The 2009 CIA World Factbook (part 13 of 25)
China 16.9%, Russia 15.9%, Turkey 14%, UAE 10.3%, Ukraine 7.9%, Germany 5.6%, Iran 5.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$13.88 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $13.19 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.4 billion (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 147 note: some estimates put this figure as high as $5 billion
Exchange rates:
Turkmen manat (TMM) per US dollar - 14,250 (as of 1 May 2008 est.)
Communications ::Turkmenistan
Telephones - main lines in use:
495,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 98
Telephones - mobile cellular:
810,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 146
Telephone system:
general assessment: telecommunications network remains underdeveloped and progress toward improvement is slow; strict government control and censorship inhibits liberalization and modernization
domestic: Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign partners, has installed high speed fiber-optic lines and has upgraded most of the country's telephone exchanges and switching centers with new digital technology; mobile telephone usage is expanding with Russia's Mobile Telesystems (MTS) the primary service provider
international: country code - 993; linked by fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; an exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (government-owned and programmed) (2004)
Internet country code:
.tm
Internet hosts:
755 (2009) country comparison to the world: 164
Internet users:
75,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 161
Transportation ::Turkmenistan
Airports:
28 (2009) country comparison to the world: 120
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 22
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 6,417 km; oil 1,457 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,980 km country comparison to the world: 56 broad gauge: 2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 58,592 km country comparison to the world: 75 paved: 47,577 km
unpaved: 11,015 km (2002)
Waterways:
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal are important inland waterways) (2008) country comparison to the world: 56
Merchant marine:
total: 7 country comparison to the world: 127 by type: cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Turkmenbasy
Military ::Turkmenistan
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,316,698
females age 16-49: 1,331,005 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,024,884
females age 16-49: 1,147,714 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 57,021
female: 56,064 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Transnational Issues ::Turkmenistan
Disputes - international:
cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan creates water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2005, but Caspian seabed delimitation remains stalled with Azerbaijan, Iran, and Kazakhstan due to Turkmenistan's indecision over how to allocate the sea's waters and seabed
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 11,173 (Tajikistan); less than 1,000 (Afghanistan) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Turks and Caicos Islands (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Background:
The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory.
Geography ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
Geographic coordinates:
21 45 N, 71 35 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 948 sq km country comparison to the world: 185 land: 948 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
389 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain:
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m
Natural resources:
spiny lobster, conch
Land use:
arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.67% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
frequent hurricanes
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
Geography - note:
about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
People ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Population:
22,942 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 216
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.2% (male 3,528/female 3,401)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 7,875/female 7,164)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 475/female 499) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.9 years
male: 28.7 years
female: 27.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.563% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Birth rate:
20.79 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Death rate:
4.18 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Net migration rate:
9.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.89 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 131 male: 16.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.42 years country comparison to the world: 77 male: 73.12 years
female: 77.83 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.95 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none
Ethnic groups:
black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
Religions:
Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
Languages:
English (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
NA
People - note:
destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US
Government ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
abbreviation: TCI
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution:
Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Interim Amendment) Order 2009, S.I. 2009/701 - effective 14 August 2009 - suspended Ministerial government, the House of Assembly, and the constitutional right to trial by jury, and imposed direct British rule
Legal system:
based on laws of England and Wales with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 5 August 2008)
head of government: Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 14 August 2009); note - the office of premier is suspended by the Order in Council, effective 14 August 2009
cabinet: under provisions of the Order in Council, the cabinet is suspended effective 14 August 2009 and replaced by an Advisory Council appointed by the governor
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch
note: following an investigation into allegations of widespread corruption and misconduct within the Turks and Caicos Government, the UK foreign minister directed the governor to bring into effect on 14 August 2009 an Order in Council suspending Ministerial government and the House of Assembly, and imposing direct rule for a period of up to two years
Legislative branch:
under provisions of the Order in Council, the unicameral House of Assembly is dissolved and all seats vacated for a period of up to two years; in the interim, a Consultative Forum, appointed by the governor, will be established
elections: last held 9 February 2007 (next to be held by July 2011)
election results: under provisions of the Order in Council, all seats in the House of Assembly are vacated
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
Economy ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Economy - overview:
The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial services, and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$216 million (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 215
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,500 (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
4,848 (1990 est.) country comparison to the world: 213
Labor force - by occupation:
note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
Unemployment rate:
10% (1997 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million (1997-98 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (1995) country comparison to the world: 65
Agriculture - products:
corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
Industries:
tourism, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
12 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 209
Electricity - consumption:
11.16 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Oil - consumption:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Oil - imports:
80 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 203
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 105
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Exports:
$169.2 million (2000) country comparison to the world: 184
Exports - commodities:
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Imports:
$175.6 million
Imports - commodities:
food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
3,700 (2008) country comparison to the world: 217
Telephones - mobile cellular:
25,100 (2004) country comparison to the world: 203
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available
international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (broadcasts received from The Bahamas; 2 cable television networks) (2003)
Internet country code:
.tc
Internet hosts:
9,445 (2009) country comparison to the world: 117
Transportation ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Airports:
8 (2009) country comparison to the world: 163
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 121 km country comparison to the world: 210 paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008) country comparison to the world: 152
Ports and terminals:
Grand Turk, Providenciales
Military ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,937
females age 16-49: 4,648 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 226
female: 218 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues ::Turks and Caicos Islands
Disputes - international:
have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Tuvalu (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Tuvalu
Background:
In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.
Geography ::Tuvalu
Location:
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 178 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 26 sq km country comparison to the world: 236 land: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
24 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain:
low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 66.67%
other: 33.33% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level
Environment - current issues:
since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
People ::Tuvalu
Population:
12,373 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 223
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.2% (male 1,841/female 1,770)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 3,973/female 4,141)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 240/female 408) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 25.4 years
male: 24.4 years
female: 26.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.616% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Birth rate:
23.11 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Death rate:
6.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 49% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.43 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 112 male: 20.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.29 years country comparison to the world: 148 male: 66.99 years
female: 71.7 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.91 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Tuvaluan(s)
adjective: Tuvaluan
Ethnic groups:
Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%
Religions:
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Languages:
Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Literacy:
NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2001)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Tuvalu
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu
local long form: none
local short form: Tuvalu
former: Ellice Islands
note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands
Government type:
a parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Funafuti
geographic coordinates: 8 30 S, 179 12 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
1 October 1978 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Constitution:
1 October 1978
Legal system:
English common law supplemented by local customary law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Filoimea TELITO (since 15 April 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Apisai IELEMIA (since 14 August 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of parliament; election last held 14 August 2006 (next to be held following parliamentary elections in 2010)
election results: Apisai IELEMIA elected prime minister in a parliamentary election on 14 August 2006
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 3 August 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15
Judicial branch:
High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders:
there are no political parties but members of parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, C, FAO, IFRCS (observer), IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Flag description:
light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
Economy ::Tuvalu
Economy - overview:
Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports and is almost entirely dependent upon imported food and fuel. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average, visit Tuvalu annually. Job opportunities are scarce and public sector workers make up most of those employed. About 15% of the adult male population work as seamen on merchant ships abroad, and remittances are a vital source of income contributing around $4 million in 2006. Substantial income is received annually from the Tuvalu Trust Fund (TTF) an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this fund grew from an initial $17 million to an estimated value of $77 million in 2006. The TFF contributed nearly $9 million towards the government budget in 2006 and is an important cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget. The US Government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu because of payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to ensure financial stability and sustainability, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts. Tuvalu also derives royalties from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name with revenue of more than $2 million in 2006. A minor source of government revenue comes from the sale of stamps and coins. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and income from overseas investments. Growing income disparities and the vulnerability of the country to climatic change are among leading concerns for the nation.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$14.94 million (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 226
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.94 million (2002)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,600 (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16.6%
industry: 27.2%
services: 56.2% (2002)
Labor force:
3,615 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 214
Labor force - by occupation:
note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $21.54 million
expenditures: $23.05 million (2006)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.8% (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Agriculture - products:
coconuts; fish
Industries:
fishing, tourism, copra
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Current account balance:
-$11.68 million (2003) country comparison to the world: 64
Exports:
$1 million (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 218
Exports - commodities:
copra, fish
Imports:
$12.91 million (2005) country comparison to the world: 216
Imports - commodities:
food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per U 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004)
Communications ::Tuvalu
Telephones - main lines in use:
1,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 226
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 216
Telephone system:
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (2004)
Internet country code:
.tv
Internet hosts:
103,041 (2009) country comparison to the world: 73
Internet users:
4,200 (2008) country comparison to the world: 205
Transportation ::Tuvalu
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 214
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 8 km country comparison to the world: 219 paved: 8 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
total: 80 country comparison to the world: 55 by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 30, chemical tanker 14, container 2, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 63 (China 16, Hong Kong 7, Kenya 1, South Korea 1, Malaysia 1, Maldives 1, Norway 1, Russia 2, Singapore 23, Thailand 1, Turkey 2, Ukraine 1, US 1, Vietnam 5) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Funafuti
Military ::Tuvalu
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (2008)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,462
females age 16-49: 2,631 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 125
female: 121 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues ::Tuvalu
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Uganda (Africa)
Introduction ::Uganda
Background:
The colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Uganda grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different political systems and cultures. These differences prevented the establishment of a working political community after independence was achieved in 1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79) was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrilla war and human rights abuses under Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed at least another 100,000 lives. The rule of Yoweri MUSEVENI since 1986 has brought relative stability and economic growth to Uganda. During the 1990s, the government promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections. In January 2009, Uganda assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2009-10 term.
