8808 lines
315 KiB
Plaintext
8808 lines
315 KiB
Plaintext
Guam
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(territory of the US)
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Geography
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Total area: 541 km2; land area: 541 km2
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Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of
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Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 125.5 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
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Continental shelf: 200 m;
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Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by
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northeast trade winds; dry season from January to June, rainy season from
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July to December; little seasonal temperature variation
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Terrain: volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat
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coraline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water) with steep coastal
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cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low-rising hills in center,
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mountains in south
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Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially
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from Japan)
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Land use: 11% arable land; 11% permanent crops; 15% meadows and pastures;
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18% forest and woodland; 45% other
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Environment: frequent squalls during rainy season; subject to relatively
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rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)
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Note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago;
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strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean 5,955 km west-southwest of
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Honolulu about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines
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People
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Population: 141,039 (July 1990), growth rate 2.8% (1990)
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Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1990)
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Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
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Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
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Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
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Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 75 years female (1990)
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Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1990)
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Nationality: noun--Guamanian(s); adjective--Guamanian
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Ethnic divisions: 47% Chamorro, 25% Filipino, 10% Caucasian,
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18% Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other
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Religion: 98% Roman Catholic, 2% other
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Language: English and Chamorro, most residents bilingual; Japanese
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also widely spoken
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Literacy: 90%
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Labor force: 54,000; 42% government, 58% private (1988)
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Organized labor: 13% of labor force
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Government
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Long-form name: Territory of Guam
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Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US
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Capital: Agana
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Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
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Independence: none (territory of the US)
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Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 1950
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Legal system: NA
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National holiday: Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March), 6 March 1989
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Executive branch: US president, governor, lieutenant governor, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature
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Judicial branch: Superior Court of Guam (Federal District Court)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989);
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Head of Government--Governor Joseph A. ADA (since NA November 1986)
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Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party (controls the
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legislature); Republican Party (party of the Governor)
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Suffrage: universal at age 18; US citizens, but do not vote in US
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presidential elections
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Elections:
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Governor--last held on NA November 1986 (next to be held
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November 1990);
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Legislature--last held on 8 November 1988 (next to be held
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November 1990);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(21 total) Democratic 13, Republican 8;
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US House of Representatives--last held 8 November
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1988 (next to be held November 1990);
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Guam elects one nonvoting delegate;
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(1 total) Republican 1
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Communists: none
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Note: relations between Guam and the US are under the jurisdiction of the
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Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the
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Interior
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Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
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Flag: dark blue with a narrow red border on all four sides; centered is a
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red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, outrigger
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canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold
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red letters
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Economy
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Overview: The economy is based on US military spending and on revenues
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from tourism. Over the past 20 years the tourist industry has grown
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rapidly, creating a construction boom for new hotels and the expansion of
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older ones. Visitors numbered about 800,000 in 1989. The small manufacturing
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sector includes textile and clothing, beverage, food, and watch
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production. About 58% of the labor force works for the private sector and the
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rest for government. Most food and industrial goods are imported, with about 75%
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from the US. In 1989 the unemployment rate was about 3%, down from 10% in
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1983.
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GNP: $1.0 billion, per capita $7,675; real growth rate 20%
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(1988 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.9% (1988)
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Unemployment rate: 3% (1989 est.)
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Budget: revenues $208.0 million; expenditures $175 million, including
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capital expenditures of $17 million (1987 est.)
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Exports: $39 million (f.o.b., 1983);
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commodities--mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products,
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copra, fish;
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partners--US 25%, others 75%
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Imports: $611 million (c.i.f., 1983);
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commodities--mostly crude petroleum and petroleum products, food,
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manufactured goods;
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partners--US 77%, others 23%
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External debt: $NA
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Industrial production: growth rate NA%
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Electricity: 500,000 kW capacity; 2,300 million kWh produced,
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16,660 kWh per capita (1989)
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Industries: US military, tourism, petroleum refining, construction,
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concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles
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Agriculture: relatively undeveloped with most food imported;
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fruits, vegetables, eggs, pork, poultry, beef, copra
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Aid: NA
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Currency: US currency is used
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Exchange rates: US currency is used
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Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
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Communications
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Highways: 674 km all-weather roads
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Ports: Apra Harbor
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Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: 26,317 telephones (1989); stations--3 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV;
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2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground stations
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Defense Forces
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Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
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.pa
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Guatemala
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Geography
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Total area: 108,890 km2; land area: 108,430 km2
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Comparative area: slightly smaller than Tennessee
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Land boundaries: 1,687 km total; Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km,
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Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
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Coastline: 400 km
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Maritime claims:
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Continental shelf: not specific;
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Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: claims Belize, but boundary negotiations are under way
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Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
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Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
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limestone plateau (Peten)
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Natural resources: crude oil, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle
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Land use: 12% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 12% meadows and pastures;
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40% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes 1% irrigated
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Environment: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent
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earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms;
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deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
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Note: no natural harbors on west coast
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People
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Population: 9,097,636 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
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Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
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Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
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Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
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Infant mortality rate: 61 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
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Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 65 years female (1990)
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Total fertility rate: 5.1 children born/woman (1990)
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Nationality: noun--Guatemalan(s); adjective--Guatemalan
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Ethnic divisions: 56% Ladino (mestizo--mixed Indian and European
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ancestry), 44% Indian
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Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic; also Protestant, traditional
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Mayan
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Language: Spanish, but over 40% of the population speaks an Indian
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language as a primary tongue (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel,
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Kekchi)
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Literacy: 50%
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Labor force: 2,500,000; 57.0% agriculture, 14.0% manufacturing,
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13.0% services, 7.0% commerce, 4.0% construction, 3.0% transport,
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0.8% utilities, 0.4% mining (1985)
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Organized labor: 8% of labor force (1988 est.)
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Government
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Long-form name: Republic of Guatemala
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Type: republic
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Capital: Guatemala
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Administrative divisions: 22 departments (departamentos,
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singular--departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula,
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El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa,
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Peten, Quezaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos,
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Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa
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Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
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Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986
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Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has
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not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
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Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers
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(cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President Mario Vinicio CEREZO
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Arevalo (since 14 January 1986); Vice President Roberto CARPIO Nicolle
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(since 14 January 1986)
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Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DCG),
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Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo;
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National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge Carpio Nicolle;
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National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario Sandoval Alarcon;
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Social Action Movement (MAS), Jorge Serrano Elias;
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Revolutionary Party (PR) in coalition with National Renewal Party (PNR),
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Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre;
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Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario Solarzano Martinez;
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National Authentic Center (CAN), Mario David Garcia;
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United Anti-Communist Party (PUA), Leonel Sisniega;
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Emerging Movement for Harmony (MEC), Louis Gordillo;
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Democratic Party of National Cooperation (PDCN), Adan Fletes;
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Democratic Institutional Party (PID), Oscar Rivas;
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Nationalist United Front (FUN), Gabriel Giron
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Suffrage: universal at age 18, compulsory for literates, voluntary for
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illiterates
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Elections:
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President--last held on 3 December 1985 (next to be held 3 November 1990);
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results--Mario Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo (DCG) 38.7%, Jorge Carpio
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Nicolle (UCN) 20.2%, Jorge Serrano Elias (PDCN/PR) 14.8%;
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National Congress--last held on 3 November 1985 (next to be held
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3 November 1990);
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results--DCG 38.7%, UCN 20.2%, PDCN/PR 13.8%, MLN/PID 12.6%,
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CAN 6.3%, PSD 3.4%, PNR 3.2%, PUA/FUN/MEC 1.9%;
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seats--(100 total) DCG 51, UCN 22, MLN 12, PDCN/PR 11, PSD 2, PNR 1, CAN 1
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Communists: Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT); main radical left guerrilla
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groups--Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP), Revolutionary Organization of the
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People in Arms (ORPA), Rebel Armed Forces (FAR), and PGT dissidents
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Other political or pressure groups: Federated Chambers of Commerce and
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Industry (CACIF), Mutual Support Group (GAM), Unity for Popular and Labor
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Action (UASP), Agrarian Owners Group (UNAGRO), Committee for Campesino Unity
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(CUC)
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Member of: CACM, CCC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
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IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
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INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OAS, ODECA, PAHO,
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SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Rodolfo ROHRMOSER V;
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Chancery at 2220 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
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745-4952 through 4954;
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there are Guatemalan Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
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New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco;
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US--Ambassador Thomas F. STROOCK; Embassy at 7-01 Avenida de la
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Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City (mailing address is APO Miami 34024);
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telephone <20>502<30> (2) 31-15-41
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Flag: three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and
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light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms
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includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the
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inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of
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independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a
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pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath
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Economy
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Overview: The economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for
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25% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds
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of exports. Industry accounts for about 20% of GDP and 15% of the labor
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force. The economy has reentered a slow-growth phase, but is hampered by
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political uncertainty. In 1988 the economy grew by 3.7%, the third
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consecutive year of mild growth. Government economic reforms introduced
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since 1986 have stabilized exchange rates and have helped to stem
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inflationary pressures. The inflation rate has dropped from 36.9%
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in 1986 to 15% in 1989.
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GDP: $10.8 billion, per capita $1,185; real growth rate 1.3% (1989 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1989)
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Unemployment rate: 13%, with 30-40% underemployment (1988 est.)
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Budget: revenues $771 million; expenditures $957 million, including
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capital expenditures of $188 million (1988)
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Exports: $1.02 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
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commodities--coffee 38%, bananas 7%, sugar 7%, cardamom 4%;
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partners--US 29%, El Salvador, FRG, Costa Rica, Italy
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Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
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commodities--fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers,
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motor vehicles;
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partners--US 38%, Mexico, FRG, Japan, El Salvador
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External debt: $3.0 billion (December 1989 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1988 est.)
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Electricity: 807,000 kW capacity; 2,540 million kWh produced,
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280 kWh per capita (1989)
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Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals,
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petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
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Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP; most important sector of economy
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and contributes two-thirds to export earnings; principal
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crops--sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom;
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livestock--cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer
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Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the
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international drug trade; the government has engaged in aerial
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eradication of opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments
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Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $869 million; Western
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(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $7.7 billion
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Currency: quetzal (plural--quetzales); 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos
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Exchange rates: free market quetzales (Q) per US$1--3.3913
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(January 1990), 2.8261 (1989), 2.6196 (1988), 2.500 (1987), 1.875 (1986),
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1.000 (1985); note--black-market rate 2.800 (May 1989)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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Communications
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Railroads: 870 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 780 km government
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owned, 90 km privately owned
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Highways: 26,429 km total; 2,868 km paved, 11,421 km gravel, and 12,140
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unimproved
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Inland waterways: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km
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navigable during high-water season
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Pipelines: crude oil, 275 km
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Ports: Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
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Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
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4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT
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Civil air: 10 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 451 total, 391 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 19 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: fairly modern network centered in Guatemala
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<EFBFBD>city<EFBFBD>; 97,670 telephones; stations--91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave;
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connection into Central American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic Ocean
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INTELSAT earth station
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Defense Forces
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Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
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Military manpower: males 15-49, 2,028,875; 1,327,374 fit for military
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service; 107,251 reach military age (18) annually
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Defense expenditures: 1% of GDP, or $115 million (1990 est.)
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.pa
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Guernsey
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(British crown dependency)
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Geography
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Total area: 194 km2; land area: 194 km2; includes Alderney, Guernsey,
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Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands
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Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 50 km
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Maritime claims:
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Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
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Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 3 nm
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Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of
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days are overcast
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Terrain: mostly level with low hills in southwest
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Natural resources: cropland
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Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
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NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; about 50% cultivated
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Environment: large, deepwater harbor at St. Peter Port
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Note: 52 km west of France
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People
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Population: 57,227 (July 1990), growth rate 0.7% (1990)
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Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
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Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
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Net migration rate: 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
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Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
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Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
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Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
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Nationality: noun--Channel Islander(s); adjective--Channel Islander
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Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French descent
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Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist,
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Congregational, Methodist
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||
|
||
Language: English, French; Norman-French dialect spoken in country
|
||
districts
|
||
|
||
Literacy: NA%, but universal education
|
||
|
||
Labor force: NA
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: NA
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Bailiwick of Guernsey
|
||
|
||
Type: British crown dependency
|
||
|
||
Capital: St. Peter Port
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
|
||
|
||
Independence: none (British crown dependency)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
|
||
|
||
Legal system: English law and local statute; justice is administered by
|
||
the Royal Court
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, bailiff,
|
||
deputy bailiff
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: States of Deliberation
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Royal Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Lieutenant Governor Lt. Gen. Sir Alexander
|
||
BOSWELL (since 1985); Bailiff Sir Charles FROSSARD (since 1982)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
States of Deliberation--last held NA (next to be held NA);
|
||
results--percent of vote NA;
|
||
seats--(60 total, 33 elected), all independents
|
||
|
||
Communists: none
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
|
||
|
||
Flag: white with the red cross of St. George (patron saint of England)
|
||
extending to the edges of the flag
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Tourism is a major source of revenue. Other economic
|
||
activity includes financial services, breeding the world-famous
|
||
Guernsey cattle, and growing tomatoes and flowers for export.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate 9% (1987)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: NA%
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $145.0 million; expenditures $117.2 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of NA (1985)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $NA;
|
||
commodities--tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant,
|
||
other vegetables;
|
||
partners--UK (regarded as internal trade)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $NA;
|
||
commodities--coal, gasoline and oil;
|
||
partners--UK (regarded as internal trade)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $NA
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 173,000 kW capacity; 525 million kWh produced,
|
||
9,340 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: tourism, banking
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: tomatoes, flowers (mostly grown in greenhouses),
|
||
sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables and fruit; Guernsey cattle
|
||
|
||
Aid: none
|
||
|
||
Currency: Guernsey pound (plural--pounds);
|
||
1 Guernsey (LG) pound = 100 pence
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds (LG) per US$1--0.6055 (January
|
||
1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986),
|
||
0.7714 (1985); note--the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Ports: St. Peter Port, St. Sampson
|
||
|
||
Airport: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m (La Villiaze)
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: stations--1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 41,900
|
||
telephones; 1 submarine cable
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
|
||
.pa
|
||
Guinea
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 245,860 km2; land area: 245,860 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 3,399 km total; Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Ivory Coast
|
||
610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 320 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season
|
||
(June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to
|
||
May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
|
||
|
||
Terrain: generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium,
|
||
hydropower, fish
|
||
|
||
Land use: 6% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 12% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 42% forest and woodland; 40% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during
|
||
dry season; deforestation
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 7,269,240 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 22 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 147 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 40 years male, 44 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 6.1 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Guinean(s); adjective--Guinean
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: Fulani, Malinke, Sousou, 15 smaller tribes
|
||
|
||
Religion: 85% Muslim, 5% indigenous beliefs, 1.5% Christian
|
||
|
||
Language: French (official); each tribe has its own language
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 20% in French; 48% in local languages
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 2,400,000 (1983); 82.0% agriculture, 11.0% industry and
|
||
commerce, 5.4% services; 88,112 civil servants (1987); 52% of population of
|
||
working age (1985)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: virtually 100% of wage earners loosely affiliated with
|
||
the National Confederation of Guinean Workers
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Guinea
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Conakry
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 29 administrative regions (regions
|
||
administratives, singular--region administrative); Beyla, Boffa, Boke,
|
||
Conakry, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual,
|
||
Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe,
|
||
Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou
|
||
|
||
Independence: 2 October 1958 (from France; formerly French Guinea)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 14 May 1982, suspended after coup of 3 April 1984
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree;
|
||
legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
|
||
jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, Military Committee for National
|
||
Recovery (Comite Militaire de Redressement National or CMRN), Council of
|
||
Ministers (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale
|
||
Populaire) was dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel)
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State and Head of Government--Gen. Lansana CONTE (since
|
||
5 April 1984)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: none; following the 3 April 1984
|
||
coup all political activity was banned
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: none
|
||
|
||
Elections: none
|
||
|
||
Communists: no Communist party, although there are some sympathizers
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
|
||
IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU,
|
||
Mano River Union, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO,
|
||
UPU, WHO, WMO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Kekoura CAMARA; Chancery at
|
||
2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-9420;
|
||
US--Ambassador Samuel E. LUPO; Embassy at 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue,
|
||
Conakry (mailing address is B. P. 603, Conakry); telephone 44-15-20 through 24
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green;
|
||
uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Rwanda
|
||
which has a large black letter R centered in the yellow band
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Although possessing many natural resources and considerable
|
||
potential for agricultural development, Guinea is one of the poorest
|
||
countries in the world. The agricultural sector contributes about 40%
|
||
to GDP and employs more than 80% of the work force, while industry
|
||
accounts for about 25% of GDP. Guinea possesses over 25% of the
|
||
world's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for more
|
||
than 80% of total exports in 1986.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $2.5 billion, per capita $350; real growth rate 5.0%
|
||
(1988)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27.0% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: NA%
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $357 million; expenditures $480 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $229 million (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $553 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
|
||
commodities--alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas,
|
||
palm kernels;
|
||
partners--US 33%, EC 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada
|
||
|
||
Imports: $509 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
|
||
commodities--petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment,
|
||
foodstuffs, textiles and other grain;
|
||
partners--US 16%, France, Brazil
|
||
|
||
External debt: $1.6 billion (December 1988)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 113,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced,
|
||
40 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: bauxite mining, alumina, diamond mining, light
|
||
manufacturing and agricultural processing industries
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP (includes fishing and forestry);
|
||
mostly subsistence farming; principal products--rice, coffee, pineapples, palm
|
||
kernels, cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, timber; livestock--cattle,
|
||
sheep and goats; not self-sufficient in food grains
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $203 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $882 million;
|
||
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
|
||
$446 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Guinean franc (plural--francs);
|
||
1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Guinean francs (FG) per US$1--505.00 (October 1988),
|
||
440.00 (January 1988), 440.00 (1987), 235.63 (1986), 22.47 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 1,045 km; 806 km 1.000-meter gauge, 239 km 1.435-meter
|
||
standard gauge
|
||
|
||
Highways: 30,100 km total; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite
|
||
(of which barely 4,500 km are currently all-weather roads), 16,000 km unimproved
|
||
earth (1987)
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft
|
||
|
||
Ports: Conakry, Kamsar
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 16 total, 16 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire lines, small
|
||
radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system; 10,000 telephones;
|
||
stations--3 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 12,000 TV sets; 125,000 radio receivers;
|
||
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army (ground forces), Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard),
|
||
Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,657,787; 834,777 fit for military
|
||
service
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (1984)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Guinea-Bissau
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 36,120 km2; land area: 28,000 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of
|
||
Connecticut
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 724 km total; Guinea 386, Senegal 338 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 350 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rendered its
|
||
decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary (in favor
|
||
of Senegal)--that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoon-type rainy
|
||
season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December
|
||
to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite,
|
||
phosphates; fish, timber
|
||
|
||
Land use: 11% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 43% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 7% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during
|
||
dry season
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 998,963 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 19 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 127 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male, 48 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 5.9 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective--Guinea-Bissauan
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: about 99% African (30% Balanta, 20% Fula, 14% Manjaca,
|
||
13% Mandinga, 7% Papel); less than 1% European and mulatto
|
||
|
||
Religion: 65% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 5% Christian
|
||
|
||
Language: Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 34% (1986)
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 403,000 (est.); 90% agriculture, 5% industry,
|
||
services, and commerce, 5% government; 53% of population of working
|
||
age (1983)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: only one trade union--the National Union of Workers of
|
||
Guinea-Bissau (UNTG)
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
|
||
|
||
Type: republic; highly centralized one-party regime since September 1974
|
||
|
||
Capital: Bissau
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular--regiao);
|
||
Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara,
|
||
Tombali
|
||
|
||
Independence: 24 September 1973 (from Portugal; formerly Portuguese
|
||
Guinea)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 16 May 1984
|
||
|
||
Legal system: NA
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president of the Council of State, vice presidents
|
||
of the Council of State, Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly (Assembleia
|
||
Nacional Popular)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council
|
||
of Ministers
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State and Head of Government--President of the
|
||
Council of State Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (assumed power 14
|
||
November 1980 and elected President of Council of State on 16 May 1984);
|
||
First Vice President Col. Iafai CAMARA (since 7 November 1985); Second
|
||
Vice President Vasco CABRAL (since 21 June 1989)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: only party--African Party for the
|
||
Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), President
|
||
Joao Bernardo Vieira, leader; the party decided to retain the
|
||
binational title despite its formal break with Cape Verde
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 15
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President of Council of State--last held 19 June 1989 (next
|
||
to be held 19 June 1994);
|
||
results--Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo Vieira was reelected without
|
||
opposition by the National People's Assembly;
|
||
|
||
National People's Assembly--last held 15 June 1989 (next
|
||
to be held 15 June 1994);
|
||
results--PAIGC is the only party;
|
||
seats--(150 total) PAIGC 150, appointed by Regional Councils;
|
||
|
||
Regional Councils--last held 1 June 1989 (next to be held 1 June
|
||
1994); results--PAIGC is the only party;
|
||
seats--(473 total) PAIGC 473, by public plebiscite
|
||
|
||
Communists: a few Communists, some sympathizers
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto),
|
||
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
|
||
IMF, IMO, IRC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Alfredo Lopes CABRAL; Chancery
|
||
(temporary) at the Guinea-Bissauan Permanent Mission to the UN, Suite 604,
|
||
211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 661-3977;
|
||
US--Ambassador William L. JACOBSEN; Embassy at 17 Avenida Domingos Ramos,
|
||
Bissau (mailing address is C. P. 297, Bissau); telephone <20>245<34> 212816, 21817,
|
||
213674
|
||
|
||
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical
|
||
red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the
|
||
red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag
|
||
of Cape Verde which has the black star raised above the center of the red band
|
||
and is framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world,
|
||
with a per capita GDP below $200. Agriculture and fishing are the main economic
|
||
activities, with cashew nuts, peanuts, and palm kernels the primary exports.
|
||
Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak
|
||
infrastructure and the high cost of development. The government's four-year plan
|
||
(1988-91) has targeted agricultural development as the top priority.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $152 million, per capita $160 (1988); real growth rate
|
||
5.6% (1987)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: NA%
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $20 million; expenditures $25 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $15 million (f.o.b., 1987);
|
||
commodities--cashews, fish, peanuts, palm kernels;
|
||
partners--Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Cape Verde, China
|
||
|
||
Imports: $49 million (f.o.b., 1987);
|
||
commodities--capital equipment, consumer goods, semiprocessed goods,
|
||
foods, petroleum;
|
||
partners--Portugal, USSR, EC countries, other Europe, Senegal, US
|
||
|
||
External debt: $465 million (December 1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.7% (1986 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 22,000 kW capacity; 28 million kWh produced,
|
||
30 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: agricultural processing, beer, soft drinks
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for over 50% of GDP, nearly 100% of exports,
|
||
and 80% of employment; rice is the staple food; other crops include
|
||
corn, beans, cassava, cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and cotton; not
|
||
self-sufficient in food; fishing and forestry potential not fully
|
||
exploited
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $46 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $519 million;
|
||
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $41 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
|
||
$68 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Guinea-Bissauan peso (plural--pesos);
|
||
1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1--650 pesos
|
||
(December 1989), NA (1988), 851.65 (1987), 238.98 (1986), 173.61 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Highways: 3,218 km; 2,698 km bituminous, remainder earth
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce
|
||
|
||
Ports: Bissau
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 37 total, 18 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: poor system of radio relay, open-wire lines,
|
||
and radiocommunications; 3,000 telephones; stations--1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1
|
||
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP); Army, Navy, and Air
|
||
Force are separate components
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 215,552; 122,824 fit for military service
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 3.2% of GDP (1987)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Guyana
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 214,970 km2; land area: 196,850 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Idaho
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 2,462 km total; Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km,
|
||
Venezuela 743 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 459 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: Essequibo area claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area
|
||
between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters
|
||
of the Courantyne)
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds;
|
||
two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber,
|
||
shrimp, fish
|
||
|
||
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 83% forest and woodland; 8% other; includes 1% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons;
|
||
water pollution
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 764,649 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.1% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: - 19 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Guyanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Guyanese
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 51% East Indian, 43% black and mixed, 4% Amerindian, 2%
|
||
European and Chinese
|
||
|
||
Religion: 57% Christian, 33% Hindu, 9% Muslim, 1% other
|
||
|
||
Language: English, Amerindian dialects
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 85%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 268,000; 44.5% industry and commerce, 33.8% agriculture,
|
||
21.7% services; public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor
|
||
force (1985)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 34% of labor force
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Georgetown
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni,
|
||
Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara,
|
||
Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice,
|
||
Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo
|
||
|
||
Independence: 26 May 1966 (from UK; formerly British Guiana)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 6 October 1980
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on English common law with certain admixtures of
|
||
Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: executive president, first vice president,
|
||
prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--President Hugh Desmond HOYTE (since 6 August 1985);
|
||
First Vice President Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 1985);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 1985)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh
|
||
Desmond Hoyte; People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi Jagan; Working People's
|
||
Alliance (WPA), Eusi Kwayana, Rupert Roopnarine, Moses Bhagwan; Democratic Labor
|
||
Movement (DLM), Paul Tennassee; People's Democratic Movement (PDM),
|
||
Llewellyn John; National Democratic Front (NDF), Joseph Bacchus; United Force
|
||
(UF), Marcellus Feilden Singh; Vanguard for Liberation and Democracy (VLD,
|
||
also known as Liberator Party), Gunraj Kumar, J. K. Makepeace Richmond
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
Executive President--last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be
|
||
held late 1990); Hugh Desmond Hoyte was elected president (the leader
|
||
of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly
|
||
elections--PNC 78%);
|
||
|
||
National Assembly--last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held
|
||
by 9 December 1990);
|
||
results--PNC 78%, PPP 16%, UF 4%, WPA 2%;
|
||
seats--(65 total, 53 elected) PNC 42, PPP 8, UF 2, WPA 1
|
||
|
||
Communists: 100 (est.) hardcore within PPP; top echelons of PPP and PYO
|
||
(Progressive Youth Organization, militant wing of the PPP) include many
|
||
Communists; small but unknown number of orthodox Marxist-Leninists within PNC,
|
||
some of whom formerly belonged to the PPP
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: Trades Union Congress (TUC);
|
||
Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO); Civil Liberties Action Committee
|
||
(CLAC); the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBA, IBRD, ICAO,
|
||
ICJ, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
|
||
INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
|
||
WHO, WMO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Cedric Hilburn GRANT;
|
||
Chancery at 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6900;
|
||
there is a Guyanese Consulate General in New York;
|
||
US--Ambassador Theresa A. TULL; Embassy at 31 Main Street, Georgetown;
|
||
telephone <20>592<39> (02) 54900 through 54909
|
||
|
||
Flag: green with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side)
|
||
superimposed on a long yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow black border between
|
||
the red and yellow, and a narrow white border between the yellow and the green
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: After growing on average at less than 1% a year in 1984-87,
|
||
GDP dropped by 3% in 1988, the result of bad weather, labor trouble in the
|
||
canefields, and flooding and equipment problems in the bauxite industry.
|
||
Consumer prices rose about 35%, and the current account deficit widened
|
||
substantially as sugar and bauxite exports fell. Moreover, electric power
|
||
is in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in
|
||
national output. The government, in association with international financial
|
||
agencies, seeks to reduce its payment arrears and to raise new funds. The
|
||
government's stabilization program--aimed at establishing realistic
|
||
exchange rates, reasonable price stability, and a resumption of
|
||
growth--requires considerable public administrative abilities and
|
||
continued patience by consumers during a long incubation period.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $323 million, per capita $420; real growth rate - 3.0% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: NA%
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $173 million; expenditures $414 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $75 million (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $215 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.)
