2007 est.)

Sri Lanka $82.02 billion (2007 est.)

Sudan $80.98 billion (2007 est.)

Suriname $3.846 billion (2007 est.)

Svalbard $NA

Swaziland $5.364 billion (2007 est.)

Sweden $338.5 billion (2007 est.)

Switzerland $303.2 billion (2007 est.)

Syria $90.37 billion (2007 est.)

Taiwan $698.6 billion (2007 est.)

Tajikistan $11.96 billion (2007 est.)

Tanzania $51.07 billion (2007 est.)

Thailand $521.5 billion (2007 est.)

Timor-Leste $2.608 billion (2007 est.)

Togo $5.042 billion (2007 est.)

Tokelau $1.5 million (1993 est.)

Tonga $526 million (2007 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago $26.79 billion (2007 est.)

Tunisia $76.07 billion (2007 est.)

Turkey $853.9 billion (2007 est.)

Turkmenistan $26.92 billion (2007 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands $216 million (2002 est.)

Tuvalu $14.94 million (2002 est.)

Uganda $29.13 billion (2007 est.)

Ukraine $324.8 billion (2007 est.)

United Arab Emirates $164.4 billion (2007 est.)

United Kingdom $2.13 trillion (2007 est.)

United States $13.78 trillion (2007 est.)

Uruguay $37.5 billion (2007 est.)

Uzbekistan $64.4 billion (2007 est.)

Vanuatu $897 million (2007 est.)

Venezuela $334.3 billion (2007 est.)

Vietnam $221.1 billion (2007 est.)

Virgin Islands $1.577 billion (2004 est.)

Wallis and Futuna $60 million (2004 est.)

West Bank $5.034 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)

Western Sahara $NA

World GWP (gross world product): $65.61 trillion (2007 est.)

Yemen $56.24 billion (2007 est.)

Zambia $16.1 billion (2007 est.)

Zimbabwe $2.342 billion (2007 est.)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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@2002 Population growth rate (%)

Afghanistan 2.626% (2008 est.)

Albania 0.538% (2008 est.)

Algeria 1.209% (2008 est.)

American Samoa 1.236% (2008 est.)

Andorra 1.899% (2008 est.)

Angola 2.136% (2008 est.)

Anguilla 2.332% (2008 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda 1.305% (2008 est.)

Argentina 1.068% (2008 est.)

Armenia -0.077% (2008 est.)

Aruba 1.501% (2008 est.)

Australia 1.221% (2008 est.)

Austria 0.064% (2008 est.)

Azerbaijan 0.723% (2008 est.)

Bahamas, The 0.57% (2008 est.)

Bahrain 1.337% (2008 est.)

Bangladesh 2.022% (2008 est.)

Barbados 0.36% (2008 est.)

Belarus -0.393% (2008 est.)

Belgium 0.106% (2008 est.)

Belize 2.207% (2008 est.)

Benin 3.01% (2008 est.)

Bermuda 0.546% (2008 est.)

Bhutan 1.301% (2008 est.)

Bolivia 1.383% (2008 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.666% (2008 est.)

Botswana 1.434% (2008 est.)

Brazil 1.228% (2008 est.)

British Virgin Islands 1.88% (2008 est.)

Brunei 1.785% (2008 est.)

Bulgaria -0.813% (2008 est.)

Burkina Faso 3.109% (2008 est.)

Burma 0.8% (2008 est.)

Burundi 3.443% (2008 est.)

Cambodia 1.752% (2008 est.)

Cameroon 2.218% (2008 est.)

Canada 0.83% (2008 est.)

Cape Verde 0.595% (2008 est.)

Cayman Islands 2.449% (2008 est.)

Central African Republic 1.509% (2008 est.)

Chad 2.195% (2008 est.)

Chile 0.905% (2008 est.)

China 0.629% (2008 est.)

Christmas Island 0% (2008 est.)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands 0% (2008 est.)

Colombia 1.405% (2008 est.)

Comoros 2.803% (2008 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the 3.236% (2008 est.)

Congo, Republic of the 2.696% (2008 est.)

Cook Islands NA (2008 est.)

Costa Rica 1.388% (2008 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire 2.156% (2008 est.)

Croatia -0.043% (2008 est.)

Cuba 0.251% (2008 est.)

Cyprus 0.522% (2008 est.)

Czech Republic -0.082% (2008 est.)