Geography ::Uganda
Location:
Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 241,038 sq km country comparison to the world: 80 land: 197,100 sq km
water: 43,938 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 2,698 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain:
mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m
highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m
Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, gold
Land use:
arable land: 21.57%
permanent crops: 8.92%
other: 69.51% (2005)
Irrigated land:
90 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
66 cu km (1970)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.3 cu km/yr (43%/17%/40%)
per capita: 10 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; widespread poaching
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers
People ::Uganda
Population:
32,369,558 country comparison to the world: 38 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 50% (male 8,152,830/female 8,034,366)
15-64 years: 47.9% (male 7,789,209/female 7,703,143)
65 years and over: 2.1% (male 286,693/female 403,317) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 15 years
male: 14.9 years
female: 15.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.692% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Birth rate:
47.84 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Death rate:
12.09 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Net migration rate:
-8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Urbanization:
urban population: 13% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 64.82 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 33 male: 68.46 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 61.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.72 years country comparison to the world: 200 male: 51.66 years
female: 53.81 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.77 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
940,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
77,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria, plague, and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Ugandan(s)
adjective: Ugandan
Ethnic groups:
Baganda 16.9%, Banyakole 9.5%, Basoga 8.4%, Bakiga 6.9%, Iteso 6.4%, Langi 6.1%, Acholi 4.7%, Bagisu 4.6%, Lugbara 4.2%, Bunyoro 2.7%, other 29.6% (2002 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 41.9%, Protestant 42% (Anglican 35.9%, Pentecostal 4.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.5%), Muslim 12.1%, other 3.1%, none 0.9% (2002 census)
Languages:
English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.8%
male: 76.8%
female: 57.7% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 11 years
female: 10 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
5.2% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 61
Government ::Uganda
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Uganda
conventional short form: Uganda
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Kampala
geographic coordinates: 0 19 N, 32 25 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
80 districts; Abim, Adjumani, Amolatar, Amuria, Amuru, Apac, Arua, Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Bukedea, Bukwa, Bulisa, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Busia, Butaleja, Dokolo, Gulu, Hoima, Ibanda, Iganga, Isingiro, Jinja, Kaabong, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido, Kalangala, Kaliro, Kampala, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibale, Kiboga, Kiruhara, Kisoro, Kitgum, Koboko, Kotido, Kumi, Kyenjojo, Lira, Luwero, Lyantonde, Manafwa, Maracha, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara, Mityana, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Namutumba, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Oyam, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Sembabule, Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe
Independence:
9 October 1962 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Constitution:
8 October 1995; amended in 2005
note: the amendments in 2005 removed presidential term limits and legalized a multiparty political system
Legal system:
in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 26 January 1986); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 26 January 1986); Prime Minister Apolo NSIBAMBI (since 5 April 1999); note - the prime minister assists the president in the supervision of the cabinet
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators
elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2011)
election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 59.3%, Kizza BESIGYE 37.4%, other 3.3%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (332 seats; 215 members elected by popular vote, 104 nominated by legally established special interest groups [women 79, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5], 13 ex officio members; serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NRM 191, FDC 37, UPC 9, DP 8, CP 1, JEEMA 1, independents 36, other 49
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI]; Democratic Party or DP [Kizito SSEBAANA]; Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Kizza BESIGYE]; Justice Forum or JEEMA [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA]; National Resistance Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI]; Peoples Progressive Party or PPP [Bidandi SSALI]; Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Miria OBOTE]
note: a national referendum in July 2005 opened the way for Uganda's transition to a multi-party political system
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Lord's Resistance Army or LRA [Joseph KONY]; Young Parliamentary Association [Henry BANYENZAKI]; Parliamentary Advocacy Forum or PAFO; National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda or NAWOU [Florence NEKYON]; The Ugandan Coalition for Political Accountability to Women or COPAW
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Perezi Karukubiro KAMUNANWIRE
chancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416
FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Steven BROWNING
embassy: 1577 Ggaba Road, Kampala
mailing address: P. O. Box 7007, Kampala
telephone: [256] (414) 259 791 through 93, 95
FAX: [256] (414) 258-794
Flag description:
six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side
Economy ::Uganda
Economy - overview:
Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, sizable mineral deposits of copper, cobalt, gold, and other minerals, and recently discovered oil. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986, the government - with the support of foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and export earnings. During 1990-2001, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, reduced inflation, gradually improved domestic security, and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. Growth continues to be solid, despite variability in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export, and a consistent upturn in Uganda's export markets. In 2000, Uganda qualified for enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief worth $1.3 billion and Paris Club debt relief worth $145 million. These amounts combined with the original HIPC debt relief added up to about $2 billion.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$40.08 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 $37 billion (2007 est.)
$34.21 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.57 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 22 8.2% (2007 est.)
7.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,300 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 204 $1,200 (2007 est.)
$1,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 21.5%
industry: 24.6%
services: 53.9% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
14.54 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 82%
industry: 5%
services: 13% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
35% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 34.1% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
45.7 (2002) country comparison to the world: 41 37.4 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Budget:
revenues: $2.621 billion
expenditures: $2.939 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2008 est.)
Public debt:
18.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 73.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 6.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
19.42% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 16 14.68% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
20.45% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 20 19.11% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.488 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 78 $1.347 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$1.485 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 90 $1.258 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.464 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 98 $640.3 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$NA (31 December 2007)
$116.3 million (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry
Industries:
sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles; cement, steel production
Industrial production growth rate:
7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Electricity - production:
2.256 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Electricity - consumption:
2.068 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Electricity - exports:
30 million kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
bbl/day NA
Oil - consumption:
13,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Oil - imports:
13,090 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 133
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 97
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Current account balance:
-$1.088 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 -$744.7 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$2.688 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 $1.686 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural products; gold
Exports - partners:
Sudan 14.3%, Kenya 9.5%, Switzerland 9%, Rwanda 7.9%, UAE 7.4%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 7.3%, UK 6.9%, Netherlands 4.7%, Germany 4.4% (2008)
Imports:
$3.98 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 $2.983 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals
Imports - partners:
UAE 11.4%, Kenya 11.3%, India 10.4%, China 8.1%, South Africa 6.7%, Japan 5.9% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.301 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $2.56 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.835 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 137 $1.498 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Ugandan shillings (UGX) per US dollar - 1,658.1 (2008 est.), 1,685.8 (2007), 1,834.9 (2006), 1,780.7 (2005), 1,810.3 (2004)
Communications ::Uganda
Telephones - main lines in use:
168,500 (2008) country comparison to the world: 128
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8.555 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 68
Telephone system:
general assessment: seriously inadequate; mobile cellular service is increasing rapidly, but the number of main lines is still deficient; e-mail and Internet services are available
domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile-cellular systems for short-range traffic
international: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 33, shortwave 2 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
8 (plus 1 repeater) (2001)
Internet country code:
.ug
Internet hosts:
6,757 (2009) country comparison to the world: 131
Internet users:
2.5 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 64
Transportation ::Uganda
Airports:
35 (2009) country comparison to the world: 109
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 30
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 8 (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,244 km country comparison to the world: 84 narrow gauge: 1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 70,746 km country comparison to the world: 67 paved: 16,272 km
unpaved: 54,474 km (2003)
Waterways:
on Lake Victoria, 200 km on Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, and parts of Albert Nile (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell
Military ::Uganda
Military branches:
Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF): Army (includes Marine Unit), Air Force (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
18-26 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military duty; 18-30 years of age for professionals; 9-year service obligation; the government has stated that recruitment below 18 years of age could occur with proper consent and that "no person under the apparent age of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces"; Ugandan citizenship and secondary education required (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,532,894
females age 16-49: 6,352,416 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,996,597
females age 16-49: 3,899,717 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 399,134
female: 395,505 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.2% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 76
Transnational Issues ::Uganda
Disputes - international:
Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces that extend across its borders; Uganda hosts 209,860 Sudanese, 27,560 Congolese, and 19,710 Rwandan refugees, while Ugandan refugees as well as members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) seek shelter in southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Garamba National Park; LRA forces have also attacked Kenyan villages across the border
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 215,700 (Sudan); 28,880 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 24,900 (Rwanda)
IDPs: 1.27 million (350,000 IDPs returned in 2006 following ongoing peace talks between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda) (2007)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Ukraine (Europe)
Introduction ::Ukraine
Background:
Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary elections and become prime minister in August of 2006. An early legislative election, brought on by a political crisis in the spring of 2007, saw Yuliya TYMOSHENKO, as head of an "Orange" coalition, installed as a new prime minister in December 2007.
Geography ::Ukraine
Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
Geographic coordinates:
49 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 603,550 sq km country comparison to the world: 45 land: 579,330 sq km
water: 24,220 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 4,566 km
border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 940 km, Poland 428 km, Romania (south) 176 km, Romania (southwest) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 90 km
Coastline:
2,782 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south
Terrain:
most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m
Natural resources:
iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 53.8%
permanent crops: 1.5%
other: 44.7% (2005)
Irrigated land:
22,080 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
139.5 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 37.53 cu km/yr (12%/35%/52%)
per capita: 807 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, 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, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Geography - note:
strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe
People ::Ukraine
Population:
45,700,395 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 3,238,280/female 3,066,594)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 15,399,488/female 16,742,612)
65 years and over: 15.9% (male 2,422,311/female 4,831,110) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.5 years
male: 36.3 years
female: 42.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.632% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 230
Birth rate:
9.6 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 202
Death rate:
15.81 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Net migration rate:
-0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.98 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 158 male: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.25 years country comparison to the world: 150 male: 62.37 years
female: 74.5 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.26 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 211
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
440,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
19,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Nationality:
noun: Ukrainian(s)
adjective: Ukrainian
Ethnic groups:
Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 census)
Religions:
Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 50.4%, Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 26.1%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 8%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 7.2%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Protestant 2.2%, Jewish 0.6%, other 3.2% (2006 est.)
Languages:
Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, other 9% (includes small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
6.3% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 36
Government ::Ukraine
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ukraine
local long form: none
local short form: Ukrayina
former: Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Kyiv (Kiev)
geographic coordinates: 50 26 N, 30 31 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
24 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Crimea or Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Dnipropetrovs'k, Donets'k, Ivano-Frankivs'k, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmel'nyts'kyy, Kirovohrad, Kyiv**, Kyiv, Luhans'k, L'viv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol'**, Sumy, Ternopil', Vinnytsya, Volyn' (Luts'k), Zakarpattya (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence:
24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 August (1991); note - 22 January 1918, the day Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia) and the day the short-lived Western and Central Ukrainian republics united (1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day
Constitution:
adopted 28 June 1996
Legal system:
based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Viktor A. YUSHCHENKO (since 23 January 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Yuliya TYMOSHENKO (since 18 December 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr TURCHYNOV (since 18 December 2007); Deputy Prime Ministers Hryhoriy NEMYRYA and Ivan VASYUNYK (since 18 December 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers selected by the prime minister; the only exceptions are the foreign and defense ministers, who are chosen by the president
note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council; the NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president; a Presidential Secretariat helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); note - a special repeat runoff presidential election between Viktor YUSHCHENKO and Viktor YANUKOVYCH took place on 26 December 2004 after the earlier 21 November 2004 contest - won by YANUKOVYCH - was invalidated by the Ukrainian Supreme Court because of widespread and significant violations; under constitutional reforms that went into effect 1 January 2006, the majority in parliament takes the lead in naming the prime minister
election results: Viktor YUSHCHENKO elected president; percent of vote - Viktor YUSHCHENKO 52%, Viktor YANUKOVYCH 44.2%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; members allocated on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 3% or more of the national electoral vote; serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 30 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party/bloc - Party of Regions 34.4%, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 30.7%, Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense 14.2%, CPU 5.4%, Lytvyn bloc 4%, other parties 11.3%; seats by party/bloc - Party of Regions 175, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 156, Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense 72, CPU 27, Lytvyn bloc 20
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Union [Volodymyr STRETOVYCH]; Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO]; European Party of Ukraine [Mykola KATERYNCHUK]; Fatherland Party (Batkivshchyna) [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO]; Forward Ukraine! [Viktor MUSIYAKA]; Labor Party of Ukraine [Mykola SYROTA]; Our Ukraine [Viktor YUSHCHENKO]; Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy KINAKH]; Party of the Defenders of the Fatherland [Yuriy Karmazin]; People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) [Borys TARASYUK]; People's Party [Volodymyr LYTVYN]; Peoples' Self-Defense [Yuriy LUTSENKO]; PORA! (It's Time!) party [Vladyslav KASKIV]; Progressive Socialist Party [Natalya VITRENKO]; Reforms and Order Party [Viktor PYNZENYK]; Party of Regions [Viktor YANUKOVYCH]; Sobor [Anatoliy MATVIYENKO]; Social Democratic Party [Yevhen KORNICHUK]; Social Democratic Party (United) or SDPU(o) [Yuriy ZAHORODNIY]; Socialist Party of Ukraine or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ]; Ukrainian People's Party [Yuriy KOSTENKO]; United Center [Ihor Krill]; Viche [Inna BOHOSLOVSKA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Committee of Voters of Ukraine [Ihor POPOV]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Oleh V. SHAMSHUR
chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 333-0606
FAX: [1] (202) 333-0817
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William B. TAYLOR Jr.
embassy: 10 Yurii Kotsiubynsky Street, 01901 Kyiv
mailing address: 5850 Kiev Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850
telephone: [380] (44) 490-4000
FAX: [380] (44) 490-4085
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grain fields under a blue sky
Economy ::Ukraine
Economy - overview:
After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Shortly after independence was ratified in December 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. Ukraine depends on imports to meet about three-fourths of its annual oil and natural gas requirements. Ukraine concluded a deal with Russia in January 2006 that almost doubled the price Ukraine pays for Russian gas. Disputes with Russia over pricing have led to periodic gas cut-offs. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms. Ukrainian Government officials eliminated most tax and customs privileges in a March 2005 budget law, bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow economy, but more improvements are needed, including fighting corruption, developing capital markets, and improving the legislative framework. Ukraine's economy was buoyant despite political turmoil between the prime minister and president until mid-2008. Real GDP growth exceeded 7% in 2006-07, fueled by high global prices for steel - Ukraine's top export - and by strong domestic consumption, spurred by rising pensions and wages. The drop in steel prices and Ukraine's exposure to the global financial crisis due to aggressive foreign borrowing has lowered growth in 2008 and the economy probably will contract in 2009. Ukraine reached an agreement with the IMF for a $16.5 billion standby arrangement in November 2008 to deal with the economic crisis. However, political turmoil in Ukraine as well as deteriorating external conditions are likely to hamper efforts for economic recovery.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$338.6 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 $331.6 billion (2007 est.)