|
||
commodities--bauxite, sugar, rice, shrimp, gold, molasses, timber, rum;
|
||
partners--UK 37%, US 12%, Canada 10.6%, CARICOM 4.8% (1986)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $216 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
|
||
commodities--manufactures machinery, food, petroleum;
|
||
partners--CARICOM 41%, US 18%, UK 9%, Canada 3% (1984)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $1.8 billion, including arrears (December 1988)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate - 5.0% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 221,000 kW capacity; 583 million kWh produced,
|
||
760 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: bauxite mining, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp),
|
||
textiles, gold mining
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for 25% of GDP and over 50%
|
||
of exports; sugar and rice are key crops; development potential exists for
|
||
fishing and forestry; not self-sufficient in food, especially wheat, vegetable
|
||
oils, and animal products
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $109 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $234 million;
|
||
Communist countries (1970-88), $242 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Guyanese dollar (plural--dollars);
|
||
1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1--33.0000 (January 1990),
|
||
27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988), 9.756 (1987), 4.272 (1986), 4.252 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 187 km total, all single track 0.914-meter gauge
|
||
|
||
Highways: 7,665 km total; 550 km paved, 5,000 km gravel, 1,525 km earth,
|
||
590 km unimproved
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 6,000 km total of navigable waterways; Berbice,
|
||
Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km,
|
||
100 km, and 80 km, respectively
|
||
|
||
Ports: Georgetown
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 66 total, 63 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 2,439 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: fair system with radio relay network; over 27,000
|
||
telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; stations--4 AM, 3 FM, no TV,
|
||
1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Guyana Defense Force (including Maritime Corps and Air Corps),
|
||
Guyana Police Force, Guyana People's Militia, Guyana National Service
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 201,104; 152,958 fit for military service
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 4.3% of GDP, or $13.8 million (1988 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Haiti
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 27,750 km2; land area: 27,560 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
|
||
|
||
Land boundary: 275 km with the Dominican Republic
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 1,771 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: claims US-administered Navassa Island
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: bauxite
|
||
|
||
Land use: 20% arable land; 13% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures;
|
||
4% forest and woodland; 45% other; includes 3% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to
|
||
severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes;
|
||
deforestation
|
||
|
||
Note: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 6,142,141 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 107 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 55 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Haitian(s); adjective--Haitian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 95% black, 5% mulatto and European
|
||
|
||
Religion: 75-80% Roman Catholic (of which an overwhelming majority also
|
||
practice Voodoo), 10% Protestant
|
||
|
||
Language: French (official) spoken by only 10% of population; all speak
|
||
Creole
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 23%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 2,300,000; 66% agriculture, 25% services, 9% industry;
|
||
shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: NA
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Haiti
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Port-au-Prince
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 9 departments, (departements,
|
||
singular--departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est,
|
||
Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
|
||
|
||
Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 27 August 1983, suspended February 1986; draft
|
||
constitution approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles
|
||
reinstated March 1989
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
|
||
jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Assemblee
|
||
Nationale) consisted of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or
|
||
House of Representatives, but was dissolved on 20 June 1988 after the
|
||
coup of 19 June 1988 (there was a subsequent coup on 18 September 1988);
|
||
after naming a civilian as provisional president on 13 March 1990, it
|
||
was announced that a Council of State was being formed
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation)
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State and Head of Government--Provisional President
|
||
Ertha PASCAL-TROUILLOT (since 13 March 1990)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Haitian Christian Democratic Party (PDCH),
|
||
Sylvio Claude; Haitian Social Christian Party (PSCH), Gregoire Eugene;
|
||
Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc Bazin;
|
||
National Alliance Front (FNC), Gerard Gourgue; National Agricultural and
|
||
Industrial Party (PAIN), Louis Dejoie; Congress of Democratic Movements
|
||
(CONACOM), Victor Bono; National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA),
|
||
Serge Gilles; National Patriotic Movement of November 28 (MNP-28), Dejean
|
||
Belizaire; Movement for the Organization of the Country (MOP), Gesner Comeau;
|
||
Mobilization for National Development (MDN), Hubert De Ronceray
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: none
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held 17 January 1988 (next to be held
|
||
by mid-June 1990); on 13 March 1990 Ertha Pascal-Trouillot
|
||
became provisional president after the resignation of President
|
||
Lieut. Gen Prosper Avril;
|
||
|
||
Legislature--last held 17 January 1988, but dissolved on
|
||
20 June 1988; the government has promised an election by
|
||
mid-June 1990
|
||
|
||
Communists: United Party of Haitian Communists (PUCH), Rene Theodore
|
||
(roughly 2,000 members)
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: Democratic Unity Confederation (KID),
|
||
Roman Catholic Church, Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH),
|
||
Federation of Workers Trade Unions (FOS), Autonomous Haitian Workers
|
||
(CATH), National Popular Assembly (APN)
|
||
|
||
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
|
||
IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
|
||
INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant), Charge
|
||
d'Affaires Fritz VOUGY; Chancery at 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
|
||
Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-4090 through 4092; there
|
||
are Haitian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York,
|
||
and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
|
||
US--Ambassador Alvin ADAMS; Embassy at Harry Truman
|
||
Boulevard, Port-au-Prince (mailing address is P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince),
|
||
telephone <20>509<30> (1) 20354 or 20368, 20200, 20612
|
||
|
||
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered
|
||
white rectangle bearing the coat of arms which contains a palm tree flanked by
|
||
flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto
|
||
L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: About 85% of the population live in absolute poverty.
|
||
Agriculture is mainly small-scale subsistence farming and employs 65% of
|
||
the work force. The majority of the population does not have ready access
|
||
to safe drinking water, adequate medical care, or sufficient food. Few social
|
||
assistance programs exist, and the lack of employment opportunities remains the
|
||
most critical problem facing the economy.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 0.3% (1988
|
||
est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 50% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $252 million; expenditures $357 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $NA million (1988)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $200 million (f.o.b., FY88);
|
||
commodities--light manufactures 65%, coffee 17%, other agriculture 8%,
|
||
other products 10%;
|
||
partners--US 77%, France 5%, Italy 4%, FRG 3%, other industrial 9%,
|
||
less developed countries 2% (FY86)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $344 million (c.i.f., FY88);
|
||
commodities--machines and manufactures 36%, food and beverages 21%,
|
||
petroleum products 11%, fats and oils 12%, chemicals 12%;
|
||
partners--US 65%, Netherlands Antilles 6%, Japan 5%, France 4%, Canada 2%,
|
||
Asia 2% (FY86)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $820 million (December 1988)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate - 2% (FY87)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 230,000 kW capacity; 482 million kWh produced,
|
||
75 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: sugar refining, textiles, flour milling, cement manufacturing,
|
||
bauxite mining, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for 32% of GDP and employs 65% of work force; mostly
|
||
small-scale subsistence farms; commercial crops--coffee and sugarcane; staple
|
||
crops--rice, corn, sorghum, mangoes; shortage of wheat flour
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $638 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $627 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: gourde (plural--gourdes); 1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: gourdes (G) per US$1-- 5.0 (fixed rate)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 40 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge, single-track, privately owned
|
||
industrial line
|
||
|
||
Highways: 4,000 km total; 950 km paved, 900 km otherwise improved, 2,150
|
||
km unimproved
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: negligible; less than 100 km navigable
|
||
|
||
Ports: Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 15 total, 10 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with
|
||
runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: domestic facilities barely adequate, international
|
||
facilities slightly better; 36,000 telephones; stations--33 AM, no FM, 4 TV,
|
||
2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean earth station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Corps
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,264,238; 679,209 fit for military
|
||
service; 59,655 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: NA
|
||
.pa
|
||
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
|
||
(territory of Australia)
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 412 km2; land area: 412 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 101.9 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploration;
|
||
|
||
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 3 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: antarctic
|
||
|
||
Terrain: Heard Island--bleak and mountainous, with an extinct
|
||
volcano; McDonald Islands--small and rocky
|
||
|
||
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: primarily used as research stations
|
||
|
||
Note: located 4,100 km southwest of Australia in the
|
||
southern Indian Ocean
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: uninhabited
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
|
||
|
||
Type: territory of Australia administered by the Antarctic Division
|
||
of the Department of Science in Canberra (Australia)
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: no economic activity
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia
|
||
.pa
|
||
Honduras
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 112,090 km2; land area: 111,890 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 1,520 km total; Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342
|
||
km, Nicaragua 922 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 820 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: several sections of the boundary with El Salvador are in dispute
|
||
|
||
Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc,
|
||
iron ore, antimony, coal, fish
|
||
|
||
Land use: 14% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 30% meadows and pastures;
|
||
34% forest and woodland; 20% other; includes 1% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: subject to frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes;
|
||
damaging hurricanes along Caribbean coast; deforestation; soil erosion
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 5,259,699 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 62 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 67 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Honduran(s); adjective--Honduran
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 90% mestizo (mixed Indian and European), 7% Indian, 2%
|
||
black, 1% white
|
||
|
||
Religion: about 97% Roman Catholic; small Protestant minority
|
||
|
||
Language: Spanish, Indian dialects
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 56%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 1,300,000; 62% agriculture, 20% services, 9% manufacturing,
|
||
3% construction, 6% other (1985)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 40% of urban labor force, 20% of rural work force (1985)
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Honduras
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Tegucigalpa
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos,
|
||
singular--departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan,
|
||
Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca,
|
||
Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara,
|
||
Valle, Yoro
|
||
|
||
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982
|
||
|
||
Legal system: rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law; some influence of
|
||
English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State and Head of Government--Rafael Leonardo CALLEJAS
|
||
Romero (since 26 January 1990)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PLH)--faction leaders,
|
||
Carlos Flores Facusse (leader of Florista Liberal Movement), Carlos Montoya
|
||
(Azconista subfaction), Ramon Villeda Bermudez and Jorge Arturo Reina (M-Lider
|
||
faction); National Party (PNH), Ricardo Maduro, party president; PNH
|
||
faction leaders--Oswaldo Ramos Soto and Rafael Leonardo Callejas
|
||
(Monarca faction); National Innovation and Unity Party-Social
|
||
Democrats (PINU-SD), Enrique Aguilar Cerrato Paz; Christian Democratic
|
||
Party (PDCH), Jorge Illescas; Democratic Action (AD), Walter Lopez
|
||
Reyes
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held on 26 November 1989 (next to be held
|
||
November 1993);
|
||
results--Leonardo Rafael Callejas (PNH) 51%,
|
||
Jose Azcona Hoyo (PLH) 43.3%, others 5.7%;
|
||
|
||
National Congress--last held on 24 November 1985 (next to be held
|
||
November 1993);
|
||
results--PLH 51%, PNH 45%, PDCH 1.9%, PINU 1.5%, others 0.65;
|
||
seats--(134 total) PLH 62, PNH 71, PINU 1
|
||
|
||
Communists: up to 1,500; Honduran leftist groups--Communist Party of
|
||
Honduras (PCH), Party for the Transformation of Honduras (PTH),
|
||
Morazanist Front for the Liberation of Honduras (FMLH), People's
|
||
Revolutionary Union/Popular Liberation Movement (URP/MPL), Popular
|
||
Revolutionary Forces-Lorenzo Zelaya (FPR/LZ), Socialist Party of Honduras
|
||
Central American Workers Revolutionary Party (PASO/PRTC)
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: National Association of Honduran
|
||
Campesinos (ANACH), Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP),
|
||
Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH), National Union of Campesinos (UNC),
|
||
General Workers Confederation (CGT), United Federation of Honduran Workers
|
||
(FUTH), Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH),
|
||
Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations (CCOP)
|
||
|
||
Member of: CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
|
||
IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
|
||
INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jorge Ramon HERNANDEZ Alcerro;
|
||
Chancery at Suite 100, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
|
||
telephone (202) 966-7700 through 7702; there are Honduran Consulates General
|
||
in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco,
|
||
and Consulates in Baton Rouge, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and Jacksonville;
|
||
US--Ambassador Crescencio ARCOS; Embassy at Avenida La Paz,
|
||
Tegucigalpa (mailing address is APO Miami 34022); telephone <20>504<30> 32-3120
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with
|
||
five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the
|
||
white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of
|
||
Central America--Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua;
|
||
similar to the flag of El Salvador which features a round emblem encircled by
|
||
the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the
|
||
white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua which features a triangle
|
||
encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA
|
||
CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western
|
||
Hemisphere. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, accounting
|
||
for nearly 30% of GDP, employing 62% of the labor force, and producing
|
||
two-thirds of exports. Productivity remains low, however, leaving considerable
|
||
room for improvement. Although industry is still in its early stages, it employs
|
||
nearly 15% of the labor force, accounts for 23% of GDP, and generates 20% of
|
||
exports. The service sectors, including public administration, account for 48%
|
||
of GDP and employ nearly 20% of the labor force. Basic problems facing the
|
||
economy include a high population growth rate, a high unemployment rate, a lack
|
||
of basic services, a large and inefficient public sector, and an export sector
|
||
dependent mostly on coffee and bananas, which are subject to sharp price
|
||
fluctuations.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $4.4 billion, per capita $890; real growth rate 4.0% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 12% unemployed, 30-40% underemployed (1988)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $1,053 million; expenditures $949 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $159 million (1989)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
|
||
commodities--bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, lumber;
|
||
partners--US 52%, FRG 11%, Japan, Italy, Belgium
|
||
|
||
Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f. 1988);
|
||
commodities--machinery and transport equipment, chemical products,
|
||
manufactured goods, fuel and oil, foodstuffs;
|
||
partners--US 39%, Japan 9%, CACM, Venezuela, Mexico
|
||
|
||
External debt: $3.2 billion (December 1989)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 655,000 kW capacity; 1,980 million kWh produced,
|
||
390 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles,
|
||
clothing, wood products
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for nearly 30% of
|
||
GDP, over 60% of the labor force, and two-thirds of exports; principal
|
||
products include bananas, coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruit, shrimp;
|
||
importer of wheat
|
||
|
||
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on
|
||
small plots and used principally for local consumption; transshipment
|
||
point for cocaine
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.3 billion; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $776 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: lempira (plural--lempiras); 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: lempiras (L) per US$1--2.00 (fixed rate); 3.50 parallel
|
||
exchange and black-market rate (October 1989)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 785 km total; 508 km 1.067-meter gauge, 277 km 0.914-meter
|
||
gauge
|
||
|
||
Highways: 8,950 km total; 1,700 km paved, 5,000 km otherwise improved,
|
||
2,250 km unimproved earth
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 465 km navigable by small craft
|
||
|
||
Ports: Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 149 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 438,495
|
||
GRT/660,990 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 87 cargo, 12 refrigerated
|
||
cargo, 9 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 17 petroleum, oils, and
|
||
lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 1 vehicle
|
||
carrier, 17 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 9 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 180 total, 140 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with
|
||
runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: improved, but still inadequate; connection into
|
||
Central American Microwave System; 35,100 telephones; stations--176 AM, no FM,
|
||
28 TV, 7 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Armed Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,222,858; 727,851 fit for military
|
||
service; 61,493 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 1.9% of GDP, or $82.5 million (1990 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Hong Kong
|
||
(colony of the UK)
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 1,040 km2; land area: 990 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly less than six times the size of Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundary: 30 km with China
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 733 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
|
||
|
||
Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 3 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China
|
||
in 1997
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from
|
||
spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
|
||
|
||
Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
|
||
|
||
Land use: 7% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures;
|
||
12% forest and woodland; 79% other; includes 3% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: more than 200 islands; occasional typhoons
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 5,759,990 (July 1990), growth rate 1.0% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 82 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: adjective--Hong Kong
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 98% Chinese, 2% other
|
||
|
||
Religion: 90% eclectic mixture of local religions, 10% Christian
|
||
|
||
Language: Chinese (Cantonese), English
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 75%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 2,640,000; 35.8% manufacturing; 22.7% wholesale and retail
|
||
trade, restaurants and hotel, 17.1% services, 7.5% construction, 8.4% transport
|
||
and communications, 6.1% financing, insurance, and real estate (1986)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 15% of labor force (1986)
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: none; abbreviated HK
|
||
|
||
Type: colony of the UK; scheduled to revert to China in 1997
|
||
|
||
Capital: Victoria
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: none (colony of the UK)
|
||
|
||
Independence: none (colony of the UK); the UK signed an agreement
|
||
with China on 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997;
|
||
in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong's existing
|
||
social and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 years after transition
|
||
|
||
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on English common law
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief secretary of the
|
||
Executive Council
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: Legislative Council
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Governor Sir David Clive WILSON (since 9 April 1987);
|
||
Chief Secretary Sir David Robert FORD (since NA February 1987)
|
||
|
||
Political parties: none
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: limited to about 71,000 professionals of electoral college and
|
||
functional constituencies
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
Legislative Council--indirect elections last held 26 September 1985
|
||
(next to be held in September 1991)
|
||
seats--(58 total; 26 elected, 32 appointed)
|
||
|
||
Communists: 5,000 (est.) cadres affiliated with Communist Party of China
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: Federation of Trade Unions (Communist
|
||
controlled), Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (Nationalist Chinese
|
||
dominated), Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Chinese General Chamber of
|
||
Commerce (Communist controlled), Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Chinese
|
||
Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Professional Teachers'
|
||
Union, and several small pro-democracy groups.
|
||
|
||
Member of: ADB, ESCAP (associate member), GATT, IMO, INTERPOL, Multifiber
|
||
Arrangement, WMO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: as a British colony, the interests
|
||
of Hong Kong in the US are represented by the UK;
|
||
US--Consul General Donald M. ANDERSON; Consulate General at
|
||
26 Garden Road, Hong Kong (mailing address is Box 30, Hong Kong, or
|
||
FPO San Francisco 96659-0002); telephone <20>852<35> (5) 239011
|
||
|
||
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with
|
||
the Hong Kong coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the
|
||
flag; the coat of arms contains a shield (bearing two junks below a
|
||
crown) held by a lion (representing the UK) and a dragon (representing China)
|
||
with another lion above the shield and a banner bearing the words
|
||
HONG KONG below the shield
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Hong Kong has a free-market economy and is autonomous in
|
||
financial affairs. Natural resources are limited and food and raw materials must
|
||
be imported. Manufacturing is the backbone of the economy, accounting
|
||
for more than 20% of GDP, employing 36% of the labor force, and exporting about
|
||
90% of output. Real GDP growth averaged a remakable 8% in 1987-88, then
|
||
slowed to a respectable 3% in 1989. Unemployment, which has been declining since
|
||
the mid-1980s, is now less than 2%. A shortage of labor continues to put upward
|
||
pressure on prices and the cost of living. Short-term prospects remain
|
||
solid so long as major trading partners continue to be prosperous. The
|
||
crackdown in China in 1989 casts a long shadow over the longer term
|
||
economic outlook.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $57 billion, per capita $10,000; real growth rate 3% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Budget: $6.9 billion (FY89)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $63.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988), including reexports of
|
||
$22.9 billion;
|
||
commodities--clothing, textile yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical
|
||
appliances, watches and clocks, toys;
|
||
partners--US 31%, China 14%, FRG 8%, UK 6%, Japan 5%
|
||
|
||
Imports: $63.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
|
||
commodities--foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials,
|
||
semimanufactures, petroleum;
|
||
partners--China 31%, Japan 20%, Taiwan 9%, US 8%
|
||
|
||
External debt: $9.6 billion (December 1988)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 7.0% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 23,000 million kWh produced,
|
||
4,030 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys,
|
||
watches, clocks
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: minor role in the economy; rice, vegetables, dairy products;
|
||
less than 20% self-sufficient; shortages of rice, wheat, water
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $141.2 million;
|
||
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87),
|
||
$899.8 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Hong Kong dollar (plural--dollars);
|
||
1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$--7.800 (March 1989),
|
||
7.810 (1988), 7.760 (1987), 7.795 (1986), 7.811 (1985); note--linked to the
|
||
US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 35 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned
|
||
|
||
Highways: 1,100 km total; 794 km paved, 306 km gravel, crushed stone,
|
||
or earth
|
||
|
||
Ports: Hong Kong
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 134 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 4,391,102
|
||
GRT/7,430,337 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo,
|
||
10 refrigerated cargo, 13 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 10 petroleum,
|
||
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 9 combination ore/oil,
|
||
7 liquefied gas, 69 bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry; ships registered
|
||
in Hong Kong fly the UK flag and an estimated 500 Hong Kong-owned ships are
|
||
registered elsewhere
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and
|
||
international services; 2,300,000 telephones; microwave transmission links and
|
||
extensive optical fiber transmission network; stations--6 AM, 6 FM, 4
|
||
TV; 1 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) relay station and 1 British
|
||
Forces Broadcasting Service relay station; 2,500,000 radio receivers;
|
||
1,312,000 TV sets (1,224,000 color TV sets);
|
||
satellite earth stations--1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean
|
||
INTELSAT; coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; links to 5 international
|
||
submarine cables providing access to ASEAN member nations, Japan,
|
||
Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Headquarters of British Forces, Gurkha Brigade, Royal Navy,
|
||
Royal Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Police
|
||
Force
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,703,890; 1,320,914 fit for military
|
||
service; 46,440 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 0.5% of GDP, or $300 million (1989 est.);
|
||
this represents one-fourth of the total cost of defending the colony,
|
||
the remainder being paid by the UK
|
||
|
||
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
|
||
.pa
|
||
Howland Island
|
||
(territory of the US)
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 1.6 km2; land area: 1.6 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: about 2.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 6.4 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 m;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
|
||
|
||
Terrain: low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by
|
||
a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
|
||
|
||
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 95% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and
|
||
low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; lacks fresh water;
|
||
primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
|
||
and marine wildlife; feral cats
|
||
|
||
Note: remote location 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific
|
||
Ocean, just north of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: uninhabited
|
||
|
||
Note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval
|
||
attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but
|
||
abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only and
|
||
generally restricted to scientists and educators
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: none
|
||
|
||
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and
|
||
Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National
|
||
Wildlife Refuge System
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: no economic activity
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Airports: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on
|
||
the round-the-world flight of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan--they left Lae,
|
||
New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no
|
||
longer serviceable
|
||
|
||
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only, one boat landing area along the
|
||
middle of the west coast
|
||
|
||
Note: Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast
|
||
that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt in
|
||
memory of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually
|
||
by the US Coast Guard
|
||
.pa
|
||
Hungary
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 93,030 km2; land area: 92,340 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 2,251 km total; Austria 366 km, Czechoslovakia 676
|
||
km, Romania 443 km, USSR 135 km, Yugoslavia 631 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Disputes: Transylvania question with Romania; Nagymaros Dam
|
||
dispute with Czechoslovakia
|
||
|
||
Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils
|
||
|
||
Land use: 54% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 14% meadows and pastures;
|
||
18% forest and woodland; 11% other; includes 2% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: levees are common along many streams, but flooding occurs
|
||
almost every year
|
||
|
||
Note: landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes
|
||
between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between USSR and
|
||
Mediterranean basin
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 10,568,686 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.1% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 75 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Hungarian(s); adjective--Hungarian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 96.6% Hungarian, 1.6% German, 1.1% Slovak, 0.3%
|
||
Southern Slav, 0.2% Romanian
|
||
|
||
Religion: 67.5% Roman Catholic, 20.0% Calvinist, 5.0% Lutheran, 7.5%
|
||
atheist and other
|
||
|
||
Language: 98.2% Hungarian, 1.8% other
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 99%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 4,860,000; 43.2% services, trade, government, and other,
|
||
30.9% industry, 18.8% agriculture, 7.1% construction (1988)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 96.5% of labor force; Central Council of Hungarian Trade
|
||
Unions (SZOT) includes 19 affiliated unions, all controlled by the government;
|
||
independent unions legal; may be as many as 12 small independent unions
|
||
in operation
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Hungary
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Budapest
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 19 counties (megyek, singular--megye) and
|
||
1 capital city* (fovaros); Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes,
|
||
Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Budapest*, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Sopron,
|
||
Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Komarom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar,
|
||
Szolnok, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala
|
||
|
||
Independence: 1001, unification by King Stephen I
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April
|
||
1972 and 18 October 1989
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on Communist legal theory, with both civil law system
|
||
(civil code of 1960) and common law elements; Supreme Court renders decisions of
|
||
principle that sometimes have the effect of declaring legislative acts
|
||
unconstitutional; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Anniversary of the Liberation, 4 April (1945)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, premier, Council of Ministers
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Orszaggyules)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--President-designate Arpad GONCZ (since
|
||
2 May 1990);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Jozsef ANTALL
|
||
(since 23 May 1990)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Forum, Jozsef Antall,
|
||
chairman; Free Democrats, Janos Kis, chairman; Independent Smallholders,
|
||
Istvan Prepeliczay, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP), Rezso
|
||
Nyers, chairman; Young Democrats; Christian Democrats, Sandor Keresztes,
|
||
president; note--the Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers' Party
|
||
(MSZMP) renounced Communism and became the Hungarian Socialist Party
|
||
(MSP) in October 1989
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
National Assembly--last held on 25 March 1990 (first round, with
|
||
the second round held 8 April 1990);
|
||
results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
||
seats--(394 total) Democratic Forum 165, Free Democrats 92,
|
||
Independent Smallholders 43, Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) 33,
|
||
Young Democrats 21, Christian Democrats 21, independent candidates
|
||
or jointly sponsored candidates 19; an additional 8 seats
|
||
will be given to representatives of minority nationalities
|
||
|
||
Communists: fewer than 100,000 (December 1989)
|
||
|
||
Member of: CCC, CEMA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, IBEC, ICAC, ICAO,
|
||
ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw Pact,
|
||
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Peter VARKONYI;
|
||
Chancery at 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
|
||
(202) 362-6730;
|
||
there is a Hungarian Consulate General in New York;
|
||
US--Ambassador-designate Charles THOMAS; Embassy at V. Szabadsag
|
||
Ter 12, Budapest (mailing address is APO New York 09213); telephone <20>36<33>
|
||
(1) 126-450
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Hungary's postwar Communist government spurred the movement
|
||
from a predominantly agricultural to an industrialized economy. The share
|
||
of the labor force in agriculture dropped from over 50% in 1950 to under
|
||
20% in 1989. Agriculture nevertheless remains an important sector,
|
||
providing sizable export earnings and meeting domestic food needs.