Denmark 0.295% (2008 est.)

Djibouti 1.945% (2008 est.)

Dominica 0.196% (2008 est.)

Dominican Republic 1.495% (2008 est.)

Ecuador 0.935% (2008 est.)

Egypt 1.682% (2008 est.)

El Salvador 1.679% (2008 est.)

Equatorial Guinea 2.732% (2008 est.)

Eritrea 2.631% (2008 est.)

Estonia -0.632% (2008 est.)

Ethiopia 3.212% (2008 est.)

European Union 0.11% (2008 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 0.011% (2008 est.)

Faroe Islands 0.376% (2008 est.)

Fiji 1.388% (2008 est.)

Finland 0.112% (2008 est.)

France 0.574% (2008 est.)

French Polynesia 1.425% (2008 est.)

Gabon 1.954% (2008 est.)

Gambia, The 2.724% (2008 est.)

Gaza Strip 3.422% (2008 est.)

Georgia -0.325% (2008 est.)

Germany -0.044% (2008 est.)

Ghana 1.928% (2008 est.)

Gibraltar 0.125% (2008 est.)

Greece 0.146% (2008 est.)

Greenland 0.064% (2008 est.)

Grenada 0.406% (2008 est.)

Guam 1.373% (2008 est.)

Guatemala 2.11% (2008 est.)

Guernsey 0.228% (2008 est.)

Guinea 2.492% (2008 est.)

Guinea-Bissau 2.035% (2008 est.)

Guyana 0.211% (2008 est.)

Haiti 2.493% (2008 est.)

Holy See (Vatican City) 0.003% (2008 est.)

Honduras 2.024% (2008 est.)

Hong Kong 0.532% (2008 est.)

Hungary -0.254% (2008 est.)

Iceland 0.783% (2008 est.)

India 1.578% (2008 est.)

Indonesia 1.175% (2008 est.)

Iran 0.792% (2008 est.)

Iraq 2.562% (2008 est.)

Ireland 1.133% (2008 est.)

Isle of Man 0.509% (2008 est.)

Israel 1.713% (2008 est.)

Italy -0.019% (2008 est.)

Jamaica 0.779% (2008 est.)

Japan -0.139% (2008 est.)

Jersey 0.221% (2008 est.)

Jordan 2.338% (2008 est.)

Kazakhstan 0.374% (2008 est.)

Kenya 2.758% (2008 est.)

Kiribati 2.235% (2008 est.)

Korea, North 0.732% (2008 est.)

Korea, South 0.269% (2008 est.)

Kuwait 3.591% note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2008 est.)

Kyrgyzstan 1.38% (2008 est.)

Laos 2.344% (2008 est.)

Latvia -0.629% (2008 est.)

Lebanon 1.154% (2008 est.)

Lesotho 0.129% (2008 est.)

Liberia 3.661% (2008 est.)

Libya 2.216% (2008 est.)

Liechtenstein 0.713% (2008 est.)

Lithuania -0.284% (2008 est.)

Luxembourg 1.188% (2008 est.)

Macau 3.148% (2008 est.)

Macedonia 0.262% (2008 est.)

Madagascar 3.005% (2008 est.)

Malawi 2.39% (2008 est.)

Malaysia 1.742% (2008 est.)

Maldives 5.566% (2008 est.)

Mali 2.725% (2008 est.)

Malta 0.407% (2008 est.)

Marshall Islands 2.142% (2008 est.)

Mauritania 2.852% (2008 est.)

Mauritius 0.8% (2008 est.)

Mayotte 3.465% (2008 est.)

Mexico 1.142% (2008 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of -0.191% (2008 est.)

Moldova -0.092% (2008 est.)

Monaco 0.375% (2008 est.)

Mongolia 1.493% (2008 est.)

Montenegro -0.925% (2008 est.)

Montserrat 0.315% (2008 est.)

Morocco 1.505% (2008 est.)

Mozambique 1.792% (2008 est.)

Namibia 0.947% (2008 est.)

Nauru 1.772% (2008 est.)

Nepal 2.095% (2008 est.)

Netherlands 0.436% (2008 est.)

Netherlands Antilles 0.754% (2008 est.)

New Caledonia 1.175% (2008 est.)

New Zealand 0.971% (2008 est.)

Nicaragua 1.825% (2008 est.)

Niger 2.878% (2008 est.)