$307.4 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$179.6 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157 7.9% (2007 est.)
7.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 124 $7,200 (2007 est.)
$6,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.3%
industry: 31.7%
services: 58.9% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
21.57 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 19.4%
industry: 24.2%
services: 56.4% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 2.3% (2007 est.)
note: officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers
Population below poverty line:
37.7% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 25.7% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31 (2006) country comparison to the world: 107 29 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
27.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Budget:
revenues: $56.55 billion
expenditures: $59.24 billion; note - this is the planned, consolidated budget (2008 est.)
Public debt:
10.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112 24.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
25.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 213 12.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 53 8% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17.49% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 71 11.33% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$29.24 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 28 $35.97 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$37.32 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 31 $41.51 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$101.1 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 38 $87.13 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$24.36 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 45 $111.8 billion (31 December 2007)
$42.87 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk
Industries:
coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar)
Industrial production growth rate:
-5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Electricity - production:
185.2 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 20
Electricity - consumption:
153.1 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Electricity - exports:
12.55 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
3.383 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
101,300 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Oil - consumption:
353,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Oil - exports:
97,200 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Oil - imports:
354,100 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Oil - proved reserves:
395 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
Natural gas - production:
19.8 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Natural gas - consumption:
84 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Natural gas - exports:
3.2 billion cu m (2007) country comparison to the world: 31
Natural gas - imports:
64.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.104 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Current account balance:
-$12.76 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 -$5.918 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$67.72 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $49.84 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products
Exports - partners:
Russia 23.5%, Turkey 6.9%, Italy 4.4% (2008)
Imports:
$83.81 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 $60.41 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Russia 22.7%, Germany 8.4%, Turkmenistan 6.6%, China 6.5%, Poland 5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$31.54 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 $32.48 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$101.7 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 37 $79.96 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$41.77 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $31.08 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.905 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 $895 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
hryvnia (UAH) per US dollar - 4.9523 (2008 est.), 5.05 (2007), 5.05 (2006), 5.1247 (2005), 5.3192 (2004)
Communications ::Ukraine
Telephones - main lines in use:
13.177 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 20
Telephones - mobile cellular:
55.695 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 19
Telephone system:
general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development plan emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile-cellular system
domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair; more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied; telephone density is rising and the domestic trunk system is being improved; about one-third of Ukraine's networks are digital and a majority of regional centers now have digital switching stations; improvements in local networks and local exchanges continue to lag; the mobile-cellular telephone system's expansion has slowed, largely due to saturation of the market which had reached 120 mobile phones per 100 people by 2008
international: country code - 380; 2 new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and 3 Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries; additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by an unknown number of earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems
Radio broadcast stations:
524 (station frequency types NA) (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
647 (2006)
Internet country code:
.ua
Internet hosts:
706,485 (2009) country comparison to the world: 46
Internet users:
10.354 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 30
Transportation ::Ukraine
Airports:
425 (2009) country comparison to the world: 18
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 189
over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 51
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 96 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 236
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 214 (2009)
Heliports:
7 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 33,327 km; oil 4,514 km; refined products 4,211 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 21,655 km country comparison to the world: 13 broad gauge: 21,655 km 1.524-m gauge (9,729 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 169,422 km country comparison to the world: 30 paved: 165,611 km (includes 15 km of expressways)
unpaved: 3,811 km (2007)
Waterways:
2,176 km (most on Dnieper River) (2007) country comparison to the world: 42
Merchant marine:
total: 189 country comparison to the world: 36 by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 141, chemical tanker 1, container 3, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 7, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 2 (Luxembourg 1, Russia 1)
registered in other countries: 204 (Belize 7, Cambodia 34, Comoros 8, Cyprus 4, Dominica 4, Georgia 18, Liberia 25, Lithuania 1, Malta 30, Moldova 5, Mongolia 1, Panama 10, Russia 11, Saint Kitts and Nevis 9, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 11, Sierra Leone 10, Slovakia 12, Tuvalu 1, unknown 3) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Feodosiya, Kerch, Kherson, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Yuzhnyy
Military ::Ukraine
Military branches:
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces (Viyskovo-Povitryani Syly, VPS) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months for Army and Air Force, 24 months for Navy (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 11,457,562
females age 16-49: 11,767,357 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 7,056,742
females age 16-49: 9,234,591 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 269,311
female: 257,656 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.4% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Transnational Issues ::Ukraine
Disputes - international:
1997 boundary delimitation treaty with Belarus remains un-ratified due to unresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducing border security; delimitation of land boundary with Russia is complete with preparations for demarcation underway; the dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite a December 2003 framework agreement and ongoing expert-level discussions; Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria Region, which remains under OSCE supervision; the ICJ gave Ukraine until December 2006 to reply, and Romania until June 2007 to rejoin, in their dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary; Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea
Illicit drugs:
limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in February 2004; Ukraine's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@United Arab Emirates (Middle East)
Introduction ::United Arab Emirates
Background:
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.
Geography ::United Arab Emirates
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
24 00 N, 54 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 83,600 sq km country comparison to the world: 114 land: 83,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 867 km
border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
Coastline:
1,318 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:
desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain:
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 0.77%
permanent crops: 2.27%
other: 96.96% (2005)
Irrigated land:
760 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.2 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.3 cu km/yr (23%/9%/68%)
per capita: 511 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
frequent sand and dust storms
Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
People ::United Arab Emirates
Population:
4,798,491 country comparison to the world: 115 note: estimate is based on the results of the 2005 census that included a significantly higher estimate of net inmigration of non-citizens than previous estimates (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.4% (male 500,928/female 478,388)
15-64 years: 78.7% (male 2,768,030/female 1,008,404)
65 years and over: 0.9% (male 27,601/female 15,140)
note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.1 years
male: 32 years
female: 24.7 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.689% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Birth rate:
16.02 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Death rate:
2.11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 222
Net migration rate:
22.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Urbanization:
urban population: 78% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 2.74 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.82 male(s)/female
total population: 2.19 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 138 male: 14.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.11 years country comparison to the world: 70 male: 73.56 years
female: 78.78 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.42 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.18% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Emirati(s)
adjective: Emirati
Ethnic groups:
Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
Religions:
Muslim 96% (Shia 16%), other (includes Christian, Hindu) 4%
Languages:
Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.9%
male: 76.1%
female: 81.7% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2003)
Education expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 176
Government ::United Arab Emirates
Country name:
conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
conventional short form: none
local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local short form: none
former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
abbreviation: UAE
Government type:
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates
Capital:
name: Abu Dhabi
geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn (Quwayn)
Independence:
2 December 1971 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 December (1971)
Constitution:
2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996
Legal system:
based on a dual system of Sharia and civil courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
none
Executive branch:
chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November 2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers SULTAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) and HAMDAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 October 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for five-year terms (no term limits) from among the seven FSC members; election last held 3 November 2004 upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan al Nuhayyan (next to be held in 2009); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan elected president by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum unanimously affirmed vice president after the 2006 death of his brother Sheikh Maktum bin Rashid al-Maktum
Legislative branch:
unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states, 20 members elected to serve two-year terms)
elections: elections for one half of the FNC (the other half remains appointed) held in the UAE on 18-20 December 2006; the new electoral college - a body of 6,689 Emiratis (including 1,189 women) appointed by the rulers of the seven emirates - were the only eligible voters and candidates; 456 candidates including 65 women ran for 20 contested FNC seats; one female from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi won a seat and 8 women were among the 20 appointed members
note: reviews legislation but cannot change or veto
Judicial branch:
Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
none; political parties are not allowed
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yousef bin Mani Saeed al-OTAIBA
chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400
FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard G. OLSON, Jr.
embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi
mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi
telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200
FAX: [971] (2) 414-2603
consulate(s) general: Dubai
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side
Economy ::United Arab Emirates
Economy - overview:
The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Successful efforts at economic diversification have reduced the portion of GDP based on oil and gas output to 25%. Since the discovery of oil in the UAE more than 30 years ago, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up utilities to greater private sector involvement. In April 2004, the UAE signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with Washington and in November 2004 agreed to undertake negotiations toward a Free Trade Agreement with the US. The country's Free Trade Zones - offering 100% foreign ownership and zero taxes - are helping to attract foreign investors. Higher oil revenue, strong liquidity, housing shortages, and cheap credit in 2005-07 led to a surge in asset prices (shares and real estate) and consumer inflation. The global financial crisis and the resulting tight international credit market and falling oil prices have already begun to deflate asset prices and will result in slower economic growth for 2009. Dependence on oil and a large expatriate workforce are significant long-term challenges. The UAE's strategic plan for the next few years focuses on diversification and creating more opportunities for nationals through improved education and increased private sector employment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$206.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 $192 billion (2007 est.)
$181.2 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$262.2 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 6% (2007 est.)
14.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$44,600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12 $43,200 (2007 est.)
$42,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 62.7%
services: 35.7% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
3.266 million country comparison to the world: 97 note: expatriates account for about 85% of the work force (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7%
industry: 15%
services: 78% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2.4% (2001) country comparison to the world: 25
Population below poverty line:
19.5% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
22.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Budget:
revenues: $78.74 billion
expenditures: $48.31 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
40.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 17.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 196 14% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$49.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$104.6 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$155.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$97.85 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 35 $224.7 billion (31 December 2007)
$138.5 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish
Industries:
petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, commercial ship repair, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
6.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Electricity - production:
71.54 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Electricity - consumption:
65.98 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
3.046 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Oil - consumption:
463,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Oil - exports:
2.7 million bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Oil - imports:
192,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Oil - proved reserves:
97.8 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Natural gas - production:
50.24 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Natural gas - consumption:
59.42 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Natural gas - exports:
7.567 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 24
Natural gas - imports:
16.75 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.071 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Current account balance:
$22.31 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 $25.84 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$239.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 $170.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
Exports - partners:
Japan 23%, South Korea 9.4%, India 7.9%, Iran 6.5%, Thailand 5.3% (2008)
Imports:
$176.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 $116.6 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
Imports - partners:
China 13.2%, India 10.4%, US 8.8%, Germany 6.5%, Japan 6.1%, Turkey 4.5%, Italy 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$31.69 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $77.24 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$134.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 $61.68 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$62.69 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $51.54 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$28.95 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 $24.95 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar - 3.6725 (2008 est.), 3.6725 (2007), 3.6725 (2006), 3.6725 (2005), 3.6725 (2004)
note: officially pegged to the US dollar since February 2002
Communications ::United Arab Emirates
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.508 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 64
Telephones - mobile cellular:
9.358 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 62
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
international: country code - 971; linked to the international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 13, FM 8, shortwave 2 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
15 (2004)
Internet country code:
.ae
Internet hosts:
379,106 (2009) country comparison to the world: 51
Internet users:
2.922 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 60
Transportation ::United Arab Emirates
Airports:
41 (2009) country comparison to the world: 102
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 24
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 17
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 5 (2009)
Heliports:
5 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate 458 km; gas 2,129 km; liquid petroleum gas 220 km; oil 1,310 km; refined products 212 km; water 90 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 4,080 km country comparison to the world: 156 paved: 4,080 km (includes 253 km of expressways) (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 58 country comparison to the world: 66 by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 9, chemical tanker 4, container 8, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 24, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 14 (Denmark 1, Greece 3, Kuwait 10)
registered in other countries: 313 (Bahamas 23, Bahrain 1, Belize 5, Cambodia 2, Comoros 7, Cyprus 9, Dominica 1, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 3, Hong Kong 1, India 6, Indonesia 2, Iran 1, Jordan 13, North Korea 8, Liberia 23, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 15, Mexico 1, Netherlands 5, Panama 109, Papua New Guinea 6, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 18, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 8, Singapore 12, Somalia 1, Turkey 1, UK 9, unknown 6) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Mina' Zayid (Abu Dhabi), Al Fujayrah, Mina' Jabal 'Ali (Dubai), Mina' Rashid (Dubai), Mina' Saqr (Ra's al Khaymah), Khawr Fakkan (Sharjah)
Military ::United Arab Emirates
Military branches:
United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force and Air Defense, National Coast Guard (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; 18 years of age for officers and women; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,405,884 (includes non-nationals)
females age 16-49: 884,853 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,081,491
females age 16-49: 788,632 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 26,659
female: 23,793 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Transnational Issues ::United Arab Emirates
Disputes - international:
boundary agreement was signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves, but contents of the agreement and detailed maps showing the alignment have not been published; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which Iran occupies
Illicit drugs:
the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to Southwest Asian drug-producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving, but informal banking remains unregulated
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@United Kingdom (Europe)
Introduction ::United Kingdom
Background:
As the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars and the Irish republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process.