|
||
Industry accounts for about 40% of GNP and 30% of employment. Nearly
|
||
three-fourths of foreign trade is with the USSR and Eastern Europe. Low
|
||
rates of growth reflect the inability of the Soviet-style economy to
|
||
modernize capital plant and motivate workers. GNP grew about 1% in 1988
|
||
and declined by 1% in 1989. Since 1985 external debt has
|
||
more than doubled, to nearly $20 billion. In recent years Hungary has
|
||
moved further than any other East European country in experimenting with
|
||
decentralized and market-oriented enterprises. These experiments have
|
||
failed to jump-start the economy because of: limitations on funds for
|
||
privatization; continued subsidization of insolvent state enterprises;
|
||
and the leadership's reluctance to implement sweeping market reforms
|
||
that would cause additional social dislocations in the short term.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $64.6 billion, per capita $6,108; real growth rate - 1.3%
|
||
(1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 0.4% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $14.0 billion; expenditures $14.2 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $944 million (1988)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $19.1 billion (f.o.b. 1988);
|
||
commodities--capital goods 36%, foods 24%, consumer goods 18%, fuels
|
||
and minerals 11%, other 11%;
|
||
partners USSR 48%, Eastern Europe 25%, developed countries 16%,
|
||
less developed countries 8% (1987)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $18.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
|
||
commodities--machinery and transport 28%, fuels 20%, chemical
|
||
products 14%, manufactured consumer goods 16%, agriculture 6%, other
|
||
16%;
|
||
partners--USSR 43%, Eastern Europe 28%, less developed countries 23%,
|
||
US 3% (1987)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $19.6 billion (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 0.6% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 7,250,000 kW capacity; 30,300 million kWh produced,
|
||
2,870 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: mining, metallurgy, engineering industries, processed foods,
|
||
textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals)
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: including forestry, accounts for about 15% of GNP and 19% of
|
||
employment; highly diversified crop-livestock farming; principal
|
||
crops--wheat, corn, sunflowers, potatoes, sugar beets;
|
||
livestock--hogs, cattle, poultry, dairy products; self-sufficient in
|
||
food output
|
||
|
||
Aid: donor--$1.8 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed
|
||
countries (1962-88)
|
||
|
||
Currency: forint (plural--forints); 1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: forints (Ft) per US$1--62.5 (January 1990), 59.2 (1989),
|
||
50.413 (1988), 46.971 (1987), 45.832 (1986), 50.119 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 7,770 km total; 7,513 km 1.435-meter standard gauge,
|
||
222 km narrow gauge (mostly 0.760-meter), 35 km 1.524-meter broad gauge; 1,138
|
||
km double track, 2,088 km electrified; all government owned (1987)
|
||
|
||
Highways: 130,000 km total; 29,701 km national highway
|
||
system--26,727 km asphalt and bitumen, 146 km concrete, 55 km stone and
|
||
road brick, 2,345 km macadam, 428 km unpaved; 58,495 km country roads
|
||
(66% unpaved), and 41,804 km (est.) other roads (70% unpaved) (1987)
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 1,622 km (1986)
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,204 km; refined products, 600 km; natural gas,
|
||
3,800 km (1986)
|
||
|
||
Ports: Budapest and Dunaujvaros are river ports on the Danube; maritime
|
||
outlets are Rostock (GDR), Gdansk (Poland), Gdynia (Poland), Szczecin (Poland),
|
||
Galati (Romania), and Braila (Romania)
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 16 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 77,141
|
||
GRT/103,189 DWT
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 22 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 90 total, 90 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
2 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways
|
||
1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: stations--13 AM, 11 FM, 21 TV; 8 Soviet TV relays;
|
||
3,500,000 TV sets; 5,500,000 receiver sets; at least 1 satellite earth station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Hungarian People's Army, Frontier Guard, Air and Air Defense
|
||
Command
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 2,645,016; 2,112,651 fit for military
|
||
service; 86,481 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 43.7 billion forints, NA% of total budget (1989);
|
||
note--conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the official
|
||
administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results
|
||
.pa
|
||
Iceland
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 103,000 km2; land area: 100,250 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kentucky
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 4,988 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Ireland,
|
||
and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall
|
||
area)
|
||
|
||
Climate: temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy
|
||
winters; damp, cool summers
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks,
|
||
icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: fish, hydroelectric and geothermal power,
|
||
diatomite
|
||
|
||
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 23% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 1% forest and woodland; 76% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: subject to earthquakes and volcanic activity
|
||
|
||
Note: strategic location between Greenland and Europe;
|
||
westernmost European country
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 257,023 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 80 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Icelander(s); adjective--Icelandic
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and
|
||
Celts
|
||
|
||
Religion: 95% Evangelical Lutheran, 3% other Protestant and Roman
|
||
Catholic, 2% no affiliation
|
||
|
||
Language: Icelandic
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 100%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 134,429; 55.4% commerce, finance, and services, 14.3% other
|
||
manufacturing, 5.8% agriculture, 7.9% fish processing, 5.0% fishing (1986)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 60% of labor force
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Iceland
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Reykjavik
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 23 counties (syslar, singular--sysla) and
|
||
14 independent towns* (kaupstadar, singular--kaupstadur); Akranes*, Akureyri*,
|
||
Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Austur-Hunavatnssysla,
|
||
Austur-Skaftafellssysla, Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla,
|
||
Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*,
|
||
Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla,
|
||
Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasysla,
|
||
Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla,
|
||
Reykjavik*, Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*,
|
||
Skagafjardharsysla, Snaefellsnes-og Hanppadalssysla, Strandasysla,
|
||
Sudhur-Mulasysla, Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vestmannaeyjar*,
|
||
Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Vestur-Hunavatnssysla,
|
||
Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
|
||
|
||
Independence: 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
|
||
|
||
Legal system: civil law system based on Danish law; does not accept
|
||
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic,
|
||
17 June (1944)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Althing) with an Upper House
|
||
(Efri Deild) and a Lower House (Nedri Deild)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Haestirettur)
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR (since 1 August 1980);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Steingrimur HERMANNSSON (since 28
|
||
September 1988)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Independence (conservative), Thorsteinn
|
||
Palsson; Progressive, Steingrimur Hermannsson; Social Democratic, Jon
|
||
Baldvin Hannibalsson; People's Alliance (left socialist), Olafur Ragnar
|
||
Grimsson; Citizens Party (conservative nationalist), Julius Solnes;
|
||
Women's List
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 20
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held on 29 June 1980 (next scheduled for June 1992);
|
||
results--there were no elections in 1984 and 1988 as President Vigdis
|
||
Finnbogadottir was unopposed;
|
||
|
||
Parliament--last held on 25 April 1987 (next to be held by
|
||
25 April 1991);
|
||
results--Independence 27.2%, Progressive 18.9%, Social Democratic 15.2%,
|
||
People's Alliance 13.4%, Citizens Party 10.9%, Womens List 10.1%, other 4.3%;
|
||
|
||
seats--(63 total) Independence 18, Progressive 13, Social Democratic 10,
|
||
People's Alliance 8, Citizens Party 7, Womens List 6, Regional Equality
|
||
Platform 1
|
||
|
||
Communists: less than 100 (est.), some of whom participate in the
|
||
People's Alliance
|
||
|
||
Member of: CCC, Council of Europe, EC (free trade agreement pending
|
||
resolution of fishing limits issue), EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICES,
|
||
IDA, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International
|
||
Whaling Commission, NATO, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ingvi S. INGVARSSON; Chancery at
|
||
2022 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6653
|
||
through 6655; there is an Icelandic Consulate General in New York;
|
||
US--Ambassador Charles E. COBB; Embassy at Laufasvegur 21, Reykjavik
|
||
(mailing address is FPO New York 09571-0001); telephone <20>354<35> (1) 29100
|
||
|
||
Flag: blue with a red cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of
|
||
the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the
|
||
style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Iceland's prosperous Scandinavian-type economy is basically
|
||
capitalistic, but with extensive welfare measures, low unemployment, and
|
||
comparatively even distribution of income. The economy is heavily dependent on
|
||
the fishing industry, which provides nearly 75% of export earnings. In the
|
||
absence of other natural resources, Iceland's economy is vulnerable to changing
|
||
world fish prices. National output declined for the second consecutive year in
|
||
1989, and two of the largest fish farms filed for bankruptcy. Other economic
|
||
activities include livestock raising and aluminum smelting. A fall in the fish
|
||
catch is expected for 1990, resulting in a continuation of the recession.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $4.0 billion, per capita $16,200; real growth rate - 1.8% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 17.4% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 1.3% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.7 billion,
|
||
including capital expenditures of $NA million (1988)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
|
||
commodities--fish and fish products, animal products, aluminum,
|
||
diatomite;
|
||
partners--EC 58.9% (UK 23.3%, FRG 10.3%), US 13.6%,
|
||
USSR 3.6%
|
||
|
||
Imports: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
|
||
commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum,
|
||
foodstuffs, textiles;
|
||
partners--EC 58% (FRG 16%, Denmark 10.4%, UK 9.2%), US 8.5%,
|
||
USSR 3.9%
|
||
|
||
External debt: $1.8 billion (1988)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 4.7% (1987 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 1,063,000 kW capacity; 5,165 million kWh produced,
|
||
20,780 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferro-silicon production,
|
||
hydropower
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GDP (including fishing); fishing is
|
||
most important economic activity, contributing nearly 75% to export earnings;
|
||
principal crops--potatoes and turnips; livestock--cattle, sheep; self-sufficient
|
||
in crops; fish catch of about 1.6 million metric tons in 1987
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $19.1 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: krona (plural--kronur);
|
||
1 Icelandic krona (IKr) = 100 aurar
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Icelandic kronur (IKr) per US$1--60.751 (January 1990),
|
||
57.042 (1989), 43.014 (1988), 38.677 (1987), 41.104 (1986), 41.508 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Highways: 12,343 km total; 166 km bitumen and concrete; 1,284 km
|
||
bituminous treated and gravel; 10,893 km earth
|
||
|
||
Ports: Reykjavik, Akureyri, Hafnarfjordhur, Keflavik, Seydhisfjordhur,
|
||
Siglufjordur, Vestmannaeyjar; numerous minor ports
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 62,867
|
||
GRT/87,610 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container,
|
||
2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker,
|
||
1 chemical tanker, 2 bulk
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 20 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 99 total, 92 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
14 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: adequate domestic service, wire and radio
|
||
communication system; 135,000 telephones; stations--10 AM, 17 (43 relays) FM,
|
||
14 (132 relays) TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Police, Coast Guard
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 68,688; 61,553 fit for military service;
|
||
no conscription or compulsory military service
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: none
|
||
.pa
|
||
India
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 3,287,590 km2; land area: 2,973,190 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly more than one-third the size of the US
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 14,103 km total; Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km,
|
||
Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 7,000 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: boundaries with Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan; water
|
||
sharing problems with downstream riparians, Bangladesh over the Ganges
|
||
and Pakistan over the Indus
|
||
|
||
Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
|
||
|
||
Terrain: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling
|
||
plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore,
|
||
manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds,
|
||
crude oil, limestone
|
||
|
||
Land use: 55% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures;
|
||
23% forest and woodland; 17% other; includes 13% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common;
|
||
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; air and water pollution;
|
||
desertification
|
||
|
||
Note: dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important
|
||
Indian Ocean trade routes
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 849,746,001 (July 1990), growth rate 2.0% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 30 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 89 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 57 years male, 59 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Indian(s); adjective--Indian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, 3% Mongoloid and other
|
||
|
||
Religion: 82.6% Hindu, 11.4% Muslim, 2.4% Christian, 2.0% Sikh, 0.7%
|
||
Buddhist, 0.5% Jains, 0.4% other
|
||
|
||
Language: Hindi, English, and 14 other official languages--Bengali,
|
||
Telgu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya,
|
||
Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; 24 languages spoken by
|
||
a million or more persons each; numerous other languages and dialects,
|
||
for the most part mutually unintelligible; Hindi is the national language
|
||
and primary tongue of 30% of the people; English enjoys associate status
|
||
but is the most important language for national, political, and
|
||
commercial communication; Hindustani, a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu, is
|
||
spoken widely throughout northern India
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 36%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 284,400,000; 67% agriculture (FY85)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: less than 5% of the labor force
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of India
|
||
|
||
Type: federal republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: New Delhi
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 24 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and
|
||
Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar,
|
||
Chandigarh*, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Delhi*, Goa and Daman and Diu*,
|
||
Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
|
||
Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur,
|
||
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab,
|
||
Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal;
|
||
note--Goa may have become a state with Daman and Diu remaining a union
|
||
territory
|
||
|
||
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 26 January 1950
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on English common law; limited judicial review of
|
||
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic,
|
||
26 January (1950)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, vice president, prime minister,
|
||
Council of Ministers
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Sansad) consists of an upper
|
||
house or Government Assembly (Rajya Sabha) and a lower house or People's
|
||
Assembly (Lok Sabha)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--President Ramaswamy Iyer VENKATARAMAN (since 25 July
|
||
1987); Vice President Dr. Shankar Dayal SHARMA (since 3 September 1987);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap SINGH
|
||
(since 2 December 1989)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Janata Dal Party, Prime Minister
|
||
V. P. Singh; Congress (I) Party, Rajiv Gandhi; Bharatiya Janata Party,
|
||
L. K. Advani; Communist Party of India (CPI), C. Rajeswara Rao;
|
||
Communist Party of India/Marxist (CPI/M), E. M. S. Namboodiripad;
|
||
Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist (CPI/ML), Satyanarayan Singh;
|
||
All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK), a regional party
|
||
in Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, M. Karunanidhi;
|
||
Akali Dal factions representing Sikh religious community in the Punjab;
|
||
Telugu Desam, a regional party in Andhra Pradesh, N. T. Rama Rao; National
|
||
Conference (NC), a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah;
|
||
Asom Gana Parishad, a regional party in Assam, Prafulla Mahanta
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
People's Assembly--last held 22, 24, 26 November
|
||
1989 (next to be held by November 1994, subject to postponement);
|
||
results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
||
seats--(544 total), 525 elected--Congress (I) Party
|
||
193, Janata Dal Party 141, Bharatiya Janata Party 86, Communist
|
||
Party of India (Marxist) 32, independents 18, Communist Party of India
|
||
12, AIADMK 11, Akali Dal 6, Shiv Sena 4, RSP 4, Forward Bloc 3, BSP 3,
|
||
Telugu Desam 2, Congress (S) Party 1, others 9
|
||
|
||
Communists: 466,000 members claimed by CPI, 361,000 members claimed by
|
||
CPI/M; Communist extremist groups, about 15,000 members
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: various separatist groups seeking
|
||
greater communal autonomy; numerous senas or militant/chauvinistic
|
||
organizations, including Shiv Sena (in Bombay), Anand Marg, and Rashtriya
|
||
Swayamsevak Sangh
|
||
|
||
Member of: ADB, AIOEC, ANRPC, CCC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth,
|
||
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
|
||
IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU,
|
||
IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
|
||
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Abid HUSSEIN;
|
||
Chancery at 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
|
||
telephone (202) 939-7000; there are Indian Consulates General in
|
||
Chicago, New York, and San Francisco;
|
||
US--Ambassador William CLARK; Embassy at Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri
|
||
110021, New Delhi; telephone <20>91<39> (11) 600651; there are US Consulates General
|
||
in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with
|
||
a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to
|
||
the flag of Niger which has a small orange disk centered in the white band
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: India's Malthusian economy is a mixture of traditional
|
||
village farming and handicrafts, modern agriculture, old and new branches
|
||
of industry, and a multitude of support services. It presents both the
|
||
entrepreneurial skills and drives of the capitalist system and
|
||
widespread government intervention of the socialist mold. Growth of 4%
|
||
to 5% annually in the 1980s has softened the impact of population growth
|
||
on unemployment, social tranquility, and the environment. Agricultural output
|
||
has continued to expand, reflecting the greater use of modern farming techniques
|
||
and improved seed that have helped to make India self-sufficient in food grains
|
||
and a net agricultural exporter. However, tens of millions of villagers,
|
||
particularly in the south, have not benefited from the green
|
||
revolution and live in abject poverty. Industry has benefited from a
|
||
liberalization of controls. The growth rate of the service sector has
|
||
also been strong.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $333 billion, per capita $400; real growth rate 5.0% (1989
|
||
est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 20% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $48 billion; expenditures $53 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $13.6 billion (1989)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $17.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--tea, coffee,
|
||
iron ore, fish products, manufactures;
|
||
partners--EC 25%, USSR and Eastern Europe 17%, US 19%, Japan 10%
|
||
|
||
Imports: $24.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--petroleum,
|
||
edible oils, textiles, clothing, capital goods; partners--EC 33%,
|
||
Middle East 19%, Japan 10%, US 9%, USSR and Eastern Europe 8%
|
||
|
||
External debt: $48.7 billion (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 8.8% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 59,000,000 kW capacity; 215,000 million kWh produced,
|
||
260 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: textiles, food processing, steel, machinery, transportation
|
||
equipment, cement, jute manufactures, mining, petroleum, power,
|
||
chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for about 33% of GNP and employs 67% of labor force;
|
||
self-sufficient in food grains; principal crops--rice, wheat, oilseeds, cotton,
|
||
jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; livestock--cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and
|
||
poultry; fish catch of about 3 million metric tons ranks India in the world's
|
||
top 10 fishing nations
|
||
|
||
Illicit drugs: licit producer of opium poppy for the
|
||
pharmaceutical trade, but some opium is diverted to international drug
|
||
markets; major transit country for illicit narcotics produced in
|
||
neighboring countries
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4.2 billion; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $18.6 billion;
|
||
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $315 million; USSR (1970-88), $10.0 billion;
|
||
Eastern Europe (1970-88), $105 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Indian rupee (plural--rupees);
|
||
1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1--16.965 (January 1990),
|
||
16.226 (1989), 13.917 (1988), 12.962 (1987), 12.611 (1986), 12.369 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 61,850 km total (1986); 33,553 km 1.676-meter broad gauge,
|
||
24,051 km 1.000-meter gauge, 4,246 km narrow gauge (0.762 meter and
|
||
0.610 meter); 12,617 km is double track; 6,500 km is electrified
|
||
|
||
Highways: 1,633,300 km total (1986); 515,300 km secondary and
|
||
1,118,000 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 16,180 km; 3,631 km navigable by large vessels
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 3,497 km; refined products, 1,703 km; natural gas,
|
||
902 km (1989)
|
||
|
||
Ports: Bombay, Calcutta, Cochin, Kandla, Madras, New Mangalore,
|
||
Port Blair (Andaman Islands)
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 296 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,855,842
|
||
GRT/9,790,260 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 8 passenger-cargo, 95 cargo,
|
||
1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 8 container, 53 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
|
||
tanker, 10 chemical tanker, 9 combination ore/oil,109 bulk, 2 combination bulk
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 93 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 345 total, 292 usable; 202 with permanent-surface runways; 2
|
||
with runways over 3,659 m; 57 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 91 with runways
|
||
1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: poor domestic telephone service, international radio
|
||
communications adequate; 3,200,000 telephones; stations--170 AM, no FM, 14 TV
|
||
(government controlled); domestic satellite system for communications and TV;
|
||
3 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; submarine cables to Sri Lanka, Malaysia,
|
||
and Pakistan
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Security Forces, Coast Guard,
|
||
Paramilitary Forces
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 227,436,282; 134,169,114 fit for military
|
||
service; about 9,403,063 reach military age (17) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 2.6% of GNP, or $8.7 billion (FY90 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Indian Ocean
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 73,600,000 km2; Arabian Sea, Bass Strait, Bay of Bengal,
|
||
Java Sea, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other
|
||
tributary water bodies
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly less than eight times the size of the US;
|
||
third-largest ocean (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger
|
||
than the Arctic Ocean)
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 66,526 km
|
||
|
||
Climate: northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June
|
||
to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in
|
||
the north Indian Ocean and January/February in the south Indian Ocean
|
||
|
||
Terrain: surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular
|
||
system of currents) in the south Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface
|
||
currents in the north Indian Ocean--low pressure over southwest Asia from hot,
|
||
rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast
|
||
winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling,
|
||
winter air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds
|
||
and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and
|
||
subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge,
|
||
and Ninety East Ridge; maximum depth is 7,258 meters in the Java Trench
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and
|
||
gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules
|
||
|
||
Environment: endangered marine species include the dugong, seals,
|
||
turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and
|
||
Red Sea
|
||
|
||
Note: major choke points include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz,
|
||
Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait;
|
||
ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme south near Antarctica from
|
||
May to October
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The Indian Ocean provides a major transportation highway
|
||
for the movement of petroleum products from the Middle East to Europe
|
||
and North and South American countries. Fish from the ocean are of growing
|
||
economic importance to many of the bordering countries as a source of both food
|
||
and exports. Fishing fleets from the USSR, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan also exploit
|
||
the Indian Ocean for mostly shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are
|
||
being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and Western
|
||
Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from
|
||
the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer
|
||
deposits are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India,
|
||
South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
|
||
|
||
Industries: based on exploitation of natural resources, particularly
|
||
marine life, minerals, oil and gas production, fishing, sand and gravel
|
||
aggregates, placer deposits
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Ports: Bombay (India), Calcutta (India), Madras (India),
|
||
Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South Africa), Fremantle (Australia),
|
||
Jakarta (Indonesia), Melbourne (Australia), Richard's Bay (South Africa)
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: no submarine cables
|
||
.pa
|
||
Indonesia
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 1,919,440 km2; land area: 1,826,440 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Texas
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 2,602 km total; Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea
|
||
820 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 54,716 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: East Timor question with Portugal
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: crude oil, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite,
|
||
copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver
|
||
|
||
Land use: 8% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures;
|
||
67% forest and woodland; 15% other; includes 3% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: archipelago of 13,500 islands (6,000 inhabited); occasional
|
||
floods, severe droughts, and tsunamis; deforestation
|
||
|
||
Note: straddles Equator; strategic location astride or along major sea
|
||
lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 190,136,221 (July 1990), growth rate 1.8% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 75 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 58 years male, 63 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Indonesian(s); adjective--Indonesian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: majority of Malay stock comprising 45.0% Javanese, 14.0%
|
||
Sundanese, 7.5% Madurese, 7.5% coastal Malays, 26.0% other
|
||
|
||
Religion: 88% Muslim, 6% Protestant, 3% Roman Catholic, 2% Hindu, 1%
|
||
other
|
||
|
||
Language: Bahasa Indonesia (modified form of Malay; official); English
|
||
and Dutch leading foreign languages; local dialects, the most widely spoken
|
||
of which is Javanese
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 62%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 67,000,000; 55% agriculture, 10% manufacturing,
|
||
4% construction, 3% transport and communications (1985 est.)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 3,000,000 members (claimed); about 5% of labor force
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Indonesia
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Jakarta
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (propinsi-propinsi,
|
||
singular--propinsi), 2 special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa,
|
||
singular--daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district**
|
||
(daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Bengkulu, Irian Jaya, Jakarta Raya**,
|
||
Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat,
|
||
Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Lampung, Maluku,
|
||
Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Riau, Sulawesi Selatan,
|
||
Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat,
|
||
Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Timor Timur, Yogyakarta*
|
||
|
||
Independence: 17 August 1945 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands
|
||
or Dutch East Indies)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949
|
||
and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by
|
||
indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not accepted
|
||
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives
|
||
(Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or DPR); note--the People's Consultative Assembly
|
||
(Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) includes the DPR plus 500 indirectly
|
||
elected members who meet every five years to elect the president and
|
||
vice president and, theoretically, to determine national policy
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung)
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. (Ret.)
|
||
SOEHARTO (since 27 March 1968); Vice President Lt. Gen. (Ret.) SUDHARMONO
|
||
(since 11 March 1983)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: GOLKAR (quasi-official party based on
|
||
functional groups), Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Wahono, general chairman; Indonesia
|
||
Democracy Party (PDI--federation of former Nationalist and Christian
|
||
Parties), Soeryadi, chairman; Development Unity Party (PPP, federation
|
||
of former Islamic parties), Ismail Hasan Metareum, chairman
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 17 and married persons regardless of age
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
House of Representatives--last held on 23 April 1987
|
||
(next to be held 23 April 1992);
|
||
results--Golkar 73%, UDP 16%, PDI 11%;
|
||
seats--(500 total--400 elected, 100 appointed) Golkar 299, UDP 61, PDI 40
|
||
|
||
Communists: Communist Party (PKI) was officially banned in March 1966;
|
||
current strength about 1,000-3,000, with less than 10% engaged in organized
|
||
activity; pre-October 1965 hardcore membership about 1.5 million
|
||
|
||
Member of: ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, Association of Tin Producing Countries,
|
||
CCC, CIPEC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
|
||
IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
|
||
INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
|
||
WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdul Rachman RAMLY;
|
||
Chancery at 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036;
|
||
telephone (202) 775-5200; there are Indonesian Consulates General in Houston,
|
||
New York, and Los Angeles, and Consulates in Chicago and San Francisco;
|
||
US--Ambassador John C. MONJO; Embassy at Medan Merdeka Selatan 5,
|
||
Jakarta (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96356);
|
||
telephone <20>62<36> (21) 360-360; there are US Consulates in Medan and Surabaya
|
||
|
||
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the
|
||
flag of Monaco which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland which is
|
||
white (top) and red
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Indonesia is a mixed economy with many socialist institutions
|
||
and central planning but with a recent emphasis on deregulation and private
|
||
enterprise. Indonesia has extensive natural wealth but, with a large and
|
||
rapidly increasing population, it remains a poor country. GNP growth in 1985-89
|
||
averaged about 4%, somewhat short of the 5% rate needed to absorb the 2.3
|
||
million workers annually entering the labor force. Agriculture, including
|
||
forestry and fishing, is the most important sector, accounting for 21% of GDP
|
||
and over 50% of the labor force. The staple crop is rice. Once the world's
|
||
largest rice importer, Indonesia is now nearly self-sufficient.
|
||
Plantation crops--rubber and palm oil--are being encouraged for both
|
||
export and job generation. The diverse natural resources include crude
|
||
oil, natural gas, timber, metals, and coal. Of these, the oil sector
|
||
dominates the external economy, generating more than 20% of the
|
||
government's revenues and 40% of export earnings in 1989.
|
||
Japan is Indonesia's most important customer and supplier of aid.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $80 billion, per capita $430; real growth rate 5.7% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 3.1% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $20.9 billion; expenditures $20.9 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $7.5 billion (FY89)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $21.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum
|
||
and liquefied natural gas 40%, timber 15%, textiles 7%, rubber 5%, coffee 3%;
|
||
partners--Japan 42%, US 16%, Singapore 9%, EC 11% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $13.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--machinery
|
||
39%, chemical products 19%, manufactured goods 16%;
|
||
partners--Japan 26%, EC 19%, US 13%, Singapore 7% (1988)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $55.0 billion, medium and long-term (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 11,600,000 kW capacity; 38,000 million kWh produced,
|
||
200 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: petroleum, textiles, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer
|
||
production, timber, food, rubber
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: subsistence food production; small-holder and plantation
|
||
production for export; rice, cassava, peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, copra,
|
||
other tropical products
|
||
|
||
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international
|
||
drug trade, but not a major player; government actively eradicating
|
||
plantings and prosecuting traffickers
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4.2 billion; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $19.8 billion;
|
||
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $213 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
|
||
$175 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Indonesian rupiah (plural--rupiahs);
|
||
1 Indonesian rupiah (Rp) = 100 sen (sen no longer used)
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Indonesian rupiahs (Rp) per US$1--1,804.9 (January 1990),
|
||
1,770.1 (1989), 1,685.7 (1988), 1,643.8 (1987), 1,282.6 (1986), 1,110.6 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 6,964 km total; 6,389 km 1.067-meter gauge, 497 km 0.750-meter
|
||
gauge, 78 km 0.600-meter gauge; 211 km double track; 101 km electrified; all
|
||
government owned
|
||
|
||
Highways: 119,500 km total; 11,812 km state, 34,180 km provincial,
|
||
and 73,508 km district roads
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 21,579 km total; Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura
|
||
820 km, Kalimantan 10,460 km, Celebes 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 2,505 km; refined products, 456 km; natural gas,
|
||
1,703 km (1989)
|
||
|
||
Ports: Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Palembang, Ujungpandang,
|
||
Semarang, Surabaya
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 313 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,480,912
|
||
GRT/2,245,233 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 13 passenger-cargo,
|
||
173 cargo, 6 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 vehicle carrier,
|
||
77 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker,
|
||
2 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 1 livestock carrier, 24 bulk
|
||
|
||
Civil air: about 216 commercial transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 468 total, 435 usable; 106 with permanent-surface runways; 1
|
||
with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 62 with runways
|
||
1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: interisland microwave system and HF police net;
|
||
domestic service fair, international service good; radiobroadcast coverage
|
||
good; 763,000 telephones (1986); stations--618 AM, 38 FM, 9 TV; satellite earth
|
||
stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
|
||
earth station; and 1 domestic satellite communications system
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 49,283,496; 29,137,291 fit for military
|
||
service; 2,098,169 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GNP (1987)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Iran
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 1,648,000 km2; land area: 1,636,000 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 5,492 km total; Afghanistan 936 km, Iraq 1,458 km,
|
||
Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, USSR 1,690 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 3,180 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: not specific;
|
||
|
||
Exclusive fishing zone: 50 nm in the Sea of Oman, median-line
|
||
boundaries in the Persian Gulf;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: Iran began formal UN peace negotiations with Iraq in August
|
||
1988 to end the war that began on 22 September 1980--troop withdrawal,
|
||
freedom of navigation, sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway and
|
||
prisoner-of-war exchange are the major issues for negotiation; Kurdish
|
||
question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR; occupies three
|
||
islands in the Persian Gulf claimed by UAE (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa
|
||
or Abu Musa, Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb,
|
||
and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb); periodic disputes with
|
||
Afghanistan over Helmand water rights; Boluch question with Afghanistan
|
||
and Pakistan
|
||
|
||
Climate: mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
|
||
|
||
Terrain: rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,
|
||
mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper,
|
||
iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
|
||
|
||
Land use: 8% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 27% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 11% forest and woodland; 54% other; includes 2% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; desertification
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 55,647,001 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 91 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 63 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Iranian(s); adjective--Iranian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 51% Persian, 25% Azerbaijani, 9% Kurd, 8% Gilaki
|
||
and Mazandarani, 2% Lur, 1% Baloch, 1% Arab, 3% other
|
||
|
||
Religion: 95% Shia Muslim, 4% Sunni Muslim, 2% Zoroastrian, Jewish,
|
||
Christian, and Bahai
|
||
|
||
Language: 58% Persian and Persian dialects, 26% Turkic and Turkic
|
||
dialects, 9% Kurdish, 2% Luri, 1% Baloch, 1% Arabic, 1% Turkish, 2% other
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 48% (est.)