Nigeria 2.025% (2008 est.)

Niue -0.032% (2008 est.)

Norfolk Island 0.006% (2008 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands 2.377% (2008 est.)

Norway 0.35% (2008 est.)

Oman 3.19% (2008 est.)

Pakistan 1.999% (2008 est.)

Palau 1.157% (2008 est.)

Panama 1.544% (2008 est.)

Papua New Guinea 2.118% (2008 est.)

Paraguay 2.39% (2008 est.)

Peru 1.264% (2008 est.)

Philippines 1.991% (2008 est.)

Pitcairn Islands 0% (2008 est.)

Poland -0.045% (2008 est.)

Portugal 0.305% (2008 est.)

Puerto Rico 0.369% (2008 est.)

Qatar 1.093% (2008 est.)

Romania -0.136% (2008 est.)

Russia -0.474% (2008 est.)

Rwanda 2.779% (2008 est.)

Saint Helena 0.487% (2008 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.723% (2008 est.)

Saint Lucia 0.436% (2008 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon 0.114% (2008 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.231% (2008 est.)

Samoa 1.322% (2008 est.)

San Marino 1.181% (2008 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe 3.116% (2008 est.)

Saudi Arabia 1.954% (2008 est.)

Senegal 2.58% (2008 est.)

Seychelles 0.428% (2008 est.)

Sierra Leone 2.282% (2008 est.)

Singapore 1.135% (2008 est.)

Slovakia 0.143% (2008 est.)

Slovenia -0.088% (2008 est.)

Solomon Islands 2.467% (2008 est.)

Somalia 2.824% (2008 est.)

South Africa 0.828% (2008 est.)

Spain 0.096% (2008 est.)

Sri Lanka 0.943% (2008 est.)

Sudan 2.134% (2008 est.)

Suriname 1.099% (2008 est.)

Svalbard -0.023% (2008 est.)

Swaziland -0.41% (2008 est.)

Sweden 0.157% (2008 est.)

Switzerland 0.329% (2008 est.)

Syria 2.189% (2008 est.)

Taiwan 0.238% (2008 est.)

Tajikistan 1.893% (2008 est.)

Tanzania 2.072% (2008 est.)

Thailand 0.64% (2008 est.)

Timor-Leste 2.05% (2008 est.)

Togo 2.717% (2008 est.)

Tokelau -0.011% (2008 est.)

Tonga 1.669% (2008 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago -0.891% (2008 est.)

Tunisia 0.989% (2008 est.)

Turkey 1.013% (2008 est.)

Turkmenistan 1.596% (2008 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands 2.644% (2008 est.)

Tuvalu 1.577% (2008 est.)

Uganda 3.603% (2008 est.)

Ukraine -0.651% (2008 est.)

United Arab Emirates 3.833% (2008 est.)

United Kingdom 0.276% (2008 est.)

United States 0.883% (2008 est.)

Uruguay 0.486% (2008 est.)

Uzbekistan 0.965% (2008 est.)

Vanuatu 1.434% (2008 est.)

Venezuela 1.498% (2008 est.)

Vietnam 0.99% (2008 est.)

Virgin Islands 0.002% (2008 est.)

Wallis and Futuna NA (2008 est.)

West Bank 2.225% (2008 est.)

Western Sahara 2.868% NA (2008 est.)

World 1.188% (2008 est.)

Yemen 3.46% (2008 est.)

Zambia 1.654% (2008 est.)

Zimbabwe -0.787% (2008 est.)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

======================================================================

@2003 GDP - real growth rate (%)

Afghanistan 11.5% (2007 est.)

Albania 6% (2007 est.)

Algeria 4.5% (2007 est.)

American Samoa 3% (2003 est.)

Andorra 3.5% (2005 est.)

Angola 16.7% (2007 est.)

Anguilla 10.2% (2004 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda 6.1% (2007 est.)

Argentina 8.7% (2007 est.)

Armenia 13.7% (2007 est.)

Aruba 2.4% (2005 est.)

Australia 4.3% (2007 est.)

Austria 3.1% (2007 est.)

Azerbaijan 23.4% (2007 est.)

Bahamas, The 2.8% (2007 est.)

Bahrain 6.7% (2007 est.)

Bangladesh 6.3% (2007 est.)

Barbados 4.3% (2007 est.)

Belarus 8.2% (2007 est.)