Geography ::United Kingdom
Location:
Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates:
54 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 243,610 sq km country comparison to the world: 79 land: 241,930 sq km
water: 1,680 sq km
note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 360 km
border countries: Ireland 360 km
Coastline:
12,429 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries
Climate:
temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Terrain:
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: The Fens -4 m
highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m
Natural resources:
coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 23.23%
permanent crops: 0.2%
other: 76.57% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,700 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
160.6 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 11.75 cu km/yr (22%/75%/3%)
per capita: 197 cu m/yr (1994)
Natural hazards:
winter windstorms; floods
Environment - current issues:
continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move toward a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
People ::United Kingdom
Population:
61,113,205 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 5,233,756/female 4,986,131)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 20,774,192/female 20,246,519)
65 years and over: 16.2% (male 4,259,654/female 5,612,953) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.2 years
male: 39.1 years
female: 41.3 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.279% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Birth rate:
10.65 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Death rate:
10.02 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Net migration rate:
2.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Urbanization:
urban population: 90% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 193 male: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.01 years country comparison to the world: 36 male: 76.52 years
female: 81.63 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.66 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
77,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Nationality:
noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)
adjective: British
Ethnic groups:
white (of which English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%, Northern Irish 2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed 1.2%, other 1.6% (2001 census)
Religions:
Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1% (2001 census)
Languages:
English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.6% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 47
Government ::United Kingdom
Country name:
conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales
conventional short form: United Kingdom
abbreviation: UK
Government type:
constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: London
geographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 10 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
note: applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its overseas dependencies or territories
Administrative divisions:
England: 34 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan counties, 46 unitary authorities
two-tier counties: Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Wiltshire, Worcestershire
London boroughs and City of London or Greater London: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, City of London, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster
metropolitan counties: Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bury, Calderdale, Coventry, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Kirklees, Knowlsey, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Oldham, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield, Solihull, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport, Sunderland, Tameside, Trafford, Wakefield, Walsall, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton
unitary authorities: Bath and North East Somerset, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol, Darlington, Derby, East Riding of Yorkshire, Halton, Hartlepool, County of Herefordshire, Isle of Wight, City of Kingston upon Hull, Leicester, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland, Rutland, Slough, South Gloucestershire, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Telford and Wrekin, Thurrock, Torbay, Warrington, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, York
Northern Ireland: 26 district council areas
district council areas: Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Derry, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane
Scotland: 32 unitary authorities
unitary authorities: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian
Wales: 22 unitary authorities
unitary authorities: Blaenau Gwent; Bridgend; Caerphilly; Cardiff; Carmarthenshire; Ceredigion; Conwy; Denbighshire; Flintshire; Gwynedd; Isle of Anglesey; Merthyr Tydfil; Monmouthshire; Neath Port Talbot; Newport; Pembrokeshire; Powys; Rhondda, Cynon, Taff; Swansea; The Vale of Glamorgan; Torfaen; Wrexham
Dependent areas:
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
Independence:
1927; England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the union between England and Wales, begun in 1284 with the Statute of Rhuddlan, was not formalized until 1536 with an Act of Union; in another Act of Union in 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanently join as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927
National holiday:
the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Constitution:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
based on common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)
head of government: Prime Minister James Gordon BROWN (since 27 June 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of House of Lords (618 seats; consisting of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy) and House of Commons (646 seats since 2005 elections; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)
elections: House of Lords - no elections (note - in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain there; elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise); House of Commons - last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by June 2010)
election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Labor 35.2%, Conservative 32.3%, Liberal Democrats 22%, other 10.5%; seats by party - Labor 355, Conservative 198, Liberal Democrat 62, other 31; seats by party in the House of Commons as of 21 November 2008 - Labor 350, Conservative 192, Liberal Democrat 63, Scottish National Party/Plaid Cymru 10, Democratic Unionist 9, Sinn Fein 5, other 17
note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Assembly (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of 1999 and has been suspended four times, the latest occurring in October 2002 and lasting until 8 May 2007); in 1999, the UK held the first elections for a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly, the most recent of which were held in May 2007
Judicial branch:
House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life); Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising the Courts of Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown Courts); Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary
Political parties and leaders:
Conservative [David CAMERON]; Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland) [Peter ROBINSON]; Labor Party [Gordon BROWN]; Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) [Nick CLEGG]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Ieuan Wyn JONES]; Scottish National Party or SNP [Alex SALMOND]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Mark DURKAN]; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Sir Reg EMPEY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, C, CBSS (observer), CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UN Security Council, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Nigel E. SHEINWALD
chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500
FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Orlando
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Holmes TUTTLE
embassy: 24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 1AE
mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040
telephone: [44] (0) 20 7499-9000
FAX: [44] (0) 20 7629-9124
consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh
Flag description:
blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories
Economy ::United Kingdom
Economy - overview:
The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of the quintet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades, the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil resources, but its oil and natural gas reserves are declining and the UK became a net importer of energy in 2005; energy industries now contribute about 4% to GDP. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. Since emerging from recession in 1992, Britain's economy enjoyed the longest period of expansion on record during which time growth outpaced most of Western Europe. The global economic slowdown, tight credit, and falling home prices, however, pushed Britain back into recession in the latter half of 2008 and prompted the BROWN government to implement a number of new measures to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial markets; these include part-nationalizing the banking system, cutting taxes, suspending public sector borrowing rules, and bringing forward public spending on capital projects. The Bank of England periodically coordinates interest rate moves with the European Central Bank, but Britain remains outside the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), and opinion polls show a majority of Britons oppose joining the euro.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.236 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $2.22 trillion (2007 est.)
$2.164 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.68 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 188 2.6% (2007 est.)
2.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$36,700 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32 $36,500 (2007 est.)
$35,700 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 24.2%
services: 74.5% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
31.23 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 18.2%
services: 80.4% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 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) country comparison to the world: 92 36.8 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
16.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Budget:
revenues: $1.056 trillion
expenditures: $1.214 trillion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
51.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 39.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 2.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
0.86% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
4.63% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 137 5.52% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$5.277 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 5 $3.859 trillion (31 December 2007)
$3.794 trillion (31 December 2006)
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:
-2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Electricity - production:
368.6 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Electricity - consumption:
345.8 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Electricity - exports:
1.272 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
12.29 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
1.584 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Oil - consumption:
1.71 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Oil - exports:
1.602 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Oil - imports:
1.651 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Oil - proved reserves:
3.41 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Natural gas - production:
69.9 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Natural gas - consumption:
95.94 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Natural gas - exports:
10.5 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 19
Natural gas - imports:
36.54 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Natural gas - proved reserves:
342.9 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Current account balance:
-$45.68 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 185 -$78.78 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$466.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 $442 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners:
US 13.8%, Germany 11.5%, Netherlands 7.8%, France 7.6%, Ireland 7.5%, Belgium 5.3%, Spain 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$639.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 $620.7 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Germany 13.1%, US 8.7%, China 7.5%, Netherlands 7.4%, France 6.8%, Norway 6%, Belgium 4.7%, Italy 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$52.98 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $57.3 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$9.041 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 2 $11.26 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$1.445 trillion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2 $1.348 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.567 trillion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 $1.705 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
British pounds (GBP) per US dollar - 0.5302 (2008 est.), 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004)
Communications ::United Kingdom
Telephones - main lines in use:
33.209 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 9
Telephones - mobile cellular:
75.565 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 11
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 206, FM 696, shortwave 3 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
940 (2008)
Internet country code:
.uk
Internet hosts:
9.322 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 11
Internet users:
48.755 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 7
Transportation ::United Kingdom
Airports:
506 (2009) country comparison to the world: 14
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 307
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 32
1,524 to 2,437 m: 125
914 to 1,523 m: 77
under 914 m: 64 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 199
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 173 (2009)
Heliports:
11 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate 43 km; gas 7,541 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 699 km; refined products 4,417 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 16,454 km country comparison to the world: 17 broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland)
standard gauge: 16,151 km 1.435-m gauge (5,248 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 398,366 km country comparison to the world: 16 paved: 398,366 km (includes 3,520 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2008) country comparison to the world: 32
Merchant marine:
total: 518 country comparison to the world: 22 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 (2009)
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: 12,123,900
females age 16-49: 11,616,769 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 393,892
female: 376,351 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.4% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@United States (North America)
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: 9,826,675 sq km country comparison to the world: 3 land: 9,161,966 sq km
water: 664,709 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; 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:
307,212,123 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.2% (male 31,639,127/female 30,305,704)
15-64 years: 67% (male 102,665,043/female 103,129,321)
65 years and over: 12.8% (male 16,901,232/female 22,571,696) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 36.7 years
male: 35.4 years
female: 38 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.975% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Birth rate:
13.82 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Death rate:
8.38 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Net migration rate:
4.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Urbanization:
urban population: 82% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 180 male: 6.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.11 years country comparison to the world: 50 male: 75.65 years
female: 80.69 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.05 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.2 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
22,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
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 persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or South American 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) country comparison to the world: 57
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 Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)
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%;
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 4 November 2008 (next to be held November 2010); House of Representatives - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 57, Republican Party 41, independent 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 257, Republican Party 178
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 [Timothy KAINE]; Green Party; Libertarian Party [William (Bill) REDPATH]; Republican Party [Michael STEELE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PAC; health groups; education groups; civic groups; youth groups; transportation groups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform lobbies
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-20, 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 $46,900. 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 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. 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 between 2005 and the first half of 2008 threatened inflation and unemployment, as higher gasoline prices ate into consumers' budgets. 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 $819 billion in 2007 and $821 billion in 2008. The global economic downturn, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, investment bank failures, falling home prices, and tight credit pushed the United States into a recession by mid-2008. To help stabilize financial markets, the US Congress established a $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in October 2008. The government used some of these funds to purchase equity in US banks and other industrial corporations. In January 2009 the US Congress passed and President Barack OBAMA signed a bill providing an additional $787 billion fiscal stimulus - two-thirds on additional spending and one-third on tax cuts - to create jobs and to help the economy recover.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$14.44 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2 $14.38 trillion (2007 est.)
$14.09 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.44 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 193 2.1% (2007 est.)