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 15,400,000; 33% agriculture, 21% manufacturing; shortage of
|
||
skilled labor (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: none
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Iran
|
||
|
||
Type: theocratic republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Tehran
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (ostanha, singular--ostan);
|
||
Azarbayjan-e Bakhtari, Azarbayjan-e Khavari,
|
||
Bakhtaran, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari,
|
||
Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam,
|
||
Kerman, Khorasan, Khuzestan,
|
||
Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmadi, Kordestan,
|
||
Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Semnan,
|
||
Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
|
||
|
||
Independence: 1 April 1979, Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of
|
||
the presidency
|
||
|
||
Legal system: the new Constitution codifies Islamic principles of
|
||
government
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Islamic Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: cleric (faqih), president, Council of Cabinet Ministers
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly
|
||
(Majlis-e-Shura-e-Islami)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Cleric and functional Chief of State--Leader of the Islamic
|
||
Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 3 June 1989);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--President Ali Akbar RAFSANJANI (since 3 August
|
||
1989);
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: there are at least seven licensed
|
||
parties; the two most important are--Militant Clerics Association, Mehdi
|
||
Mahdavi-Karubi and Mohammad Asqar Musavi-Khoinima; Fedaiyin Islam
|
||
Organization, Sadeq Khalkhali
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 15
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held NA July 1989 (next to be held April 1993);
|
||
results--Ali Akbar Rafsanjani was elected with only token opposition;
|
||
|
||
Islamic Consultative Assembly--last held 8 April and 13 May
|
||
1988 (next to be held April 1992); results--percent of vote by party
|
||
NA;
|
||
seats--(270 seats total) number of seats by party NA
|
||
|
||
Communists: 1,000 to 2,000 est. hardcore; 15,000 to 20,000 est.
|
||
sympathizers; crackdown in 1983 crippled the party; trials of captured leaders
|
||
began in late 1983 and remain incomplete
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: groups that generally
|
||
support the Islamic Republic include Hizballah,
|
||
Hojjatiyeh Society, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim Students
|
||
Following the Line of the Imam, and Tehran Militant Clergy Association;
|
||
Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), People's Fedayeen, and Kurdish Democratic
|
||
Party are armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by
|
||
the government
|
||
|
||
|
||
Member of: CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, IDA, IDB, IFC,
|
||
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IPU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNIDO,
|
||
WHO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: none; protecting power in the US is
|
||
Algeria--Iranian Interests Section, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW,
|
||
Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 965-4990;
|
||
US--protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the
|
||
national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) in red is centered
|
||
in the white band; Allah Akbar (God is Great) in white Arabic script is
|
||
repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the
|
||
top edge of the red band
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Since the 1979 revolution, the banks, petroleum industry,
|
||
transportation, utilities, and mining have been nationalized, but the
|
||
new five-year plan--the first since the revolution--passed in January
|
||
1990, calls for the transfer of many government-controlled enterprises
|
||
to the private sector. War-related disruptions, massive corruption,
|
||
mismanagement, demographic pressures, and ideological rigidities have kept
|
||
economic growth at depressed levels. Oil accounts for 90% of export
|
||
revenues. A combination of war damage and low oil prices brought a 2%
|
||
drop in GNP in 1988. GNP probably rose slightly in 1989, considerably
|
||
short of the 3.4% population growth rate in 1989. Heating oil and gasoline
|
||
are rationed. Agriculture has suffered from the war, land reform, and shortages
|
||
of equipment and materials. The five-year plan seeks to reinvigorate the
|
||
economy by increasing the role of the private sector, boosting nonoil
|
||
income, and securing foreign loans. The plan is overly ambitious but
|
||
probably will generate some short-term relief.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $97.6 billion, per capita $1,800; real growth rate 0-1% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50-80% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 30% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $55.1 billion, including capital
|
||
expenditures of $11.5 billion (FY88 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $12.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
|
||
commodities--petroleum 90%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides;
|
||
partners--Japan, Turkey, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, France, FRG
|
||
|
||
Imports: $12.0 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--machinery,
|
||
military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, technical services,
|
||
refined oil products; partners--FRG, Japan, Turkey, UK, Italy
|
||
|
||
External debt: $4-5 billion (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 14,579,000 kW capacity; 40,000 million kWh produced,
|
||
740 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other building
|
||
materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil
|
||
production), metal fabricating (steel and copper)
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: principal products--rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits,
|
||
nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool, caviar; not self-sufficient in food
|
||
|
||
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy for the domestic and
|
||
international drug trade
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $1.0 billion; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.5 billion;
|
||
Communist countries (1970-88), $976 million; note--aid fell sharply
|
||
following the 1979 revolution
|
||
|
||
Currency: Iranian rial (plural--rials); 1 Iranian rial (IR) = 100 dinars;
|
||
note--domestic figures are generally referred to in terms of the toman
|
||
(plural--tomans), which equals 10 rials
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Iranian rials (IR) per US$1--70.019 (January 1990),
|
||
72.015 (1989), 68.683 (1988), 71.460 (1987), 78.760 (1986), 91.052 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 21 March-20 March
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 4,601 km total; 4,509 km 1.432-meter gauge, 92 km 1.676-meter
|
||
gauge; 730 km under construction from Bafq to Bandar Abbas
|
||
|
||
Highways: 140,072 km total; 46,866 km gravel and crushed stone; 49,440 km
|
||
improved earth; 42,566 km bituminous and bituminous-treated surfaces;
|
||
1,200 km (est.) of rural road network
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 904 km; the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by
|
||
maritime traffic for about 130 km, but closed since September 1980 because
|
||
of Iran-Iraq war
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 5,900 km; refined products, 3,900 km; natural gas,
|
||
3,300 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war),
|
||
Bandar Beheshti, Bandar-e Abbas, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni,
|
||
Bandar-e Shahid Rajai, Khorramshahr (largely destroyed in fighting
|
||
during 1980-88 war)
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,631,836
|
||
GRT/8,662,454 DWT; includes 36 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 33 petroleum,
|
||
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo,
|
||
49 bulk, 2 combination bulk
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 42 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 201 total, 175 usable; 82 with permanent-surface runways; 17
|
||
with runways over 3,659 m; 17 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 68 with runways
|
||
1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: radio relay extends throughout country; system
|
||
centered in Tehran; 2,143,000 telephones; stations--62 AM, 30 FM, 250 TV;
|
||
satellite earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT;
|
||
HF and microwave to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and USSR
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Islamic Republic of Iran Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force,
|
||
and Revolutionary Guard Corps (includes Basij militia and own ground, air, and
|
||
naval forces), Gendarmerie
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 12,302,967; 7,332,614 fit for military
|
||
service; 569,647 reach military age (21) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 8% of GNP, or $7.8 billion (1989 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Iraq
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 434,920 km2; land area: 433,970 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 3,454 km total; Iran 1,458 km, Iraq - Saudi Arabia
|
||
Neutral Zone 191 km, Jordan 134 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 495 km,
|
||
Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 58 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: not specific;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: Iraq began formal UN peace negotiations with Iran in August
|
||
1988 to end the war that began on 22 September 1980--sovereignty over the Shatt
|
||
al Arab waterway, troop withdrawal, freedom of navigation, and
|
||
prisoner of war exchange are the major issues for negotiation; Kurdish
|
||
question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR; shares Neutral Zone with
|
||
Saudi Arabia--in July 1975, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement
|
||
to divide the zone between them, but the agreement must be ratified
|
||
before it becomes effective; disputes Kuwaiti ownership of Warbah and
|
||
Bubiyan islands; periodic disputes with upstream riparian
|
||
Syria over Euphrates water rights; potential dispute over water
|
||
development plans by Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
|
||
|
||
Climate: desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly broad plains; reedy marshes in southeast; mountains
|
||
along borders with Iran and Turkey
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
|
||
|
||
Land use: 12% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures;
|
||
3% forest and woodland; 75% other; includes 4% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: development of Tigris-Euphrates river systems contingent
|
||
upon agreements with upstream riparians (Syria, Turkey); air and water
|
||
pollution; soil degradation (salinization) and erosion; desertification
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 18,781,770 (July 1990), growth rate 3.9% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 67 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 68 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Iraqi(s); adjective--Iraqi
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 75-80% Arab, 15-20% Kurdish, 5% Turkoman, Assyrian
|
||
or other
|
||
|
||
Religion: 97% Muslim (60-65% Shia, 32-37% Sunni), 3% Christian or other
|
||
|
||
Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions),
|
||
Assyrian, Armenian
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 55-65% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 3,400,000 (1984); 39% services, 33% agriculture, 28%
|
||
industry, severe labor shortage (1987); expatriate labor force about
|
||
1,000,000 (1989)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: less than 10% of the labor force
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Iraq
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Baghdad
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (muhafazat,
|
||
singular--muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna,
|
||
Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, As Sulaymaniyah, At Tamim, Babil,
|
||
Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Arbil, Karbala,
|
||
Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
|
||
|
||
Independence: 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under
|
||
British administration)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (interim
|
||
Constitution); new constitution now in final stages of drafting
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil law
|
||
system elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, vice president, chairman of the Revolutionary
|
||
Command Council, vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council,
|
||
prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al Umma)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Saddam HUSAYN
|
||
(since 16 July 1979); Vice President Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF
|
||
(since 21 April 1974)
|
||
|
||
Political parties: National Progressive Front is a coalition of the
|
||
Arab Bath Socialist Party, Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Kurdistan
|
||
Revolutionary Party
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
National Assembly--last held on 1 April 1989 (next to be held NA);
|
||
results--Shia Arabs 30%, Kurds 15%, Sunni Arabs 53%, Christians 2% est.;
|
||
seats--(250 total) number of seats by party NA
|
||
|
||
Communists: about 1,500 hardcore members
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: political parties and activity
|
||
severely restricted; possibly some opposition to regime from disaffected
|
||
members of the regime, Army officers, and religious and ethnic dissidents
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACC, Arab League, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
|
||
IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
|
||
INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
|
||
WMO, WSG, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Sadiq AL-MASHAT;
|
||
Chancery at 1801 P Street NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 483-7500;
|
||
US--Ambassador April C. GLASPIE; Embassy in Masbah Quarter (opposite the
|
||
Foreign Ministry Club), Baghdad (mailing address is P. O. Box 2447 Alwiyah,
|
||
Baghdad); telephone <20>964<36> (1) 719-6138 or 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with
|
||
three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band;
|
||
similar to the flags of the YAR which has one star and Syria which has two stars
|
||
(in a horizontal line centered in the white band)--all green and five-pointed;
|
||
also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in the
|
||
white band
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The Bathist regime engages in extensive central planning
|
||
and management of industrial production and foreign trade while leaving
|
||
some small-scale industry and services and most agriculture to
|
||
private enterprise. The economy is dominated by the oil sector, which provides
|
||
about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. Since the early 1980s financial
|
||
problems, caused by war expenditures and damage to oil export facilities by
|
||
Iran, have led the government to implement austerity measures and to reschedule
|
||
foreign debt payments. Oil exports have gradually increased with the
|
||
construction of new pipelines. Agricultural development remains hampered by
|
||
labor shortages, salinization, and dislocations caused by previous land reform
|
||
and collectivization programs. The industrial sector, although accorded high
|
||
priority by the government, is under financial constraints. New investment funds
|
||
are generally allocated only to projects that result in import substitution or
|
||
foreign exchange earnings.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $35 billion, per capita $1,940; real growth rate 5%
|
||
(1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30-40% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: less than 5% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $NA billion; expenditures $35 billion,
|
||
including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $12.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
|
||
commodities--crude oil and refined products, machinery, chemicals, dates;
|
||
partners--US, Brazil, USSR, Italy, Turkey, France, Japan, Yugoslavia
|
||
(1988)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $10.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
|
||
commodities--manufactures, food;
|
||
partners--Turkey, US, FRG, UK, France, Japan, Romania, Yugoslavia,
|
||
Brazil (1988)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $40 billion (1988 est.), excluding debt to Persian
|
||
Gulf Arab states
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: NA%
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 9,902,000 kW capacity; 20,000 million kWh produced,
|
||
1,110 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food
|
||
processing
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for less than 10% of GNP but 33% of labor force;
|
||
principal products--wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, other fruit,
|
||
cotton, wool; livestock--cattle, sheep; not self-sufficient in food output
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $3 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $607
|
||
million; OPEC bilateral aid (1980-89), $37.2 billion; Communist countries
|
||
(1970-88), $3.9 billion
|
||
|
||
Currency: Iraqi dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1--0.3109 (fixed rate since 1982)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 2,962 km total; 2,457 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 505 km
|
||
1.000-meter gauge
|
||
|
||
Highways: 25,479 km total; 8,290 km paved, 5,534 km improved earth,
|
||
11,655 km unimproved earth
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 1,015 km; Shatt al Arab usually navigable by maritime
|
||
traffic for about 130 km, but closed since September 1980 because of Iran-Iraq
|
||
war; Tigris and Euphrates navigable by shallow-draft steamers (of little
|
||
importance); Shatt al Basrah canal navigable in sections by
|
||
shallow-draft vessels
|
||
|
||
Ports: Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 44 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 947,721
|
||
GRT/1,703,988 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 passenger-cargo, 18 cargo,
|
||
1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 19 petroleum, oils, and
|
||
lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 4,350 km; 725 km refined products; 1,360 km natural
|
||
gas
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 64 major transport aircraft (including 30 IL-76s
|
||
used by the Iraq Air Force)
|
||
|
||
Airports: 111 total, 101 usable; 72 with permanent-surface runways; 8 with
|
||
runways over 3,659 m; 53 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 14 with runways
|
||
1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: good network consists of coaxial cables, radio relay
|
||
links, and radiocommunication stations; 632,000 telephones; stations--9
|
||
AM, 1 FM, 81 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT,
|
||
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 GORIZONT Atlantic Ocean in the Intersputnik
|
||
system; coaxial cable and radio relay to Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard Force, mobile
|
||
police force, Republican Guard
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,097,190; 2,284,417 fit for military
|
||
service; 219,701 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: NA
|
||
.pa
|
||
Iraq - Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 3,520 km2; land area: 3,520 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 389 km total; 191 km Iraq, 198 km Saudi Arabia
|
||
|
||
Coastline: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Climate: harsh, dry desert
|
||
|
||
Terrain: sandy desert
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: none
|
||
|
||
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
|
||
0% forest and woodland; 100% other (sandy desert)
|
||
|
||
Environment: harsh, inhospitable
|
||
|
||
Note: landlocked; located west of quadripoint with Iraq, Kuwait, and
|
||
Saudi Arabia
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: uninhabited
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: none
|
||
|
||
Type: joint administration by Iraq and Saudi Arabia; in July 1975,
|
||
Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to divide the zone between
|
||
them, but the agreement must be ratified, however, before it becomes
|
||
effective.
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: no economic activity
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Highways: none; some secondary roads
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is the joint responsibility of Iraq and Saudi Arabia
|
||
.pa
|
||
Ireland
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 70,280 km2; land area: 68,890 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia
|
||
|
||
Land boundary: 360 km with UK
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 1,448 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: no precise definition;
|
||
|
||
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: maritime boundary with the UK; Northern Ireland question with
|
||
the UK; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK
|
||
(Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
|
||
|
||
Climate: temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current;
|
||
mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged
|
||
hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, crude oil, barite,
|
||
copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver
|
||
|
||
Land use: 14% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 71% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 5% forest and woodland; 10% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: deforestation
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 3,500,212 (July 1990), growth rate -0.4% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Irishman(men), Irish (collective pl.); adjective--Irish
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: Celtic, with English minority
|
||
|
||
Religion: 94% Roman Catholic, 4% Anglican, 2% other
|
||
|
||
Language: Irish (Gaelic) and English; English is the language generally
|
||
used, with Gaelic spoken in a few areas, mostly along the western seaboard
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 99%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 1,310,000; 57.3% services, 19.1% manufacturing and
|
||
construction, 14.8% agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1988)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 36% of labor force
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Ireland
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Dublin
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork,
|
||
Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick,
|
||
Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary,
|
||
Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
|
||
|
||
Independence: 6 December 1921 (from UK)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 29 December 1937; adopted 1937
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on English common law, substantially modified by
|
||
indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court;
|
||
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: St. Patrick's Day, 17 March
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
|
||
Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of an
|
||
upper house or Senate (Seanad Eireann) and a lower house or House of
|
||
Representatives (Dail Eireann)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--President Dr. Patrick J. HILLERY (since 3 December
|
||
1976);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Charles J. HAUGHEY (since 12 July
|
||
1989, the fourth time elected as prime minister)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Fianna Fail, Charles Haughey;
|
||
Labor Party, Richard Spring; Fine Gael, Alan Dukes; Communist Party
|
||
of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan; Workers' Party, Proinsias DeRossa;
|
||
Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams; Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'Malley;
|
||
note--Prime Minister Haughey heads a coalition consisting of the
|
||
Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held 21 October 1983 (next to be held October
|
||
1990); results--Dr. Patrick Hillery reelected;
|
||
|
||
Senate--last held on 17 February 1987 (next to be held February
|
||
1992);
|
||
results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
||
seats--(60 total, 49 elected) Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 16, Labor 3,
|
||
Independents 11;
|
||
|
||
House of Representatives--last held on 12 July 1989 (next to be held
|
||
NA June 1994);
|
||
results--Fianna Fail 44.0%, Fine Gael 29.4%, Labor Party 9.3%,
|
||
Progressive Democrats 5.4%, Workers' Party 4.9%, Sinn Fein 1.1%,
|
||
independents 5.9%;
|
||
seats--(166 total) Fianna Fail 77, Fine Gael 55, Labor Party 15,
|
||
Workers' Party 7, Progressive Democrats 6, independents 6
|
||
|
||
Communists: under 500
|
||
|
||
Member of: CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
|
||
ICAO, ICES, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
|
||
IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
|
||
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Padraic N. MACKERNAN; Chancery at
|
||
2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-3939;
|
||
there are Irish Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, New York, and
|
||
San Francisco;
|
||
US--Ambassador Richard A. MOORE; Embassy at 42 Elgin Road,
|
||
Ballsbridge, Dublin; telephone <20>353<35> (1) 688777
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange;
|
||
similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which is shorter and has the colors
|
||
reversed--orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of
|
||
Italy which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The economy is small, open, and trade dependent. Agriculture,
|
||
once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for
|
||
35% of GNP and about 80% of exports and employs 20% of the labor force. The
|
||
government has successfully reduced the rate of inflation from double-digit
|
||
figures in the late 1970s to about 4% in 1989. In 1987, after years of deficits,
|
||
the balance of payments was brought into the black. Unemployment, however,
|
||
is a serious problem. A 1989 unemployment rate of 17.7% placed Ireland
|
||
along with Spain as the countries with the worst jobless records in
|
||
Western Europe.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $31.4 billion, per capita $8,900; real growth rate 4.3% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 17.7% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $10.9 billion; expenditures $11.2 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (1989)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $20.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--live animals,
|
||
animal products, chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery;
|
||
partners--EC 74% (UK 35%, FRG 11%, France 9%), US 8%
|
||
|
||
Imports: $17.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--food, animal
|
||
feed, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles,
|
||
clothing; partners--EC 66% (UK 42%, FRG 9%, France 4%), US 16%
|
||
|
||
External debt: $16.1 billion (1988)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 9.5% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 4,957,000 kW capacity; 14,480 million kWh produced,
|
||
4,080 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals,
|
||
pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP and 14.8% of the labor force;
|
||
principal crops--turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat;
|
||
livestock--meat and dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food
|
||
shortages include bread grain, fruits, vegetables
|
||
|
||
Aid: NA
|
||
|
||
Currency: Irish pound (plural--pounds); 1 Irish pound (LIr) = 100 pence
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Irish pounds (LIr) per US$1--0.6399 (January 1990),
|
||
0.7047 (1989), 0.6553 (1988), 0.6720 (1987), 0.7454 (1986), 0.9384 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,947 km 1.602-meter
|
||
gauge, government owned; 485 km double track; 38 km electrified
|
||
|
||
Highways: 92,294 km total; 87,422 km surfaced, 4,872 km gravel or crushed
|
||
stone
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: limited for commercial traffic
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: natural gas, 225 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Cork, Dublin, Shannon Estuary, Waterford
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 67 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 113,569 GRT/139,681
|
||
DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo,
|
||
2 container, 23 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 specialized
|
||
tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 5 bulk
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 40 total, 37 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with
|
||
runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: small, modern system using cable and radio relay
|
||
circuits; 900,000 telephones; stations--45 AM, 16 (29 relays) FM, 18
|
||
(68 relays) TV; 5 coaxial submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth
|
||
stations
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Naval Service, Army Air Corps
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 870,161; 705,765 fit for military service;
|
||
33,259 reach military age (17) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 1.6% of GDP, or $500 million (1989 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Israel
|
||
(also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries)
|
||
Note: The Arab territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not
|
||
included in the data below. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and
|
||
reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final
|
||
status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors,
|
||
and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the
|
||
concerned parties. The Camp David Accords further specify that these
|
||
negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the
|
||
completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West
|
||
Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined (see West Bank and Gaza Strip
|
||
entries). On 25 April 1982 Israel relinquished control of the Sinai to Egypt.
|
||
Statistics for the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are included in the Syria
|
||
entry.
|
||
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 20,770 km2; land area: 20,330 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than New Jersey
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 1,006 km total; Egypt 255 km, Jordan 238 km,
|
||
Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307, Gaza Strip 51 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 273 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 6 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the
|
||
1949 Armistice Line; differences with Jordan over the location
|
||
of the 1949 Armistice Line which separates the two countries;
|
||
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with status
|
||
to be determined; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in southern
|
||
Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing issues with Jordan
|
||
|
||
Climate: temperate; hot and dry in desert areas
|
||
|
||
Terrain: Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;
|
||
Jordan Rift Valley
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand,
|
||
sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
|
||
|
||
Land use: 17% arable land; 5% permanent crops; 40% meadows and pastures;
|
||
6% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes 11% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; limited
|
||
arable land and natural water resources pose serious constraints; deforestation;
|
||
|
||
Note: there are 173 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, 35 in the
|
||
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 18 in the Gaza Strip, and 14 Israeli-built
|
||
Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 4,409,218 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1989); includes
|
||
70,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 10,500 in the Israeli-occupied
|
||
Golan Heights, 2,500 in the Gaza Strip, and 110,000 in East Jerusalem
|
||
(1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (July 1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 79 years female (July 1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Israeli(s); adjective--Israeli
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 83% Jewish, 17% non-Jewish (mostly Arab)
|
||
|
||
Religion: 83% Judaism, 13.1% Islam (mostly Sunni Muslim), 2.3% Christian,
|
||
1.6% Druze
|
||
|
||
Language: Hebrew (official); Arabic used officially for Arab minority;
|
||
English most commonly used foreign language
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 88% Jews, 70% Arabs
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 1,400,000 (1984 est.); 29.5% public services; 22.8% industry,
|
||
mining, and manufacturing; 12.8% commerce; 9.5% finance and business;
|
||
6.8% transport, storage, and communications; 6.5% construction and public works;
|
||
5.5% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 5.8% personal and other services;
|
||
1.0% electricity and water (1983)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 90% of labor force
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: State of Israel
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US,
|
||
like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular--mehoz); Central,
|
||
Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
|
||
|
||
Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British
|
||
administration)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: no formal constitution; some of the functions of a
|
||
constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic
|
||
laws of the Parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
|
||
|
||
Legal system: mixture of English common law, British Mandate
|
||
regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal
|
||
systems; in December 1985 Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would
|
||
no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 10 May 1989; Israel declared
|
||
independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday
|
||
may occur in April or May
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral Knesset
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--President Gen. Chaim HERZOG (since 5 May 1983);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Yitzhak SHAMIR (since 20 October 1986);
|
||
Vice Prime Minister Shimon PERES (Prime Minister from 13 September 1984 to
|
||
20 October 1986, when he rotated to Vice Prime Minister)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Israel currently has a national unity
|
||
government comprising five parties that hold 95 of the Knesset's
|
||
120 seats; Members of the unity government--Likud bloc, Prime
|
||
Minister Yitzhak Shamir; Labor Party, Vice Prime Minister and Finance
|
||
Minister Shimon Peres; Sephardic Torah Guardians (SHAS), Minister of
|
||
Immigrant Absorption Yitzhak Peretz; National Religious Party, Minister of
|
||
Religious Affairs Zevulun Hammer; Agudat Yisrael, Deputy Minister
|
||
of Labor and Social Welfare Moshe Zeev Feldman;
|
||
|
||
Opposition parties--Tehiya Party, Yuval Ne'eman; Tzomet Party,
|
||
Rafael Eytan; Moledet Party, Rehavam Ze'evi; Degel HaTorah, Avraham
|
||
Ravitz; Citizens' Rights Movement, Shulamit Aloni; United Workers' Party
|
||
(MAPAM), Yair Tzaban; Center Movement-Shinui, Amnon Rubenstein; New
|
||
Communist Party of Israel (RAKAH), Meir Wilner; Progressive List for
|
||
Peace, Muhammad Mi'ari; Arab Democratic Party, Abd Al Wahab Darawshah
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held 23 February 1988 (next to be held February
|
||
1994); results--Gen. Chaim Herzog reelected by Knesset;
|
||
|
||
Parliament--last held 1 November 1988 (next to be held by
|
||
November 1992);
|
||
seats--(120 total) Likud bloc 40, Labor Party 39, SHAS 6, National Religious
|
||
Party 5, Agudat Yisrael 5, Citizens' Rights Movement 5, RAKAH 4,
|
||
Tehiya Party 3, MAPAM 3, Tzomet Party 2, Moledet Party 2, Degel HaTorah 2,
|
||
Center Movement-Shinui 2, Progressive List for Peace 1, Arab Democratic Party 1
|
||
|
||
Communists: Hadash (predominantly Arab but with Jews in its leadership)
|
||
has some 1,500 members
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists
|
||
advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now,
|
||
critical of government's West Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon policies
|
||
|
||
Member of: CCC, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA,
|
||
IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOOC, INTELSAT,
|
||
INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OAS (observer), UN,
|
||
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Moshe ARAD; Chancery at
|
||
3514 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 364-5500;
|
||
there are Israeli Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston,
|
||
Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco;
|
||
US--Ambassador William A. BROWN; Embassy at 71 Hayarkon Street,
|
||
Tel Aviv (mailing address is APO New York 09672); telephone <20>972<37> (3) 654338;
|
||
there is a US Consulate General in Jerusalem
|
||
|
||
Flag: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the
|
||
Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands
|
||
near the top and bottom edges of the flag
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Israel has a market economy with substantial government
|
||
participation. It depends on imports for crude oil, food, grains, raw materials,
|
||
and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has developed
|
||
its agriculture and industry sectors on an intensive scale over the past 20
|
||
years. Industry accounts for about 23% of the labor force, agriculture for 6%,
|
||
and services for most of the balance. Diamonds, high-technology
|
||
machinery, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the
|
||
biggest export earners. The balance of payments has traditionally
|
||
been negative, but is offset by large transfer payments and foreign loans.
|
||
Nearly two-thirds of Israel's $16 billion external debt is owed to
|
||
the US, which is its major source for economic and military aid.
|
||
To earn needed foreign exchange, Israel must continue to exploit
|
||
high-technology niches in the international market, such as medical
|
||
scanning equipment. In 1987 the economy showed a 5.2% growth in real GNP, the
|
||
best gain in nearly a decade; in 1988-89 the gain was only 1% annually,
|
||
largely because of the economic impact of the Palestinian uprising
|
||
(intifadah). Inflation dropped from an annual rate of over 400%
|
||
in 1984 to about 16% in 1987-88 without any major increase in
|
||
unemployment.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $38 billion, per capita $8,700; real growth rate 1% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 9% (December 1989)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $24.2 billion; expenditures $26.3 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $7 billion (FY89 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--polished
|
||
diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing, processed foods,
|
||
fertilizer and chemical products, military hardware, electronics;
|
||
partners--US, UK, FRG, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy
|
||
|
||
Imports: $12.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--military
|
||
equipment, rough diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, cereals,
|
||
textiles, vehicles, ships, aircraft; partners--US, FRG, UK, Switzerland,
|
||
Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg
|
||
|
||
External debt: $16.4 billion (March 1989)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.5% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 4,392,000 kW capacity; 17,500 million kWh produced,
|
||
4,000 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles,
|
||
clothing, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment,
|
||
electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining, high-technology
|
||
electronics, tourism
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP; largely self-sufficient in food
|
||
production, except for bread grains; principal products--citrus and other
|
||
fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products--beef, dairy, and poultry
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $15.8 billion; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.2 billion
|
||
|
||
Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural--shekels);
|
||
1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1--1.9450
|
||
(January 1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986),
|
||
1.1788 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 594 km 1.435-meter gauge, single track; diesel operated
|
||
|
||
Highways: 4,500 km; majority is bituminous surfaced
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 708 km; refined products, 290 km; natural gas, 89 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Ashdod, Haifa, Elat
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 483,424
|
||
GRT/560,085 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 20 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 55 total, 52 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: most highly developed in the Middle East though not
|
||
the largest; good system of coaxial cable and radio relay; 1,800,000 telephones;
|
||
stations--11 AM, 24 FM, 54 TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations--2
|
||
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Israel Defense Forces; historically there have been no separate
|
||
Israeli military services; ground, air, and naval components are branches of
|
||
Israel Defense Forces
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: eligible 15-49, 2,159,462; of the 1,089,346 males
|
||
15-49, 898,272 are fit for military service; of the 1,070,116 females 15-49,
|
||
878,954 are fit for military service; 43,644 males and 41,516 females reach
|
||
military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 8.5% of GNP, or $3.2 billion (1989 est.);
|
||
note--does not include an estimated $1.8 billion in US military aid
|
||
.pa
|
||
Italy
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 301,230 km2; land area: 294,020 km2; includes Sardinia
|
||
and Sicily
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 1,902.2 km total; Austria 430 km, France 488 km,
|
||
San Marino 39 km, Switzerland 740 km, Vatican City 3.2 km, Yugoslavia
|
||
202 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 4,996 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 m or to depth of exploitation;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: South Tyrol question with Austria
|
||
|
||
Climate: predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry
|
||
in south
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling
|
||
natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal
|
||
|
||
Land use: 32% arable land; 10% permanent crops; 17% meadows and pastures;
|
||
22% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes 10% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, snowslides,
|
||
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, pollution; land sinkage in Venice
|
||
|
||
Note: strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as
|
||
well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 57,664,405 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 10 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Italian(s); adjective--Italian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: primarily Italian but population includes small clusters
|
||
of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians
|
||
in the south; Sicilians; Sardinians
|
||
|
||
Religion: almost 100% nominally Roman Catholic
|
||
|
||
Language: Italian; parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly
|
||
German speaking; significant French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region;
|
||
Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 93%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 23,670,000; 56.7% services, 37.9% industry, 5.4% agriculture
|
||
(1987)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 40-45% of labor force (est.)