Belgium 2.8% (2007 est.)

Belize 2.2% (2007 est.)

Benin 4.5% (2007 est.)

Bermuda 4.6% (2004 est.)

Bhutan 22.4% (2007 est.)

Bolivia 4.6% (2007 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina 6% (2007 est.)

Botswana 4.8% (2007 est.)

Brazil 5.4% (2007 est.)

British Virgin Islands 1% (2002 est.)

Brunei 0.4% (2007 est.)

Bulgaria 6.2% (2007 est.)

Burkina Faso 4.2% (2007 est.)

Burma 3.8% (2007 est.)

Burundi 3.6% (2007 est.)

Cambodia 10.1% (2007 est.)

Cameroon 2.7% (2007 est.)

Canada 2.7% (2007 est.)

Cape Verde 6.9% (2007 est.)

Cayman Islands 0.9% (2004 est.)

Central African Republic 4% (2007 est.)

Chad 1.3% (2007 est.)

Chile 5.1% (2007 est.)

China 11.9% (2007 est.)

Colombia 8.2% (2007 est.)

Comoros -1% (2007 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the 7% (2007 est.)

Congo, Republic of the -1.6% (2007 est.)

Cook Islands 0.1% (2005 est.)

Costa Rica 6.8% (2007 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire 1.6% (2007 est.)

Croatia 5.7% (2007 est.)

Cuba 6.5% (2007 est.)

Cyprus 4.4% (2007 est.)

Czech Republic 6.6% (2007 est.)

Denmark 1.7% (2007 est.)

Djibouti 5.2% (2007 est.)

Dominica 0.9% (2007 est.)

Dominican Republic 8.5% (2007 est.)

Ecuador 2% (2007 est.)

Egypt 7.1% (2007 est.)

El Salvador 4.7% (2007 est.)

Equatorial Guinea 12.4% (2007 est.)

Eritrea 1.3% (2007 est.)

Estonia 7.1% (2007 est.)

Ethiopia 11.1% (2007 est.)

European Union 3% (2007 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) NA%

Faroe Islands 2.4% (2005 est.)

Fiji -4.4% (2007 est.)

Finland 4.5% (2007 est.)

France 2.1% (2007 est.)

French Polynesia 5.1% (2002)

Gabon 6.2% (2007 est.)

Gambia, The 7% (2007 est.)

Gaza Strip -8% (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)

Georgia 12% (2007 est.)

Germany 2.5% (2007 est.)

Ghana 5.5% (2007 est.)

Gibraltar 7% (2005 est.)

Greece 4% (2007 est.)

Greenland 2% (2005 est.)

Grenada 3.1% (2007 est.)

Guam NA%

Guatemala 5.7% (2007 est.)

Guernsey 3% (2005 est.)

Guinea 1.5% (2007 est.)

Guinea-Bissau 2.7% (2007 est.)

Guyana 5.3% (2007 est.)

Haiti 3.2% (2007 est.)

Honduras 6.3% (2007 est.)

Hong Kong 6.4% (2007 est.)

Hungary 1.3% (2007 est.)

Iceland 3.8% (2007 est.)

India 9% (2007 est.)

Indonesia 6.3% (2007 est.)

Iran 6.2% (2007 est.)

Iraq 5.9% (2007 est.)

Ireland 6% (2007 est.)

Isle of Man 5.2% (2005)

Israel 5.3% (2007 est.)

Italy 1.4% (2007 est.)

Jamaica 1.2% (2007 est.)

Japan 2% (2007 est.)

Jersey NA%

Jordan 6% (2007 est.)

Kazakhstan 8.5% (2007 est.)

Kenya 7% (2007 est.)

Kiribati 2% (2007 est.)

Korea, North -1.1% (2007 est.)

Korea, South 5% (2007 est.)

Kosovo 2.6% (2007 est.)

Kuwait 4.7% (2007 est.)

Kyrgyzstan 8.2% (2007 est.)

Laos 7.5% (2007 est.)

Latvia 10.3% (2007 est.)

Lebanon 3.6% (2007 est.)

Lesotho 4.8% (2007 est.)

Liberia 9.4% (2007 est.)

Libya 5.8% (2007 est.)

Liechtenstein 11% (1999 est.)

Lithuania 8.8% (2007 est.)

Luxembourg 4.5% (2007 est.)

Macau 16.6% (2006)

Macedonia 5.1% (2007 est.)

Madagascar 6.3% (2007 est.)

Malawi 8% (2007 est.)

Malaysia 6.3% (2007 est.)

Maldives 6.6% (2007 est.)

Mali 2.8% (2007 est.)

Malta 3.8% (2007 est.)

Marshall Islands 3.5% (2005 est.)

Mauritania 1% (2007 est.)

Mauritius 5.4% (2007 est.)

Mayotte NA%

Mexico 3.2% (2007 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of 0.3% (2005 est.)

Moldova 3% (2007 est.)

Monaco 0.9% (2000 est.)

Mongolia 9.9% (2007 est.)

Montenegro 7.5% (2007 est.)

Montserrat -1% (2002 est.)

Morocco 2.2% (2007 est.)

Mozambique 7.3% (2007 est.)

Namibia 3.6% (2007 est.)

Nauru NA%

Nepal 3.2% (2007 est.)

Netherlands 3.5% (2007 est.)

Netherlands Antilles 1% (2004 est.)

New Caledonia NA%

New Zealand 3.1% (2007 est.)

Nicaragua 3.8% (2007 est.)

Niger 3.2% (2007 est.)

Nigeria 6.4% (2007 est.)

Niue 6.2% (2003 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands NA%

Norway 3.7% (2007 est.)

Oman 5.6% (2007 est.)

Pakistan 5.3% (2007 est.)

Palau 5.5% (2005 est.)

Panama 11.2% (2007 est.)

Papua New Guinea 6% (2007 est.)

Paraguay 6.6% (2007 est.)

Peru 9% (2007 est.)

Philippines 7.3% (2007 est.)

Poland 6.6% (2007 est.)

Portugal 1.8% (2007 est.)

Puerto Rico -1.2% (2007 est.)

Qatar 8.4% (2007 est.)

Romania 6% (2007 est.)

Russia 8.1% (2007 est.)

Rwanda 6% (2007 est.)

Saint Helena NA%

Saint Kitts and Nevis 3.3% (2007 est.)

Saint Lucia 3.2% (2007 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon NA%

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6.6% (2007 est.)

Samoa 6% (2007 est.)

San Marino 4.6% (2004 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe 6% (2007 est.)

Saudi Arabia 3.5% (2007 est.)

Senegal 4.6% (2007 est.)

Serbia 7.3% (2007 est.)

Seychelles 5.3% (2007 est.)

Sierra Leone 7% (2007 est.)

Singapore 7.7% (2007 est.)

Slovakia 10.4% (2007 est.)

Slovenia 6.1% (2007 est.)

Solomon Islands 5.4% (2007 est.)

Somalia 2.6% (2007 est.)

South Africa 5.1% (2007 est.)

Spain 3.8% (2007 est.)

Sri Lanka 6.8% (2007 est.)

Sudan 10.2% (2007 est.)

Suriname 5.1% (2007 est.)

Svalbard NA%

Swaziland 2.3% (2007 est.)

Sweden 2.7% (2007 est.)

Switzerland 3.1% (2007 est.)

Syria 4.3% (2007 est.)

Taiwan 5.7% (2007 est.)

Tajikistan 7.8% (2007 est.)

Tanzania 7.3% (2007 est.)

Thailand 4.8% (2007 est.)

Timor-Leste 19.8% (2007 est.)

Togo 2.1% (2007 est.)

Tokelau NA%

Tonga -3.5% (2007 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago 5.5% (2007 est.)

Tunisia 6.3% (2007 est.)

Turkey 4.5% (2007 est.)

Turkmenistan 11.5% (IMF estimate) note: official government statistics are widely regarded as unreliable (2007 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands 4.9% (2000 est.)

Tuvalu 3% (2006 est.)

Uganda 6% (2007 est.)

Ukraine 7.7% (2007 est.)

United Arab Emirates 7.5% (2007 est.)

United Kingdom 3.1% (2007 est.)

United States 2% (2007 est.)

Uruguay 7.4% (2007 est.)

Uzbekistan 9.5% (2007 est.)

Vanuatu 5% (2007 est.)

Venezuela 8.4% (2007 est.)

Vietnam 8.5% (2007 est.)

Virgin Islands 2% (2002 est.)

Wallis and Futuna NA%

West Bank -8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)

Western Sahara NA%

World 5.2% (2007 est.)

Yemen 2.8% (2007 est.)

Zambia 6% (2007 est.)

Zimbabwe -5.5% (2007 est.)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

======================================================================

@2004 GDP - per capita (PPP)

Afghanistan $1,000 (2007 est.)

Albania $5,800 (2007 est.)

Algeria $6,700 (2007 est.)

American Samoa $5,800 (2005 est.)

Andorra $38,800 (2005)

Angola $7,800 (2007 est.)

Anguilla $8,800 (2004 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda $18,300 (2007 est.)

Argentina $13,100 (2007 est.)

Armenia $5,800 (2007 est.)

Aruba $21,800 (2004 est.)

Australia $37,300 (2007 est.)

Austria $39,300 (2007 est.)

Azerbaijan $8,000 (2007 est.)

Bahamas, The $28,000 (2007 est.)

Bahrain $33,900 (2007 est.)

Bangladesh $1,400 (2007 est.)

Barbados $18,900 (2007 est.)

Belarus $10,600 (2007 est.)

Belgium $36,200 (2007 est.)

Belize $7,900 (2007 est.)

Benin $1,400 (2007 est.)

Bermuda $69,900 (2004 est.)

Bhutan $5,200 (2007 est.)

Bolivia $4,400 (2007 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina $6,100 (2007 est.)

Botswana $14,300 (2007 est.)

Brazil $9,500 (2007 est.)

British Virgin Islands $38,500 (2004 est.)

Brunei $51,000 (2007 est.)

Bulgaria $11,800 (2007 est.)

Burkina Faso $1,200 (2007 est.)

Burma $1,900 (2007 est.)

Burundi $300 (2007 est.)

Cambodia $1,900 (2007 est.)

Cameroon $2,200 (2007 est.)

Canada $38,600 (2007 est.)

Cape Verde $3,200 (2007 est.)

Cayman Islands $43,800 (2004 est.)

Central African Republic $700 (2007 est.)

Chad $1,500 (2007 est.)

Chile $14,300 (2007 est.)

China $5,400 (2007 est.)

Colombia $7,400 (2007 est.)

Comoros $1,100 (2007 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the $300 (2007 est.)

Congo, Republic of the $3,400 (2007 est.)

Cook Islands $9,100 (2005 est.)

Costa Rica $11,100 (2007 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire $1,700 (2007 est.)

Croatia $15,500 (2007 est.)

Cuba $11,000 (2007 est.)

Cyprus $27,100 (2007 est.)

Czech Republic $24,500 (2007 est.)

Denmark $37,200 (2007 est.)

Djibouti $2,300 (2007 est.)

Dominica $9,000 (2007 est.)

Dominican Republic $6,600 (2007 est.)

Ecuador $7,200 (2007 est.)

Egypt $5,000 (2007 est.)

El Salvador $6,000 (2007 est.)

Equatorial Guinea $28,200 (2007 est.)

Eritrea $800 (2007 est.)

Estonia $21,800 (2007 est.)

Ethiopia $700 (2007 est.)

European Union $32,700 (2007 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) $25,000 (2002 est.)

Faroe Islands $31,000 (2001 est.)

Fiji $3,900 (2007 est.)

Finland $36,000 (2007 est.)

France $32,600 (2007 est.)

French Polynesia $17,500 (2003 est.)

Gabon $14,000 (2007 est.)

Gambia, The $1,200 (2007 est.)

Gaza Strip $1,100 (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)

Georgia $4,400 (2007 est.)

Germany $34,100 (2007 est.)

Ghana $1,400 (2007 est.)

Gibraltar $38,200 (2005 est.)

Greece $30,600 (2007 est.)

Greenland $20,000 (2001 est.)

Grenada $10,500 (2007 est.)

Guam $15,000 (2005 est.)

Guatemala $5,100 (2007 est.)

Guernsey $44,600 (2005)

Guinea $1,100 (2007 est.)

Guinea-Bissau $600 (2007 est.)

Guyana $3,700 (2007 est.)

Haiti $1,300 (2007 est.)

Honduras $4,300 (2007 est.)

Hong Kong $42,000 (2007 est.)

Hungary $19,300 (2007 est.)

Iceland $40,400 (2007 est.)

India $2,600 (2007 est.)

Indonesia $3,600 (2007 est.)

Iran $11,700 (2007 est.)

Iraq $3,700 (2007 est.)

Ireland $46,600 (2007 est.)

Isle of Man $35,000 (2005 est.)

Israel $26,600 (2007 est.)

Italy $30,900 (2007 est.)

Jamaica $7,400 (2007 est.)

Japan $33,500 (2007 est.)

Jersey $57,000 (2005 est.)

Jordan $4,700 (2007 est.)

Kazakhstan $11,000 (2007 est.)

Kenya $1,700 (2007 est.)

Kiribati $3,600 (2007 est.)

Korea, North $1,700 (2007 est.)

Korea, South $25,000 (2007 est.)

Kosovo $1,800 (2007 est.)

Kuwait $55,900 (2007 est.)

Kyrgyzstan $2,000 (2007 est.)

Laos $2,000 (2007 est.)

Latvia $17,700 (2007 est.)

Lebanon $10,300 (2007 est.)

Lesotho $1,400 (2007 est.)

Liberia $500 (2007 est.)

Libya $12,400 (2007 est.)

Liechtenstein $25,000 (1999 est.)

Lithuania $16,800 (2007 est.)

Luxembourg $79,400 (2007 est.)

Macau $28,400 (2006)

Macedonia $8,400 (2007 est.)

Madagascar $900 (2007 est.)

Malawi $800 (2007 est.)

Malaysia $14,500 (2007 est.)

Maldives $4,600 (2007 est.)

Mali $1,100 (2007 est.)

Malta $23,400 (2007 est.)

Marshall Islands $2,900 (2005 est.)

Mauritania $1,800 (2007 est.)

Mauritius $11,300 (2007 est.)

Mayotte $4,900 (2005 est.)

Mexico $12,400 (2007 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of $2,300 (2005 est.)

Moldova $2,300 (2007 est.)

Monaco $30,000 (2006 est.)

Mongolia $2,900 (2007 est.)

Montenegro $3,800 (2005 est.)

Montserrat $3,400 (2002 est.)

Morocco $3,700 (2007 est.)

Mozambique $800 (2007 est.)

Namibia $5,200 (2007 est.)

Nauru $5,000 (2005 est.)

Nepal $1,000 (2007 est.)

Netherlands $39,000 (2007 est.)

Netherlands Antilles $16,000 (2004 est.)

New Caledonia $15,000 (2003 est.)

New Zealand $27,200 (2007 est.)

Nicaragua $2,800 (2007 est.)

Niger $700 (2007 est.)

Nigeria $2,100 (2007 est.)

Niue $5,800 (2003 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands $12,500 (2000 est.)

Norway $53,300 (2007 est.)

Oman $19,000 (2007 est.)

Pakistan $2,400 (2007 est.)

Palau $7,600 (2005 est.)

Panama $10,700 (2007 est.)

Papua New Guinea $2,100 (2007 est.)

Paraguay $4,000 (2007 est.)

Peru $7,600 (2007 est.)

Philippines $3,200 (2007 est.)

Poland $16,200 (2007 est.)

Portugal $21,800 (2007 est.)

Puerto Rico $18,400 (2007 est.)

Qatar $87,600 (2007 est.)

Romania $11,100 (2007 est.)

Russia $14,800 (2007 est.)

Rwanda $800 (2007 est.)

Saint Helena $2,500 (1998 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis $13,900 (2007 est.)

Saint Lucia $10,700 (2007 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon $7,000 (2001 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $9,800 (2007 est.)

Samoa $5,400 (2007 est.)

San Marino $34,100 (2004 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe $1,600 (2007 est.)

Saudi Arabia $19,800 (2007 est.)

Senegal $1,700 (2007 est.)

Serbia $10,400 (2007 est.)

Seychelles $16,600 (2007 est.)

Sierra Leone $600 (2007 est.)

Singapore $49,900 (2007 est.)

Slovakia $20,200 (2007 est.)

Slovenia $28,000 (2007 est.)

Solomon Islands $1,900 (2007 est.)

Somalia $600 (2007 est.)

South Africa $9,700 (2007 est.)

Spain $33,600 (2007 est.)

Sri Lanka $4,000 (2007 est.)

Sudan $1,900 (2007 est.)

Suriname $8,700 (2007 est.)

Swaziland $4,700 (2007 est.)

Sweden $37,500 (2007 est.)

Switzerland $40,100 (2007 est.)

Syria $4,700 (2007 est.)

Taiwan $30,100 (2007 est.)

Tajikistan $1,600 (2007 est.)

Tanzania $1,300 (2007 est.)

Thailand $8,000 (2007 est.)

Timor-Leste $2,500 (2007 est.)

Togo $900 (2007 est.)

Tokelau $1,000 (1993 est.)

Tonga $5,100 (2007 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago $25,400 (2007 est.)

Tunisia $7,400 (2007 est.)

Turkey $12,000 (2007 est.)

Turkmenistan $5,300 (2007 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands $11,500 (2002 est.)

Tuvalu $1,600 (2002 est.)

Uganda $1,000 (2007 est.)

Ukraine $7,000 (2007 est.)

United Arab Emirates $37,000 (2007 est.)

United Kingdom $35,000 (2007 est.)

United States $45,800 (2007 est.)

Uruguay $10,800 (2007 est.)

Uzbekistan $2,400 (2007 est.)

Vanuatu $3,900 (2007 est.)

Venezuela $12,800 (2007 est.)

Vietnam $2,600 (2007 est.)

Virgin Islands $14,500 (2004 est.)

Wallis and Futuna $3,800 (2004 est.)

West Bank $1,100 (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)

Western Sahara $NA

World $10,000 (2007 est.)

Yemen $2,500 (2007 est.)

Zambia $1,400 (2007 est.)

Zimbabwe $200 (2007 est.)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

======================================================================

@2006 Dependency status

Akrotiri a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

American Samoa unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Anguilla overseas territory of the UK

Aruba member country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Ashmore and Cartier Islands territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Attorney-General's Department

Bermuda overseas territory of the UK

Bouvet Island territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo

British Indian Ocean Territory overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London

British Virgin Islands overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing

Cayman Islands overseas territory of the UK

Christmas Island non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department

Clipperton Island possession of France; administered directly by the Minister of Overseas France

Cocos (Keeling) Islands non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department

Cook Islands self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense, in consultation with the Cook Islands

Coral Sea Islands territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department

Dhekelia a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina

Faroe Islands part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948

French Polynesia overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2004

French Southern and Antarctic Lands overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by Administrateur Superieur Eric PILLOTON (since 10 April 2007)

Gibraltar overseas territory of the UK

Greenland part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979

Guam organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Guernsey British crown dependency

Heard Island and McDonald Islands territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

Hong Kong special administrative region of China

Isle of Man British crown dependency

Jan Mayen territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service

Jersey British crown dependency

Macau special administrative region of China

Mayotte departmental collectivity of France

Montserrat overseas territory of the UK

Navassa Island unorganized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior, from the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Boqueron, Puerto Rico; in September 1996, the Coast Guard ceased operations and maintenance of Navassa Island Light, a 46-meter-tall lighthouse on the southern side of the island; there has also been a private claim advanced against the island

Netherlands Antilles an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

New Caledonia territorial collectivity of France since 1998

Niue self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue

Norfolk Island self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department

Northern Mariana Islands commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs

Pitcairn Islands overseas territory of the UK

Puerto Rico unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth status; policy relations between Puerto Rico and the US conducted under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President

Saint Barthelemy overseas collectivity of France

Saint Helena overseas territory of the UK

Saint Martin overseas collectivity of France

Saint Pierre and Miquelon self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II

Svalbard territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway

Tokelau self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand; a UN sponsored referendum on self governance in October 2007 did not produce the two-thirds majority vote necessary for changing the political status

Turks and Caicos Islands overseas territory of the UK

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from Washington, DC by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon

Virgin Islands organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Wake Island unorganized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities in the atoll are currently conducted by the US Air Force

Wallis and Futuna overseas territory of France

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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@2007 Diplomatic representation from the US

Afghanistan chief of mission: Ambassador William B. WOOD embassy: The Great Masood Road, Kabul mailing address: U.S. Embassy Kabul, APO, AE 09806 telephone: [93] 0700 108 001 FAX: [93] 0700 108 564

Akrotiri none (overseas territory of the UK)

Albania chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. John L. WITHERS, II embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510 telephone: [355] (4) 2247285 FAX: [355] (4) 2232222

Algeria chief of mission: Ambassador David D. PEARCE embassy: 05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, El-Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16000 Algiers mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers telephone: [213] 770-08-2000 FAX: [213] 21-60-7355

American Samoa none (territory of the US)