2.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$47,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 $47,700 (2007 est.)
$47,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.2%
industry: 19.2%
services: 79.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
154.3 million (includes unemployed) (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
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:
5.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 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) country comparison to the world: 44 40.8 (1997)
Investment (gross fixed):
14.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Budget:
revenues: $2.524 trillion
expenditures: $2.978 trillion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
37.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 65% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 2.9% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
0.5% (31 March 2009) country comparison to the world: 110 4.83% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.09% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 105 8.05% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.436 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 4 $1.395 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$10.99 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 1 $7.466 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$15.06 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 2 $14.21 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 1 $19.95 trillion (31 December 2007)
$19.43 trillion (31 December 2006)
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:
-2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Electricity - production:
4.11 trillion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Electricity - consumption:
3.873 trillion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Electricity - exports:
24.08 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
57.02 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
8.514 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Oil - consumption:
19.5 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Oil - exports:
1.433 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Oil - imports:
13.47 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Oil - proved reserves:
21.32 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Natural gas - production:
582.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 2
Natural gas - consumption:
657.2 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Natural gas - exports:
28.49 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 10
Natural gas - imports:
112.7 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.731 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Current account balance:
-$706.1 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 190 -$731.2 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.277 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 $1.148 trillion (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 20.1%, Mexico 11.7%, China 5.5%, Japan 5.1%, Germany 4.2%, UK 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$2.117 trillion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1 $1.968 trillion (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 16.5%, Canada 15.7%, Mexico 10.1%, Japan 6.6%, Germany 4.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$77.65 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 $70.57 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$13.75 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 1 $13.43 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$2.367 trillion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1 $2.093 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$3.162 trillion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1 $2.791 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
British pounds per US dollar: 0.5302 (2008), 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004)
Canadian dollars per US dollar: 1.0364 (2008), 1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118 (2005), 1.3010 (2004)
Chinese yuan per US dollar: 6.9385 (2008), 7.61 (2007), 7.97 (2006), 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004)
euros per US dollar: 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Japanese yen per US dollar: 103.58 (2008), 117.99 (2007), 116.18 (2006) 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004)
Communications ::United States
Telephones - main lines in use:
150 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 2
Telephones - mobile cellular:
270 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 3
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)
Television broadcast stations:
2,218 (2006)
Internet country code:
.us
Internet hosts:
383 million (2009); note - the US Internet total host count includes the following top level domain host addresses: .us, .com, .edu, .gov, .mil, .net, and .org country comparison to the world: 1
Internet users:
231 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 2
Transportation ::United States
Airports:
15,095 (2009) country comparison to the world: 1
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5,174
over 3,047 m: 190
2,438 to 3,047 m: 229
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,477
914 to 1,523 m: 2,309
under 914 m: 969 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 9,921
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 158
914 to 1,523 m: 1,757
under 914 m: 8,000 (2009)
Heliports:
126 (2009)
Pipelines:
petroleum products 244,620 km; natural gas 548,665 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 226,427 km country comparison to the world: 1 standard gauge: 226,427 km 1.435-m gauge (2007)
Roadways:
total: 6,465,799 km country comparison to the world: 1 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) country comparison to the world: 4 note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 422 country comparison to the world: 24 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 8, 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:
United States Armed Forces: 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 (2009)
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: 59,764,677
females age 16-49: 59,437,663 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,196,124
female: 2,085,085 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.06% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (Australia-Oceania)
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 (NWR) 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. 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 NWR 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 NWR 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. It was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a NWR 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. Subsequently, the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s. 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 were 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 NWR.
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 NWR 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 NWR 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 country comparison to the world: 237 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 NWR 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
page last updated on August 26, 2009
======================================================================
@Uruguay (South America)
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: 176,215 sq km country comparison to the world: 90 land: 175,015 sq km
water: 1,200 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, 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:
3,494,382 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 397,942/female 385,253)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 1,115,963/female 1,129,478)
65 years and over: 13.3% (male 187,176/female 278,570) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.4 years
male: 32 years
female: 34.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.466% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Birth rate:
13.91 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Death rate:
9.09 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Net migration rate:
-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 11.32 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 150 male: 12.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.35 years country comparison to the world: 68 male: 73.1 years
female: 79.72 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.92 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
10,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
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) country comparison to the world: 148
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; revised 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 25 October 2009, with a runoff election scheduled for 29 November 2009 (next to be held in October 2014)
election results: Jose MUJICA wins first round; percent of vote - Jose MUJICA 48.5%, Luis Alberto LACALLE 29.2%, Pedro BORDABERRY 17%; other 5.3%; note - a runoff election will be held on 29 November 2009
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 25 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014); Chamber of Representatives - last held 25 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 16, Blanco 9, Colorado Party 5; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Frente Amplio 50, Blanco 30, Colorado Party 17, Independent Party 2
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
consulate(s): San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robin H. MATTHEWMAN
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. In 2001-02, Argentine citizens made massive withdrawals of dollars deposited in Uruguayan banks after bank deposits in Argentina were frozen, which led to a plunge in the Uruguayan peso, a banking crisis, and a sharp economic contraction. Real GDP fell in four years by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year. The unemployment rate rose, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Financial assistance from the IMF helped stem the damage. Uruguay restructured its external debt in 2003 without asking creditors to accept a reduction on the principal. Economic growth for Uruguay resumed, and averaged 8% annually during the period 2004-08.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$43.27 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $39.73 billion (2007 est.)
$36.99 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$32.19 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20 7.4% (2007 est.)
7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $11,500 (2007 est.)
$10,700 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.5%
industry: 23.4%
services: 67.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
1.641 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 9%
industry: 15%
services: 76% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 9.2% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
27.4% of households (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 34.8% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
45.2 (2006) country comparison to the world: 43 44.8 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
18.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Budget:
revenues: $8.16 billion
expenditures: $8.555 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
59.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 64.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 8.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 39 10% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.45% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 118 7.25% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$2.247 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 68 $2.145 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$9.409 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 52 $7.919 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$9.096 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 73 $6.396 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 108 $159 million (31 December 2007)
$125.1 million (31 December 2006)
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:
8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Electricity - production:
9.265 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Electricity - consumption:
7.14 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Electricity - exports:
996 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
789 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
946.1 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
Oil - consumption:
41,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Oil - exports:
7,100 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Oil - imports:
52,730 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl country comparison to the world: 120
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
Natural gas - consumption:
70 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 95
Natural gas - imports:
70 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Current account balance:
-$1.484 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 -$82.7 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$7.084 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $5.043 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
meat, rice, leather products, wool, fish, dairy products
Exports - partners:
Brazil 18.7%, China 8.5%, Argentina 7.3%, Germany 6.5%, Mexico 4.9%, Netherlands 4.5%, Russia 4.3% (2008)
Imports:
$8.799 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $5.598 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
crude petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, paper, plastics
Imports - partners:
Argentina 19.9%, Brazil 16.5%, China 11.2%, US 9.9%, Paraguay 6.6%, Nigeria 4.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.36 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $4.121 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$10.73 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 83 $11.07 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$4.19 billion (2007) country comparison to the world: 90
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$156 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 78
Exchange rates:
Uruguayan pesos (UYU) per US dollar - 20.936 (2008 est.), 23.947 (2007), 24.048 (2006), 24.479 (2005), 28.704 (2004)
Communications ::Uruguay
Telephones - main lines in use:
959,300 (2008) country comparison to the world: 83
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.508 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 98
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 130 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)
Television broadcast stations:
62 (2005)
Internet country code:
.uy
Internet hosts:
498,232 (2009) country comparison to the world: 48
Internet users:
1.34 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 79
Transportation ::Uruguay
Airports:
57 (2009) country comparison to the world: 82
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 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 48
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 20
under 914 m: 25 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 226 km; oil 155 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 1,641 km country comparison to the world: 79 standard gauge: 1,641 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 77,732 km country comparison to the world: 63 paved: 7,743 km
unpaved: 69,989 km (2004)
Waterways:
1,600 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 52
Merchant marine:
total: 17 country comparison to the world: 102 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), National Navy (Armada Nacional; includes naval air arm, Marine Corps (Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales, FUSNA), 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: 708,545
females age 16-49: 693,622 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 27,452
female: 26,479 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 103
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Uzbekistan (Central Asia)
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 country comparison to the world: 56 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:
27,606,007 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 3,970,386/female 3,787,371)
15-64 years: 67% (male 9,191,439/female 9,309,791)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 576,191/female 770,829) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.7 years
male: 24.2 years
female: 25.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.935% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 133
Birth rate:
17.58 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Death rate:
5.29 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 181
Net migration rate:
-2.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Urbanization:
urban population: 37% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.43 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 92 male: 27.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.96 years country comparison to the world: 123 male: 68.95 years
female: 75.15 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.95 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
16,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
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) country comparison to the world: 7
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 the 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%, Asliddin RUSTAMOV 3.2%, Dilorom T0SHMUHAMEDOVA 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 in 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 TOSHMUHAMEDOVA]; Democratic National Rebirth Party (Milliy 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 [Abdurahim 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 HIDOYATOVA]; 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 and has come under increasing international criticism for the use of child labor in its annual cotton harvest. 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, as well as increased cooperation with South Korea in the realm of civil aviation, 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), which it subsequently left in 2008, 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):
$71.84 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 $65.91 billion (2007 est.)
$60.19 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$27.92 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18 9.5% (2007 est.)
7.3% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 $2,400 (2007 est.)
$2,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 25.8%
industry: 31.4%
services: 42.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
15.37 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 44%
industry: 20%
services: 36% (1995)
Unemployment rate:
1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6 0.8% (2007 est.)
note: officially measured by the Ministry of Labor, plus another 20% underemployed
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) country comparison to the world: 80 44.7 (1998)
Budget:
revenues: $8.884 billion
expenditures: $8.474 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
10.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 111 41.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 185 12% (2007 est.)
note: official data; based on independent analysis of consumer prices, inflation reached 38% in 2008
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$NA (31 December 2007)
$715.3 million (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock
Industries:
textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, gold, petroleum, natural gas, chemicals
Industrial production growth rate:
12.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Electricity - production:
46.33 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Electricity - consumption:
41.94 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Electricity - exports:
11.44 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
11.36 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
83,820 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Oil - consumption:
148,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Oil - exports:
6,104 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Oil - imports:
35,810 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Oil - proved reserves:
594 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Natural gas - production:
67.6 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - consumption:
52.6 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - exports:
15 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.841 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Current account balance:
$6.257 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31 $4.267 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$10.37 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 $8.026 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
cotton, gold, energy products, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, textiles, food products, machinery, automobiles
Exports - partners:
Ukraine 27.3%, Russia 19.6%, Turkey 7.5%, Kazakhstan 5.9%, Bangladesh 5%, China 4.3%, Japan 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$7.07 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $5.73 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, ferrous and non-ferrous metals
Imports - partners:
Russia 24.7%, China 15.4%, South Korea 13.6%, Ukraine 7.2%, Germany 5.5%, Kazakhstan 4.9%, Turkey 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$10.15 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 65 $7.413 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$4.022 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 111 $3.927 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar - 1,317 (2008 est.), 1,263.8 (2007), 1,219.8 (2006), 1,020 (2005), 971.265 (2004)
Communications ::Uzbekistan
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.85 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 61
Telephones - mobile cellular:
12.734 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 49
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 using loans from the Japanese government and the China Development Bank to improve mainline services; completion of conversion to digital exchanges planned for 2010; mobile services are growing rapidly, with the subscriber base reaching 12.7 million in 2008
international: country code - 998; linked by fiber-optic cable 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 plans to establish a fiber-optic connection to Afghanistan (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 12, shortwave 3 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
28 (includes 1 cable rebroadcaster in Tashkent and approximately 20 stations in regional capitals) (2006)
Internet country code:
.uz
Internet hosts:
50,228 (2009) country comparison to the world: 83
Internet users:
2.469 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 65
Transportation ::Uzbekistan
Airports:
54 (2009) country comparison to the world: 87
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 33
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 21
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
under 914 m: 19 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 9,706 km; oil 868 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 3,645 km country comparison to the world: 47 broad gauge: 3,645 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 86,496 km country comparison to the world: 55 paved: 75,511 km
unpaved: 10,985 km (2000)
Waterways:
1,100 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 63
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: 6,340,446
females age 16-49: 6,559,769 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 313,131
female: 310,442 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Vanuatu (Australia-Oceania)
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: 12,189 sq km country comparison to the world: 163 land: 12,189 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:
218,519 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.7% (male 34,263/female 32,833)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 72,670/female 69,970)
65 years and over: 4% (male 4,516/female 4,267) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.2 years
male: 24.2 years
female: 24.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.398% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Birth rate:
21.53 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Death rate:
7.55 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 25% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 1.06 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 49.45 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 51 male: 51.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 46.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.98 years country comparison to the world: 169 male: 62.37 years
female: 65.66 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.5 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
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) country comparison to the world: 6
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 the 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 Iolu Johnson ABIL (since 3 September 2009)
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 2 September 2009 (next to be held in 2014); 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: Iolu Johnson ABIL elected president, with 41 votes out of 58, on the third ballot on 2 September 2009
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 in 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 over 70% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with more than 167,000 visitors in 2007 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):
$990.8 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 200 $929.5 million (2007 est.)