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Italian Republic
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Rome
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 20 regions (regioni, singular--regione);
|
||
Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia,
|
||
Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia,
|
||
Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto
|
||
|
||
Independence: 17 March 1861, Kingdom of Italy proclaimed
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 1 January 1948
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law
|
||
influence; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court;
|
||
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, prime minister,
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) consists of
|
||
an upper chamber or Senate (Senato) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies
|
||
(Camera dei Deputati)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--President Francesco COSSIGA (since 3 July 1985);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Giulio ANDREOTTI (since 22 July 1989,
|
||
heads the government for the sixth time); Deputy Prime Minister Claudio
|
||
MARTELLI (since 23 July 1989)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (DC), Arnaldo
|
||
Forlani (general secretary), Ciriaco De Mita (president); Communist Party
|
||
(PCI), Achille Occhetto (secretary general); Socialist Party (PSI), Bettino
|
||
Craxi (party secretary); Social Democratic Party (PSDI), Antonio Cariglia (party
|
||
secretary); Liberal Party (PLI), Renato Altissimo (secretary general); Italian
|
||
Social Movement (MSI), Giuseppe (Pino) Rauti (national secretary); Republican
|
||
Party (PRI), Giorgio La Malfa (political secretary); Italy's 49th postwar
|
||
government was formed on 23 July 1989, with Prime Minister Andreotti,
|
||
a Christian Democrat, presiding over a five-party coalition consisting of the
|
||
Christian Democrats, Socialists, Social Democrats, Republicans, and Liberals
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18 (except in senatorial elections, where
|
||
minimum age is 25)
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
Senate--last held 14-15 June 1987 (next to be held by June 1992);
|
||
results--DC 33.9%, PCI 28.3%, PSI 10.7%, others 27.1%;
|
||
seats--(320 total, 315 elected) DC 125, PCI 100, PSI 36, others 54;
|
||
|
||
Chamber of Deputies--last held 14-15 June 1987 (next to be held by
|
||
June 1992);
|
||
results--DC 34.3%, PCI 26.6%, PSI 14.3%, MSI 5.9%, PRI 3.7%, PSDI 3.0%,
|
||
Radicals 2.6%, Greens 2.5%, PLI 2.1%, Proletarian Democrats 1.7%,
|
||
others 3.3%;
|
||
seats--(630 total) DC 234, PCI 177, PSI 94, MSI 35, PRI 21, PSDI 17,
|
||
Radicals 13, Greens 13, PLI 11, Proletarian Democrats 8, others 7
|
||
|
||
Communists: 1,673,751 members (1983)
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: Vatican City; three major
|
||
trade union confederations (CGIL--Communist dominated, CISL--Christian
|
||
Democratic, and UIL--Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republican);
|
||
Italian manufacturers association (Confindustria); organized farm groups
|
||
(Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura)
|
||
|
||
Member of: ADB, ASSIMER, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECOWAS, EIB,
|
||
EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American
|
||
Development Bank, IFAD, IEA, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
|
||
IOOC, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO,
|
||
WIPO, WMO, WSG
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Rinaldo PETRIGNANI; Chancery at
|
||
1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 328-5500;
|
||
there are Italian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans,
|
||
Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Consulates in Detroit and
|
||
Newark (New Jersey);
|
||
US--Ambassador Peter F. SECCHIA; Embassy at Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome
|
||
(mailing address is APO New York 09794); telephone <20>39<33> (6) 46741; there are
|
||
US Consulates General in Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, and Palermo (Sicily)
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red;
|
||
similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and is green (hoist side), white,
|
||
and orange; also similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast which has the colors
|
||
reversed--orange (hoist side), white, and green
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Since World War II the economy has changed from one based on
|
||
agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the same total
|
||
and per capita output as France and the UK. The country is still divided into a
|
||
developed industrial north, dominated by large private companies and state
|
||
enterprises and an undeveloped agricultural south. Services account for 58% of
|
||
GDP, industry 37%, and agriculture 5%. Most raw materials needed by industry and
|
||
over 75% of energy requirements must be imported. The economic recovery that
|
||
began in mid-1983 has continued through 1989, with the economy growing at an
|
||
annual average rate of 3%. For the 1990s, Italy faces the problems of
|
||
refurbishing a tottering communications system, curbing the increasing
|
||
pollution in major industrial centers, and adjusting to the new
|
||
competitive forces accompanying the ongoing economic integration of the
|
||
European Community.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $803.3 billion, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3.3% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.6% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 11.9% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $355 billion; expenditures $448 billion,
|
||
including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $141.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--textiles,
|
||
wearing apparel, metals, transportation equipment, chemicals;
|
||
partners--EC 57%, US 9%, OPEC 4%
|
||
|
||
Imports: $143.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--petroleum,
|
||
industrial machinery, chemicals, metals, food, agricultural products;
|
||
partners--EC 57%, OPEC 6%, US 6%
|
||
|
||
External debt: NA
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 2.9% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 56,022,000 kW capacity; 201,400 million kWh produced,
|
||
3,500 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: machinery and transportation equipment, iron and steel,
|
||
chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for about 5% of GNP and 5% of the
|
||
work force; self-sufficient in foods other than meat and dairy products;
|
||
principal crops--fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets,
|
||
soybeans, grain, olives; fish catch of 554,000 metric tons in 1987
|
||
|
||
Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $18.7 billion
|
||
|
||
Currency: Italian lira (plural--lire); 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100
|
||
centesimi
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1--1,262.5 (January 1990),
|
||
1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 20,011 km total; 16,066 km 1.435-meter government-owned
|
||
standard gauge (8,999 km electrified); 3,945 km privately owned--2,100 km
|
||
1.435-meter standard gauge (1,155 km electrified) and 1,845 km 0.950-meter
|
||
narrow gauge (380 km electrified)
|
||
|
||
Highways: 294,410 km total; autostrada 5,900 km, state highways 45,170
|
||
km, provincial highways 101,680 km, communal highways 141,660 km; 260,500 km
|
||
concrete, bituminous, or stone block, 26,900 km gravel and crushed stone,
|
||
7,010 km earth
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 2,400 km for various types of commercial
|
||
traffic, although of limited overall value
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,703 km; refined products, 2,148 km; natural gas,
|
||
19,400 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Cagliari (Sardinia), Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Naples,
|
||
Palermo (Sicily), Taranto, Trieste, Venice
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 547 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,871,505
|
||
GRT/10,805,368 DWT; includes 6 passenger, 41 short-sea passenger, 100 cargo,
|
||
5 refrigerated cargo, 22 container, 72 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 vehicle
|
||
carrier, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 2 livestock carrier, 147 petroleum,
|
||
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 37 chemical tanker, 29 liquefied gas, 8
|
||
specialized tanker, 16 combination ore/oil, 55 bulk, 2 combination bulk
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 132 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 143 total, 138 usable; 88 with permanent-surface runways; 2
|
||
with runways over 3,659 m; 35 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways
|
||
1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: well engineered, constructed, and operated;
|
||
28,000,000 telephones; stations--144 AM, 54 (over 1,800 repeaters) FM,
|
||
135 (over 1,300 repeaters) TV; 22 submarine cables; communication satellite
|
||
earth stations operating in INTELSAT 3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean,
|
||
INMARSAT, and EUTELSAT systems
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 14,721,704; 12,855,022 fit for military
|
||
service; 430,782 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 2.4% of GDP, or $19 billion (1989 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Ivory Coast
|
||
(also known as Cote d'Ivoire)
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 322,460 km2; land area: 318,000 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 3,110 km total; Burkina 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea
|
||
610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 515 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 m;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three
|
||
seasons--warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May),
|
||
hot and wet (June to October)
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: crude oil, diamonds, manganese, iron ore,
|
||
cobalt, bauxite, copper
|
||
|
||
Land use: 9% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures;
|
||
26% forest and woodland; 52% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; severe
|
||
deforestation
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 12,478,024 (July 1990), growth rate 4.0% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 100 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Ivorian(s); adjective--Ivorian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: over 60 ethnic groups; most important are the Baoule
|
||
23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, and Agni; about 2 million foreign
|
||
Africans, mostly Burkinabe; about 130,000 to 330,000 non-Africans
|
||
(30,000 French and 100,000 to 300,000 Lebanese)
|
||
|
||
Religion: 63% indigenous, 25% Muslim, 12% Christian
|
||
|
||
Language: French (official), over 60 native dialects; Dioula most widely
|
||
spoken
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 42.7%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 5,718,000; over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, for
|
||
estry,
|
||
livestock raising; about 11% of labor force are wage earners, nearly half in
|
||
agriculture and the remainder in government, industry, commerce, and
|
||
professions; 54% of population of working age (1985)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 20% of wage labor force
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of the Ivory Coast; note--the local official
|
||
name is Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
|
||
|
||
Type: republic; one-party presidential regime established 1960
|
||
|
||
Capital: Abidjan (capital city changed to Yamoussoukro in March 1983 but
|
||
not recognized by US)
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 49 departments (departements,
|
||
singular--(departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope, Agboville,
|
||
Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma, Bondoukou, Bongouanou, Bouafle, Bouake, Bouna,
|
||
Boundiali, Dabakala, Daloa, Danane, Daoukro, Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue,
|
||
Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa, Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia, Katiola, Korhogo, Lakota,
|
||
Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro, Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro, Sassandra,
|
||
Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre, Tabou, Tanda, Tengrela, Tiassale, Touba,
|
||
Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
|
||
|
||
Independence: 7 August 1960 (from France)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 3 November 1960
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law;
|
||
judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not
|
||
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: National Day, 7 December
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Dr. Felix
|
||
HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since 27 November 1960)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: only party--Democratic Party of
|
||
the Ivory Coast (PDCI), Dr. Felix Houphouet-Boigny
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 21
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held 27 October 1985 (next to be held October 1990);
|
||
results--President Felix Houphouet-Boigny was reelected without
|
||
opposition to his fifth consecutive five-year term;
|
||
|
||
National Assembly--last held 10 November 1985 (next to be held
|
||
10 November 1990);
|
||
results--PDCI is the only party;
|
||
seats--(175 total) PDCI 175
|
||
|
||
Communists: no Communist party; possibly some sympathizers
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, EIB (associate),
|
||
Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
|
||
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN,
|
||
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Charles GOMIS; Chancery at
|
||
2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-0300;
|
||
US--Ambassador Kenneth BROWN; Embassy at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan
|
||
(mailing address is B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01); telephone <20>225<32> 32-09-79
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green;
|
||
similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and has the colors
|
||
reversed--green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of
|
||
Italy which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag
|
||
of France
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The Ivory Coast is among the world's largest producers and
|
||
exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm-kernel oil. Consequently, the economy
|
||
is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for coffee and cocoa
|
||
and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government to diversify, the
|
||
economy is still largely dependent on agriculture and related industries. The
|
||
agricultural sector accounts for over one-third of GDP and about 80% of export
|
||
earnings and employs about 85% of the labor force. A collapse of world cocoa and
|
||
coffee prices in 1986 threw the economy into a recession, from which the country
|
||
had not recovered by 1989.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $10.0 billion, per capita $900; real growth rate - 6.4% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.5% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 14% (1985)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $1.6 billion (1986); expenditures $2.3 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $504 million (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--cocoa 30%,
|
||
coffee 20%, tropical woods 11%, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton;
|
||
partners--France, FRG, Netherlands, US, Belgium, Spain (1985)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--manufactured
|
||
goods and semifinished products 50%, consumer goods 40%, raw materials and
|
||
fuels 10%; partners--France, other EC, Nigeria, US, Japan (1985)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $14.7 billion (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1987)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 1,081,000 kW capacity; 2,440 million kWh produced,
|
||
210 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: foodstuffs, wood processing, oil refinery, automobile
|
||
assembly, textiles, fertilizer, beverage
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: most important sector, contributing one-third to GDP
|
||
and 80% to exports; cash crops include coffee, cocoa beans, timber,
|
||
bananas, palm kernels, rubber; food crops--corn, rice, manioc, sweet
|
||
potatoes; not selfsufficient in bread grain and dairy products
|
||
|
||
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis on a small scale for the
|
||
international drug trade
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $344 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.6 billion
|
||
|
||
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs);
|
||
1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF)
|
||
per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987),
|
||
346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 660 km (Burkina border to Abidjan, 1.00-meter gauge,
|
||
single track, except 25 km Abidjan-Anyama section is double track)
|
||
|
||
Highways: 46,600 km total; 3,600 km bituminous and bituminous-treated
|
||
surface; 32,000 km gravel, crushed stone, laterite, and improved earth; 11,000
|
||
km unimproved
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 980 km navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal
|
||
lagoons
|
||
|
||
Ports: Abidjan, San-Pedro
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,945 GRT/
|
||
90,684 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker,
|
||
1 chemical tanker
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft, including multinationally owned
|
||
Air Afrique fleet
|
||
|
||
Airports: 49 total, 42 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with
|
||
runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: system above African average; consists of open-wire
|
||
lines and radio relay links; 87,700 telephones; stations--3 AM, 17 FM, 11 TV;
|
||
2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; 2 coaxial submarine cables
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 2,874,925; 1,487,909 fit for military
|
||
service; 141,193 males reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (1987)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Jamaica
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 10,990 km2; land area: 10,830 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 1,022 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone
|
||
|
||
Land use: 19% arable land; 6% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures;
|
||
28% forest and woodland; 29% other; includes 3% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: subject to hurricanes (especially July to November);
|
||
deforestation; water pollution
|
||
|
||
Note: strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica
|
||
Channel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 2,441,396 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 21 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 79 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Jamaican(s); adjective--Jamaican
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 76.3% African, 15.1% Afro-European, 3.4% East Indian and
|
||
Afro-East Indian, 3.2% white, 1.2% Chinese and Afro-Chinese, 0.8% other
|
||
|
||
Religion: predominantly Protestant (including Anglican and Baptist), some
|
||
Roman Catholic, some spiritualist cults
|
||
|
||
Language: English, Creole
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 74%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 728,700; 32% agriculture, 28% industry and commerce,
|
||
27% services, 13% government; shortage of technical and managerial personnel
|
||
(1984)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 25% of labor force (1989)
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: none
|
||
|
||
Type: parliamentary democracy
|
||
|
||
Capital: Kingston
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston,
|
||
Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint
|
||
Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
|
||
|
||
Independence: 6 August 1962 (from UK)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 6 August 1962
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
|
||
jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August), 6 August 1990
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister,
|
||
Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house
|
||
or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented
|
||
by Governor General Sir Florizel A. GLASSPOLE (since 2 March 1973);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Michael MANLEY (since 9 February 1989)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: People's National Party (PNP), Michael
|
||
Manley; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward Seaga; Workers' Party of Jamaica
|
||
(WPJ), Trevor Munroe
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
House of Representatives--last held 9 February 1989 (next to be held
|
||
by February 1994);
|
||
results--PNP 57%, JLP 43%;
|
||
seats--(60 total) PNP 45, JLP 15
|
||
|
||
Communists: Workers' Party of Jamaica (Marxist-Leninist)
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups:
|
||
Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA,
|
||
IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
|
||
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
|
||
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Keith JOHNSON; Chancery at
|
||
Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington DC 20006; telephone (202) 452-0660;
|
||
there are Jamaican Consulates General in Miami and New York;
|
||
US--Ambassador Glen HOLDEN; Embassy at 3rd Floor, Jamaica Mutual Life
|
||
Center, 2 Oxford Road, Kingston; telephone <20>809<30> 929-4850
|
||
|
||
Flag: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles--green
|
||
(top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism.
|
||
In 1985 it suffered a setback with the closure of some facilities in the
|
||
bauxite and alumina industry, a major source of hard currency earnings. Since
|
||
1986 an economic recovery has been under way. In 1987 conditions began to
|
||
improve for the bauxite and alumina industry because of increases in world metal
|
||
prices. The recovery has also been supported by growth in the manufacturing and
|
||
tourism sectors. In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe
|
||
damage on crops and the electric power system, a sharp but temporary
|
||
setback to the economy. By October 1989 the economic recovery from the
|
||
hurricane was largely complete and real growth was up about 3% for 1989.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $3.8 billion, per capita $1,529; real growth rate 3.0% (1989
|
||
est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 18.7% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $NA (FY88 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $948 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
|
||
commodities--bauxite, alumina, sugar, bananas;
|
||
partners--US 40%, UK, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Norway
|
||
|
||
Imports: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum,
|
||
machinery, food, consumer goods, construction goods; partners--US 46%,
|
||
UK, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago
|
||
|
||
External debt: $4.4 billion (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 1,437,000 kW capacity; 2,390 million kWh produced,
|
||
960 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing,
|
||
light manufactures
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of GDP, one-third of work force, and
|
||
17% of exports; commercial crops--sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes,
|
||
and vegetables; livestock and livestock products include poultry, goats, milk;
|
||
not self-sufficient in grain, meat, and dairy products
|
||
|
||
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of cannabis has decreased, with
|
||
production shifting from large to small plots and nurseries to evade
|
||
aerial detection and eradication
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.1 billion; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion;
|
||
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $27 million; Communist countries (1974-88),
|
||
$349 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Jamaican dollar (plural--dollars);
|
||
1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1--6.5013 (January 1990),
|
||
5.7446 (1989), 5.4886 (1988), 5.4867 (1987), 5.4778 (1986), 5.5586 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 370 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track
|
||
|
||
Highways: 18,200 km total; 12,600 km paved, 3,200 km gravel, 2,400 km
|
||
improved earth
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: refined products, 10 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Kingston, Montego Bay
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,048 GRT/21,412
|
||
DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils,
|
||
and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 41 total, 25 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with
|
||
runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: fully automatic domestic telephone network;
|
||
127,000 telephones; stations--10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
|
||
earth stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Jamaica Defense Force (includes Coast Guard and Air Wing)
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 620,400; 440,967 fit for military service;
|
||
no conscription; 27,014 reach minimum volunteer age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 1.1% of GDP (1987)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Jan Mayen
|
||
(territory of Norway)
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 373 km2; land area: 373 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 124.1 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
|
||
|
||
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 4 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween
|
||
Greenland and Jan Mayen
|
||
|
||
Climate: arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
|
||
|
||
Terrain: volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers; Beerenberg is the
|
||
highest peak, with an elevation of 2,277 meters
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: none
|
||
|
||
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: barren volcanic island with some moss and grass;
|
||
volcanic activity resumed in 1970
|
||
|
||
Note: located 590 km north-northwest of Iceland between
|
||
the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea north of the Arctic Circle
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: no permanent inhabitants
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: none
|
||
|
||
Type: territory of Norway
|
||
|
||
Note: administered by a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen
|
||
(Svalbard)
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable
|
||
natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services
|
||
for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on
|
||
the island.
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 15,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh produced,
|
||
NA kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Airports: 1 with runway 1,220 to 2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: radio and meteorological station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is the responsibility of Norway
|
||
.pa
|
||
Japan
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 377,835 km2; land area: 374,744 km2; includes Bonin Islands
|
||
(Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima,
|
||
Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 29,751 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in international straits--La Perouse or
|
||
Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western channels of the Korea or
|
||
Tsushima Strait)
|
||
|
||
Disputes: Habomai Islands, Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands
|
||
occupied by Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Japan; Kuril Islands
|
||
administered by Soviet Union; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea;
|
||
Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
|
||
|
||
Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
|
||
|
||
Land use: 13% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures;
|
||
67% forest and woodland; 18% other; includes 9% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
|
||
occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
|
||
|
||
Note: strategic location in northeast Asia
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 123,642,461 (July 1990), growth rate 0.4% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 76 years male, 82 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Japanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Japanese
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 99.4% Japanese, 0.6% other (mostly Korean)
|
||
|
||
Religion: most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites; about 16%
|
||
belong to other faiths, including 0.8% Christian
|
||
|
||
Language: Japanese
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 99%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 63,330,000; 54% trade and services; 33% manufacturing,
|
||
mining, and construction; 7% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 3% government
|
||
(1988)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: about 29% of employed workers; 76.4% public service,
|
||
57.9% transportation and telecommunications, 48.7% mining, 33.7% manufacturing,
|
||
18.2% services, 9.3% wholesale, retail, and restaurant
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: none
|
||
|
||
Type: constitutional monarchy
|
||
|
||
Capital: Tokyo
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures (fuken, singular and plural);
|
||
Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma,
|
||
Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima,
|
||
Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki,
|
||
Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga,
|
||
Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama,
|
||
Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
|
||
|
||
Independence: 660 BC, traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu;
|
||
3 May 1947, constitutional monarchy established
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 3 May 1947
|
||
|
||
Legal system: civil law system with English-American influence;
|
||
judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory
|
||
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: emperor, prime minister, Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house or
|
||
House of Councillors (Sangi-in) and a lower house or House of Representatives
|
||
(Shugi-in)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Toshiki KAIFU (since 9 August 1989)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP),
|
||
Toshiki Kaifu, president; Japan Socialist Party (JSP), T. Doi, chairman;
|
||
Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keigo Ouchi, chairman; Japan
|
||
Communist Party (JCP), K. Miyamoto, Presidium chairman; Komeito (Clean
|
||
Government Party, CGP), Koshiro Ishida, chairman
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 20
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
House of Councillors--last held on 23 July 1989 (next to be held
|
||
23 July 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
||
seats--(252 total, 100 elected) LDP 109, JSP 67, CGP 21, JCP 14,
|
||
others 33;
|
||
|
||
House of Representatives--last held on 18 February 1990
|
||
(next to be held by February 1993);
|
||
results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
||
seats--(512 total) LDP 275, JSP 136, CGP 45, JCP 16, JDSP 14,
|
||
other parties 5, independents 21; note--nine independents are expected
|
||
to join the LDP, five the JSP
|
||
|
||
Communists: about 470,000 registered Communist party members
|
||
|
||
Member of: ADB, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA,
|
||
IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD,
|
||
IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU,
|
||
IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD,
|
||
UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Nobuo MATSUNAGA; Chancery at
|
||
2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6700;
|
||
there are Japanese Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta,
|
||
Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles,
|
||
New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland (Oregon),
|
||
and a Consulate in Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands);
|
||
US--Ambassador Michael H. ARMACOST; Embassy at 10-1, Akasaka 1-chome,
|
||
Minato-ku (107), Tokyo (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96503); telephone
|
||
<EFBFBD>81<EFBFBD> (3) 224-5000; there are US Consulates General in Naha, Osaka-Kobe, and
|
||
Sapporo and a Consulate in Fukuoka
|
||
|
||
Flag: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays)
|
||
in the center
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Although Japan has few natural resources, since 1971 it has
|
||
become the world's third-largest industrial economy, ranking behind only the US
|
||
and the USSR. Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and a
|
||
comparatively small defense allocation have helped Japan advance rapidly,
|
||
notably in high-technology fields. Industry, the most important sector of the
|
||
economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels.
|
||
Self-sufficent in rice, Japan must import 50% of its requirements for other
|
||
grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing
|
||
fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the total global catch. Overall
|
||
economic growth has been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5%
|
||
average in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1989 strong investment and
|
||
consumption spending helped maintain growth at nearly 5%. Inflation
|
||
remains low at 2.1% despite high oil prices and a somewhat weaker yen.
|
||
Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus, $60 billion in 1989, which
|
||
supports extensive investment in foreign properties.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $1,914.1 billion, per capita $15,600; real growth rate 4.8%
|
||
(1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 2.3% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $392 billion; expenditures $464 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $NA (FY89)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $270 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--manufactures
|
||
97% (including machinery 38%, motor vehicles 17%, consumer electronics
|
||
10%); partners--US 34%, Southeast Asia 22%, Western Europe 21%, Communist
|
||
countries 5%, Middle East 5%
|
||
|
||
Imports: $210 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--manufactures
|
||
42%, fossil fuels 30%, foodstuffs 15%, nonfuel raw materials 13%;
|
||
partners--Southeast Asia 23%, US 23%, Middle East 15%, Western Europe 16%,
|
||
Communist countries 7%
|
||
|
||
External debt: $NA
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 9.0% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 191,000,000 kW capacity; 700,000 million kWh produced,
|
||
5,680 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: metallurgy, engineering, electrical and electronic, textiles,
|
||
chemicals, automobiles, fishing
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for 3% of GNP; highly subsidized and protected
|
||
sector, with crop yields among highest in world; principal crops--rice, sugar
|
||
beets, vegetables, fruit; animal products include pork, poultry, dairy and eggs;
|
||
about 50% self-sufficient in food production; shortages of wheat, corn,
|
||
soybeans; world's largest fish catch of 11.8 million metric tons in 1987
|
||
|
||
Aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $57.5 billion
|
||
|
||
Currency: yen (plural--yen); 1 yen (Y) = 100 sen
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: yen (Y) per US$1--145.09 (January 1990), 137.96 (1989),
|
||
128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 27,327 km total; 2,012 km 1.435-meter standard gauge
|
||
and 25,315 km predominantly 1.067-meter narrow gauge; 5,724 km doubletrack and
|
||
multitrack sections, 9,038 km 1.067-meter narrow-gauge electrified, 2,012
|
||
km 1.435-meter standard-gauge electrified (1987)
|
||
|
||
Highways: 1,098,900 km total; 718,700 km paved, 380,200 km gravel,
|
||
crushed stone, or unpaved; 3,900 km national expressways, 46,544 km national
|
||
highways, 43,907 km principal local roads, 86,930 km prefectural roads,
|
||
and 917,619 other (1987)
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: about 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland
|
||
seas
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 84 km; refined products, 322 km; natural gas,
|
||
1,800 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Chiba, Muroran, Kitakyushu, Kobe, Tomakomai, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo,
|
||
Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Niigata, Fushiki-Toyama, Shimizu, Himeji,
|
||
Wakayama-Shimozu, Shimonoseki, Tokuyama-Shimomatsu
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 1,088 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,597,688
|
||
GRT/36,655,266 DWT; includes 7 passenger, 57 short-sea passenger, 4 passenger
|
||
cargo, 108 cargo, 44 container, 27 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 135 refrigerated
|
||
cargo, 117 vehicle carrier, 237 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker,
|
||
21 chemical tanker, 42 liquefied gas, 12 combination ore/oil, 3 specialized
|
||
tanker, 272 bulk, 1 combination bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 341 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 165 total, 156 usable; 128 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
2 with runways over 3,659 m; 27 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 55 with runways
|
||
1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international service;
|
||
64,000,000 telephones; stations--318 AM, 58 FM, 12,350 TV (196 major--1 kw or
|
||
greater); satellite earth stations--4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean
|
||
INTELSAT; submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and USSR
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (army), Japan Maritime
|
||
Self-Defense Force (navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (air force), Maritime
|
||
Safety Agency (coast guard)
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 32,181,866; 27,695,890 fit for military
|
||
service; 1,004,052 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 1.0% of GNP at market prices (1989 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Jarvis Island
|
||
(territory of the US)
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 4.5 km2; land area: 4.5 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: about 7.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 8 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 m;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
|
||
|
||
Terrain: sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
|
||
|
||
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
|
||
0% forest and woodland; 100% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing
|
||
shrubs; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging
|
||
habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; feral cats
|
||
|
||
Note: 2,090 km south of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, just south
|
||
of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: uninhabited
|
||
|
||
Note: Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally used
|
||
as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was abandoned;
|
||
reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year by scientists who
|
||
left in 1958; public entry is by special-use permit only and generally
|
||
restricted to scientists and educators
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
|
||
|
||
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish
|
||
and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the
|
||
National Wildlife Refuge System
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: no economic activity
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only--one boat landing area in the
|
||
middle of the west coast and another near the southwest corner of the island
|
||
|
||
Note: there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually
|
||
by the US Coast Guard
|
||
.pa
|
||
Jersey
|
||
(British crown dependency)
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 117 km2; land area: 117 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 70 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
|
||
|
||
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 3 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: temperate; mild winters and cool summers
|
||
|
||
Terrain: gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: agricultural land
|
||
|
||
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
|
||
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other; about 58% of land under cultivation
|
||
|
||
Environment: about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
|
||
|
||
Note: largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; 27 km
|
||
from France
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 83,609 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 7 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Channel Islander(s); adjective--Channel Islander
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French descent
|
||
|
||
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
|
||
Methodist, Presbyterian
|
||
|
||
Language: English and French (official), with the Norman-French dialect
|
||
spoken in country districts
|
||
|
||
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
|
||
|
||
Labor force: NA
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: none
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Bailiwick of Jersey
|
||
|
||
Type: British crown dependency
|
||
|
||
Capital: Saint Helier
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
|
||
|
||
Independence: none (British crown dependency)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and
|
||
practice
|
||
|
||
Legal system: English law and local statute
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, bailiff
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the States
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Royal Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Lieutenant Governor Adm. Sir William PILLAR
|
||
(since NA 1985); Bailiff Peter CRILL (since NA)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
Assembly of the States--last held NA (next to be held NA);
|
||
results--percent of vote NA;
|
||
seats--(56 total, 52 elected) 52 independents
|
||
|
||
Communists: probably none
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
|
||
|
||
Flag: white with the diagonal red cross of St. Patrick (patron saint
|
||
of Ireland) extending to the corners of the flag
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The economy is based largely on financial services, agriculture,
|
||
and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are
|
||
important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy
|
||
cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export earner. Milk
|
||
products go to the UK and other EC countries. In 1986 the finance sector
|
||
overtook tourism as the main contributor to GDP, accounting for 40% of the
|
||
island's output. In recent years the government has encouraged light industry
|
||
to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed
|
||
alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material
|
||
and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food
|
||
needs.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate 8% (1987 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: NA%
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $308.0 million; expenditures $284.4 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of NA (1985)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $NA; commodities--light industrial and electrical goods,
|
||
foodstuffs, textiles; partners--UK
|
||
|
||
Imports: $NA; commodities--machinery and transport equipment,
|
||
manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals; partners--UK
|
||
|
||
External debt: $NA
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 50,000 kW standby capacity (1989); power supplied by France
|
||
|
||
Industries: tourism, banking and finance, dairy
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: potatoes, cauliflowers, tomatoes; dairy and cattle farming
|
||
|
||
Aid: none
|
||
|
||
Currency: Jersey pound (plural--pounds); 1 Jersey pound (LJ) = 100 pence
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Jersey pounds (LJ) per US$1--0.6055 (January 1990),
|
||
0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985);
|
||
the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Ports: Saint Helier, Gorey, St. Aubin
|
||
|
||
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m (St. Peter)
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: 63,700 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, 1
|
||
TV; 3 submarine cables
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
|
||
.pa
|
||
Johnston Atoll
|
||
(territory of the US)
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 2.8 km2; land area: 2.8 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 10 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 m;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds
|
||
with little seasonal temperature variation
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly flat with a maximum elevation of 4 meters
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until about 1890)
|
||
|
||
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
|
||
0% forest and woodland; 100% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: some low-growing vegetation
|
||
|
||
Note: strategic location 1,328 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North
|
||
Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way between Hawaii and the Marshall
|
||
Islands; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands; North Island
|
||
(Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral
|
||
dredging; closed to the public; former nuclear weapons test site
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 1,203 (December 1989); all US government personnel and
|
||
contractors
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
|
||
|
||
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Defense
|
||
Nuclear Agency (DNA) and managed cooperatively by DNA and the Fish and Wildlife
|
||
Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife
|
||
Refuge system
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
|
||
|
||
Flag: the flag of the US is used
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to
|
||
US military personnel and contractors located on the island. All
|
||
food and manufactured goods must be imported.
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Ports: Johnston Island
|
||
|
||
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,743 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: excellent system including 60-channel submarine
|
||
cable, Autodin/SRT terminal, digital telephone switch, Military
|
||
Affiliated Radio System (MARS station), and a (receive only) commercial
|
||
satellite television system
|
||
|
||
Note: US Coast Guard operates a LORAN transmitting station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
|
||
.pa
|
||
Jordan
|
||
(see separate West Bank entry)
|
||
Note: The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with
|
||
Israel in control of the West Bank. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords
|
||
and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the
|
||
final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with their
|
||
neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated
|
||
among the concerned parties. The Camp David Accords further specify that these
|
||
negotiations will resolve the location of the respective boundaries. Pending the
|
||
completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West
|
||
Bank and Gaza Strip has yet to be determined.
|
||
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 91,880 km2; land area: 91,540 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 1,586 km total; Iraq 134 km, Israel 238 km,
|
||
Saudi Arabia 742 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 26 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 3 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: differences with Israel over the location of the
|
||
1949 Armistice Line which separates the two countries
|
||
|
||
Climate: mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west;
|
||
Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: phosphates, potash, shale oil
|
||
|
||
Land use: 4% arable land; 0.5% permanent crops; 1% meadows
|
||
and pastures; 0.5% forest and woodland; 94% other; includes 0.5% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: lack of natural water resources; deforestation;
|
||
overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 3,064,508 (July 1990), growth rate 3.6% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 55 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 71 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Jordanian(s); adjective--Jordanian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 98% Arab, 1% Circassian, 1% Armenian
|
||
|
||
Religion: 92% Sunni Muslim, 8% Christian
|
||
|
||
Language: Arabic (official); English widely understood among upper and
|
||
middle classes
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 71% (est.)
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 572,000 (1988); 20% agriculture, 20%
|
||
manufacturing and mining (1987 est.)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: about 10% of labor force
|
||
|
||
Note: 1.5-1.7 million Palestinians live on the East Bank (55-60%
|
||
of the population), most are Jordanian citizens
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
|
||
|
||
Type: constitutional monarchy
|
||
|
||
Capital: Amman
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 8 governorates (muhafazat,
|
||
singular--muhafazah); Al Balqa, Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Amman,
|
||
At Tafilah, Az Zarqa, Irbid, Maan
|
||
|
||
Independence: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British
|
||
administration; formerly Trans-Jordan)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 8 January 1952
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review
|
||
of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted
|
||
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al Umma)
|
||
consists of an upper house or House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayaan) and a
|
||
lower house or House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwwab); note--the House
|
||
of Representatives was dissolved by King Hussein on 30 July 1988 as part of
|
||
Jordanian disengagement from the West Bank and in November 1989 the
|
||
first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held, with no seats going
|
||
to Palestinians on the West Bank
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal I (since 11 August 1952);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Mudar BADRAN (since 4 December
|
||
1989)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: none; after 1989 parliamentary
|
||
elections, King Hussein promised to allow the formation of political
|
||
parties
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 20
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1989 (next to be
|
||
held NA); results--percent of vote NA;
|
||
seats--(80 total) percent of vote NA
|
||
|
||
Communists: party actively repressed, membership less than 500 (est.)
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACC, Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
|
||
IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
|
||
INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hussein A. HAMMAMI;
|
||
Chancery at 3504 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008;
|
||
telephone (202) 966-2664;
|
||
US--Ambassador Roscoe S. SUDDARTH; Embassy on Jebel Amman, Amman (mailing
|
||
address is P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO New York 09892);
|
||
telephone <20>962<36> (6) 644371 through 644376
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a
|
||
red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white
|
||
seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental
|
||
laws of the Koran
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Jordan was a secondary beneficiary of the oil boom of
|
||
the late 1970s and early 1980s, when its GNP growth averaged 10-12%. Recent
|
||
years, however, have witnessed a sharp reduction in cash aid from Arab
|
||
oil-producing countries and in worker remittances, with growth averaging
|
||
1-2%. Imports--mainly oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and
|
||
foodstuffs--have been outstripping exports by roughly $2 billion annually,
|
||
the difference being made up by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In 1989
|
||
the government pursued policies to encourage private investment, curb
|
||
imports of luxury goods, promote exports, reduce the budget deficit, and, in
|
||
general, reinvigorate economic growth. Success will depend largely on
|
||
exogenous forces, such as the absence of drought and a pickup in outside
|
||
support. Down the road, the completion of the proposed Unity Dam on the
|
||
Yarmuk is vital to meet rapidly growing requirements for water.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $5.2 billion, per capita $1,760; real growth rate 0% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 9-10% (December 1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $0.92 billion; expenditures $1.6 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $540 million (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $0.910 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--fruits and
|
||
vegetables, phosphates, fertilizers;
|
||
partners--Iraq, Saudi Arabia, India, Kuwait, Japan, China,
|
||
Yugoslavia, Indonesia
|
||
|
||
Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--crude oil,
|
||
textiles, capital goods, motor vehicles, foodstuffs;
|
||
partners--EC, US, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey, Romania, China,
|
||
Taiwan
|
||
|
||
External debt: $8.3 billion (December 1989)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate - 7.8% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 981,000 kW capacity; 3,500 million kWh produced,
|
||
1,180 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash,
|
||
light manufacturing
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for only 5% of GDP; principal products are wheat,
|
||
barley, citrus fruit, tomatoes, melons, olives; livestock--sheep, goats,
|
||
poultry; large net importer of food
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.7 billion; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion;
|
||
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion; Communist countries (1970-88),
|
||
$44 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Jordanian dinar (plural--dinars);
|
||
1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1--0.6557 (January 1990),
|
||
0.5704 (1989), 0.3715 (1988), 0.3387 (1987), 0.3499 (1986), 0.3940 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 619 km 1.050-meter gauge, single track
|
||
|
||
Highways: 7,500 km; 5,500 km asphalt, 2,000 km gravel and crushed stone
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 209 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Al Aqabah
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 32,635 GRT/44,618
|
||
DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 2 bulk cargo
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 19 total, 16 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
1 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: adequate system of radio relay, cable, and radio;
|
||
81,500 telephones; stations--4 AM, 3 FM, 24 TV; satellite earth stations--1
|
||
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 domestic TV
|
||
receive-only; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria;
|
||
radio relay to Lebanon is inactive; a microwave network linking Syria, Egypt,
|
||
Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Jordan
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Jordan Arab Army, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Jordanian
|
||
Coast Guard
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 726,736; 519,972 fit for military service;
|
||
38,730 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 11% of GNP, or $570 million (1990 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Juan de Nova Island
|
||
(French possession)
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 4.4 km2; land area: 4.4 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: about 7.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 24.1 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical
|
||
|
||
Terrain: undetermined
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: guano deposits and other fertilizers
|
||
|
||
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 90% forest and woodland; 10% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: subject to periodic cyclones; wildlife sanctuary
|
||
|
||
Note: located in the central Mozambique Channel about halfway
|
||
between Africa and Madagascar
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: uninhabited
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: none
|
||
|
||
Type: French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic
|
||
Daniel CONSTANTIN, resident in Reunion
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: no economic activity
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: short line going to a jetty
|
||
|
||
Airports: 1 with nonpermanent-surface runway less than 1,220 m
|
||
|
||
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
|
||
|
||
Note: one weather station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
|
||
.pa
|
||
Kenya
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 582,650 km2; land area: 569,250 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 3,477 km total; Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km,
|
||
Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 536 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: international boundary and Administrative Boundary with Sudan;
|
||
possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis
|
||
|
||
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
|
||
|
||
Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift
|
||
Valley; fertile plateau in west
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: gold, limestone, diotomite, salt barytes, magnesite,
|
||
feldspar, sapphires, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
|
||
|
||
Land use: 3% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures;
|
||
4% forest and woodland; 85% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife
|
||
of scientific and economic value; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification;
|
||
glaciers on Mt. Kenya
|
||
|
||
Note: Kenyan Highlands one of the most successful agricultural
|
||
production regions in Africa
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 24,639,261 (July 1990), growth rate 3.8% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Kenyan(s); adjective--Kenyan
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 21% Kikuyu, 14% Luhya, 13% Luo, 11% Kalenjin, 11% Kamba,
|
||
6% Kisii, 6% Meru, 1% Asian, European, and Arab
|
||
|
||
Religion: 38% Protestant, 28% Roman Catholic, 26% indigenous beliefs,
|
||
6% Muslim
|
||
|
||
Language: English and Swahili (official); numerous indigenous languages
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 59.2%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 9,003,000; 78% agriculture, 22% nonagriculture
|
||
(1987 est.)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 390,000 (est.)
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Kenya
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Nairobi
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast,
|
||
Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North-Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
|
||
|
||
Independence: 12 December 1963 (from UK; formerly British East Africa)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964;
|
||
reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, and 1988
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law;
|
||
judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
|
||
reservations; constitutional amendment in 1982 made Kenya a de jure one-party
|
||
state
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Daniel Teroitich
|
||
arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); Vice President George SAITOTI
|
||
(since 10 May 1989)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: only party--Kenya African National
|
||
Union (KANU), Daniel T. arap Moi, president
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held on 21 March 1988 (next to be held
|
||
February 1993);
|
||
results--President Daniel T. arap Moi was reelected;
|
||
|
||
National Assembly--last held on 21 March 1988
|
||
(next to be held March 1993); results--KANU is the only party;
|
||
seats--(202 total, 188 elected) KANU 200
|
||
|
||
Communists: may be a few Communists and sympathizers
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: labor unions; exile
|
||
opposition--Mwakenya and other groups
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
|
||
ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU,
|
||
IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAU, UN, UNDP, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO,
|
||
WMO, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Denis Daudi AFANDE; Chancery at
|
||
2249 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-6101; there are
|
||
Kenyan Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York;
|
||
US--Ambassador Smith HEMPSTONE; Embassy at the corner of Moi Avenue
|
||
and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi (mailing address is P. O. Box 30137,
|
||
Nairobi or APO New York 09675); telephone <20>254<35> (2) 334141; there is a
|
||
US Consulate in Mombasa
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red
|
||
band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering crossed spears is
|
||
superimposed at the center
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: A serious underlying economic problem is Kenya's 3.8% annual
|
||
population growth rate--one of the highest in the world. In the
|
||
meantime, GDP growth in the near term has kept slightly ahead of
|
||
population--annually averaging 5.2% in the 1986-88 period. Undependable
|
||
weather conditions and a shortage of arable land hamper long-term
|
||
growth in agriculture, the leading economic sector.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $8.5 billion, per capita $360; real growth rate 4.9% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.3% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: NA%, but there is a high level of unemployment
|
||
and underemployment
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $2.3 billion; expenditures $2.6 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $0.71 billion (FY87)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coffee 20%,
|
||
tea 18%, manufactures 15%, petroleum products 10% (1987);
|
||
partners--Western Europe 45%, Africa 22%, Far East 10%, US 4%, Middle East
|
||
3% (1987)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--machinery
|
||
and transportation equipment 36%, raw materials 33%, fuels and lubricants 20%,
|
||
food and consumer goods 11% (1987);
|
||
partners--Western Europe 49%, Far East 20%, Middle East 19%, US 7% (1987)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $6.2 billion (December 1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1987 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 587,000 kW capacity; 2,250 million kWh produced,
|
||
90 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries,
|
||
textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining,
|
||
cement, tourism
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: most important sector, accounting for 30% of GDP,
|
||
about 80% of the work force, and over 50% of exports; cash
|
||
crops--coffee, tea, sisal, pineapple; food products--corn, wheat,
|
||
sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products; food output not keeping
|
||
pace with population growth
|
||
|
||
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis used mostly for
|
||
domestic consumption; widespread cultivation of cannabis and qat on
|
||
small plots; transit country for heroin and methaqualone en route
|
||
from Southwest Asia to West Africa, Western Europe, and the US
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $771 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.0 billion;
|
||
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $74 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
|
||
$83 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Kenyan shilling (plural--shillings);
|
||
1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1--21.749 (December 1989),
|
||
20.572 (1989), 17.747 (1988), 16.454 (1987), 16.226 (1986), 16.432 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 2,040 km 1.000-meter gauge
|
||
|
||
Highways: 64,590 km total; 7,000 km paved, 4,150 km gravel, remainder
|
||
improved earth
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of
|
||
Kenya; principal inland port is at Kisumu
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: refined products, 483 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Mombasa, Lamu
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 247 total, 211 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; 2
|
||
with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 45 with runways
|
||
1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: in top group of African systems; consists of radio
|
||
relay links, open-wire lines, and radiocommunication stations;
|
||
260,000 telephones; stations--11 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV; satellite earth stations--1
|
||
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTLESAT
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, Air Force; paramilitary General
|
||
Service Unit
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 5,240,551; 3,235,557 fit for military
|
||
service; no conscription
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 1.0% of GDP, or $100 million (1989 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Kingman Reef
|
||
(territory of the US)
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 1 km2; land area: 1 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 3 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 m;
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical, but moderated by prevailing winds
|
||
|
||
Terrain: low and nearly level with a maximum elevation of about 1 meter
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: none
|
||
|
||
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
|
||
0% forest and woodland; 100% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; wet or awash
|
||
most of the time
|
||
|
||
Note: located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific
|
||
Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa; maximum elevation of
|
||
about 1 meter makes this a navigational hazard; closed to the public
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: uninhabited
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: none
|
||
|
||
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Navy
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: no economic activity
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Airports: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and
|
||
American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938
|
||
|
||
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
|
||
.pa
|
||
Kiribati
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 717 km2; land area: 717 km2; includes three island
|
||
groups--Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: none
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 1,143 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
|
||
|
||
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 51% permanent crops; 0% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 46% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March;
|
||
20 of the 33 islands are inhabited
|
||
|
||
Note: Banaba or Ocean Island is one of the three great phosphate rock
|
||
islands in the Pacific (the others are Makatea in French Polynesia and Nauru)
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 70,012 (July 1990), growth rate 1.7% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 65 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 57 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 4.3 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Kiribatian(s); adjective--Kiribati
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: Micronesian
|
||
|
||
Religion: 48% Roman Catholic, 45% Protestant (Congregational),
|
||
some Seventh-Day Adventist and Baha'i
|
||
|
||
Language: English (official), Gilbertese
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 90%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 7,870 economically active (1985 est.)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: Kiribati Trades Union Congress--2,500 members
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Kiribati
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Tarawa
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix
|
||
Islands; note--a new administrative structure of 6 districts (Banaba, Central
|
||
Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) may have
|
||
been changed to 20 island councils (one for each of the inhabited islands) named
|
||
Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kiritimati, Kuria,
|
||
Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana,
|
||
Tarawa, Teraina
|
||
|
||
Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK; formerly Gilbert Islands)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 12 July 1979
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Ieremia T. TABAI
|
||
(since 12 July 1979); Vice President Teatao TEANNAKI (since 20 July 1979)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Gilbertese National Party; Christian
|
||
Democratic Party, Teburoro Tito, secretary; essentially not organized
|
||
on basis of political parties
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held on 12 May 1987 (next to be held May 1991);
|
||
results--Ieremia T. Tabai 50.1%, Tebruroro Tito 42.7%, Tetao
|
||
Tannaki 7.2%;
|
||
|
||
National Assembly--last held on 19 March l987 (next to be held
|
||
March 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
||
seats--(40 total; 39 elected) percent of seats by party NA
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP (associate member), GATT (de
|
||
facto), ICAO, IMF, SPF, WHO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant) lives in Tarawa (Kiribati);
|
||
US--none
|
||
|
||
Flag: the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a
|
||
yellow rising sun and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white
|
||
stripes to represent the ocean
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The country has few national resources. Phosphate deposits were
|
||
exhausted at the time of independence in 1979. Copra and fish now represent
|
||
the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in
|
||
recent years. Real GDP declined about 8% in 1987, as the fish catch fell
|
||
sharply to only one-fourth the level of 1986 and copra production was hampered
|
||
by repeated rains. Output rebounded strongly in 1988, with real GDP growing
|
||
by 17%. The upturn in economic growth came from an increase in copra production
|
||
and a good fish catch. Following the strong surge in output in 1988, GDP
|
||
remained about the same in 1989.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $34 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 0% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 2% (1985); considerable underemployment
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $22.0 million; expenditures $12.7 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $9.7 million (1988)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $5.1 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--fish 55%,
|
||
copra 42%; partners--EC 20%, Marshall Islands 12%, US 8%, American
|
||
Samoa 4% (1985)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $21.5 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs,
|
||
fuel, transportation equipment; partners--Australia 39%, Japan 21%,
|
||
NZ 6%, UK 6%, US 3% (1985)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $2.0 million (December 1987 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 13 million kWh produced,
|
||
190 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: fishing, handicrafts
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish
|
||
contribute 95% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops--taro,
|
||
breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food
|
||
|
||
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
|
||
(1970-87), $245 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Australian dollar (plural--dollars);
|
||
1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2784 (January 1990),
|
||
1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: NA
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Highways: 640 km of motorable roads
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands
|
||
|
||
Ports: Banaba and Betio (Tarawa)
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 2 Trislanders; no major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 22 total; 21 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 2,439 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: 1,400 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV;
|
||
1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: NA
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: NA
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: NA
|
||
.pa
|
||
Korea, North
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 120,540 km2; land area: 120,410 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Mississippi
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 1,671 km total; China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km,
|
||
USSR 17 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 2,495 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm;
|
||
|
||
Military boundary line: 50 nm (all foreign vessels and aircraft
|
||
without permission are banned)
|
||
|
||
Disputes: short section of boundary with China is indefinite;
|
||
Demarcation Line with South Korea
|
||
|
||
Climate: temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys;
|
||
coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite,
|
||
iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
|
||
|
||
Land use: 18% arable land; 1% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 74% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes 9% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible,
|
||
and sparsely populated; late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding
|
||
|
||
Note: strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and USSR
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 21,292,649 (July 1990), growth rate 1.7% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 27 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 75 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Korean(s); adjective--Korean
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: racially homogeneous
|
||
|
||
Religion: Buddhism and Confucianism; religious activities now almost
|
||
nonexistent
|
||
|
||
Language: Korean
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 95% (est.)