$870.3 million (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$573 million (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 6.8% (2007 est.)
7.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144 $4,400 (2007 est.)
$4,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 26%
industry: 12%
services: 62% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
115,900 (2007) country comparison to the world: 175
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 65%
industry: 5%
services: 30% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
1.7% (1999) country comparison to the world: 15
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 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.9% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Central bank discount rate:
6% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 75 6% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.29% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 104 8.16% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$101.6 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 112 $107.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$430 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 111 $421.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$274 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 120 $229.5 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, fruits, vegetables; beef; fish
Industries:
food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Electricity - production:
42 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Electricity - consumption:
39.06 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Oil - imports:
653.6 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 143
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Current account balance:
-$60 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Exports:
$40 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 199
Exports - commodities:
copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee
Exports - partners:
Thailand 83%, Japan 5.9%, Belgium 1.8% (2008)
Imports:
$156 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 201
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels
Imports - partners:
Australia 17.6%, US 15.9%, Japan 12%, Singapore 10.8%, China 8.5%, NZ 7.5%, Fiji 6.7% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$40.54 million (2003) country comparison to the world: 154
Debt - external:
$81.2 million (2004) country comparison to the world: 188
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:
10,400 (2008) country comparison to the world: 203
Telephones - mobile cellular:
36,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 199
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)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2004)
Internet country code:
.vu
Internet hosts:
1,023 (2009) country comparison to the world: 160
Internet users:
17,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 192
Transportation ::Vanuatu
Airports:
31 (2009) country comparison to the world: 115
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 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 28
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 23 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 1,070 km country comparison to the world: 183 paved: 256 km
unpaved: 814 km (1999)
Merchant marine:
total: 54 country comparison to the world: 68 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)) (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 58,900 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 41,533
females age 16-49: 42,837 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,368
female: 2,272 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues ::Vanuatu
Disputes - international:
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Venezuela (South America)
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 country comparison to the world: 33 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:
26,814,843 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.5% (male 4,157,194/female 4,022,595)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 8,480,872/female 8,754,620)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 620,657/female 778,905) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 25.5 years
male: 24.8 years
female: 26.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.508% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
Birth rate:
20.61 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Death rate:
5.12 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 184
Net migration rate:
-0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
Urbanization:
urban population: 93% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 100 male: 25.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.61 years country comparison to the world: 103 male: 70.54 years
female: 76.83 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.48 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7%; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (1999 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,100 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 124
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 Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera
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 Patrick DUDDY
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, about 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 by about 10% in 2006, 8% in 2007, and nearly 5% in 2008. 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% in 2007 and more than 30% in 2008. Imports also have jumped significantly. Declining oil prices in the latter part of 2008 are expected to undermine the govenment's ability to continue the high rate of spending. President Hugo CHAVEZ in 2008 continued efforts to increase the government's contol of the economy by nationalizing firms in the cement and steel sectors. In 2007, he nationalized firms in the petroleum, communications, and electricity sectors. In July 2008, CHAVEZ implemented by decree a number of laws that further consolidate and centralize authority over the economy through his plan for "21st Century Socialism."
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$356.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32 $340 billion (2007 est.)
$314.2 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$319.4 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 8.2% (2007 est.)
9.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$13,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 84 $13,100 (2007 est.)
$12,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.8%
industry: 37.6%
services: 58.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
12.59 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 23%
services: 64% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 8.5% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
37.9% (end 2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 32.7% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
48.2 (2003) country comparison to the world: 29 49.5 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Budget:
revenues: $94.14 billion
expenditures: $97.69 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
13.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 108 43.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
30.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 219 18.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
33.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 2 28.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
22.37% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 29 17.11% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$79.91 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 16 $63.18 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$10.93 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 49 $8.889 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$62.42 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 44 $50.24 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$NA (31 December 2007)
$8.251 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
2.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Electricity - production:
113.3 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Electricity - consumption:
83.02 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Electricity - exports:
540 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
1.651 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
2.643 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Oil - consumption:
760,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Oil - exports:
2.182 million bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
Oil - proved reserves:
99.38 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Natural gas - production:
24.01 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Natural gas - consumption:
25.51 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 93
Natural gas - imports:
1.5 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Natural gas - proved reserves:
4.84 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Current account balance:
$39.21 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12 $20 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$93.54 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 $69.17 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
Exports - partners:
US 40.7%, Netherlands Antilles 7.8%, China 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$48.1 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 $45.46 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 26.3%, Colombia 12.7%, Brazil 10.3%, China 7%, Mexico 4.8% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$42.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 32 $33.48 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$47.03 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 $43.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$41.38 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 $43.96 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$16.62 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $13.81 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
bolivars (VEB) per US dollar - 2.147 (2008 est.), 2,147 (2007), 2,147 (2006), 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004)
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:
6.304 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 28
Telephones - mobile cellular:
27.084 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 32
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; combined fixed and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership 125 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 unknown, but at least 25 in Caracas, shortwave 11 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.ve
Internet hosts:
155,139 (2009) country comparison to the world: 68
Internet users:
7.167 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 35
Transportation ::Venezuela
Airports:
406 (2009) country comparison to the world: 20
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 131
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 35
914 to 1,523 m: 63
under 914 m: 19 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 275
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 103
under 914 m: 155 (2009)
Heliports:
4 (2009)
Pipelines:
extra heavy crude 980 km; gas 5,036 km; oil 6,695 km; refined products 1,484 km; unknown 141 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 806 km country comparison to the world: 101 standard gauge: 806 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 96,155 km country comparison to the world: 47 paved: 32,308 km
unpaved: 63,847 km (2002)
Waterways:
7,100 km country comparison to the world: 21 note: Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 62 country comparison to the world: 65 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 Bolivarian Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): National Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Nacional Bolivariano, ENB), Bolivarian National Navy (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana (FANB); includes Naval Infantry, Coast Guard, Naval Aviation), Bolivarian National Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Nacional Bolivariana, AMNB), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB) (2009)
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: 5,391,582
females age 16-49: 5,873,563 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 276,051
female: 274,162 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Vietnam (East & Southeast Asia)
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, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. 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 small-scale protests from various groups, the vast majority connected to land-use issues and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests. In January 2008, Vietnam assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 term.
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 10 N, 107 50 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 331,210 sq km country comparison to the world: 65 land: 310,070 sq km
water: 21,140 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:
86,967,524 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.9% (male 11,230,402/female 10,423,901)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 29,971,088/female 30,356,393)
65 years and over: 5.7% (male 1,920,043/female 3,065,697) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.4 years
male: 26.4 years
female: 28.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.977% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Birth rate:
16.31 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Death rate:
6.17 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Net migration rate:
-0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Urbanization:
urban population: 28% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.88 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 96 male: 23.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.58 years country comparison to the world: 127 male: 68.78 years
female: 74.57 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.83 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
290,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
24,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 20
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 (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 171
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 (Ha Noi)
geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
58 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, Da Nang*, Dac Lak, Dac Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, 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, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City
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, 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. 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. 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 2008. Deep poverty 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. The global financial crisis, however, will constrain Vietnam's ability to create jobs and further reduce poverty. As global growth sharply drops in 2009, Vietnam's export-oriented economy - exports were 68% of GDP in 2007 - will suffer from lower exports, higher unemployment and corporate bankruptcies, and decreased foreign investment.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$242.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $228.1 billion (2007 est.)
$210.3 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$89.83 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 8.5% (2007 est.)
8.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,800 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 168 $2,600 (2007 est.)