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 9,615,000; 36% agricultural, 64% nonagricultural; shortage
|
||
of skilled and unskilled labor (mid-1987 est.)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 1,600,000 members; single-trade union system coordinated
|
||
by the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea under the Central Committee
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea; abbreviated DPRK
|
||
|
||
Type: Communist state; one-man rule
|
||
|
||
Capital: P'yongyang
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and
|
||
3 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Chagang-do,
|
||
Hamgyong-namdo, Hamgyong-bukto, Hwanghae-namdo, Hwanghae-bukto,
|
||
Kaesong-si*, Kangwon-do, Namp'o-si*, P'yongan-bukto,
|
||
P'yongan-namdo, P'yongyang-si*, Yanggang-do
|
||
|
||
Independence: 9 September 1948
|
||
|
||
Constitution: adopted 1948, revised 27 December 1972
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on German civil law system with Japanese influences
|
||
and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not
|
||
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 9 September (1948)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, premier, nine vice
|
||
premiers, State Administration Council (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (Choe Ko In
|
||
Min Hoe Ui)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Central Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--President KIM Il-song (since 28 December 1972);
|
||
Designated Successor KIM Chong-Il (son of President, born 16 February 1942);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Premier YON Hyong-muk (since NA December 1988)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: only party--Korean Workers' Party
|
||
(KWP); Kim Il-song, General Secretary, and his son, Kim Chong-Il,
|
||
Secretary, Central Committee
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 17
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held 29 December 1986 (next to be held December
|
||
1990);
|
||
results--President Kim Il Song was reelected without opposition;
|
||
|
||
Supreme People's Assembly--last held on 2 November 1986 (next
|
||
to be held November 1990, but the constitutional provision for elections
|
||
every four years is not always followed);
|
||
results--KWP is the only party;
|
||
seats--(655 total) KWP 655; the KWP approves a single list of candidates
|
||
who are elected without opposition
|
||
|
||
Communists: KWP claims membership of about 2 million, or about one-tenth
|
||
of population
|
||
|
||
Member of: ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, IMO, IPU, ITU, NAM,
|
||
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO, UNIDO, WMO; official
|
||
observer status at UN
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: none
|
||
|
||
Flag: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue;
|
||
the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white
|
||
disk with a red five-pointed star
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: More than 90% of this command economy is socialized;
|
||
agricultural land is collectivized; and state-owned industry produces 95% of
|
||
manufactured goods. State control of economic affairs is unusually tight
|
||
even for a Communist country because of the small size and homogeneity of
|
||
the society and the strict one-man rule of Kim. Economic growth during
|
||
the period 1984-89 has averaged approximately 3%. Abundant natural resources
|
||
and hydropower form the basis of industrial development. Output of the
|
||
extractive industries includes coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper,
|
||
zinc, lead, and precious metals. Manufacturing emphasis is centered on heavy
|
||
industry, with light industry lagging far behind. The use of high-yielding
|
||
seed varieties, expansion of irrigation, and the heavy use of fertilizers
|
||
have enabled North Korea to become largely self-sufficient in food production.
|
||
North Korea, however, is far behind South Korea in economic development and
|
||
living standards.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $28 billion, per capita $1,240; real growth rate 3% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: officially none
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $15.6 billion; expenditures $15.6 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--minerals,
|
||
metallurgical products, agricultural products, manufactures;
|
||
partners--USSR, China, Japan, FRG, Hong Kong, Singapore
|
||
|
||
Imports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--petroleum,
|
||
machinery and equipment, coking coal, grain;
|
||
partners--USSR, Japan, China, FRG, Hong Kong, Singapore
|
||
|
||
External debt: $2.5 billion hard currency (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 6,440,000 kW capacity; 40,250 million kWh produced,
|
||
1,740 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: machine building, military products, electric power,
|
||
chemicals, mining, metallurgy, textiles, food processing
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GNP and 36% of work force;
|
||
principal crops--rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; livestock and livestock
|
||
products--cattle, hogs, pork, eggs; not self-sufficient in grain; fish catch
|
||
estimated at 1.7 million metric tons in 1987
|
||
|
||
Aid: Communist countries (1970-88), $1.3 billion
|
||
|
||
Currency: North Korean won (plural--won);
|
||
1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1--2.3 (December 1989),
|
||
2.13 (December 1988), 0.94 (March 1987), NA (1986), NA (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 4,535 km total operating in 1980; 3,870 km 1.435-meter standard
|
||
gauge, 665 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge, 159 km double track; 3,175 km
|
||
electrified; government owned
|
||
|
||
Highways: about 20,280 km (1980); 98.5% gravel, crushed stone, or earth
|
||
surface; 1.5% concrete or bituminous
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 37 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam, Namp'o, Wonsan, Songnim, Najin
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 65 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 437,103
|
||
GRT/663,835 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger-cargo,
|
||
56 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 bulk, 1 combination
|
||
bulk
|
||
|
||
Airports: 50 total, 50 usable; about 30 with permanent-surface
|
||
runways; fewer than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways
|
||
2,440-3,659 m; 30 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: stations--18 AM, no FM, 11 TV; 200,000 TV sets;
|
||
3,500,000 radio receivers; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Ministry of People's Armed Forces (consists of the army, navy,
|
||
and air force)
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 6,054,774; 3,699,088 fit for military
|
||
service; 223,087 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 22% of GNP (1987)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Korea, South
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 98,480 km2; land area: 98,190 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than Indiana
|
||
|
||
Land boundary: 238 km with North Korea
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 2,413 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in the Korea Strait)
|
||
|
||
Disputes: Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed
|
||
by Japan
|
||
|
||
Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west
|
||
and south
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead,
|
||
hydropower
|
||
|
||
Land use: 21% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures;
|
||
67% forest and woodland; 10% other; includes 12% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes
|
||
in southwest; air pollution in large cities
|
||
|
||
Notes: strategic location along the Korea Strait, Sea of Japan, and
|
||
Yellow Sea
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 43,045,098 (July 1990), growth rate 0.8% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 73 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Korean(s); adjective--Korean
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous; small Chinese minority (about 20,000)
|
||
|
||
Religion: strong Confucian tradition; vigorous Christian minority (28%
|
||
of the total population); Buddhism; pervasive folk religion (Shamanism);
|
||
Chondokyo (religion of the heavenly way), eclectic religion with nationalist
|
||
overtones founded in 19th century, claims about 1.5 million adherents
|
||
|
||
Language: Korean; English widely taught in high school
|
||
|
||
Literacy: over 90%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 16,900,000; 52% services and other; 27% mining and
|
||
manufacturing; 21% agriculture, fishing, forestry (1987)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: about 10% of nonagricultural labor force in
|
||
government-sanctioned unions
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Korea; abbreviated ROK
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Seoul
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and
|
||
6 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Cheju-do,
|
||
Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto,
|
||
Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do,
|
||
Kwangju-jikhalsi, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto,
|
||
Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*,
|
||
Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi
|
||
|
||
Independence: 15 August 1948
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 25 February 1988
|
||
|
||
Legal system: combines elements of continental European civil law systems,
|
||
Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory
|
||
ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
|
||
State Council (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--President ROH Tae Woo (since 25 February 1988);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister KANG Young Hoon (since 5 December
|
||
1988); Deputy Prime Minister CHO Soon (since 5 December 1988)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: major party is government's Democratic
|
||
Justice Party (DJP), Roh Tae Woo, president, and Park Tae Chun, chairman;
|
||
opposition parties are Peace and Democracy Party (PPD), Kim Dae Jung; Korea
|
||
Reunification Democratic Party (RPD), Kim Young Sam; New Democratic Republican
|
||
Party (NDRP), Kim Jong Pil; several smaller parties
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 20
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held on 16 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992);
|
||
results--Roh Tae Woo (DJP) 35.9%, Kim Young Sam (RDP) 27.5%,
|
||
Kim Dae Jung (PPD) 26.5%, other 10.1%;
|
||
|
||
National Assembly--last held on 26 April 1988 (next to be held
|
||
April 1992);
|
||
results--DJP 34%, RPD 24%, PPD 19%, NDRP 15%, others 8%;
|
||
seats--(299 total) DJP 125, PPD 71, RPD 59, NDRP 35, others 9
|
||
|
||
Communists: Communist party activity banned by government
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: Korean National Council of Churches;
|
||
large, potentially volatile student population concentrated in Seoul; Federation
|
||
of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Veterans' Association; Federation of Korean
|
||
Industries; Korean Traders Association
|
||
|
||
Member of: ADB, AfDB, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
|
||
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, IMF,
|
||
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC--International Whaling
|
||
Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO,
|
||
UNICEF, UNIDO, UN Special Fund, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO;
|
||
official observer status at UN
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Tong-Jin PARK; Chancery at
|
||
2320 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-5600;
|
||
there are Korean Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta,
|
||
Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle;
|
||
US--Ambassador Donald GREGG; Embassy at 82 Sejong-Ro,
|
||
Chongro-ku, Seoul (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96301); telephone <20>82<38>
|
||
(2) 732-2601 through 2618; there is a US Consulate in Pusan
|
||
|
||
Flag: white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there
|
||
is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes)
|
||
in each corner of the white field
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth
|
||
has been the planned development of an export-oriented economy in a
|
||
vigorously entrepreneurial society. GNP increased almost 13% in both
|
||
1986 and 1987 and 12% in 1988 before slowing to 6.5% in 1989. Such a
|
||
rapid rate of growth was achieved with an inflation rate of only 3% in the
|
||
period 1986-87, rising to 7% in 1988 and 5% in 1989. Unemployment is
|
||
also low, and some labor bottlenecks have appeared in several processing
|
||
industries. While the South Korean economy is expected to grow at more
|
||
than 5% annually during the 1990s, labor unrest--which led to
|
||
substantial wage hikes in 1987-89--threatens to undermine
|
||
noninflationary growth.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $200 billion, per capita $4,600; real growth rate 6.5% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 3% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $33.6 billion; expenditures $33.6 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of NA (1990)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $62.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--textiles,
|
||
clothing, electronic and electrical equipment, footwear, machinery, steel,
|
||
automobiles, ships, fish; partners--US 33%, Japan 21%
|
||
|
||
Imports: $61.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
|
||
commodities--machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil,
|
||
steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains;
|
||
partners--Japan 28%, US 25% (1990)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $30.5 billion (September 1989)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 20,500,000 kW capacity; 80,000 million kWh produced,
|
||
1,850 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing, chemicals,
|
||
steel, electronics, automobile production, ship building
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP and employs 21% of work force
|
||
(including fishing and forestry); principal crops--rice, root crops, barley,
|
||
vegetables, fruit; livestock and livestock products--cattle, hogs, chickens,
|
||
milk, eggs; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat; fish catch of 2.9
|
||
million metric tons, seventh-largest in world
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $3.9 billion
|
||
|
||
Currency: South Korean won (plural--won);
|
||
1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chon (theoretical)
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1--683.43 (January 1990),
|
||
671.46 (1989), 731.47 (1988), 822.57 (1987), 881.45 (1986), 870.02 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 3,106 km operating in 1983; 3,059 km 1.435-meter standard
|
||
gauge, 47 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 712 km double track, 418 km
|
||
electrified; government owned
|
||
|
||
Highways: 62,936 km total (1982); 13,476 km national highway, 49,460 km
|
||
provincial and local roads
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: 294 km refined products
|
||
|
||
Ports: Pusan, Inchon, Kunsan, Mokpo, Ulsan
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 423 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,006,481
|
||
GRT/11,658,104 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 130 cargo, 41 container,
|
||
11 refrigerated cargo, 11 vehicle carrier, 49 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
|
||
(POL) tanker, 8 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 10 combination ore/oil,
|
||
143 bulk, 7 combination bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 93 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 112 total, 105 usable; 61 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with
|
||
runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: adequate domestic and international services;
|
||
4,800,000 telephones; stations--79 AM, 46 FM, 256 TV (57 of 1 kW or greater);
|
||
satellite earth stations--2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 12,792,426; 8,260,886 fit for military
|
||
service; 445,320 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 5% of GNP, or $10 billion (1989 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Kuwait
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 17,820 km2; land area: 17,820 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 462 km total; Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 499 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: not specific;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: ownership of Warbah and Bubiyan islands disputed
|
||
by Iraq; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands disputed by
|
||
Saudi Arabia
|
||
|
||
Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
|
||
|
||
Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
|
||
|
||
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 8% meadows and
|
||
pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 92% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination
|
||
facilities provide most of water; air and water pollution; desertification
|
||
|
||
Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 2,123,711 (July 1990), growth rate 3.8% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 2 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Kuwaiti(s); adjective--Kuwaiti
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 27.9% Kuwaiti, 39% other Arab, 9% South Asian, 4%
|
||
Iranian, 20.1% other
|
||
|
||
Religion: 85% Muslim (30% Shia, 45% Sunni, 10% other),
|
||
15% Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other
|
||
|
||
Language: Arabic (official); English widely spoken
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 71% (est.)
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 566,000 (1986); 45.0% services, 20.0% construction, 12.0%
|
||
trade, 8.6% manufacturing, 2.6% finance and real estate, 1.9% agriculture, 1.7%
|
||
power and water, 1.4% mining and quarrying; 70% of labor force is non-Kuwaiti
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: labor unions exist in oil industry and among government
|
||
personnel
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: State of Kuwait
|
||
|
||
Type: nominal constitutional monarchy
|
||
|
||
Capital: Kuwait
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 4 governorates (muhafazat,
|
||
singular--muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt,
|
||
Hawalli; note--there may be a new governorate of Farwaniyyah
|
||
|
||
Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 16 November 1962 (some provisions suspended since 29
|
||
August 1962)
|
||
|
||
Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal
|
||
matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: National Day, 25 February
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: amir, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
|
||
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: National Assembly (Majlis al Umma) dissolved
|
||
3 July 1986
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Amir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al SABAH
|
||
(since 31 December 1977);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sad Abdallah
|
||
al-Salim Al SABAH (since 8 February 1978)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: none
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their male
|
||
descendants at age 21; note--out of all citizens, only 8.3% are
|
||
eligible to vote and only 3.5% actually vote
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
National Assembly--dissolved 3 July 1986 and no elections are
|
||
planned
|
||
|
||
Communists: insignificant
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: large (350,000) Palestinian
|
||
community; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups
|
||
are active
|
||
|
||
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
|
||
IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
|
||
IPU, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Shaikh Saud Nasir AL-SABAH;
|
||
Chancery at 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
|
||
telephone (202) 966-0702;
|
||
US--Ambassador W. Nathaniel HOWELL; Embassy at Bneid al-Gar (opposite the
|
||
Hilton Hotel), Kuwait City (mailing address is P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat,
|
||
Kuwait City); telephone <20>965<36> 242-4151 through 4159
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a
|
||
black trapezoid based on the hoist side
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The oil sector dominates the economy. Of the countries in the
|
||
Middle East, Kuwait has oil reserves second only to those of Saudi Arabia.
|
||
Earnings from hydrocarbons generate over 90% of both export and government
|
||
revenues and contribute about 40% to GDP. Most of the nonoil sector is dependent
|
||
upon oil-derived government revenues to provide infrastructure development and
|
||
to promote limited industrial diversification. The economy is heavily dependent
|
||
upon foreign labor--Kuwaitis account for less than 20% of the labor force. The
|
||
early years of the Iran-Iraq war pushed Kuwait's GDP well below its 1980 peak;
|
||
however, during the period 1986-88, GDP increased each year, rising to 5% in
|
||
1988.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $20.5 billion, per capita $10,500; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 0%
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $10.5 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY88)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $7.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--oil 90%;
|
||
partners--Japan, Italy, FRG, US
|
||
|
||
Imports: $5.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--food,
|
||
construction material, vehicles and parts, clothing; partners--Japan,
|
||
US, FRG, UK
|
||
|
||
External debt: $7.2 billion (December 1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 8,287,000 kW capacity; 21,500 million kWh produced,
|
||
10,710 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing,
|
||
salt, construction
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: virtually none; dependent on imports for food; about 75% of
|
||
potable water must be distilled or imported
|
||
|
||
Aid: donor--pledged $18.3 billion in bilateral aid to less developed
|
||
countries (1979-89)
|
||
|
||
Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (plural--dinars);
|
||
1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1--0.2915 (January 1990),
|
||
0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988), 0.2786 (1987), 0.2919 (1986), 0.3007 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Highways: 3,000 km total; 2,500 km bituminous; 500 km earth, sand, light
|
||
gravel
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 877 km; refined products, 40 km; natural gas, 165 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Ash Shuwaykh, Ash Shuaybah, Mina al Ahmadi
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 1,862,010
|
||
GRT/2,935,007 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 5 container, 5 livestock carrier,
|
||
18 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 liquefied gas
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 8 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: excellent international, adequate domestic facilities;
|
||
258,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations--1
|
||
Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; 1 INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT;
|
||
coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq and Saudi Arabia
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, about 688,516; about 411,742 fit for
|
||
military service; 18,836 reach military age (18) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 5.8% of GDP, or $1.2 billion (FY89)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Laos
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 236,800 km2; land area: 230,800 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than Utah
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 5,083 km total; Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China
|
||
423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Disputes: boundary dispute with Thailand
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season
|
||
(December to April)
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold,
|
||
gemstones
|
||
|
||
Land use: 4% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 3% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 58% forest and woodland; 35% other; includes 1% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: deforestation; soil erosion; subject to floods
|
||
|
||
Note: landlocked
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 4,023,726 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 126 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 51 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 5.1 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Lao (sing., Lao or Laotian); adjective--Lao or Laotian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 50% Lao, 15% Phoutheung (Kha), 20% tribal Thai, 15% Meo,
|
||
Hmong, Yao, and other
|
||
|
||
Religion: 85% Buddhist, 15% animist and other
|
||
|
||
Language: Lao (official), French, and English
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 85%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 1-1.5 million; 85-90% in agriculture (est.)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: Lao Federation of Trade Unions is subordinate to the
|
||
Communist party
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Lao People's Democratic Republic
|
||
|
||
Type: Communist state
|
||
|
||
Capital: Vientiane
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural)
|
||
and 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo,
|
||
Bolikhamsai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louang Namtha, Louangphrabang,
|
||
Oudomxai, Phongsali, Saravan, Savannakhet, Sekong, Vientiane,
|
||
Vientiane*, Xaignabouri, Xiangkhoang
|
||
|
||
Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: draft constitution under discussion since 1976
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
|
||
jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: National Day (proclamation of the Lao People's
|
||
Democratic Republic), 2 December (1975)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, chairman and five vice chairmen of the
|
||
Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: Supreme People's Assembly
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Central Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Acting President PHOUMI VONGVICHIT (since 29 October
|
||
1986);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Chairman of the Council of Ministers General
|
||
KAYSONE PHOMVIHAN (since 2 December 1975)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Lao People's Revolutionary Party
|
||
(LPRP), Kaysone Phomvihan, party chairman; includes Lao Patriotic
|
||
Front and Alliance Committee of Patriotic Neutralist Forces; other
|
||
parties moribund
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
Supreme People's Assembly--last held on 26 March 1989 (next to be
|
||
held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
||
seats--(79 total) number of seats by party NA
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: non-Communist political groups
|
||
moribund; most leaders have fled the country
|
||
|
||
Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,
|
||
ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, Mekong Committee, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
|
||
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: First Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim
|
||
DONE SOMVORACHIT; Chancery at 2222 S Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
|
||
telephone (202) 332-6416 or 6417;
|
||
US--Charge d'Affaires Charles B. SALMON; Embassy at Rue
|
||
Bartholonie, Vientiane (mailing address is B. P. 114, Vientiane, or
|
||
Box V, APO San Francisco 96346); telephone 2220, 2357, 2384
|
||
|
||
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red
|
||
with a large white disk centered in the blue band
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: One of the world's poorest nations, Laos has had a Communist
|
||
centrally planned economy with government ownership and control of
|
||
productive enterprises of any size. Recently, however, the government
|
||
has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise.
|
||
Laos is a landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure, that is,
|
||
it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, limited
|
||
external and internal telecommunications, and electricity
|
||
available in only a limited area. Subsistence agriculture is the
|
||
main occupation, accounting for over 60% of GDP and providing about 85-90% of
|
||
total employment. The predominant crop is rice. For the foreseeable future the
|
||
economy will continue to depend for its survival on foreign aid--from
|
||
CEMA, IMF, and other international sources.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $585 million, per capita $150; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 15% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $71 million; expenditures $198 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $132 million (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $57.5 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--
|
||
electricity, wood products, coffee, tin; partners--Thailand, Malaysia,
|
||
Vietnam, USSR, US
|
||
|
||
Imports: $219 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--food, fuel
|
||
oil, consumer goods, manufactures; partners--Thailand, USSR, Japan,
|
||
France, Vietnam
|
||
|
||
External debt: $964 million (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 8% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 176,000 kW capacity; 900 million kWh produced,
|
||
225 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: tin mining, timber, electric power, agricultural
|
||
processing
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and employs most of the work force;
|
||
subsistence farming predominates; normally self-sufficient; principal
|
||
crops--rice (80% of cultivated land), potatoes, vegetables, coffee,
|
||
sugarcane, cotton
|
||
|
||
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis and opium poppy for the
|
||
international drug trade; production of cannabis increased in 1989;
|
||
marijuana and heroin are shipped to Western countries, including the US
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $276 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $468
|
||
million; Communist countries (1970-88), $895 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: new kip (plural--kips); 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1--700 (December 1989), 725 (1989),
|
||
350 (1988), 200 (1987), 108 (1986), 95 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Highways: about 27,527 km total; 1,856 km bituminous or bituminous
|
||
treated; 7,451 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 18,220 km unimproved
|
||
earth and often impassable during rainy season mid-May to mid-September
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897
|
||
additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: 136 km, refined products
|
||
|
||
Ports: none
|
||
|
||
Airports: 64 total, 50 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: service to general public considered poor; radio
|
||
network provides generally erratic service to government users; 7,390 telephones
|
||
(1986); stations--10 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Lao People's Army (LPA, which consists of an army with naval,
|
||
aviation, and militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 967,047; 517,666 fit for military service;
|
||
44,176 reach military age (18) annually; conscription age NA
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (1987)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Lebanon
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 10,400 km2; land area: 10,230 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 454 km total; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 225 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
||
|
||
Disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line;
|
||
Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in
|
||
northern Lebanon since October 1976
|
||
|
||
Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers
|
||
|
||
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa (Bekaa Valley) separates
|
||
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state
|
||
in a water-deficit region
|
||
|
||
Land use: 21% arable land; 9% permanent crops; 1% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 8% forest and woodland; 61% other; includes 7% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect,
|
||
and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, ethnicity;
|
||
deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification
|
||
|
||
Note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East
|
||
not crossing an international boundary
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 3,339,331 (July 1990), growth rate 1.3% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 49 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 70 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Lebanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Lebanese
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 93% Arab, 6% Armenian, 1% other
|
||
|
||
Religion: 75% Islam, 25% Christian, NEGL% Judaism; 17 legally recognized
|
||
sects--4 Orthodox Christian (Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Nestorean,
|
||
Syriac Orthodox), 7 Uniate Christian (Armenian Catholic, Caldean, Greek
|
||
Catholic, Maronite, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Syrian Catholic), 5 Islam
|
||
(Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Ismailite, Shia, Sunni), and 1 Jewish
|
||
|
||
Language: Arabic and French (both official); Armenian, English
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 75%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 650,000; 79% industry, commerce, and services,
|
||
11% agriculture, 10% goverment (1985)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 250,000 members (est.)
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Note: Between early 1975 and late 1976 Lebanon was torn by civil
|
||
war between its Christians--then aided by Syrian troops--and its Muslims
|
||
and their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire established in October
|
||
1976 between the domestic political groups generally held for about six
|
||
years, despite occasional fighting. Syrian troops constituted as the Arab
|
||
Deterrent Force by the Arab League have remained in Lebanon. Syria's
|
||
move toward supporting the Lebanese Muslims and the Palestinians and
|
||
Israel's growing support for Lebanese Christians brought the two sides
|
||
into rough equilibrium, but no progress was made toward national
|
||
reconciliation or political reforms--the original cause of the war.
|
||
|
||
Continuing Israeli concern about the Palestinian presence in
|
||
Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. Israeli
|
||
forces occupied all of the southern portion of the country and mounted a
|
||
summer-long siege of Beirut, which resulted in the evacuation of the
|
||
PLO from Beirut in September under the supervision of a multinational
|
||
force (MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops.
|
||
|
||
Within days of the departure of the MNF, Lebanon's newly elected
|
||
president, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated. In the wake of his death,
|
||
Christian militiamen massacred hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two
|
||
Beirut camps. This prompted the return of the MNF to ease the security
|
||
burden on Lebanon's weak Army and security forces. In late March 1984
|
||
the last MNF units withdrew.
|
||
|
||
Lebanese Parliamentarians met in Taif, Saudi Arabia in late 1989 and
|
||
concluded a national reconciliation pact that codified a new power-sharing
|
||
formula, specifiying a Christian president but giving Muslims more
|
||
authority. Rene Muawad was subsequently elected president on 4 November
|
||
1989, ending a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no president and
|
||
rival Muslim and Christian governments. Muawad was assassinated
|
||
17 days later, on 22 November; on 24 November Elias Harawi was
|
||
elected to succeed Muawad.
|
||
|
||
Progress toward lasting political compromise in Lebanon has been
|
||
stalled by opposition from Christian strongman Gen. Michel Awn.
|
||
Awn--appointed acting Prime Minister by outgoing president Amin Gemayel
|
||
in September 1988--called the national reconciliation accord
|
||
illegitimate and has refused to recognize the new Lebanese Government.
|
||
|
||
Lebanon continues to be partially occupied by Syrian troops. Syria
|
||
augmented its troop presence during the weeks following Muawad's
|
||
assassination. Troops are deployed in West Beirut and its southern
|
||
suburbs, in Al Biqa, and in northern Lebanon. Iran also maintains
|
||
a small contingent of revolutionary guards in Al Biqa, from
|
||
which it supports Lebanese Islamic fundamentalist groups.
|
||
|
||
Israel withdrew the bulk of its forces from the south in 1985,
|
||
although it still retains troops in a 10-km-deep security zone north
|
||
of its border with Lebanon. Israel arms and trains the Army of South
|
||
Lebanon (ASL), which also occupies the security zone and is Israel's
|
||
first line of defense against attacks on its northern border.
|
||
|
||
The following description is based on the present constitutional and
|
||
customary practices of the Lebanese system.
|
||
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Lebanon; note--may be changed to
|
||
Lebanese Republic
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Beirut
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat,
|
||
singular--muhafazah); Al Biqa, Al Janub, Ash Shamal,
|
||
Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
|
||
|
||
Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under
|
||
French administration)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 26 May 1926 (amended)
|
||
|
||
Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code,
|
||
and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted
|
||
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet; note--by custom,
|
||
the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim,
|
||
and the president of the legislature is a Shia Muslim
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Arabic--Majlis
|
||
Alnuwab, French--Assemblee Nationale)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and
|
||
commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Elias HARAWI (since 24 November 1989);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Salim AL-HUSS (since 24
|
||
November 1989)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized along
|
||
largely sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist, consisting of
|
||
individual political figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and
|
||
economic considerations; most parties have well-armed militias, which are still
|
||
involved in occasional clashes
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women
|
||
at age 21 with elementary education
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
National Assembly--elections should be held every four years
|
||
but security conditions have prevented elections since May 1972
|
||
|
||
Communists: the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970; members
|
||
and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000
|
||
|
||
Member of: Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
|
||
IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
|
||
IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
|
||
WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
|
||
d'Affaires Suleiman RASSI; note--the former Lebanese Ambassador,
|
||
Dr. Abdallah Bouhabib, is loyal to Gen. Awn and has refused to
|
||
abandon his residence or relinquish his post; Chancery at 2560 28th
|
||
Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6300;
|
||
there are Lebanese Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles;
|
||
US--Ambassador John T. MCCARTHY; Embassy at Avenue de Paris, Beirut
|
||
(mailing address is P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut); telephone <20>961<36> 417774 or 415802,
|
||
415803, 402200, 403300
|
||
|
||
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red
|
||
with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Severe factional infighting in 1989 has been destroying physical
|
||
property, interrupting the established pattern of economic affairs, and
|
||
practically ending chances of restoring Lebanon's position as a Middle
|
||
Eastern entrepot and banking hub. The ordinary Lebanese citizen
|
||
struggles to keep afloat in an environment of physical danger, high
|
||
unemployment, and growing shortages. The central government's ability
|
||
to collect taxes has suffered greatly from militia control and taxation
|
||
of local areas. As the civil strife persists, the US dollar has become
|
||
more and more the medium of exchange. Transportation,
|
||
communications, and other parts of the infrastructure continue to deteriorate.
|
||
Family remittances, foreign political money going to the factions, international
|
||
emergency aid, and a small volume of manufactured exports help prop up the
|
||
battered economy. Prospects for 1990 are grim, with expected further declines in
|
||
economic activity and living standards.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $2.3 billion, per capita $700; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 33% (1987 est.)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $50 million; expenditures $650 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1987);
|
||
commodities--agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious
|
||
and semiprecious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products;
|
||
partners--Saudi Arabia 16%, Switzerland 8%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 6%, US 5%
|
||
|
||
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--NA;
|
||
partners--Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3%
|
||
|
||
External debt: $935 million (December 1988)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 1,381,000 kW capacity; 3,870 million kWh produced,
|
||
1,170 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining,
|
||
chemicals, jewelry, some metal fabricating
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal
|
||
products--citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp
|
||
(hashish), sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in grain
|
||
|
||
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the
|
||
international drug trade; opium poppy production in Al Biqa
|
||
is increasing; most hashish production is shipped to
|
||
Western Europe
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $356 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $509 million;
|
||
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $962 million; Communist countries (1970-86),
|
||
$9 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Lebanese pound (plural--pounds);
|
||
1 Lebanese pound (LL) = 100 piasters
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds (LL) per US$1--474.21 (December 1989),
|
||
496.69 (1989), 409.23 (1988), 224.60 (1987), 38.37 (1986), 16.42 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 378 km total; 296 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 82 km
|
||
1.050-meter gauge; all single track; system almost entirely inoperable
|
||
|
||
Highways: 7,370 km total; 6,270 km paved, 450 km gravel and crushed stone,
|
||
650 km improved earth
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil, 72 km (none in operation)
|
||
|
||
Ports: Beirut, Tripoli, Ras Silata, Juniyah, Sidon,
|
||
Az Zahrani, Tyre, Shikka (none are under the direct control
|
||
of the Lebanese Government); northern ports are occupied by Syrian
|
||
forces and southern ports are occupied or partially quarantined by
|
||
Israeli forces; illegal ports scattered along the central coast are
|
||
owned and operated by various Christian, Druze, and Shia militias
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 67 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 325,361
|
||
GRT/494,319 DWT; includes 43 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 2 vehicle
|
||
carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 7 livestock carrier, 1
|
||
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker,
|
||
1 specialized tanker, 6 bulk, 1 combination bulk
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 15 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 9 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m; none under the direct control of the
|
||
Lebanese Government
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: rebuilding program disrupted; had fair system of
|
||
radio relay, cable; 325,000 telephones; stations--5 AM, 3 FM, 15 TV;
|
||
1 inactive Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station; 3 submarine
|
||
coaxial cables; radio relay to Jordan and Syria, inoperable
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 702,961; 434,591 fit for military
|
||
service; about 44,625 reach military age (18) yearly
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: NA
|
||
.pa
|
||
Lesotho
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 30,350 km2; land area: 30,350 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
|
||
|
||
Land boundary: 909 km with South Africa
|
||
|
||
Coastline: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: some diamonds and other minerals, water,
|
||
agricultural and grazing land
|
||
|
||
Land use: 10% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 66% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 24% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas
|
||
results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification
|
||
|
||
Note: surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will control,
|
||
store, and redirect water to South Africa
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 1,754,664 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 80 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 62 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Mosotho (sing.), Basotho (pl.); adjective--Basotho
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 99.7% Sotho; 1,600 Europeans, 800 Asians
|
||
|
||
Religion: 80% Christian, rest indigenous beliefs
|
||
|
||
Language: Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu and
|
||
Xhosa
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 59% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 689,000 economically active; 86.2% of resident population
|
||
engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works
|
||
in South Africa
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: there are two trade union federations; the
|
||
government favors formation of a single, umbrella trade union
|
||
confederation
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Kingdom of Lesotho
|
||
|
||
Type: constitutional monarchy
|
||
|
||
Capital: Maseru
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe,
|
||
Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qachas Nek, Quthing,
|
||
Thaba-Tseka
|
||
|
||
Independence: 4 October 1966 (from UK; formerly Basutoland)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 4 October 1966, suspended January 1970
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law;
|
||
judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has
|
||
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Military Council, Military
|
||
Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: a bicameral Parliament consisting of an upper house
|
||
or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly was dissolved in January 1970;
|
||
following the military coup of 20 January 1986, legislative powers were vested
|
||
in the monarch
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--King MOSHOESHOE II (Paramount Chief from 1960 until
|
||
independence on 4 October 1966, when he became King); Heir Apparent Letsie
|
||
David SEEISO (son of the King);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Chairman of the Military Council Maj. Gen. Justin
|
||
Metsing LEKHANYA (since 24 January 1986)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Basotho National Party (BNP),
|
||
position vacant; Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu Mokhehle; Basotho
|
||
Democratic Alliance (BDA), A. S. Nqojane; National Independent Party (NIP),
|
||
A. C. Manyeli; Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), S. H. Mapheleba; United
|
||
Democratic Party, C. D. Mofeli
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 21
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
National Assembly --dissolved following the military coup in
|
||
January 1986; no date set for national elections
|
||
|
||
Communists: small Lesotho Communist Party
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD,
|
||
ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, Southern African
|
||
Customs Union, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador W. T. VAN TONDER; Chancery at
|
||
2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-5 534;
|
||
US--Ambassador (vacant): Deputy Chief of Mission Howard F. JETER;
|
||
Embassy at address NA, Maseru (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru
|
||
100); telephone <20>266<36> 312666
|
||
|
||
Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half
|
||
is white bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and
|
||
club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no important
|
||
natural resources other than water. Its economy is based on agriculture,
|
||
light manufacturing, and remittances from laborers employed in South Africa.
|
||
Subsistence farming is the principal occupation for about 86% of the domestic
|
||
labor force and accounts for about 20% of GDP. Manufacturing depends largely on
|
||
farm products to support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries;
|
||
other industries include textile, clothing, and light engineering. Industry's
|
||
share of total GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 10.5% in 1987. During the period
|
||
1985-87 real GDP growth averaged 2.9% per year, only slightly above the
|
||
population growth rate. In FY89 per capita GDP was only $245 and
|
||
nearly 25% of the labor force was unemployed.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $412 million, per capita $245; real growth rate 8.2% (FY89 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.0% (FY89 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 23% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $159 million; expenditures $224 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $68 million (FY89 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $55 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.); commodities--wool,
|
||
mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets;
|
||
partners--South Africa 87%, EC 10%, (1985)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $526 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.); commodities--mainly
|
||
corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum,
|
||
oil, and lubricants; partners--South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1985)
|
||
|
||
External debt: $235 million (December 1988)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 10.3% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: power supplied by South Africa
|
||
|
||
Industries: tourism
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and
|
||
livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $252 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $714 million;
|
||
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
|
||
$14 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: loti (plural--maloti); 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1--2.5555 (January 1990),
|
||
2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985);
|
||
note--the Basotho loti is at par with the South African rand
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 1.6 km; owned, operated, and included in the statistics of
|
||
South Africa
|
||
|
||
Highways: 5,167 km total; 508 km paved; 1,585 km crushed stone,
|
||
gravel, or stabilized soil; 946 km improved earth, 2,128 km unimproved earth
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 2 with permanent surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
||
2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: modest system consisting of a few land lines, a small
|
||
radio relay system, and minor radiocommunication stations; 5,920 telephones;
|
||
stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army, Air Wing, Police Department
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 381,015; 205,499 fit for military service
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 8.6% of GDP, or $35 million (1989 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Liberia
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 111,370 km2; land area: 96,320 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 1,585 km total; Guinea 563 km, Ivory Coast 716 km,
|
||
Sierra Leone 306 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 579 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 200 nm
|
||
|
||
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool
|
||
to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau
|
||
and low mountains in northeast
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold
|
||
|
||
Land use: 1% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 2% meadows and pastures;
|
||
39% forest and woodland; 55% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to
|
||
deforestation
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 2,639,809 (July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 126 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 58 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Liberian(s); adjective--Liberian
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 95% indigenous African tribes, including Kpelle, Bassa,
|
||
Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella; 5%
|
||
descendants of repatriated slaves known as Americo-Liberians
|
||
|
||
Religion: 70% traditional, 20% Muslim, 10% Christian
|
||
|
||
Language: English (official); more than 20 local languages of the
|
||
Niger-Congo language group; English used by about 20%
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 35%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 510,000, including 220,000 in the monetary economy;
|
||
70.5% agriculture, 10.8% services, 4.5% industry and commerce, 14.2% other;
|
||
non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and
|
||
engineering jobs; 52% of population of working age
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 2% of labor force
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Republic of Liberia
|
||
|
||
Type: republic
|
||
|
||
Capital: Monrovia
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa,
|
||
Grand Cape Mount, Grand Jide, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado,
|
||
Nimba, Rivercess, Sino
|
||
|
||
Independence: 26 July 1847
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 6 January 1986
|
||
|
||
Legal system: dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common
|
||
law for the modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices
|
||
for indigenous sector
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of an
|
||
upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon
|
||
DOE (since 12 April 1980); Vice President Harry F. MONIBA (since 6 January
|
||
1986)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party of Liberia
|
||
(NDPL), Augustus Caine, chairman; Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel
|
||
Koromah, chairman; Unity Party (UP), Carlos Smith, chairman; United
|
||
People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus Matthews, chairman
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
President--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held October 1991);
|
||
results--Samuel Kanyon Doe (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson Doe (LAP) 26.4%,
|
||
others 22.7%;
|
||
|
||
Senate--last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held 15 October
|
||
1991); results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
||
seats--(26 total) NDPL 21, LAP 3, UP 1, LUP 1;
|
||
|
||
House of Representatives--last held on 15 October 1985 (next
|
||
to be held October 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
||
seats--(64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, LUP 2
|
||
|
||
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO,
|
||
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, Mano River Union, NAM,
|
||
OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eugenia A. WORDSWORTH-STEVENSON;
|
||
Chancery at 5201 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 723-0437
|
||
through 0440; there is a Liberian Consulate General in New York;
|
||
US--Ambassador James K. BISHOP; Embassy at 111 United Nations Drive,
|
||
Monrovia (mailing address is P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO New York 09155);
|
||
telephone <20>231<33> 222991 through 222994
|
||
|
||
Flag: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with
|
||
white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper
|
||
hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: In 1988 and 1989 the Liberian economy posted its best two years
|
||
in a decade, thanks to a resurgence of the rubber industry and rapid growth
|
||
in exports of forest products. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources,
|
||
forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia is a producer and
|
||
exporter of basic products. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, is
|
||
small in scope. Liberia imports primarily machinery and parts, transportation
|
||
equipment, petroleum products, and foodstuffs. Persistent budget deficits,
|
||
the flight of capital, and deterioration of transport and other infrastructure
|
||
continue to hold back economic progress.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $988 million, per capita $395; real growth rate 1.5% (1988)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 43% urban (1988)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $550 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--iron ore 61%,
|
||
rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee; partners--US, EC, Netherlands
|
||
|
||
Imports: $335 million (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--rice, mineral
|
||
fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other foodstuffs;
|
||
partners--US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS
|
||
|
||
External debt: $1.7 billion (December 1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% in
|
||
manufacturing (1987)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced,
|
||
290 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: rubber processing, food processing, construction
|
||
materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and
|
||
forestry); principal products--rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava,
|
||
palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food,
|
||
imports 25% of rice consumption
|
||
|
||
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $634 million; Western
|
||
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $793 million;
|
||
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $77
|
||
million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Liberian dollar (plural--dollars);
|
||
1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1--1.00 (fixed rate since
|
||
1940); unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$2.5 = US$1, January 1989
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 480 km total; 328 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km
|
||
1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and
|
||
operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian
|
||
Government
|
||
|
||
Highways: 10,087 km total; 603 km bituminous treated, 2,848 km
|
||
all weather, 4,313 km dry weather; there are also 2,323 km of private,
|
||
laterite-surfaced roads open to public use, owned by rubber and timber
|
||
companies
|
||
|
||
Ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas)
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 1,379 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 48,655,666 DWT/
|
||
90,005,898 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 148 cargo, 26 refrigerated cargo, 18
|
||
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 42 vehicle carrier, 42 container, 4 barge
|
||
carrier, 436 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 100 chemical,
|
||
63 combination ore/oil, 41 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 413
|
||
bulk, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 26 combination bulk; note--a
|
||
flag of convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top
|
||
four owning flags are US 17%, Hong Kong 13%, Japan 10%, and Greece 10%;
|
||
China owns at least 20 ships and Vietnam owns 1
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 76 total, 60 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with
|
||
runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: telephone and telegraph service via radio relay
|
||
network; main center is Monrovia; 8,500 telephones; stations--3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV;
|
||
2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Armed Forces of Liberia, Liberia National Coast Guard
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 627,519; 335,063 fit for military service;
|
||
no conscription
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 2.4% of GDP (1987)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Libya
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 1,759,540 km2; land area: 1,759,540 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 4,383 km total; Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt
|
||
1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: 1,770 km
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims:
|
||
|
||
Territorial sea: 12 nm;
|
||
|
||
Gulf of Sidra closing line: 32o 30' N
|
||
|
||
Disputes: claims and occupies a small portion of the Aozou Strip in
|
||
northern Chad; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400
|
||
km2 in northern Niger; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
|
||
|
||
Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, gypsum
|
||
|
||
Land use: 1% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 8% meadows and pastures;
|
||
0% forest and woodland; 91% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
|
||
|
||
Environment: hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting
|
||
one to four days in spring and fall; desertification; sparse natural
|
||
surface-water resources
|
||
|
||
Note: the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water
|
||
development scheme in the world, is being built to bring water from large
|
||
aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 4,221,141 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 64 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 5.2 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Libyan(s); adjective--Libyan
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 97% Berber and Arab; some Greeks, Maltese, Italians,
|
||
Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians
|
||
|
||
Religion: 97% Sunni Muslim
|
||
|
||
Language: Arabic; Italian and English widely understood in major cities
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 50-60%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 1,000,000, includes about 280,000 resident
|
||
foreigners; 31% industry, 27% services, 24% government, 18% agriculture
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: National Trade Unions' Federation, 275,000 members;
|
||
General Union for Oil and Petrochemicals; Pan-Africa Federation of Petroleum
|
||
Energy and Allied Workers
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
|
||
|
||
Type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses); in theory, governed by
|
||
the populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
|
||
|
||
Capital: Tripoli
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 46 municipalities (baladiyat,
|
||
singular--baladiyah); Ajdabiya, Al Abyar, Al Aziziyah,
|
||
Al Bayda, Al Jufrah, Al Jumayl, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, Al Marj,
|
||
Al Qarabulli, Al Qubbah, Al Ujaylat, Ash Shati,
|
||
Awbari, Az Zahra, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Bani Walid,
|
||
Bin Jawwad, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Ghat, Jadu, Jalu,
|
||
Janzur, Masallatah, Misratah, Mizdah, Murzuq, Nalut,
|
||
Qaminis, Qasr Bin Ghashir, Sabha, Sabratah, Shahhat,
|
||
Surman, Surt, Tajura, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq,
|
||
Tukrah, Yafran, Zlitan, Zuwarah; note--the number of municipalities may
|
||
have been reduced to 13 named Al Jabal al-Akhdar, Al Jabal al-Gharbi,
|
||
Al Jabal al-Khums, Al Batnam, Al Kufrah, Al Marqab, Al Marzuq, Az Zawiyah,
|
||
Banghazi, Khalij Surt, Sabha, Tripoli, Wadi al-Hayat
|
||
|
||
Independence: 24 December 1951 (from Italy)
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate
|
||
religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative
|
||
acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: revolutionary leader, chairman of the General
|
||
People's Committee, General People's Committee (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral General People's Congress
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI
|
||
(since 1 September 1969);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Chairman of the General People's Committee (Premier)
|
||
Umar Mustafa al-MUNTASIR (since 1 March 1987)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: none
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections: national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of
|
||
revolutionary committees
|
||
|
||
Flag: plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state
|
||
religion)
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues
|
||
from the oil sector, which contributes virtually all export earnings and over
|
||
50% to GNP. Since 1980, however, the sharp drop in oil prices and resulting
|
||
decline in export revenues has adversely affected economic development. In 1986
|
||
per capita GNP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but it had been $2,000
|
||
higher in 1982. Severe cutbacks in imports over the past five years have
|
||
led to shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs, although the reopening
|
||
of the Libyan-Tunisian border in April 1988 and the Libyan-Egyptian
|
||
border in December 1989 have somewhat eased shortages. Austerity
|
||
budgets and a lack of trained technicians have undermined the government's
|
||
ability to implement a number of planned infrastructure development
|
||
projects. The nonoil industrial and construction sectors, which
|
||
account for about 15% of GNP, have expanded from processing
|
||
mostly agricultural products to include petrochemicals, iron, steel,
|
||
and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for less than 5% of GNP, it employs
|
||
20% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor soils severely limit farm
|
||
output, requiring Libya to import about 75% of its food requirements.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $20 billion, per capita $5,410; real growth rate 0% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 2% (1988 est.)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $6.4 billion; expenditures $11.3 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of $3.6 billion (1986 est.)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $6.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--petroleum,
|
||
peanuts, hides; partners--Italy, USSR, FRG, Spain, France,
|
||
Belgium/Luxembourg, Turkey
|
||
|
||
Imports: $5.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--machinery,
|
||
transport equipment, food, manufactured goods; partners--Italy, USSR,
|
||
FRG, UK, Japan
|
||
|
||
External debt: $2.1 billion, excluding military debt (December 1988)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 4,580,000 kW capacity; 13,360 million kWh produced,
|
||
3,270 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: 5% of GNP; cash crops--wheat, barley, olives, dates,
|
||
citrus fruits, peanuts; 75% of food is imported
|
||
|
||
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
|
||
(1970-87), $242 million
|
||
|
||
Currency: Libyan dinar (plural--dinars);
|
||
1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1--0.2896 (January 1990),
|
||
0.2922 (1989), 0.2853 (1988), 0.2706 (1987), 0.3139 (1986), 0.2961 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Highways: 32,500 km total; 24,000 km bituminous and bituminous treated,
|
||
8,500 km gravel, crushed stone and earth
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: crude oil 4,383 km; natural gas 1,947 km; refined products
|
||
443 km (includes 256 km liquid petroleum gas)
|
||
|
||
Ports: Tobruk, Tripoli, Banghazi, Misratah, Marsa el Brega
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 816,546
|
||
GRT/1,454,874 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 4 roll-on/roll-off
|
||
cargo, 11 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 59 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 130 total, 122 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
7 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways
|
||
1,220-2,439 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: modern telecommunications system using radio relay,
|
||
coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter, and domestic satellite stations;
|
||
370,000 telephones; stations--18 AM, 3 FM, 13 TV; satellite earth stations--
|
||
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 14 domestic;
|
||
submarine cables to France and Italy; radio relay to Tunisia; tropospheric
|
||
scatter to Greece; planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik satellite stations
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Armed Forces of the Libyan Arab Jamahariya includes
|
||
People's Defense (Army), Arab Air Force and Air Defense Command, Arab
|
||
Navy
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 991,368; 584,512 fit for military service;
|
||
50,379 reach military age (17) annually; conscription now being implemented
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 11.1% of GNP (1987)
|
||
.pa
|
||
Liechtenstein
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 160 km2; land area: 160 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 78 km total; Austria 37 km, Switzerland 41 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Climate: continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain;
|
||
cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: hydroelectric potential
|
||
|
||
Land use: 25% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 38% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 19% forest and woodland; 18% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation
|
||
|
||
Note: landlocked
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 28,292 (July 1990), growth rate 0.7% (1990)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 81 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Liechtensteiner(s); adjective--Liechtenstein
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: 95% Alemannic, 5% Italian and other
|
||
|
||
Religion: 82.7% Roman Catholic, 7.1% Protestant, 10.2% other
|
||
|
||
Language: German (official), Alemannic dialect
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 100%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 12,258; 5,078 foreign workers (mostly from Switzerland and
|
||
Austria); 54.4% industry, trade, and building; 41.6% services; 4.0% agriculture,
|
||
fishing, forestry, and horticulture
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: NA
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Principality of Liechtenstein
|
||
|
||
Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
|
||
|
||
Capital: Vaduz
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 11 communes (gemeinden, singular--gemeinde);
|
||
Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg,
|
||
Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz
|
||
|
||
Independence: 23 January 1719, Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein
|
||
established
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 5 October 1921
|
||
|
||
Legal system: local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ
|
||
jurisdiction, with reservations
|
||
|
||
National holiday: St. Joseph's Day, 19 March
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: reigning prince, hereditary prince, prime
|
||
minister, deputy prime minister
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral Diet (Landtag)
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for criminal
|
||
cases and Superior Court (Obergericht) for civil cases
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Prince HANS ADAM von und zu Liechtenstein
|
||
(since 13 November 1989; assumed executive powers 26 August 1984);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Hans BRUNHART (since 26 April 1978);
|
||
Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Herbert WILLE (since 2 February 1986)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Fatherland Union (VU), Dr. Otto Hasler;
|
||
Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP), Dr. Herbert Batliner; Christian Social Party,
|
||
Fritz Kaiser
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
Diet--last held on 5 March 1989 (next to be held by March 1993);
|
||
results--percent of vote by party NA;
|
||
seats--(25 total) VU 13, FBP 12
|
||
|
||
Communists: none
|
||
|
||
Member of: Council of Europe, EFTA, IAEA, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, UNCTAD,
|
||
UNIDO, UNICEF, UPU, WIPO; considering UN membership; has consultative status in
|
||
the EC
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: in routine diplomatic matters, Liechtenstein
|
||
is represented in the US by the Swiss Embassy;
|
||
US--the US has no diplomatic or consular mission in Liechtenstein, but the
|
||
US Consul General at Zurich (Switzerland) has consular accreditation at Vaduz
|
||
|
||
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown
|
||
on the hoist side of the blue band
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The prosperous economy is based primarily on small-scale light
|
||
industry and some farming. Industry accounts for 54% of total employment,
|
||
the service sector 42% (mostly based on tourism), and agriculture and
|
||
forestry 4%. The sale of postage stamps to collectors is estimated at $10
|
||
million annually and accounts for 10% of revenues. Low business taxes (the
|
||
maximum tax rate is 20%) and easy incorporation rules have induced about 25,000
|
||
holding or so-called letter box companies to establish nominal offices in
|
||
Liechtenstein. Such companies, incorporated solely for tax purposes, provide an
|
||
additional 30% of state revenues. The economy is tied closely to that of
|
||
Switzerland in a customs union, and incomes and living standards parallel those
|
||
of the more prosperous Swiss groups.
|
||
|
||
GNP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1987 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 0.1% (December 1986)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $171 million; expenditures $189 million, including
|
||
capital expenditures of NA (1986)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $807 million;
|
||
commodities--small specialty machinery, dental products, stamps,
|
||
hardware, pottery;
|
||
partners--EC 40%, EFTA 26% (Switzerland 19%) (1986)
|
||
|
||
Imports: $NA; commodities--machinery, metal goods, textiles,
|
||
foodstuffs, motor vehicles;
|
||
partners--NA
|
||
|
||
External debt: $NA
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 150 million kWh produced,
|
||
5,340 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics,
|
||
pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: livestock, vegetables, corn, wheat, potatoes, grapes
|
||
|
||
Aid: none
|
||
|
||
Currency: Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural--francs, franken,
|
||
or franchi); 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen,
|
||
or centesimi
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1--1.5150
|
||
(January 1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987), 1.7989 (1986),
|
||
2.4571 (1985)
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: 18.5 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, electrified; owned,
|
||
operated, and included in statistics of Austrian Federal Railways
|
||
|
||
Highways: 130.66 km main roads, 192.27 km byroads
|
||
|
||
Civil air: no transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: none
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: automatic telephone system; 25,400 telephones;
|
||
stations--no AM, no FM, no TV
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Note: defense is responsibility of Switzerland
|
||
.pa
|
||
Luxembourg
|
||
Geography
|
||
Total area: 2,586 km2; land area: 2,586 km2
|
||
|
||
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
|
||
|
||
Land boundaries: 359 km total; Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, FRG 138 km
|
||
|
||
Coastline: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
|
||
|
||
Climate: modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
|
||
|
||
Terrain: mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys;
|
||
uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle
|
||
floodplain in the southeast
|
||
|
||
Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited)
|
||
|
||
Land use: 24% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 20% meadows and
|
||
pastures; 21% forest and woodland; 34% other
|
||
|
||
Environment: deforestation
|
||
|
||
Note: landlocked
|
||
|
||
People
|
||
Population: 383,813 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1989)
|
||
|
||
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Net migration rate: 9 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
|
||
|
||
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
|
||
|
||
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1990)
|
||
|
||
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1990)
|
||
|
||
Nationality: noun--Luxembourger(s); adjective--Luxembourg
|
||
|
||
Ethnic divisions: Celtic base, with French and German blend; also guest
|
||
and worker residents from Portugal, Italy, and European countries
|
||
|
||
Religion: 97% Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant and Jewish
|
||
|
||
Language: Luxembourgish, German, French; many also speak English
|
||
|
||
Literacy: 100%
|
||
|
||
Labor force: 161,000; one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly
|
||
from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and FRG; 48.9% services, 24.7% industry,
|
||
13.2% government, 8.8% construction, 4.4% agriculture (1984)
|
||
|
||
Organized labor: 100,000 (est.) members of four confederated trade unions
|
||
|
||
Government
|
||
Long-form name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
|
||
|
||
Type: constitutional monarchy
|
||
|
||
Capital: Luxembourg
|
||
|
||
Administrative divisions: 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
|
||
|
||
Independence: 1839
|
||
|
||
Constitution: 17 October 1868, occasional revisions
|
||
|
||
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
|
||
jurisdiction
|
||
|
||
National holiday: National Day (public celebration of the Grand Duke's
|
||
birthday), 23 June (1921)
|
||
|
||
Executive branch: grand duke, prime minister, vice prime minister,
|
||
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
|
||
|
||
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des
|
||
Deputes); note--the Council of State (Conseil d'Etat) is an advisory
|
||
body whose views are considered by the Chamber of Deputies
|
||
|
||
Judicial branch: Superior Court of Justice (Cour Superieure de
|
||
de Justice)
|
||
|
||
Leaders:
|
||
Chief of State--Grand Duke JEAN (since 12 November 1964);
|
||
Heir Apparent Prince HENRI (son of Grand Duke Jean, born 16 April 1955);
|
||
|
||
Head of Government--Prime Minister Jacques SANTER (since 21 July 1984);
|
||
Deputy Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)
|
||
|
||
Political parties and leaders: Christian Social Party (CSV),
|
||
Jacques Santer; Socialist Workers Party (LSAP), Jacques Poos; Liberal (DP),
|
||
Colette Flesch; Communist (KPL), Rene Urbany; Green Alternative (GAP),
|
||
Jean Huss
|
||
|
||
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
|
||
|
||
Elections:
|
||
Chamber of Deputies--last held on 18 June 1989 (next to be held
|
||
by June 1994);
|
||
results--CSV 31.7%, LSAP 27.2%, DP 16.2%, Greens 8.4%, PAC 7.3%, KPL 5.1%,
|
||
others 4%;
|
||
seats--(60 total) CSV 22, LSAP 18, DP 11, Greens 4, PAC 4, KPL 1, others 4
|
||
|
||
Communists: 500 party members (1982)
|
||
|
||
Other political or pressure groups: group of steel industries representing
|
||
iron and steel industry, Centrale Paysanne representing agricultural producers;
|
||
Christian and Socialist labor unions; Federation of Industrialists; Artisans and
|
||
Shopkeepers Federation
|
||
|
||
Member of: Benelux, BLEU, CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EIB, EMS, FAO, GATT,
|
||
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU,
|
||
ITU, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
|
||
|
||
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Andre PHILIPPE; Chancery at
|
||
2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-4171;
|
||
there are Luxembourg Consulates General in New York and San Francisco;
|
||
US--Ambassador Jean B. S. GERARD; Embassy at 22 Boulevard
|
||
Emmanuel-Servais, 2535 Luxembourg City (mailing address is APO New York 09132);
|
||
telephone <20>352<35> 460123
|
||
|
||
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue;
|
||
similar to the flag of the Netherlands which uses a darker blue and is shorter;
|
||
design was based on the flag of France
|
||
|
||
Economy
|
||
Overview: The stable economy features moderate growth, low
|
||
inflation, and negligible unemployment. Agriculture is based on small but
|
||
highly productive family-owned farms. The industrial sector, until
|
||
recently dominated by steel, has become increasingly more diversified,
|
||
particularly toward high-technology firms. During the past decade growth
|
||
in the financial sector has more than compensated for the decline in
|
||
steel. Services, especially banking, account for a growing proportion
|
||
of the economy. Luxembourg participates in an economic union with
|
||
Belgium on trade and most financial matters and is also closely connected
|
||
economically with the Netherlands.
|
||
|
||
GDP: $6.3 billion, per capita $17,200; real growth rate 4% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Budget: revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including
|
||
capital expenditures of NA (1988)
|
||
|
||
Exports: $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--finished
|
||
steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other industrial
|
||
products; partners--EC 75%, US 6%
|
||
|
||
Imports: $5.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--minerals,
|
||
metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods; partners--FRG 40%,
|
||
Belgium 35%, France 15%, US 3%
|
||
|
||
External debt: $131.6 million (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
|
||
|
||
Electricity: 1,500,000 kW capacity; 1,163 million kWh produced,
|
||
3,170 kWh per capita (1989)
|
||
|
||
Industries: banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals,
|
||
metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
|
||
|
||
Agriculture: accounts for less than 3% of GDP (including forestry);
|
||
principal products--barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes;
|
||
cattle raising widespread
|
||
|
||
Aid: none
|
||
|
||
Currency: Luxembourg franc (plural--francs);
|
||
1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes
|
||
|
||
Exchange rates: Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1--35.468 (January 1990),
|
||
39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672 (1986), 59.378 (1985);
|
||
note--the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates
|
||
freely in Luxembourg
|
||
|
||
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
||
|
||
Communications
|
||
Railroads: Luxembourg National Railways (CFL) operates 270 km 1.435-meter
|
||
standard gauge; 162 km double track; 162 km electrified
|
||
|
||
Highways: 5,108 km total; 4,995 km paved, 57 km gravel, 56 km earth; about
|
||
80 km limited access divided highway
|
||
|
||
Inland waterways: 37 km; Moselle River
|
||
|
||
Pipelines: refined products, 48 km
|
||
|
||
Ports: Mertert (river port)
|
||
|
||
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,138 GRT/9,373 DWT;
|
||
includes 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker
|
||
|
||
Civil air: 13 major transport aircraft
|
||
|
||
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
|
||
1 with runways less than 1,220 m; 1 with runways over 3,659 m
|
||
|
||
Telecommunications: adequate and efficient system, mainly buried cables;
|
||
230,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, 4 FM, 6 TV; 2 communication satellite
|
||
earth stations operating in EUTELSAT and domestic systems
|
||
|
||
Defense Forces
|
||
Branches: Army
|
||
|
||
Military manpower: males 15-49, 99,734; 83,237 fit for military service;
|
||
2,368 reach military age (19) annually
|
||
|
||
Defense expenditures: 1.2% of GDP, or $76 million (1989 est.)
|
||
.pa
|
||
|