$2,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 22%
industry: 39.9%
services: 38.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
47.41 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 55.6%
industry: 18.9%
services: 25.5% (July 2005)
Unemployment rate:
4.7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 4.3% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
14.8% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 29.8% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37 (2004) country comparison to the world: 78 36.1 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
41.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 1
Budget:
revenues: $24.27 billion
expenditures: $28.85 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
48.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 65.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
23.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 209 8.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10.25% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 60 6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
15.78% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 72 11.18% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$27.01 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$50.81 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$68.27 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$9.589 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 69 $19.54 billion (31 December 2007)
$9.093 billion (31 December 2006)
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:
6.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Electricity - production:
66.81 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Electricity - consumption:
59.3 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
313,600 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Oil - consumption:
288,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Oil - exports:
347,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Oil - imports:
254,000 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Natural gas - production:
6.6 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - consumption:
6.6 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 91
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Natural gas - proved reserves:
192.5 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Current account balance:
-$10.71 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 168 -$6.993 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$62.69 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 $48.56 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes
Exports - partners:
US 18.9%, Japan 13.6%, China 7.2%, Australia 6.7%, Singapore 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$75.47 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 $58.92 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
Imports - partners:
China 19.4%, Singapore 11.6%, South Korea 8.8%, Thailand 6.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$24.18 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47 $23.75 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$25.89 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 $21.83 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$40.34 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 $32.74 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
dong (VND) per US dollar - 16,548.3 (2008 est.), 16,119 (2007), 15,983 (2006), 15,746 (2005), NA (2004)
Communications ::Vietnam
Telephones - main lines in use:
29.591 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 11
Telephones - mobile cellular:
70 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 13
Telephone system:
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system
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)
Television broadcast stations:
67 (includes 61 relay, provincial, and city TV stations) (2006)
Internet country code:
.vn
Internet hosts:
170,689 (2009) country comparison to the world: 66
Internet users:
20.834 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 18
Transportation ::Vietnam
Airports:
44 (2009) country comparison to the world: 97
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate/gas 42 km; gas 66 km; refined products 206 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,347 km country comparison to the world: 66 standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 222,179 km country comparison to the world: 23 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) (2008) country comparison to the world: 7
Merchant marine:
total: 387 country comparison to the world: 28 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: 19,190,676
females age 16-49: 20,768,508 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 893,726
female: 834,279 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.5% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Virgin Islands (Central America and Caribbean)
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 country comparison to the world: 181 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:
109,825 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 190
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.4% (male 11,394/female 11,048)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 33,843/female 38,574)
65 years and over: 13.6% (male 6,747/female 8,219) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.1 years
male: 38.6 years
female: 39.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.029% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Birth rate:
11.95 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 169
Death rate:
6.75 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Net migration rate:
-5.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Urbanization:
urban population: 95% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.56 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 165 male: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.05 years country comparison to the world: 35 male: 76.02 years
female: 82.26 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.85 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
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 Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)
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 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 10, ICM 2, independent 3
note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2010)
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, rum distilling, 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.) country comparison to the world: 191
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$14,500 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 19%
services: 80% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
49,820 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 183
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 19%
services: 80% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.2% (2004) country comparison to the world: 78
Population below poverty line:
28.9% (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $837 million
expenditures: $837 million (FY08/09)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (2003) country comparison to the world: 21
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:
776.4 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Electricity - consumption:
722 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
17,620 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Oil - consumption:
72,860 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Oil - exports:
388,000 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
Oil - imports:
480,600 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 90
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Exports:
$4.234 billion (2001) country comparison to the world: 117
Exports - commodities:
refined petroleum products
Imports:
$4.609 billion (2001) country comparison to the world: 121
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications ::Virgin Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
74,200 (2008) country comparison to the world: 153
Telephones - mobile cellular:
80,300 (2005) country comparison to the world: 186
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)
Television broadcast stations:
5 (2006)
Internet country code:
.vi
Internet hosts:
8,726 (2009) country comparison to the world: 121
Internet users:
30,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 180
Transportation ::Virgin Islands
Airports:
2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 202
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 1,257 km (2007) country comparison to the world: 179
Ports and terminals:
Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay
Military ::Virgin Islands
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,820
females age 16-49: 21,193 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 831
female: 873 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues ::Virgin Islands
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Wake Island (Australia-Oceania)
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 country comparison to the world: 242 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 (American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS)) provides satellite radio service (2005)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (2005)
Transportation ::Wake Island
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 213
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
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
page last updated on September 22, 2009
======================================================================
@Wallis and Futuna (Australia-Oceania)
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: 142 sq km country comparison to the world: 220 land: 142 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 (on Futuna) 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:
15,289 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 220
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.7% (male 2,141/female 1,935)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 5,069/female 5,065)
65 years and over: 7.1% (male 488/female 591) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.2 years
male: 26.1 years
female: 28.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.347% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 169
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
NA
Net migration rate:
-6.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 169 note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 0% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.02 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 190 male: 5.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.2 years country comparison to the world: 49 male: 75.22 years
female: 81.32 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.87 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
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 Pesamino TAPUTAI (since 11 April 2007)
cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of 3 kings and 3 members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly
note: there are 3 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 1 April 2007 (next to be held April 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 13, other 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 21 September 2008 (next to be held by September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats - 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
note: the flag of France used for official occasions
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.) country comparison to the world: 222
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,800 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
3,104 (2003) country comparison to the world: 216
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry: 4%
services: 16% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15.2% (2003) country comparison to the world: 156
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)
Public debt:
5.6% of GDP (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2005) country comparison to the world: 33
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)
Exports:
$47,450 (2004) country comparison to the world: 222
Exports - commodities:
copra, chemicals, construction materials
Imports:
$61.17 million (2004) country comparison to the world: 213
Imports - commodities:
chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods
Debt - external:
$3.67 million (2004) country comparison to the world: 200
Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 87.59 (2007), 94.97 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)
Communications ::Wallis and Futuna
Telephones - main lines in use:
2,700 (2008) country comparison to the world: 219
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)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2000)
Internet country code:
.wf
Internet hosts:
1,480 (2009) country comparison to the world: 154
Internet users:
1,200 (2008) country comparison to the world: 212
Transportation ::Wallis and Futuna
Airports:
2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 203
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Merchant marine:
total: 8 country comparison to the world: 122 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 fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,273
females age 16-49: 3,297 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 175
female: 164 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues ::Wallis and Futuna
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@West Bank (Middle East)
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 2007, 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.
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 country comparison to the world: 171 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:
2,461,267 country comparison to the world: 140 note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.3% (male 470,735/female 446,878)
15-64 years: 59.1% (male 744,822/female 708,695)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 37,471/female 52,666) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.5 years
male: 20.4 years
female: 20.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.178% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Birth rate:
25.44 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Death rate:
3.66 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Urbanization:
urban population: 72% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.96 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 123 male: 17.87 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.54 years country comparison to the world: 89 male: 72.54 years
female: 76.65 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.22 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
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 interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since then 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):
$11.95 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 142 note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.641 billion (2008 est.) (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 166 note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 13%
services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2007 est.)
Labor force:
605,000 (2006) country comparison to the world: 149
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 17%
industry: 15%
services: 68% (June 2008)
Unemployment rate:
16.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 158 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)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.5% (2008) country comparison to the world: 166 3.6% (2006)
note: data in include Gaza Strip
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.19% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 111 7.73% (31 December 2006)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$1.574 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$5.251 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 69 $3.048 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.367 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 101 $368.2 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 94 $2.475 billion (31 December 2007)
$2.729 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Industries:
cement, quarrying, 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) country comparison to the world: 96
Electricity - production:
500 million 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 country comparison to the world: 160
Electricity - consumption:
3.265 billion kWh country comparison to the world: 121
Electricity - imports:
2.8 billion kWh
Oil - proved reserves:
NA bbl
Exports:
$339 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 172 $301 million (2005)
note: includes Gaza Strip
Exports - commodities:
olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
Imports:
$1.3 billion (2006) country comparison to the world: 165 $2.44 billion (2005)
Imports - commodities:
food, consumer goods, construction materials
Debt - external:
$1.3 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004)
Communications ::West Bank
Telephones - main lines in use:
348,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2008) country comparison to the world: 111
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.153 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2008) country comparison to the world: 140
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)
Television broadcast stations:
30 (2008)
Internet country code:
.ps; note - same as Gaza Strip
Internet users:
356,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2008) country comparison to the world: 118
Transportation ::West Bank
Airports:
2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 204
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 5,147 km country comparison to the world: 153 paved: 5,147 km
note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)
Military ::West Bank
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 545,653
females age 16-49: 515,102 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 30,233
female: 28,745 (2009 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)
page last updated on November 3, 2009
======================================================================
@Western Sahara (Africa)
Introduction ::Western Sahara
Background:
Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and claimed 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 the territory's 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 that called for independence. Representatives from the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front have met four times since June 2007 to negotiate the status of Western Sahara, but talks have stalled since the UN envoy to the territory stated in April 2008 that independence is unrealistic.
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 country comparison to the world: 77 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
Geography - note:
the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas
People ::Western Sahara
Population:
405,210 country comparison to the world: 172 note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.9% (male 92,428/female 89,570)
15-64 years: 52.8% (male 105,191/female 108,803)
65 years and over: 2.3% (male 3,881/female 5,337) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.3 years
male: 16.8 years
female: 17.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.829% NA (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Birth rate:
39.54 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Death rate:
11.49 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Urbanization:
urban population: 81% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 69.66 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 25 male: 69.84 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 69.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.32 years country comparison to the world: 195 male: 52 years
female: 56.73 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
NA 5.61 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
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 when Spain withdrew, 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):
$900 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: 40% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
12,000 (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
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
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 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 192
Electricity - consumption:
83.7 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 192
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Oil - consumption:
2,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 181
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Oil - imports:
1,702 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 179
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 88
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Exports:
$NA
Exports - commodities:
phosphates 62%
Imports:
$NA
Imports - commodities:
fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Moroccan dirhams (MAD) per US dollar - 7.526 (2008 est.), 8.3563 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004)
Communications ::Western Sahara
Telephones - main lines in use:
about 2,000 (1999 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1999) country comparison to the world: 222
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)
Television broadcast stations:
NA
Internet country code:
.eh
Transportation ::Western Sahara
Airports:
6 (2009) country comparison to the world: 173
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Ports and terminals:
Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)
Military ::Western Sahara
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 52,267
females age 16-49: 59,221 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 4,796
female: 4,679 (2009 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
page last updated on October 22, 2009
======================================================================
@World (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:
Political Map of the World , Physical 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
top fifteen World Factbook entities ranked by size: Pacific Ocean 155.557 million sq km; Atlantic Ocean 76.762 million sq km; Indian Ocean 68.556 million sq km; Southern Ocean 20.327 million sq km; Russia 17,098,242 sq km; Arctic Ocean 14.056 million sq km; Antarctica 14 million sq km; Canada 9,984,670 sq km; United States 9,826,675 sq km; China 9,596,961 sq km; Brazil 8,514,877 sq km; Australia 7,741,220 sq km; European Union 4,324,782 sq km; India 3,287,263 sq km; Argentina 2,780,400 sq km
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 -2,555 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 some countries of 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:
6,790,062,216 (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.2% (male 950,127,898/female 894,359,186)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 2,235,114,476/female 2,192,071,874)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male 227,748,114/female 290,640,668) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.4 years
male: 27.7 years
female: 29 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.167% (2009 est.)
Birth rate:
19.95 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Death rate:
8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 48.6% of total population (2005)
rate of urbanization: 1.98% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
ten largest urban agglomerations: Tokyo (Japan) - 35,676,000; New York-Newark (US) - 19,040,000; Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico) - 19,028,000; Mumbai (India) - 18,978,000; Sao Paulo (Brazil) - 18,845,000; Delhi (India) - 15,926,000; Shanghai (China) - 14,987,000; Kolkata (India) - 14,787,000; Dhaka (Bangladesh) - 13,458,000; Buenos Aires (Argentina) - 12,795,000 (2007)
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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 40.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 43.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 37.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.57 years
male: 64.52 years
female: 68.76 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.58 children born/woman (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
33 million (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2 million (2007 est.)
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 (Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (2005 est.)
Government ::World
Administrative divisions:
265 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 3.8% in 2008, down from 5.2% in 2007. Among major economies, growth was led by China (9.8%), Russia (7.4%), and India (7.3%). Worldwide, nations varied widely in their growth results, with Macau (15%), Azerbaijan (13.2%), and Angola (11.6%), registering the highest. Growth rates slowed in all the major industrial countries and most developing countries, because of uncertainties in the financial markets and lowered consumer confidence. 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. The complex political difficulties and the high economic cost of establishing domestic order in Iraq became major global problems that continued through 2008.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$70.14 trillion (2008 est.)
$68.08 trillion (2007 est.)
$64.77 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
GWP (gross world product): $61.22 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.9% (2008 est.)
5% (2007 est.)
5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,500 (2008 est.)
$10,300 (2007 est.)
$9,900 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 32%
services: 64% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
3.232 billion (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40.5%
industry: 20.5%
services: 39% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30% (2007 est.)
note: combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 29.4% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.8% of GDP (2008 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
Stock of money:
$12.35 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$27.31 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$69.9 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008 est.)
$64.99 trillion (31 December 2007)
$53.38 trillion (31 December 2006 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:
3.2% (2008 est.)
Electricity - production:
18.83 trillion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
17.13 trillion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports:
621.4 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
623.2 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
85.43 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - consumption:
85.98 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - exports:
66.13 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - imports:
66.68 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
1.343 trillion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
Natural gas - production:
3.137 trillion cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
3.159 trillion cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
980.4 billion cu m (2008)
Natural gas - imports:
995.9 billion cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
177.4 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
Exports:
$16.04 trillion (2008 est.)
$13.89 trillion (2007 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 12.7%, Germany 7.2%, China 6.4%, France 4.5%, Japan 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$15.97 trillion (2008 est.)
$13.74 trillion (2007 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 10.3%, Germany 8.7%, US 8%, Japan 5% (2008)
Debt - external:
$60.96 trillion (31 December 2008 est.)
$60.26 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
note: this figure is the sum total of all countries' external debt, both public and private
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$16.65 trillion (31 December 2008 est.)
$14.77 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$16.22 trillion (31 December 2008 est.)
$15.43 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Communications ::World
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.268 billion (2008)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4,017.294 million (2008)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Television broadcast stations:
NA
Internet users:
1.604 billion (2008)
Transportation ::World
Airports:
total airports - 43,867
top ten by passengers: Atlanta (ATL) - 89,379,287; Chicago (ORD) - 76,177,855; London (LHR) - 68,068,304; Tokyo (HND) - 66,823,414; Los Angeles (LAX) - 61,896,075; Paris (CDG) - 59,922,177; Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) - 59,786,476; Frankfurt (FRA) - 54,161,856; Beijing (PEK) - 53,583,664; Madrid (MAD) - 52,122,702
top ten by cargo (metric tons): Memphis (MEM) - 3,840,491; Hong Kong (HKG) - 3,773,964; Anchorage (ANC) - 2,825,511; Shanghai (PVG) - 2,559,310; Inch'on (ICN) - 2,555,580; Paris (CDG) - 2,297,896; Tokyo (NRT) - 2,254,421; Frankfurt (FRA) - 2,127,646; Louisville (SDF) - 2,078,947; Miami (MIA) - 1,922,985 (2009)
Heliports:
1,359 (2007)
Railways:
total: 1,134,429 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 68,937,575 km (2008)
Waterways:
671,886 km (2004)
Ports and terminals:
top ten container ports as measured by Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs): Singapore - 27,935,500; Shanghai - 26,150,000; Hong Kong - 23,999,000; Shenzhen (China) - 21,099,100; Pusan (South Korea) - 13,254,703; - Rotterdam - 10,790,604; Dubai (UAE) - 10,650,000; Kaohsiung (Taiwan) - 10,256,829; Hamburg - 9,917,180; Qingdao (China) - 9,462,000 (2007)
Transportation - note:
As of September 2009, incidents of piracy around the world have more than doubled over the comparable time period in 2008; half of all attacks occur in the waters off Somalia, primarily in the Gulf of Aden; other high risk areas include the waters off Nigeria, the South China Sea, and waters off Malaysia
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 71 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 an 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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Yemen (Middle East)
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: 527,968 sq km country comparison to the world: 49 land: 527,968 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 3,667 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:
23,822,783 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.2% (male 5,602,590/female 5,398,103)
15-64 years: 51.3% (male 6,212,378/female 6,009,401)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 288,501/female 311,810) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.8 years
male: 16.7 years
female: 16.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.453% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 4
Birth rate:
42.14 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Death rate:
7.61 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 31% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 54.7 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 45 male: 59.12 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 50.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.27 years country comparison to the world: 173 male: 61.3 years
female: 65.33 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.32 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 5
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:
21 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, 'Adan, Ad Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Amanat al 'Asimah, 'Amran, Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Raymah, Sa'dah, San'a', Shabwah, Ta'izz
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 (scheduled April 2009 election postponed for two years)
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. In 2008, growth declined slightly as the price of oil dropped and the slowing global economy reduced demand for oil. Yemen's 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. A liquefied natural gas facility is scheduled to open in 2009. Yemen has limited exposure to the international financial system and no capital markets, however, the global financial crisis probably will reduce international aid in 2009.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$55.41 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $53.69 billion (2007 est.)
$51.87 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$26.91 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118 3.5% (2007 est.)
3.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 175 $2,500 (2007 est.)
$2,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.3%
industry: 56.5%
services: 33.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
6.454 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
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.) country comparison to the world: 183
Population below poverty line:
45.2% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 30.8% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.7 (2005) country comparison to the world: 76 33.4 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
25.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Budget:
revenues: $9.243 billion
expenditures: $10.36 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
28.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 46.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
19% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 202 10% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA%
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
18% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 24 18% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$3.076 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$4.526 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$2.224 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
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:
2.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Electricity - production:
5.665 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
Electricity - consumption:
4.133 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
300,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37
Oil - consumption:
149,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67
Oil - exports:
274,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 44
Oil - imports:
65,860 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Oil - proved reserves:
3 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 85
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Natural gas - proved reserves:
478.5 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Current account balance:
-$1.113 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 -$1.547 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$8.977 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 $7.05 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish
Exports - partners:
China 28.4%, Thailand 23.6%, India 16.1%, South Africa 13.4%, Japan 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$8.829 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 $7.49 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners:
UAE 14.7%, India 11.7%, China 11.3%, Saudi Arabia 6.9%, Kuwait 5.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$8.157 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 73 $7.759 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$5.977 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 $6.044 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Yemeni rials (YER) per US dollar - 199.76 (2008 est.), 199.14 (2007), 197.18 (2006), 192.67 (2005), 184.78 (2004)
Communications ::Yemen
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.117 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 72
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.7 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 96
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, GSM and CDMA 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)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (including one Egypt-based station that broadcasts in Yemen); plus several repeaters (2007)
Internet country code:
.ye
Internet hosts:
242 (2009) country comparison to the world: 184
Internet users:
370,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 115
Transportation ::Yemen
Airports:
55 (2009) country comparison to the world: 85
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 18
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 9 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 96 km; liquid petroleum gas 22 km; oil 1,367 km (2008)
Roadways:
total: 71,300 km country comparison to the world: 65 paved: 6,200 km
unpaved: 65,100 km (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 4 country comparison to the world: 135 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, Al Hudaydah, Al 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) (2009)
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: 3,733,704
females age 16-49: 3,773,626 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 273,624
female: 263,402 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
6.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 7
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)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Zambia (Africa)
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. Upon his abrupt death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his Vice-president Rupiah BANDA, who subsequently won a special presidential election in October 2008.
Geography ::Zambia
Location:
Southern Africa, east of Angola
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 752,618 sq km country comparison to the world: 39 land: 743,398 sq km
water: 9,220 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:
11,862,740 country comparison to the world: 71 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45.1% (male 2,685,142/female 2,659,771)
15-64 years: 52.6% (male 3,122,305/female 3,116,846)
65 years and over: 2.3% (male 114,477/female 164,199) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 17 years
male: 16.9 years
female: 17.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.631% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Birth rate:
40.24 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Death rate:
21.34 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Net migration rate:
-2.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Urbanization:
urban population: 35% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 101.2 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 9 male: 105.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 96.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 38.63 years country comparison to the world: 222 male: 38.53 years
female: 38.73 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.15 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
15.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.1 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
56,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
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 (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Zambian(s)
adjective: Zambian
Ethnic groups:
African 99.5% (includes Bemba, Tonga, Chewa, Lozi, Nsenga, Tumbuka, Ngoni, Lala, Kaonde, Lunda, and other African groups), other 0.5% (includes Europeans, Asians, and Americans) (2000 Census)
Religions:
Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages:
Bemba 30.1% (official), Nyanja 10.7% (official), Tonga 10.6% (official), Lozi 5.7% (official), Chewa 4.9%, Nsenga 3.4%, Tumbuka 2.5%, Lunda 2.2% (official), Kaonde 2% (official), Lala 2%, Luvale 1.7% (official), English 1.7% (official), other 22.5% (2000 Census)
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) country comparison to the world: 167
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 the 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 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 October 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:
Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI]; Heritage Party or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [vacant]; 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 (a coalition of RP, ZADECO, PUDD, and ZRP); 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 strong growth in recent years, with real GDP growth in 2005-08 about 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. The decline in world commodity prices and demand will hurt GDP growth in 2009, and elections and campaign promises are likely to weaken Zambia's improved fiscal stance.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$17.54 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 $16.55 billion (2007 est.)
$15.58 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$14.65 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 6.2% (2007 est.)
6.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 200 $1,400 (2007 est.)
$1,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 16%
industry: 26.6%
services: 57.4% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
5.235 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 85%
industry: 6%
services: 9% (2004)
Unemployment rate:
50% (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 193
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) country comparison to the world: 20 52.6 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
25.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Budget:
revenues: $3.291 billion
expenditures: $3.578 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
29.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 127.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 172 10.6% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
14.49% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 29 11.73% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.06% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 21 18.89% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.034 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 86 $995.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$1.618 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 87 $1.709 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$2.138 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 91 $1.968 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 96 $2.346 billion (31 December 2007)
$1.186 billion (31 December 2006)
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% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Electricity - production:
9.752 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Electricity - consumption:
8.838 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Electricity - exports:
268 million kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports:
222 million kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
159.3 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Oil - consumption:
16,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Oil - exports:
275.3 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Oil - imports:
14,730 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl country comparison to the world: 112
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 84
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
Current account balance:
-$977 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 -$198 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$4.818 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 110 $4.594 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton
Exports - partners:
China 14.2%, South Africa 8.5%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 8.1%, Saudi Arabia 7.9%, South Korea 7.9%, Egypt 7.7%, Italy 6.9%, Belgium 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$4.694 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $3.611 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners:
South Africa 51.7%, UAE 8%, China 6.8%, India 4.5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.096 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 125 $1.09 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.095 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 124 $2.596 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$40.34 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
Zambian kwacha (ZMK) per US dollar - 3,512.9 (2008 est.), 3,990.2 (2007), 3,601.5 (2006), 4,463.5 (2005), 4,778.9 (2004)
Communications ::Zambia
Telephones - main lines in use:
90,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 146
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.539 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 97
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)
Television broadcast stations:
9 (2001)
Internet country code:
.zm
Internet hosts:
14,951 (2009) country comparison to the world: 109
Internet users:
700,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 100
Transportation ::Zambia
Airports:
97 (2009) country comparison to the world: 64
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 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 88
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 65
under 914 m: 18 (2009)
Pipelines:
oil 771 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,157 km country comparison to the world: 70 narrow gauge: 2,157 km 1.067-m gauge
note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 91,440 km country comparison to the world: 54 paved: 20,117 km
unpaved: 71,323 km (2001)
Waterways:
2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers) (2008) country comparison to the world: 40
Ports and terminals:
Mpulungu
Military ::Zambia
Military branches:
Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Zambian Army, Zambian Air Force, National Service (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); Zambian citizenship required; mandatory HIV testing on enlistment; no conscription (2009)
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: 1,364,173
females age 16-49: 1,245,220 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 149,567
female: 148,889 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.8% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
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
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Zimbabwe (Africa)
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. Difficult negotiations over a power sharing agreement, allowing MUGABE to remain as president and creating the new position of prime minister for TSVANGIRAI, were finally settled in February 2009.
Geography ::Zimbabwe
Location:
Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
Geographic coordinates:
20 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 390,757 sq km country comparison to the world: 60 land: 386,847 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:
11,392,629 country comparison to the world: 73 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 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.9% (male 2,523,119/female 2,473,928)
15-64 years: 52.2% (male 2,666,928/female 3,283,474)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 194,360/female 250,820) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 16.3 years
female: 18.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.53% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Birth rate:
31.49 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Death rate:
16.19 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Net migration rate:
NA
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 37% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.81 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 32.31 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 71 male: 34.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 45.77 years country comparison to the world: 213 male: 46.36 years
female: 45.16 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.69 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
15.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.3 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
140,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
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 (2009)
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) country comparison to the world: 84
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 the 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)
head of government: Prime Minister Morgan TSVANGIRAI (since 11 February 2009); Deputy Prime Minister Arthur MUTAMBARA
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]; Movement for Democratic Change - Mutambara or MDC-M [splinter faction under Arthur MUTAMBARA]; 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 Machivenyika MAPURANGA
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 through 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, past 1,000% in 2006, and 26,000% in November 2007, and to 11.2 million percent in 2008. Meanwhile, the official exchange rate fell from approximately 1 (revalued) Zimbabwean dollar per US dollar in 2003 to 30,000 per US dollar in September 2007.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.925 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 183 $2.241 billion (2007 est.)
$2.371 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$10.58 billion
note: hyperinflation and the plunging value of the Zimbabwean dollar makes Zimbabwe's GDP at the official exchange rate a highly inaccurate statistic (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-14.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 217 -5.6% (2007 est.)
-4.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 229 $200 (2007 est.)
$200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 18.1%
industry: 22.6%
services: 59.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force: