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Central
Intelligence
Agency
The
World
Factbook
1990
The World Factbook is produced annually
by the Central Intelligence Agency for the
use of United States Government officials,
and the style, format, coverage, and
content are designed to meet their specific
requirements.
Comments and queries are welcome and
may be addressed to:
Central Intelligence Agency
Attn: Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20505
(703)351-2053
"BUILDING USE ONLY1
, 5
<^v
Contents
r
Notes, Definitions, and
Abbreviations
vii
A Afghanistan
1
Albania
2
Algeria
4
American Samoa
6
Andorra
7
Angola
8
Anguilla
10
Antarctica
11
Antigua and Barbuda
12
Arctic Ocean
13
Argentina
14
Aruba
16
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
17
Atlantic Ocean
17
Australia
18
Austria
20
B Bahamas, The
21
Bahrain
23
Baker Island
24
Bangladesh
25
Barbados
26
Bassas da India
28
Belgium
28
Belize
30
Benin
31
Bermuda
32
Bhutan
34
Bolivia
35
Botswana
37
Bouvet Island
38
Brazil
38
British Indian Ocean Territory
40
British Virgin Islands
41
Brunei
42
Bulgaria
43
Burkina
45
Burma
47
Burundi
48
C Cambodia
50
Cameroon
51
Canada
53
Cape Verde
55
Cayman Islands
56
Central African Republic
57
Chad
59
Chile
61
Page
China (also see separate
Taiwan entry)
62
Christmas Island
64
Clipperton Island
65
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
66
Colombia
67
Comoros
69
Congo
70
Cook Islands
72
Coral Sea Islands
73
Costa Rica
74
Cuba
75
Cyprus
77
Czechoslovakia
79
D
Denmark
81
Djibouti
82
Dominica
84
Dominican Republic
85
E
Ecuador
87
Egypt
88
El Salvador
90
Equatorial Guinea
92
Ethiopia
94
Europa Island
95
F
Falkland Islands
(Islas Malvinas)
96
Faroe Islands
97
Fiji
99
Finland
100
France
102
French Guiana
104
French Polynesia
105
French Southern and
Antarctic Lands
107
G
Gabon
107
Gambia, The
109
Gaza Strip
110
German Democratic Republic
(East Germany)
111
Germany, Federal Republic of
(West Germany)
113
Ghana
115
Gibraltar
116
Glorioso Islands
117
Greece
118
Greenland
120
Grenada
121
Guadeloupe
122
Guam
124
Pa.
Guatemala
i:
Guernsey
i:
Guinea
i:
Guinea-Bissau
i:
Guyana
i
H
Haiti
i
Heard Island and McDonald
Islands
i
Honduras
i
Hong Kong
i
Howland Island
i
Hungary
i
I
Iceland
i'
India
i
Indian Ocean
1<
Indonesia
1
Iran
1
Iraq
1
Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral
Zone
1
Ireland
1
Israel (also see separate Gaza
Strip and West Bank entries)
1
Italy
1
Ivory Coast
1
J
Jamaica
1
Jan Mayen
1
Japan
1
Jarvis Island
1
Jersey
1
Johnston Atoll
1
Jordan (also see separate
West Bank entry)
1
Juan de Nova Island
1
K
Kenya
1
Kingman Reef
1
Kiribati
1
Korea, North
1
Korea, South
Kuwait
L
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
1
Libya
1
Liechtenstein
1
Luxembourg
1
M
Macau
1
Madagascar
1
111
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Page
190
191
193
Mali
194
Malta
196
Man, Isle of
197
Marshall Islands
198
Martinique
199
Mauritania
201
Mauritius
202
Mayotte
204
Mexico
205
Micronesia, Federated States of 207
Midway Islands
208
Monaco
209
Mongolia
210
Montserrat
211
Morocco
212
Mozambique
214
Namibia
215
Nauru
217
Navassa Island
218
Nepal
219
Netherlands
220
Netherlands Antilles
222
New Caledonia
224
New Zealand
225
Nicaragua
227
Niger
229
Nigeria
230
Niue
232
Norfolk Island
233
Northern Mariana Islands
234
Norway
236
Oman
237
Pacific Islands, Trust Territory 239
of the (Palau)
Pacific Ocean
240
Pakistan
241
Palmyra Atoll
243
Page
Panama
244
Papua New Guinea
245
Paracel Islands
247
Paraguay
247
Peru
249
Philippines
250
Pitcairn Islands
252
Poland
253
Portugal
255
Puerto Rico
257
Q Qatar
258
R Reunion
260
Romania
261
Rwanda
263
S St. Helena
264
St. Kitts and Nevis
265
St. Lucia
267
St. Pierre and Miquelon
268
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
269
San Marino
271
Sao Tome and Principe
272
Saudi Arabia
273
Senegal
275
Seychelles
277
. Sierra Leone
278
Singapore
279
Solomon Islands
281
Somalia
282
South Africa
284
South Georgia and the South 286
Sandwich Islands
Soviet Union
Spain
Spratly Islands
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Swaziland
Sweden
286
289
291
291
293
295
296
297
299
Page
Switzerland
300
Syria
302
T
Taiwan entry follows Zimbabwe
Tanzania
304
Thailand
305
Togo
307
Tokelau
309
Tonga
310
Trinidad and Tobago
311
Tromelin Island
313
Tunisia
313
Turkey
315
Turks and Caicos Islands
317
Tuvalu
318
U
Uganda
319
United Arab Emirates
320
United Kingdom
321
United States
324
Uruguay
326
V
Vanuatu
327
Vatican City
329
Venezuela
330
Vietnam
331
Virgin Islands
333
W
Wake Island
334
Wallis and Futuna
335
West Bank
336
Western Sahara
337
Western Samoa
338
World
340
Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen 341
(Sanaa) or North Yemen]
Yemen, People's Democratic 342
Republic of [Yemen (Aden)
or South Yemen]
Yugoslavia
344
Zaire
346
Zambia
347
Zimbabwe
349
Taiwan
350
Pag
Appendixes A: The United Nations System 35:
B: International Organizations 35'.
C: Country Membership in International Organizations 35<
D: Weights and Measures 36'
E: Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names 36'
Maps I. The World (Guide to Regional Maps)
II. North America
III. Central America and the Caribbean
IV. South America
V. Europe
VI. Middle East
VII. Africa
VIII. Soviet Union, East and South Asia
IX. Southeast Asia
X. Oceania
XI. Arctic Region
XII. Antarctic Region
XIII. Standard Time Zones of the World
Notes, Definitions,
and Abbreviations
There have been some significant changes in this edition. In the
Goverment section the former Branches entry has been replaced by
three entries — Executive branch, Legislative branch, and Judicial
branch. The Leaders entry now has subentries for Chief of State,
Head of Government, and their deputies. The Elections entry has
been completely redone with information for each branch of the
national government, including the date for the last election, the date
for the next election, results (percent of vote by candidate or party),
and current distribution of seats by party. In the Economy section
there is a new entry on Illicit drugs.
Abbreviations: (see Appendix B for international organizations)
avdp. avoirdupois
c.i.f. cost, insurance, and freight
CY calendar year
DWT deadweight ton
est. estimate
Ex-Im Export-Import Bank of the United States
f.o.b. free on board
FRG Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)
FY fiscal year
GDP gross domestic product
GDR German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
GNP gross national product
GRT gross register ton
km kilometer
km2 square kilometer
kW kilowatt
kWh kilowatt-hour
m meter
NA not available
NEGL negligible
nm nautical mile
NZ New Zealand
ODA official development assistance
OOF other official flows
PDRY People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen
(Aden) or South Yemen]
UAE United Arab Emirates
UK United Kingdom
US United States
USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union)
YAR Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North
Yemen]
Administrative divisions: The numbers, designatory terms, and first-
order administrative divisions are generally those approved by the
United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) as of 5 April
1990. Changes that have been reported but not yet acted upon by
BGN are noted.
Area: Total area is the sum of all land and water areas delimited by
international boundaries and/or coastlines. Land area is the aggre-
gate of all surfaces delimited by international boundaries and/or
coastlines, excluding inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers).
Comparative areas are based on total area equivalents. Most entities
are compared with the entire US or one of the 50 states. The smaller
entities are compared with Washington, DC (178 km2, 69 miles2) or
The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 km2, 0.23 miles2, 146 acres).
Birth rate: The average annual number of births during a year per
1 ,000 population at midyear. Also known as crude birth rate.
VH
Notes, Definitions,
and Abbreviations (continued)
Contributors: Information was provided by the Bureau of the Census
(Department of Commerce), Central Intelligence Agency, Defense
Intelligence Agency, Defense Nuclear Agency, Department of State,
Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Navy Operational Intelli-
gence Center and Maritime Administration (merchant marine data),
Office of Territorial and International Affairs (Department of the
Interior), United States Board on Geographic Names, United States
Coast Guard, and others.
Dates of information: In general, information available as of 1
January 1990 was used in the preparation of this edition. Population
figures are estimates for 1 July 1990, with population growth rates
estimated for mid- 1990 through mid- 1991. Major political events
have been updated through 30 March 1990. Military age figures are
average annual estimates for 1990-94.
Death rate: The average annual number of deaths during a year per
1 ,000 population at midyear. Also known as crude death rate.
Diplomatic representation: The US Government has diplomatic rela-
tions with 162 nations. There are only 144 US embassies, since some
nations have US ambassadors accredited to them, but no physical US
mission exists. The US has diplomatic relations with 149 of the 159
UN members — the exceptions are Albania, Angola, Byelorussia
(constituent republic of the Soviet Union), Cambodia, Cuba, Iran,
Vietnam, People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or
South Yemen], Ukraine (constituent republic of the Soviet Union),
and, obviously, the US itself. In addition, the US has diplomatic
relations with 1 3 nations that are not in the UN — Andorra, Federat-
ed States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands,
Monaco, Nauru, San Marino, South Korea, Switzerland, Tonga,
Tuvalu, and the Vatican City. North Korea is not in the UN and the
US does not have diplomatic relations with that nation. The US has
not recognized the incorporation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
into the Soviet Union and continues to accredit the diplomatic
representatives of their last free governments.
Disputes: This category includes a wide variety of situations that
range from traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral
claims of one sort or another. Every international land boundary
dispute in the "Guide to International Boundaries," a map published
by the Department of State, is included. References to other situa-
tions may also be included that are border- or frontier-relevant, such
as maritime disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues.
However, inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance
or recognition by the US Government.
Entities: Some of the nations, dependent areas, areas of special
sovereignty, and governments included in this publication are not
independent, and others are not officially recognized by the US
Government. Nation refers to a people politically organized into a
sovereign state with a definite territory. Dependent area refers to a
broad category of political entities that are associated in some way
with a nation. Names used for page headings are usually the short-
form names as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names. The
long-form name is included in the Government section and an entry
of "none" indicates a long-form name does not exist. In some
instances, no short-form name exists — then the long-form name must
serve for all usages.
There are 249 entities in the Factbook that may be categorized as
follows:
VIM
Notes, Definitions,
and Abbreviations (continued)
NATIONS
157 UN members (There are 159 members in the UN, but only 157
are included in The World Factbook because Byelorussia and
Ukraine are constituent republics of the Soviet Union.)
1 5 nations that are not members of the UN — Andorra, Federated
States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands,
Monaco, Namibia, Nauru, North Korea, San Marino, South
Korea, Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vatican City
OTHER
1 Taiwan
DEPENDENT AREAS
6 Australia — Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos
(Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald
Islands, Norfolk Island
2 Denmark — Faroe Islands, Greenland
16 France — Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island,
French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic
Lands, Glorioso Islands, Guadeloupe, Juan de Nova Island,
Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, St. Pierre and
Miquelon, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna
2 Netherlands— Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
3 New Zealand — Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
3 Norway — Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
1 Portugal — Macau
16 United Kingdom — Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean
Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Is-
lands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jersey,
Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, St. Helena, South Georgia and the
South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
15 United States — American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland
Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway
Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra
Atoll, Puerto Rico, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau),
Virgin Islands, Wake Island
MISCELLANEOUS
7 Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone, Paracel
Islands, Spratly Islands, West Bank, Western Sahara
OTHER ENTITIES
4 oceans— Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific
Ocean
1 World
249 total
Notes: The US Government has not recognized the incorporation of
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into the Soviet Union as constituent
republics during World War II. Those Baltic states are not members
of the UN and are not included in the list of nations. The US
Government does not recognize the four so-called "independent"
homelands of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, and Venda in South
Africa.
Gross domestic product (GDP): The value of all goods and services
produced domestically.
Gross national product (GNP): The value of all goods and services
produced domestically, plus income earned abroad, minus income
earned by foreigners from domestic production.
IX
Notes, Definitions,
and Abbreviations (continued)
GNP/GDP methodology: GNP/GDP dollar estimates for the OECD
countries, the USSR, Eastern Europe, and a portion of the developing
countries, are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations
rather than from conversions at official currency exchange rates. The
PPP methods involve the use of average price weights, which lie
between the weights of the domestic and foreign price systems; using
these weights US $100 converted into German marks by a PPP
method will buy an equal amount of goods and services in both the
US and Germany. One caution: the proportion of, say, military
expenditures as a percent of GNP/GDP in local currency accounts
may differ substantially from the proportion when GNP/GDP is
expressed in PPP dollar terms, as, for example, when an observer
estimates the dollar level of Soviet or Japanese military expenditures.
Similarly, dollar figures for exports and imports reflect the price
patterns of international markets rather than PPP price patterns.
Growth rate (population): The annual percent change in the popula-
tion, resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the
balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be
positive or negative.
Illicit drugs: There are five categories of illicit drugs — narcotics,
stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis.
These categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed
by doctors as well as those illegally produced and sold outside medical
channels.
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, provides
hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana
(pot, Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Mar-
inol), hashish (hash), and hashish oil (hash oil).
Coca (Erythroxylon coca) is a bush and the leaves contain the
stimulant cocaine. Coca is not to be confused with cocoa which comes
from cacao seeds and is used in making chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa
butter.
Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca bush.
Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that reduce tension and anxiety
and include chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Se-
conal, phenobarbital), benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium), methaqua-
lone (Quaalude), glutethimide (Doriden), and others (Equanil, Placi-
dyl, Valmid).
Drugs are any chemical substances that effect a physical, mental,
emotional, or behavioral change in an individual.
Drug abuse is the use of any licit or illicit chemical substance that
results in physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral impairment in an
individual.
Hallucinogens are drugs that affect sensation, thinking, self-
awareness, and emotion. Hallucinogens include LSD (acid, microdot),
mescaline and peyote (mexc, buttons, cactus), amphetamine variants
(PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust, hog), phencycli-
dine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others (psilocybin, psilocyn).
Hashish is the resinous exudate of the cannabis or hemp plant
(Cannabis sativa).
Heroin is a semisynthetic derivative of morphine.
Marijuana is the dried leaves of the cannabis or hemp plant
(Cannabis sativa).
Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often induce sleep, and refer
to opium, opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes. Natural
narcotics include opium (paregoric, parepectolin), morphine (MS-
Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol w/codeine, Empirin w/codeine,
Robitussan A-C), and thebaine. Semisynthetic narcotics include
heroin (horse, smack) and hydromorphone (Dilaudid). Synthetic nar-
cotics include meperidine or Pethidine (Demerol, Mepergan), metha-
done (Dolophine, Methadose), and others (Darvon, Lomotil).
Notes, Definitions,
and Abbreviations (continued)
Opium is the milky exudate of the incised, unripe seedpod of the
opium poppy.
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is the source for many natural
and semisynthetic narcotics.
Poppy straw concentrate is the alkaloid derived from the mature
dried opium poppy.
Qat (kat, khat) is a stimulant from the buds or leaves of Catha
edulis and is chewed or drunk as tea.
Stimulants are drugs that relieve mild depression, increase energy
and activity, and include cocaine (coke, snow, crack), amphetamines
(Desoxyn, Dexedrine), phenmetrazine (Preludin), methylphenidate
(Ritalin), and others (Cylert, Sanorex, Tenuate).
Infant mortality rate: The number of deaths to infants under one year
of age in a given year per 1,000 live births occurring in the same year.
Land use: Human use of the land surface is categorized as arable
land — land cultivated for crops that are replanted after each harvest
(wheat, maize, rice); permanent crops — land cultivated for crops that
are not replanted after each harvest (citrus, coffee, rubber); meadows
and pastures — land permanently used for herbaceous forage crops;
forest and woodland — land under dense or open stands of trees; and
other — any land type not specifically mentioned above (urban areas,
roads, desert). The percentage figure for irrigated refers to the portion
of the entire amount of land area that is artificially supplied with
water.
Leaders: The chief of state is the titular leader of the country who
represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but is not
involved with the day-to-day activities of the government. The head
of government is the administrative leader who manages the day-to-
day activities of the government. In the UK, the monarch is the chief
of state and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US,
the President is both the chief of state and the head of government.
Life expectancy at birth: The average number of years to be lived by
a group of people all born in the same year, if mortality at each age
remains constant in the future.
Maritime claims: The proximity of neighboring states may prevent
some national claims from being fully extended.
Merchant marine: All ships engaged in the carriage of goods. All
commercial vessels (as opposed to all nonmilitary ships), which
excludes tugs, fishing vessels, offshore oil rigs, etc. Also, a grouping of
merchant ships by nationality or register.
Captive register — A register of ships maintained by a territory,
possession, or colony primarily or exclusively for the use of ships
owned in the parent country. Also referred to as an offshore register,
the offshore equivalent of an internal register. Ships on a captive
register will fly the same flag as the parent country, or a local variant
of it, but will be subject to the maritime laws and taxation rules of the
offshore territory. Although the nature of a captive register makes it
especially desirable for ships owned in the parent country, just as in
the internal register, the ships may also be owned abroad. The captive
register then acts as a flag of convenience register, except that it is
not the register of an independent state.
Flag of convenience register — A national register offering registra-
tion to a merchant ship not owned in the flag state. The major flags of
convenience (FOC) attract ships to their register by virtue of low fees,
XI
Notes, Definitions,
and Abbreviations (continued)
low or nonexistent taxation of profits, and liberal manning require-
ments. True FOC registers are characterized by having relatively few
of the ships registered actually owned in the flag state. Thus, while
virtually any flag can be used for ships under a given set of
circumstances, an FOC register is one where the majority of the
merchant fleet is owned abroad. It is also referred to as an open
register.
Flag state — The nation in which a ship is registered and which
holds legal jurisdiction over operation of the ship, whether at home or
abroad. Differences in flag state maritime legislation determine how
a ship is manned and taxed and whether a foreign-owned ship may be
placed on the register.
Internal register — A register of ships maintained as a subset of a
national register. Ships on the internal register fly the national flag
and have that nationality but are subject to a separate set of maritime
rules from those on the main national register. These differences
usually include lower taxation of profits, manning by foreign nation-
als, and, usually, ownership outside the flag state (when it functions
as an FOC register). The Norwegian International Ship Register and
Danish International Ship Register are the most notable examples of
an internal register. Both have been instrumental in stemming flight
from the national flag to flags of convenience and in attracting
foreign-owned ships to the Norwegian and Danish flags.
Merchant ship — A vessel that carries goods against payment of
freight. Commonly used to denote any nonmilitary ship but accurate-
ly restricted to commercial vessels only.
Register — The record of a ship's ownership and nationality as
listed with the maritime authorities of a country. Also, the compendi-
um of such individual ships' registrations. Registration of a ship
provides it with a nationality and makes it subject to the laws of the
country in which registered (the flag state) regardless of the national-
ity of the ship's ultimate owner.
Money figures: All are expressed in contemporaneous US dollars
unless otherwise indicated.
Net migration rate: The balance between the number of persons
entering and leaving a country during the year per 1 ,000 persons
(based on midyear population). An excess of persons entering the
country is referred to as net immigration (3.56 migrants/ 1 ,000
population); an excess of persons leaving the country as net emigra-
tion (—9.26 migrants/ 1 ,000 population).
Population: Figures are estimates from the Bureau of the Census
based on statistics from population censuses, vital registration sys-
tems, or sample surveys pertaining to the recent past, and on
assumptions about future trends.
Total fertility rate: The average number of children that would be
born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing
years and bore children according to a given fertility rate at each age.
Years: All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless
indicated as fiscal year (FY).
xii
Afghanistan
Set regional map VHI
Geography
Total area: 647,500 km2; land area:
647,500 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Texas
Land boundaries: 5,826 km total; China
76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km,
USSR 2,384 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: Pashtun question with Pakistan;
Baloch question with Iran and Pakistan;
periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand
water rights; insurgency with Iranian and
Pakistani involvement; traditional tribal
rivalries
Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and
hot summers
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains
in north and southwest
Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil,
coal, copper, talc, barites, sulphur, lead,
zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semipre-
cious stones
Land use: 12% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 46% meadows and pastures;
3% forest and woodland; 39% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: damaging earthquakes occur
in Hindu Kush mountains; soil degrada-
tion, desertification, overgrazing, defores-
tation, pollution
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 15,862,293 (July 1990),
growth rate 7.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 44 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 51 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990); note — there are flows
across the border in both directions, but
data are fragmentary and unreliable
Infant mortality rate: 154 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 47 years male,
46 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Afghan(s); adjective —
Afghan
Ethnic divisions: 50% Pashtun, 25% Tajik,
9% Uzbek, 12-15% Hazara; minor ethnic
groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen,
Baloch, and others
Religion: 74% Sunni Muslim, 15% Shi'a
Muslim, 11% other
Language: 50% Pashtu, 35% Afghan Per-
sian (Dari), 1 1% Turkic languages (prima-
rily Uzbek and Turkmen), 4% thirty mi-
nor languages (primarily Balochi and
Pashai); much bilingualism
Literacy: 12%
Labor force: 4,980,000; 67.8% agriculture
and animal husbandry, 10.2% industry,
6.3% construction, 5.0% commerce, 10.7%
services and other (1980 est.)
Organized labor: some small government-
controlled unions
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Afghanistan
Type: authoritarian
Capital: Kabul
Administrative divisions: 30 provinces (ve-
layat, singular — velSyat); Badakhshan,
Badghls, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Far5h,
Faryab, Ghaznl, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat,
Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, KapTsa, Ke-
nan, Kondoz, l.aghman, Lowgar,
NangarhSr, Nlmrflz, Orflzgan, Paktia,
Paktlka, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol,
Takhar, Vardak, Zabol; note — there may
be a new province of Nflrestan (Nuristan)
Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK)
Constitution: adopted 30 November 1987
Legal system: has not accepted compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Saur
Revolution, 27 April (1978)
Executive branch: president, four vice
presidents, prime minister, deputy prime
minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Assembly (Meli Shura) consists of an up-
per house or Senate (Sena) and a lower
house or House of Representatives (Wolasi
Jirgah)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President (Mohammad) NAJI-
BULLAH (Ahmadzai) (since 30 Novem-
ber 1987); Chairman of the Council of
Ministers Executive Committee Soltan Ali
KESHTMAND (since 21 February 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
the People's Democratic Party of Afghani-
stan (PDPA) has two factions — the Par-
chami faction has been in power since De-
cember 1 979 and members of the deposed
Khalqi faction continue to hold some im-
portant posts mostly in the military and
Ministry of Interior; nonparty figures hold
some posts
Suffrage: universal, male ages 1 5-50
Elections: Senate — last held NA April
1988 (next to be held April 1991);
results — PDPA is the only party; seats —
(192 total, 115 elected) PDPA 115;
House of Representatives — last held N A
April 1988 (next to be held April 1993);
results — PDPA is the only party; seats —
(234 total) PDPA 184, 50 seats reserved
for opposition
Communists: the PDPA claims 200,000
members (1988)
Other political or pressure groups: the mil-
itary and other branches of internal secu-
rity have been rebuilt by the USSR; in-
surgency continues throughout the
country; widespread anti-Soviet and anti-
regime sentiment and opposition on reli-
gious and political grounds
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IDB — Islamic Development
Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
INTELSAT, ITU, NAM, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO,
WTO, WSG; suspended from OIC in Jan-
uary 1980
Diplomatic representation:
Minister-Counselor, Charge d' Affaires
MIAGOL; Chancery at 2341 Wyoming
Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; tele-
phone (202) 234-3770 or 3771; US—
Charge d'Affaires (vacant); Embassy at
Ansari Wat, Wazir Akbar Khan Mina,
Kabul; telephone 62230 through 62235 or
62436; note — US Embassy in Kabul was
closed in January 1989
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
black (top), red, and green with the na-
tional coat of arms superimposed on the
hoist side of the black and red bands; sim-
ilar to the flag of Malawi which is shorter
and bears a radiant, rising, red sun cen-
tered in the black band
Economy
Overview: Fundamentally, Afghanistan is
an extremely poor, landlocked country,
highly dependent on farming (wheat espe-
cially) and livestock raising (sheep and
goats). Economic considerations, however,
have played second fiddle to political and
military upheavals, including the nine-
year Soviet military occupation (ended 1 5
February 1989) and the continuing bloody
civil war. Over the past decade, one-third
of the population has fled the country,
with Pakistan sheltering some 3 million
refugees and Iran perhaps 2 million.
1
Afghanistan (continued)
Albania
Another 1 million have probably moved
into and around urban areas within Af-
ghanistan. Large numbers of bridges,
buildings, and factories have been
destroyed or damaged by military action
or sabotage. Government claims to the
contrary, gross domestic product almost
certainly is lower than 10 years ago be-
cause of the loss of labor and capital and
the disruption of trade and transport. Of-
ficial claims indicate that agriculture grew
by 0.7% and industry by 3.5% in 1988.
GDP: $3 billion, per capita $200; real
growth rate 0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): over 50%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues NA; expenditures S646.7
million, including capital expenditures of
$370.2 million (FY87 est.)
Exports: $512 million (f.o.b., FY88); com-
modities— natural gas 55%, fruits and
nuts 24%, handwoven carpets, wool, cot-
ton, hides, and pelts; partners — mostly
USSR and Eastern Europe
Imports: $996 million (c.i.f., FY88); com-
modities— food and petroleum products;
partners — mostly USSR and Eastern Eu-
rope
External debt: $1.8 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.2%
(FY89 plan)
Electricity: 480,000 kW capacity; 1,470
million kWh produced, 100 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: small-scale production of tex-
tiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and
cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas,
oil, coal, copper
Agriculture: largely subsistence farming
and nomadic animal husbandry; cash
products — wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul
pelts, wool, mutton
Illicit drugs: an illicit producer of opium
poppy and cannabis for the international
drug trade; world's second largest opium
producer (after Burma) and a major
source of hashish
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $265 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $419 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $57 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $4.1 bil-
lion
Currency: afghani (plural — afghanis); 1
afghani (Af) = 100 puls
Exchange rates: afghanis (Af) per US$1—
50.6 (fixed rate since 1982)
Fiscal yean 21 March-20 March
Communications
Railroads: 9.6 km (single track) 1.524-
meter gauge from Kushka (USSR) to
Towraghondl and 15.0 km from Termez
(USSR) to Kheyrabad transshipment point
on south bank of Amu Darya
Highways: 21,000 km total (1984); 2,800
km hard surface, 1,650 km bituminous-
treated gravel and improved earth, 16,550
km unimproved earth and tracks
Inland waterways: total navigability 1,200
km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles
steamers up to about 500 metric tons
Pipelines: petroleum, oil, and lubricants
pipelines— USSR to BagrSm and USSR
to Shlndand ; natural gas, 1 80 km
Ports: Shir Khan and Kheyrabad (river
ports)
Civil air: 2 TU-154, 2 Boeing 727,
assorted smaller transports
Airports: 38 total, 34 usable; 9 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: limited telephone,
telegraph, and radiobroadcast services;
television introduced in 1980; 31,200 tele-
phones; stations — 5 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1
satellite earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Armed Forces (Army; Air and
Air Defense Forces); Border Guard
Forces; National Police Force (Sarandoi);
Ministry of State Security (WAD); Tribal
Militia
Military manpower males 15-49,
3,880,124; 2,080,725 fit for military ser-
vice; 168,021 reach military age (22) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 9.1% of GDP (1984)
Adriatic
Sea
Geography
Total area: 28,750 km2; land area: 27,400
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Maryland
Land boundaries: 768 km total; Greece
282 km, Yugoslavia 486 km
Coastline: 362 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specified
Territorial sea: 1 5 nm
Disputes: Kosovo question with Yugosla-
via; Northern Epirus question with Greece
Climate: mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet
winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior
is cooler and wetter
Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; small
plains along coast
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas,
coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel
Land use: 21% arable land; 4% permanent
crops; 15% meadows and pastures; 38%
forest and woodland; 22% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: subject to destructive earth-
quakes; tsunami occur along southwestern
coast; deforestation seems to be slowing
Note: strategic location along Strait of
Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea
and Mediterranean Sea)
People
Population: 3,273,131 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 25 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 52 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Albanian(s); adjec-
tive— Albanian
Ethnic divisions: Albanian 90%, Greeks
8%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and
Bulgarians) (1989 est.)
Religion: Albania claims to be the world's
first atheist state; all churches and
mosques were closed in 1 967 and religious
observances prohibited; pre-1967 estimates
of religious affiliation— 70% Muslim, 20%
Albanian Orthodox, 10% Roman Catholic
Language: Albanian (Tosk is official dia-
lect), Greek
Literacy: 75%
Labor force: 1,500,000 (1987); about 60%
agriculture, 40% industry and commerce
(1986)
Organized labor: Central Council of Alba-
nian Trade Unions, 610,000 members
Government
Long-form name: People's Socialist Re-
public of Albania
Type: Communist state (Stalinist)
Capital: Tirane
Administrative divisions: 26 districts
(rrethe, singular — rreth); Herat, Dibre,
Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster,
Gramsh, Kolonje, Korse, Kruje, Kukes,
Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje, Mat, Mirdite,
Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Sarande,
Shkoder, Skrapar, Tepelene, Tirane, Tro-
poje, Vlore
Independence: 28 November 1912 (from
Turkey); People's Socialist Republic of
Albania declared 11 January 1946
Constitution: 27 December 1976
Legal system: judicial review of legislative
acts only in the Presidium of the People's
Assembly, which is not a true court; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 No-
vember (1944)
Executive branch: president of the Presid-
ium of the People's Assembly, three vice
presidents, Presidium of the People's As-
sembly; chairman of the Council of Minis-
ters, three deputy chairmen, Council of
Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral People's
Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— President of the
Presidium of the People's Assembly Ra-
miz ALIA (since 22 November 1982);
Head of Government — Chairman of the
Council of Ministers Adil CARQANI
(since 14 January 1982)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Albanian Workers Party, Ramiz Alia,
first secretary
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: President — last held 19 Febru-
ary 1987 (next to be held February 1991);
results — President Ramiz Alia was re-
elected without opposition;
People's Assembly — last held 1 February
1987 (next to be held February 1991); re-
sults— Albanian Workers Party is the only
party; seats — (250 total) Albanian Work-
ers Party 250
Communists: 147,000 party members (No-
vember 1986)
Member of: CCC, CEMA (has not partic-
ipated since rift with USSR in 1961),
FAO, IAEA, IPU, ITU, UN, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: none — the US
does not recognize the Albanian Govern-
ment and has no diplomatic or consular
relations with Albania; there is no third-
power representation of Albanian interests
in the US or of US interests in Albania
Flag: red with a black two-headed eagle in
the center below a red five-pointed star
outlined in yellow
Economy
Overview: As the poorest country in Eu-
rope, Albania's development lags behind
even the least favored areas of the Yugos-
lav economy. The Stalinist-type economy
operates on the principles of central plan-
ning and state ownership of the means of
production. In recent years Albania has
implemented limited economic reforms to
stimulate its lagging economy, although
they do not go nearly so far as current
reforms in the USSR and Eastern Europe.
Attempts at self-reliance and a policy of
not borrowing from international lend-
ers— sometimes overlooked in recent
years — have greatly hindered the develop-
ment of a broad economic infrastructure.
Albania, however, possesses considerable
mineral resources and is largely
self-sufficient in food. Numerical estimates
of Albanian economic activity are subject
to an especially wide margin of error be-
cause the government is isolated and
closemouthed.
GNP: $3.8 billion, per capita $1,200; real
growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $2.3 billion; expenditures
$2.3 billion, including capital expenditures
of NA (1989)
Exports: $378 million (f.o.b., 1987 est.);
commodities — asphalt, bitumen, petro-
leum products, metals and metallic ores,
electricity, oil, vegetables, fruits, tobacco;
partners — Italy, Yugoslavia, FRG,
Greece, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania,
Bulgaria, Hungary
Imports: $255 million (f.o.b., 1987 est.);
commodities — machinery, machine tools,
iron and steel products, textiles, chemi-
cals, Pharmaceuticals; partners — Italy,
Yugoslavia, FRG, Czechoslovakia, Roma-
nia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, GDR
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA
Electricity: 1,630,000 kW capacity; 4,725
million kWh produced, 1,440 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, textiles and
clothing, lumber, oil, cement, chemicals,
basic metals, hydropower
Agriculture: arable land per capita among
lowest in Europe; one-half of work force
engaged in farming; produces wide range
of temperate-zone crops and livestock;
claims self-sufficiency in grain output
Aid: none
Currency: lek (plural— leke); 1 lek (L) =
100 qintars
Exchange rates: leke (L) per US$1— 8.00
(noncommercial fixed rate since 1986),
4.14 (commercial fixed rate since 1987)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 543 km total; 509 1.435-meter
standard gauge, single track and 34 km
narrow gauge, single track (1988); line
connecting Titograd (Yugoslavia) and Sh-
koder (Albania) completed August 1986
Highways: 16,700 km total; 6,700 km
highway and roads, 10,000 km forest and
agricultural
Inland waterways: 43 km plus Albanian
sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and
Lake Prespa
Pipelines: crude oil, 145 km; refined prod-
ucts, 55 km; natural gas, 64 km (1988)
Ports: Durres, Sarande, Vlore
Merchant marine: 1 1 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 52,886 GRT/75,993 DWT;
includes 1 1 cargo
Airports: 12 total, 10 usable; more than 5
with permanent-surface runways; more
than 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 17 AM, 5
FM, 9 TV; 52,000 TV sets; 210,000
radios
Defense Forces
Branches: Albanian People's Army, Fron-
tier Troops, Interior Troops, Albanian
Coastal Defense Command, Air and Air
Defense Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 882,965;
729,635 fit for military service; 33,598
reach military age (19) annually
Albania (continued)
Algeria
Defense expenditures: 1 . 1 billion leks,
1 1.3% of total budget (FY88); note— con-
version of the military budget into US
dollars using the official administratively
set exchange rate would produce mislead-
ing results
500 fcm
Mediterranean Sea
Stt rctionil mip VII
Geography
Total area: 2,381,740 km2; land area:
2,381,740 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5
times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 6,343 km total; Libya
982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463
km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km,
Tunisia 965 km. Western Sahara 42 km
Coastline: 998 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 km2
in southeastern Algeria
Climate: arid to semiarid; mild, wet win-
ters with hot, dry summers along coast;
drier with cold winters and hot summers
on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/
sand-laden wind especially common in
summer
Terrain: mostly high plateau and desert;
some mountains; narrow, discontinuous
coastal plain
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas,
iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 13% meadows and pastures;
2% forest and woodland; 82% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: mountainous areas subject to
severe earthquakes; desertification
Note: second largest country in Africa
(after Sudan)
People
Population: 25,566,507 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1, 000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male,
64 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Algerian(s);
adjective — Algerian
Ethnic divisions: 99% Arab-Berber, less
than 1% European
Religion: 99% Sunni Muslim (state reli-
gion); 1% Christian and Jewish
Language: Arabic (official), French, Berber
dialects
Literacy: 52%
Labor force: 3,700,000; 40% industry and
commerce, 24% agriculture, 1 7% govern-
ment, 10% services (1984)
Organized labor 16-19% of labor force
claimed; General Union of Algerian
Workers (UGTA) is the only labor organi-
zation and is subordinate to the National
Liberation Front
Government
Long-form name: Democratic and Popular
Republic of Algeria
Type: republic
Capital: Algiers
Administrative divisions: 3 1 provinces ( wi-
layat, singular — wilaya); Adrar, Alger,
Annaba, Batna, Bechar, BejaYa, Biskra,
Blida, Bouira, Constantino, Djelfa, El As-
nam, Guelma, Jijel, Laghouat, Mascara,
Medea, Mostaganem, M'sila, Oran, Ouar-
gla, Oum el Bouaghi, Saida, Setif, Sidi
Bel Abbes, Skikda, Tamanrasset, Tebessa,
Tiaret, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen; note — there
may now be 48 provinces with El Asnam
abolished, and the addition of 18 new
provinces named Ain Delfa, Ain Temou-
chent, Bordjbou, Boumerdes, Chief, El
Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Illizi, Jijel,
Khenchela, Mila, Naama, Relizane, Souk
Ahras, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt
Independence: 5 July 1962 (from France)
Constitution: 19 November 1976, effective
22 November 1976
Legal system: socialist, based on French
and Islamic law; judicial review of legisla-
tive acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council
composed of various public officials, in-
cluding several Supreme Court justices;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion
National holiday: Anniversary of the Rev-
olution, 1 November (1954)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
People's Assembly (Assembled Nationale
Populaire)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State— President Chadli
BENDJEDID (since 7 February 1979);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Mouloud HAMROUCHE (since 9 Sep-
tember 1989)
Political parties and leaders: National
Liberation Front (FLN), Col. Chadli
Bendjedid, chairman; Abdelhamid Mehri,
secretary general; the government estab-
lished a multiparty system in September
1989 and as of 1 February 1990 19 legal
parties existed
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held on 22 De-
cember 1988 (next to be held December
1993); results— President Bendjedid was
reelected without opposition;
People 's National Assembly — last held on
26 February 1987 (next to be held by
February 1992); results — FLN was the
only party; seats— (281 total) FLN 281;
note — the government has promised to
hold multiparty elections (municipal and
wilaya) in June 1990, the first in Algerian
history
Communists: 400 (est.); Communist party
banned 1962
Member of: AfDB, AIOEC, Arab League,
ASSIMER, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de
facto), IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB—
Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, ILZSG,
INTERPOL, IOOC, ITU, NAM, OA-
PEC, OAU, QIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Abderrahmane BENSID; Chancery at
2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-5300;
US — Ambassador Christopher W. S.
ROSS; Embassy at 4 Chemin Cheich Ba-
chir Brahimi, Algiers (mailing address is
B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000
Algiers); telephone [213] (2) 601-425 or
255, 186; there is a US Consulate in Oran
Flag: two equal vertical bands of green
(hoist side) and white with a red
five-pointed star within a red crescent; the
crescent, star, and color green are tradi-
tional symbols of Islam (the state religion)
Economy
Overview: The exploitation of oil and natu-
ral gas products forms the backbone of
the economy. Algeria depends on hydro-
carbons for nearly all of its export
receipts, about 30% of government reve-
nues, and nearly 25% of GDP. In 1973-74
the sharp increase in oil prices led to a
booming economy that helped to finance
an ambitious program of industrialization.
Plunging oil and gas prices, combined
with the mismanagement of Algeria's
highly centralized economy, have brought
the nation to its most serious social and
economic crisis since independence. The
government has promised far-reaching
reforms, including giving public sector
companies more autonomy, encouraging
private-sector activity, boosting gas and
nonhydrocarbon exports, and a major
overhaul of the banking and financial sys-
tems. In 1988 the government started to
implement a new economic policy to dis-
mantle large state farms into privately
operated units.
GDP: $54.1 billion, per capita $2,235; real
growth rate -1.8% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.9%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 19% (1988)
Budget: revenues $17.4 billion; expendi-
tures $22.0 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $8.0 billion (1988)
Exports: $9.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — petroleum and natural gas
98%; partners — Netherlands, Czechoslo-
vakia, Romania, Italy, France, US
Imports: $7.8 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — capital goods 35%, con-
sumer goods 36%, food 20%; partners —
France 25%, Italy 8%, FRG 8%, US 6-7%
External debt: $26.2 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.4%
(1986)
Electricity: 4,333,000 kW capacity;
14,370 million kWh produced, 580 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, light industries, nat-
ural gas, mining, electrical, petrochemical,
food processing
Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GDP and
employs 24% of labor force; net importer
of food — grain, vegetable oil, and sugar;
farm production includes wheat, barley,
oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, sheep,
and cattle
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-85), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $8.2 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.8 billion; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $2.7 billion
Currency: Algerian dinar (plural — dinars);
1 Algerian dinar (DA) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Algerian dinars (DA) per
US$1— 8.0086 (January 1990), 7.6086
(1989), 5.9148 (1988), 4.8497 (1987),
4.7023 (1986), 5.0278 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 4,146 km total; 2,632 km stan-
dard gauge (1.435 m), 1,258 km 1.055-
meter gauge, 256 km 1 .000-meter gauge;
300 km electrified; 215 km double track
Highways: 80,000 km total; 60,000 km
concrete or bituminous, 20,000 km gravel,
crushed stone, unimproved earth
Pipelines: crude oil, 6,612 km; refined
products, 298 km; natural gas, 2,948 km
Ports: Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejai'a,
Jijel, Mers el Kebir, Mostaganem, Oran,
Skikda
Merchant marine: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 900,957 GRT/ 1,063,994
DWT; includes 5 passenger, 27 cargo, 2
vehicle carrier, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 7 chemical tanker,
9 bulk, 1 specialized liquid cargo
Civil air: 42 major transport aircraft
Airports: 147 total, 136 usable; 53 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,660 m; 29 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 68 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent domestic
and international service in the north,
sparse in the south; 693,000 telephones;
stations— 26 AM, no FM, 113 TV;
1,550,000 TV sets; 3,500,000 receiver sets;
6 submarine cables; coaxial cable or radio
relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco,
and Tunisia; satellite earth stations — 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersputnik, 1
ARABSAT, and 15 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Na-
tional Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49,
5,886,334; 3,638,458 fit for military ser-
vice; 293,476 reach military age (19) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 1 .8% of GDP, or
$974 million (1989 est.)
American Samoa
(territory of the US)
.S wains
Island
South
Pacific
Ocean
Tutuila
'PAGO PAGO
Olosega
Olu" 0T
la u
Pose
Island
See regional map X
Geography
Total area: 199 km2; land area: 199 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 116 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical marine, moderated by
southeast trade winds; annual rainfall av-
erages 1 24 inches; rainy season from No-
vember to April, dry season from May to
October; little seasonal temperature varia-
tion
Terrain: five volcanic islands with rugged
peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral
atolls
Natural resources: pumice and pumicite
Land use: 10% arable land; 5% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 75%
forest and woodland; 10% other
Environment: typhoons common from De-
cember to March
Note: Pago Pago has one of the best natu-
ral deepwater harbors in the South Pacific
Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough
seas and protected by peripheral moun-
tains from high winds; strategic location
about 3,700 km south-southwest of Hono-
lulu in the South Pacific Ocean about
halfway between Hawaii and New Zea-
land
People
Population: 41,840 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 41 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 4 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 8 immigrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 1 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male,
74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — American Samoan(s);
adjective — American Samoan
Ethnic divisions: 90% Samoan (Polyne-
sian), 2% Caucasian, 2% Tongan, 6%
other
Religion: about 50% Christian Congrega-
tionalist, 20% Roman Catholic, 30%
mostly Protestant denominations and
other
Language: Samoan (closely related to Ha-
waiian and other Polynesian languages)
and English; most people are bilingual
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 10,000; 48% government,
33% tuna canneries, 19% other (1986 est.)
Organized labor: NA
Note: about 65,000 American Samoans
live in the States of California and Wash-
ington and 20,000 in Hawaii
Government
Long-form name: Territory of American
Samoa
Type: unincorporated and unorganized
territory of the US
Capital: Pago Pago
Administrative divisions: none (territory of
the US)
Independence: none (territory of the US)
Constitution: ratified 1966, in effect 1967
National holiday: Flag Day, 1 7 April
(1900)
Executive branch: US president, governor,
lieutenant governor
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislature
(Fono) consists of an upper house or Sen-
ate and a lower house or House of Repre-
sentatives
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President
George BUSH (since 20 January 1989);
Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20
January 1989);
Head of Government — Governor Peter
Tali COLEMAN (since 20 January 1989);
Lieutenant Governor Galea'i POUMELE
(since NA 1989)
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous
inhabitants are US nationals, not US citi-
zens
Elections: Governor — last held 7 Novem-
ber 1988 (next to be held November
1992); results — Peter T. Coleman was
elected (percent of vote NA);
Senate — last held 7 November 1988 (next
to be held November 1992); results — sena-
tors elected by county councils from 12
senate districts; seats — (18 total) number
of seats by party NA;
House of Representatives — last held 7
November 1988 (next to be held Novem-
ber 1990); results — representatives popu-
larly elected from 17 house districts;
seats — (21 total, 20 elected and 1 nonvot-
ing delegate from Swain's Island);
US House of Representatives — last held
19 November 1988 (next to be held No-
vember 1990); results— Eni R. F. H. Fa-
leomavaega elected as a nonvoting dele-
gate
Communists: none
Diplomatic representation: none (territory
of the US)
Flag: blue with a white triangle edged in
red that is based on the fly side and ex-
tends to the hoist side; a brown and white
American bald eagle flying toward the
hoist side is carrying two traditional Sa-
moan symbols of authority, a staff and a
war club
Note: administered by the US Department
of Interior, Office of Territorial and Inter-
national Affairs; indigenous inhabitants
are US nationals, not citizens of the US
Economy
Overview: Economic development is
strongly linked to the US, with which
American Samoa does 90% of its foreign
trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing
plants are the backbone of the private sec-
tor economy, with canned tuna the pri-
mary export. The tuna canneries are the
second-largest employer, exceeded only by
the government. Other economic activities
include meat canning, handicrafts, dairy
farming, and a slowly developing tourist
industry. Tropical agricultural production
provides little surplus for export.
GNP: $190 million, per capita $5,210;
real growth rate NA% (1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 13.4% (1986)
Budget: revenues $90.3 million; expendi-
tures $93.15 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $4.9 million (1988)
Exports: $288 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— canned tuna 93%; partners —
US 99.6%
Imports: $346 million (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— building materials 18%, food
17%, petroleum products 14%; partners —
US 72%, Japan 7%, NZ 7%, Australia
5%, other 9%
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 35,000 kW capacity; 70 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1,720 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tuna canneries (largely depen-
dent on foreign supplies of raw tuna)
Andorra
Agriculture: bananas, coconuts, vegetables,
taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples,
papayas
Aid: $20. 1 million in operational funds
and $5.8 million in construction funds for
capital improvement projects from the US
Department of Interior (1989)
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Communications
Railroads: small marine railroad in Pago
Pago harbor
Highways: 350 km total; 150 km paved,
200 km unpaved
Ports: Pago Pago, Ta'u
Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440 to 3,659 m (international airport at
Tafuna, near Pago Pago); small airstrips
on Ta'u and Ofu
Telecommunications: 6,500 telephones;
stations — 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; good
telex, telegraph, and facsimile services; 1
Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
Sccrefionfti map V
Geography
Total area: 450 km2; land area: 450 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 125 km total; France 60
km, Spain 65 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: temperate; snowy, cold winters
and cool, dry summers
Terrain: rugged mountains dissected by
narrow valleys
Natural resources: hydropower, mineral
water, timber, iron ore, lead
Land use: 2% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 56% meadows and pastures; 22%
forest and woodland; 20% other
Environment: deforestation, overgrazing
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 51,895 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 4 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 18 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Andorran(s); adjec-
tive— Andorran
Ethnic divisions: Catalan stock; 61% Span-
ish, 30% Andorran, 6% French, 3% other
Religion: virtually all Roman Catholic
Language: Catalan (official); many also
speak some French and Castilian
Literacy: 100%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: none
Government
Long-form name: Principality of Andorra
Type: unique coprincipality under formal
sovereignty of president of France and
Spanish bishop of Seo de Urgel, who are
represented locally by officials called ver-
guers
Capital: Andorra la Vella
Administrative divisions: 7 parishes (par-
roquies, singular — parroquia); Andorra,
Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Les
Escaldes, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria
Independence: 1278
Constitution: none; some pareatges and
decrees, mostly custom and usage
Legal system: based on French and Span-
ish civil codes; no judicial review of legis-
lative acts; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Mare de Deu de Merit-
xell, 8 September
Executive branch: two co-princes (presi-
dent of France, bishop of Seo de Urgel in
Spain), two designated representatives
(French veguer, Episcopal veguer), two
permanent delegates (French prefect for
the department of Pyrenees-Orientales,
Spanish vicar general for the Seo de Urgel
diocese), president of government, Execu-
tive Council
Legislative branch: unicameral General
Council of the Valleys (Consell General de
las Vails)
Judicial branch: civil cases — Supreme
Court of Andorra at Perpignan (France)
or the Ecclesiastical Court of the bishop
of Seo de Urgel (Spain); criminal cases —
Tribunal of the Courts (Tribunal des
Cortes)
Leaders: Chiefs of State — French
Co-Prince Francois MITTERRAND
(since 21 May 1981), represented by Ve-
guer de Fransa Louis DEBLE; Spanish
Episcopal Co-Prince Mgr. Joan MARTI y
Alanis (since 31 January 1971),
represented by Veguer Episcopal Francesc
BADIA Batalla;
Head of Government — Josep PINTAT
Solans (since N A 1984)
Political parties and leaders: political par-
ties not yet legally recognized; tradition-
ally no political parties but partisans for
particular independent candidates for the
General Council on the basis of compe-
tence, personality, and orientation toward
Spain or France; various small pressure
groups developed in 1972; first formal po-
litical party, Andorran Democratic Asso-
ciation, was formed in 1 976 and reorga-
nized in 1979 as Andorran Democratic
Party
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: General Council of the Val-
leys—last held 11 December 1989 (next to
Andorra (continued)
Angola
be held December 1993); results— percent
of vote NA; seats — (28 total) number of
seats by party NA
Communists: negligible
Member of: CCC, UNESCO
Diplomatic representation: Andorra has no
mission in the US; US — includes Andorra
within the Barcelona (Spain) Consular
District and the US Consul General visits
Andorra periodically; Consul General
Ruth A. DAVIS; Consulate General at
Via Layetana 33, Barcelona 3, Spain
(mailing address APO NY 09286); tele-
phone [34] (3) 319-9550
Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue
(hoist side), yellow, and red with the na-
tional coat of arms centered in the yellow
band; the coat of arms features a quar-
tered shield; similar to the flag of Chad
which does not have a national coat of
arms in the center; also similar to the flag
of Romania which has a national coat of
arms featuring a mountain landscape be-
low a red five-pointed star and the words
REPUBLICA SOCIALISTA ROMANIA
at the bottom
Economy
Overview: The mainstay of Andorra's
economy is tourism. An estimated 12 mil-
lion tourists visit annually, attracted by
Andorra's duty-free status and by its sum-
mer and winter resorts. Agricultural pro-
duction is limited by a scarcity of arable
land, and most food has to be imported.
The principal livestock activity is sheep
raising. Manufacturing consists mainly of
cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. The rapid
pace of European economic integration is
a potential threat to Andorra's advantages
from its duty-free status.
GNP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues SNA; expenditures SNA,
including capital expenditures of SNA
Exports: $0.017 million (f.o.b., 1986);
commodities — electricity; partners —
France, Spain
Imports: $531 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— NA; partners — France, Spain
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 35,000 kW capacity; 140 mil-
lion kWh produced, 2,800 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism (particularly skiing),
sheep, timber, tobacco, smuggling, bank-
ing
Agriculture: sheep raising; small quantities
of tobacco, rye, wheat, barley, oats, and
some vegetables
Aid: none
Currency: French franc (plural — francs)
and Spanish peseta (plural — pesetas); 1
French franc (F) = 100 centimes and 1
Spanish peseta (Pta) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per
US$1— 5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801
(1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987),
6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985); Spanish pe-
setas (Ptas) per US$1— 109.69 (January
1990), 118.38(1989), 116.49(1988),
123.48 (1987), 140.05 (1986), 170.04
(1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Highways: 96 km
Telecommunications: international digital
microwave network; international landline
circuits to France and Spain; stations — 1
AM, no FM, no TV; 17,700 telephones
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France and Spain
Cobindl?^.
LUANDA
South
Atlantic
Ocean /Lobito
Banguela
r Nam.be
Set regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 1,246,700 km2; land area:
1,246,700km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 5,198 km total; Congo
201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zaire 2,51 1
km, Zambia 1,110 km
Coastline: 1,600 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 20 nm
Disputes: civil war since independence on
11 November 1975
Climate: semiarid in south and along coast
to Luanda; north has cool, dry season
(May to October) and hot, rainy season
(November to April)
Terrain: narrow coastal plain rises
abruptly to vast interior plateau
Natural resources: petroleum, diamonds,
iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar,
gold, bauxite, uranium
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 23% meadows and pastures;
43% forest and woodland; 32% other
Environment: locally heavy rainfall causes
periodic flooding on plateau; desertifica-
tion
Note: Cabinda is separated from rest of
country by Zaire
People
Population: 8,534,483 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 20 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 158 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 42 years male,
46 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Angolan(s);
adjective — Angolan
Ethnic divisions: 37% Ovimbundu, 25%
Kimbundu, 13% Bakongo, 2% Mestico,
1% European
Religion: 47% indigenous beliefs, 38% Ro-
man Catholic, 15% Protestant (est.)
Language: Portuguese (official); various
Bantu dialects
Literacy: 41%
Labor force: 2,783,000 economically ac-
tive; 85% agriculture, 15% industry (1985
est.)
Organized labor: about 450,695 (1980)
Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of
Angola
Type: Marxist people's republic
Capital: Luanda
Administrative divisions: 1 8 provinces (pro-
vincias, singular — provincia); Bengo,
Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cuando
Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cu-
nene, Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda
Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Mexico, Na-
mibe, Uige, Zaire
Independence: 11 November 1975 (from
Portugal)
Constitution: 11 November 1975; revised
7 January 1978 and 11 August 1980
Legal system: based on Portuguese civil
law system and customary law, but being
modified along socialist lines
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 1
November (1975)
Executive branch: president, chairman of
the Council of Ministers, Council of Min-
isters (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
People's Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal
da Relacao)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Jose Eduardo dos
SANTOS (since 21 September 1979)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Popular Movement for the Liberation of
Angola-Labor Party (MPLA-Labor
Party), Jose Eduardo dos Santos; National
Union for the Total Independence of
Angola (UNITA), lost to the MPLA with
Cuban military support in immediate
postindependence struggle, now carrying
out insurgency
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: none held to date
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, FAO, G-
77, GATT (de facto), ICAO, I FAD, ILO,
IMO, INTELSAT, ITU, NAM, OAU,
SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UNICEF,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red
(top) and black with a centered yellow em-
blem consisting of a five-pointed star
within half a cogwheel crossed by a ma-
chete (in the style of a hammer and sickle)
Economy
Overview: Subsistence agriculture provides
the main livelihood for 80-90% of the pop-
ulation, but accounts for only 10-20% of
GDP. Oil production is the most lucrative
sector of the economy, contributing about
50% to GDP. In recent years, however,
the impact of fighting an internal war has
severely affected the economy and food
has to be imported.
GDP: $5.0 billion, per capita $600; real
growth rate 9.2% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues NA; expenditures $2.7
billion, including capital expenditures of
NA (1986 est.)
Exports: $2.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — oil, coffee, diamonds, sisal,
fish and fish products, timber, cotton;
partners— US, USSR, Cuba, Portugal,
Brazil
Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — capital equipment
(machinery and electrical equipment),
food, vehicles and spare parts, textiles and
clothing, medicines; substantial military
deliveries; partners— US, USSR, Cuba,
Portugal, Brazil
External debt: $3.0 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 506,000 kW capacity; 770 mil-
lion kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: petroleum, mining (phosphate
rock, diamonds), fish processing, brewing,
tobacco, sugar, textiles, cement, food pro-
cessing, building construction
Agriculture: cash crops — coffee, sisal,
corn, cotton, sugar, manioc, tobacco; food
crops — cassava, corn, vegetables, plan-
tains, bananas, and other local foodstuffs;
disruptions caused by civil war and mar-
keting deficiencies require food imports
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-!m
(FY70-88), $263 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $903 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $1.3 bil-
lion
Currency: kwanza (plural — kwanza); 1
kwanza (Kz) = 100 Iwei
Exchange rates: kwanza (Kz) per US$1 —
29.62 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 3,189 km total; 2,879 km
1.067-meter gauge, 310 km 0.600-meter
gauge; limited trackage in use because of
insurgent attacks; sections of the Benguela
Railroad closed because of insurgency
Highways: 73,828 km total; 8,577 km
bituminous-surface treatment, 29,350 km
crushed stone, gravel, or improved earth,
remainder unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 1,295 km navigable
Pipelines: crude oil, 179 km
Ports: Luanda, Lobito, Namibe, Cabinda
Merchant marine: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 66,348 GRT/ 102,825 DWT;
includes 1 1 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
Airports: 317 total, 184 usable; 28 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 1 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 60 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of wire,
radio relay, and troposcatter routes; high
frequency used extensively for military/
Cuban links; 40,300 telephones; stations —
17 AM, 13 FM, 2 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force/Air
Defense; paramilitary forces — People's
Defense Organization and Territorial
Troops, Frontier Guard, Popular Vigilance
Brigades
Military manpower: males 15-49,
2,049,295; 1,030,868 fit for military ser-
vice; 90,877 reach military age (18) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: NA
Anguilla
(dependent territory of the UK)
20km
Caribbean
Sea
Prickly Pear Cays
Scrub Island
P
VALLEY^ J
THE VALLEY/
Anguilla
Blowing Point
Set rtflonil m»p III
Geography
Total area: 91 km2; land area: 91 km2
Comparative area: about half the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 61 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast
trade winds
Terrain: flat and low-lying island of coral
and limestone
Natural resources: negligible; salt, fish,
lobsters
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% perma-
nent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other;
mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few
trees, some commercial salt ponds
Environment: frequent hurricanes, other
tropical storms (July to October)
Note: located 270 km east of Puerto Rico
People
Population: 6,883 (July 1990), growth rate
0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 1 0 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 7 1 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Anguillan(s); adjec-
tive— Anguillan
Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African
descent
Religion: Anglican, Methodist, and Ro-
man Catholic
Language: English (official)
Literacy: 80%
Labor force: 2,780 (1984)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: The Valley
Administrative divisions: none (dependent
territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of
the UK)
Constitution: 1 April 1982
Legal system: based on English common
law
National holiday: Anguilla Day, 30 May
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor, chief minister, Executive Council
(cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Assembly
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor Geoffrey O. WHIT-
TAKER (since N A 1987);
Head of Government — Chief Minister
Emile GUMBS (since NA March 1984,
served previously from February 1977 to
May 1980)
Political parties and leaders: Anguilla Na-
tional Alliance (ANA), Emile Gumbs;
Anguilla United Party (AUP), Ronald
Webster; Anguilla Democratic Party
(ADP), Victor Banks
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Assembly — last held
27 February 1989 (next to be held Febru-
ary 1994); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats— (11 total, 7 elected)
ANA 3, AUP 2, ADP 1, independent 1
Communists: none
Member of: Commonwealth
Diplomatic representation: none (depen-
dent territory of the UK)
Flag: two horizontal bands of white (top,
almost triple width) and light blue with
three orange dolphins in an interlocking
circular design centered in the white band
Economy
Overview: Anguilla has few natural re-
sources, and the economy depends heavily
on lobster fishing, offshore banking, tour-
ism, and remittances from emigrants. In
recent years the economy has benefited
from a boom in tourism. Development is
planned to improve the infrastructure,
particularly transport and tourist facilities,
and also light industry. Improvement in
the economy has reduced unemployment
from 40% in 1984 to about 5% in 1988.
GDP: $23 million, per capita $3,350 (1988
est.); real growth rate 8.2% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.0% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $9.0 million; expendi-
tures $8.8 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (1988 est.)
Exports: $NA; commodities — lobsters and
salt; partners — NA
Imports: $NA; commodities — NA; part-
ners — NA
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 3,000 kW capacity; 9 million
kWh produced, 1,300 kWh per capita
(1988)
Industries: tourism, boat building, salt,
fishing (including lobster)
Agriculture: pigeon peas, corn, sweet pota-
toes, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, poultry
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $33 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars
(EC$) per US$1— 2.70 (fixed rate since
1976)
Fiscal yean NA
Communications
Highways: 60 km surfaced
Ports: Road Bay, Blowing Point
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways of 1 , 1 00 m
(Wallblake Airport)
Telecommunications: modern internal tele-
phone system; 890 telephones; stations — 3
AM, 1 FM, no TV; radio relay link to
island of St. Martin
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
10
Antarctica
1000km
South Atlantic Ocean
South
Pacific
Ocean
See regional map XII
Geography
Total area: about 14,000,000 km2; land
area: about 14,000,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 1 .5
times the size of the US; second-smallest
continent (after Australia)
Land boundaries: see entry on Disputes
Coastline: 1 7,968 km
Maritime claims: see entry on Disputes
Disputes: Antarctic Treaty suspends all
claims; sections (some overlapping)
claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile,
France (Adelie Land), New Zealand (Ross
Dependency), Norway (Queen Maud
Land), and UK; Brazil claims a Zone of
Interest; the US and USSR do not recog-
nize the territorial claims of other nations
and have made no claims themselves (but
reserve the right to do so); no formal
claims have been made in the sector be-
tween 90° west and 150° west
Climate: severe low temperatures vary
with latitude, elevation, and distance from
the ocean; East Antarctica colder than
Antarctic Peninsula in the west; warmest
temperatures occur in January along the
coast and average slightly below freezing
Terrain: about 98% thick continental ice
sheet, with average elevations between
2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges
up to 5,000 meters high; ice-free coastal
areas include parts of southern Victoria
Land, Wilkes Land, and the scientific re-
search areas of Graham Land and Ross
Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form
ice shelves along about half of coastline
Natural resources: coal and iron ore; chro-
mium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum, and
hydrocarbons have been found in small
quantities along the coast; offshore depos-
its of oil and gas
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other (98% ice,
2% barren rock)
Environment: mostly uninhabitable; kata-
batic (gravity) winds blow coastward from
the high interior; frequent blizzards form
near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic
storms form over the ocean and move
clockwise around the coast; during sum-
mer more solar radiation reaches the sur-
face at the South Pole than is received at
the Equator in an equivalent period; in
October 1987 it was reported that the
ozone shield, which protects the Earth's
surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation,
has dwindled to its lowest level ever over
Antarctica; subject to active volcanism
(Deception Island)
Note: the coldest continent
People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants;
staffing of research stations varies season-
ally
Summer (January) population — 3,330; Ar-
gentina 179, Australia 216, Brazil 36,
Chile 124, China 62, France 46, FRG 9,
GDR 15, India 59, Italy 121, Japan 52,
NZ 251, Poland 19, South Africa 102,
South Korea 17, UK 72, Uruguay 47, US
1,250, USSR 653 (1986-87)
Winter (July) population — 1,148 total; Ar-
gentina 149, Australia 82, Brazil 11,
Chile 59, China 16, France 32, FRG 9,
GDR 9, India 17, Japan 37, NZ 1 1, Po-
land 19, South Africa 15, UK 61, Uru-
guay 10, US 242, USSR 369 (1986-87)
Year-round stations — 43 total; Argentina
7, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 3, China 1,
France 1, FRG 1, GDR 1, India 1, Japan
2, NZ 1, Poland 1, South Africa 1, South
Korea 1, UK 6, Uruguay 1, US 3, USSR
8 (1986-87)
Summer only stations — 26 total; Argen-
tina 3, Australia 3, Chile 4, Italy 1, Japan
1, NZ 2, South Africa 2, US 4, USSR 6
(1986-87)
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: The Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1
December 1959 and entered into force on
23 June 1961, established, for at least 30
years, a legal framework for peaceful use,
scientific research, and suspension of terri-
torial claims. Administration is carried
out through consultative member meet-
ings— the 14th and last meeting was held
in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in October
1987.
Consultative (voting) members include
claimant nations (they claim portions of
Antarctica as national territory and some
claims overlap) and nonclaimant nations
(they have made no claims to Antarctic
territory, although the US and USSR
have reserved the right to do so and do
not recognize the claims of others); the
year in parentheses indicates when an ac-
ceding nation was voted to full consulta-
tive (voting) status, while no date indicates
an original 1959 treaty signatory. Claim-
ant nations are — Argentina, Australia,
Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway,
and the UK. Nonclaimant nations are —
Belgium, Brazil (1983), China (1985),
FRG (1981), GDR (1987), India (1983),
Italy (1987), Japan, Poland (1977), South
Africa, Uruguay (1985), US, and the
USSR.
Acceding (nonvoting) members, with year
of accession in parenthesis, are — Austria
(1987), Bulgaria (1978), Cuba (1984),
Czechoslovakia (1962), Denmark (1965),
Finland (1984), Greece (1987), Hungary
(1984), Netherlands (1987), North Korea
(1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Peru
(1981), Romania (1971), South Korea
(1986), Spain (1982), and Sweden (1984).
Antarctic Treaty Summary. Article 1 —
area to be used for peaceful purposes only
and military activity, such as weapons
testing, is prohibited, but military person-
nel and equipment may be used for scien-
tific purposes; Article 2 — freedom of sci-
entific investigation and cooperation shall
continue; Article 3 — free exchange of in-
formation and personnel; Article 4 — does
not recognize, dispute, or establish territo-
rial claims and no new claims shall be
asserted while the treaty is in force; Arti-
cle 5 — prohibits nuclear explosions or dis-
posal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 —
includes under the treaty all land and ice
shelves south of 60° 00' south, but that
the water areas be covered by interna-
tional law; Article 7 — treaty-state observ-
ers have free access, including aerial ob-
servation, to any area and may inspect all
stations, installations, and equipment; ad-
vance notice of all activities and the intro-
duction of military personnel must be
given; Article 8 — allows for jurisdiction
over observers and scientists by their own
states; Article 9 — frequent consultative
meetings take place among member na-
tions and acceding nations given consulta-
tive status; Article 10 — treaty states will
discourage activities by any country in
Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty;
Article 1 1 — disputes to be settled peace-
fully by the parties concerned or,
ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13,
14 — deal with upholding, interpreting, and
amending the treaty among involved na-
tions.
Other agreements: Convention on the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources; Convention for the Conserva-
tion of Antarctic Seals; a mineral
resources agreement is currently undergo-
ing ratification by the Antarctic Treaty
consultative parties
11
Antarctica (continued)
Antigua and Barbuda
Economy
Overview: No economic activity at present
except for fishing off the coast and small-
scale tourism, both based abroad. Exploi-
tation of mineral resources will be held
back by technical difficulties, high costs,
and objections by environmentalists.
Communications
Airports: 39 total; 25 usable; none with
permanent surface runways; 3 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Defense Forces
Note: none; Article 7 of the Antarctic
Treaty states that advance notice of all
activities and the introduction of military
personnel must be given
Barbuda
Caribbean Sea
SAINT JOHN'S
Antigua
Q Redonda
Set regional map HI
Geography
Total area: 440 km2; land area: 440 km2;
includes Redonda
Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1 53 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal
temperature variation
Terrain: mostly low-lying limestone and
coral islands with some higher volcanic
areas
Natural resources: negligible; pleasant cli-
mate fosters tourism
Land use: 18% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 16%
forest and woodland; 59% other
Environment: subject to hurricanes and
tropical storms (July to October); insuffi-
cient freshwater resources; deeply
indented coastline provides many natural
harbors
Note: 420 km east-southeast of Puerto
Rico
People
Population: 63,726 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 10 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male,
74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Antiguan(s); adjec-
tive— Antiguan
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely of black
African origin; some of British, Portu-
guese, Lebanese, and Syrian origin
Religion: Anglican (predominant), other
Protestant sects, some Roman Catholic
Language: English (official), local dialects
Literacy: 90% (est.)
Labor force: 30,000; 82% commerce and
services, 1 1% agriculture, 7% industry
(1983)
Organized labor: Antigua and Barbuda
Public Service Association (ABPSA),
membership 500; Antigua Trades and La-
bor Union (ATLU), 10,000 members;
Antigua Workers Union (AWU), 10,000
members (1986 est.)
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Saint John's
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 2
dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*,
Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary,
Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
Independence: 1 November 1981 (from
UK)
Constitution: 1 November 1981
Legal system: based on English common
law
National holiday: Independence Day, 1
November (1981)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Su-
preme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General Sir Wilfred
Ebenezer JACOBS (since 1 November
1 98 1 , previously Governor since 1 976);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Vere Cornwall BIRD, Sr. (since NA
1976); Deputy Prime Minister Lester
BIRD (since N A 1976)
Political parties and leaders: Antigua La-
bor Party (ALP), Vere C. Bird, Sr., Lester
Bird; United National Democratic Party
(UNDP), Dr. Ivor Heath
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives — last
held 9 March 1989 (next to be held 1994);
results — percentage of vote by party NA;
seats— (17 total) ALP 15, UNDP 1, inde-
pendent 1
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: Anti-
gua Caribbean Liberation Movement
(ACLM), a small leftist nationalist group
12
Arctic Ocean
led by Leonard (Tim) Hector; Antigua
Trades and Labor Union (ATLU), headed
by Noel Thomas
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, Common-
wealth, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ILO,
IMF, ISO, OAS, UN, UNESCO, WHO,
WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Edmund Hawkins LAKE; Chancery at
Suite 2H, 3400 International Drive NW,
Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
362-5211 or 5166, 5122, 5225; there is an
Antiguan Consulate in Miami; US — the
US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited
to Antigua and Barbuda, and in his ab-
sence, the Embassy is headed by Charge
d'Affaires Roger R. GAMBLE; Embassy
at Queen Elizabeth Highway, Saint John's
(mailing address is FPO Miami 34054);
telephone (809) 462-3505 or 3506
Flag: red with an inverted isosceles trian-
gle based on the top edge of the flag; the
triangle contains three horizontal bands of
black (top), light blue, and white with a
yellow rising sun in the black band
Economy
Overview: The economy is primarily ser-
vice oriented, with tourism the most im-
portant determinant of economic perfor-
mance. During the period 1983-87, real
GDP expanded at an annual average rate
of 8%. Tourism's contribution to GDP, as
measured by value added in hotels and
restaurants, rose from about 14% in 1983
to 17% in 1987, and stimulated growth in
other sectors — particularly in construction,
communications, and public utilities. Dur-
ing the same period the combined share of
agriculture and manufacturing declined
from 12% to less than 10%. Antigua and
Barbuda is one of the few areas in the
Caribbean experiencing a labor shortage
in some sectors of the economy.
GDP: $353.5 million, per capita $5,550;
real growth rate 6.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.1%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.0% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $77 million; expenditures
$81 million, including capital expenditures
of $13 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $30.4 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — petroleum products 46%,
manufactures 29%, food and live animals
14%, machinery and transport equipment
1 1%; partners — Trinidad and Tobago
40%, Barbados 8%, US 0.3%
Imports: $302.1 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities — food and live animals, ma-
chinery and transport equipment, manu-
factures, chemicals, oil; partners — US
27%, UK 14%, CARICOM 7%, Canada
4%, other 48%
External debt: $245.4 million (1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 10%
(1987)
Electricity: 49,000 kW capacity; 90 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1,410 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, construction, light
manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, house-
hold appliances)
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; ex-
panding output of cotton, fruits, vegeta-
bles, and livestock sector; other crops —
bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes;
not self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $40 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars
(ECS) per US$1— 2.70 (fixed rate since
1976)
Fiscal year: 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Railroads: 64 km 0.760-meter narrow
gauge and 13 km 0.610-meter gauge used
almost exclusively for handling sugarcane
Highways: 240 km
Ports: St. John's
Merchant marine: 80 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 307,315 GRT/501,552
DWT; includes 50 cargo, 4 refrigerated
cargo, 8 container, 8 roll-on/roll-off cargo,
2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 5 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas,
1 short-sea passenger; note — a flag of con-
venience registry
Civil air: 10 major transport aircraft
Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways less
than 2,440 m
Telecommunications: good automatic tele-
phone system; 6,700 telephones; tropo-
spheric scatter links with Saba and Gua-
deloupe; stations — 4 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV, 2
shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Antigua and Barbuda Defense
Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police
Force (includes the Coast Guard)
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
Geography
Total area: 14,056,000 km2; includes
Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea,
Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Green-
land Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait,
Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, and other tributary
water bodies
Comparative area: slightly more than 1 .5
times the size of the US; smallest of the
world's four oceans (after Pacific Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean)
Coastline: 45,389 km
f'limate: persistent cold and relatively nar-
row annual temperature ranges; winters
characterized by continuous darkness, cold
and stable weather conditions, and clear
skies; summers characterized by continu-
ous daylight, damp and foggy weather,
and weak cyclones with rain or snow
Terrain: central surface covered by a pe-
rennial drifting polar icepack which aver-
ages about 3 meters in thickness, although
pressure ridges may be three times that
size; clockwise drift pattern in the Beau-
fort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight line
movement from the New Siberian Islands
(USSR) to Denmark Strait (between
Greenland and Iceland); the ice pack is
surrounded by open seas during the sum-
mer, but more than doubles in size during
the winter and extends to the encircling
land masses; the ocean floor is about 50%
continental shelf (highest percentage of
any ocean) with the remainder a central
basin interrupted by three submarine
ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordil-
lera, and Lomonsov Ridge); maximum
depth is 4,665 meters in the Fram Basin
Natural resources: sand and gravel aggre-
gates, placer deposits, polymetallic nod-
ules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mam-
mals (seals, whales)
Environment: endangered marine species
include walruses and whales; ice islands
occasionally break away from northern
Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from
13
Arctic Ocean (continued)
Argentina
western Greenland and extreme northeast-
ern Canada; maximum snow cover in
March or April about 20 to 50 centime-
ters over the frozen ocean and lasts about
10 months; permafrost in islands; virtually
icelocked from October to June; fragile
ecosystem slow to change and slow to re-
cover from disruptions or damage
Note: major chokepoint is the southern
Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pa-
cific Ocean via the Bering Strait); ships
subject to superstructure icing from Octo-
ber to May; strategic location between
North America and the USSR; shortest
marine link between the extremes of east-
ern and western USSR; floating research
stations operated by the US and USSR
Economy
Overview: Economic activity is limited to
the exploitation of natural resources, in-
cluding crude oil, natural gas, fishing, and
sealing.
Communications
Ports: Churchill (Canada), Murmansk
(USSR), Prudhoe Bay (US)
Telecommunications: no submarine cables
Note: sparse network of air, ocean, river,
and land routes; the Northwest Passage
(North America) and Northern Sea Route
(Asia) are important waterways
South Atlantic
Ocean
Comodoro Rivadavia
Boundary representation it
not necessarily authoritative
See rt |iun»l map IV
Geography
Total area: 2,766,890 km2; land area:
2,736,690 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than four
times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 9,665 km total; Bolivia
832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km,
Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km
Coastline: 4,989 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and
navigation permitted beyond 1 2 nm)
Disputes: short section of the boundary
with Uruguay is in dispute; short section
of the boundary with Chile is indefinite;
claims British-administered Falkland Is-
lands (Islas Malvinas); claims
British-administered South Georgia and
the South Sandwich Islands; territorial
claim in Antarctica
Climate: mostly temperate; arid in south-
east; subantarctic in southwest
Terrain: rich plains of the Pampas in
northern half, flat to rolling plateau of
Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along
western border
Natural resources: fertile plains of the
pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore,
manganese, crude oil, uranium
Land use: 9% arable land; 4% permanent
crops; 52% meadows and pastures; 22%
forest and woodland; 1 3% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: Tucuman and Mendoza ar-
eas in Andes subject to earthquakes; pam-
peros are violent windstorms that can
strike Pampas and northeast; irrigated soil
degradation; desertification; air and water
pollution in Buenos Aires
Note: second-largest country in South
America (after Brazil); strategic location
relative to sea lanes between South Atlan-
tic and South Pacific Oceans (Strait of
Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Pas-
sage)
People
Population: 32,290,966 (July 1990),
growth rate 1.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 32 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male,
74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Argentines); adjec-
tive— Argentine
Ethnic divisions: 85% white, 15% mestizo,
Indian, or other nonwhite groups
Religion: 90% nominally Roman Catholic
(less than 20% practicing), 2% Protestant,
2% Jewish, 6% other
Language: Spanish (official), English, Ital-
ian, German, French
Literacy: 94%
Labor force: 10,900,000; 1 2% agriculture,
31% industry, 57% services (1985 est.)
Organized labor 3,000,000; 28% of labor
force
Government
Long-form name: Argentine Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Buenos Aires (tentative plans to
move to Viedma by 1990 indefinitely post-
poned)
Administrative divisions: 22 provinces (pro-
vincias, singular — provincial, 1 national
territory* (territorio nacional), and 1
district** (distrito); Buenos Aires, Cata-
marca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Cor-
rientes, Distrito Federal**, Entre Rios,
Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja,
Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro,
Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz,
Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del
Fuego and Antartida e Islas del Atlantico
Sur*, Tucuman
Independence: 9 July 1816 (from Spain)
Constitution: 1 May 1853
Legal system: mixture of US and West
European legal systems; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 25 May
(1810)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of
an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and
14
a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies
(Camera de Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte
Suprema)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Carlos Saul MENEM
(since 8 July 1989); Vice President
Eduardo DUHALDE (since 8 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Justicialist
Party (JP), Antonio Cafiero, Peronist um-
brella political organization; Radical Civic
Union (UCR), Raul Alfonsin, moderately
left of center; Union of the Democratic
Center (UCEDE), Alvaro Alsogaray, con-
servative party; Intransigent Party (PI),
Dr. Oscar Alende, leftist party; several
provincial parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 14 May
1989 (next to be held May 1995);
results — Carlos Saul Menem was elected;
Chamber of Deputies — last held 14 May
1989 (next to be held May 1991);
results— JP 47%, UCR 30%, UDC 7%,
other 16%; seats— (254 total); JP 122,
UCR 93, UDC 11, other 28
Communists: some 70,000 members in
various party organizations, including a
small nucleus of activists
Other political or pressure groups:
Peronist-dominated labor movement, Gen-
eral Confederation of Labor (Peronist-
leaning umbrella labor organization), Ar-
gentine Industrial Union (manufacturers'
association), Argentine Rural Society
(large landowners' association), business
organizations, students, the Roman Cath-
olic Church, the Armed Forces
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT,
Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB—
Inter-American Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, ISO,
ITU, IWC— International Whaling Com-
mission, IWC — International Wheat
Council, LAIA, NAM, OAS, PAHO,
SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WTO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Guido Jose Maria DI TELLA; Chancery
at 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20009; telephone 202)
939-6400 through 6403; there are Argen-
tine Consulates General in Houston, Mi-
ami, New Orleans, New York, San Fran-
cisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and
Consulates in Baltimore, Chicago, and
Los Angeles; US — Ambassador Terence
A. TODMAN; Embassy at 4300 Colom-
bia, 1425 Buenos Aires (mailing address is
APO Miami 34034); telephone [54] (1)
774-7611 or 8811,9911
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of light
blue (top), white, and light blue; centered
in the white band is a radiant yellow sun
with a human face known as the Sun of
May
Economy
Overview: Argentina is rich in natural re-
sources, and has a highly literate popula-
tion, an export-oriented agricultural sec-
tor, and a diversified industrial base.
Nevertheless, the economy has encoun-
tered major problems in recent years,
leading to a recession in 1988-89. Eco-
nomic growth slowed to 2.0% in 1987 and
to -1.8% in 1988; a sharp decline of
-5.5% has been estimated for 1989. A
widening public-sector deficit and a multi-
digit inflation rate has dominated the
economy over the past three years, reach-
ing about 5,000% in 1989. Since 1978,
Argentina's external debt has nearly dou-
bled to $60 billion, creating severe debt-
servicing difficulties and hurting the
country's creditworthiness with interna-
tional lenders.
GNP: $72.0 billion, per capita $2,217; real
growth rate -5.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4,925%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 8.5% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $11.5 billion; expendi-
tures $13.0 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $0.93 billion (1988)
Exports: $9.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— meat, wheat, corn, oilseed,
hides, wool; partners— US 14%, USSR,
Italy, Brazil, Japan, Netherlands
Imports: $4.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— machinery and equipment,
chemicals, metals, fuels and lubricants,
agricultural products; partners — US 25%,
Brazil, FRG, Bolivia, Japan, Italy, Neth-
erlands
External debt: $60 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate —8%
(1989)
Electricity: 16,449,000 kW capacity;
46,590 million kWh produced, 1,460 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing (especially
meat packing), motor vehicles, consumer
durables, textiles, chemicals and petro-
chemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP
(including fishing); produces abundant
food for both domestic consumption and
exports; among world's top five exporters
of grain and beef; principal crops — wheat,
corn, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets;
1987 fish catch estimated at 500,000 tons
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $3.6 billion; Commu-
nist countries (1970-88), $718 million
Currency: austral (plural — australes); 1
austral (A) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: australes (A) per US$1 —
1,930 (December 1989), 8.7526 (1988),
2.1443 (1987), 0.9430 (1986), 0.6018
(1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 34,172 km total (includes 169
km electrified); includes a mixture of
1.435-meter standard gauge, 1.676-meter
broad gauge, 1 .000-meter gauge, and
0.750-meter gauge
Highways: 208,350 km total; 47,550 km
paved, 39,500 km gravel, 101,000 km im-
proved earth, 20,300 km unimproved
earth
Inland waterways: 11,000 km navigable
Pipelines: 4,090 km crude oil; 2,900 km
refined products; 9,918 km natural gas
Ports: Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Neco-
chea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario, Santa Fe
Merchant marine: 131 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 1,693,540 GRT/
2,707,079 DWT; includes 45 cargo, 6 re-
frigerated cargo, 6 container, 1 roll-on/
roll-off cargo, 1 railcar carrier, 48
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas,
18 bulk
Civil air: 54 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1,799 total, 1,617 usable; 132
with permanent-surface runways; 1 with
runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 335 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: extensive modern
system; 2,650,000 telephones (12,000 pub-
lic telephones); radio relay widely used;
stations— 171 AM, no FM, 231 TV, 13
shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth stations; domestic satellite network
has 40 stations
Defense Forces
Branches: Argentine Army, Navy of the
Argentine Republic, Argentine Air Force,
National Gendarmerie, Argentine Naval
Prefecture, National Aeronautical Police
Military manpower: males 15-49,
7,860,054; 6,372,189 fit for military ser-
vice; 277,144 reach military age (20) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 1.4% of GNP (1987)
15
Aruba
(part of the Dutch realm)
Caribbean
Sea
ORANJESTA
10km
Sec regional mip 111
Geography
Total area: 193 km2; land area: 193 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 68.5 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: \ 2 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal
temperature variation
Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegeta-
tion
Natural resources: negligible; white sandy
beaches
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: lies outside the Caribbean
hurricane belt
Note: 28 km north of Venezuela
People
Population: 62,656 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —8 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Aruban(s); adjective —
Aruban
Ethnic divisions: 80% mixed European/
Caribbean Indian
Religion: 82% Roman Catholic, 8% Prot-
estant; also small Hindu, Muslim, Confu-
cian, and Jewish minority
Language: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a
Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dia-
lect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Literacy: 95%
Labor force: NA, but most employment is
in the tourist industry (1986)
Organized labor Aruban Workers' Feder-
ation (FT A)
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: part of the Dutch realm — full au-
tonomy in internal affairs obtained in
1986 upon separation from the Nether-
lands Antilles
Capital: Oranjestad
Administrative divisions: none
(self-governing part -of the Netherlands)
Independence: planned for 1996
Constitution: 1 January 1986
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law
system, with some English common law
influence
National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March
Executive branch: Dutch monarch, gover-
nor, prime minister, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
(Staten)
Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Jus-
tice
Leaders: Ch ief of State— Queen BEA-
TRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30
April 1980), represented by Governor
General Felipe B. TROMP (since 1 Janu-
ary 1986);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Nelson ODUBER (since NA February
1989)
Political parties and leaders: Electoral
Movement Party (MEP), Nelson Oduber;
Aruban People's Party (AVP), Henny
Eman; National Democratic Action
(ADN), Pedro Charro Kelly; New Patri-
otic Party (PPN), Eddy Werlemen; Aru-
ban Patriotic Party (PPA), Benny Nisbet;
Aruban Democratic Party (PDA), Leo
Berlinski; Democratic Action 86 (AD'86),
Arturo Oduber; governing coalition in-
cludes the MEP, PPA, and ADN
Suffrage: universal at age 1 8
Elections: Parliament — last held 6 Janu-
ary 1989 (next to be held by January
1993); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (21 total) MEP 10, AVP 8,
ADN 1, PPN 1, PPA 1
Diplomatic representation: none
(self-governing part of the Netherlands)
Flag: blue with two narrow horizontal yel-
low stripes across the lower portion and a
red, four-pointed star outlined in white in
the upper hoist-side corner
Economy
Overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the
economy. In 1985 the economy suffered a
severe blow when Exxon closed its
refinery, a major source of employment
and foreign exchange earnings. Economic
collapse was prevented by soft loans from
the Dutch Government and by a booming
tourist industry. Hotel capacity expanded
by 20% between 1985 and 1987 and is
projected to more than double by 1990.
Unemployment has steadily declined from
about 20% in 1986 to about 3% in 1988.
GDP: $620 million, per capita $10,000;
real growth rate 16.7% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1988
est.)
Unemployment rate: 3% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $145 million; expendi-
tures $185 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $42 million (1988)
Exports: $47.5 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — mostly petroleum products;
partners— US 64%, EC
Imports: $296.0 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities — food, consumer goods,
manufactures; partners — US 8%, EC
External debt: $81 million (1987)
Industrial production: growth rate — 20%
(1984)
Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 945 mil-
lion kWh produced, 15,120 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: tourism, transshipment facili-
ties
Agriculture: poor quality soils and low
rainfall limit agricultural activity to the
cultivation of aloes
Aid: none
Currency: Aruban florin (plural — florins);
1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Aruban florins (Af.) per
US$1— 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Ports: Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Airfield: government-owned airport east of
Oranjestad
Telecommunications: generally adequate;
extensive interisland radio relay links;
72,168 telephones; stations — 4 AM, 4
FM, 1 TV; 1 sea cable to St. Maarten
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
Netherlands until 1996
16
Ashmore and Carrier Islands
(territory of Australia)
Atlantic Ocean
20km
Ashmore Reef
:sl Islet
Indian Ocean
Cartier Island*.
See regional map X
Geography
Total area: 5 km2; land area: 5 km2; in-
cludes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and
East Islets) and Cartier Island
Comparative area: about 8.5 times the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 74.1 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: tropical
Terrain: low with sand and coral
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other — grass and
sand
Environment: surrounded by shoals and
reefs; Ashmore Reef National Nature Re-
serve established in August 1983
Note: located in extreme eastern Indian
Ocean between Australia and Indonesia
320 km off the northwest coast of Austra-
lia
People
Population: no permanent inhabitants;
seasonal caretakers
Government
Long-form name: Territory of Ashmore
and Cartier Islands
Type: territory of Australia administered
by the Australian Ministry for Territories
and Local Government
Administrative divisions: none (territory of
Australia)
Legal system: relevant laws of the North-
ern Territory of Australia
Note: administered by the Australian
Minister for Arts, Sports, the Environ-
ment, Tourism, and Territories Graham
Richardson
Diplomatic representation: none (territory
of Australia)
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Aus-
tralia; periodic visits by the Royal Austra-
lian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force
Geography
Total area: 82,217,000 km2; includes Bal-
tic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis
Strait, Denmark Strait, Drake Passage,
Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea,
North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Weddell Sea,
and other tributary water bodies
Comparative area: slightly less than nine
times the size of the US; second-largest of
the world's four oceans (after the Pacific
Ocean, but larger than Indian Ocean or
Arctic Ocean)
Coastline: 111,866 km
Climate: tropical cyclones (hurricanes) de-
velop off the coast of Africa near Cape
Verde and move westward into the Carib-
bean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May
to December, but are most frequent from
August to November
Terrain: surface usually covered with sea
ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and
Baltic Sea from October to June; clock-
wise warm water gyre (broad, circular sys-
tem of currents) in the north Atlantic,
counterclockwise warm water gyre in the
south Atlantic; the ocean floor is domi-
nated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rug-
ged north-south centerline for the entire
Atlantic basin; maximum depth is 8,605
meters in the Puerto Rico Trench
Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish,
marine mammals (seals and whales), sand
and gravel aggregates, placer deposits,
polymetallic nodules, precious stones
Environment: endangered marine species
include the manatee, seals, sea lions, tur-
tles, and whales; municipal sludge pollu-
tion off eastern US, southern Brazil, and
eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Carib-
bean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Mara-
caibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea;
industrial waste and municipal sewage
pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and
Mediterranean Sea; icebergs common in
Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the
northwestern Atlantic from February to
17
Atlantic Ocean (continued)
Australia
August and have been spotted as far south
as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ice-
bergs from Antarctica occur in the ex-
treme southern Atlantic
Note: ships subject to superstructure icing
in extreme north Atlantic from October to
May and extreme south Atlantic from
May to October; persistent fog can be a
hazard to shipping from May to Septem-
ber; major choke points include the Dar-
danelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the
Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits
include the Dover Strait, Straits of Flor-
ida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund),
and Windward Passage; north Atlantic
shipping lanes subject to icebergs from
February to August; the Equator divides
the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlan-
tic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
Economy
Overview: Economic activity is limited to
exploitation of natural resources, espe-
cially fish, dredging aragonite sands (The
Bahamas), and crude oil and natural gas
production (Caribbean Sea and North
Sea).
Communications
Ports: Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Al-
geria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona
(Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casa-
blanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Co-
penhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal),
Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (FRG), Hel-
sinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Is-
lands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lenin-
grad (USSR), Lisbon (Portugal), London
(UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo
(Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples
(Italy), New Orleans (US), New York
(US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Pi-
raeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil),
Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stockholm
(Sweden)
Telecommunications: numerous submarine
cables with most between continental Eu-
rope and the UK, North America and the
UK, and in the Mediterranean; numerous
direct links across Atlantic via
INTELSAT satellite network
Note: Kiel Canal and St. Lawrence Sea-
way are two important waterways
Coral Sea
Indian Ocean
S« retional map X
Geography
Total area: 7,686,850 km2; land area:
7,617,930 km2; includes Macquarie Island
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
the US
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 25,760 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica
(Australian Antarctic Territory)
Climate: generally arid to semiarid; tem-
perate in south and east; tropical in north
Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts;
fertile plain in southeast
Natural resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore,
copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tung-
sten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds,
natural gas, crude oil
Land use: 6% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 58% meadows and pastures;
14% forest and woodland; 22% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: subject to severe droughts
and floods; cyclones along coast; limited
freshwater availability; irrigated soil deg-
radation; regular, tropical, invigorating,
sea breeze known as the doctor occurs
along west coast in summer; desertifica-
tion
Note: world's smallest continent but sixth-
largest country
People
Population: 16,923,478 (July 1990),
growth rate 1.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 1 5 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 6 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Australian(s); adjec-
tive— Australian
Ethnic divisions: 95% Caucasian, 4%
Asian, 1% Aboriginal and other
Religion: 26.1% Anglican, 26.0% Roman
Catholic, 24.3% other Christian
Language: English, native languages
Literacy: 98.5%
Labor force: 7,700,000; 33.8% finance and
services, 22.3% public and community ser-
vices, 20.1% wholesale and retail trade,
16.2% manufacturing and industry, 6.1%
agriculture (1987)
Organized labor 62% of labor force (1986)
Government
Long-form name: Commonwealth of Aus-
tralia
Type: federal parliamentary state
Capital: Canberra
Administrative divisions: 6 states and 2
territories*; Australian Capital Territory*,
New South Wales, Northern Territory*,
Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania,
Victoria, Western Australia
Dependent areas: Ashmore and Cartier
Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling)
Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island
and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island
Independence: 1 January 1901 (federation
of UK colonies)
Constitution: 9 July 1900, effective 1 Jan-
uary 1901
Legal system: based on English common
law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations
National holiday: Australia Day (last
Monday in January), 29 January 1990
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Par-
liament consists of an upper house or Sen-
ate and a lower house or House of Repre-
sentatives
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General William
George HAYDEN (since NA February
1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Robert James Lee HAWKE (since 1 1
March 1983); Deputy Prime Minister
Paul KEATING (since 3 April 1990)
18
Political parties and leaders:
government — Australian Labor Party, Ro-
bert Hawke; opposition — Liberal Party,
Andrew Peacock; National Party, Charles
Blunt; Australian Democratic Party, Ja-
nine Haines
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: Senate— last held 11 July 1987
(next to be held by 12 May 1990);
results — Labor 43%, Liberal-National
42%, Australian Democrats 8%, indepen-
dents 2%; seats— (76 total); Labor 32,
Liberal-National 34, Australian Demo-
crats 7, independents 3;
House of Representatives — last held 24
March 1990 (next to be held by Novem-
ber 1993); results— Labor 39.7%, Liberal-
National 43%, Australian Democrats and
independents 11.1%; seats— (148 total)
Labor 78, Liberal-National 69, indepen-
dent 1
Communists: 4,000 members (est.)
Other political or pressure groups: Austra-
lian Democratic Labor Party
(anti-Communist Labor Party splinter
group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament
Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splin-
ter group)
Member of: ADB, AIOEC, ANZUS,
CCC, CIPEC (associate), Colombo Plan,
Commonwealth, DAC, ESA, ESCAP,
FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBA, IBRD,
ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU,
IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC-
International Whaling Commission,
IWC — International Wheat Council,
OECD, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Michael J. COOK; Chancery at 1601
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20036; telephone (202) 797-3000;
there are Australian Consulates General
in Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los
Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (Amer-
ican Samoa), and San Francisco; US —
Ambassador Melvin F. SEMBLER; Moo-
nah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Austra-
lian Capital Territory 2600 (mailing ad-
dress is APO San Francisco 6404);
telephone [61] (62) 705000; there are US
Consulates General in Melbourne, Perth,
and Sydney, and a Consulate in Brisbane
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and a large
seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side
quadrant; the remaining half is a repre-
sentation of the Southern Cross constella-
tion in white with one small five-pointed
star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars
Economy
Overview: Australia has a prosperous
Western-style capitalist economy, with a
per capita GNP comparable to levels in
industrialized West European countries.
Rich in natural resources, Australia is a
major exporter of agricultural products,
minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Of the
top 25 exports, 21 are primary products,
so that, as happened during 1983-84, a
downturn in world commodity prices can
have a big impact on the economy. The
government is pushing for increased ex-
ports of manufactured goods but competi-
tion in international markets will be se-
vere.
GNP: $240.8 billion, per capita $14,300;
real growth rate 4.1% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 6.0% (December
1989)
Budget: revenues $76.3 billion; expendi-
tures $69.1 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (FY90 est.)
Exports: $43.2 billion (f.o.b., FY89); com-
modities— wheat, barley, beef, lamb,
dairy products, wool, coal, iron ore; parr-
new—Japan 26%, US 11%, NZ 6%,
South Korea 4%, Singapore 4%, USSR
3%
Imports: $48.6 billion (c.i.f., FY89); com-
modities— manufactured raw materials,
capital equipment, consumer goods; part-
ners—US 22%, Japan 22%, UK 7%, FRG
6%, NZ 4% (1984)
External debt: $1 1 1.6 billion (September
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.6%
(FY88)
Electricity: 38,000,000 kW capacity;
139,000 million kWh produced, 8,450
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining, industrial and trans-
portation equipment, food processing,
chemicals, steel, motor vehicles
Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP and
37% of export revenues; world's largest
exporter of beef and wool, second-largest
for mutton, and among top wheat export-
ers; major crops — wheat, barley, sugar-
cane, fruit; livestock — cattle, sheep, poul-
try
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $8.8 billion
Currency: Australian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Australian dollar ($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: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 40,478 km total; 7,970 km
1.600-meter gauge, 16,201 km
1.435-meter standard gauge, 16,307 km
1.067-meter gauge; 183 km dual gauge;
1,130 km electrified; government owned
(except for a few hundred kilometers of
privately owned track) (1985)
Highways: 837,872 km total; 243,750 km
paved, 228,396 km gravel, crushed stone,
or stabilized soil surface, 365,726 km
unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 8,368 km; mainly by
small, shallow-draft craft
Pipelines: crude oil, 2,500 km; refined
products, 500 km; natural gas, 5,600 km
Ports: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Dar-
win, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong, Ho-
bart, Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne,
Sydney, Townsville
Merchant marine: 77 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 2,300,049 GRT/3,493,802
DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 7
cargo, 5 container, 10 roll-on/roll-off
cargo, 17 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 3 lique-
fied gas, 1 combination ore/oil, 1 livestock
carrier, 29 bulk
Civil air: around 1 50 major transport air-
craft
Airports: 564 total, 524 usable; 235 with
permanent-surface runways, 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 311 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international
and domestic service; 8.7 million
telephones; stations — 258 AM, 67 FM,
134 TV; submarine cables to New Zea-
land, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia;
domestic satellite service; satellite
stations — 4 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 6
Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Australian Navy, Austra-
lian Army, Royal Australian Air Force
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
4,588,750; 4,009,127 fit for military ser-
vice; 136,042 reach military age (17) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: NA
19
Austria
See rtf iuntl map V
Geography
Total area: 83,850 km2; land area: 82,730
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Maine
Land boundaries: 2,640 km total; Czecho-
slovakia 548 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy
430 km, Liechtenstein 37 km, Switzerland
164 km, FRG 784 km, Yugoslavia 311
km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: South Tyrol question with Italy
Climate: temperate; continental, cloudy;
cold winters with frequent rain in low-
lands and snow in mountains; cool sum-
mers with occasional showers
Terrain: mostly mountains with Alps in
west and south; mostly flat, with gentle
slopes along eastern and northern margins
Natural resources: iron ore, crude oil, tim-
ber, magnesite, aluminum, lead, coal, lig-
nite, copper, hydropower
Land use: 17% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 24% meadows and pastures; 39%
forest and woodland; 19% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: because of steep slopes, poor
soils, and cold temperatures, population is
concentrated on eastern lowlands
Note: landlocked; strategic location at the
crossroads of central Europe with many
easily traversable Alpine passes and val-
leys; major river is the Danube
People
Population: 7,644,275 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 1 2 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Austrian(s);
adjective — Austrian
Ethnic divisions: 99.4% German, 0.3%
Croatian, 0.2% Slovene, 0.1% other
Religion: 85% Roman Catholic, 6% Prot-
estant, 9% other
Language: German
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 3,037,000; 56.4% services,
35.4% industry and crafts, 8.1% agricul-
ture and forestry; an estimated 200,000
Austrians are employed in other European
countries; foreign laborers in Austria
number 1 77,840, about 6% of labor force
(1988)
Organized labor: 1,672,820 members of
Austrian Trade Union Federation (1984)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Austria
Type: federal republic
Capital: Vienna
Administrative divisions: 9 states (bundes-
la'nder. singular — bundesland); Burgen-
land, Karnten, Niederosterreich,
Oberosterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Ti-
rol, Vorarlberg, Wien
Independence: 12 November 1918 (from
Austro-Hungarian Empire)
Constitution: 1920, revised 1929
(reinstated 1945)
Legal system: civil law system with Ro-
man law origin; judicial review of legisla-
tive acts by a Constitutional Court; sepa-
rate administrative and civil/penal
supreme courts; has not accepted compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 26 Octo-
ber (1955)
Executive branch: president, chancellor,
vice chancellor, Council of Ministers (cab-
inet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal As-
sembly (Bundesversammlung) consists of
an upper council or Federal Council (Bun-
desrat) and a lower council or National
Council (Nationalrat)
Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court
(Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and crimi-
nal cases. Administrative Court (Verwal-
tungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases,
Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgericht-
shof) for constitutional cases
Leaders: Chief of State — President Kurt
WALDHEIM (since 8 July 1986);
Head of Government — Chancellor Franz
VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice
Chancellor Josef RIEGLER (since 19
May 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist
Party of Austria (SPO), Franz Vranitzky,
chairman; Austrian People's Party (OVP),
Josef Riegler, chairman; Freedom Party
of Austria (FPO), Jorg Haider, chairman;
Communist Party (KPO), Franz Muhri,
chairman; Green Alternative List (GAL),
Andreas Wabl, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 19; compulsory
for presidential elections
Elections: President — last held 8 June
1986 (next to be held May 1992); results
of Second Ballot— Dr. Kurt Waldheim
53.89%, Dr. Kurt Steyrer 46.1 1%;
Federal Council — last held 23 November
1986 (next to be held November 1990);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (63 total) OVP 32, SPO 30, FPO
1;
National Council — last held 23 November
1986 (next to be held November 1990);
results— SPO 43.1%, OVP 41.3%, FPO
9.7%, GAL 4.8%, KPO 0.7%, other
0.32%; seats— (183 total) SPO 80, OVP
77, FPO 18, GAL 8
Communists: membership 15,000 est.; ac-
tivists 7,000-8,000
Other political or pressure groups: Federal
Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
Austrian Trade Union Federation (prima-
rily Socialist); three composite leagues of
the Austrian People's Party (OVP) repre-
senting business, labor, and farmers;
OVP-oriented League of Austrian Indus-
trialists; Roman Catholic Church, includ-
ing its chief lay organization, Catholic
Action
Member of: ADB, Council of Europe,
CCC, DAC, ECE, EFTA, EMA, ESA,
FAO, GATT, IAEA, IDB—
Inter-American Development Bank,
IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, IWC—
International Wheat Council, OECD,
UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, WSG; Austria is
neutral and is not a member of NATO or
the EC
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Friedrich HOESS; Embassy at 2343 Mas-
sachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 483-4474; there
are Austrian Consulates General in Chi-
cago, Los Angeles, and New York; US —
Ambassador Henry A. GRUNWALD;
Embassy at Boltzmanngasse 16, A- 1091,
Vienna (mailing address is APO New
York 09108); telephone [43] (222) 31-55-
1 1 ; there is a US Consulate General in
Salzburg
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and red
20
The Bahamas
Economy
Overview: Austria boasts a prosperous and
stable capitalist economy with a sizable
proportion of nationalized industry and
extensive welfare benefits. Thanks to an
excellent raw material endowment, a tech-
nically skilled labor force, and strong links
with West German industrial firms, Aus-
tria has successfully occupied specialized
niches in European industry and services
(tourism, banking) and produces almost
enough food to feed itself with only 8% of
the labor force in agriculture. Living stan-
dards are roughly comparable with the
large industrial countries of Western Eu-
rope. Problems for the 1990s include an
aging population and the struggle to keep
welfare benefits within budget capabilities.
GDP: $103.2 billion, per capita $13,600;
real growth rate 4.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.7%
(1989)
Unemployment: 4.8% (1989)
Budget: revenues $34.2 billion; expendi-
tures $39. 5 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (1988)
Exports: $31.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— machinery and equipment, iron
and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products,
chemicals; partners — FRG 35%, Italy
10%, Eastern Europe 9%, Switzerland 7%,
US 4%, OPEC 3%
Imports: $37.9 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— petroleum, foodstuffs, machin-
ery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals,
textiles and clothing, Pharmaceuticals;
partners— FRG 44%, Italy 9%, Eastern
Europe 6%, Switzerland 5%, US 4%,
USSR 2%
External debt: $12.4 billion (December
1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.8%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 17,562,000 kW capacity;
49,290 million kWh produced, 6,500 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: foods, iron and steel, machines,
textiles, chemicals, electrical, paper and
pulp, tourism, mining
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP (in-
cluding forestry); principal crops and ani-
mals— grains, fruit, potatoes, sugar beets,
sawn wood, cattle, pigs poultry; 80-90%
self-sufficient in food
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $1.7 billion
Currency: Austrian schilling (plural —
schillings); 1 Austrian schilling (S) = 100
groschen
Exchange rates: Austrian schillings (S) per
US$1— 11. 907 (January 1990), 13.231
(1989), 12.348(1988), 12.643(1987),
15.267(1986), 20.690(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 6,028 km total; 5,388 km gov-
ernment owned and 640 km privately
owned (1.435- and 1.000-meter gauge);
5,403 km 1.435-meter standard gauge of
which 3,051 km is electrified and 1,520
km is double tracked; 363 km 0.760-meter
narrow gauge of which 91 km is electri-
fied
Highways: 95,412 km total; 34,612 are
the primary network (including 1,012 km
of autobahn, 10,400 km of federal, and
23,200 km of provincial roads); of this
number, 21,812 km are paved and 12,800
km are unpaved; in addition, there are
60,800 km of communal roads (mostly
gravel, crushed stone, earth)
Inland waterways: 446 km
Ports: Vienna, Linz (river ports)
Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 209,311 GRT/366,401
DWT; includes 23 cargo, 1 container, 5
bulk
Pipelines: 554 km crude oil; 2,61 1 km nat-
ural gas; 171 km refined products
Civil air: 25 major transport aircraft
Airports: 55 total, 54 usable; 19 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed and
efficient; 4,014,000 telephones; extensive
TV and radiobroadcast systems;
stations — 6 AM, 21 (544 repeaters) FM,
47 (867 repeaters) TV; satellite stations
operating in INTELSAT 1 Atlantic
Ocean earth station and 1 Indian Ocean
earth station and EUTELSAT systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Flying Division
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1,970,189; 1,656,228 fit for military ser-
vice; 50,090 reach military age (19) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: 1.1% of GDP, or
$1.1 billion (1989 est.)
200km
NASSAU ;AS/'eu
: *«
Great Abaco
<thera
Cat Island
P
Horth
Atlantic
Ocean
V
North
Atlantic
Ocean
See regional map III
Great Inagua
Geography
Total area: 13,940 km2; land area: 10,070
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 3,542 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical marine; moderated by
warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain: long, flat coral formations with
some low rounded hills
Natural resources: salt, aragonite, timber
Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; NEGL% meadows and pas-
tures; 32% forest and woodland; 67%
other
Environment: subject to hurricanes and
other tropical storms that cause extensive
flood damage
Note: strategic location adjacent to US
and Cuba; extensive island chain
People
Population: 246,49 1 (July 1 990), growth
rate 1.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 1 7 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Bahamian(s); adjec-
tive— Bahamian
Ethnic divisions: 85% black, 15% white
21
The Bahamas (continued)
Religion: Baptist 29%, Anglican 23%, Ro-
man Catholic 22%, smaller groups of
other Protestants, Greek Orthodox, and
Jews
Language: English; some Creole among
Haitian immigrants
Literacy: 95% (1986)
Labor force: 132,600; 30% government,
25% hotels and restaurants, 10% business
services, 5% agriculture (1986)
Organized labor: 25% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: The Commonwealth of
The Bahamas
Type: commonwealth
Capital: Nassau
Administrative divisions: 2 1 districts;
Abaco, Acklins Island, Andros Island,
Berry Islands, Biminis, Cat Island, Cay
Lobos, Crooked Island, Eleuthera, Exuma,
Grand Bahama, Harbour Island, Inagua,
Long Cay, Long Island, Mayaguana, New
Providence, Ragged Island, Rum Cay,
San Salvador, Spanish Wells
Independence: 10 July 1973 (from UK)
Constitution: 10 July 1973
Legal system: based on English common
law
National holiday: Independence Day, 10
July (1973)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of St ate— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Acting Governor General Sir
Henry TAYLOR (since 26 June 1988);
Head of Government — Prime Minister Sir
Lynden Oscar PINDLING (since 16 Jan-
uary 1967)
Political parties and leaders: Progressive
Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. Pind-
ling; Free National Movement (FNM),
Cecil Wallace- Whitfield
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Assembly — last held
19 June 1987 (next to be held by June
1992); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (49 total) PLP 31, FNM 16,
independents 2
Communists: none known
Other political or pressure groups: Van-
guard Nationalist and Socialist Party
(VNSP), a small leftist party headed by
Lionel Carey; Trade Union Congress
(TUC), headed by Arlington Miller
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, CCC,
CDB, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77,
GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDB—
Inter-American Development Bank, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
ITU, NAM, OAS, PAHO, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Margaret E. MCDONALD; Chancery at
Suite 865, 600 New Hampshire Avenue
NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone
(202) 944-3390; there are Bahamian Con-
sulates General in Miami and New York;
US— Ambassador Chic HECHT; Em-
bassy at Mosmar Building, Queen Street,
Nassau (mailing address is P. O. Box N-
8197, Nassau); telephone (809) 322-1 181
or 328-2206
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine
with a black equilateral triangle based on
the hoist side
Economy
Overview: The Bahamas is a stable,
middle-income developing nation whose
economy is based primarily on tourism
and offshore banking. Tourism alone pro-
vides about 50% of GDP and directly or
indirectly employs about 50,000 people or
40% of the local work force. The economy
has boomed in recent years, aided by a
steady annual increase in the number of
tourists. The per capita GDP of over
$9,800 is one of the highest in the region.
GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $9,875; real
growth rate 2.0% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1%
(1988)
Unemployment: 12% (1986)
Budget: revenues $555 million; expendi-
tures $702 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $138 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $733 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— Pharmaceuticals, cement, rum,
crawfish; partners— US 90%, UK 10%
Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— foodstuffs, manufactured goods,
mineral fuels; partners — Iran 30%, Nige-
ria 20%, US 10%, EC 10%, Gabon 10%
External debt: $1.5 billion (September
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 368,000 kW capacity; 857 mil-
lion kWh produced, 3,470 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: banking, tourism, cement, oil
refining and transshipment, salt produc-
tion, rum, aragonite, Pharmaceuticals, spi-
ral weld, steel pipe
Agriculture: accounts for less than 5% of
GDP; dominated by small-scale producers;
principal products — citrus fruit, vegeta-
bles, poultry; large net importer of food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-80), $42 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $344 million
Currency: Bahamian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Bahamian dollar (B$) per
US$1— 1.00 (fixed rate)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Highways: 2,400 km total; 1,350 km
paved, 1,050 km gravel
Ports: Freeport, Nassau
Merchant marine: 533 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 1 1,684,123 GRT/
19,574,532 DWT; includes 26 passenger,
15 short-sea passenger, 121 cargo, 40 roll-
on/roll-off cargo, 42 refrigerated cargo,
16 container, 6 car carrier, 123 petroleum,
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 lique-
fied gas, 1 9 combination ore/oil, 29 chem-
ical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 86 bulk,
3 combination bulk; note — a flag of conve-
nience registry
Civil air: 9 major transport aircraft
Airports: 59 total, 57 usable; 31 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed;
99,000 telephones in totally automatic sys-
tem; tropospheric scatter and submarine
cable links to Florida; stations — 3 AM, 2
FM, 1 TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables;!
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force
(a coast guard element only), Royal Baha-
mas Police Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
22
Bahrain
Persian Cuff
e regional map V]
Geography
Total area: 620 km2; land area: 620 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 161 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: territorial dispute with Qatar
over the Hawar Islands
Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very
hot, humid summers
Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising
gently to low central escarpment
Natural resources: oil, associated and no-
nassociated natural gas, fish
Land use: 2% arable land; 2% permanent
crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 90% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: subsurface water sources
being rapidly depleted (requires develop-
ment of desalination facilities); dust
storms; desertification
Note: proximity to primary Middle East-
ern crude oil sources and strategic loca-
tion in Persian Gulf through which much
of Western world's crude oil must transit
to reach open ocean
People
Population: 520,186 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 3 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 8 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 7 1 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Bahraini(s);
adjective — Bahrain!
Ethnic divisions: 63% Bahrain!, 1 3%
Asian, 10% other Arab, 8% Iranian, 6%
other
Religion: Muslim (70% Shi'a, 30% Sunni)
Language: Arabic (official); English also
widely spoken; Farsi, Urdu
Literacy: 40%
Labor force: 140,000; 42% of labor force
is Bahrain!; 85% industry and commerce,
5% agriculture, 5% services, 3% govern-
ment (1982)
Organized labor: General Committee for
Bahrain Workers exists in only eight ma-
jor designated companies
Government
Long-form name: State of Bahrain
Type: traditional monarchy
Capital: Manama
Administrative divisions: 1 1 municipalities
(baladlyat, singular — baladlyah); Al Hadd,
Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharblyah,
Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash
Shamallyah. Al Muharraq, Ar Rif5' wa al
Mintaqah al Janublyah, Jidd Hal's,
Madlnat 'Isa, Mintaqat Juzur HawSr, Si-
trah
Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)
Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6
December 1973
Legal system: based on Islamic law and
English common law
National holiday: National Day, 16 De-
cember
Executive branch: amir, crown prince and
heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975
and legislative powers were assumed by
the Cabinet
Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Amir 'Isa bin
Salman Al KHALIFA (since 2 November
1961); Heir Apparent Hamad bin 'Isa Al
KHALIFA (son of Amir; born 28 January
1950);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Khalifa bin Salman Al KHALIFA, (since
19 January 1970)
Political parties and pressure groups: po-
litical parties prohibited; several small,
clandestine leftist and Shi'a fundamental-
ist groups are active
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Communists: negligible
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77,
GATT (de facto), GCC, IBRD, ICAO,
IDB — Islamic Development Bank, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM,
OAPEC, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Ghazi Muhammad AL-QUSAYBI; Chan-
cery at 3502 International Drive NW,
Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
342-0741 or 342-0742; there is a Bahrain!
Consulate General in New York; US —
Ambassador Dr. Charles W. HOSTLER;
Embassy at Shaikh Isa Road, Manama
(mailing address is P. O. 26431, Manama,
or FPO New York 09526); telephone [973]
714151 through 714153
Flag: red with a white serrated band
(eight white points) on the hoist side
Economy
Overview: The oil price decline in recent
years has had an adverse impact on the
economy. Petroleum production and pro-
cessing account for about 85% of export
receipts, 60% of government revenues, and
20% of GDP. In 1986 soft oil-market con-
ditions led to a 5% drop in GDP, in sharp
contrast wit the 5% average annual
growth rate during the early 1 980s. The
slowdown in economic activity, however,
has helped to check the inflation of the
1970s. The government's past economic
diversification efforts have moderated the
severity of the downturn but failed to
offset oil and gas revenue losses.
GDP: $3.5 billion, per capita $7,550
(1987); real growth rate 0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.3%
(1988)
Unemployment: 8-10% (1989)
Budget: revenues $1,136 million; expendi-
tures $1,210 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $294 million (1987)
Exports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — petroleum 80%, aluminum
7%, other 13%; partners— US, UAE, Ja-
pan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia
Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%;
partners — UK, Saudi Arabia, US, Japan
External debt: $1.1 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —3.1%
(1987)
Electricity: 1,652,000 kW capacity; 6,000
million kWh produced, 12,800 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum processing and re-
fining, aluminum smelting, offshore bank-
ing, ship repairing
Agriculture: including fishing, accounts for
less than 2% of GDP; not self-sufficient in
food production; heavily subsidized sector
produces fruit, vegetables, poultry, dairy
products, shrimp, and fish; fish catch
9,000 metric tons in 1987
23
Bahrain (continued)
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-79), $24 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral Com-
mitments (1970-87), $28 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion
Currency: Bahrain! dinar (plural — dinars);
1 Bahrain! dinar (BD) = 1,000 tils
Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per
US$1— 0.3760 (fixed rate)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Highways: 200 km bituminous surfaced,
including 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi
Arabia opened in November 1986; NA
km natural surface tracks
Ports: Mina Salman, Mina al Manamah,
Sitrah
Merchant marine: 1 cargo and 1 bulk
(1,000 CRT or over) totaling 28,621 CRT/
44,137 DWT
Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km; refined prod-
ucts, 16 km; natural gas, 32 km
Civil air: 24 major transport aircraft
Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent interna-
tional telecommunications; adequate do-
mestic services; 98,000 telephones; sta-
tions—2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth
stations— 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT,
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARAB-
SAT; tropospheric scatter and microwave
to Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia; submarine
cable to Qatar and UAE
Defense Forces
Branches: Army (Defense Force), Navy,
Air Force
Military manpower males 15-49, 183,580;
102,334 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 5% of GDP, or
$194 million (1990 est.)
Baker Island
(territory of the US)
300m
North Pacific Ocean
See regional map X
Geography
Total area: 1 .4 km2; land area: 1 .4 km2
Comparative area: about 2.3 times the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 4.8 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, con-
stant wind, burning sun
Terrain: low, nearly level coral island sur-
rounded by a narrow fringing reef
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked
until 1891)
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: treeless, sparse and scattered
vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate
vines, and low growing shrubs; lacks fresh
water; primarily a nesting, roosting, and
foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
and marine wildlife
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 aban-
doned after the war; public entry is by
special-use permit only and generally re-
stricted to scientists and educators; a cem-
etery and cemetery ruins located near the
middle of the west coast
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US
administered by the Fish and Wildlife
Service of the US Department of the Inte-
rior as part of the National Wildlife Ref-
uge system
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only, one
boat landing area along the the middle of
the west coast
Airports: 1 abandoned World War II run-
way of 1 ,665 m
Note: there is a day beacon near the mid-
dle of the west coast
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US; visited annually by the US Coast
Guard
24
Bangladesh
Bay of Bengal
Stfrrlicinilm.il VI 1 1
Geography
Total area: 144,000 km2; land area:
133,910 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Wisconsin
Land boundaries: 4,246 km total; Burma
193 km, India 4,053 km
Coastline: 580 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Continental shelf: up to outer limits of
continental margin
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: a portion of the boundary with
India is in dispute; water sharing problems
with upstream riparian India over the
Ganges
Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (Oc-
tober to March); hot, humid summer
(March to June); cool, rainy monsoon
(June to October)
Terrain: mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in
southeast
Natural resources: natural gas, uranium,
arable land, timber
Land use: 67% arable land; 2% permanent
crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 16%
forest and woodland; 1 1 % other; includes
14% irrigated
Environment: vulnerable to droughts;
much of country routinely flooded during
summer monsoon season; overpopulation;
deforestation
Note: almost completely surrounded by
India
People
Population: 118,433,062 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 42 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 136 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male,
53 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Bangladeshi(s); adjec-
tive— Bangladesh
Ethnic divisions: 98% Bengali; 250,000
Biharis, and less than 1 million tribals
Religion: 83% Muslim, about 16% Hindu,
less than 1% Buddhist, Christian, and
other
Language: Bangla (official), English widely
used
Literacy: 29% (39% men, 18% women)
Labor force: 35,100,000; 74% agriculture,
1 5% services, 1 1 % industry and
commerce; extensive export of labor to
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Kuwait
(FY86)
Organized labor: 3% of labor force belongs
to 2,614 registered unions (1986 est.)
Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of
Bangladesh
Type: republic
Capital: Dhaka
Administrative divisions: 64 districts (zilla-
gulo, singular — zilla); Bagerhat,
Bandarban, Barisal, Bhola, Bogra, Bor-
guna, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Chapai
Nawabganj, Chattagram, Chuadanga,
Comilla, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, Dinajpur,
Farldpur, Feni, Gaibandha, GSzipur,
Gopalganj, Habiganj, Jaipurhat,
Jamalpur, Jessore, Jhalakati, Jhenaidah,
Khagrachari, Khulna, Kishorganj,
KurlgrSm, Kushtia, Laksmipur, Lsl-
monirhat, Madarlpur, Magura,
Manikganj, Meherpur, Moulavibazar,
Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Naogaon, Na-
rail, NSrSyanganj, Narsingdi, Nator, Ne-
trakona, Nilph5m3ri, Noakhali, Pabna,
PanchSgar, Parbattya Chattagram,
Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Rajbari, Rajshahi,
Rangpur, Satkhira, Shariyatpur, Sherpur,
Sirajganj, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Tangail,
and Thakurgaon
Independence: 16 December 1971 (from
Pakistan; formerly East Pakistan)
Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective
16 December 1972, suspended following
coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 No-
vember 1986
Legal system: based on English common
law
National holiday: Independence Day, 26
March (1971)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, prime minister, three deputy prime
ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
(Jatiya Sangsad)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Hus-
sain Mohammad ERSHAD (since 1 1 De-
cember 1983, elected 15 October 1986);
Vice President Moudad AHMED (since
12 August 1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Qazi Zafar AHMED (since 12 August
1989)
Political parties and leaders: Jatiyo Party,
Hussain Mohammad Ershad; Bangladesh
Nationalist Party, Begum Ziaur Rahman;
Awami League, Sheikh Hasina Wazed;
United People's Party, Kazi Zafar
Ahmed; Democratic League, Khondakar
Mushtaque Ahmed; Muslim League,
Khan A. Sabur; Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal
(National Socialist Party), M. A. Jalil;
Bangladesh Communist Party (pro-Soviet),
Saifuddin Ahmed Manik;
Jamaat-E-Islami, Ali Khan
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 1 5 October
1986 (next to be held October 1991); re-
sults— President Hussain Mohammad Er-
shad received 83.5% of vote;
Parliament— last held 3 March 1988
(next to be held March 1993); results —
percent of vote by party NA; seats — (330
total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved
for women) Jatiyo Party won 256 out of
300 seats
Communists: 5,000 members (1987 est.)
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan,
Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB — Islamic Development Bank, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, NAM, QIC,
SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WFTU, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador A.
H. S. Ataul KARIM; Chancery at 2201
Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC
20007; telephone (202) 342-8372 through
8376; there is a Bangladesh Consulate
General in New York; US — Ambassador
Willard A. DE PREE; Embassy at Diplo-
matic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Barid-
hara Model Town, Dhaka (mailing ad-
dress is G. P. O. Box 323, Ramna,
Dhaka); telephone [88] (2) 608170
Flag: green with a large red disk slightly
to the hoist side of center; green is the
traditional color of Islam
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on the
output of a narrow range of agricultural
products, such as jute, which is the main
cash crop and major source of export
earnings. Bangladesh is hampered by a
relative lack of natural resources, a rapid
25
Bangladesh (continued)
Barbados
population growth of 2.8% a year and a
limited infrastructure, and it is highly vul-
nerable to natural disasters. Despite these
constraints, real GDP averaged about
3.8% annually during 1985-88. One of the
poorest nations in the world, alleviation of
poverty remains the cornerstone of the
government's development strategy. The
agricultural sector contributes over 50% to
GDP and 75% to exports, and employs
over 74% of the labor force. Industry ac-
counts for about 10% of GDP.
GDP: $20.6 billion, per capita $180; real
growth rate 2.1% (FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8-10%
(FY89 est.)
Unemployment rate: 30% (FY88 est.)
Budget: revenues $1.8 billion; expenditures
$3.3 billion, including capital expenditures
of $1.7 billion (FY89)
Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., FY89 est.);
commodities — jute, tea, leather, shrimp,
manufacturing; partners — US 25%, West-
ern Europe 22%, Middle East 9%, Japan
8%, Eastern Europe 7%
Imports: $3.1 billion (c.i.f., FY89 est.);
commodities — food, petroleum and other
energy, nonfood consumer goods, semipro-
cessed goods, and capital equipment; part-
ners— Western Europe 18%, Japan 14%,
Middle East 9%, US 8%
External debt: $10.4 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.4%
(FY89 est.)
Electricity: 1,700,000 kW capacity; 4,900
million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: jute manufacturing, food pro-
cessing, cotton textiles, petroleum, urea
fertilizer
Agriculture: accounts for about 50% of
GDP and 74% of both employment and
exports; imports 10% of food grain
requirements; world's largest exporter of
jute; commercial products — jute, rice,
wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef,
milk, poultry; shortages include wheat,
vegetable oils and cotton; fish catch
778,000 metric tons in 1986
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $3.2 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1980-87), $9.5 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $652 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $1.5 bil-
lion
Currency: taka (plural— taka); 1 taka (Tk)
= 100 paise
Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1—
32.270 (January 1990), 32.270(1989),
31.733 (1988), 30.950 (1987), 30.407
(1986), 27.995 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 2,892 km total (1986); 1,914
km 1.000 meter gauge, 978 km 1.676
meter broad gauge
Highways: 7,240 km total (1985); 3,840
km paved, 3,400 km unpaved
Inland waterways: 5,150-8,046 km naviga-
ble waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km
main cargo routes)
Ports: Chittagong, Chalna
Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 331,568 GRT/493,935
DWT; includes 38 cargo, 2 petroleum,
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 3 refrig-
erated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 3 bulk
Pipelines: 650 km natural gas
Civil air 1 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 16 total, 13 usable; 13 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate interna-
tional radio communications and landline
service; fair domestic wire and microwave
service; fair broadcast service; 182,000
telephones; stations — 9 AM, 6 FM, 1 1
TV; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite
earth stations
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force; para-
military forces — Bangladesh Rifles, Bang-
ladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve,
Coastal Police
Military manpower males 15-49,
28,110,802; 16,686,644 fit for military
service
Defense expenditures: 1.5% of GDP, or
$309 million (FY90 est.)
North
Atlantic
Ocean
5fcm
Caribbean
Sea
Stf regional nup III
The Crane
Geography
Total area: 430 km2; land area: 430 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 97 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to
October)
Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to cen-
tral highland region
Natural resources: crude oil, fishing, natu-
ral gas
Land use: 77% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 9% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 14% other
Environment: subject to hurricanes (espe-
cially June to October)
Note: easternmost Caribbean island
People
Population: 262,688 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 5 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Barbadian(s); adjec-
tive— Barbadian
Ethnic divisions: 80% African, 16% mixed,
4% European
Religion: 70% Anglican, 9% Methodist,
4% Roman Catholic, 17% other, including
Moravian
Language: English
26
Literacy: '
Labor force: 1 12,300; 37% services and
government; 22% commerce, 22% manu-
facturing and construction; 9% transporta-
tion, storage, communications, and finan-
cial institutions; 8% agriculture; 2%
utilities (1985 est.)
Organized labor: 32% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Bridgetown
Administrative divisions: 1 1 parishes; Chr-
ist Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George,
Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph,
Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter,
Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note — there
may a new city of Bridgetown
Independence: 30 November 1 966 (from
UK)
Constitution: 30 November 1966
Legal system: English common law; no
judicial review of legislative acts
National holiday: Independence Day, 30
November (1966)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister. Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judica-
ture
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General Sir Hugh
SPRINGER (since 24 February 1984);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2
June 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic
Labor Party (DLP), Erskine Sandiford;
Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Henry
Forde; National Democratic Party (NDP),
Richie Haynes
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Assembly — last held
28 May 1986 (next to be held by May
1991); results— DLP 59.4%, BLP 40.6%;
seats— (27 total) DLP 24, BLP 3; note — a
split in the DLP in February 1989
resulted in the formation of the NDP,
changing the status of seats to DLP 20,
NDP 4, BLP 3
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: Indus-
trial and General Workers Union, Bobby
Clarke; People's Progressive Movement,
Eric Sealy; Workers' Party of Barbados,
Dr. George Belle
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, Common-
wealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB,
IBRD, ICAO, IDB— Inter-American De-
velopment Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO,
ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council,
NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Sir William DOUGLAS; Chancery at
2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-9200
through 9202; there is a Barbadian Con-
sulate General in New York and a Consu-
late in Los Angeles; US — Ambassador-
nominee G. Philip HUGHES; Embassy at
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown
(mailing address is P. O. Box 302, Bridge-
town or FPO Miami 34054); telephone
(809) 436-4950 through 4957
Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue
(hoist side), yellow, and blue with the head
of a black trident centered on the gold
band; the trident head represents indepen-
dence and a break with the past (the colo-
nial coat of arms contained a complete
trident)
Economy
Overview: A per capita income of $5,250
gives Barbados the highest standard of
living of all the small island states of the
eastern Caribbean. Historically, the econ-
omy was based on the cultivation of sug-
arcane and related activities. In recent
years, however, the economy has diversi-
fied into manufacturing and tourism. The
tourist industry is now a major employer
of the labor force and a primary source of
foreign exchange. A high unemployment
rate of about 19% in 1988 remains one of
the most serious economic problems facing
the country.
GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $5,250 (1988
est.); real growth rate 3.7% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.7%
(1988)
Unemployment: 18.6% (1988)
Budget: revenues $476 million; expendi-
tures $543 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $94 million (FY86)
Exports: $173 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— sugar and molasses, electrical
components, clothing, rum, machinery and
transport equipment; partners: US 30%,
CARICOM, UK, Puerto Rico, Canada
Imports: $582 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, consumer durables,
raw materials, crude oil; partners — US
34%, CARICOM, Japan, UK, Canada
External debt: $635 million (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —5.4%
(1987 est.)
Electricity: 132,000 kW capacity; 460 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1,780 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufac-
turing, component assembly for export
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP;
major cash crop is sugarcane; other
crops — vegetables and cotton; not self-
sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-84), $14 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $144 million
Currency: Barbadian dollars (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars (Bds$)
per US$1— 2.01 13 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Highways: 1,570 km total; 1,475 km
paved, 95 km gravel and earth
Ports: Bridgetown
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000
CRT or over) totaling 3,200 GRT/7,338
DWT
Civil air 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
ways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: islandwide automatic
telephone system with 89,000 telephones;
tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and
St. Lucia; stations — 3 AM, 2 FM, 2 (1 is
pay) TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Barbados Defense Force, Royal
Barbados Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 67,677;
47,566 fit for military service, no conscrip-
tion
Defense expenditures: 0.6% of GDP (1986)
27
Bassas da India
(French possession)
Belgium
SOkrr
See region*) map VII
Geography
Total area: undetermined
Comparative area: undetermined
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 35.2 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
Climate: tropical
Terrain: a volcanic rock 2.4 m high
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other (rock)
Environment: surrounded by reefs; subject
to periodic cyclones
Note: navigational hazard since it is usu-
ally under water during high tide; located
in southern 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
CONST ANTIN, resident in Reunion
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
See regional map V
Geography
Total area: 30,510 km2; land area: 30,230
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Maryland
Land boundaries: 1,385 km total; France
620 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Nether-
lands 450 km, FRG 167 km
Coastline: 64 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific
Exclusive fishing zone: equidistant line
with neighbors (extends about 68 km
from coast)
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate; mild winters, cool
summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Terrain: flat coastal plains in northwest,
central rolling hills, rugged mountains of
Ardennes Forest in southeast
Natural resources: coal, natural gas
Land use: 24% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 21%
forest and woodland; 34% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: air and water pollution
Note: majority of West European capitals
within 1 ,000 km of Brussels; crossroads of
Western Europe; Brussels is the seat of
the EC
People
Population: 9,909,285 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 1 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Belgian(s); adjective —
Belgian
Ethnic divisions: 55% Fleming, 33% Wal-
loon, 12% mixed or other
Religion: 75% Roman Catholic; remainder
Protestant or other
Language: 56% Flemish (Dutch), 32%
French, 1% German; 1 1% legally bilin-
gual; divided along ethnic lines
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 4,000,000; 58% services, 37%
industry, 5% agriculture (1987)
Organized labor 70% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Belgium
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Brussels
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces
(French — provinces, singular — province;
Flemish — provinci6n, singular — provincie);
Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege,
Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur,
Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen
Independence: 4 October 1830 (from the
Netherlands)
Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised
8-9 August 1 980; the government is in the
process of revising the Constitution, with
the aim of federalizing the Belgian state
Legal system: civil law system influenced
by English constitutional theory; judicial
review of legislative acts; accepts compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: National Day, 21 July
(ascension of King Leopold to the throne
in 1831)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minis-
ter, five deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper chamber or Senate
(Flemish — Senaat, French — Senat) and a
lower chamber or Chamber of Represen-
tatives (Flemish — Kamer van Volksverte-
genwoordigers, French — Chambre des Re-
presentants)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
(Flemish — Hof van Cassatie, French —
Cour de Cassation)
Leaders: Chief of State— King BAUD-
OUIN I (since 17 July 1951); Heir Appar-
ent Prince ALBERT of Liege (brother of
the King; born 6 June 1934);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Wilfried MARTENS, (since April 1979,
with a 10-month interruption in 1981)
Political parties and leaders: Flemish So-
cial Christian (CVP), Herman van Rom-
puy, president; Walloon Social Christian
(PSC), Gerard Deprez, president; Flemish
Socialist (SP), Frank Vandenbroucke,
president; Walloon Socialist (PS), Guy
Spitaels, president; Flemish Liberal
28
(PVV), Guy Verhofstadt, president; Wal-
loon Liberal (PRL), Antoine Duquesne,
president; Francophone Democratic Front
(PDF), Georges Clerfayt, president; Volk-
sunie (VU), Jaak Gabriels, president;
Communist Party (PCB), Louis van Geyt,
president; Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel Dil-
len; other minor parties
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: Senate — last held 13 December
1987 (next to be held December 1991);
results— CVP 19.2%, PS 15.7%, SP
14.7%, PVV 11.3%, PRL 9.3%, VU 8.1%,
PSC 7.8%, ECOLO-AGALEV 7.7%, VB
2.0%, VDF 1.3%, other 1.96%; seats—
(106 total) CVP 22, PS 20, SP 17, PRL
12, PVV 11, PSC 9, VU 8,
ECOLO-AGALEV 5, VB 1, FDF 1;
Chamber of Representatives — last held 1 3
December 1 987 (next to be held Decem-
ber 1991); results— CVP 19.45%, PS
15.66%, SP 14.88%, PVV 11.55%, PRL
9.41%, PSC 8.01%, VU 8.05%, ECOLO-
AGALEV 7.05%, VB 1.90%, FDF 1.16%,
other 2.88%; seats— (212 total) CVP 43,
PS 40, SP 32, PVV 25, PRL 23, PSC 19,
VU 16, ECOLO-AGALEV 9, FDF 3, VB
2
Communists: under 5,000 members (De-
cember 1985 est.)
Other political or pressure groups: Chris-
tian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federa-
tion of Belgian Industries; numerous other
associations representing bankers, manu-
facturers, middle-class artisans, and the
legal and medical professions; various or-
ganizations represent the cultural interests
of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace
groups such as the Flemish Action Com-
mittee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax
Christi
Member of: ADB, Benelux, BLEU, CCC,
Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE,
ECOSOC, EIB, EMS, ESA, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO,
IDA, IDB — Inter-American Development
Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOOC, IPU, ITC, ITU, NATO, OAS (ob-
server), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Herman DEHENNIN; Chancery at 3330
Garfield Street NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 333-6900; there
are Belgian Consulates General in At-
lanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles,
and New York; US — Ambassador Mayn-
ard W. GLITMAN; Embassy at 27 Bou-
levard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
(mailing address is APO New York
09667); telephone [32] (2) 513-3830; there
is a US Consulate General in Antwerp
Flag: three equal vertical bands of black
(hoist side), yellow, and red; the design
was based on the flag of France
Economy
Overview: This small private-enterprise
economy has capitalized on its central
geographic location, highly developed
transport network, and diversified indus-
trial and commercial base. Industry is
concentrated mainly in the populous
Flemish area in the north, although the
government is encouraging reinvestment
in the southern region of Walloon. With
few natural resources Belgium must im-
port essential raw materials, making its
economy closely dependent on the state of
world markets. In 1988 over 70% of trade
was with other EC countries. During the
period 1986-88 the economy profited from
falling oil prices and a lower dollar, which
helped to improve the terms of trade. Real
GDP grew by an average of 3.5% in 1986-
89, up from 1.5% in 1985. However, a
large budget deficit and 10% unemploy-
ment cast a shadow on the economy.
GDP: $136.0 billion, per capita $13,700;
real growth rate 4.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.7% est. (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $45.0 billion; expendi-
tures $55.3 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (1989)
Exports: $100.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union;
commodities — iron and steel, transporta-
tion equipment, tractors, diamonds, petro-
leum products; partners — EC 74%, US
5%, Communist countries 2% (1988)
Imports: $100.1 billion (c.i.f., 1989)
Belgium- Luxembourg Economic Union;
commodities — fuels, grains, chemicals,
foodstuffs; partners—EC 72%, US 5%,
oil-exporting less developed countries 4%,
Communist countries 3% (1988)
External debt: $27.5 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.4%
(1988)
Electricity: 17,325,000 kW capacity;
62,780 million kWh produced, 6,350 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: engineering and metal prod-
ucts, processed food and beverages, chemi-
cals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petro-
leum, coal
Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP; em-
phasis on livestock production — beef, veal,
pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets,
fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, and
tobacco; net importer of farm products
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $4.3 billion
Currency: Belgian franc (plural — francs); 1
Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per
US$1— 35.468 (January 1990), 39.404
(1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987),
44.672(1986), 59.378(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: Belgian National Railways
(SNCB) operates 3,667 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, government owned; 2,563
km double track; 1,978 km electrified; 191
km 1 .000-meter gauge, government owned
and operated
Highways: 103,396 km total; 1,317 km
limited access, divided autoroute; 11,717
km national highway; 1 ,362 km provincial
road; about 38,000 km paved and 5 1 ,000
km unpaved rural roads
Inland waterways: 2,043 km (1,528 km in
regular commercial use)
Ports: Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende,
Zeebrugge, 1 secondary, and 1 minor
maritime; 1 1 inland
Merchant marine: 67 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 1,854,898 GRT/3,07 1,637
DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 10
cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 6 container, 7
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/
oil, 9 chemical tanker, 1 3 bulk, 6 combi-
nation bulk
Pipelines: refined products 1,167 km;
crude 161 km; natural gas 3,300 km
Civil air: 47 major transport aircraft
Airports: 42 total, 42 usable; 24 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent domestic
and international telephone and telegraph
facilities; 4,560,000 telephones; stations —
8 AM, 19 FM (41 relays), 25 TV (10
relays); 5 submarine cables; satellite earth
stations operating in INTELSAT 3 Atlan-
tic Ocean and EUTELSAT systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower males 15-49,
2,512,681; 2,114,701 fit for military ser-
vice; 66,758 reach military age (19) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: 2.7% of GDP, or
$3.7 billion (1989 est.)
29
Belize
.-Caribbean
Sea
Punta Gorda
See regional map III
Geography
Total area: 22,960 km2; land area: 22,800
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Massachusetts
Land boundaries: 516 km total; Guate-
mala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
Coastline: 386 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: claimed by Guatemala, but
boundary negotiations are under way
Climate: tropical; very hot and humid;
rainy season (May to February)
Terrain: flat, swampy coastal plain; low
mountains in south
Natural resources: arable land potential,
timber, fish
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 2% meadows and pastures;
44% forest and woodland; 52% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: frequent devastating hurri-
canes (September to December) and
coastal flooding (especially in south); de-
forestation
Note: national capital moved 80 km in-
land from Belize City to Belmopan be-
cause of hurricanes; only country in Cen-
tral America without a coastline on the
North Pacific Ocean
People
Population: 219,737 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 38 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 4 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 35 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male,
72 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Belizean(s);
adjective — Belizean
Ethnic divisions: 39.7% Creole, 33.1%
Mestizo, 9.5% Maya, 7.6% Garifuna,
2.1% East Indian, 8.0% other
Religion: 60% Roman Catholic; 40% Prot-
estant (Anglican, Seventh-Day Adventist,
Methodist, Baptist, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Mennonite)
Language: English (official), Spanish,
Maya, Garifuna (Carib)
Literacy: 93% (est.)
Labor force: 51,500; 30.0% agriculture,
16.0% services, 15.4% government, 1 1.2%
commerce, 10.3% manufacturing; shortage
of skilled labor and all types of technical
personnel (1985)
Organized labor: 30% of labor force; 1 1
unions currently active
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary
Capital: Belmopan
Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Belize,
Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann
Creek, Toledo
Independence: 21 September 1981 (from
UK; formerly British Honduras)
Constitution: 21 September 1981
Legal system: English law
National holiday: Independence Day, 21
September
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister. Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Assembly consists of an upper house or
Senate and a lower house or House of
Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General Dame Elmira
Minita GORDON (since 21 September
1981);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
George Cadle PRICE (since 4 September
1989)
Political parties and leaders: People's
United Party (PUP), George Price, Floren-
cio Marin, Said Musa; United Democratic
Party (UDP), Manuel Esquivel, Curl
Thompson, Dean Barrow; Belize Popular
Party (BPP), Louis Sylvestre
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly — last held 4
September 1989 (next to be held Septem-
ber 1994); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats— (28 total) PUP 15 seats,
UDP 13 seats; note — in January 1990 one
member expelled from UDP joined PUP,
making the seat count 16 PUP, UDP 12
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: Society
for the Promotion of Education and Re-
search (SPEAR) headed by former PUP
minister; United Workers Front
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, CDB,
Commonwealth, FAO, GATT, IBRD,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, G-77, ISO,
ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Edward A. LAING; Chancery at Suite
2J, 3400 International Drive NW, Wash-
ington DC 20008; telephone (202) 363-
4505; US— Ambassador Robert G. RICH,
Jr.; Embassy at Gabourel Lane and Hut-
son Street, Belize City (mailing address is
P. O. Box 286, Belize City); telephone
[501] 77 161 through 77 163
Hag: blue with a narrow red stripe along
the top and the bottom edges; centered is
a large white disk bearing the coat of
arms; the coat of arms features a shield
flanked by two workers with a mahogany
tree at the top and the related motto SUB
UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the
Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encir-
cled by a green garland
Economy
Overview: The economy is based primarily
on agriculture and merchandising. Agri-
culture accounts for more than 30% of
GDP and provides 75% of export earnings,
while sugar, the chief crop, accounts for
almost 40% of hard currency earnings.
The US, Belize's main trading partner, is
assisting in efforts to reduce dependency
on sugar with an agricultural diversifica-
tion program. In 1987 the drop in income
from sugar sales to the US because of
quota reductions was almost totally offset
by higher world prices for sugar.
GDP: $225.6 million, per capita $1,285;
real growth rate 6% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 .5%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 14% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $94.6 million; expendi-
tures $74.3 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $33.9 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $120 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— sugar, clothing, seafood, molas-
ses, citrus, wood and wood products; part-
ners—US 47%, UK, Trinidad and
Tobago, Canada (1987)
Imports: $176 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and transportation
equipment, food, manufactured goods, fu-
els, chemicals, Pharmaceuticals;
partners— US 55%, UK, Netherlands
Antilles, Mexico (1987)
External debt: $140 million (December
1988)
30
Benin
Industrial production: growth rate 6%
(1988)
Electricity: 34,000 kW capacity; 88 mil-
lion kWh produced, 500 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: sugar refining, clothing, timber
and forest products, furniture, rum, soap,
beverages, cigarettes, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP (in-
cluding fish and forestry); commercial
crops include sugarcane, bananas, coca,
citrus fruits; expanding output of lumber
and cultured shrimp; net importer of basic
foods
Illicit drugs: an illicit producer of cannabis
for the international drug trade; eradica-
tion program cut marijuana production
from 200 metric tons in 1987 to 66 metric
tons in 1989; transshipment point for co-
caine
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $94 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $194 million
Currency: Belizean dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Belizean dollar (Bz$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Belizean dollars (Bz$) per
US$1— 2.00 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: 2,575 km total; 340 km paved,
1,190 km gravel, 735 km improved earth,
and 310 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 825 km river network
used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally
navigable
Ports: Belize City, Belize City Southwest
Civil air no major transport aircraft
Airports: 38 total, 30 usable; 4 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 8,650 telephones;
above-average system based on radio re-
lay; stations— 6 AM, 5 FM, 1 TV, 1
shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: British Forces Belize, Belize
Defense Force, Police Department
Military manpower: males 15-49, 50,988;
30,502 fit for military service; 2,500 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.0% of GDP, or
$4.6 million (1989 est.)
Cot
PORTO-NOVO
Sfe regional map VII
Bight of Benin
Geography
Total area: 112,620 km2; land area:
110,620km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Pennsylvania
Land boundaries: 1,989 km total; Burkina
306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km,
Togo 644 km
Coastline: 121 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; se-
miarid in north
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain;
some hills and low mountains
Natural resources: small offshore oil de-
posits, limestone, marble, timber
Land use: 1 2% arable land; 4% permanent
crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 35%
forest and woodland; 45% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan
wind may affect north in winter; defores-
tation; desertification
Note: recent droughts have severely af-
fected marginal agriculture in north; no
natural harbors
People
Population: 4,673,964 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 50 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 16 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 121 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male,
52 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Beninese (sing., pi.);
adjective — Beninese
Ethnic divisions: 99% African (42 ethnic
groups, most important being Fon, Adja,
Yoruba, Bariba); 5,500 Europeans
Religion: 70% indigenous beliefs, 1 5%
Muslim, 1 5% Christian
Language: French (official); Fon and Yo-
ruba most common vernaculars in south;
at least six major tribal languages in
north
Literacy: 25.9%
Labor force: 1,900,000 (1987); 60% agri-
culture, 38% transport, commerce, and
public services, less than 2% industry;
49% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor about 75% of wage earn-
ers
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Benin
Type: dropped Marxism-Leninism Decem-
ber 1989; democratic reforms adopted
February 1990; transition to multiparty
system by 1991 planned
Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (de
facto)
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Ata-
kora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme,
Zou
Independence: 1 August 1960 (from
France; formerly Dahomey)
Constitution: 23 May 1977 (nullified 1
March 1990); new constitution to be
drafted by April 1990
Legal system: based on French civil law
and customary law; has not accepted com-
pulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 30 No-
vember (1975)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Revolutionary Assembly (Assemblee Na-
tionale Revolutionnaire) dissolved 1
March 1990 and replaced by a
24-member interim High Council of the
Republic during the transition period
Judicial branch: Central People's Court
(Cour Central Populaire)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment—President Mathieu KEREKOU
(since 27 October 1972)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
People's Revolutionary Party of Benin
(PRPB), President Mathieu Kerekou,
chairman of the Central Committee
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held July 1989
(next to be held July 1994); results— Presi-
dent Mathieu Kerekou was reelected by
the National Revolutionary Assembly;
National Revolutionary Assembly — dis-
solved 1 March 1990 and replaced by a
24-member interim High Council of the
31
Benin (continued)
Republic with legislative elections for new
institutions planned for February 1991
Communists: dropped Marxism-Leninism
December 1989
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEAO, EAMA,
EGA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, G-77,
GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, Niger River
Commission, OAU, OCAM, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Theophile NATA; Chancery at 2737 Ca-
thedral Avenue NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 232-6656; US-
Ambassador Harriet ISOM; Embassy at
Rue Caporal Anani Bernard, Cotonou
(mailing address is B. P. 2012, Cotonou);
telephone [229] 30-06-50
Flag: green with a red five-pointed star in
the upper hoist-side corner
Economy
Overview: Benin is one of the least devel-
oped countries in the world because of
limited natural resources and a poorly de-
veloped infrastructure. Agriculture ac-
counts for almost 45% of GDP, employs
about 60% of the labor force, and gener-
ates a major share of foreign exchange
earnings. The industrial sector contributes
only about 1 5% to GDP and employs 2%
of the work force. Persistently low prices
in recent years have limited hard currency
earnings from Benin's major exports of
agricultural products and crude oil.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $335; real
growth rate 1.8% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3%
(1988)
Unemployment: NA
Budget: revenues $168 million; expendi-
tures $317 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $97 million (1989)
Exports: $226 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— crude oil, cotton, palm prod-
ucts, cocoa; partners — FRG 36%, France
16%, Spain 14%, Italy 8%, UK 7%
Imports: $413 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco,
petroleum products, intermediate goods,
capital goods, light consumer goods; part-
ners— France 34%, Netherlands 10%, Ja-
pan 7%, Italy 6%, US 5%
External debt: $1.0 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —0.7%
(1988)
Electricity: 28,000 kW capacity; 24 mil-
lion kWh produced, 5 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: palm oil and palm kernel oil
processing, textiles, beverages, petroleum
Bermuda
(dependent territory of the UK)
Agriculture: small farms produce 90% of
agricultural output; production is domi-
nated by food crops — corn, sorghum, cas-
sava, beans, and rice; cash crops include
cotton, palm oil, and peanuts; poultry and
livestock output has not kept up with con-
sumption
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $41 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $1.0 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $101 million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine 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: 578 km, all 1 .000-meter gauge,
single track
Highways: 5,050 km total; 920 km paved,
2,600 laterite, 1,530 km improved earth
Inland waterways: navigable along small
sections, important only locally
Ports: Cotonou
Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000
GRT or over) of 2,999 GRT/4,407 DWT
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 5 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of open
wire, submarine cable, and radio relay;
16,200 telephones; stations — 2 AM, 2
FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
satellite earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower eligible 15-49,
2,0 15,206; of the 950,921 males 15-49,
486,620 are fit for military service; of the
1,064,285 females 15-49, 537,049 are fit
for military service; about 55,550 males
and 53,663 females reach military age
(18) annually; both sexes are liable for
military service
Defense expenditures: 1.7% of GDP, or
$28.9 million (1988 est.)
North Atlantic Ocean
North Atlantic Ocean
Sec regional map II
Geography
Total area: 50 km2; land area: 50 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 103 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: subtropical; mild, humid; gales,
strong winds common in winter
Terrain: low hills separated by fertile de-
pressions
Natural resources: limestone, pleasant cli-
mate fostering tourism
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 20%
forest and woodland; 80% other
Environment: ample rainfall, but no rivers
or freshwater lakes; consists of about 360
small coral islands
Note: 1 ,050 km east of North Carolina;
some reclaimed land leased by US Gov-
ernment
People
Population: 58,337 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 15 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 6 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Bermudian(s); adjec-
tive— Bermudian
32
Ethnic divisions: 61% black, 39% white
and other
Religion: 37% Anglican, 14% Roman
Catholic, 10% African Methodist Episco-
pal (Zion), 6% Methodist, 5% Seventh-
Day Adventist, 28% other
Language: English
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 32,000; 25% clerical, 22%
services, 21% laborers, 13% professional
and technical, 10% administrative and
managerial, 7% sales, 2% agriculture and
fishing (1984)
Organized labor: 8,573 members (1985);
largest union is Bermuda Industrial Union
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Hamilton
Administrative divisions: 9 parishes and 2
municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton,
Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint
George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smiths,
Southampton, Warwick
Independence: none (dependent territory of
the UK)
Constitution: 8 June 1968
Legal system: English law
National holiday: Bermuda Day, 22 May
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor, deputy governor, premier, deputy pre-
mier, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor Sir Desmond LAN-
GLEY (since NA October 1988);
Head of Government — Premier John Wil-
liam David SWAN (since NA January
1982)
Political parties and leaders: United Ber-
muda Party (UBP), John W. D. Swan;
Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Frederick
Wade; National Liberal Party (NLP), Gil-
bert Darrell
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: House of Assembly — last held
9 February 1989 (next to be held by Feb-
ruary 1994); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats— (40 total) UBP 23, PLP
15, NLP 1, other 1
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: Ber-
muda Industrial Union (BIU), headed by
Ottiwell Simmons
Member of: INTERPOL, WHO
Diplomatic representation: as a dependent
territory of the UK, Bermuda's interests
in the US are represented by the UK;
US— Consul General James M. MEDAS;
Consulate General at Vallis Building, Par-
la- Ville Road (off Front Street West), Ha-
milton (mailing address is P. O. Box 325,
Hamilton, or FPO New York 09560); tele-
phone (809) 295-1342
Hag: red with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermu-
dian coat of arms (white and blue shield
with a red lion holding a scrolled shield
showing the sinking of the ship Sea Ven-
ture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the
outer half of the flag
Economy
Overview: Bermuda enjoys one of the
highest per capita incomes in the world,
having successfully exploited its location
by providing luxury tourist facilities and
financial services. The tourist industry at-
tracts more than 90% of its business from
North America. The industrial sector is
small, and agriculture is severely limited
by a lack of suitable land. About 80% of
food needs are imported.
GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $23,000; real
growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8%
(1988)
Unemployment: 2.0% (1988)
Budget: revenues $280 million; expendi-
tures $279 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $34 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $23 million (f.o.b.,1985); com-
modities— semitropical produce, light
manufactures; partners — US 25%, Italy
25%, UK 14%, Canada 5%, other 31%
Imports: $402 million (c.i.f., 1985); com-
modities— fuel, foodstuffs, machinery;
partners — US 58%, Netherlands Antilles
9%, UK 8%, Canada 6%, Japan 5%, other
14%
External debt: NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 1 34,000 kW capacity; 446 mil-
lion kWh produced, 7,680 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, finance, structural
concrete products, paints, pharmaceuti-
cals, ship repairing
Agriculture: accounts for less than 1% of
GDP; most basic foods must be imported;
produces bananas, vegetables, citrus fruits,
flowers, dairy products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-81), $34 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $267 million
Currency: Bermudian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Bermudian dollar (Bd$) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Bermudian dollar (BdS)
per US$1— 1.0000 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April- 31 March
Communications
Highways: 210 km public roads, all paved
(about 400 km of private roads)
Ports: Freeport, Hamilton, St. George
Merchant marine: 93 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 4,163,947 GRT/7,744,319
DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 10
cargo, 4 refrigerated cargo, 5 container,
10 roll-on/roll-off, 27 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 chemical
tanker, 1 combination ore/oil, 10 liquefied
gas, 20 bulk; note — a flag of convenience
registry
Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
ways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: modern with fully
automatic telephone system; 46,290 tele-
phones; stations — 5 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; 3
submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
33
Bhutan
75 km
Set rtfiorul map VIII
Geography
Total area: 47,000 km2; land area: 47,000
km2
Comparative area: slightly more than half
the size of Indiana
Land boundaries: 1,075 km total; China
470 km, India 60S km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: varies; tropical in southern
plains; cool winters and hot summers in
central valleys; severe winters and cool
summers in Himalayas
Terrain: mostly mountainous with some
fertile valleys and savanna
Natural resources: timber, hydropower,
gypsum, calcium carbide
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 5% meadows and pastures;
70% forest and woodland; 23% other
Environment: violent storms coming down
from the Himalayas were the source of
the country name which translates as
Land of the Thunder Dragon
Note: landlocked; strategic location be-
tween China and India; controls several
key Himalayan mountain passes
People
Population: 1,565,969 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 17 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 137 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male,
48 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Bhutanese (sing., pi.);
adjective — Bhutanese
Ethnic divisions: 60% Bhote, 25% ethnic
Nepalese, 1 5% indigenous or migrant
tribes
Religion: 75% Lamaistic Buddhism, 25%
Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hindu-
ism
Language: Bhotes speak various Tibetan
dialects — most widely spoken dialect is
Dzongkha (official); Nepalese speak vari-
ous Nepalese dialects
Literacy: 5%
Labor force: NA; 95% agriculture, 1%
industry and commerce; massive lack of
skilled labor (1983)
Organized labor not permitted
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Bhutan
Type: monarchy; special treaty relation-
ship with India
Capital: Thimphu
Administrative divisions: 3 regions and 1
division*; Central Bhutan, Eastern Bhu-
tan, Southern Bhutan*, Western Bhutan;
note — there may now be 1 8 districts
(dzong, singular and plural) named Bum-
thang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Geyleg-
phug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pema-
gatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup
Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thim-
phu, Tongsa, Wangdiphodrang
Independence: 8 August 1949 (from India)
Constitution: no written constitution or bill
of rights
Legal system: based on Indian law and
English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day (Ugyen
Wangchuck became first hereditary king),
17 December (1907)
Executive branch: monarch, chairman of
the Royal Advisory Council, Royal Advi-
sory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), chairman of
the Council of Ministers, Council of Min-
isters (Lhengye Shungtsog)
Legislative branch: unicamcral National
Assembly (Tshogdu)
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— King Jigme Singye WANG-
CHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
Political parties: no legal parties
Suffrage: each family has one vote in
village-level elections
Elections: no national elections
Communists: no overt Communist pres-
ence
Other political or pressure groups: Bud-
dhist clergy, Indian merchant community,
ethnic Nepalese organizations
Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, I FAD,
IMF, NAM, SAARC, UNESCO, UPU,
UN, WHO
Diplomatic representation: no formal dip-
lomatic relations, although informal con-
tact is maintained between the Bhutanese
and US Embassies in New Delhi (India);
the Bhutanese mission to the UN in New
York has consular jurisdiction in the US
Flag: divided diagonally from the lower
hoist side corner; the upper triangle is or-
ange and the lower triangle is red; cen-
tered along the dividing line is a large
black and white dragon facing away from
the hoist side
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on agri-
culture and forestry, which provide the
main livelihood for 90% of the population
and account for about 50% of GDP. One
of the world's least developed countries,
rugged mountains dominate and make the
building of roads and other infrastructure
difficult and expensive. Bhutan's hydro-
power potential and its attraction for tour-
ists are its most important natural
resources.
GDP: $273 million, per capita $199; real
growth rate 6.3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1989
est.)
Unemployment: NA
Budget: revenues $99 million; expenditures
$128 million, including capital expendi-
tures of $65 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: S70.9 million (f.o.b., FY89); com-
modities— cardamon, gypsum, timber,
handicrafts, cement, fruit; partners — India
93%
Imports: $138.3 million (c.i.f., FY89 est.);
commodities — fuel and lubricants, grain,
machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics;
partners — India 67%
External debt: $70.1 million (FY89 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate
-12.4% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 353,000 kW capacity; 2,000
million kWh produced, 1,300 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: cement, chemical products,
mining, distilling, food processing, handi-
crafts
Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP;
based on subsistence farming and animal
husbandry; self-sufficient in food except
for foodgrains; other production — rice,
corn, root crops, citrus fruit, dairy, and
eggs
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $85.8 million; OPEC bilateral aid
(1979-89), $11 million
Currency: nguhrum (plural — ngultrum); 1
ngultrum (Nu) = 100 chetrum; note —
Indian currency is also legal tender
Exchange rates: ngultrum (Nu) per
US$1— 16.965 (January 1990), 16.226
34
Bolivia
(1989), 13.917 (1988), 12.962 (1987),
12.611 (1986), 12.369 (1985); note— the
Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the
Indian rupee
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Highways: 1,304 km total; 418 km sur-
faced, 515 km improved, 371 km unim-
proved earth
Civil air: 1 jet, 2 prop
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: inadequate; 1,890
telephones (1985); 15,000 radio receivers
(1987 est.); 85 TV sets (1985); stations—
20 AM, no FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Bhutan Army
Military manpower males 15-49, 389,142;
208,231 fit for military service; 17,203
reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA
See regional nup IV
Geography
Total area: 1,098,580 km2; land area:
1,084,390km2
Comparative area: slightly less than three
times the size of Montana
Land boundaries: 6,743 km total; Argen-
tina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861
km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: has wanted a sovereign corridor
to the South Pacific Ocean since the Ata-
cama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dis-
pute with Chile over Rio Lauca water
rights
Climate: varies with altitude; humid and
tropical to cold and semiarid
Terrain: high plateau, hills, lowland plains
Natural resources: tin, natural gas, crude
oil, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron
ore, lead, gold, timber
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 25% meadows and pastures;
52% forest and woodland; 20% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: cold, thin air of high plateau
is obstacle to efficient fuel combustion;
overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Note: landlocked; shares control of Lago
Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake,
with Peru
People
Population: 6,706,854 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 35 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 1 migrant/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 125 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male,
56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Bolivian(s); adjective
Bolivian
Ethnic divisions: 30% Quechua, 25% Ay-
mara, 25-30% mixed, 5-15% European
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic; active
Protestant minority, especially Evangelical
Methodist
Language: Spanish, Quechua, and Ay-
mara (all official)
Literacy: 63%
Labor force: 1,700,000; 50% agriculture,
26% services and utilities, 10% manufac-
turing, 4% mining, 10% other (1983)
Organized labor: 1 50,000-200,000, concen-
trated in mining, industry, construction,
and transportation; mostly organized un-
der Bolivian Workers' Central (COB) la-
bor federation
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Bolivia
Type: republic
Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Su-
cre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)
Administrative divisions: 9 departments
(departamentos, singular — departamento);
Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, El Beni, La
Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz,
Tarija
Independence: 6 August 1 825 (from Spain)
Constitution: 2 February 1967
Legal system: based on Spanish law and
Code Napoleon; has not accepted compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 6
August (1825)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of
an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and
a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies
(Camara de Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte
Suprema)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Jaime PAZ Zamora
(since 6 August 1989); Vice President Luis
OSSIO Sanjines (since 6 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Movement of
the Revolutionary Left (MIR), Jaime Paz
Zamora; Nationalist Democratic Action
(ADN), Hugo Banzer Suarez; Nationalist
Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Gon-
zalo Sanchez de Lozada; United Left (IU),
coalition of leftist parties which includes
Free Bolivia Movement (MBL), led by
Antonio Aranibar, Patriotic National
Convergency Axis (EJE-P) led by Walter
Delgadillo, and Bolivian Communist Party
(PCB) led by Humberto Ramirez; Con-
science of the Fatherland (CONDEPA),
35
Bolivia (continued)
Carlos Palenque Aviles; Revolutionary
Vanguard-9th of April (VR-9), Carlos
Serrate Reich
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18 (married) or 21 (single)
Elections: President — last held 7 May
1989 (next to be held May 1993);
results — Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada
(MNR) 23%, Hugo Banzer Suarez (ADN)
22%, Jaime Paz Zamora (MIR) 19%; no
candidate received a majority of the popu-
lar vote; Jaime Paz Zamora (MIR) formed
a coalition with Hugo Banzer (ADN);
with ADN support Paz Zamora won the
congressional runoff election on 4 August
and was inaugurated on 6 August;
Senate— last held 7 May 1989 (next to be
held May 1 993); results — percent of vote
NA; seats (27 total) MNR 9, ADN 8,
MIR 8, CONDEPA 2;
Chamber of Deputies — last held 7 May
1989 (next to be held May 1993);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats (130 total) MNR 40, ADN 38, MIR
30, IU 10, CONDEPA 9, VR-9 3
Member of: FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
IATP, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—
Inter-American Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC—
International Wheat Council, LAIA,
NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Jorge CRESPO; Chancery at 3014 Mas-
sachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 483-4410 through
4412; there are Bolivian Consulates Gen-
eral in Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York, and San Franci-
sco; US — Ambassador Robert
GELBARD; Embassy at Banco Popular
del Peru Building, corner of Calles Mer-
cado y Colon, La Paz (mailing address is
P. O. Box 425, La Paz, or APO Miami
34032); telephone [591] (2) 350251 or
350120
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), yellow, and green with the coat of
arms centered on the yellow band; similar
to the flag of Ghana, which has a large
black five-pointed star centered in the yel-
low band
Economy
Overview: The Bolivian economy steadily
deteriorated between 1980 and 1985 as La
Paz financed growing budget deficits by
expanding the money supply and inflation
spiraled — peaking at 11,700%. An austere
orthodox economic program adopted by
newly elected President Paz Estenssoro in
1985, however, succeeded in reducing in-
flation to between 10% and 20% annually
during 1987 and 1989, eventually restart-
ing economic growth. President Paz Za-
mora has pledged to retain the economic
policies of the previous government in or-
der to keep inflation down and continue
the growth begun under his predecessor.
Nevertheless, Bolivia continues to be one
of the poorest countries in Latin America,
and it remains vulnerable to price fluctua-
tions for its limited exports — mainly min-
erals and natural gas. Moreover, for many
farmers, who constitute half of the
country's work force, the main cash crop
is coca, which is sold for cocaine process-
ing.
GNP: $4.6 billion, per capita $660; real
growth rate 2.8% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.5%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 20.7% (1988)
Budget: revenues $2,867 million; expendi-
tures $2,867 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $663 million (1987)
Exports: $634 million (f.o.b,, 1989); com-
modities— metals 45%, natural gas 32%,
coffee, soybeans, sugar, cotton, timber,
and illicit drugs; partners — US 23%, Ar-
gentina
Imports: $786 million (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— food, petroleum, consumer
goods, capital goods; partners — US 1 5%
External debt: $5.7 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 8.1%
(1987)
Electricity: 817,000 kW capacity; 1,728
million kWh produced, 260 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum,
food and beverage, tobacco, handicrafts,
clothing; illicit drug industry reportedly
produces the largest revenues
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP (in-
cluding forestry and fisheries); principal
commodities — coffee, coca, cotton, corn,
sugarcane, rice, potatoes, timber;
self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: world's second-largest pro-
ducer of coca (after Peru) with an esti-
mated 54,000 hectares under cultivation;
government considers all but 12,000 hect-
ares illicit and subject to eradication; in-
termediate coca products and cocaine ex-
ported to or through Colombia and Brazil
to the US and other international drug
markets
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $909 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.4 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $340 mil-
lion
Currency: boliviano (plural — bolivianos); 1
boliviano ($B) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: bolivianos (SB) per
US$1— 2.6917 (1989), 2.3502 (1988),
2.0549 (1987), 1.9220 (1986), 0.4400
(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 3,675 km total; 3,643 km
1.000-meter gauge and 32 km
0.760-meter gauge, all government owned,
single track
Highways: 38,836 km total; 1,300 km
paved, 6,700 km gravel, 30,836 km im-
proved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 10,000 km of commer-
cially navigable waterways
Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; refined
products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km
Ports: none; maritime outlets are Arica
and Antofagasta in Chile and Matarani in
Peru
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 14,051 GRT/
22,155 DWT; note— 1 is owned by the
Bolivian Navy
Civil air 56 major transport aircraft
Airports: 636 total, 551 usable; 9 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 110 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: radio relay system
being expanded; improved international
services; 144,300 telephones; stations —
129 AM, no FM, 43 TV, 68 shortwave; 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Bolivian Army, Bolivian Navy,
Bolivian Air Force (literally, the Army of
the Nation, the Navy of the Nation, the
Air Force of the Nation)
Military manpower males 1 5-49,
1,629,154; 1,060,187 fit for military ser-
vice; 70,528 reach military age (19) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: 3% of GNP (1987)
36
Botswana
See refionil m«p VII
Geography
Total area: 600,370 km2; land area:
585,370 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Texas
Land boundaries: 4,013 km total; Namibia
1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimba-
bwe 813 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: short section of the boundary
with Namibia is indefinite; quadripoint
with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is
in disagreement
Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot
summers
Terrain: predominately flat to gently roll-
ing tableland; Kalahari Desert in south-
west
Natural resources: diamonds, copper,
nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron
ore, silver, natural gas
Land use: 2% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 75% meadows and pastures; 2%
forest and woodland; 21% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: rains in early 1988 broke six
years of drought that had severely
affected the important cattle industry;
overgrazing; desertification
Note: landlocked; very long boundary with
South Africa
People
Population: 1,224,527 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 43 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 58 years male,
64 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun and adjective — Mots-
wana (singular), Batswana (plural)
Ethnic divisions: 95% Batswana; about 4%
Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi; about
1% white
Religion: 50% indigenous beliefs, 50%
Christian
Language: English (official), Setswana
Literacy: 60%
Labor force: 400,000; 163,000 formal sec-
tor employees, most others are engaged in
cattle raising and subsistence agriculture
(1988 est.); 19,000 are employed in various
mines in South Africa (1988)
Organized labor: 19 trade unions
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Botswana
Type: parliamentary republic
Capital: Gaborone
Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Cen-
tral, Chobe, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Kgatleng,
Kweneng, Ngamiland, North-East, South-
East, Southern; note — in addition, there
may now be 4 town councils named Fran-
cistown, Gaborone, Lobaste, Selebi-Pikwe
Independence: 30 September 1966 (from
UK; formerly Bechuanaland)
Constitution: March 1965, effective 30
September 1966
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law
and local customary law; judicial review
limited to matters of interpretation; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Botswana Day, 30 Sep-
tember (1966)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper house or House of
Chiefs and a lower house or National As-
sembly
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Ap-
peal
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment—President Quett K. J. MASIRE
(since 13 July 1980); Vice President Peter
S. MMUSI (since 3 January 1983)
Political parties and leaders: Botswana
Democratic Party (BDP), Quett Masire;
Botswana National Front (BNF), Kenneth
Koma; Botswana People's Party (BPP),
Knight Maripe; Botswana Independence
Party (BIP), Motsamai Mpho; Botswana
Progressive Union (BPU), Daniel Kwele
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President — last held 7 October
1989 (next to be held October 1994); re-
sults— President Quett K. J. Masire was
reelected by the National Assembly;
National Assembly — last held 7 October
1989 (next to be held October 1994); re-
sults— percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (34 total, 30 elected) BDP 31, BNF
3
Communists: no known Communist orga-
nization; Koma of BNF has long history
of Communist contacts
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Common-
wealth, 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
Botsweletse Kingsley SEBELE; Chancery
at Suite 404, 4301 Connecticut Avenue
NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 244-4990 or 4991; US— Ambassador
(vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission Johnnie
CARSON; Embassy at Botswana Road,
Gaborone (mailing address is P. O. Box
90, Gaborone); telephone [267] 353982
through 353984
Flag: light blue with a horizontal white-
edged black stripe in the center
Economy
Overview: The economy has historically
been based on cattle raising and crops.
Agriculture today provides a livelihood for
over 80% of the population, but produces
only about 50% of food needs and contrib-
utes a small 5% to GDP. The driving
force behind the rapid economic growth of
the 1970s and 1980s has been the mining
industry. This sector, mostly on the
strength of diamonds, has gone from gen-
erating 25% of GDP in 1980 to over 50%
in 1988. No other sector has experienced
such growth, especially not that of the
agricultural sector, which is plagued by
erratic rainfall and poor soils. The unem-
ployment rate remains a problem at 25%.
A scarce resource base limits diversifica-
tion into labor-intensive industries.
GDP: $1.87 billion, per capita $1,600; real
growth rate 8.4% (FY88)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 1 .45%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1987)
Budget: revenues $1,235 million; expendi-
tures $1,080 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (FY90 est.)
Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— diamonds 88%, copper and
nickel 5%, meat 4%, cattle, animal prod-
ucts; partners — Switzerland, US, UK,
other EC-associated members of Southern
African Customs Union
Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities — foodstuffs, vehicles, textiles,
petroleum products;
37
Botswana (continued)
partners — Switzerland, US, UK, other
EC-associated members of Southern Afri-
can Customs Union
External debt: $700 million (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 16.8%
(FY86)
Electricity: 217,000 kW capacity; 630 mil-
lion kWh produced, 510 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: livestock processing; mining of
diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda
ash, potash; tourism
Agriculture: accounts for only 5% of GDP;
subsistence farming predominates; cattle
raising supports 50% of the population;
must import large share of food needs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $242 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.6 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $43 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $24 mil-
lion
Currency: pula (plural — pula); 1 pula (P)
= 100 thebe
Exchange rates: pula (P) per US$1—
1.8734 (January 1990), 2.0125 (1989),
1.8159(1988), 1.6779(1987), 1.8678
(1986), 1.8882(1985)
Fiscal yean 1 April-31 March
Communications
Railroads: 712 km 1.0 67-meter gauge
Highways: 11,514 km total; 1,600 km
paved; 1,700 km crushed stone or gravel,
5,177 km improved earth, 3,037 km unim-
proved earth
Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
Airports: 99 total, 87 usable; 8 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 23 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: the small system is a
combination of open-wire lines, radio relay
links, and a few radiocommunication sta-
tions; 17,900 telephones; stations — 2 AM,
3 FM, no TV; 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Wing, Botswana Po-
lice
Military manpower males 1 5-49, 249,480;
131,304 fit for military service; 14,363
reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.2% of GNP (1987)
Bouvet Island
(territory of Norway)
Brazil
2 km
South Atlantic Ocean
S« retion>l mip XII
Geography
Total area: 58 km2; land area: 58 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 29.6 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 4 nm
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: volcanic; maximum elevation about
800 meters; coast is mostly inacessible
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: covered by glacial ice
Note: located in the South Atlantic Ocean
2,575 km south-southwest of the Cape of
Good Hope, South Africa
People
Population: uninhabited
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: territory of Norway
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications: automatic meteoro-
logical station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Nor-
way
North Atlantic
Ocean
Sao Luis
de Janeiro
'Sio Paulo
South Atlantic
Ocean
Porto Aleqre
S« rtfional map IV
Geography
Total area: 8,51 1,965 km2; land area:
8,456,510 km2; includes Arquipelago de
Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas,
Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and
Penedos de S3o Pedro e Sao Paulo
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
the US
Land boundaries: 14,691 km total; Argen-
tina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colom-
bia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km,
Guyana 1,1 19 km, Paraguay 1,290 km,
Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uru-
guay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
Coastline: 7,491 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: short section of the boundary with
Paraguay (just west of Guaira Falls on the
Rio Parana) is in dispute; two short sections
of boundary with Uruguay are in dispute
(Arroyo de la Invernada area of the Rio
Quarai and the islands at the confluence of
the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay); claims a
Zone of Interest in Antarctica
Climate: mostly tropical, but temperate in
south
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling lowlands in
north; some plains, hills, mountains, and
narrow coastal belt
Natural resources: iron ore, manganese,
bauxite, nickel, uranium, phosphates, tin,
hydropower, gold, platinum, crude oil,
timber
Land use: 7% arable land; 1 % permanent
crops; 19% meadows and pastures; 67%
forest and woodland; 6% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recurrent droughts in north-
east; floods and frost in south; deforesta-
tion in Amazon basin; air and water pollu-
tion in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo
38
Note: largest country in South America;
shares common boundaries with every
South American country except Chile and
Ecuador
People
Population: 152,505,077 (July 1990),
growth rate 1.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 26 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 69 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male,
68 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Brazilian(s); adjec-
tive— Brazilian
Ethnic divisions: Portuguese, Italian, Ger-
man, Japanese, black, Amerindian; 55%
white, 38% mixed, 6% black, 1% other
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic (nominal)
Language: Portuguese (official), Spanish,
English, French
Literacy: 76%
Labor force: 57,000,000 (1989 est.); 42%
services, 31% agriculture, 27% industry
Organized labor 13,000,000 dues paying
members (1989 est.)
Government
Long-form name: Federative Republic of
Brazil
Type: federal republic
Capital: Brasilia
Administrative divisions: 24 states (estados,
singular — estado), 2 territories*
(territories, singular — territorio), and 1
federal district** (distrito federal); Acre,
Alagoas, Amapa*, Amazonas, Bahia,
Ceara, Distrito Federal**, Espirito Santo,
Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato
Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para,
Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio
de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio
Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima*,
Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, To-
cantins; note — the territories of Amapa
and Roraima will become states on 1 5
March 1991
Independence: 7 September 1822 (from
Portugal)
Constitution: 5 October 1988
Legal system: based on Latin codes; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 7
September (1822)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Congress (Congresso Nacional) consists of
an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and
a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies
(Camara dos Deputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribu-
nal
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Fernando Affonso
COLLOR de Mello (since 15 March
1990); Vice President Itamar FRANCO
(since 15 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: National Re-
construction Party (PRN), Daniel Tou-
rinho, president; Brazilian Democratic
Movement Party (PMDB), Ulysses Gui-
maraes, president; Liberal Front Party
(PFL), Hugo Napoleao, president; Work-
ers' Party (PT), Luis Ignacio (Lula) da
Silva, president; Brazilian Labor Party
(PTB), Luiz Gonzaga de Paiva Muniz,
president; Democratic Labor Party (PDT),
Doutel de Andrade, president; Democratic
Social Party (PDS), Jarbas Passarinho,
president; Brazilian Social Democracy
Party (PSDB), Mario Covas, president;
Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), Sa-
lomao Malina, secretary general; Commu-
nist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), Joao Ama-
zonas, president
Suffrage: voluntary at age 16; compulsory
between ages 1 8 and 70; voluntary at age
70
Elections: President — last held 15 Novem-
ber 1989, with runoff on 17 December
1989 (next to be held November 1994);
results — Fernando Collor de Mello 53%,
Luis Inacio da Silva 47%; first free, direct
presidential election since 1960;
Senate— last held 15 November 1986
(next to be held 3 October 1990); results —
PMDB 60%, PFL 21%, PDS 8%, PDT
3%, others 8%; seats— (66 total) PMDB
43, PFL 15, PDS 6, PDT 2, others 6;
note — as of 1990 Senate has 75 seats;
Chamber of Deputies — last held 1 5 No-
vember 1986 (next to be held 3 October
1990); results— PMDB 53%, PFL 23%,
PDS 7%, PDT 5%, other 12%; seats— (495
total) PMDB 258, PFL 114, PDS 33,
PDT 24, others 58; note— as of 1990
Chamber of Deputies has 570 seats
Communists: about 30,000
Other political or pressure groups: left
wing of the Catholic Church and labor
unions allied to leftist Worker's Party are
critical of government's social and eco-
nomic policies
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT,
Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB— Inter-
American Development Bank, I FAD,
IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
IPU, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC—
International Wheat Council, OAS,
PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Marcilio Marques MOREIRA; Chancery
at 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
745-2700; there are Brazilian Consulates
General in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles,
Miami, New Orleans, and New York, and
Consulates in Dallas, Houston, and San
Francisco; US — Ambassador Richard
MELTON; Embassy at Avenida das No-
coes, Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal
(mailing address is APO Miami 34030);
telephone [55] (6) 321-7272; there are US
Consulates General in Rio de Janeiro and
Sao Paulo, and Consulates in Porto Ale-
gre and Recife
Flag: green with a large yellow diamond
in the center bearing a blue celestial globe
with 23 white five-pointed stars (one for
each state) arranged in the same pattern
as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has
a white equatorial band with the motto
ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and
Progress)
Economy
Overview: The economy, a mixture of pri-
vate enterprises of all sizes and extensive
government intervention, experienced
enormous difficulties in the late 1980s,
notably declining real growth, runaway
inflation, foreign debt obligations of more
than $100 billion, and uncertain economic
policy. Government intervention includes
trade and investment restrictions, wage/
price controls, interest and exchange rate
controls, and extensive tariff barriers.
Ownership of major industrial facilities is
divided among private interests, the gov-
ernment, and multinational companies.
Ownership in agriculture likewise is var-
ied, with the government intervening in
the politically sensitive issues involving
large landowners and the masses of poor
peasants. In consultation with the IMF,
the Brazilian Government has initiated
several programs over the last few years
to ameliorate the stagnation and foreign
debt problems. None of these has given
more than temporary relief. The strategy
of the new Collor government is to
increase the pace of privatization, encour-
age foreign trade and investment, and es-
tablish a more realistic exchange rate.
One long-run strength is the existence of
vast natural resources.
GDP: $377 billion, per capita $2,500; real
growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 ,765%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 2.5% (December
1989)
39
Brazil (continued)
Budget: revenues $27.8 billion; expendi-
tures $40. 1 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $8.8 billion (1986)
Exports: $34.2 billion (1989 est.); com-
modities— coffee, metallurgical products,
chemical products, foodstuffs, iron ore,
automobiles and parts; partners — US
28%, EC 26%, Latin America 1 1%, Japan
6% (1987)
Imports: $18.0 billion (1989 est.); com-
modities—crude oil, capital goods, chemi-
cal products, foodstuffs, coal; partners —
Middle East and Africa 24%, EC 22%,
US 21%, Latin America 12%, Japan 6%
(1987)
External debt: $109 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.2%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 52,865,000 kW capacity;
202,280 million kWh produced, 1,340
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles and other consumer
goods, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber,
iron ore, steel, motor vehicles and auto
parts, metalworking, capital goods, tin
Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP;
world's largest producer and exporter of
coffee and orange juice concentrate and
second-largest exporter of soybeans; other
products — rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa,
beef; self-sufficient in food, except for
wheat
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
and coca, mostly for domestic consump-
tion; government has an active eradication
program to control cannabis and coca cul-
tivation
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $2.5 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $9.5 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $284 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $1.3 bil-
lion
Currency: novo cruzado (plural — novos
cruzados); 1 novo cruzado (NCr$) = 100
centavos
Exchange rates: novos cruzados (NCr$)
per US$1— 2.83392 (1989), 0.26238
(1988), 0.03923 (1987), 0.01366 (1986),
0.00620 (1985); note— 25 tourist/parallel
rate (December 1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 29,694 km total; 25,268 km
1.000-meter gauge, 4,339 km 1.600-meter
gauge, 74 km mixed 1.600-1.000-meter
gauge, 13 km 0.760-meter gauge; 2,308
km electrified
Highways: 1,448,000 km total; 48,000 km
paved, 1,400,000 km gravel or earth
Inland waterways: 50,000 km navigable
British Indian Ocean Territory
(dependent territory of the UK)
Pipelines: crude oil, 2,000 km; refined
products, 3,804 km; natural gas, 1,095 km
Ports: Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Manaus,
Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de
Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos
Merchant marine: 271 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 5,855,708 GRT/
9,909,097 DWT; includes 2 passenger-
cargo, 68 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 12
container, 9 roll-on/roll-off, 56 petroleum,
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 5
chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 14 com-
bination ore/oil, 82 bulk, 2 combination
bulk
Civil air: 176 major transport aircraft
Airports: 3,774 total, 3,106 usable; 386
with permanent-surface runways; 2 with
runways over 3,659 m; 21 with runways
2,240-3,659 m; 503 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good system; exten-
sive radio relay facilities; 9.86 million tele-
phones; stations— 1,223 AM, no FM, 112
TV, 151 shortwave; 3 coaxial submarine
cables 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth stations with total of 3 antennas; 64
domestic satellite stations
Defense Forces
Branches: Brazilian Army, Navy of Bra-
zil, Brazilian Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
39,620,936; 26,752,307 fit for military
service; 1,617,378 reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures: 0.6% of GDP, or
$2.3 billion (1989 est.)
75km
Peros Banhos"
Chagos
Archipelago
'Eagle Islands
' ' Egmont Islands
Indian Ocean
' Salomon Islands
i. \Dtego Garcia
S« regional mip I
Geography
Total area: 60 km2; land area: 60 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 698 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: Diego Garcia is claimed by
Mauritius
Climate: tropical marine; hot, humid,
moderated by trade winds
Terrain: flat and low (up to 4 meters in
elevation)
Natural resources: coconuts, fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: archipelago of 2,300 islands
Note: Diego Garcia, largest and southern-
most island, occupies strategic location in
central Indian Ocean
People
Population: no permanent civilian popula-
tion; formerly about 3,000 islanders
Ethnic divisions: civilian inhabitants,
known as the Hois, evacuated to Mauritius
before construction of UK and US defense
facilities
Government
»
Long-form name: British Indian Ocean
Territory (no short-form name); abbrevi-
ated BIOT
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: none
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government — Commissioner R.
EDIS (since NA 1988), Administrator
Robin CROMPTON (since NA 1988);
note — both officials reside in the UK
40
British Virgin Islands
(dependent territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation: none (depen-
dent territory of the UK)
Flag: the flag of the UK is used
Economy
Overview: All economic activity is concen-
trated on the largest island of Diego Gar-
cia, where joint UK-US defense facilities
are located. Construction projects and var-
ious services needed to support the mili-
tary installations are done by military and
contract employees from the UK and US.
There are no industrial or agricultural
activities on the islands.
Electricity: provided by the US military
Communications
Highways: short stretch of paved road be-
tween port and airfield on Diego Garcia
Ports: Diego Garcia
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
ways over 3,659 m on Diego Garcia
Telecommunications: minimal facilities;
stations (operated by the US Navy) — 1
AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
10km
North
Atlantic
Ocean
Caribbean Sea
See regional map 111
Geography
Total area: 150 km2; land area: 150 km2
Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size
of Washington, DC
Coastline: 80 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures
moderated by trade winds
Terrain: coral islands relatively flat; volca-
nic islands steep, hilly
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 20% arable land; 7% permanent
crops; 33% meadows and pastures; 7%
forest and woodland; 33% other
Environment: subject to hurricanes and
tropical storms from July to October
Note: strong ties to nearby US Virgin Is-
lands and Puerto Rico
People
Population: 12,258 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 3 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 7 1 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — British Virgin Island-
er^); adjective — British Virgin Islander
Ethnic divisions: over 90% black, remain-
der of white and Asian origin
Religion: majority Methodist; others in-
clude Anglican, Church of God, Seventh-
Day Adventist, Baptist, and Roman Cath-
olic
Language: English (official)
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 4,9 11 (1980)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Road Town
Administrative divisions: none (dependent
territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of
the UK)
Constitution: 1 June 1977
Legal system: English law
National holiday: Territory Day, I July
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor, chief minister, Executive Council
(cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Council
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Su-
preme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor John Mark Ambrose
HERDMAN (since NA 1986);
Head of Government — Chief Minister H.
Lavity STOUTT (since NA 1986)
Political parties and leaders: United Party
(UP), Conrad Maduro; Virgin Islands
Party (VIP), H. Lavity Stoutt; Indepen-
dent People's Movement (IPM), Cyril B.
Romney
Suffrage: universal at age 1 8
Elections: Legislative Council — last held
30 September 1986 (next to be held by
September 1 99 1 ); results — percent of vote
by party NA; seats— (9 total) UP 2, VIP
5, IPM 2
Communists: probably none
Member of: Commonwealth
Diplomatic representation: none (depen-
dent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin
Islander coat of arms centered in the
outer half of the flag; the coat of arms
depicts a woman flanked on either side by
a vertical column of six oil lamps above a
scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE
(Be Watchful)
Economy
Overview: The economy is highly depen-
dent on the tourist industry, which gener-
ates about 21% of the national income. In
1985 the government offered offshore reg-
istration to companies wishing to incorpo-
rate in the islands, and, in consequence,
41
British Virgin Islands (continued)
Brunei
incorporation fees generated about $2 mil-
lion in 1987. Livestock raising is the most
significant agricultural activity. The is-
lands' crops, limited by poor soils, are un-
able to meet food requirements.
GDP: $106.7 million, per capita $8,900;
real growth rate 2.5% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 .7% (Jan-
uary 1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $26.2 million; expendi-
tures $25.4 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1988 est.)
Exports: $2.3 million (f.o.b., 1985); com-
modities— rum, fresh fish, gravel, sand,
fruits, animals; partners — Virgin Islands
(US), Puerto Rico, US
Imports: $72.0 million (c.i.f., 1985); com-
modities— building materials, automo-
biles, foodstuffs, machinery; partners —
Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
External debt: $4.5 million (1985)
Industrial production: growth rate —4.0%
(1985)
Electricity: 13,500 kW capacity; 59 mil-
lion kWh produced, 4,870 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, light industry, con-
struction, rum, concrete block, offshore
financial center
Agriculture: livestock (including poultry),
fish, fruit, vegetables
Aid: NA
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal yean 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: 106 km motorable roads (1983)
Ports: Road Town
Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways less than
1,220m
Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones;
worldwide external telephone service; sub-
marine cable communication links to Ber-
muda; stations— 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
South China
Sea
BANDAR
SERI BEGAWAN
See regional map IX
Geography
Total area: 5,770 km2; land area: 5,270
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Delaware
Land boundary: 381 km with Malaysia
Coastline: 161 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: may wish to purchase the Ma-
laysian salient that divides the country
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to moun-
tains in east; hilly lowland in west
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas,
timber
Land use: 1% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 79%
forest and woodland; 18% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: typhoons, earthquakes, and
severe flooding are rare
Note: close to vital sea lanes through
South China Sea linking Indian and Pa-
cific Oceans; two parts physically sepa-
rated by Malaysia; almost an enclave of
Malaysia
People
Population: 372,108 (July 1990), growth
rate 7.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 23 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 4 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 52 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Bruneian(s); adjec-
tive— Bruneian
Ethnic divisions: 64% Malay, 20% Chi-
nese, 16% other
Religion: 60% Muslim (official); 8% Chris-
tian; 32% Buddhist and indigenous beliefs
Language: Malay (official), English, and
Chinese
Literacy: 45%
Labor force: 89,000 (includes members of
the Army); 33% of labor force is foreign
(1988); 50.4% production of oil, natural
gas, and construction; 47.6% trade, ser-
vices, and other; 2.0% agriculture, for-
estry, and fishing (1984)
Organized labor: 2% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Negara Brunei Darussa-
lam
Type: constitutional sultanate
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
Administrative divisions: 4 districts
(daerah-daerah, singular — daerah); Belait,
Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)
Constitution: 29 September 1959 (some
provisions suspended under a State of
Emergency since December 1962, others
since independence on 1 January 1984)
Legal system: based on Islamic law
National holiday: National Day, 23 Feb-
ruary (1984)
Executive branch: sultan, prime minister,
Council of Cabinet Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— Sultan and Prime Minister Sir
Muda HASSANAL BOLKIAH Mu'iz-
zaddin Waddaulah (since 5 October 1 967)
Political parties and leaders: Brunei Na-
tional United Party (inactive), Anak Hasa-
nuddin, chairman; Brunei National Demo-
cratic Party (the first legal political party
and now banned) Abdul Latif bin Abdul
Hamid, chairman
Suffrage: none
Elections: Legislative Council — last held
in March 1962; in 1970 the Council was
changed to an appointive body by decree
of the sultan and no elections are planned
Communists: probably none
Member of: ASEAN, ESCAP (associate
member), IMO, INTERPOL, QIC, UN
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Date Paduka Haji MOHAMED SUNI
bin Haji Idris; Chancery at 2600 Virginia
Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; tele-
phone (202) 342-0159; US— Ambassador
Christopher H. PHILLIPS; Embassy at
Teck Guan Plaza (corner of Jalan McAr-
thur), Bandar Seri Begawan (mailing ad-
42
Bulgaria
dress is P. O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Be-
gawan); telephone [673] (2) 29670
Flag: yellow with two diagonal bands of
white (top, almost double width) and black
starting from the upper hoist side; the na-
tional emblem in red is superimposed at
the center; the emblem includes a
swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged col-
umn within an upturned crescent above a
scroll and flanked by two upraised hands
Economy
Overview: The economy is a mixture of
foreign and domestic entrepreneurship,
government regulation and welfare mea-
sures, and village tradition. It is almost
totally supported by exports of crude oil
and natural gas, with revenues from the
petroleum sector accounting for more than
70% of GDP. Per capita GDP of $9,600 is
among the highest in the Third World,
and substantial income from overseas in-
vestment supplements domestic produc-
tion. The government provides for all
medical services and subsidizes food and
housing.
GDP: $3.3 billion, per capita $9,600; real
growth rate 2.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment: 2.5%, shortage of skilled
labor (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $1.2 billion (1987); ex-
penditures $1.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (1989 est.)
Exports: $2.07 billion (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— crude oil, liquefied natural gas,
petroleum products; partners — Japan 55%
(1986)
Imports: $800 million (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— machinery and transport equip-
ment, manufactured goods; food, bever-
ages, tobacco; consumer goods; partners —
Singapore 31%, US 20%, Japan 6% (1986)
External debt: none
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 890 mil-
lion kWh produced, 2,580 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: petroleum, liquefied natural
gas, construction
Agriculture: imports about 80% of its food
needs; principal crops and livestock in-
clude rice, cassava, bananas, buffaloes,
and pigs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $20.6 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $143.7 million
Currency: Bruneian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per
US$1— 1.8895 (January 1990), 1.9503
(1989), 2.0124 (1988), 2.1060 (1987),
2.1774 (1986), 2.2002 (1985); note— the
Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singa-
pore dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 13 km 0.6 10-meter narrow-
gauge private line
Highways: 1,090 km total; 370 km paved
(bituminous treated) and another 52 km
under construction, 720 km gravel or
unimproved
Inland waterways: 209 km; navigable by
craft drawing less than 1 .2 meters
Ports: Kuala Belait, Muara
Merchant marine: 7 liquefied gas carriers
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476 GRT/
340,635 DWT
Pipelines: crude oil, 1 35 km; refined prod-
ucts, 418 km; natural gas, 920 km
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft (3
Boeing 757-200, 1 Boeing 737-200)
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
way over 3,659 m; 1 with runway 1,406 m
Telecommunications: service throughout
country is adequate for present needs; in-
ternational service good to adjacent Ma-
laysia; radiobroadcast coverage good;
33,000 telephones (1987); stations — 4 AM/
FM, 1 TV; 74,000 radio receivers (1987);
satellite earth stations — 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean
INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Brunei Armed Forces,
including air wing, navy, and ground
forces; British Gurkha Battalion; Royal
Brunei Police; Gurkha Reserve Unit
Military manpower: males 15-49, 104,398;
60,242 fit for military service; 3,106 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $197.6 million, 17%
of central government budget (FY86)
lZ5km
Set ref lonil m«p V
Geography
Total area: 1 10,910 km2; land area:
110,550km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Tennessee
Land boundaries: 1,881 km total; Greece
494 km, Romania 608 km, Turkey 240
km, Yugoslavia 539 km
Coastline: 354 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Macedonia question with Greece
and Yugoslavia
Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters;
hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands
in north and south
Natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead,
zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Land use: 34% arable land; 3% permanent
crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 35%
forest and woodland; 10% other; includes
11% irrigated
Environment: subject to earthquakes, land-
slides; deforestation; air pollution
Note: strategic location near Turkish
Straits; controls key land routes from Eu-
rope to Middle East and Asia
People
Population: 8,933,544 (July 1990), growth
rate -0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 2 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 4 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 13 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male,
76 years female (1990)
43
Bulgaria (continued)
Total fertility rate: 1 .9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Bulgarian(s); adjec-
tive— Bulgarian
Ethnic divisions: 85.3% Bulgarian, 8.5%
Turk, 2.6% Gypsy, 2.5% Macedonian,
0.3% Armenian, 0.2% Russian, 0.6% other
Religion: religious background of popula-
tion is 85% Bulgarian Orthodox, 13%
Muslim, 0.8% Jewish, 0.7% Roman Cath-
olic, 0.5% Protestant, Gregorian-Arme-
nian, and other
Language: Bulgarian; secondary languages
closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
Literacy: 95% (est.)
Labor force: 4,300,000; 33% industry,
20% agriculture, 47% other (1987)
Organized labor: all workers are members
of the Central Council of Trade Unions
(CCTU); Pod Krepa (Support), an inde-
pendent trade union, legally registered in
January 1990
Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of
Bulgaria
Type: Communist state, but democratic
elections planned for 1990
Capital: Sofia
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces
(oblasti, singular — oblast) and 1 city*
(grad); Burgas, Grad Sofiya*, Khaskovo,
Lovech, Mikhaylovgrad, Plovdiv, Razgrad,
Sofiya, Varna
Independence: 22 September 1908 (from
Ottoman Empire)
Constitution: 16 May 1971, effective 18
May 1971
Legal system: based on civil law system,
with Soviet law influence; judicial review
of legislative acts in the State Council;
has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the So-
cialist Revolution in Bulgaria, 9 Septem-
ber (1944)
Executive branch: president, chairman of
the Council of Ministers, four deputy
chairmen of the Council of Ministers,
Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Narodno Sobranyie)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Petur
Toshev MLADENOV (chairman of the
State Council since 11 November 1989;
became president on 3 April 1990 when
the State Council was abolished);
Head of Government — Chairman of the
Council of Ministers Andrey LUKANOV
(since 3 February 1990); Deputy Chair-
man of the Council of Ministers Chudo-
mir Asenov ALEKSANDROV (since 8
February 1990); Deputy Chairman of the
Council of Ministers Belcho Antonov
BELCHEV (since 8 February 1990); Dep-
uty Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Konstantin Dimitrov KOSEV (since 8
February 1990); Deputy Chairman of the
Council of Ministers Nora Krachunova
ANANIEVA (since 8 February 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Bulgarian
Communist Party (BKP), Aleksandur Li-
lov, chairman; Bulgarian National Agrar-
ian Union (BZNS), Angel Angelov Dimi-
trov, secretary of Permanent Board;
Bulgarian Social Democratic Party, Petur
Dentlieu; Green Party; Christian Demo-
crats; Radical Democratic Party; others
forming
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: Chairman of the State Coun-
cil— last held 17 June 1986 (next to be
held May 1990); results— Todor Zhivkov
reelected but was replaced by Petur
Toshev Mladenov on 11 November 1989;
National Assembly — last held 8 June
1986 (next to be held May 1'990);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (400 total) BKP 276, BZNS 99,
others 25
Communists: 932,055 party members
(April 1986)
Other political or pressure groups: Union
of Democratic Forces (umbrella organiza-
tion for opposition groups); Ecoglenost,
Podkrepa Independent Trade Union, Fa-
therland Front, Communist Youth Union,
Central Council of Trade Unions, Na-
tional Committee for Defense of Peace,
Union of Fighters Against Fascism and
Capitalism, Committee of Bulgarian
Women, All-National Committee for
Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship; Union of
Democratic Forces, a coalition of about a
dozen dissident groups; numerous regional
and national interest groups with various
agendas
Member of: CCC, CEMA, FAO, IAEA,
IBEC, ICAO, ILO, ILZSG, IMO, IPU,
ITC, ITU, IWC— International Wheat
Council, UN, UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw
Pact WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Velichko Filipov VELICHKOV; Chancery
at 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 387-7969; US—
Ambassador Sol POLANSKY; Embassy
at 1 Alexander Stamboliski Boulevard,
Sofia (mailing address is APO New York
09213); telephone [359] (2) 88-48-01
through 05
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
white (top), green, and red with the na-
tional emblem on the hoist side of the
white stripe; the emblem contains a ram-
pant lion within a wreath of wheat ears
below a red five-pointed star and above a
ribbon bearing the dates 68 1 (first Bulgar-
ian state established) and 1944 (liberation
from Nazi control)
Economy
Overview: Growth in the sluggish Bulgar-
ian economy fell to the 2% annual level in
the 1980s, and by 1989 Sofia's foreign
debt had skyrocketed to $10 billion — giv
ing a debt service ratio of more than 40%
of hard currency earnings. The
post-Zhivkov regime faces major problems
of renovating an aging industrial plant,
keeping abreast of rapidly unfolding tech-
nological developments, investing in addi-
tional energy capacity (the portion of elec-
tric power from nuclear energy reached
37% in 1988), and motivating workers, in
part by giving them a share in the earn-
ings of their enterprises. A major decree
of January 1 989 summarized and
extended the government's economic re-
structuring efforts, which include a partial
decentralization of controls over produc-
tion decisions and foreign trade. The new
regime promises more extensive reforms
and eventually a market economy. But the
ruling group cannot (so far) bring itself to
give up ultimate control over economic
affairs exercised through the vertical Party/
ministerial command structure. Reforms
have not led to improved economic perfor-
mance, in particular the provision of more
and better consumer goods. A further
blow to the economy was the exodus of
310,000 ethnic Turks in mid- 1989, which
caused temporary shortages of skilled la-
bor in glassware, aluminum, and other
industrial plants and in tobacco fields.
GNP: $51.2 billion, per capita $5,710; real
growth rate -0.1% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $26 billion; expenditures
$28 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA billion (1988)
Exports: $20.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and equipment
60.5%; agricultural products 14.7%; man-
ufactured consumer goods 10.6%; fuels,
minerals, raw materials, and metals 8.5%;
other 5.7%; partners — Socialist countries
82.5% (USSR 61%, GDR 5.5%, Czecho-
slovakia 4.9%); developed countries 6.8%
(FRG 1 .2%, Greece 1 .0%); less developed
countries 10.7% (Libya 3.5%, Iraq 2.9%)
Imports: $21.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— fuels, minerals, and raw mate-
rials 45.2%; machinery and equipment
39.8%; manufactured consumer goods
4.6%; agricultural products 3.8%; other
44
Burkina
6.6%; partners — Socialist countries 80.5%
(USSR 57.5%, GDR 5.7%), developed
countries 15.1% (FRG 4.8%, Austria
1.6%); less developed countries 4.4%
(Libya 1.0%, Brazil 0.9%)
External debt: $10 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.9%
(1988)
Electricity: 11,500,000 kW capacity;
45,000 million kWh produced, 5,000 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, machine and
metal building, electronics, chemicals
Agriculture: accounts for 1 5% of GNP;
climate and soil conditions support live-
stock raising and the growing of various
grain crops, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits and
tobacco; more than one-third of the arable
land devoted to grain; world's
fourth-largest tobacco exporter; surplus
food producer
Aid: donor — SI. 6 billion in bilateral aid to
non-Communist less developed countries
(1956-88)
Currency: lev (plural — leva); 1 lev (Lv) =
100 stotinki
Exchange rates: leva (Lv) per US$1 — 0.84
(1989), 0.82 (1988), 0.90 (1987), 0.95
(1986), 1.03(1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 4,294 km total, all government
owned (1986); 4,049 km 1.435-meter stan-
dard gauge, 245 km narrow gauge; 908
km double track; 2,342 km electrified
Highways: 37,397 km total; 33,352 km
hard surface (including 228 km superhigh-
ways); 4,045 km earth roads (1986)
Inland waterways: 470 km (1986)
Pipelines: crude, 193 km; refined product,
418 km; natural gas, 1,400 km (1986)
Ports: Burgas, Varna, Varna West; river
ports are Ruse, Vidin, and Lorn on the
Danube
Merchant marine: 108 ships (1,000 GRT
and over) totaling 1 ,240,204 GRT/
1,872,723 DWT; includes 2 short-sea pas-
senger, 32 cargo, 2 container, 1 passenger-
cargo training, 5 roll-on/roll-off, 16
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 2 railcar carriers, 48 bulk
Civil air: 65 major transport aircraft
Airports: 380 total, 380 usable; about 120
with permanent-surface runways; 20 with
runways 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 15 AM, 16
FM, 13 TV; 1 Soviet TV relay; 2,100,000
TV sets; 2,100,000 radio receivers; at least
1 satellite earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Bulgarian People's Army, Fron-
tier Troops, Air and Air Defense Forces,
Bulgarian Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49,
2,177,404; 1,823,111 fit for military ser-
vice; 66,744 reach military age (19) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: 1.6051 billion leva
(1989); note — conversion of the military
budget into US dollars using the official
administratively set exchange rate would
produce misleading results
Ouahtgouy*
Koudougou, .OUAGADOUGOU
Bobo-DtoulaMO
Boundary representation is
not necessarily authoritative
Sef region*! map VII
Geography
Total area: 274,200 km2; land area:
273,800 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Colorado
Land boundaries: 3,192 km total; Benin
306 km, Ghana 548 km, Ivory Coast 584
km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo
126km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: the disputed international
boundary between Burkina and Mali was
submitted to the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ
issued its final ruling in December 1986,
which both sides agreed to accept; Burk-
ina and Mali are proceeding with bound-
ary demarcation, including the tripoint
with Niger
Climate: tropical; warm, dry winters; hot,
wet summers
Terrain: mostly flat to dissected, undulat-
ing plains; hills in west and southeast
Natural resources: manganese, limestone,
marble; small deposits of gold, antimony,
copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates,
zinc, silver
Land use: 10% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 37% meadows and pastures;
26% forest and woodland; 27% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recent droughts and deserti-
fication severely affecting marginal agri-
cultural activities, population distribution,
economy; overgrazing; deforestation
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 9,077,828 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 50 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 17 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
45
Burkina (continued)
Net migration rate: — 3 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 121 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 5 1 years male,
52 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Burkinabe; adjective —
Burkinabe
Ethnic divisions: more than SO tribes; prin-
cipal tribe is Mossi (about 2.5 million);
other important groups are Gurunsi, Se-
nufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani
Religion: 65% indigenous beliefs, about
25% Muslim, 10% Christian (mainly Ro-
man Catholic)
Language: French (official); tribal
languages belong to Sudanic family, spo-
ken by 90% of the population
Literacy: 13.2%
Labor force: 3,300,000 residents; 30,000
are wage earners; 82% agriculture, 13%
industry, 5% commerce, services, and gov-
ernment; 20% of male labor force
migrates annually to neighboring coun-
tries for seasonal employment (1984); 44%
of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: four principal trade
union groups represent less than 1% of
population
Government
Long-form name: Burkina Faso
Type: military; established by coup on 4
August 1983
Capital: Ouagadougou
Administrative divisions: 30 provinces;
Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou,
Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna,
Gourma, Houet, Kadiogo, Kenedougou,
Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Na-
mentenga, Naouri, Oubritenga, Oudalan,
Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga,
Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Ya-
tenga, Zoundweogo
Independence: 5 August 1 960 (from
France; formerly Upper Volta)
Constitution: none; constitution of 27 No-
vember 1977 was abolished following coup
of 25 November 1980
Legal system: based on French civil law
system and customary law
National holiday: Anniversary of the Rev-
olution, 4 August (1983)
Executive branch: chairman of the Popular
Front, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) was dis-
solved on 25 November 1980
Judicial branch: Appeals Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— Chairman of the Popular Front
Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15
October 1987)
Political parties and leaders: all political
parties banned following November 1980
coup
Suffrage: none
Elections: the National Assembly was dis-
solved 25 November 1980 and no elections
are scheduled
Communists: small Communist party front
group; some sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups: com-
mittees for the defense of the revolution,
watchdog/political action groups through-
out the country in both organizations and
communities
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO,
EAMA, ECA, EIB (associate). Entente,
FAO, GATT, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB — Islamic Development Bank, I FAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, NAM, Ni-
ger River Commission, OAU, OCAM,
QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU. WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Paul Desire KABORE; Chancery at 2340
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-5577 or
6895; US— Ambassador David H.
SHINN; Embassy at Avenue Raoul Folle-
rau, Ouagadougou (mailing address is B.
P. 35, Ouagadougou); telephone [226] 30-
67-23 through 25
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red
(top) and green with a yellow five-pointed
star in the center; uses the popular pan-
African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Overview: One of the poorest countries in
the world, Burkina has a high population
density, few natural resources, and rela-
tively infertile soil. Economic development
is hindered by a poor communications net-
work within a landlocked country. Agri-
culture provides about 40% of GDP and is
entirely of a subsistence nature. Industry,
dominated by unprofitable government-
controlled corporations, accounted for 13%
of GDP in 1985.
GDP: $1.43 billion, per capita $170; real
growth rate 7.7% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues S422 million; expendi-
tures $516 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $25 million (1987)
Exports: $249 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— oilseeds, cotton, live animals,
gold; partners—EC 42% (France 30%,
other 12%), Taiwan 17%, Ivory Coast 15%
(1985)
Imports: $591 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— grain, dairy products, petro-
leum, machinery; partners — EC 37%
(France 23%, other 14%), Africa 31%, US
15% (1985)
External debt: $969 million (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.1%
(1985)
Electricity: 121,000 kW capacity; 320 mil-
lion kWh produced, 37 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: agricultural processing plants;
brewery, cement, and brick plants; a few
other small consumer goods enterprises
Agriculture: cash crops — peanuts, shea
nuts, sesame, cotton; food crops —
sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock; not
self-sufficient in food grains
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $271 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $2.5 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $94 mil-
lion
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine franc (plural — francs); 1 CFA franc
(CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per
US$1— 284.55 (January 1990), 319.01
(1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987),
346.30(1986), 449.26(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 620 km total; 520 km Ouaga-
dougou to Ivory Coast border and 100 km
Ouagadougou to Kaya; all 1 .00-meter
gauge and single track
Highways: 16,500 km total; 1,300 km
paved, 7,400 km improved, 7,800 km
unimproved (1985)
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 50 total, 43 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: all services only fair;
radio relay, wire, and radio communica-
tion stations in use; 13,900 telephones;
stations— 2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force
Military manpower males 15-49,
1,775,143; 904,552 fit for military service;
no conscription
Defense expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (1987)
46
Burma
refionilnupVIII ind IX
Geography
Total area: 678,500 km2; land area:
657,740 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Texas
Land boundaries: 5,876 km total; Bangla-
desh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India
1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800
km
Coastline: 1,930 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy,
hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon,
June to September); less cloudy, scant
rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humid-
ity during winter (northeast monsoon, De-
cember to April)
Terrain: central lowlands ringed by steep,
rugged highlands
Natural resources: crude oil, timber, tin,
antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead,
coal, some marble, limestone, precious
stones, natural gas
Land use: 15% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 49%
forest and woodland; 34% other; includes
2% irrigated
Environment: subject to destructive earth-
quakes and cyclones; flooding and land-
slides common during rainy season (June
to September); deforestation
Note: strategic location near major Indian
Ocean shipping lanes
People
Population: 41,277,389 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 33 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 97 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male,
56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Burmese; adjective —
Burmese
Ethnic divisions: 68% Burman, 9% Shan,
7% Karen, 4% Rakhine, 3% Chinese, 2%
Mon, 2% Indian, 5% other
Religion: 85% Buddhist, 15% animist be-
liefs, Muslim, Christian, or other
Language: Burmese; minority ethnic
groups have their own languages
Literacy: 78%
Labor force: 16,036,000; 65.2% agricul-
ture, 14.3% industry, 10.1% trade, 6.3%
government, 4.1% other (FY89 est.)
Organized labor: Workers' Asiayone (asso-
ciation), 1,800,000 members, and Peas-
ants' Asiayone, 7,600,000 members
Government
Long-form name: Union of Burma; note —
the local official name is Pyidaungzu
Myanma Naingngandaw which has been
translated as Union of Myanma or Union
of Myanmar
Type: military government
Capital: Rangoon (sometimes translated as
Yangon)
Administrative divisions: 7 divisions* (yin-
mya, singular — yin) and 7 states (pyine-
mya, singular — pyine); Chin State,
Irrawaddy*, Kachin State, Karan State,
Kayah State, Magwe*, Mandalay*, Mon
State, Pegu*, Rakhine State, Rangoon*,
Sagaing*, Shan State, Tenasserim*
Independence: 4 January 1948 (from UK)
Constitution: 3 January 1974 (suspended
since 18 September 1988)
Legal system: martial law in effect
throughout most of the country; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 4
January (1948)
Executive branch: chairman of the State
Law and Order Restoration Council, State
Law and Order Restoration Council
Legislative branch: unicameral People's
Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) was dissolved
after the coup of 18 September 1988
Judicial branch: Council of People's Jus-
tices was abolished after the coup of 1 8
September 1988
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— Chairman of the State Law and
Order Restoration Council and Prime
Minister Gen. SAW MAUNG (since 18
September 1988)
Political parties and leaders: National
League for Democracy, U Tin Oo and
Aung San Suu Kyi; League for Democ-
racy and Peace, U Nu; National Unity
Party (promilitary); over 100 other parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: People's Assembly — last held
6-20 October 1985, but dissolved after the
coup of 18 September 1988; next sched-
uled 27 May 1990); results — percent of
vote by party NA; seats — (NA total) num-
ber of seats by party NA
Communists: several hundred, est., prima-
rily as an insurgent group on the north-
east frontier
Other political or pressure groups: Kachin
Independence Army; Karen National
Union, several Shan factions (all insurgent
groups); Burmese Communist Party (BCP)
Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador U
MYO AUNG; Chancery at 2300 S Street
NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 332-9044 through 9046; there is a
Burmese Consulate General in New York;
US — Ambassador Burton LEVIN; Em-
bassy at 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon
(mailing address is G. P. O. Box 521,
Rangoon or Box B, APO San Francisco
96346); telephone 82055 or 82181
Flag: red with a blue rectangle in the up-
per hoist-side corner bearing, all in white,
14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel
containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars rep-
resent the 14 administrative divisions
Economy
Overview: Burma is one of the poorest
countries in Asia, with a per capita GDP
of about $280. The government reports
negligible growth for FY88. The nation
has been unable to achieve any significant
improvement in export earnings because
of falling prices for many of its major
commodity exports. For rice, traditionally
the most important export, the drop in
world prices has been accompanied by
shrinking markets and a smaller volume
of sales. In 1985 teak replaced rice as the
largest export and continues to hold this
position. The economy is heavily depen-
dent on the agricultural sector, which gen-
erates about 40% of GDP and provides
employment for more than 65% of the
work force.
GDP: $11.0 billion, per capita $280; real
growth rate 0.2% (FY88 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 22.6%
(FY89 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10.4% in urban areas
(FY87)
47
Burma (continued)
Burundi
Budget: revenues $4.9 billion; expenditures
SS.O billion, including capital expenditures
of $0.7 billion (FY89 est.)
Exports: $311 million (f.o.b., FY88 est.)
commodities — teak, rice, oilseed, metals,
rubber, gems; partners — Southeast Asia,
India, China, EC, Africa
Imports: $536 million (c.i.f., FY88 est.)
commodities — machinery, transport
equipment, chemicals, food products; part-
ners—Japan, EC, CEMA, China, South-
east Asia
External debt: $5.6 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —1.5%
(FY88)
Electricity: 950,000 kW capacity; 2,900
million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: agricultural processing; textiles
and footwear; wood and wood products;
petroleum refining; mining of copper, tin,
tungsten, iron; construction materials;
Pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of
GDP (including fish and forestry); self-
sufficient in food; principal crops — paddy
rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses;
world's largest stand of hardwood trees;
rice and teak account for 55% of export
revenues; 1985 fish catch of 644 million
metric tons
Illicit drugs: world's largest illicit producer
of opium poppy and minor producer of
cannabis for the international drug trade;
opium production is on the increase as
growers respond to the collapse of
Rangoon's antinarcotic programs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $158 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $3.8 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $424 mil-
lion
Currency: kyat (plural — kyats); 1 kyat (K)
= 100 pyas
Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1—
6.5188 (January 1990), 6.7049 (1989),
6.3945 (1988), 6.6535 (1987), 7.3304
(1986), 8.4749 (1985)
Fiscal yean 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Railroads: 3,991 km total, all government
owned; 3,878 km 1.000-meter gauge, 113
km narrow-gauge industrial lines; 362 km
double track
Highways: 27,000 km total; 3,200 km bi-
tuminous, 17,700 km improved earth or
gravel, 6,100 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 12,800 km; 3,200 km
navigable by large commercial vessels
Pipelines: crude, 1 ,343 km; natural gas,
330km
Ports: Rangoon, Moulmein, Bassein
Merchant marine: 45 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 595,814 GRT/955,924
DWT; includes 3 passenger-cargo, 15
cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off, 1 vehicle carrier,
1 container, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubri-
cants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical, 16 bulk
Civil air: 1 7 major transport aircraft (in-
cluding 3 helicopters)
Airports: 88 total, 81 usable; 29 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 37 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: meets minimum re-
quirements for local and intercity service;
international service is good; radiobroad-
cast coverage is limited to the most popu-
lous areas; 53,000 telephones (1986); sta-
tions—2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (1985); 1
Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: eligible 1 5-49,
20,294,848; of the 10,135,886 males 15-
49, 5,438,196 are fit for military service;
of the 10,158,962 females 15-49,
5,437,518 are fit for military service;
434,200 males and 423,435 females reach
military age (18) annually; both sexes are
liable for military service
Defense expenditures: $315.0 million,
21.0% of central government budget
(FY88)
50km
Ste regional mip VII
Geography
Total area: 27,830 km2; land area: 25,650
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Maryland
Land boundaries: 974 km total; Rwanda
290 km, Tanzania 451 km, Zaire 233 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: temperate; warm; occasional frost
in uplands
Terrain: mostly rolling to hilly highland;
some plains
Natural resources: nickel, uranium, rare
earth oxide, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum
(not yet exploited), vanadium
Land use: 43% arable land; 8% permanent
crops; 35% meadows and pastures; 2%
forest and woodland; 1 2% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: soil exhaustion; soil erosion;
deforestation
Note: landlocked; straddles crest of the
Nile-Congo watershed
People
Population: 5,645,997 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 1 1 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male,
54 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Burundian(s); adjec-
tive— Burundi
Ethnic divisions: Africans— 85% Hutu
(Bantu), 14% Tutsi (Hamitic), 1% Twa
(Pygmy); other Africans include about
48
70,000 refugees, mostly Rwandans and
Zairians; non-Africans include about
3,000 Europeans and 2,000 South Asians
Religion: about 67% Christian (62% Ro-
man Catholic, 5% Protestant), 32% indige-
nous beliefs, 1% Muslim
Language: Kirundi and French (official);
Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in
the Bujumbura area)
Literacy: 33.8%
Labor force: 1,900,000 (1983 est.); 93.0%
agriculture, 4.0% government, 1 .5% indus-
try and commerce, 1.5% services; 52% of
population of working age (1985)
Organized labor sole group is the Union
of Burundi Workers (UTB); by charter,
membership is extended to all Burundi
workers (informally); figures denoting ac-
tive membership unobtainable
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Burundi
Type: republic
Capital: Bujumbura
Administrative divisions: 1 5 provinces; Bu-
banza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Ci-
bitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo,
Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Ngozi,
Rutana, Ruyigi
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN
trusteeship under Belgian administration)
Constitution: 20 November 1981;
suspended following the coup of 3 Sep-
tember 1987
Legal system: based on German and Bel-
gian civil codes and customary law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 1
July (1962)
Executive branch: president, Military
Committee for National Salvation, prime
minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) was dis-
solved following the coup of 3 September
1987
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Pierre
BUYOYA (since 9 September 1987);
Head of Government Prime Minister
Adrien SIBOMANA (since 26 October
1988)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
National Party of Unity and Progress
(UPRONA), a Tutsi-led party, Libere Ba-
rarunyeretse, coordinator of the National
Permanent Secretariat
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: National Assembly — dissolved
after the coup of 3 September 1987; no
elections are planned
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, EAMA,
ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO,
ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Julien KAVAKURE; Chancery at Suite
212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Wash-
ington DC 20007; telephone (202) 342-
2574; US — Ambassador Cynthia Shep-
herd PERRY; Embassy at Avenue du
Zaire, Bujumbura (mailing address is B.
P. 1720, Bujumbura); telephone 234-54
through 56
Flag: divided by a white diagonal cross
into red panels (top and bottom) and green
panels (hoist side and outer side) with a
white disk superimposed at the center
bearing three red six-pointed stars out-
lined in green arranged in a triangular
design (one star above, two stars below)
Economy
Overview: A landlocked, resource-poor
country in an early stage of economic de-
velopment, Burundi is predominately agri-
cultural with only a few basic industries.
Its economic health is dependent on the
coffee crop, which accounts for an average
90% of foreign exchange earnings each
year. The ability to pay for imports there-
fore continues to rest largely on the vagar-
ies of the climate and the international
coffee market.
GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $255; real
growth rate 2.8% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $213 million; expendi-
tures $292 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $131 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $128 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— coffee 88%, tea, hides and
skins; partners— EC 83%, US 5%, Asia
2%
Imports: $204 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— capital goods 31%, petroleum
products 1 5%, foodstuff's, consumer goods;
partners— EC 57%, Asia 23%, US 3%
External debt: $795 million (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: real growth rate
5.1% (1986)
Electricity: 51,000 kW capacity; 105 mil-
lion kWh produced, 19 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: light consumer goods such as
blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imports;
public works construction; food processing
Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP;
90% of population dependent on subsis-
tence farming; marginally self-sufficient in
food production; cash crops — coffee, cot-
ton, tea; food crops — corn, sorghum, sweet
potatoes, bananas, manioc; livestock —
meat, milk, hides, and skins
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $68 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $10 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $32 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $175 million
Currency: Burundi franc (plural — francs);
1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Burundi francs (FBu) per
US$1— 176.20 (January 1990), 158.67
(1989), 140.40(1988), 123.56(1987),
114.17(1986), 120.69(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 5,900 km total; 400 km paved,
2,500 km gravel or laterite, 3,000 km im-
proved or unimproved earth
Inland waterways: Lake Tanganyika
Ports: Bujumbura (lake port) connects to
transportation systems of Tanzania and
Zaire
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 8 total, 7 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220
to 2,439 m
Telecommunications: sparse system of
wire, radiocommunications, and
low-capacity radio relay links; 8,000 tele-
phones; stations — 2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1
Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army (includes naval and air
units); paramilitary Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1,230,559; 642,927 fit for military service;
61,418 reach military age (16) annually
Defense expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (1987)
49
Cambodia
Gulf at
Thailand
See regional map IX
Boundary representation is
not necessarily authoritative
Geography
Total area: 181,040 km2; land area:
176,520km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Oklahoma
Land boundaries: 2,572 km total; Laos
541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228
km
Coastline: 443 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: offshore islands and three sec-
tions of the boundary with Vietnam are in
dispute; maritime boundary with Vietnam
not defined; occupied by Vietnam on 25
December 1978
Climate: tropical; rainy, monsoon season
(May to October); dry season (December
to March); little seasonal temperature
variation
Terrain: mostly low, flat plains; mountains
in southwest and north
Natural resources: timber, gemstones,
some iron ore, manganese, phosphates,
hydropower potential
Land use: 16% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 76%
forest and woodland; 4% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: a land of paddies and forests
dominated by Mekong River and Tonle
Sap
Note: buffer between Thailand and Viet-
nam
People
Population: 6,991,107 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 39 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 128 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 47 years male,
50 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Cambodian(s); adjec-
tive— Cambodian
Ethnic divisions: 90% Khmer
(Cambodian), 5% Chinese, 5% other mi-
norities
Religion: 95% Theravada Buddhism, 5%
other
Language: Khmer (official), French
Literacy: 48%
Labor force: 2.5-3.0 million; 80% agricul-
ture (1988 est.)
Organized labor: Kampuchea Federation
of Trade Unions (FSC); under government
control
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: disputed between the Coalition Gov-
ernment of Democratic Kampuchea
(CGDK) led by Prince NORODOM SI-
HANOUK and the People's Republic of
Kampuchea (PRK) led by HENG SAM-
RIN
Capital: Phnom Penh
Administrative divisions: 1 8 provinces
(khet, singular and plural) and 1 autono-
mous municipality* (rottatheanei, singular
and plural); Batdambang, Kampdng
Cham, Kampdng Chhnang, Kampdng
Spoe. Kampong Thum, Kampot, Randal,
Kaoh K6ng, Kracheh, Monddl Kiri, Ph-
num Penh*, Pouthfsat, PreSh Vihear, Prey
Veng, Rotanokiri, SiSmreab-Otdar
Meanchey, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng,
Takev; note — there may be a new prov-
ince of Banteay Meanchey and Sifimreab-
Otdar Meanchey may have been divided
into two provinces named Siemreab and
Otdar Meanchey
Independence: 9 November 1953 (from
France)
Constitution: 27 June 1981
National holidays: CGDK — Independence
Day, 17 April (1975); PRK— Liberation
Day, 7 January (1979)
Executive branch: CGDK — president,
prime minister; PRK — chairman of the
Council of State, Council of State, chair-
man of the Council of Ministers, Council
of Ministers
Legislative branch: CGDK— none; PRK—
unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: CGDK— none; PRK—
Supreme People's Court
Leaders: Chief of State— CGDK— Presi-
dent Prince NORODOM SIHANOUK
(since NA July 1982); PRK— Chairman of
the Council of State HENG SAMR1N
(since 27 June 1981);
Head of Government — CGDK — Prime
Minister SON SANN (since NA July
1982); PRK— Chairman of the Council of
Ministers HUN SEN (since 14 January
1985)
Political parties and leaders: CGDK—
three resistance groups including Demo-
cratic Kampuchea (DK, also known as the
Khmer Rouge) under Khieu Samphan,
Khmer People's National Liberation Front
(KPNLF) under Son Sann, and National
United Front for an Independent, Neutral,
Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia
(FUNCINPEC) under Prince Norodom
Sihanouk; PRK — Kampuchean People's
Revolutionary Party (KPRP) led by Heng
Samrin
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: CGDK— none;
PRK — National Assembly — last held 1
May 1981; in February 1986 the Assem-
bly voted to extend its term for five years
(next to be held by March 1 990); results—
KPRP is the only party; seats — (123 total)
KPRP 123
Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto),
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, ILO, IMF,
I MO, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, Mekong
Committee (inactive), NAM, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO,
WTO for CGDK; none for PRK
Diploniatic representation: none
Flag: CGDK — red with the yellow silhou-
ette of a stylized three-towered temple
representing Angkor Wat in the center;
Non-Communists — three horizontal bands
of blue, red (double width), and blue with
a white stylized temple representing Ang-
kor Wat centered on the red band;
PRK — red with the yellow silhouette of a
stylized five-towered temple representing
Angkor Wat in the center
Economy
Overview: Cambodia is a desperately poor
country whose economic development has
been stymied by deadly political
infighting. The economy is based on agri-
culture and related industries. Over the
past decade Cambodia has been slowly
recovering from its near destruction by
war and political upheaval. It still
remains, however, one of the world's poor-
est countries, with an estimated per capita
GDP of about $130. The food situation is
precarious; during the 1980s famine has
been averted only through international
relief. In 1986 the production level of rice,
the staple food crop, was able to meet
only 80% of domestic needs. The biggest
success of the nation's recovery program
50
Cameroon
has been in new rubber plantings and in
fishing. Industry, other than rice process-
ing, is almost nonexistent. Foreign trade is
primarily with the USSR and Vietnam.
Statistical data on the economy continues
to be sparse and unreliable.
GDP: $890 million, per capita $130; real
growth rate 0% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA,
including capital expenditures of SNA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Exports: $32 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— natural rubber, rice, pepper,
wood; partners — Vietnam, USSR, Eastern
Europe, Japan, India
Imports: $147 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— international food aid; fuels,
consumer goods; partners — Vietnam,
USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, India
External debt: $600 million (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 126,000 kW capacity; 150 mil-
lion kWh produced, 21 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: rice milling, fishing, wood and
wood products, rubber, cement, gem min-
ing
Agriculture: mainly subsistence farming
except for rubber plantations; main
crops — rice, rubber, corn; food
shortages — rice, meat, vegetables, dairy
products, sugar, flour
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $719 million; Western (non-
US) countries (1970-85), $270 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $950 mil-
lion
Currency: riel (plural — riels); 1 riel (CR) =
100 sen
Exchange rates: riels (CR) per US$1— 218
(November 1989) 100.00 (1987), 30.00
(1986), 7.00 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 612 km 1.000-meter gauge,
government owned
Highways: 13,351 km total; 2,622 km bi-
tuminous; 7,105 km crushed stone, gravel,
or improved earth; 3,624 km unimproved
earth; some roads in disrepair
Inland waterways: 3,700 km navigable all
year to craft drawing 0.6 meters; 282 km
navigable to craft drawing 1 .8 meters
Ports: Kampong Saom, Phnom Penh
Airports: 22 total, 9 usable; 6 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: service barely ade-
quate for government requirements and
virtually nonexistent for general public;
international service limited to Vietnam
and other adjacent countries; stations — 1
AM, no FM, 1 TV
Defense Forces
Branches: PRK— People's Republic of
Kampuchea Armed Forces; Communist
resistance forces — National Army of
Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge);
non-Communist resistance forces — Siha-
noukist National Army (ANS) and Khmer
People's National Liberation Front
(KPNLF)
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1,857,129; 1,025,456 fit for military ser-
vice; 61,649 reach military age (18) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: NA
300km
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 475,440 km2; land area:
469,440 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
California
Land boundaries: 4,591 km total; Central
African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094
km, Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea
189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690
km
Coastline: 402 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific
Territorial sea: 50 nm
Disputes: exact locations of the
Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-
Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not
been determined, so the boundary has not
been demarcated and border incidents
have resulted; Nigerian proposals to re-
open maritime boundary negotiations and
redemarcate the entire land boundary
have been rejected by Cameroon
Climate: varies with terrain from tropical
along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Terrain: diverse with coastal plain in
southwest, dissected plateau in center,
mountains in west, plains in north
Natural resources: crude oil, bauxite, iron
ore, timber, hydropower potential
Land use: 13% arable land; 2% permanent
crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 54%
forest and woodland; 1 3% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recent volcanic activity with
release of poisonous gases; deforestation;
overgrazing; desertification
Note: sometimes referred to as the hinge
of Africa
People
Population: 1 1,092,470 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 42 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
51
Cameroon (continued)
Death rate: 15 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 120 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male,
53 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Cameroonian(s); adjec-
tive— Cameroonian
Ethnic divisions: over 200 tribes of widely
differing background; 31% Cameroon
Highlanders, 19% Equatorial Bantu, 11%
Kirdi, 10% Fulani, 8% Northwestern
Bantu, 7% Eastern Nigritic, 1 3% other
African, less than 1% non- African
Religion: 51% indigenous beliefs, 33%
Christian, 16% Muslim
Language: English and French (official),
24 major African language groups
Literacy: 56.2%
Labor force: NA; 74.4% agriculture,
11.4% industry and transport, 14.2% other
services (1983); 50% of population of
working age (15-64 years) (1985)
Organized labor: under 45% of wage labor
force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Cameroon
Type: unitary republic; one-party presi-
dential regime
Capital: Yaounde
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces;
Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord,
Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Quest, Sud,
Sud-Ouest
Independence: 1 January 1 960 (from UN
trusteeship under French administration;
formerly French Cameroon)
Constitution: 20 May 1972
Legal system: based on French civil law
system, with common law influence; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 20 May
(1972)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment President Paul BIYA (since 6
November 1982)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement
(RDPC), Paul Biya, president
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President — last held 24 April
1988 (next to be held April 1993);
results — President Paul Biya reelected
without opposition;
National Assembly — last held 24 April
1988 (next to be held April 1993);
results — RDPC is the only party; seats —
(180 total) RDPC 180
Communists: no Communist party or sig-
nificant number of sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups: Came-
roon People's Union (UPC), remains an
illegal group with its factional leaders in
exile
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, EAMA,
ECA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO,
ICO, IDA, IDB — Islamic Development
Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO,
ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission,
NAM, Niger River Commission, OAU,
QIC, UDEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Paul PONDI; Chancery at 2349 Massa-
chusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 265-8790 through
8794; US— Ambassador Frances COOK;
Embassy at Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
(mailing address is B. P. 817, Yaounde);
telephone [237] 234014; there is a US
Consulate General in Douala
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green
(hoist side), red, and yellow with a yellow
five-pointed star centered in the red band;
uses the popular pan-African colors of
Ethiopia
Economy
Overview: Over the past decade the econ-
omy has registered a remarkable perfor-
mance because of the development of an
offshore oil industry. Real GDP growth
annually averaged 10% from 1978 to
1985. In 1986 Cameroon had one of the
highest levels of income per capita in trop-
ical Africa, with oil revenues picking up
the slack as growth in other sectors soft-
ened. Because of the sharp drop in oil
prices, however, the economy is now expe-
riencing serious budgetary difficulties and
balance-of-payments disequalibrium. Oil
reserves currently being exploited will be
depleted in the early 1990s, so ways must
be found to boost agricultural and indus-
trial exports in the medium term. The
Sixth Cameroon Development Plan (1986-
91) stresses balanced development and
designates agriculture as the basis of the
country's economic future.
GDP: $12.9 billion, per capita $955; real
growth rate -8.6% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.6%
(FY88)
Unemployment rate: 7% (1985)
Budget: revenues $2.17 billion; expendi-
tures $2.17 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $833 million (FY88)
Exports: $2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum products 56%,
coffee, cocoa, timber, manufactures; part-
ners— EC (particularly the Netherlands)
about 50%, US 3%
Imports: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— machines and electrical equip-
ment, transport equipment, chemical prod-
ucts, consumer goods; partners — France
42%, Japan 7%, US 4%
External debt: $4.9 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —6.4%
(FY87)
Electricity: 752,000 kW capacity; 2,940
million kWh produced, 270 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: crude oil products, small alu-
minum plant, food processing, light con-
sumer goods industries, sawmills
Agriculture: the agriculture and forestry
sectors provide employment for the major-
ity of the population, contributing nearly
25% to GDP and providing a high degree
of self-sufficiency in staple foods; commer-
cial and food crops include coffee, cocoa,
timber, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed,
grains, livestock, root starches
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $400 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $3.9 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $29 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $120 mil-
lion
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine franc (plural — francs); I 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: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 1,003 km total; 858 km 1.000-
meter gauge, 145 km 0.600-meter gauge
Highways: about 65,000 km total; includes
2,682 km bituminous, 30,000 km unim-
proved earth, 32,318 km gravel, earth,
and improved earth
Inland waterways: 2,090 km; of decreasing
importance
Ports: Douala
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships ( 1 ,000
CRT or over) totaling 24,122 GRT/
33,509 DWT
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 61 total, 54 usable; 10 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good system of open
wire, cable, troposcatter, and radio relay;
52
Canada
26,000 telephones; stations— 10 AM, 1
FM, 1 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth stations
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force; para-
military Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
2,553,867; 1,286,831 fit for military ser-
vice; 121,773 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 1.7% of GDP, or
$219 million (1990 est.)
1 20O km
Vancouver Calgary
Halifax
'TTAWA
oronto
Geography
Total area: 9,976,140 km2; land area:
9,220,970 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than US
Land boundaries: 8,893 km with US (in-
cludes 2,477 km with Alaska)
Coastline: 243,791 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: \ 2 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary disputes
with France (St. Pierre and Miquelon) and
US
Climate: varies from temperate in south to
subarctic and arctic in north
Terrain: mostly plains with mountains in
west and lowlands in southeast
Natural resources: nickel, zinc, copper,
gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver,
fish, timber, wildlife, coal, crude oil, natu-
ral gas
Land use: 5% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 3% meadows and pastures;
35% forest and woodland; 57% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: 80% of population concen-
trated within 160 km of US border; con-
tinuous permafrost in north a serious ob-
stacle to development
Note: second-largest country in world
(after USSR); strategic location between
USSR and US via north polar route
People
Population: 26,538,229 (July 1990),
growth rate 1.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Canadian(s); adjec-
tive— Canadian
Ethnic divisions: 40% British Isles origin,
27% French origin, 20% other European,
1.5% indigenous Indian and Eskimo
Religion: 46% Roman Catholic, 16%
United Church, 10% Anglican
Language: English and French (both offi-
cial)
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 13,380,000; services 75%,
manufacturing 14%, agriculture 4%, con-
struction 3%, other 4% (1988)
Organized labor: 30.6% of labor force;
39.6% of nonagricultural paid workers
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: confederation with parliamentary
democracy
Capital: Ottawa
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces and
2 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia,
Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfound-
land, Northwest Territories*, Nova Sco-
tia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Que-
bec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*
Independence: 1 July 1867 (from UK)
Constitution: amended British North
America Act 1 867 patriated to Canada 1 7
April 1982; charter of rights and unwrit-
ten customs
Legal system: based on English common
law, except in Quebec, where civil law
system based on French law prevails; ac-
cepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday: Canada Day, 1 July
(1867)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister. Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Commons
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General Raymond
John HNATSHYN (since 29 January
1990);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
(Martin) Brian MULRONEY (since 4
September 1984); Deputy Prime Minister
Donald Frank MAZANKOWSKI (since
NA June 1986)
53
Canada (continued)
Political parties and leaders: Progressive
Conservative, Brian Mulroney; Liberal,
John Turner; New Democratic, Audrey
McLaughlin
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Commons — last held
21 November 1988 (next to be held by
November 1993); results — Progressive
Conservative 43.0%, Liberal 32%, New
Democratic Party 20%, other 5%; seats —
(295 total) Progressive Conservative 170,
Liberal 82, New Democratic Party 43
Communists: 3,000
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan,
Commonwealth, DAC, FAO, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA,
IDB — Inter-American Development Bank,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC—
International Whaling Commission,
IWC— International Wheat Council,
NATO, OAS, OECD, PAHO, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Derek BURNEY; Chancery at 1746 Mas-
sachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC
20036; telephone (202) 785-1400; there
are Canadian Consulates General in At-
lanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleve-
land, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minne-
apolis, New York, Philadelphia, San
Francisco, and Seattle; US — Ambassador
Edward N. NEY; Embassy at 100 Wel-
lington Street, KIP 5T1, Ottawa (mailing
address is P. O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg,
NY 13669); telephone (613) 238-5335;
there are US Consulates General in Cal-
gary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto,
and Vancouver
Flag: three vertical bands of red (hoist
side), white (double width, square), and
red with a red maple leaf centered in the
white band
Economy
Overview: As an affluent, high-tech indus-
trial society, Canada today closely resem-
bles the US in per capita output, market-
oriented economic system, and pattern of
production. Since World War II the im-
pressive growth of the manufacturing,
mining, and service sectors has
transformed the nation from a largely ru-
ral economy into one primarily industrial
and urban. In the 1980s Canada regis-
tered one of the highest rates of growth
among the OECD nations, averaging
about 4%. With its great natural
resources, skilled labor force, and modern
capital plant, Canada has excellent eco-
nomic prospects.
GDP: $513.6 billion, per capita $19,600;
real growth rate 2.9% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.0%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1989)
Budget: revenues $79.2 billion; expendi-
tures $102.0 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $1.8 billion (FY88 est.)
Exports: $127.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— newsprint, wood pulp, timber,
grain, crude petroleum, natural gas, fer-
rous and nonferrous ores, motor vehicles;
partners— US, Japan, UK, FRG, other
EC, USSR
Imports: $116.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— processed foods, beverages,
crude petroleum, chemicals, industrial ma-
chinery, motor vehicles, durable consumer
goods, electronic computers; partners —
US, Japan, UK, FRG, other EC, Taiwan,
South Korea, Mexico
External debt: $247 billion (1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.3%
(1989)
Electricity: 103,746,000 kW capacity;
472,580 million kWh produced, 17,960
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: processed and unprocessed
minerals, food products, wood and paper
products, transportation equipment, chem-
icals, fish products, petroleum and natural
gas
Agriculture: accounts for 3% of GDP; one
of the world's major producers and ex-
porters of grain (wheat and barley); key
source of US agricultural imports; large
forest resources cover 35% of total land
area; commercial fisheries provide annual
catch of 1 .5 million metric tons, of which
75% is exported
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
for the domestic drug market
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $2.2 billion
Currency: Canadian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Canadian dollars (Can$)
per US$1— 1.1 7 14 (January 1990), 1.1840
(1989), 1.2307(1988), 1.3260(1987),
1.3895(1986), 1.3655(1985)
Fiscal year 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Railroads: 80,095 km total; 79,917 km
1.435-meter standard gauge (includes 129
km electrified); 178 km 0.915-meter nar-
row gauge (mostly unused); two major
transcontinental freight railway systems-
Canadian National (government owned)
and Canadian Pacific Railway; passenger
service — VIA (government operated)
Highways: 884,272 km total; 712,936 km
surfaced (250,023 km paved), 171,336 km
earth
Inland waterways: 3,000 km, including St.
Lawrence Seaway
Pipelines: oil, 23,564 km total crude and
refined; natural gas, 74,980 km
Ports: Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Saint
John (New Brunswick), St. John's (New-
foundland), Toronto, Vancouver
Merchant marine: 78 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 555,749 GRT/774,914
DWT; includes 1 passenger, 5 short-sea
passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 1 2 cargo, 2
railcar carrier, 1 refrigerated cargo, 8 roll-
on/roll-off, 1 container, 29 petroleum, oils,
and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 chemical
tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 10 bulk;
note — does not include ships used exclu-
sively in the Great Lakes ships
Civil air 636 major transport aircraft; Air
Canada is the major carrier
Airports: 1,359 total, 1,117 usable; 442
with permanent-surface runways; 4 with
runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 322 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent service pro-
vided by modern media; 18.0 million tele-
phones; stations— 900 AM, 29 FM, 53
(1,400 repeaters) TV; 5 coaxial submarine
cables; over 300 satellite earth stations
operating in INTELSAT (including 4 At-
lantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and
domestic systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Mobile Command, Maritime
Command, Air Command, Communica-
tions Command, Canadian Forces Europe,
Training Commands
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
7,174,1 19; 6,251,492 fit for military ser-
vice; 187,894 reach military age (17) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 2.0% of GDP, or
$10 billion (1989 est.)
54
Cape Verde
.^ — ^Santo Antao
C/M,nda,o %
C__J -.Santa VO r>
Sao *>Luna G*f..
Wc.nr. '. c-v-^ *„
75km
ns*'
Nicotau
North Atlantic Ocean
Boa Visit
•' /K~\F°9°
Brava® \ )
Sec re{ion«l mip \\\
„*»•/<>
/PRAIA
Sao Tiago
Geography
Total area: 4,030 km2; land area: 4,030
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Rhode Island
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 965 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed
archipelagic baselines)
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: temperate; warm, dry, summer
precipitation very erratic
Terrain: steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
Natural resources: salt, basalt rock, pozzo-
lana, limestone, kaolin, fish
Land use: 9% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 6% meadows and pastures;
NEGL% forest and woodland; 85% other;
includes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to prolonged
droughts; harmattan wind can obscure
visibility; volcanically and seismically ac-
tive; deforestation; overgrazing
Note: strategic location 500 km from Af-
rican coast near major north-south sea
routes; important communications station;
important sea and air refueling site
People
Population: 374,984 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 49 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 8 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 65 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male,
63 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Cape Verdean(s); ad-
jective— Cape Verdean
Ethnic divisions: about 71% Creole (mu-
latto), 28% African, 1% European
Religion: Roman Catholicism fused with
indigenous beliefs
Language: Portuguese and Crioulo, a
blend of Portuguese and West African
words
Literacy: 48% (1986)
Labor force: 102,000 (1985 est.); 57% ag-
riculture (mostly subsistence), 29% ser-
vices, 14% industry (1981); 51% of popula-
tion of working age (1985)
Organized labor: Trade Unions of Cape
Verde Unity Center (UNTC-CS) closely
associated with ruling party
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Cape Verde
Type: republic
Capital: Praia
Administrative divisions: 1 2 districts (eon-
celhos, singular — concelho); Boa Vista,
Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul, Praia, Ribeira
Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Sao Nico-
lau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal; there may be 2
new districts named Porto Novo and
Santa Cruz
Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Constitution: 7 September 1980, amended
12 February 1981 and December 1988
National holiday: Independence Day, 5
July (1975)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, deputy minister, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
People's Assembly (Assembleia Nacional
Popular)
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Jus-
tice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)
Leaders: Chief of State — President
Aristides Maria PEREIRA (since 5 July
1975);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, (since 5
July 1975); Deputy Minister Aguinaldo
Liboa RAMOS (since NA February 1990)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
African Party for Independence of Cape
Verde (PAICV), Aristides Maria Pereira,
secretary general
Suffrage: universal at age 15
Elections: President — last held 13 January
1986 (next to be held January 1991); re-
sults— President Aristides Maria Pereira
(PAICV) was reelected without opposition;
National People 's Assembly — last held 7
December 1985 (next to be held Decem-
ber 1990); results— PAICV is the only
party; seats— (83 total) PAICV 83
Communists: a few Communists and some
sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto),
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Jose Luis FERNANDES LOPES; Chan-
cery at 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20007; telephone (202)
965-6820; there is a Cape Verdean Consu-
late General in Boston; US — Ambassador
Terry McNAMARA; Embassy at Rua
Hojl Ya Yenna 81, Praia (mailing address
is C. P. 201, Praia); telephone [238] 614-
363 or 253
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow
(top) and green with a vertical red band
on the hoist side; in the upper portion of
the red band is a black five-pointed star
framed by two corn stalks and a yellow
clam shell; uses the popular pan-African
colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of
Guinea-Bissau which is longer and has an
unadorned black star centered in the red
band
Economy
Overview: Cape Verde's low per capita
GDP reflects a poor natural resource base,
a 17-year drought, and a high birth rate.
The economy is service oriented, with
commerce, transport, and public services
accounting for 60% of GDP during the
period 1984-86. Although nearly 70% of
the population lives in rural areas, agricul-
ture's share of GDP is only 16%; the
fishing and manufacturing sectors are 4%
each. About 90% of food must be
imported. The fishing potential of the is-
lands is not fully exploited (the fish
catch — mostly lobster and tuna — came to
only 10,000 tons in 1985). Cape Verde
annually runs a high trade deficit,
financed by remittances from emigrants,
cash grants, food aid, and foreign loans.
GDP: $158 million, per capita $494; real
growth rate 6.1% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1988)
Budget: revenues $80 million; expenditures
$87 million, including capital expenditures
of $45 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $8.9 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— fish, bananas, salt; partners —
Portugal, Angola, Algeria, Belgium/
Luxembourg, Italy
Imports: $124 million (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— petroleum, foodstuffs, consumer
goods, industrial products; partners — Por-
tugal, Netherlands, Spain, France, US,
FRG
External debt: $140 million (December
1988)
55
Cape Verde (continued)
Industrial production: growth rate 0%
(1986est.)
Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 18 mil-
lion kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industry: fish processing, salt mining,
clothing factories, ship repair
Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP;
largely subsistence farming; bananas are
the only export crop; other crops — corn,
beans, sweet potatoes, coffee; growth po-
tential of agricultural sector limited by
poor soils and limited rainfall; annual food
imports required; fish catch provides for
both domestic consumption and small ex-
ports
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY75-88), $83 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $540 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $12 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $36 million
Currency: Cape Verdean escudo (plural —
escudos); 1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc)
= 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Cape Verdean escudos
(CVEsc) per US$1— 72.31 (February
1990), 74.86 (December 1989), 72.01
(1988), 72.5 (1987), 76.56 (1986), 85.38
(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Ports: Mindelo and Praia
Merchant marine: 5 cargo ships ( 1 ,000
GRT or over) totaling 9,308 GRT/16,172
DWT
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 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: interisland radio re-
lay system, high-frequency radio to main-
land Portugal and Guinea-Bissau; 1,740
telephones; stations— 5 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV;
2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed
Forces (FARP); Army, Navy, and Air
Force are separate components of FARP
Military manpower: males 15-49, 68,776;
40,731 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1 1.8% of GDP
(1981)
Cayman Islands
(dependent territory of the UK)
50km
Caribbean Sea
Cayman
Brae*
Cayman
a Jjrand Cayman
GEORGE TOWN
Caribbean Sea
Stc refionil mip III
Geography
Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 160 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical marine; warm, rainy
summers (May to October) and cool, rela-
tively dry winters (November to April)
Terrain: low-lying limestone base
surrounded by coral reefs
Natural resources: fish, climate and
beaches that foster tourism
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 8% meadows and pastures; 23%
forest and woodland; 69% other
Environment: within the Caribbean hurri-
cane belt
Note: important location between Cuba
and Central America
People
Population: 26,356 (July 1990), growth
rate 4. 3% (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 33 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Caymanian(s); adjec-
tive— Caymanian
Ethnic divisions: 40% mixed, 20% white,
20% black, 20% expatriates of various eth-
nic groups
Religion: United Church (Presbyterian
and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist,
Roman Catholic, Church of God, other
Protestant denominations
Language: English
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 8,061; 18.7% service workers,
18.6% clerical, 12.5% construction, 6.7%
finance and investment, 5.9% directors
and business managers (1979)
Organized labor: Global Seaman's Union;
Cayman All Trade Union
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: George Town
Administrative divisions: 1 2 districts; Bod-
den Town, Creek, East End, George
Town, Jacksons, North Side, Prospect,
South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West
Bay, West End
Independence: none (dependent territory of
the UK)
Legal system: British common law and
local statutes
Constitution: 1959, revised 1972
National holiday: Constitution Day (first
Monday in July), 3 July 1989
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Assembly
Judicial branch: Grand Court, Cayman
Islands Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor Alan James SCOTT
(since N A 1987);
Head of Government — Governor and
President of the Executive Council Alan
James SCOTT (since NA 1987)
Political parties and leaders: no formal
political parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Assembly — last held
NA November 1988 (next to be held No-
vember 1992); results — percent of vote
NA; seats— (15 total, 12 elected)
Communists: none
Member of: Commonwealth
Diplomatic representation: as a dependent
territory of the UK, Caymanian interests
in the US are represented by the UK;
US — none
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and the Cayma-
nian coat of arms on a white disk centered
on the outer half of the flag; the coat of
arms includes a pineapple and turtle
above a shield with three stars
(representing the three islands) and a
scroll at the bottom bearing the motto HE
HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE
SEAS
56
Central African Republic
Economy
Overview: The economy depends heavily
on tourism (70% of GDP and 75% of ex-
port earnings) and offshore financial ser-
vices, with the tourist industry aimed at
the luxury market and catering mainly to
visitors from North America. About 90%
of the islands' food and consumer goods
needs must be imported. The Caymanians
enjoy one of the highest standards of liv-
ing in the region.
GDP: $238 million, per capita $10,000
(1989 est.); real growth rate 12% (1987
est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4%
(1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $46.2 million; expendi-
tures $47.0 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $9.1 million (1986)
Exports: $2.2 million (f.o.b., 1986 est.);
commodities — turtle products, manufac-
tured consumer goods; partners — mostly
US
Imports: $134 million (c.i.f., 1986 est.);
commodities — foodstuffs, manufactured
goods; partners — US, Trinidad and To-
bago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan
External debt: $15 million (1986)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 59,000 kW capacity; 213 mil-
lion kWh produced, 8,960 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, banking, insurance
and finance, real estate and construction
Agriculture: minor production of vegeta-
bles, fruit, livestock; turtle farming
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $26.7 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $32.2 million
Currency: Caymanian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Caymanian dollar (CI$) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Caymanian dollars (CIS)
per US$1— 0.835 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: 160 km of main roads
Ports: George Town, Cayman Brae
Merchant marine: 32 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 355,055 GRT/576,622
DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 8
cargo, 8 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1
chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 1
liquefied gas carrier, 8 bulk; note — a flag
of convenience registry
Airports: 3 total; 3 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 35,000 telephones;
telephone system uses 1 submarine coaxial
cable and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station to link islands and access
international services; stations — 2 AM, 1
FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
400km
Secretions! mtp VII
Geography
Total area: 622,980 km2; land area:
622,980 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Texas
Land boundaries: 5,203 km total; Came-
roon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467
km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to
hot, wet summers
Terrain: vast, flat to rolling, monotonous
plateau; scattered hills in northeast and
southwest
Natural resources: diamonds, uranium,
timber, gold, oil
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 5% meadows and pastures;
64% forest and woodland; 28% other
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan
winds affect northern areas; poaching has
diminished reputation as one of last great
wildlife refuges; desertification
Note: landlocked; almost the precise cen-
ter of Africa
People
Population: 2,877,365 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 44 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 141 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male,
48 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Central African(s);
adjective — Central African
57
Central African Republic
(continued)
Ethnic divisions: about 80 ethnic groups,
the majority of which have related ethnic
and linguistic characteristics; 34% Baya,
27% Banda, 10% Sara, 21% Mandjia, 4%
Mboum, 4% M'Baka; 6,500 Europeans, of
whom 3,600 are French
Religion: 24% indigenous beliefs, 25%
Protestant, 25% Roman Catholic, 15%
Muslim, 1 1% other; animistic beliefs and
practices strongly influence the Christian
majority
Language: French (official); Sangho (lingua
franca and national language); Arabic,
Hunsa, Swahili
Literacy: 40.2%
Labor force: 775,413 (1986 est.); 85% ag-
riculture, 9% commerce and services, 3%
industry, 3% government; about 64,000
salaried workers; 55% of population of
working age (1985)
Organized labor: 1 % of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Central African Repub-
lic (no short-form name); abbreviated
CAR
Type: republic, one-party presidential re-
gime since 1986
Capital: Bangui
Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures
(prefectures, singular — prefecture) and 2
economic prefectures* (prefectures econo-
miques, singular — prefecture economique);
Bamingui-Bangoran, Basse-Kotto,
Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha,
Haut-Mbomou, Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye,
Mbomou, Nana-Mambere,
Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-
Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga; note — there
may be a new autonomous commune of
Bangui
Independence: 1 3 August 1 960 (from
France; formerly Central African Empire)
Constitution: 21 November 1986
Legal system: based on French law
National holiday: National Day (procla-
mation of the republic), 1 December
(1958)
Executive branch: president, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress
consists of an upper house or Economic
and Regional Council (Conseil
Economique et Regional) and a lower
house or National Assembly (Assemblee
Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Andre-Dieudonne
KOLINGBA (since 1 September 1981)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Centrafrican Democrtic Rally Party
(RDC), Andre-Dieudonne Kolingba
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President — last held 21 Novem-
ber 1986 (next to be held November
1993); results — President Kolingba was
reelected without opposition;
National Assembly — last held 3 1 July
1987 (next to be held July 1992); results—
RDC is the only party; seats — (total) RDC
52
Communists: small number of Communist
sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Confer-
ence of East and Central African States,
EAMA, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, ILO,
IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU,
NAM, OAU, OCAM, UDEAC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Jean-Pierre SOHAHONG-KOMBET;
Chancery at 1618 22nd Street NW,
Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
483-7800 or 7801; US— Ambassador Da-
niel H. SIMPSON; Embassy at Avenue
du President David Dacko, Bangui
(mailing address is B. P. 924, Bangui);
telephone 61-02-00 or 61-25-78, 61-43-33
Flag: four equal horizontal bands of blue
(top), white, green, and yellow with a ver-
tical red band in center; there is a yellow
five-pointed star on the hoist side of the
blue band
Economy
Overview: The Central African Republic
(CAR) is one of the poorest countries in
Africa, with a per capita income of
roughly $450 in 1988. Subsistence agri-
culture, including forestry, is the back-
bone of the economy, with over 70% of
the population living in the countryside. In
1988 the agricultural sector generated
about 40% of GDP, mining and manufac-
turing 14%, utilities and construction 4%,
and services 41%. Agricultural products
accounted for about 60% of export earn-
ings and the diamond industry for 30%.
Important constraints to economic devel-
opment include the CAR's landlocked po-
sition, a poor transportation infrastruc-
ture, and a weak human resource base.
Multilateral and bilateral development
assistance plays a major role in providing
capital for new investment.
GDP: $1.27 billion, per capita $453; real
growth rate 2.0% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): —4.2%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 30% in Bangui (1988
est.)
Budget: revenues $132 million; current
expenditures $305 million, including capi-
tal expenditures of $NA million (1989
est.)
Exports: $138 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — diamonds, cotton, coffee,
timber, tobacco; partners — France, Bel-
gium, Italy, Japan, US
Imports: $285 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities — food, textiles, petroleum
products, machinery, electrical equipment,
motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuti-
cals, consumer goods, industrial products;
partners — France, other EC, Japan, Alge-
ria, Yugoslavia
External debt: $660 million (December
1989)
Industrial production: 1.9% (1987 est.)
Electricity: 35,000 kW capacity; 84 mil-
lion kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: sawmills, breweries, diamond
mining, textiles, footwear, assembly of
bicycles and motorcycles
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP;
self-sufficient in food production except
for grain; commercial crops — cotton,
coffee, tobacco, timber; food crops — ma-
nioc, yams, millet, corn, bananas
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $44 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $1.3 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $6 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $38 million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine 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 yean calendar year
Communications
Highways: 22,000 km total; 458 km bitu-
minous, 10,542 km improved earth,
1 1 ,000 unimproved earth
Intend waterways: 800 km; traditional
trade carried on by means of
shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the
most important river
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 66 total, 49 usable; 4 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
58
Chad
Telecommunications: fair system; network
relies primarily on radio relay links, with
low-capacity, low-powered radiocommuni-
cation also used; 6,000 telephones; sta-
tions—I AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 642,207;
335,863 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.8% of GDP, or
$23 million (1989 est.)
SeercfionilmapVIl
Geography
Total area: 1,284,000 km2; land area:
1,259,200 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
three times the size of California
Land boundaries: 5,968 km total; Came-
roon 1,094 km, Central African Republic
1,197 km, Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175
km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: Libya claims and occupies a
small portion of the Aozou Strip in far
north; exact locations of the Chad-Niger-
Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-Nigeria tri-
points in Lake Chad have not been deter-
mined— since the boundary has not been
demarcated, border incidents have
resulted
Climate: tropical in south, desert in north
Terrain: broad, arid plains in center,
desert in north, mountains in northwest,
lowlands in south
Natural resources: small quantities of
crude oil (unexploited but exploration be-
ginning), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish
(Lake Chad)
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 36% meadows and pastures;
11% forest and woodland; 51% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan
winds occur in north; drought and deserti-
fication adversely affecting south; subject
to plagues of locusts
Note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most
significant water body in the Sahel
People
Population: 5,017,431 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 42 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 22 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 136 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 38 years male,
40 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Chadian(s);
adjective — Chadian
Ethnic divisions: some 200 distinct ethnic
groups, most of whom are Muslims
(Arabs, Toubou, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa,
Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, and Maba)
in the north and center and non-Muslims
(Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Mou-
dang, Moussei, Massa) in the south; some
150,000 nonindigenous, of whom 1,000
are French
Religion: 44% Muslim, 33% Christian,
23% indigenous beliefs, animism
Language: French and Arabic (official);
Sara and Sango in south; mere than 100
different languages and dialects are spo-
ken
Literacy: 25.3%
Labor force: NA; 85% agriculture (en-
gaged in unpaid subsistence farming,
herding, and fishing)
Organized labor: about 20% of wage labor
force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Chad
Type: republic
Capital: N'Djamena
Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures
(prefectures, singular — prefecture); Batha,
Biltine, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-
Baguirmi, Guera, Kanem, Lac, Logone
Occidental, Logone Oriental,
Mayo-Kebbi, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai', Sa-
lamat, Tandjile
Independence: 1 1 August 1 960 (from
France)
Constitution: 22 December 1989
Legal system: based on French civil law
system and Chadian customary law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day (founding
of the Third Republic), 7 June (1982)
Executive branch: president, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Consultative Council (Conseil National
Consultatif)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Hissein HABRE
(since 19 June 1982)
Political parties and leaders: National
Union for Independence and Revolution
(UNIR) established June 1984 with Habre
as President; numerous dissident groups
59
Chad (continued)
(most significant opponents have returned
to the government since mid- 1986)
Suffrage: universal at age NA
Elections: President — last held 10 Decem-
ber 1989 (next to be held December
1996); results — President Habre was re-
elected without opposition
Communists: no front organizations or un-
derground party; probably a few Commu-
nists and some sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEAO, Confer-
ence of East and Central African States,
EAMA, ECA, EC (associate), FAO, G-77,
GATT, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA,
IDB— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD,
ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission,
NAM, OAU, OCAM, QIC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Mahamat Ali ADOUM; Chancery at
2002 R Steet NW, Washington DC
20009; telephone (202) 462-4009; US—
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires,
Julius WALKER; Embassy at Avenue
Felix Eboue, N'Djamena (mailing address
is B. P. 413, N'Djamena); telephone [235]
(51) 32-69 or 35-13, 28-62, 23-29, 32-29,
30-94, 28-47
Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue
(hoist side), yellow, and red; similar to the
flag of Andorra which has a national coat
of arms featuring a quartered shield cen-
tered in the yellow band; also similar to
the flag of Romania which has a national
coat of arms featuring a mountain land-
scape centered in the yellow band; design
was based on the flag of France
Economy
Overview: The climate, geographic loca-
tion, and lack of infrastructure and natu-
ral resources potential make Chad one of
the most underdeveloped countries in the
world. Its economy is slowly recovering
from the ravaging effects of prolonged
civil war, conflict with Libya, drought,
and food shortages. In 1986 real GDP
returned to its 1977 level, with cotton, the
major cash crop, accounting for 43% of
exports. Over 80% of the work force is
employed in subsistence farming and
fishing. Industry is based almost entirely
on the processing of agricultural products,
including cotton, sugarcane, and cattle.
Chad is still highly dependent on foreign
aid, with its economy in trouble and many
regions suffering from shortages.
GDP: $902 million, per capita $190; real
growth rate 7.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): —3.0%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: NA
Budget: revenues $61 million; expenditures
$85 million, including capital expenditures
of NA(1988est.)
Exports: $432 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— cotton 43%, cattle 35%, textiles
5%, fish; partners — France, Nigeria, Ca-
meroon
Imports: $214 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and transportation
equipment 39%, industrial goods 20%, pe-
troleum products 13%, foodstuffs 9%;
partners — US, France
External debt: $360 million (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate —7.0%
(1986)
Electricity: 38,000 kW capacity; 70 mil-
lion kWh produced, 14 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: cotton textile mills, slaughter-
houses, brewery, natron (sodium carbon-
ate)
Agriculture: accounts for 45% of GDP;
largely subsistence farming; cotton most
important cash crop; food crops include
sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes,
manioc; livestock — cattle, sheep, goats,
camels; self-sufficient in food in years of
adequate rainfall
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $178 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $28 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $71 mil-
lion
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine 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
Highways: 31,322 km total; 32 km bitumi-
nous; 7,300 km gravel and laterite; re-
mainder unimproved
Inland waterways: 2,000 km navigable
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 71 total, 55 usable; 4 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 24 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of radio-
communication stations for intercity links;
5,000 telephones; stations — 3 AM, 1 FM,
limited TV service; many facilities are
inoperative; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, paramilitary
Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1,163,312; 603,923 fit for military service;
50,255 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 3.5% of GDP (1987)
60
Chile
Aricaf
Antofagasta
1000km
South
Pacific
Ocean
La SerenaL
^SANTIAGO
Concepcion/
Puerto Montth
Easter and Sala y
Gomez islands are
not shown
Punta Arenas!
Ste rtflonml m«p IV
Boundary representation is
Geography
Total area: 756,950 km2; land area:
748,800 km2; includes Isla de Pascua
(Easter Island) and Isla Sala y G6mez
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
twice the size of Montana
Land boundaries: 6,171 km total; Argen-
tina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160
km
Coastline: 6,435 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: short section of the southern
boundary with Argentina is indefinite; Bo-
livia has wanted a sovereign corridor to
the South Pacific Ocean since the Ata-
cama area was lost to Chile in 1 884; dis-
pute with Bolivia over Rio Lauca water
rights; territorial claim in Antarctica
(Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially
overlaps Argentine claim
Climate: temperate; desert in north; cool
and damp in south
Terrain: low coastal mountains; fertile
central valley; rugged Andes in east
Natural resources: copper, timber, iron
ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybde-
num
Land use: 7% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 16% meadows and pastures;
21% forest and woodland; 56% other; in-
cludes 2% irrigated
Environment: subject to severe
earthquakes, active volcanism, tsunami;
Atacama Desert one of world's driest re-
gions; desertification
Note: strategic location relative to sea
lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
(Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel,
Drake Passage)
People
Population: 13,082,842 (July 1990),
growth rate 1.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 21 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun— Chilean(s); adjective-
Chilean
Ethnic divisions: 95% European and
European-Indian, 3% Indian, 2% other
Religion: 89% Roman Catholic, 11% Prot-
estant, and small Jewish population
Language: Spanish
Literacy: 94%
Labor force: 3,840,000; 38.6% services
(including 12% government), 31.3% indus-
try and commerce; 15.9% agriculture, for-
estry, and fishing; 8.7% mining; 4.4% con-
struction (1985)
Organized labor: 10% of labor force (1989)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Chile
Type: republic
Capital: Santiago
Administrative divisions: 1 3 regions (re-
giones, singular — region); Aisen del Gen-
eral Carlos Ibaftez del Campo, Antofa-
gasta, Araucania, Atacama, Biobio,
Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo
O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Magallanes y An-
tartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropoli-
tana, Tarapaca, Valparaiso
Independence: 18 September 1810 (from
Spain)
Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective
11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989
Legal system: based on Code of 1857 de-
rived from Spanish law and subsequent
codes influenced by French and Austrian
law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 18
September (18 10)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting
of an upper house or Senate and a lower
house or Chamber of Deputies
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte
Suprema)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Patricio AYLWIN
(since 11 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: National
Renovation (RN), Sergio Jarpa, president;
Radical Party (PR), Enrique Silva
Cimma; Social Democratic Party (PSD),
Eugenic Velasco; Christian Democratic
Party (PDC), Andres Zaldivar; Party for
Democracy, Ricardo Lagos; Socialist
Party, Clodomiro Almeyda; other parties
are Movement of United Popular Action
(MAPU), Victor Barrueto; Christian Left
(1C), Luis Maira; Communist Party of
Chile (PCCh), Volodia Teitelboim; Move-
ment of the Revolutionary Left (MIR) is
splintered, no single leader; several leftist
and far left parties formed a new coalition
in November 1988 with Luis Maira as
president; the 17-party Concertation of
Parties for Democracy backed Patricio
Aylwin's presidential candidacy in Decem-
ber 1989
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: President — last held 14 Decem-
ber 1989 (next to be held December 1993
or January 1994); results— Patricio Ayl-
win 55.2%, Hernan Biichi 29.4%, other
15.4%;
Senate— last held 14 December 1989
(next to be held December 1993 or Janu-
ary 1994); seats— (47 total, 38 elected)
17-party Concertation of Parties for De-
mocracy 22;
Chamber of Deputies— last held 14 De-
cember 1989 (next to be held December
1993 or January 1994); seats— < 120 total)
Concertation of Parties for Democracy 69
Communists: 120,000 when PCCh was
legal in 1973; 50,000 (est.) active militants
Other political or pressure groups: revital-
ized university student federations at all
major universities dominated by opposition
political groups; labor — United Labor
Central (CUT) includes trade unionists
from the country's five- largest labor con-
federations; Roman Catholic Church
Member of: CCC, CIPEC, ECOSOC,
FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IDB — Inter-American De-
velopment Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IPU, ITU, LAIA, OAS, PAHO, SELA,
UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Octavio ERRAZURIZ; Chancery at 1732
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20036; telephone (202) 785-1746;
there are Chilean Consulates General in
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, and San Francisco; US — Am-
bassador Charles A. GILLESPIE, Jr.;
Embassy at Codina Building, 1343
Agustinas, Santiago (mailing address is
APO Miami 34033); telephone [56] (2)
710133 or 710190, 710326, 710375
61
Chile (continued)
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white
(top) and red; there is a blue square the
same height as the white band at the
hoist-side end of the white band; the
square bears a white five-pointed star in
the center; design was based on the US
flag
Economy
Overview: In 1989 the economy grew at
the rate of 9.9%, reflecting substantial
growth in industry, agriculture, and con-
struction. Copper accounts for nearly 50%
of export revenues; Chile's economic well-
being thus remains highly dependent on
international copper prices. Unemploy-
ment and inflation rates have declined
from their peaks in 1982 to 5.3% and
21.4%, respectively, in 1989. The major
long-term economic problem is how to
sustain growth in the face of political un-
certainties.
GDP: $25.3 billion, per capita $1,970; real
growth rate 9.9% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 21.4%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 5.3% (1989)
Budget: revenues $4.9 billion; expenditures
$5.1 billion, including capital expenditures
of $0.6 billion (1986)
Exports: $7.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— copper 48%, industrial products
33%, molybdenum, iron ore, wood pulp,
fishmeal, fruits; partners — EC 34%, US
22%, Japan 10%, Brazil 7%
Imports: $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum, wheat, capital
goods, spare parts, raw materials; part-
ners—EC 23%, US 20%, Japan 10%, Bra-
zil 9%
External debt: $16.3 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.4%
(1989)
Electricity: 4,044,000 kW capacity;
17,710 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: copper, other minerals, food-
stuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood
and wood products
Agriculture: accounts for about 8% of
GDP (including fishing and forestry); ma-
jor exporter of fruit, fish, and timber prod-
ucts; major crops — wheat, corn, grapes,
beans, sugar beets, potatoes, deciduous
fruit; livestock products — beef, poultry,
wool; self-sufficient in most foods; 1986
fish catch of 5.6 million metric tons net
agricultural importer
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $521 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.3 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $386 mil-
lion
China
(also see separate Taiwan entry)
Currency: Chilean peso (plural — pesos); 1
Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Chilean pesos (Ch$) per
US$1— 296.68 (January 1990), 267.16
(1989), 245.05 (1988), 219.54 (1987),
193.02(1986), 161.08(1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 8,613 km total; 4,257 km
1.676-meter gauge, 135 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 4,221 km 1.000-meter
gauge; electrification, 1,578 km 1.676-
meter gauge, 76 km 1 .000-meter gauge
Highways: 79,025 km total; 9,913 km
paved, 33,140 km gravel, 35,972 km im-
proved and unimproved earth (1984)
Inland waterways: 725 km
Pipelines: crude oil, 755 km; refined prod-
ucts, 785 km; natural gas, 320 km
Ports: Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto
Montt, Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, San
Antonio, Talcahuano, Arica
Merchant marine: 35 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 498,354 GRT/804,809
DWT; includes 13 cargo, 1 refrigerated
cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1
chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 3 combi-
nation ore/oil, 10 bulk; note — in addition,
1 naval tanker and 1 military transport
are sometimes used commercially
Civil air: 22 major transport aircraft
Airports: 392 total, 352 usable; 49 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 57 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern telephone
system based on extensive radio relay fa-
cilities; 768,000 telephones; stations — 159
AM, no FM, 131 TV, 11 shortwave; satel-
lite stations — 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT and 3 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Army of the Nation, National
Navy, Air Force of the Nation, Carabi-
neros of Chile
Military manpower males 1 5-49,
3,491,854; 2,610,048 fit for military ser-
vice; 1 18,569 reach military age (19) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 4.0% of GDP (1987)
Boundary representation it
not necessarily authoritative
'V Claim
Chinese
line of
control
See rational map VIII
Taiwan
Hainan
°"> ~~ South China
Sea
Geography
Total area: 9,596,960 km2; land area:
9,326,410 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than the
US
Land boundaries: 23,213.34 km total; Af-
ghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma
2,185 km, Hong Kong 30 km, India 3,380
km, North Korea 1,416 km, Laos 423 km,
Macau 0.34 km, Mongolia 4,673 km,
Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, USSR
7,520 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
Coastline: 14,500 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: boundary with India; bilateral
negotiations are under way to resolve four
disputed sections of the boundary with the
USSR (Pamir, Argun, Amur, and Khaba-
rovsk areas); a short section of the bound-
ary with North Korea is indefinite; Hong
Kong is scheduled to become a Special
Administrative Region in 1997; Portu-
guese territory of Macau is scheduled to
become a Special Administrative Region
in 1999; sporadic border clashes with
Vietnam; involved in a complex dispute
over the Spratly Islands with Malaysia,
Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; mari-
time boundary dispute with Vietnam in
the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands occu-
pied by China, but claimed by Vietnam
and Taiwan; claims Japanese-administered
Senkaku-shotO (Senkaku Islands)
Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in
south to subarctic in north
Terrain: mostly mountains, high plateaus,
deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in
east
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, crude oil,
mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manga-
nese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite,
aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, world's
largest hydropower potential
62
Land use: 10% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 31% meadows and pastures;
14% forest and woodland; 45% other; in-
cludes 5% irrigated
Environment: frequent typhoons (about five
times per year along southern and eastern
coasts), damaging floods, tsunamis, earth-
quakes; deforestation; soil erosion; indus-
trial pollution; water pollution; desertifica-
tion
Note: world's third-largest country (after
USSR and Canada)
People
Population: 1,118,162,727 (July 1990),
growth rate 1.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 22 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 34 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male,
69 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Chinese (sing., pi.);
adjective — Chinese
Ethnic divisions: 93.3% Han Chinese;
6.7% Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan,
Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean,
and other nationalities
Religion: officially atheist, but tradition-
ally pragmatic and eclectic; most impor-
tant elements of religion are Confucian-
ism, Taoism, and Buddhism; about 2-3%
Muslim, 1% Christian
Language: Standard Chinese (Putonghua)
or Mandarin (based on the Beijing dia-
lect); also Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shang-
hainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan
(Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka
dialects, and minority languages (see eth-
nic divisions)
Literacy: over 75%
Labor force: 513,000,000; 61.1% agricul-
ture and forestry, 25.2% industry and
commerce, 4.6% construction and mining,
4.5% social services, 4.6% other (1986 est.)
Organized labor: All-China Federation of
Trade Unions (ACFTU) follows the lead-
ership of the Chinese Communist Party;
membership over 80 million or about 65%
of the urban work force (1985)
Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of
China; abbreviated PRC
Type: Communist Party-led state
Capital: Beijing
Administrative divisions: 23 provinces
(sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous
regions* (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and
3 municipalities** (shi, singular and plu-
ral); Anhui, Beijing**, Fujian, Gansu,
Guangdong, Guangxi*, Guizhou, Hainan,
Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hu-
nan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei
Mongol*, Ningxia*, Qinghai, Shaanxi,
Shandong, Shanghai**, Shanxi, Sichuan,
Tianjin**, Xinjiang*, Xizang*, Yunnan,
Zhejiang; note — China considers Taiwan
its 23rd province
Independence: unification under the Qin
(Ch'in) Dynasty 221 BC, Qing (Ch'ing or
Manchu) Dynasty replaced by the Repub-
lic on 12 February 1912, People's Repub-
lic established 1 October 1949
Constitution: 4 December 1982
Legal system: a complex amalgam of cus-
tom and statute, largely criminal law; ru-
dimentary civil code in effect since 1 Jan-
uary 1987; new legal codes in effect since
1 January 1980; continuing efforts are
being made to improve civil, administra-
tive, criminal, and commercial law
National holiday: National Day, 1 Octo-
ber (1949)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, premier, three vice premiers, State
Council, Central Military Commission (de
facto)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
People's Congress (Quanguo Renmin Dai-
biao Dahui)
Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment (de facto) — DENG Xiaoping
(since mid- 1977);
Chief of State— President YANG Shang-
kun (since 8 April 1988); Vice President
WANG Zhen (since 8 April 1988);
Head of Government — Premier LI Peng
(Acting Premier since 24 November 1987,
Premier since 9 April 1988); Vice Premier
YAO Yilin (since 2 July 1979); Vice Pre-
mier TIAN Jiyun (since 20 June 1983);
Vice Premier WU Xueqian (since 12 April
1988)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Jiang
Zemin, general secretary of the Central
Committee
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 8 April
1988 (next to be held March 1993); Yang
Shangkun was elected by the Seventh Na-
tional People's Congress;
National People's Congress — last held
NA March 1988 (next to be held March
1993); results— CCP is the only party;
seats— (2,970 total) CCP 2,970 (indirectly
elected)
Communists: about 45,000,000 party
members (1986)
Other political or pressure groups: such
meaningful opposition as exists consists of
loose coalitions, usually within the party
and government organization, that vary by
issue
Member of: ADB, CCC, ESCAP, FAO,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, 1FC,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
ZHU Qizhen; Chancery at 2300 Connect-
icut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 328-2500 through 2502;
there are Chinese Consulates General in
Chicago, Houston, New York, and San
Francisco; US — Ambassador James R.
LILLEY; Embassy at Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3,
Beijing (mailing address is FPO San Fran-
cisco 96655); telephone [86] (1) 532-3831;
there are US Consulates General in
Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and
Shenyang
Flag: red with a large yellow five-pointed
star and four smaller yellow fve-pointed
stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward
the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-
side corner
Economy
Overview: Beginning in late 1 978 the Chi-
nese leadership has been trying to move
the economy from the sluggish Soviet-
style centrally planned economy to a more
productive and flexible economy with mar-
ket elements — but still within the frame-
work of monolithic Communist control. To
this end the authorities have switched to a
system of household responsibility in agri-
culture in place of the old collectivization,
increased the authority of local officials
and plant managers in industry, permitted
a wide variety of small-scale enterprise in
services and light manufacturing, and
opened the foreign economic sector to in-
creased trade and joint ventures. The most
gratifying result has been a strong spurt
in production, particularly in agriculture
in the early 1 980s. Otherwise, the leader-
ship has often experienced in its hybrid
system the worst results of socialism (bu-
reaucracy, lassitude, corruption) and of
capitalism (windfall gains and stepped-up
inflation). Beijing thus has periodically
backtracked, retightening central controls
at intervals and thereby undermining the
credibility of the reform process. Open
inflation and excess demand continue to
plague the economy, and political repres-
sion, following the crackdown at Tianan-
men in mid- 1989, has curtailed tourism,
foreign aid, and new investment by for-
eign firms. Popular resistance and changes
in central policy have weakened China's
population control program, which is es-
sential to the nation's long-term economic
viability.
63
China (continued)
GNP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate 4% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 19.5%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 3.0% in urban areas
(1989)
Budget: revenues SNA; expenditures SNA,
including capital expenditures of SNA
Exports: $52.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— manufactured goods, agricul-
tural products, oilseeds, grain (rice and
corn), oil, minerals; partners — Hong Kong,
US, Japan, USSR, Singapore, FRG
(1989)
Imports: $59.1 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— grain (mostly wheat), chemical
fertilizer, steel, industrial raw materials,
machinery, equipment; partners — Hong
Kong, Japan, US, FRG, USSR (1989)
External debt: $51 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 8.0%
(1989)
Electricity: 1 10,000,000 kW capacity;
560,000 million kWh produced, 500 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: iron, steel, coal, machine build-
ing, armaments, textiles, petroleum
Agriculture: accounts for 26% of GNP;
among the world's largest producers of
rice, potatoes, sorghum, peanuts, tea, mil-
let, barley, and pork; commercial crops
include cotton, other fibers, and oilseeds;
produces variety of livestock products; ba-
sically self-sufficient in food; fish catch of
8 million metric tons in 1986
Aid: US commitments, including Hx-lm
(FY70-87), $220.7 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $11.1 billion
Currency: yuan (plural — yuan); 1 yuan (¥)
= 10 jiao
Exchange rates: yuan (¥) per US$1 —
4.7221 (January 1990), 3.7651 (1989),
3.7221 (1988), 3.7221 (1987), 3.4528
(1986), 2.9367(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: total about 54,000 km common
carrier lines; 53,400 km 1.435-meter stan-
dard gauge; 600 km 1 .000-meter gauge;
all single track except 1 1 ,200 km double
track on standard-gauge lines; 6,500 km
electrified; 10,000 km industrial lines
(gauges range from 0.762 to 1.067 meters)
Highways: about 980,000 km all types
roads; 162,000 km paved roads, 617,200
km gravel/improved earth roads, 200,800
km unimproved natural earth roads and
tracks
Inland waterways: 138,600 km; about
109,800 km navigable
Pipelines: crude, 6,500 km; refined prod-
ucts, 1,100 km; natural gas, 6,200 km
Christmas Island
(territory of Australia)
Ports: Dalian, Guangzhou, Huangpu,
Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai,
Xingang, Zhanjiang, Ningbo
Merchant marine: 1,373 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 1 3,303,685 GRT/
20,092,833 DWT; includes 25 passenger,
41 short-sea passenger, 17
passenger-cargo, 7 cargo/training, 766
cargo, 10 refrigerated cargo, 65 container,
17 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 multifunction
barge carriers, 1 73 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 chemical
tanker, 237 bulk, 2 vehicle carrier, 1 liq-
uefied gas; note — China beneficially owns
an additional 175 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling approximately 5,380,415
DWT that operate under the registry of
Panama, UK, Hong Kong, Liberia, and
Malta
Airports: 330 total, 330 usable; 260 with
permanent-surface runways; fewer than 10
with runways over 3,500 m; 90 with run-
ways 2,440-3,659 m; 200 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic and inter-
national services are increasingly available
for private use; unevenly distributed inter-
nal system serves principal cities, indus-
trial centers, and most townships;
11,000,000 telephones (December 1989);
stations — 274 AM, unknown FM, 202
(2,050 relays) TV; more than 215 million
radio receivers; 75 million TVs; satellite
earth stations — 4 Pacific Ocean
INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT, and 55 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Chinese People's Liberation
Army (CPLA), CPLA Navy (including
Marines), CPLA Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
330,353,665; 184,515,412 fit for military
service; 11,594,366 reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures: $5.28 billion (1988)
Indian Ocean
THE SETTLEMENT/
Indian Ocean
See regional map IX
Geography
Total area: 135 km2; land area: 135 km2
Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 138.9 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; heat and humidity mod-
erated by trade winds
Terrain: steep cliffs along coast rise
abruptly to central plateau
Natural resources: phosphate
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: almost completely
surrounded by a reef
Note: located along major sea lanes of
Indian Ocean
People
Population: 2,278 (July 1990), growth rate
0.0% (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male,
NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Christmas Islander(s).
adjective — Christmas Island
Ethnic divisions: 61% Chinese, 25% Ma-
lay, 1 1% European, 3% other; no indige-
nous population
64
Clipperton Island
(French possession)
Religion: NA
Language: English
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA; all workers are employ-
ees of the Phosphate Mining Company of
Christmas Island, Ltd.
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Territory of Christmas
Island
Type: territory of Australia
Capital: The Settlement
Administrative divisions: none (territory of
Australia)
Independence: none (territory of Australia)
Constitution: Christmas Island Act of
1958
Legal system: under the authority of the
governor general of Australia
National holiday: NA
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general of Australia, administrator,
Advisory Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: none
Judicial branch: none
Leaders: Chief of Stale — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government — Administrator A.
D. TAYLOR (since NA)
Communists: none
Diplomatic representation: none (territory
of Australia)
Flag: the flag of Australia is used
Economy
Overview: Phosphate mining is the only
significant economic activity, but in No-
vember 1987 the Australian Government
announced that the mine would be closed
because of labor unrest. Plans are under
way to build a casino and hotel to develop
tourism.
GDP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget: revenues SNA; expenditures SNA,
including capital expenditures of SNA
Exports: SNA; commodities — phosphate;
partners — Australia, NZ
Imports: SNA; commodities — NA; part-
ners— NA
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 11,000 kW capacity; 38 mil-
lion kWh produced, 16,680 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: phosphate extraction (near de-
pletion)
Agriculture: NA
Aid: none
Currency: Australian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 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: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Ports: Flying Fish Cove
Airports: 1 usable with permanent-surface
runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 4,000 radios (1982)
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Aus-
tralia
Sec regional map 1
Geography
Total area: undetermined
Comparative area: undetermined
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 11.1 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical
Terrain: coral atoll
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other (coral)
Environment: reef about 8 km in circum-
ference
Note: located 1,120 km southwest of Mex-
ico in the North Pacific Ocean
People
Population: uninhabited
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: French possession administered by
High Commissioner of the Republic Jean
MONTPEZAT, resident in French Poly-
nesia
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
65
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
(territory of Australia)
10 km
r\ North Keeling
V Island
Indian
Ocean
See refionil mip IX
Geography
Total area: 14 km2; land area: 14 km2;
main islands are West Island and Home
Island
Comparative area: about 24 times the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 42.6 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: pleasant, modified by the south-
east trade winds for about nine months of
the year; moderate rainfall
Terrain: flat, low-lying coral atolls
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: two coral atolls thickly cov-
ered with coconut palms and other vegeta-
tion
Note: located 1 ,070 km southwest of Su-
matra (Indonesia) in the Indian Ocean
about halfway between Australia and Sri
Lanka
People
Population: 670 (July 1990), growth rate
2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: N A migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male,
NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Cocos Islander(s); ad-
jective— Cocos Islander(s)
Ethnic divisions: mostly Europeans on
West Island and Cocos Malays on Home
Island
Religion: NA
Language: English
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: none
Government
Long-form name: Territory of Cocos
(Keeling) Islands
Type: territory of Australia
Capital: West Island
Administrative divisions: none (territory of
Australia)
Independence: none (territory of Australia)
Constitution: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act
of 1955
Legal system: based upon the laws of Aus-
tralia and local laws
National holiday: NA
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general of Australia, administrator,
chairman of the Islands Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Islands
Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government — Administrator D.
LAWRIE (since NA 1989); Chairman of
the Islands Council Parson Bin YAPAT
(since NA)
Suffrage: NA
Elections: NA
Diplomatic representation: none (territory
of Australia)
Flag: the flag of Australia is used
Economy
Overview: Grown throughout the islands,
coconuts are the sole cash crop. Copra
and fresh coconuts are the major export
earners. Small local gardens and fishing
contribute to the food supply, but addi-
tional food and most other necessities
must be imported from Australia.
GNP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment: NA
Budget: revenues SNA; expenditures SNA,
including capital expenditures of SNA
Exports: SNA; commodities — copra; part-
ners— Australia
Imports: SNA; commodities — foodstuffs;
partners — Australia
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: NA kW capacity; NA million
kWh produced, NA kWh per capita
Industries: copra products
Agriculture: gardens provide vegetables,
bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
Aid: none
Currency: Australian dollar (plural — dol
lars); 1 Australian dollar (SA) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars (SA)
per US$1— 1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618
(1989), 1.2752(1988), 1.4267(1987),
1.4905(1986), 1.4269(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Ports: none; lagoon anchorage only
Airports: 1 airfield with permanent-sur-
face runway, 2,440-3,659 m; airport on
West Island is a link in service between
Australia and South Africa
Telecommunications: 250 radios (1985);
linked by telephone, telex, and facsimile
communications via satellite with Austra-
lia; stations — 1 AM, no FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Aus-
tralia
66
Colombia
Caribbean
Set
Barranquill
Providencia Malpelo. and
San Andres islands are
not shown
See refkxul map III and IV
Geography
Total area: 1,138,910 km2; land area:
1,038,700 km2; includes Isla de Malpelo,
Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serra-
nilla Bank
Comparative area: slightly less than three
times the size of Montana
Land boundaries: 7,408 km total; Brazil
1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225
km, Peru 2,900, Venezuela 2,050 km
Coastline: 3,208 km total (1,448 km North
Pacific Ocean; 1,760 Caribbean Sea)
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specified
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with
Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela; terri-
torial dispute with Nicaragua over Archi-
pelago de San Andres y Providencia and
Quita Sueno Bank
Climate: tropical along coast and eastern
plains; cooler in highlands
Terrain: mixture of flat coastal lowlands,
plains in east, central highlands, some
high mountains
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas,
coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emer-
alds
Land use: 4% arable land; 2% permanent
crops; 29% meadows and pastures; 49%
forest and woodland; 16% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: highlands subject to volcanic
eruptions; deforestation; soil damage from
overuse of pesticides; periodic droughts
Note: only South American country with
coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean
and Caribbean Sea
People
Population: 33,076,188 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 27 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 38 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Colombian(s); adjec-
tive— Colombian
Ethnic divisions: 58% mestizo, 20% white,
14% mulatto, 4% black, 3% mixed black-
Indian, 1% Indian
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic
Language: Spanish
Literacy: 88% (1987 est.), Indians about
40%
Labor force: 1 1,000,000 (1986); 53% ser-
vices, 26% agriculture, 21% industry
(1981)
Organized labor: 1,400,000 members
(1987), about 12% of labor force; the
Communist-backed Unitary Workers Cen-
tral or CUT is the largest labor organiza-
tion, with about 725,000 members (in-
cluding all affiliate unions)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Colombia
Type: republic; executive branch domi-
nates government structure
Capital: Bogota
Administrative divisions: 23 departments
(departamentos, singular — departamento),
5 commissariats* (comisarias, singular —
comisaria), and 4 intendancies** (inten-
dencias, singular — intendencia);
Amazonas*, Antioquia, Arauca**, At-
lantico. Bolivar, Boyaca, Caldas, Caqueta,
Casanare**, Cauca, Cesar, Choco,
Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Guainia*,
Guaviare*, Huila, La Guajira, Magda-
lena, Meta, Narifio, Norte de Santander,
Putumayo**, Quindio, Risaralda, San An-
dres y Providencia**, Santander, Sucre,
Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes*,
Vichada*; note — there may be a new spe-
cial district (distrito especial) named Bo-
gota
Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain)
Constitution: 4 August 1886, with amend-
ments codified in 1946 and 1968
Legal system: based on Spanish law; judi-
cial review of legislative acts in the Su-
preme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ ju-
risdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 20
July (1810)
Executive branch: president, presidential
designate, cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress
(Congreso) consists of an upper chamber
or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber
or Chamber of Representatives (Camara
de Representantes)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
(Corte Suprema de Justica)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Virgilio BARCO
Vargas (since 7 August 1986; term ends
August 1990); Presidential Designate
Victor MOSQUERA Chaux (since 13 Oc-
tober 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Liberal
Party — Virgilio Barco Vargas, Alfonso
Lopez Michelson, Julio Cesar Turbay;
Cesar Gaviria is the Liberal Party presi-
dential candidate; Conservative Party —
Misael Pastrana Borrero, Alvaro Gomez
Hurtado; Rodrigo Lloredo, Conservative
Party presidential candidate; Patriotic
Union (UP), is a legal political party
formed by Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC) and Colombian Com-
munist Party (PCC), Bernardo Jaramillo
Ossa is the UP presidential candidate
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 25 May
1986 (next to be held 27 May 1990); re-
sults— Virgilio Barco Vargas 59%, Alvaro
Gomez Hurtado 36%, Jaime Pardo Leal
4% (assassinated in October 1987), others
1%;
Senate— last held 11 March 1990 (next to
be held March 1994); results— percent of
vote by party NA; seats — (1 14 total) Lib-
eral 68, Conservative 45, UP 1;
House of Representatives last held 1 1
March 1990 (next to be held March
1994); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (199 total) Liberal 107, Con-
servative 82, UP 10
Communists: 1 8,000 members (est.), in-
cluding Communist Party Youth Organi-
zation (JUCO)
Other political or pressure groups: Colom-
bian Communist Party (PCC), Gilberto
Vieira White; Communist Party /Marxist-
Leninist (PCC/ML), Chinese-line Com-
munist Party; Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC); National
Liberation Army (ELN); People's Libera-
tion Army (EPL); 19th of April Movement
(M-19)
Member of: FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of
Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC,
ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB— Inter-American
Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, LAIA,
NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Victor MOSQUERA; Chancery at 21 18
Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 387-8338; there are
67
Colombia (continued)
Colombian Consulates General in Chi-
cago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans,
New York, San Francisco, and San Juan
(Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Atlanta,
Boston, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale, Los
Angeles, San Diego, and Tampa; US —
Ambassador Thomas E. McNAMARA;
Embassy at Calle 38, No.8-61, Bogota
(mailing address is APO Miami 34038);
telephone [57] (1) 285-1300 or 1688; there
is a US Consulate in Barranquilla
Flag: three horizontal bands of yellow
(top, double-width), blue, and red; similar
to the flag of Ecuador which is longer and
bears the Ecuadorian coat of arms super-
imposed in the center
Economy
Overview: Economic activity has slowed
gradually since 1 986, but growth rates
remain high by Latin American
standards. Conservative economic policies
have encouraged investment and kept in-
flation and unemployment under 30% and
10%, respectively. The rapid development
of oil, coal, and other nontraditional in-
dustries over the past four years has
helped to offset the decline in coffee
prices — Colombia's major export. The col-
lapse of the International Coffee Agree-
ment in the summer of 1 989, a trouble-
some rural insurgency, and drug-related
violence dampen prospects for future
growth.
GDP: $35.4 billion, per capita $1,110; real
growth rate 3.7% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27% (1989
est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.0% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $4.39 billion; current
expenditures $3.93 billion, capital expen-
ditures $1.03 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $5.76 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — coffee 30%, petroleum
24%, coal, bananas, fresh cut flowers;
partners— US 36%, EC 21%, Japan 5%,
Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3%
Imports: $5.02 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities — industrial equipment,
transportation equipment, foodstuffs,
chemicals, paper products; partners — US
34%, EC 16%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 3%,
Japan 3%
External debt: $17.5 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.0%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 9,250,000 kW capacity;
35,364 million kWh produced, 1,110 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, oil,
clothing and footwear, beverages, chemi-
cals, metal products, cement; mining —
gold, coal, emeralds, iron, nickel, silver,
salt
Agriculture: accounts for 22% of GDP;
crops make up two-thirds and livestock
one-third of agricultural output; climate
and soils permit a wide variety of crops,
such as coffee, rice, tobacco, corn, sugar-
cane, cocoa beans, oilseeds, vegetables;
forest products and shrimp farming are
becoming more important
Illicit drugs: major illicit producer of can-
nabis and coca for the international drug
trade; key supplier of marijuana and co-
caine to the US and other international
drug markets; drug production and traf-
ficking accounts for an estimated 4% of
GDP and 28% of foreign exchange earn-
ings
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $1.6 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $2.9 billion; Commu-
nist countries (1970-88), $399 million
Currency: Colombian peso (plural — pesos);
1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Colombian pesos (Col$)
per US$1— 439.68 (January 1990), 382.57
(1989), 299.17 (1988), 242.61 (1987),
194.26(1986), 142.31 (1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 3,563 km, all 0.914-meter
gauge, single track
Highways: 75,450 km total; 9,350 km
paved, 66,100 km earth and gravel sur-
faces
Inland waterways: 14,300 km, navigable
by river boats
Pipelines: crude oil, 3,585 km; refined
products, 1,350 km; natural gas, 830 km;
natural gas liquids, 125 km
Ports: Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Carta-
gena, Covenas, San Andres, Santa Marta,
Tumaco
Merchant marine: 34 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 334,854 GRT/487,438
DWT; includes 23 cargo, 1 chemical
tanker, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 9 bulk
Civil air: 106 major transport aircraft
Airports: 673 total, 622 usable; 66 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 124 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: nationwide radio re-
lay system; 1,890,000 telephones;
stations— 413 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 28
shortwave 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth stations with 2 antennas and 1 1 do-
mestic satellite stations
Defense Forces
Branches: armed forces include Police (Po-
licia Nacional) and military — Army (Ejer-
cito Nacional), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea
de Colombia), Navy (Armada Nacional)
Military manpower: males 15-49,
8,768,072; 5,953,729 fit for military ser-
vice; 354,742 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 1.9% of GDP, or
$700 million (1990 est.)
68
Comoros
50km
Indian Ocean
Ml rt f^\
*°r!^=yj \ Nzwam
Iboni X 4 Domoni
Mozambique
Channel
Set regional mip \\\
Geography
Total area: 2,170 km2; land area: 2,170
km2
Comparative area: slightly more than 12
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 340 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claims French-administered Ma-
yotte
Climate: tropical marine; rainy season
(November to May)
Terrain: volcanic islands, interiors vary
from steep mountains to low hills
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 35% arable land; 8% permanent
crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 16%
forest and woodland; 34% other
Environment: soil degradation and erosion;
deforestation; cyclones possible during
rainy season
Note: important location at northern end
of Mozambique Channel
People
Population: 460,188 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 48 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 2 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 89 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male,
58 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Comoran(s); adjec-
tive— Comoran
Ethnic divisions: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa,
Oimatsaha, Sakalava
Religion: 86% Sunni Muslim, 14% Roman
Catholic
Language: Shaati Islam (a Swahili dia-
lect), Malagasy, French
Literacy: 15%
Labor force: 140,000 (1982); 80% agricul-
ture, 3% government; 5 1 % of population
of working age (1985)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Federal Islamic Repub-
lic of the Comoros
Type: independent republic
Capital: Moroni
Administrative divisions: 3 islands; An-
jouan, Grande Comore, Moheli; note —
there may also be 4 municipalities named
Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Mutsa-
mudu
Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France)
Constitution: 1 October 1978, amended
October 1982 and January 1985
Legal system: French and Muslim law in
a new consolidated code
National holiday: Independence Day, 6
July (1975)
Executive branch: president, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Federal
Assembly (Assemblee Federate)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Said Mohamed DJO-
HAR (since 11 March 1990)
Political parties: Comoran Union for
Progress (Udzima), Said Mohamed Djo-
har, president; National Union for De-
mocracy (UNDC), Mohamed Taki
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 1 1 March
1990 (next to be held March 1996); re-
sults—Said Mohamed Djohar (Udzima)
55%; Mohamed Taki Abdulkarim
(UNDC) 45%;
Federal Assembly — last held 22 March
1987 (next to be held March 1992); re-
sults— percent of vote by party NA;
seats — (42 total) Udzima 42
Member of: ACP, AfDB, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, IDA, IDB — Islamic Development
Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM,
OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Amini AH MOUMIN; Chancery (tempo-
rary) at the Comoran Permanent Mission
to the UN, 336 East 45th Street, 2nd
Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone
(212) 972-8010; US— Ambassador Ho-
ward K. WALKER, resides in Antanana-
rivo (Madagascar); Embassy at address
NA, Moroni (mailing address B. P. 1318,
Moroni); telephone 73-12-03
Flag: green with a white crescent placed
diagonally (closed side of the crescent
points to the upper hoist-side corner of the
flag); there are four white five-pointed
stars placed in a line between the points of
the crescent; the crescent, stars, and color
green are traditional symbols of Islam; the
four stars represent the four main islands
of the archipelago — Mwali, Njazidja, Nz-
wani, and Mayotte (which is a territorial
collectivity of France, but claimed by the
Comoros)
Economy
Overview: One of the world's poorest coun-
tries, Comoros is made up of several is-
lands that have poor transportation links,
a young and rapidly increasing population,
and few natural resources. The low educa-
tional level of the labor force contributes
to a low level of economic activity, high
unemployment, and a heavy dependence
on foreign technical assistance. Agricul-
ture, including fishing and forestry, is the
leading sector of the economy. It contrib-
utes about 40% to GDP, employs 80% of
the labor force, and provides most of the
exports. The country is not self-sufficient
in food production, and rice, the main sta-
ple, accounts for 90% of imports. During
the period 1982-86 the industrial sector
grew at an annual average rate of 5.3%,
but its contribution to GDP was less than
4% in 1 986. Despite major investment in
the tourist industry, which accounts for
about 25% of GDP, growth has stagnated
since 1983.
GDP: $207 million, per capita $475; real
growth rate 0.1% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.3%
(1986)
Unemployment rate: over 16% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $75.2 million; expendi-
tures $77.9 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $4.8 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $12 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— vanilla, cloves, perfume oil, co-
pra; partners— US 53%, France 41%, Af-
rica 4%, FRG 2%
Imports: $52 million (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— rice and other foodstuffs, ce-
ment, petroleum products, consumer
goods; partners — Europe 62% (France
22%, other 40%), Africa 5%, Pakistan,
China
External debt: $238 million (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.4%
(1988 est.)
Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 24 mil-
lion kWh produced, 55 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: perfume distillation
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP;
most of population works in subsistence
69
ComorOS (continued)
Congo
agriculture and fishing; plantations pro-
duce cash crops for export — vanilla,
cloves, perfume essences, and copra; prin-
cipal food crops — coconuts, bananas, cas-
sava; world's leading producer of essence
of ylang-ylang (for perfumes) and second-
largest producer of vanilla; large net food
importer
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY80-88), $9 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $371 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $22 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $18 million
Currency: Comoran franc (plural — francs);
1 Comoran franc (CF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comoran francs (CF) per
US$1— 287.99 (January 1990), 319.01
(1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987),
346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985); note— linked
to the French franc at 50 to 1 French
franc
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Highways: 750 km total; about 210 km
bituminous, remainder crushed stone or
gravel
Ports: Mutsamudu, Moroni
Civil air 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 4 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: sparse system of ra-
dio relay and high-frequency radio com-
munication stations for interisland and
external communications to Madagascar
and Reunion; over 1 ,800 telephones; sta-
tions—2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Presidential Guard, Gen-
darmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 97,504;
58,274 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 3% of GDP (1981)
200 fcm
BRAZZAVILLE
Noire
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 342,000 km2; land area:
341,500km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Montana
Land boundaries: 5,504 km total; Angola
201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central Afri-
can Republic 467 km, Gabon 1 ,903 km,
Zaire 2,410 km
Coastline: 169 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: long section with Zaire along
the Congo River is indefinite (no division
of the river or its islands has been made)
Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to
June); dry season (June to October); con-
stantly high temperatures and humidity;
particularly enervating climate astride the
Equator
Terrain: coastal plain, southern basin, cen-
tral plateau, northern basin
Natural resources: petroleum, timber, pot-
ash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phos-
phates, natural gas
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 29% meadows and pastures;
62% forest and woodland; 7% other
Environment: deforestation; about 70% of
the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe
Noire, or along the railroad between them
People
Population: 2,242,274 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 10 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male,
55 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Congolese (sing., pi.);
adjective— Congolese or Congo
Ethnic divisions: about 1 5 ethnic groups
divided into some 75 tribes, almost all
Bantu; most important ethnic groups are
Kongo (48%) in the south, Sangha (20%)
and M'Bochi (12%) in the north, Teke
(17%) in the center; about 8,500 Europe-
ans, mostly French
Religion: 50% Christian, 48% animist, 2%
Muslim
Language: French (official); many African
languages with Lingala and Kikongo most
widely used
Literacy: 62.9%
Labor force: 79,100 wage earners; 75%
agriculture, 25% commerce, industry, and
government; 51% of population of working
age; 40% of population economically ac-
tive (1985)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force (1979
est.)
Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of the
Congo
Type: people's republic
Capital: Brazzaville
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regions,
singular — region); Bouenza, Cuvette,
Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Pla-
teaux, Pool, Sangha; note — there may be
a new capital district of Brazzaville
Independence: 1 5 August 1 960 (from
France; formerly Congo/ Brazzaville)
Constitution: 8 July 1979
Legal system: based on French civil law
system and customary law
National holiday: National Day, 1 5 Au-
gust (1960)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale
Populaire)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Denis
SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 8 February
1979); Prime Minister Alphonse POATY-
SOUCHLATY (since 6 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Congolese Labor Party (PCT), President
Denis Sassou-Nguesso, leader
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 26-31 July
1989 (next to be held July 1993); results-
President Sassou-Nguesso unanimously
reelected leader of the PCT by the Party
Congress, which automatically makes him
president;
70
People's National Assembly — last held 24
September 1989 (next to be held 1993);
results — PCT is the only party; seats —
(153 total) single list of candidates nomi-
nated by the PCT
Communists: unknown number of Com-
munists and sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups: Union
of Congolese Socialist Youth (UJSC),
Congolese Trade Union Congress (CSC),
Revolutionary Union of Congolese
Women (URFC), General Union of Con-
golese Pupils and Students (UGEEC)
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Confer-
ence of East and Central African States,
EAMA, ECA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-
77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM,
OAU, UDEAC, UEAC, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Benjamin BOUNKOULOU; Chancery at
4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington
DC 2001 1; telephone (202) 726-5500;
US— Ambassador Leonard G. SHURT-
LEFF; Embassy at Avenue Amilcar Ca-
bral, Brazzaville (mailing address is B. P.
1015, Brazzaville, or Box C, APO New
York 09662-0006); telephone 83-20-70 or
83-26-24
Flag: red with the national emblem in the
upper hoist-side corner; the emblem in-
cludes a yellow five-pointed star above a
crossed hoe and hammer (like the hammer
and sickle design) in yellow, flanked by
two curved green palm branches; uses the
popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Overview: Oil has supplanted forestry as
the mainstay of the economy, providing
about two-thirds of government revenues
and exports. In the early 1980s rapidly
rising oil revenues enabled Congo to fi-
nance large-scale development projects
with growth averaging 5% annually, one
of the highest rates in Africa. The world
decline in oil prices, however, has forced
the government to launch an austerity
program to cope with declining receipts
and mounting foreign debts.
GDP: $2.2 billion, per capita $1,000; real
growth rate -3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $382 million; expendi-
tures $575 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $1 18 million (1988)
Exports: $912 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— crude petroleum 72%, lumber,
plywood, coffee, cocoa, sugar, diamonds;
partners — US, France, other EC
Imports: $494.4 million (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— foodstuffs, consumer goods,
intermediate manufactures, capital equip-
ment; partners — France, Italy, other EC,
US, FRG, Spain, Japan, Brazil
External debt: $4.5 billion (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate —5.9%
(1987)
Electricity: 133,000 kW capacity; 300 mil-
lion kWh produced, 130 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: crude oil, cement, sawmills,
brewery, sugar mill, palm oil, soap, ciga-
rettes
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GDP (in-
cluding fishing and forestry); cassava ac-
counts for 90% of food output; other
crops — rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables;
cash crops include coffee and cocoa; forest
products important export earner; imports
over 90% of food needs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $56 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $2.1 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $15 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $338 million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine 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: 797 km, 1 .067-meter gauge,
single track (includes 285 km that are pri-
vately owned)
Highways: 12,000 km total; 560 km bitu-
minous surface treated; 850 km gravel,
laterite; 5,350 km improved earth; 5,240
km unimproved roads
Inland waterways: the Congo and Ubangi
(Oubangui) Rivers provide 1,120 km of
commercially navigable water transport;
the rest are used for local traffic only
Pipelines: crude oil 25 km
Ports: Pointe-Noire (ocean port), Brazza-
ville (river port)
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 51 total, 46 usable; 5 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: services adequate for
government use; primary network is com-
posed of radio relay routes and coaxial
cables; key centers are Brazzaville, Pointe-
Noire, and Loubomo; 18,100 telephones;
stations— 3 AM, 1 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic
Ocean satellite station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, para-
military National People's Militia
Military manpower males 15-49, 492,419;
250,478 fit for military service; 23,622
reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 4.6% of GDP (1987)
71
Cook Islands
(free association with New Zealand)
Rakahanga
Panrhyn
Pukapuka
Manihiki
Nassau
Island
Suwarrow
South Pacific Ocean
Palmarston
Ailulaki
. Mitiaro
Takutta
Mauke
400km •- *AVARUA
Rarotonga
Nee re Rionil map X
Mangaia
Geography
Total area: 240 km2; land area: 240 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 120 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or edge
of continental margin
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade
winds
Terrain: low coral atolls in north; volcanic,
hilly islands in south
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 4% arable land; 22% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 74% other
Environment: subject to typhoons from
November to March
Note: located 4,500 km south of Hawaii
in the South Pacific Ocean
People
Population: 18,187 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 22 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 10 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male,
72 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Cook Islander(s); ad-
jective— Cook Islander
Ethnic divisions: 81.3% Polynesian (full
blood), 7.7% Polynesian and European,
7.7% Polynesian and other, 2.4% Euro-
pean, 0.9% other
Religion: Christian, majority of populace
members of Cook Islands Christian
Church
Language: English
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 5,810; agriculture 29%, gov-
ernment 27%, services 25%, industry 1 5%,
and other 4% (1981)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: self-governing in free association
with New Zealand; Cook Islands fully
responsible for internal affairs; New Zea-
land retains responsibility for external af-
fairs, in consultation with the Cook Is-
lands
Capital: Avarua
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: became self-governing in
free association with New Zealand on 4
August 1965 and has the right at any
time to move to full independence by uni-
lateral action
Constitution: 4 August 1965
National holiday: NA
Executive branch: British monarch, repre-
sentative of the UK, representative of
New Zealand, prime minister, deputy
prime minister. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament;
note — the unicameral House of Arikis
(chiefs) advises on traditional matters, but
has no legislative powers
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952); Repre-
sentative of the UK Sir Tangaroa
TANGAROA (since NA); Representative
of New Zealand Adrian SINCOCK (since
NA);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Geoffrey HENRY (since NA February
1989); Deputy Prime Minister Inatio
AKARURU (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: Cook Islands
Party, Geoffrey Henry; Democratic Tumu
Party, Vincent Ingram; Democratic Party,
Dr. Vincent Pupuke Robati; Cook Islands
Labor Party, Rena Jonassen; Cook Islands
People's Party, Sadaraka Sadaraka
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: Parliament — last held 19 Janu-
ary 1989 (next to be held by January
1 994); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats — (24 total) Cook Islands Party
12, Democratic Tumu Party 2, opposition
coalition (including Democratic Party) 9,
independent 1
Member of: ADB, ESCAP (associate
member), IDA, IFC, IMF, SPF
Diplomatic representation: none
(self-governing in free association with
New Zealand)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and a large cir-
cle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for
every island) centered in the outer half of
the flag
Economy
Overview: Agriculture provides the eco-
nomic base. The major export earners are
fruit, copra, and clothing. Manufacturing
activities are limited to a fruit-processing
plant and several clothing factories. Eco-
nomic development is hindered by the iso-
lation of the islands from foreign markets
and a lack of natural resources and good
transportation links. A large trade deficit
is annually made up for by remittances
from emigrants and from foreign aid.
Current economic development plans call
for exploiting the tourism potential and
expanding the fishing industry.
GDP: $40.0 million, per capita $2,200
(1988 est.); real growth rate 5.3% (1986-88
est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $33.8 million; expendi-
tures $34.4 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— copra, fresh and canned fruit,
clothing; partners — NZ 80%, Japan
Imports: $38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, tim-
ber; partners — NZ 49%, Japan, Australia,
US
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 4,800 kW capacity; 1 5 million
kWh produced, 830 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: fruit processing, tourism
Agriculture: export crops — copra, citrus
fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas; sub-
sistence crops — yams, taro
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
89), $128 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) =
100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars
(NZ$)per US$1— 1.6581 (January 1990),
1.6708(1989), 1.5244(1988), 1.6886
(1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Highways: 187 km total (1980); 35 km
paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km improved
earth, 33 km unimproved earth
Ports: Avatiu
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
72
Coral Sea Islands
(territory of Australia)
Airports: 7 total, 5 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 3 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 2 AM, no
FM, no TV; 10,000 radio receivers; 2,052
telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of New
Zealand
400km
..Bougainville
Reef p. Qwillis Islets
• Coringa
Islets
^.LihouReef
Me/lish^
Coral Sea
Frederick fleets ^
Wreck Reef. .
Cato Island*
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorages only
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Aus-
tralia; visited regularly by the Royal Aus-
tralian Navy; Australia has control over
the activities of visitors
Sec regional map X
Geography
Total area: undetermined; includes numer-
ous small islands and reefs scattered over
a sea area of about 1 million km2, with
Willis Islets the most important
Comparative area: undetermined
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 3,095 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical
Terrain: sand and coral reefs and islands
(or cays)
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other, mostly
grass or scrub cover; Lihou Reef Reserve
and Coringa-Herald Reserve were
declared National Nature Reserves on 3
August 1982
Environment: subject to occasional tropical
cyclones; no permanent fresh water; im-
portant nesting area for birds and turtles
Note: the islands are located just off the
northeast coast of Australia in the Coral
Sea
People
Population: 3 meteorologists
Government
Long-form name: Coral Sea Islands Terri-
tory
Type: territory of Australia administered
by the Minister for Arts, Sport, the Envi-
ronment, Tourism, and Territories Gra-
ham Richardson
Flag: the flag of Australia is used
73
Costa Rica
North Pacific Ocean
Isla del Coco
is not shown
Srt regional map 111
Geography
Total area: 51,100 km2; land area: 50,660
km2; includes Isla del Coco
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
West Virginia
Land boundaries: 639 km total; Nicaragua
309 km, Panama 330 km
Coastline: 1,290 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; dry season (December to
April); rainy season (May to November)
Terrain: coastal plains separated by rug-
ged mountains
Natural resources: hydropower potential
Land use: 6% arable land; 7% permanent
crops; 45% meadows and pastures; 34%
forest and woodland; 8% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: subject to occasional earth-
quakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast;
frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of
rainy season; active volcanoes; deforesta-
tion; soil erosion
People
Population: 3,032,795 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 4 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Costa Rican(s); adjec-
tive— Costa Rican
Ethnic divisions: 96% white (including
mestizo), 2% black, 1% Indian, 1% Chi-
nese
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic
Language: Spanish (official), English spo-
ken around Puerto I.imon
Literacy: 93%
Labor force: 868,300; industry and com-
merce 35.1%, government and services
33%, agriculture 27%, other 4.9% (1985
est.)
Organized labor: 15.1% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Costa Rica
Type: democratic republic
Capital: San Jose
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (pro-
vincias, singular — provincia); Alajuela,
Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limdn,
Puntarenas, San Jose
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from
Spain)
Constitution: 9 November 1949
Legal system: based on Spanish civil law
system; judicial review of legislative acts
in the Supreme Court; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 5
September (1821)
Executive branch: president, two vice pres-
idents. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte
Suprema)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Rafael Angel CAL-
DERON Fournier (since 8 May 1990);
First Vice President German SERRANO
Pinto (since 8 May 1990); Second Vice
President Arnoldo LOPEZ Echandi (since
8 May 1990)
Political parties and leaders: National
Liberation Party (PLN), Carlos Manuel
Castillo; Social Christian Unity Party
(PUSC), Rafael Angel Calderon Fournier;
Marxist Popular Vanguard Party (PVP),
Humberto Vargas Carbonell; New Repub-
lic Movement (MNR), Sergio Erick
Ardon; Progressive Party (PP), Javier
Solis; People's Party of Costa Rica (PPC),
Lenin Chacon Vargas; Radical Demo-
cratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose Echeverria
Brealey
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: President — last held 4 February
1990 (next to be held February 1994); re-
sults— Rafael Calderon Fournier 51%,
Carlos Manuel Castillo 47%;
Legislative Assembly — last held 4 Febru-
ary 1990 (next to be held February 1994);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (57 total) PUSC 29, PLN 25, PVP/
PPC 1, regional parties 2
Communists: 7,500 members and sympa-
thizers
Other political or pressure groups: Costa
Rican Confederation of Democratic
Workers (CCTD; Liberation Party affil-
iate), Confederated Union of Workers
(CUT; Communist Party affiliate), Au-
thentic Confederation of Democratic
Workers (CATD; Communist Party affil-
iate), Chamber of Coffee Growers, Na-
tional Association for Economic Develop-
ment (ANFE), Free Costa Rica
Movement (MCRL; rightwing militants),
National Association of Educators
(ANDE)
Member of: CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDE—
Inter-American Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU,
IWC — International Wheat Council,
OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WHO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Danilo JIMENEZ; Chancery at Suite
211, 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20009; telephone (202)
234-2945 through 2947; there are Costa
Rican Consulates General at Albuquer-
que, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Mi-
ami, New Orleans, New York, San Anto-
nio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan
(Puerto Rico), and Tampa, and Consulates
in Austin, Buffalo, Honolulu, and Raleigh;
US — Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at
Pavas Road, San Jose (mailing address is
APO Miami 34020); telephone [506] 33-
11-55
Flag: five horizontal bands of blue (top),
white, red (double width), white, and blue
with the coat of arms in a white disk on
the hoist side of the red band
Economy
Overview: In 1988 the economy grew at a
3.8% rate, a drop from the 5.1% of the
previous year. Gains in agricultural pro-
duction (on the strength of good coffee
and banana crops) and in construction,
were partially offset by declines in the
rates of growth for the industry and com-
merce sectors. In 1988 consumer prices
rose by nearly 21% followed by a 10% rise
in 1989. Unemployment is officially re-
ported at about 6%, but much underem-
ployment remains. External debt, on a per
capita basis, is among the world's highest.
GDP: $4.7 billion, per capita $1,630; real
growth rate 3. 8% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 5.5% (March 1989)
74
Cuba
Budget: revenues $719 million; expendi-
tures $808 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $103 million (1988)
Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar;
partners— US 75%, FRG, Guatemala,
Netherlands, UK, Japan
Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum, machinery, con-
sumer durables, chemicals, fertilizer, food-
stuffs; partners — US 35%, Japan,
Guatemala, FRG
External debt: $4.5 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.1%
(1988)
Electricity: 909,000 kW capacity; 2,928
million kWh produced, 990 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: food processing, textiles and
clothing, construction materials, fertilizer
Agriculture: accounts for 20-25% of GDP
and 70% of exports; cash commodities —
coffee, beef, bananas, sugar; other food
crops include corn, rice, beans, potatotes;
normally self-sufficient in food except for
grain; depletion of forest resources result-
ing in lower timber output
Illicit drugs: illicit production of cannabis
on small scattered plots; transshipment
country for cocaine from South America
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-lm
(FY70-88), $1.3 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $706 million; Com-
munist countries (1971-88), $27 million
Currency: Costa Rican colon (plural —
colones); 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100
centimes
Exchange rates: Costa Rican colones (C)
per US$1— 84.689 (January 1990), 81.504
(1989), 75.805 (1988), 62.776 (1987),
55.986 (1986), 50.453 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 950 km total, all 1 .067-meter
gauge; 260 km electrified
Highways: 15,400 km total; 7,030 km
paved, 7,010 km gravel, 1,360 km unim-
proved earth
Inland waterways: about 730 km, season-
ally navigable
Pipelines: refined products, 176 km
Ports: Puerto Limon, Caldera, Golfito,
Moin, Puntarenas
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000
CRT or over) totaling 4,279 GRT/6,602
DWT
Civil air: 9 major transport aircraft
Airports: 193 total, 177 usable; 25 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 11 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: very good domestic
telephone service; 292,000 telephones; con-
nection into Central American Microwave
System; stations— 71 AM, no FM, 18 TV,
13 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Civil Guard, Rural Assistance
Guard; note — Constitution prohibits
armed forces
Military manpower males 15-49, 785,429;
530,986 fit for military service; 31,899
reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 0.6% of GDP (1987)
Straus
of Florida
HAVANA
300km
North Atlantic
Ocean
Is/a de la
Juventud
Caribbean Sea
Sec regional map 111
de Cuba Naval
Base
Geography
Total area: 1 10,860 km2; land area:
110,860km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Pennsylvania
Land boundary: 29. 1 km with US Naval
Base at Guantanamo; note — Guantanamo
is leased and as such remains part of
Cuba
Coastline: 3,735 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: US Naval Base at Guantanamo
is leased to US and only mutual agree-
ment or US abandonment of the area can
terminate the lease
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade
winds; dry season (November to April);
rainy season (May to October)
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains with
rugged hills and mountains in the south-
east
Natural resources: cobalt, nickel, iron ore,
copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica
Land use: 23% arable land; 6% permanent
crops; 23% meadows and pastures; 17%
forest and woodland; 31% other; includes
10% irrigated
Environment: averages one hurricane every
other year
Note: largest country in Caribbean; 145
km south of Florida
People
Population: 10,620,099 (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: — 1 migrant/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
75
Cuba (continued)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Cuban(s); adjective —
Cuban
Ethnic divisions: 51% mulatto, 37% white,
11% black, 1% Chinese
Religion: at least 85% nominally Roman
Catholic before Castro assumed power
Language: Spanish
Literacy: 98.5%
Labor force: 3,400,000 in state sector;
30% services and government, 22% indus-
try, 20% agriculture, 11% commerce, 10%
construction, 7% transportation and com-
munications (1988); economically active
population 4,500,000 (1987)
Organized labor: Workers Central Union
of Cuba (CTC), only labor federation ap-
proved by government; 2,910,000 mem-
bers; the CTC is an umbrella organization
composed of 1 7 member unions
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Cuba
Type: Communist state
Capital: Havana
Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (pro-
vincias, singular — provincial and 1 special
municipality* (municipio especial); Cama-
giiey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Ciudad
de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo,
Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Ha-
bana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del
Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba,
Villa Clara
Independence: 20 May 1902 (from Spain
10 December 1898; administered by the
US from 1898 to 1902)
Constitution: 24 February 1976
Legal system: based on Spanish and
American law, with large elements of
Communist legal theory; does not accept
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 Janu-
ary (1959)
Executive branch: president of the Council
of State, first vice president of the Council
of State, Council of State, president of the
Council of Ministers, first vice president
of the Council of Ministers, Council of
Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly of the People's Power (Asam-
blea Nacional del Poder Popular)
Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President of the Council of
State and President of the Council of
Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (became
Prime Minister in January 1959 and Pres-
ident since 2 December 1976); First Vice
President of the Council of State and
First Vice President of the Council of
Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since
2 December 1976)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Cuban Communist Party (PCC), Fidel
Castro Ruz, first secretary
Suffrage: universal at age 16
Elections: National Assembly of the Peo-
ple's Power — last held NA December
1986 (next to be held December 1991);
results — PCC is the only party; seats —
(510 total) PCC 510 (indirectly elected)
Communists: about 600,000 full and can-
didate members
Member of: CEMA, ECLA, FAO, G-77,
GATT, IADB (nonparticipant), IAEA,
IBEC, ICAO, IFAD, ICO, IHO, ILO,
IMO, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC— Interna-
tional Wheat Council, NAM, OAS (non-
participant), PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: none; protect-
ing power in the US is Czechoslovakia —
Cuban Interests Section; Counselor Jose
Antonio Arbesu FRAGA; 2630 and 2639
16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009;
telephone (202) 797-8518 or 8519, 8520,
8609, 8610; US— protecting power in
Cuba is Switzerland — US Interests Sec-
tion; Principal Officer John J. TAYLOR;
Calzada entre L y M, Vedado Seccion,
Havana; telephone 320551 or 320543
Flag: five equal horizontal bands of blue
(top and bottom) alternating with white; a
red equilateral triangle based on the hoist
side bears a white five-pointed star in the
center
Economy
Overview: The Soviet-style economy, cen-
trally planned and largely state owned, is
highly dependent on the agricultural sec-
tor and foreign trade. Sugar provides
about 75% of export revenues and is
mostly exported to the USSR and other
CEMA countries. The economy has stag-
nated since 1985 under a program that
has deemphasized material incentives in
the workplace, abolished farmers' informal
produce markets, and raised prices of
government-supplied goods and services.
Castro has complained that the ongoing
CEMA reform process has interfered with
the regular flow of goods to Cuba. Re-
cently the government has been trying to
increase trade with Latin America and
China. Cuba has had difficulty servicing
its foreign debt since 1982. The govern-
ment currently is encouraging foreign in-
vestment in tourist facilities. Other invest-
ment priorities include sugar, basic foods,
and nickel. The annual $4 billion Soviet
subsidy, a main prop to Cuba's threadbare
economy, may be cut in view of the
USSR's mounting economic problems.
GNP: $20.9 billion, per capita $2,000; real
growth rate - 1% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment: 6% overall, 10% for
women (1989)
Budget: revenues $11.7 billion; expendi-
tures $13.5 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports: $5.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— sugar, nickel, shellfish, citrus,
tobacco, coffee; partners — USSR 67%,
GDR 6%, China 4% (1988)
Imports: $7.6 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— capital goods, industrial raw
materials, food, petroleum; partners —
USSR 71%, other Communist countries
15% (1988)
External debt: $6.8 billion (convertible
currency, July 1989)
Industrial production: 3% (1988)
Electricity: 3,991,000 kW capacity;
14,972 million kWh produced, 1,425 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: sugar milling, petroleum re-
fining, food and tobacco processing, tex-
tiles, chemicals, paper and wood products,
metals (particularly nickel), cement, fertil-
izers, consumer goods, agricultural ma-
chinery
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GNP
(including fishing and forestry); key com-
mercial crops — sugarcane, tobacco, and
citrus fruits; other products — coffee, rice,
potatoes, meat, beans; world's largest
sugar exporter; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $657.5 million; Communist countries
(1970-88), $13.5 billion
Currency: Cuban peso (plural — pesos); 1
Cuban peso (Cu$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Cuban pesos (Cu$) per
US$1— 1.0000 (linked to the US dollar)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 14,925 km total; Cuban Na-
tional Railways operates 5,295 km of
1.435-meter gauge track; 199 km electri-
fied; 9,630 km of sugar plantation lines of
0.914-1.435-meter gauge
Highways: about 21,000 km total; 9,000
km paved, 12,000 km gravel and earth
surfaced
Inland waterways: 240 km
Ports: Cienfuegos, Havana, Mariel, Ma-
tanzas, Santiago de Cuba; 7 secondary, 35
minor
Merchant marine: 91 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 701,418 GRT/ 1,0 14,0 14
DWT; includes 62 cargo, 7 refrigerated
cargo, 3 cargo/training, 10 petroleum,
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chem-
76
Cyprus
ical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 6 bulk; note —
Cuba beneficially owns an additional 34
ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling
475,864 DWT under the registry of Pan-
ama, Cyprus, and Malta
Civil air 59 major transport aircraft
Airports: 197 total, 168 usable; 72 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 150 AM, 5
FM, 58 TV; 1,530,000 TV sets; 2,140,000
radio receivers; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Revolutionary Armed Forces
(Ground Forces, Revolutionary Navy, Air
and Air Defense Force), Ministry of Inte-
rior Special Troops, Border Guard Troops,
Territorial Militia Troops, Youth Labor
Army
Military manpower eligible 15-49,
6,027,131; of the 3,024,385 males 15-49,
1,897,175 are fit for military service; of
the 3,002,746 females 15-49, 1,879,471
are fit for military service; 96,319 males
and 92,765 females reach military age
(17) annually
Defense expenditures: about 6% of GNP,
or $1.2-$1.4 billion (1989 est.)
50km
Mediterranean Sea
United Nation
Buffer Zone
ilikos
Mediterranean Sea
See refional m«p VI
Geography
Total area: 9,250 km2; land area: 9,240
km2
Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size
of Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 648 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: 1974 hostilities divided the is-
land into two de facto autonomous ar-
eas— a Greek area controlled by the Cyp-
riot Government (60% of the island's land
area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (35% of
the island) that are separated by a narrow
UN buffer zone; in addition, there are two
UK sovereign base areas (about 5% of the
island's land area)
Climate: temperate, Mediterranean with
hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters
Terrain: central plain with mountains to
north and south
Natural resources: copper, pyrites, asbes-
tos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay
earth pigment
Land use: 40% arable land; 7% permanent
crops; 10% meadows and pastures; 18%
forest and woodland; 25% other; includes
10% irrigated (most irrigated lands are in
the Turkish-Cypriot area of the island)
Environment: moderate earthquake activ-
ity; water resource problems (no natural
reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in
rainfall, and most potable resources con-
centrated in the Turkish-Cypriot area)
People
Population: 707,776 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 19 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Cypriot(s); adjective —
Cypriot
Ethnic divisions: 78% Greek; 18% Turkish;
4% other
Religion: 78% Greek Orthodox; 18% Mus-
lim; 4% Maronite, Armenian, Apostolic,
and other
Language: Greek, Turkish, English
Literacy: 99% (est.)
Labor force: Greek area— 25 1 ,406; 42%
services, 33% industry, 22% agriculture;
Turkish area— N A (1986)
Organized labor: 156,000 (1985 est.)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Cyprus
Type: republic; a disaggregation of the
two ethnic communities inhabiting the
island began after the outbreak of com-
munal strife in 1963; this separation was
further solidified following the Turkish
invasion of the island in July 1974, which
gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control
in the north; Greek Cypriots control the
only internationally recognized govern-
ment; on 15 November 1983 Turkish
Cypriot President Rauf Denktash declared
independence and the formation of a
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,
which has been recognized only by Tur-
key; both sides publicly call for the resolu-
tion of intercommunal differences and cre-
ation of a new federal system of
government
Capital: Nicosia
Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Fama-
gusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nico-
sia, Paphos
Independence: 16 August 1960 (from UK)
Constitution: 16 August 1960; negotiations
to create the basis for a new or revised
constitution to govern the island and to
better relations between Greek and Turk-
ish Cypriots have been held intermittently;
in 1975 Turkish Cypriots created their
own Constitution and governing bodies
within the Turkish Federated State of Cy-
prus, which was renamed the Turkish Re-
public of Northern Cyprus in 1983; a new
Constitution for the Turkish area passed
by referendum in May 1985
Legal system: based on common law, with
civil law modifications
National holiday: Independence Day, 1
October
Executive branch: president, Council of
Ministers (cabinet); note — there is a presi-
77
Cyprus (continued)
dent, prime minister, and Council of Min-
isters (cabinet) in the Turkish area
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Representatives (Vouli Antiprosopon);
note — there is a unicameral Assembly of
the Republic (Cumhuriyet Meclisi) in the
Turkish area
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; note —
there is also a Supreme Court in the
Turkish area
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment—President George VASSILIOU
(since February 1988); note— Rauf R. DE-
NKTAS was proclaimed President of the
Turkish area on 13 February 1975
Political parties and leaders: Greek Cyp-
riot — Progressive Party of the Working
People (AKEL; Communist Party), Dimi-
trios Christotias, Democratic Rally
(DESY), Glafkos Clerides; Democratic
Party (DEKO), Spyros Kyprianou; United
Democratic Union of the Center (EDEK),
Vassos Lyssarides;
Turkish area — National Unity Party
(NUP), Dervis Eroglu; Communal Libera-
tion Party (CLP), Ismail Bozkurt; Repub-
lican Turkish Party (RTP), Ozker Ozgur;
New Birth Party (NBP), Aytac
Besheshler; New Cyprus savey (NCP),
Alpay Durduran
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 14 Febru-
ary and 21 February 1988 (next to be held
February 1993); results — George Vassiliou
52%, Glafkos Clerides 48%;
House of Representatives — last held 8
December 1985 (next to be held Decem-
ber 1990); results— Democratic Rally
33.56%, Democratic Party 27.65%, AKEL
27.43%, EDEK 11.07%; seats— (56 total)
Democratic Rally 19, Democratic Party
16, AKEL (Communist) 15, EDEK 6;
Turkish Area: President — last held 9
June 1985 (next to be held June 1990);
results— Rauf Denktash 70%;
Turkish Area: Legislative Assembly — last
held 23 June 1985 (next to be held June
1 990); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats — (50 total) National Unity
Party (conservative) 24, Republican Turk-
ish Party (Communist) 1 2, Communal
Liberation Party (center-right) 10, New
Birth Party 4
Communists: about 1 2,000
Other political or pressure groups: United
Democratic Youth Organization (EDON;
Communist controlled); Union of Cyprus
Farmers (EKA; Communist controlled);
Cyprus Farmers Union (PEK; pro- West);
Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation (PEO;
Communist controlled); Confederation of
Cypriot Workers (SEK; pro- West); Feder-
ation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions
(Turk-Sen); Confederation of Revolution-
ary Labor Unions (Dev-Is)
Member of: CCC, Commonwealth, Coun-
cil of Europe, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO,
WTO; Turkish Federated State of Cy-
prus— OIC (observer)
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Michael E. SHERIFIS; Chancery at 221 1
R Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 462-5772; there is a Cyp-
riot Consulate General in New York;
US — (vacant); Embassy at the corner of
Therissos Street and Dositheos Street, Ni-
cosia (mailing address is FPO New York
09530); telephone [357] (2) 465151
Flag: white with a copper-colored silhou-
ette of the island (the name Cyprus is de-
rived from the Greek word for copper)
above two green crossed olive branches in
the center of the flag; the branches sym-
bolize the hope for peace and reconcilia-
tion between the Greek and Turkish com-
munities
Economy
Overview: These data are for the area con-
trolled by the Republic of Cyprus (infor-
mation on the northern Turkish-Cypriot
area is sparse). The economy is small, di-
versified, and prosperous. Industry con-
tributes about 28% to GDP and employs
35% of the labor force, while the service
sector contributes about 55% to GDP and
employs 40% of the labor force. Rapid
growth in exports of agricultural and
manufactured products and in tourism
have played important roles in the average
6% rise in GDP in recent years. While
this growth put considerable pressure on
prices and the balance of payments, the
inflation rate has remained low and the
balance-of-payments deficit manageable.
GDP: $4.2 billion, per capita $6,100; real
growth rate 6.9% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.8% (1988)
Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures
$1.4 billion, including capital expenditures
of $178 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $767 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— citrus, potatoes, grapes, wine,
cement, clothing and shoes; partners —
Middle East and North Africa 37%, UK
27%, other EC 1 1%, US 2%
Imports: $1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— consumer goods 23%, petro-
leum and lubricants 1 2%, food and feed
grains, machinery; partners — EC 60%,
Middle East and North Africa 7%, US
4%
External debt: $2.8 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.5%
(1988)
Electricity: 620,000 kW capacity; 1,770
million kWh produced, 2,530 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: mining (iron pyrites, gypsum,
asbestos); manufactured products — bever-
ages, footwear, clothing, and cement — are
principally for local consumption
Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GDP and
employs 22% of labor force; major
crops — potatoes, vegetables, barley,
grapes, olives, and citrus fruits; vegetables
and fruit provide 25% of export revenues
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $272 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $223 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $62 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $24 mil-
lion
Currency: Cypriot pound (plural — pounds)
and in Turkish area, Turkish lira
(plural — liras); 1 Cypriot pound (£C) =
100 cents and 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100
kuru$
Exchange rates: Cypriot pounds (£C) per
US$1— 0.4854 (January 1990), 0.4933
(1989), 0.4663 (1988), 0.4807 (1987),
0.5167 (1986), 0.6095 (1985); in Turkish
area, Turkish liras (TL) per US$1—
2,314.7 (November 1989), 1,422.3 (1988),
857.2 (1987), 674.5 (1986), 522.0 (1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Highways: 10,780 km total; 5,170 km bi-
tuminous surface treated; 5,610 km
gravel, crushed stone, and earth
Ports: Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Li-
massol, Paphos
Merchant marine: 1,100 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 18,093,340 GRT/
32,148,550 DWT; includes 1 passenger,
1 2 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo,
434 cargo, 61 refrigerated cargo, 18 roll-
on/roll-off cargo, 40 container, 94 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1
specialized cargo, 3 liquefied gas, 1 3
chemical tanker, 29 combination ore/oil,
341 bulk, 3 vehicle carrier, 48 combina-
tion bulk carrier; note — a flag of conve-
nience registry; Cuba owns at least 20 of
these ships and Yugoslavia owns 1
Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft
Airports: 13 total, 13 usable; 10 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
78
Czechoslovakia
Telecommunications: excellent in the area
controlled by the Cypriot Government
(Greek area), moderately good in the
Turkish-Cypriot administered area;
210,000 telephones; stations — 13 AM, 7 (7
repeaters) FM, 2 (40 repeaters) TV; tropo-
spheric scatter circuits to Greece and Tur-
key; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite
earth stations— INTELSAT, 1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, and EUTEL-
SAT systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Cyprus National Guard; Turk-
ish area — Turkish Cypriot Security Force
Military manpower males 15-49, 180,946;
125,044 fit for military service; 5,083
reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2% of GDP, or $84
million (1990est.)
200km
Ostrava
See regional
Geography
Total area: 127,870 km2; land area:
125,460km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
New York State
Land boundaries: 3,446 km total; Austria
548 km, GDR 459 km, Hungary 676 km,
Poland 1,309 km, USSR 98 km, FRG 356
km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: Nagymaros Dam dispute with
Hungary
Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold,
cloudy, humid winters
Terrain: mixture of hills and mountains
separated by plains and basins
Natural resources: coal, timber, lignite,
uranium, magnesite, iron ore, copper, zinc
Land use: 40% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 37%
forest and woodland; 9% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: infrequent earthquakes; acid
rain; water pollution; air pollution
Note: landlocked; strategically located
astride some of oldest and most significant
land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a
traditional military corridor between the
North European Plain and the Danube in
central Europe
People
Population: 15,683,234 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 1 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 1 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Czechoslovak^); adjec-
tive— Czechoslovak
Ethnic divisions: 64.3% Czech, 30.5% Slo-
vak, 3.8% Hungarian, 0.4% German, 0.4%
Polish, 0.3% Ukrainian, 0.1% Russian,
0.2% other (Jewish, Gypsy)
Religion: 50% Roman Catholic, 20% Prot-
estant, 2% Orthodox, 28% other
Language: Czech and Slovak (official),
Hungarian
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 8,200,000 (1987); 36.9% in-
dustry, 12.3% agriculture, 50.8% construc-
tion, communications, and other (1982)
Organized labor: Revolutionary Trade
Union Movement (ROH), formerly
regime-controlled; other industry-specific
strike committees; new independent trade
unions forming
Government
Long-form name: Czechoslovak Socialist
Republic; abbreviated CSSR; note — on 23
March 1990 the name was changed to
Czechosovak Federative Republic; because
of Slovak concerns about their status in
the Federation, the Federal Assembly ap-
proved the name Czech and Slovak Feder-
ative Republic on 20 April 1990
Type: in transition from Communist state
to republic
Capital: Prague
Administrative divisions: 2 socialist repub-
lics (socialisticke republiky, singular —
socialisticka republika); Ceska
Socialisticka Republika, Slovenska Socia-
listicka Republika
Independence: 18 October 1918 (from
Austro-Hungarian Empire)
Constitution: 1 1 July 1960; amended in
1968 and 1970; new constitution under
review (1 January 1990)
Legal system: civil law system based on
Austro-Hungarian codes, modified by
Communist legal theory; no judicial re-
view of legislative acts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Holiday of the
Republic (Anniversary of the Liberation),
9 May (1945)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal As-
sembly (Federalni Shromazdeni) consists
of an upper house or House of Nations
(Snfimovna Narodu) and a lower house or
House of the People (Sncmovna Lidu)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Vaclav
HAVEL (since 28 December 1989);
Head of Government — Premier Marian
CALFA (since 10 December 1989); First
Deputy Premier Valtr KOMAREK (since
79
Czechoslovakia (continued)
7 December 1989); Jan
CARNOGURSKY (since 7 December
1989)
Political parties and leaders: Civic Forum,
since December 1989 leading political
force, loose coalition of former opposition-
ists headed by President Vaclav Havel;
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
(KSC), Ladislav Adamec, chairman (since
20 December 1989); KSC toppled from
power in November 1989 by massive anti-
regime demonstrations, minority role in
coalition government since 10 December
1989
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 22 May
1985 (next to be held 8 June 1990; will be
a free election); results — Gustav Husak
was reelected without opposition;
Federal Assembly — last held 23 and 24
May 1986 (next to be held 8 June 1990;
will be a free election); results — KSC was
the only party; seats— (350 total) KSC
350
Communists: 1.71 million party members
(April 1988) and falling
Other political groups: Czechoslovak So-
cialist Party, Czechoslovak People's Party,
Slovak Freedom Party, Slovak Revival
Party, Christian Democratic Party; more
than 40 political groups are expected to
field candidates for the 8 June 1990 elec-
tion
Member of: CCC, CEMA, FAO, GATT,
IAEA, IBEC, ICAO, ICO, ILO, ILZSG,
IMO, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw Pact, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Rita KLIMOVA; Chancery at 3900 Lin-
nean Avenue NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 363-6315 or 6316;
US — Ambassador Shirley Temple
BLACK; Embassy at Trziste 15-12548,
Prague (mailing address is APO New
York 09213); telephone [42] (2) 53 6641
through 6649
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white
(top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle
based on the hoist side
Economy
Overview: Czechoslovakia is highly indus-
trialized and has a well-educated and
skilled labor force. Its industry, transport,
energy sources, banking, and most other
means of production are state owned. The
country is deficient, however, in energy
and many raw materials. Moreover, its
aging capital plant lags well behind West
European standards. Industry contributes
over 50% to GNP and construction 10%.
About 95% of agricultural land is in col-
lectives or state farms. The centrally
planned economy has been tightly linked
in trade (80%) to the USSR and Eastern
Europe. Growth has been sluggish, aver-
aging less than 2% in the period 1982-89.
GNP per capita ranks next to the GDR as
the highest in the Communist countries.
As in the rest of Eastern Europe, the
sweeping political changes of 1989 have
been disrupting normal channels of supply
and compounding the government's eco-
nomic problems. Czechoslovakia is begin-
ning the difficult transition from a com-
mand to a market economy.
GNP: $123.2 billion, per capita $7,878;
real growth rate 1.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 .5%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 0.9% (1987)
Budget: revenues $22.4 billion; expendi-
tures $21.9 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $3.7 billion (1986 state bud-
get)
Exports: $24.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and equipment
58.5%; industrial consumer goods 15.2%;
fuels, minerals, and metals 10.6%; agricul-
tural and forestry products 6.1%, other
products 15.2%; partners— USSR, GDR,
Poland, Hungary, FRG, Yugoslavia, Aus-
tria, Bulgaria, Romania, US
Imports: $23.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— -machinery and equipment
41.6%; fuels, minerals, and metals 32.2%;
agricultural and forestry products 11.5%;
industrial consumer goods 6.7%; other
products 8.0%; partners— USSR, GDR,
Poland, Hungary, FRG, Yugoslavia, Aus-
tria, Bulgaria, Romania, US
External debt: $7.4 billion, hard currency
indebtedness (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.1%
(1988)
Electricity: 22,955,000 kW capacity;
85,000 million kWh produced, 5,410 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: iron and steel, machinery and
equipment, cement, sheet glass, motor ve-
hicles, armaments, chemicals, ceramics,
wood, paper products, footwear
Agriculture: accounts for 1 5% of GNP
(includes forestry); largely self-sufficient in
food production; diversified crop and live-
stock production, including grains, pota-
toes, sugar beets, hops, fruit, hogs, cattle,
and poultry; exporter of forest products
Aid: donor — $4.2 billion in bilateral aid to
non-Communist less developed countries
(1954-88)
Currency: koruna (plural — koruny); 1 ko-
runa (Kc) = 100 halefu
Exchange rates: koruny (Kcs) per US$1—
17.00 (March 1990), 10.00(1989), 5.63
(1988), 5.43 (1987), 5.95 (1986), 6.79
(1985), 6.65 (1984)
Fiscal year calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 13,116 km total; 12,868 km
1.435-meter standard gauge, 102 km
1.524-meter broad gauge, 146 km 0.750-
and 0.760-meter narrow gauge; 2,854 km
double track; 3,530 km electrified; govern-
ment owned (1986)
Highways: 73,805 km total; including 489
km superhighway (1986)
Inland waterways: 475 km (1986); the Elbe
(Label is the principal river
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,448 km; refined
products, 1 ,500 km; natural gas, 8,000 km
Ports: maritime outlets are in Poland
(Gdynia, Gdansk, Szczecin), Yugoslavia
(Rijeka, Koper), FRG (Hamburg), GDR
(Rostock); principal river ports are Prague
on the Vltava, Dficin on the Elbe (Labe),
Komarno on the Danube, Bratislava on
the Danube
Merchant marine: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 208,471 CRT/ 308,072
DWT; includes 15 cargo, 6 bulk
Civil air 40 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 58 total, 1 58 usable; 40 with
permanent-surface runways; 19 with run-
ways 2,440-3,659 m; 37 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 58 AM, 16
FM, 45 TV; 14 Soviet TV relays;
4,360,000 TV sets; 4,208,538 radio receiv-
ers; at least 1 satellite earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Czechoslovak People's Army,
Frontier Guard, Air and Air Defense
Forces
Military manpower males 15-49,
4,019,31 1; 3,076,735 fit for military ser-
vice; 137,733 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 28.4 billion koruny,
7% of total budget (1989); note — conver-
sion of the military budget into US dollars
using the official administratively set ex-
change rate would produce misleading
results
80
Denmark
Skagerrak
100 km
Faroe Islands and
Greenland are separate
entries
sec regional mtp V
Geography
Total area: 43,070 km2; land area: 42,370
km2; includes the island of Bornholtn in
the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropoli-
tan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Is-
lands and Greenland
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of Massachusetts
Land boundaries: 68 km with FRG
Coastline: 3,379 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 4 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: Rockall continental shelf dispute
involving Iceland, Ireland, and the UK
(Ireland and the UK have signed a bound-
ary agreement in the Rockall area); Den-
mark has challenged Norway's maritime
claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen
Climate: temperate; humid and overcast;
mild, windy winters and cool summers
Terrain: low and flat to gently rolling
plains
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas,
fish, salt, limestone
Land use: 61% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 6% meadows and pastures;
12% forest and woodland; 21% other; in-
cludes 9% irrigated
Environment: air and water pollution
Note: controls Danish Straits linking Bal-
tic and North Seas
People
Population: 5,131,217 (July 1990), growth
rate NEGL% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Danc(s); adjective —
Danish
Ethnic divisions: Scandinavian, Eskimo,
Faroese, German
Religion: 97% Evangelical Lutheran, 2%
other Protestant and Roman Catholic, 1%
other
Language: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic
(an Eskimo dialect); small
German-speaking minority
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 2,760,000; 51% services, 34%
industry, 8% government, 7% agriculture,
forestry, and fishing (1988)
Organized labor: 65% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Denmark
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Copenhagen
Administrative divisions: metropolitan
Denmark — 14 counties (amter, singular —
amt) and 1 city* (stad); Arhus, Bornholm,
Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kebenhavn, Nordjyl-
land, Ribe, Ringkebing, Roskilde, S0n-
derjylland, Staden Kebenhavn*,
Storstrem, Vejle, Vestsjaelland, Viborg;
note — see separate entries for the Faroe
Islands and Greenland which are part of
the Danish realm and self-governing ad-
ministrative divisions
Independence: became a constitutional
monarchy in 1 849
Constitution: 5 June 1953
Legal system: civil law system; judicial
review of legislative acts; accepts compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Birthday of the Queen,
16 April (1940)
Executive branch: monarch, heir apparent,
prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
(Folketing)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen MAR-
GRETHE II (since January 1972); Heir
Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, el-
der son of the Queen (born 26 May 1968);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Poul SCHLUTER (since 10 September
1982)
Political parties and leaders: Social Demo-
cratic, Svend Auken; Liberal, Uffe
Ellemann- Jensen; Conservative, Poul Sch-
luter; Radical Liberal, Niels Helveg Pe-
tersen; Socialist People's, Gert Petersen;
Communist, Ole Sohn; Left Socialist, Eli-
zabeth Brun Olesen; Center Democratic,
Mimi Stilling Jakobsen; Christian Peo-
ple's, Flemming Kofoed-Svendsen; Justice,
Poul Gerhard Kristiansen; Progress Party,
Aage Brusgaard; Socialist Workers Party,
leader NA; Communist Workers' Party
(KAP); Common Course, Preben Mailer
Hansen; Green Party, Inger Borlehmann
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: Parliament — last held 10 May
1988 (next to be held by May 1992); re-
sults— Social Democratic 29.9%, Conser-
vative 19.3%, Socialist People's 13.0%,
Liberal 11.8%, Radical Liberal 9.0%,
Center Democratic 5.6%, Christian Peo-
ple's 2.0%, Common Course 2.7%, other
6.7%; seats — (175 total; includes 2 from
Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands)
Social Democratic 55, Conservative 35,
Socialist People's 24, Liberal 22, Progress
16, Radical Liberal 10, Center Demo-
cratic 9, Christian People's 4
Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Eu-
rope, DAC, EC, EMS, ESA, FAO,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO,
ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB, Inter-American
Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO,
ITC, ITU, IWC— International Wheat
Council, NATO, Nordic Council, OECD,
UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Peter Pedersen DYVIG; Chancery at
3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washing-
ton DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-4300;
there are Danish Consulates General at
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New
York; US— Ambassador Keith L.
BROWN; Embassy at Dag Hammarsk-
jolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen O
(mailing address is APO New York
09170); telephone [45] (31) 42 31 44
Flag: red with a white cross that extends
to the edges of the flag; the vertical part
of the cross is shifted to the hoist side and
that design element of the Dannebrog
(Danish flag) was subsequently adopted by
the other Nordic countries of Finland,
Iceland, Norway, and Sweden
Economy
Overview: This modern economy features
high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-
scale and corporate industry, extensive
government welfare measures, comfortable
living standards, and high dependence on
foreign trade. Growth in output, however,
has been sluggish in 1987-89, and unem-
ployment in early 1989 stood at 9.6% of
the labor force. The government is trying
to revitalize growth in preparation for the
economic integration of Europe in 1992.
GDP: $73.7 billion, per capita $14,300;
real growth rate 1.4% (1989 est.)
81
Denmark (continued)
Djibouti
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.25%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.6% (1989)
Budget: revenues S34 billion; expenditures
S34 billion, including capital expenditures
of $19 billion (1988)
Exports: $27.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — meat and meat products,
dairy products, transport equipment, fish,
chemicals, industrial machinery;
partners— US 6.0%, FRG, Norway, Swe-
den, UK, other EC, Japan
Imports: S26.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities — petroleum, machinery and
equipment, chemicals, grain and
foodstuffs, textiles, paper; partners — US
7.0%, FRG, Netherlands, Sweden, UK,
other EC
External debt: $41.1 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.9%
(1988)
Electricity: 1 1,215,000 kW capacity;
30,910 million kWh produced, 6,030 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, machinery and
equipment, textiles and clothing, chemical
products, electronics, construction, furni-
ture, and other wood products
Agriculture: accounts for 7% of GNP and
employs 1 .8% of labor force (includes
fishing); farm products account for nearly
16% of export revenues; principal prod-
ucts— meat, dairy, grain, potatoes, rape,
sugar beets, fish; self-sufficient in food
production
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87) $4.8 billion
Currency: Danish krone (plural — kroner);
1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ere
Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per
US$1— 6.560 (January 1990), 7.310
(1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091
(1986), 10.596 (1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 2,675 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge; Danish State Railways (DSB) oper-
ate 2,025 km (1,999 km rail line and 121
km rail ferry services); 1 88 km electrified,
730 km double tracked; 650 km of
standard-gauge lines are privately owned
and operated
Highways: 66,482 km total; 64,551 km
concrete, bitumen, or stone block; 1,931
km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth
Inland waterways: 417 km
Pipelines: crude oil, 1 10 km; refined prod-
ucts, 578 km; natural gas, 700 km
Ports: Alborg, Arhus, Copenhagen, Esb-
jerg, Fredericia; numerous secondary and
minor ports
Merchant marine: 252 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 4,498,61 1 GRT/
6,711,011 DWT; includes 12 short-sea
passenger, 82 cargo, 15 refrigerated cargo,
28 container, 36 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1
railcar carrier, 37 petroleum, oils, and lu-
bricants (POL) tanker, 1 3 chemical
tanker, 1 2 liquefied gas, 4 livestock car-
rier, 1 2 bulk; note — Denmark has created
a captive register called the Danish Inter-
national Ship Register (DIS) as its own
internal register; DIS ships do not have to
meet Danish manning regulations, and
they amount to a flag of convenience
within the Danish register; by the end of
1990, most Danish flag ships will belong
to the DIS
Civil air. 58 major transport aircraft
Airports: 130 total, 114 usable; 27 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent telephone,
telegraph, and broadcast services;
4,237,000 telephones; stations — 2 AM, 1 5
(39 repeaters) FM, 27 (25 repeaters) TV
stations; 7 submarine coaxial cables; 1
satellite earth station operating in
INTELSAT, 4 Atlantic Ocean, EUTEL-
SAT, and domestic systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Danish Army, Royal
Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1,368,013; 1,180,865 fit for military ser-
vice; 37,228 reach military age (20) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GDP, or
$1.5 billion (1989 est.)
Srr regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 22,000 km2; land area: 21,980
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Massachusetts
Land boundaries: 517 km total; Ethiopia
459 km, Somalia 58 km
Coastline: 314 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: possible claim by Somalia based
on unification of ethnic Somalis
Climate: desert; torrid, dry
Terrain: coastal plain and plateau sepa-
rated by central mountains
Natural resources: geothermal areas
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 9% meadows and pastures;
NEGL% forest and woodland; 91% other
Environment: vast wasteland
Note: strategic location near world's busi-
est shipping lanes and close to Arabian
oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethio-
pia
People
Population: 337,386 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 17 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 119 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 46 years male,
49 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Djiboutian(s); adjec-
tive— Djiboutian
82
Ethnic divisions: 60% Somali (Issa); 35%
Afar, 5% French, Arab, Ethiopian, and
Italian
Religion: 94% Muslim, 6% Christian
Language: French (official); Arabic, So-
mali, and Afar widely used
Literacy: 20%
Labor force: NA, but a small number of
semiskilled laborers at the port and 3,000
railway workers; 52% of population of
working age (1983)
Organized labor: 3,000 railway workers
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Djibouti
Type: republic
Capital: Djibouti
Administrative divisions: 5 districts (cer-
cles, singular — cercle); 'Ali Sahih, Dikhil,
Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura
Independence: 27 June 1977 (from France;
formerly French Territory of the Afars
and Issas)
Constitution: partial constitution ratified
January 1981 by the Chamber of Depu-
ties
Legal system: based on French civil law
system, traditional practices, and Islamic
law
National holiday: Independence Day, 27
June (1977)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: Chamber of Deputies
(Chambre des Deputes)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Has-
san GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June
1977);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Barkat GOURAD Hamadou (since 30
September 1978)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
People's Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan
Gouled Aptidon
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: President — last held 24 April
1987 (next to be held April 1993);
results — President Hassan Gouled Apti-
don was reelected without opposition;
Chamber of Deputies — last held 24 April
1987 (next to be held April 1992);
results — RPP is the only party; seats — (65
total) RPP 65
Communists: NA
Member of: ACP, AfDB, Arab League,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB—
Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU,
NAM, OAU, QIC, UN, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Roble OLHAYE; Chancery (temporary)
at the Djiboutian Permanent Mission to
the UN; 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite
4011, New York, NY 10017; telephone
(212) 753-3163; US— Ambassador Robert
S. BARRETT IV; Embassy at Villa Pla-
teau du Serpent Boulevard, Marechal
Joffre, Djibouti (mailing address is B. P.
185, Djibouti); telephone [253] 35-38-49 or
35-39-95, 35-29-16, 35-29-17
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of light
blue (top) and light green with a white
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
bearing a red five-pointed star in the cen-
ter
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on service
activities connected with the country's
strategic location and status as a free
trade zone. Djibouti provides services as
both a transit port for the region and an
international transshipment and refueling
center. It has few natural resources and
little industry. The nation is, therefore,
heavily dependent on foreign assistance to
help support its balance of payments and
to finance development projects. An unem-
ployment rate of over 50% continues to be
a major problem.
GNP: $333 million, $1,070 per capita;
real growth rate -0.7% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: over 50% (1987)
Budget: revenues $117 million; expendi-
tures $163 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of $52 million (1987 est.)
Exports: $128 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— hides and skins, coffee (in tran-
sit); partners — Middle East 50%, Africa
43%, Western Europe 7%
Imports: $198 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— foods, beverages, transport
equipment, chemicals, petroleum products;
partners — EC 36%, Africa 21%, Bahrain
14%, Asia 12%, US 2%
External debt: $250 million (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate — 1 .6%
(1986)
Electricity: 110,000 kW capacity; 190 mil-
lion kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: limited to a few small-scale
enterprises, such as dairy products and
mineral-water bottling
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP;
scanty rainfall limits crop production to
mostly fruit and vegetables; half of popu-
lation pastoral nomads herding goats,
sheep, and camels; imports bulk of food
needs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY78-88), $36 million; Western (non-US)
countries, including ODA and OOF bilat-
eral commitments (1970-87), $962 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 mil-
lion; Communist countries (1970-88), $35
million
Currency: Djiboutian franc (plural —
francs); 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100
centimes
Exchange rates: Djiboutian francs (DF)
per US$1— 177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad
extends for 97 km through Djibouti
Highways: 2,900 km total; 280 km bitumi-
nous surface, 2,620 km improved or unim-
proved earth (1982)
Ports: Djibouti
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 12 total, 9 usable; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with permanent-
surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of urban
facilities in Djibouti and radio relay sta-
tions at outlying places; 7,300 telephones;
stations— 2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1
ARABSAT; 1 submarine cable to Saudi
Arabia
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force; para-
military National Security Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 88,132;
51,260 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: $29.9 million, 23%
of central government budget (1986)
83
Dominica
See regional map III
Geography
Total area: 750 km2; land area: 750 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than four
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 148 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast
trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic ori-
gin
Natural resources: timber
Land use: 9% arable land; 1 3% permanent
crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 41%
forest and woodland; 34% other
Environment: flash floods a constant haz-
ard; occasional hurricanes
Note: located 550 km southeast of Puerto
Rico in the Caribbean Sea
People
Population: 84,854 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 26 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —4 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 13 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Dominican(s); adjec-
tive— Dominican
Ethnic divisions: mostly black; some Carib
Indians
Religion: 80% Roman Catholic; Anglican,
Methodist
Language: English (official); French patois
widely spoken
Literacy: 80% (est.)
Labor force: 25,000; 40% agriculture, 32%
industry and commerce, 28% services
(1984)
Organized labor 25% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Commonwealth of Do-
minica
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Roseau
Administrative divisions: 10 parishes; Saint
Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint
John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint
Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint
Peter
Independence: 3 November 1978 (from
UK)
Constitution: 3 November 1978
Legal system: based on English common
law
National holiday: Independence Day, 3
November (1978)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Assembly (includes 9 appointed senators
and 21 elected representatives)
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Su-
preme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Sir
Clarence Augustus SEIGNORET (since
19 December 1983);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
(Mary) Eugenia CHARLES (since 21 July
1980)
Political parties and leaders: Dominica
Freedom Party (DFP), (Mary) Eugenia
Charles; Labor Party of Dominica (LPD,
a leftist-dominated coalition), Michael
Douglas; United Workers Party (UWP),
Edison James
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 20 Decem-
ber 1988 (next to be held December
1993); the president is elected by the
House of Assembly;
House of Assembly — last held 1 July
1985 (next to be held July 1990); results-
percent of vote by party NA; seats — (21
total) DFP 17, LPD 4
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: Domi-
nica Liberation Movement (DLM), a
small leftist group
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, Common-
wealth, FAO, GATT (de facto), G-77,
IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTERPOL, OAS, OECS, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: there is no
Chancery in the US; US — no official pres-
ence since the Ambassador resides in
Bridgetown (Barbados), but travels fre-
quently to Dominica
Flag: green with a centered cross of three
equal bands — the vertical part is yellow
(hoist side), black, and white — the hori-
zontal part is yellow (top), black, and
white; superimposed in the center of the
cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou par-
rot encircled by 10 green five-pointed stars
edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the
10 administrative divisions (parishes)
Economy
Overview: The economy is dependent on
agriculture and thus is highly vulnerable
to climatic conditions. Agriculture
accounts for about 30% of GDP and em-
ploys 40% of the labor force. Principal
products include bananas, coconuts, citrus,
and root crops. In 1988 the economy
achieved a 5.6% growth in real GDP on
the strength of a boost in construction,
higher agricultural production, and
growth of the small manufacturing sector
based on soap and garment industries.
The tourist industry remains undeveloped
because of a rugged coastline and the lack
of an international-class airport.
GDP: $137 million, per capita $1,408; real
growth rate 5.6% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.9%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: 10% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $60 million; expenditures
$52 million, including capital expenditures
of $18 million (FY88)
Exports: $46 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— bananas, coconuts, grapefruit,
soap, galvanized sheets; partners — UK
72%, Jamaica 10%, OECS 6%, US 3%,
other 9%
Imports: $66.0 million (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— food, oils and fats, chemicals,
fuels and lubricants, manufactured goods,
machinery and equipment; partners — US
23%, UK 18%, CARICOM 15%, OECS
15%, Japan 5%, Canada 3%, other 21%
External debt: $63.6 million (December
1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.9% in
manufacturing (1987)
Electricity: 7,000 kW capacity; 16 million
kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: agricultural processing, tour-
ism, soap and other coconut-based prod-
ucts, cigars, pumice mining
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP;
principal crops — bananas, citrus fruit, co-
conuts, root crops; bananas provide the
bulk of export earnings; forestry and fish-
eries potential not exploited
84
Dominican Republic
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $109 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars
(ECS) per US$1— 2.70 (fixed rate since
1976)
Fiscal yean 1 July-30 June
Communications
Highways: 750 km total; 370 km paved,
380 km gravel and earth
Ports: Roseau, Portsmouth
Civil air NA
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 4,600 telephones in
fully automatic network; VHP and UHF
link to St. Lucia; new SHF links to Mar-
tinique and Guadeloupe; stations — 3 AM,
2 FM, 1 cable TV
Defense Forces
Branches: Commonwealth of Dominica
Police Force
Military manpower NA
Defense expenditures: NA
North Atlantic Ocean
.Puerto Plata
hia de Samana
Critto
i
Hi'spaniola *u VBo«
EMM Pin.
Liffo Cnriquilla DOMINGO M'Buev
Caribbean Sea
See regional map HI
Geography
Total area: 48,730 km2; land area: 48,380
km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of New Hampshire
Land boundary 275 km with Haiti
Coastline: 1,288 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: outer edge of conti-
nental margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal
temperature variation
Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains
with fertile valleys interspersed
Natural resources: nickel, bauxite, gold,
silver
Land use: 23% arable land; 7% permanent
crops; 43% meadows and pastures; 13%
forest and woodland; 14% other; includes
4% irrigated
Environment: subject to occasional hurri-
canes (July to October); deforestation
Note: shares island of Hispaniola with
Haiti (western one-third is Haiti, eastern
two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
People
Population: 7,240,793 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 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: 62 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male,
69 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Dominican(s); adjec-
tive— Dominican
Ethnic divisions: 73% mixed, 16% white,
11% black
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic
Language: Spanish
Literacy: 74%
Labor force: 2,300,000-2,600,000; 49%
agriculture, 33% services, 18% industry
(1986)
Organized labor: 12% of labor force (1989
est.)
Government
Long-form name: Dominican Republic (no
short-form name)
Type: republic
Capital: Santo Domingo
Administrative divisions: 29 provinces (pro-
vincias, singular — provincia) and 1
district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Bara-
hona, Dajabdn, Distrito Nacional*,
Duarte, Elias Pitta, El Seibo, Espaillat,
Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagra-
cia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trini-
dad Sanchez, Monsefior Nouel, Monte
Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia,
Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, Sanchez
Ramirez, San Cristobal, San Juan, San
Pedro De Macoris, Santiago, Santiago
Rodriguez, Valverde
Independence: 27 February 1 844 (from
Haiti)
Constitution: 28 November 1966
Legal system: based on French civil codes
National holiday: Independence Day, 27
February (1844)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of
an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and
lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies
(Camara de Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte
Suprema)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Joaquin BALAGUER
Ricardo (since 16 August 1986); Vice
President Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso
(since 16 August 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
Major parties — Social Christian Reform-
ist Party (PRSC), Joaquin Balaguer Ri-
cardo; Dominican Revolutionary Party
(PRD), which fractured in May 1989 with
the understanding that leading rivals Ja-
cobo Majluta and Jose Francisco Pefia
Gomez would run separately for president
at the head of the Independent Revolu-
tionary Party (PRI) and the Social Demo-
cratic Institutional Bloc (BIS),
respectively, and try to reconstitute the
PRD after the election; Dominican Liber-
ation Party (PLD), Juan Bosch Gavifto;
85
Dominican Republic (continued)
Minor parties — National Veterans and
Civilian Party (PNVC), Juan Rene Beau-
chanps Javier; The Structure (LE), Andres
Van Der Horst; Democratic Quisqueyan
Party (PQD), Elias Wessin Chavez; Con-
stitutional Action Party (PAC), Luis Ar-
zeno Rodriguez; National Progressive
Force (FNP), Marino Vinicio Castillo;
Popular Christian Party (PPC), Rogelio
Delgado Bogaert; Dominican Communist
Party (PCD), Narciso Isa Conde; Anti-
Imperialist Patriotic Union (UPA), Ivan
Rodriguez; in 1983 several leftist parties,
including the PCD, joined to form the Do-
minican Leftist Front (FID); however,
they still retain individual party structures
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
1 8 or if married; members of the armed
forces and police cannot vote
Elections: President — last held 16 May
1986 (next to be held May 1990);
results — Joaquin Balaguer (PRSC) 41.8%,
Jacobo Majluta (PRO) 39.7%, Juan Bosch
Gavifio(PLD) 18.5%;
Senate — last held 16 May 1986 (next to
be held May 1990); results — percent of
vote by party NA; seats— (30 total) PRSC
21, PRO 7, PLD2;
Chamber of Deputies — last held 16 May
1986 (next to be held May 1990);
results— PRSC 40.6%, PRO 33.5%, PLD
18.3%, LE 5.3%, other 2.3%; seats— (120
total) PRSC 56, PRO 48, PLD 16
Communists: an estimated 8,000 to 10,000
members in several legal and illegal fac-
tions; effectiveness limited by ideological
differences and organizational inadequa-
cies
Member of: FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB,
IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
IDB — Inter-American Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IRC,
ISO, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (serves
concurrently as Vice President); Chancery
at 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 332-6280; there
are Dominican Consulates General in Bos-
ton, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez
(Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New
York, Philadelphia, San Juan (Puerto
Rico), and Consulates in Charlotte Amalie
(Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston, Jack-
sonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, Ponce
(Puerto Rico), and San Francisco; US —
Ambassador Paul D. TAYLOR; Embassy
at the corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Pen-
son and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo
Domingo (mailing address is APO Miami
34041-0008); telephone [809] 541-2171
Flag: a centered white cross that extends
to the edges, divides the flag into four
rectangles — the top ones are blue (hoist
side) and red, the bottom ones are red
(hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms
is at the center of the cross
Economy
Overview: The economy is largely depen-
dent on the agricultural sector, which em-
ploys 50% of the labor force and provides
about half of export revenues. The princi-
pal commercial crop is sugarcane,
followed by coffee, cocoa, and tobacco.
Industry is based on the processing of ag-
ricultural products, durable consumer
goods, minerals, and chemicals. Rapid
growth of free trade zones has established
a significant expansion of manufacturing
for export, especially wearing apparel.
Over the past decade tourism has also in-
creased in importance and is a significant
earner of foreign exchange and a source
of new jobs. Unemployment is officially
reported at about 25%, but underemploy-
ment may be much higher.
GDP: $5.1 billion, per capita $790; real
growth rate 0.5% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 57.6%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1988)
Budget: revenues $413 million; expendi-
tures $522 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $218 million (1988)
Exports: $711 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— sugar, coffee, cocoa, gold, fer-
ronickel; partners — US, including Puerto
Rico, 74%
Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f.. 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton
and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuti-
cals; partners — US, including Puerto
Rico, 37% (1985)
External debt: $3.6 billion (1989) est.
Industrial production: growth rate 30%
(1987 est.)
Electricity: 1,376,000 kW capacity; 4,000
million kWh produced, 560 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: tourism, sugar processing, fer-
ronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement,
tobacco
Agriculture: accounts for 18% of GDP and
employs 49% of labor force; sugarcane
most important commercial crop, followed
by coffee, cotton, and cocoa; food crops —
rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; ani-
mal output — cattle, hogs, dairy products,
meat, eggs; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $529 million
Currency: Dominican peso (plural — pesos);
1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Dominican pesos per
US$1— 6.3400 (January 1990), 6.3400
(1989), 6.1 125 (1988), 3.8448 (1987),
2.9043(1986), 3.1126(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 1,655 km total in numerous
segments; 4 different gauges from 0.558 m
to 1.435 m
Highways: 12,000 km total; 5,800 km
paved, 5,600 km gravel and improved
earth, 600 km unimproved
Pipelines: crude oil, 96 km; refined prod-
ucts, 8 km
Ports: Santo Domingo, Haina, San Pedro
de Macoris, Puerto Plata
Merchant marine: 4 cargo ships (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 23,335 GRT/
40,297 DWT
Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
Airports: 44 total, 30 usable; 14 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: relatively efficient
domestic system based on islandwide radio
relay network; 190,000 telephones; sta-
tions—120 AM, no FM, 18 TV, 6 short-
wave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlan-
tic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower males 15-49,
1,912,101; 1,210,172 fit for military ser-
vice; 80,290 reach military age (18) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: 1.2% of GDP, or
$61 million (1989 est.)
86
Ecuador
oundary representation is
ithontative
Secretions! map IV
Islands not shown in true
geographical position
Galapagos Islands
Geography
Total area: 283,560 km2; land area:
276,840 km2; includes Galapagos Islands
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Nevada
Land boundaries: 2,010 km total; Colom-
bia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km
Coastline: 2,237 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: two sections of the boundary
with Peru are in dispute
Climate: tropical along coast becoming
cooler inland
Terrain: coastal plain (Costa),
inter-Andean central highlands (Sierra),
and flat to rolling eastern jungle (Oriente)
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber
Land use: 6% arable land; 3% permanent
crops; 17% meadows and pastures; 51%
forest and woodland; 23% other; includes
2% irrigated
Environment: subject to frequent earth-
quakes, landslides, volcanic activity; defor-
estation; desertification; soil erosion; peri-
odic droughts
Note: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active
volcano in world
People
Population: 10,506,668 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 30 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 61 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male,
68 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Ecuadorian(s); adjec-
tive— Ecuadorian
Ethnic divisions: 55% mestizo (mixed In-
dian and Spanish), 25% Indian, 10%
Spanish, 10% black
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic
Language: Spanish (official); Indian lan-
guages, especially Quechua
Literacy: 85% (1981)
Labor force: 2,800,000; 35% agriculture,
21% manufacturing, 16% commerce, 28%
services and other activities (1982)
Organized labor: less than 1 5% of labor
force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Ecuador
Type: republic
Capital: Quito
Administrative divisions: 21 provinces (pro-
vincias, singular — provincia); Azuay,
Bolivar, Cafiar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Co-
topaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos,
Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios,
Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo,
Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungura-
hua, Zamora-Chinchipe
Independence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain;
Battle of Pichincha)
Constitution: 10 August 1979
Legal system: based on civil law system;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion
National holiday: Independence Day, 10
August (1809, independence of Quito)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber
of Representatives (Camara de Represen-
tantes)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte
Suprema)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Rodrigo BORJA Ce-
vallos (since 10 August 1988); Vice Presi-
dent Luis PARODI Valverde (since 10
August 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Right to cen-
ter parties — Social Christian Party (PSC),
Camilio Ponce, president; Conservative
Party (PC), Jose Teran Varea, director;
Radical Liberal Party (PLR), Blasco Pe-
naherrera, director;
Centrist parties — Concentration of Popu-
lar Forces (CFP), Averroes Bucaram Sa-
xida, director; Radical Alfarist Front
(FRA), Cecilia Calderon de Castro,
leader; People, Change, and Democracy
(PCD), Aquiles Rigail Santistevan, direc-
tor; Revolutionary Nationalist Party
(PNR), Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy,
leader;
Center-left parties — Democratic Left (ID),
President Rodrigo Borja, leader; Roldosist
Party of Ecuador (PRE), Abdala Buca-
ram, director; Popular Democracy (DP),
Vladimiro Alvarez, leader; Christian
Democratic (CD), Julio Cesar Trujillo;
Democratic Party (PD), Francisco Huerta
Montalvo, leader;
Far-left parties — Broad Leftist Front
(FADI), Rene Mauge Mosquera, director;
Socialist Party (PSE), Victor Granda
Aguilar, secretary general; Democratic
Popular Movement (MPD), Jaime Hur-
tado Gonzalez, leader; Ecuadorian Na-
tional Liberation (LN), Alfredo Castillo;
Popular Revolutionary Action Party
(APRE), Lt. Gen. Frank Vargas Pazzos,
leader
Suffrage: universal at age 18; compulsory
for literate persons ages 18-65, optional
for other eligible voters
Elections: President — first round held 31
January 1988 and second round on 8 May
1988 (next first round to be held January
1992 and second round May 1992); re-
sults—Rodrigo Borja Cevallos (ID) 54%,
Abdala Bucaram Ortiz (PRE) 46%;
Chamber of Representatives — last held 3 1
January 1988 (next to be held June 1990);
results— ID 42%, PSC 1 1%, PRE 1 1%,
DP 9%, others 27%; seats— <71 total) ID
30, PRE 8, PSC 8, DP 7, CFP 6, PSE 4,
FADI 2, MPD 2, FRA 2, PCE 1, PLR 1;
note — with the addition of the new prov-
ince of Sucumbios there will be 72 seats
in the August 1990 election
Communists: Communist Party of Ecua-
dor (PCE, pro-Moscow), Rene Mauge
Mosquera, secretary general, 5,000 mem-
bers; Communist Party of Ecuador/
Marxist Leninist (PCMLE, Maoist), 3,000
members; Socialist Party of Ecuador
(PSE, pro-Cuba), 5,000 members (est.);
National Liberation Party (PLN, Commu-
nist), 5,000 members (est.)
Member of: Andean Pact, ECOSOC,
FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICO, IDA, I DB— Inter- American Devel-
opment Bank, I FAD, IFC, I HO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IRC, ITU, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPEC,
PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Jaime MONCAYO; Chancery at 2535
15th Street NW, Washington DC 20009;
telephone (202) 234-7200; there are Ecua-
dorian Consulates General in Chicago,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Or-
leans, New York, and San Francisco, and
a Consulate in San Diego; US —
Ambassador-designate Paul C.
LAMBERT; Embassy at Avenida Patria
1 20, on the corner of Avenida 1 2 de Octu-
bre, Quito (mailing address is P. O. Box
538, Quito, or APO Miami 34039); tele-
phone [593] (2) 562-890; there is a US
Consulate General in Guayaquil
87
Ecuador (continued)
Egypt
Flag: three horizontal bands of yellow
(top, double width), blue, and red with the
coat of arms superimposed at the center of
the flag; similar to the flag of Colombia
which is shorter and does not bear a coat
of arms
Economy
Overview: Ecuador continues to recover
from a 1986 drop in international oil
prices and a major earthquake in 1987
that interrupted oil exports for six months
and forced Ecuador to suspend foreign
debt payments. In 1988-89 oil exports re-
covered— accounting for nearly half of
Ecuador's total export revenues — and
Quito resumed full interest payments on
its official debt, and partial payments on
its commercial debt. The Borja adminis-
tration has pursued austere economic poli-
cies that have helped reduce inflation and
restore international reserves. Ecuador
was granted an IMF standby agreement
worth $135 million in 1989, and Quito
will seek to reschedule its foreign com-
mercial debt in 1 990.
GDP: $9.8 billion, per capita $935; real
growth rate 0.5% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 54%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 14.3% (1988)
Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures
$2.7 billion, including capital expenditures
of $601 million (1 988 est.)
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum 47%, coffee,
bananas, cocoa products, shrimp, fish
products; partners — US 58%, Latin Amer-
ica, Caribbean, EC countries
Imports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— transport equipment, vehicles,
machinery, chemical, petroleum;
partners — US 28%, Latin America, Car-
ibbean, EC, Japan
External debt: $10.9 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.7%
(1988)
Electricity: 1,953,000 kW capacity; 5,725
million kWh produced, 560 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: food processing, textiles, chemi-
cals, fishing, timber, petroleum
Agriculture: accounts for 1 8% of GDP and
35% of labor force (including fishing and
forestry); leading producer and exporter of
bananas and balsawood; other exports —
coffee, cocoa, fish, shrimp; crop produc-
tion— rice, potatoes, manioc, plantains,
sugarcane; livestock sector — cattle, sheep,
hogs, beef, pork, dairy products; net im-
porter of foodgrain, dairy products, and
sugar
Illicit drugs: relatively small producer of
coca following the successful eradication
campaign of 1985-87; significant transit
country, however, for derivatives of coca
originating in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $457 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.4 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $64 mil-
lion
Currency: sucre (plural — sucres); 1 Sucre
(S/) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: sucres (S/) per US$1—
526.35 (1989), 301.61 (1988), 170.46
(1987), 122.78 (1986), 69.56 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 965 km total; all 1 .067-meter-
gauge single track
Highways: 28,000 km total; 3,600 km
paved, 17,400 km gravel and improved
earth, 7,000 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 1,500 km
Pipelines: crude oil, 800 km; refined prod-
ucts, 1,358 km
Ports: Guayaquil, Manta, Puerto Bolivar,
Esmeraldas
Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 340,446 GRT/492,670
DWT; includes 1 passenger, 7 cargo, 17
refrigerated cargo, 2 container, 1 roll-on/
roll-off cargo, 16 petroleum, oils, and lu-
bricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker,
1 liquefied gas, 1 bulk
Civil air: 44 major transport aircraft
Airports: 179 total, 178 usable; 43 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic facilities
generally adequate; 318,000 telephones;
stations— 272 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 39
shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Ecuadorean Army (Ejercito
Ecuatoriano), Ecuadorean Air Force
(Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana), Ecuadorean
Navy (Armada Ecuatoriana)
Military manpower males 15-49,
2,635,543; 1,786,068 fit for military ser-
vice; 114,976 reach military age (20) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 1% of GDP, or
$100 million (1988 est.)
Mediterranean
Sea
Bur Safajah
Al Kharijah^ .Luxor
A.wan
Sec rtfionil imp VI and VI]
not necessarily authoritative
Geography
Total area: 1,001,450 km2; land area:
995,450 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
three times the size of New Mexico
Land boundaries: 2,689 km total; Gaza
Strip 11, Israel 255 km, Libya 1,150 km,
Sudan 1,273 km
Coastline: 2,450 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: undefined
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Administrative Boundary and
international boundary with Sudan
Climate: desert; hot, dry summers with
moderate winters
Terrain: vast desert plateau interrupted by
Nile valley and delta
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas,
iron ore, phosphates, manganese, lime-
stone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
Land use: 3% arable land; 2% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
NEGL% forest and woodland; 95% other;
includes 5% irrigated
Environment: Nile is only perennial water
source; increasing soil salinization below
Aswan High Dam; hot, driving windstorm
called khamsin occurs in spring; water
pollution; desertification
Note: controls Sinai Peninsula, only land
bridge between Africa and remainder of
Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal,
shortest sea link between Indian Ocean
and Mediterranean; size and juxtaposition
to Israel establish its major role in Middle
Eastern geopolitics
People
Population: 54,705,746 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.5% (1990)
88
Birth rate: 34 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1 ,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 90 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male,
61 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Egyptian(s); adjec-
tive— Egyptian
Ethnic divisions: 90% Eastern Hamitic
stock; 10% Greek, Italian, Syro-Lebanese
Religion: (official estimate) 94% Muslim
(mostly Sunni), 6% Coptic Christian and
other
Language: Arabic (official); English and
French widely understood by educated
classes
Literacy: 45%
Labor force: 15,000,000 (1989 est.); 36%
government, public sector enterprises, and
armed forces; 34% agriculture; 20% pri-
vately owned service and manufacturing
enterprises (1984); shortage of skilled la-
bor; 2,500,000 Egyptians work abroad,
mostly in Iraq and the Gulf Arab states
(1988 est.)
Organized labor 2,500,000 (est.)
Government
Long-form name: Arab Republic of Egypt
Type: republic
Capital: Cairo
Administrative divisions: 26 governorates
(muhafazat, singular — muhsfazah); Ad
DaqahlTyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al
Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharblyah, Al
IskandarTyah, Al IsmJ'IlIyah, Al Jlzah, Al
Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al
Qalyublyah, Al WadI al Jadld, Ash
Sharqlyah, As Suways, Aswan, Asyflt,
BanI Suwayf, Bur Said, Dumyat, Janflb
Slna', Kafr ash Shaykh, MatrOh, Qina,
Shamal Slna', Suhaj
Independence: 28 February 1922 (from
UK); formerly United Arab Republic
Constitution: 11 September 1971
Legal system: based on English common
law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes;
judicial review by Supreme Court and
Council of State (oversees validity of ad-
ministrative decisions); accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Anniversary of the Rev-
olution, 23 July (1952)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral People's
Assembly (Majlis al-Sha'ab); note — there
is an Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)
that functions in a consultative role
Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional
Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Mo-
hammed Hosni MUBARAK (was made
acting President on 6 October 1 98 1 upon
the assassination of President Sadat and
sworn in as President on 1 4 October
1981);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Atef Mohammed Najib SEDKY (since 12
November 1986)
Political parties and leaders: formation of
political parties must be approved by gov-
ernment; National Democratic Party
(NDP), President Mohammed Hosni Mu-
barak, leader, is the dominant party; legal
opposition parties are Socialist Liberal
Party (SLP), Kamal Murad; Socialist La-
bor Party, Ibrahim Shukri; National Pro-
gressive Unionist Grouping, Khalid
Muhyi-al-Din; Umma Party, Ahmad al-
Sabahi; and New Wafd Party (NWP),
Fu'ad Siraj al-Din
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: President — last held 5 October
1987 (next to be held October 1993); re-
sults— President Hosni Mubarek was re-
elected;
People's Assembly — last held 6 April
1987 (next to be held April 1992);
results— NDP 69.3%, Socialist Labor
Party Coalition 17%, NWP 10.9%;
seats— (458 total, 448 elected)— NDP 346,
Socialist Labor Party Coalition 60, Labor-
Liberal-Muslim Brotherhood Alliance 60
(37 belong to the Muslim Brotherhood),
NWP 36, independents 7;
Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura) — last
held October 1986 (next to be held Octo-
ber 1992); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats — (210 total, 140 elected)
Communists: about 500 party members
Other political or pressure groups: Islamic
groups are illegal, but the largest one, the
Muslim Brotherhood, is tolerated by the
government and recently gained a sizable
presence in the new People's Assembly;
trade unions and professional associations
are officially sanctioned
Member of: ACC, AfDB, Arab League,
CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic Devel-
opment Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOOC, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC— Interna-
tional Wheat Council, NAM, OAPEC,
OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO;
Egypt was suspended from Arab League
and OAPEC in April 1979 and readmit-
ted in May 1989
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador El
Sayed Abdel Raouf EL REEDY; Chan-
cery at 2310 Decatur Place NW, Wash-
ington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-
5400; there are Egyptian Consulates
General in Chicago, Houston, New York,
and San Francisco; US — Ambassador
Frank G. WISNER; Embassy at 5 Sharia
Latin America, Garden City, Cairo
(mailing address is FPO New York
09527); telephone [20] [2] 355-7371; there
is a US Consulate General in Alexandria
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and black with the national
emblem (a shield superimposed on a
golden eagle facing the hoist side above a
scroll bearing the name of the country in
Arabic) centered in the white band; simi-
lar to the flags of the YAR which has one
star, Syria which has two stars, and Iraq
which has three stars — all green and five-
pointed in a horizontal line centered in the
white band
Economy
Overview: Egypt has one of the largest
public sectors of all the Third World
economies, most industrial plants being
owned by the government. Overregulation
holds back technical modernization and
foreign investment. Even so, the economy
grew rapidly during the late 1970s and
early 1980s, but in 1986 the collapse of
world oil prices and an increasingly heavy
burden of debt servicing led Egypt to be-
gin negotiations with the IMF for
balance-of-payments support. As part of
the 1987 agreement with the IMF, the
government agreed to institute a reform
program to reduce inflation, promote eco-
nomic growth, and improve its external
position. The reforms have been slow in
coming, however, and the economy has
been largely stagnant for the past three
years. With 1 million people being added
every eight months to Egypt's population,
urban growth exerts enormous pressure on
the 5% of the total land area available for
agriculture.
GDP: $38.3 billion, per capita $700; real
growth rate 1.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% (1989
est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $7 billion; expenditures
$11.5 billion, including capital expendi-
tures of $4 billion (FY89 est.)
Exports: $2.55 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— raw cotton, crude and refined
petroleum, cotton yarn, textiles;
partners — US, EC, Japan, Eastern Europe
Imports: $10.1 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— foods, machinery and equip-
ment, fertilizers, wood products, durable
consumer goods, capital goods; partners —
US, EC, Japan, Eastern Europe
External debt: $45 billion (December
1989)
89
Egypt (continued)
El Salvador
Industrial production: growth rate 2-4%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 11,273,000 kW capacity;
42,500 million kWh produced, 780 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, tour-
ism, chemicals, petroleum, construction,
cement, metals
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GNP
and employs more than one-third of labor
force; dependent on irrigation water from
the Nile; world's fifth-largest cotton ex-
porter; other crops produced include rice,
corn, wheat, beans, fruit, vegetables; not
self-sufficient in food; livestock — cattle,
water buffalo, sheep, and goats; annual
fish catch about 140,000 metric tons
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $14.7 billion; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $7.8 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.9 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $2.4 bil-
lion
Currency: Egyptian pound (plural —
pounds); 1 Egyptian pound (E) = 100 pias-
ters
Exchange rates: Egyptian pounds (E) per
US$1— 2.5790 (January 1990), 2.5171
(1989), 2.2128 (1988), 1.5015 (1987),
1.3503(1986), 1.3010(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 5,110 km total; 4,763 km
1 ,435-meter standard gauge, 347 km
0.750-meter gauge; 95 1 km double track;
25 km electrified
Highways: 51,925 km total; 17,900 km
paved, 2,500 km gravel, 13,500 km im-
proved earth, 18,025 km unimproved
earth
Inland waterways: 3,500 km (including the
Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Wa-
terway, and numerous smaller canals in
the delta); Suez Canal, 193.5 km long (in-
cluding approaches), used by oceangoing
vessels drawing up to 16.1 meters of water
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,171 km; refined
products, 596 km; natural gas, 460 km
Ports: Alexandria, Port Said, Suez, Bur
Safajah, Damietta
Merchant marine: 142 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 1,141,799 CRT/
1,754,181 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 7
short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 88
cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 13 roll-on/
roll-off cargo, 14 petroleum, oils, and lu-
bricants (POL) tanker, 15 bulk
Civil air: 43 major transport aircraft
Airports: 97 total, 87 usable; 67 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 46 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: system is large but
still inadequate for needs; principal cen-
ters are Alexandria, Cairo, Al MansOrah.
Ismailia, and TantS; intercity connections
by coaxial cable and microwave; extensive
upgrading in progress; 600,000 telephones
(est.); stations— 25 AM, 5 FM, 47 TV;
satellite earth stations — 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT, 1 INMARSAT; 4 subma-
rine coaxial cables; tropospheric scatter to
Sudan; radio relay to Libya (may not be
operational); new radio relay to Jordan
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air
Defense Command
Military manpower: males 15-49,
13,271,942; 8,642,075 fit for military ser-
vice; 547,084 reach military age (20) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 7.2% of GDP, or
$2.8 billion (FY90 est.)
Boundary representation is
75km
Chaiatenango
•
Santa Ana
^SAN SALVADOR
Ac*jutl. 's.nv.c.nt.
La Libertad
North Pacific Ocean
Set regional map III
Geography
Total area: 21,040 km2; land area: 20,720
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Massachusetts
Land boundaries: 545 km total; Guate-
mala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
Coastline: 307 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and
navigation permitted beyond 1 2 nm)
Disputes: several sections of the boundary
with Honduras are in dispute
Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to
October); dry season (November to April)
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow
coastal belt and central plateau
Natural resources: hydropower and geo-
thermal power, crude oil
Land use: 27% arable land; 8% permanent
crops; 29% meadows and pastures; 6%
forest and woodland; 30% other; includes
5% irrigated
Environment: The Land of Volcanoes; sub-
ject to frequent and sometimes very de-
structive earthquakes; deforestation; soil
erosion; water pollution
Note: smallest Central American country
and only one without a coastline on Carib-
bean Sea
People
Population: 5,309,865 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 34 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 7 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 49 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male,
68 years female (1990)
90
Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Salvadoran(s); adjec-
tive— Salvadoran
Ethnic divisions: 89% mestizo, 10% In-
dian, 1% white
Religion: about 97% Roman Catholic,
with activity by Protestant groups
throughout the country
Language: Spanish, Nahua (among some
Indians)
Literacy: 65%
Labor force: 1,700,000 (1982 est.); 40%
agriculture, 16% commerce, 15% manu-
facturing, 13% government, 9% financial
services, 6% transportation; shortage of
skilled labor and a large pool of unskilled
labor, but manpower training programs
improving situation (1984 est.)
Organized labor: 1 5% total labor force;
10% agricultural labor force; 7% urban
labor force (1987 est.)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of El Salvador
Type: republic
Capital: San Salvador
Administrative divisions: 1 4 departments
(departamentos, singular — departamento);
Ahuachapan, Cabanas. Chalatenango,
Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La
Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salva-
dor, Santa Ana, San Vicente, Sonsonate,
Usulutan
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from
Spain)
Constitution: 20 December 1983
Legal system: based on civil and Roman
law, with traces of common law; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme
Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 5
September (1821)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte
Suprema)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment—President Alfredo CRISTIANI
(since 1 June 1989); Vice President Jose
Francisco MERINO (since 1 June 1989)
Political parties and leaders: National Re-
publican Alliance (ARENA), Armando
Calderon Sol; Christian Democratic Party
(PDC), Jose Antonio Morales Erlich; Na-
tional Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro
Cruz Zepeda; Democratic Action (AD),
Ricardo Gonzalez Camacho; Salvadoran
Authentic Institutional Party (PAISA),
Roberto Escobar Garcia; Patria Libre
(PL), Hugo Barrera; Authentic Christian
Movement (MAC), Julio Rey Prendes;
Salvadoran Popular Party (PPS), Franci-
sco Quifidnez; Democratic Convergence
(CD), a coalition composed of the Social
Democratic Party (PSD), Mario Rene
Roldan; the National Revolutionary
Movement (MNR), Guillermo Ungo; and
the Popular Social Christian Movement
(MPSC), Ruben Zamora
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 1 9 March
1989 (next to be held March 1994); re-
sults—Alfredo Cristiani (ARENA) 53.8%,
Fidel Chavez Mena (PDC) 36.6%, other
9.6%;
Legislative Assembly — last held 20 March
1988 (next to be held March 1991); re-
sults— percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (60 total) ARENA 32, MAC 13,
PDC 9, PCN 6
Other political or pressure groups:
Leftist revolutionary movement — Fara-
bundo Marti National Liberation Front
(FMLN), leadership body of the insur-
gency; Popular Liberation Forces (FPL),
Armed Forces of National Resistance
(FARN), People's Revolutionary Army
(ERP), Salvadoran Communist Party/
Armed Forces of Liberation (PCES/FAL),
and Central American Workers' Revolu-
tionary Party (PRTQ/Popular Liberation
Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARLP);
Militant front organizations — Revolution-
ary Coordinator of Masses (CRM; alli-
ance of front groups), Popular Revolution-
ary Bloc (BPR), Unified Popular Action
Front (FAPU), Popular Leagues of 28
February (LP-28), National Democratic
Union (UDN), and Popular Liberation
Movement (MLP); Revolutionary Demo-
cratic Front (FDR), coalition of CRM and
Democratic Front (FD); FD consists of
moderate leftist groups — Independent
Movement of Professionals and Techni-
cians of El Salvador (MIPTES), National
Revolutionary Movement (MNR), and
Popular Social Christian Movement
(MPSC);
Extreme rightist vigilante organizations —
Anti-Communist Army (ESA); Maximi-
liano Hernandez Brigade; Organization
for Liberation From Communism (OLC);
Labor organizations — Federation of Con-
struction and Transport Workers Unions
(FESINCONSTRANS), independent; Sal-
vadoran Communal Union (UCS), peasant
association; Unitary Federation of Salva-
doran Unions (FUSS), leftist; National
Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FE-
NASTRAS), leftist; Democratic Workers
Central (CTD), moderate; General Con-
federation of Workers (CGT), moderate;
Popular Democratic Unity (UPD), moder-
ate labor coalition which includes FESIN-
CONSTRANS, and other democratic la-
bor organizations; National Unity of
Salvadoran Workers (UNTS), leftist; Na-
tional Union of Workers and Peasants
(UNOC), moderate labor coalition of dem-
ocratic labor organizations;
Business organizations — National Associ-
ation of Private Enterprise (ANEP), con-
servative; Productive Alliance (AP), con-
servative; National Federation of
Salvadoran Small Businessmen
(FENAPES), conservative
Member of: CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
IDB — Inter-American Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, IWC—
International Wheat Council, OAS,
ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Miguel Angel SALAVERRIA; Chancery
at 2308 California Street NW, Washing-
ton DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-3480
through 3482; there are Salvadoran Con-
sulates General in Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San
Francisco, US — Ambassador William G.
WALKER; Embassy at 25 Avenida Norte
No. 1230, San Salvador (mailing address
is APO Miami 34023); telephone [503]
26-7100
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue
(top), white, and blue with the national
coat of arms centered in the white band;
the coat of arms features a round emblem
encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE
EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA
CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicara-
gua which has a different coat of arms
centered in the white band — it features a
triangle encircled by the words REPU-
BLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and
AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom;
also similar to the flag of Honduras which
has five blue stars arranged in an X pat-
tern centered in the white band
Economy
Overview: The economy experienced a
modest recovery during the period 1983-
86, after a sharp decline in the early
1980s. Real GDP grew by 1.5% a year on
the strength of value added by the manu-
facturing and service sectors. In 1987 the
economy expanded by 2.5% as agricul-
tural output recovered from the 1986
drought. The agricultural sector accounts
for 25% of GDP, employs about 40% of
the labor force, and contributes about
66% to total exports. Coffee is the major
commercial crop, contributing 60% to ex-
port earnings. The manufacturing sector,
based largely on food and beverage pro-
cessing, accounts for 17% of GDP and
1 6% of employment. Economic losses due
to guerrilla sabotage total more than $2.0
91
El Salvador (continued)
Equatorial Guinea
billion since 1979. The costs of maintain-
ing a large military seriously constrain the
government's ability to provide essential
social services.
GDP: $5.5 billion, per capita $1,020
(1988); real growth rate 0.9% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.8%
(September 1989)
Unemployment rate: 10% (1989)
Budget: revenues $688 million; expendi-
tures $725 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $1 12 million (1988)
Exports: $497 million (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— coffee 60%, sugar, cotton,
shrimp; partners— US 49%, FRG 24%,
Guatemala 7%, Costa Rica 4%, Japan 4%
Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— petroleum products, consumer
goods, foodstuffs, machinery, construction
materials, fertilizer; partners — US 40%,
Guatemala 12%, Venezuela 7%, Mexico
7%, FRG 5%, Japan 4%
External debt: $1.7 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.9%
(1989)
Electricity: 669,000 kW capacity; 1,813
million kWh produced, 350 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: food processing, textiles, cloth-
ing, petroleum products, cement
Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and
40% of labor force (including fishing and
forestry); coffee most important commer-
cial crop; other products — sugarcane,
corn, rice, beans, oilseeds, beef, dairy
products, shrimp; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $2.4 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $353 million
Currency: Salvadoran colon (plural — colo-
nes); 1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 cen-
tavos
Exchange rates: Salvadoran colones (C)
per US$1— 5.0000 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 602 km 0.914-meter gauge,
single track
Highways: 10,000 km total; 1,500 km
paved, 4,100 km gravel, 4,400 km
improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: Rio Lempa partially
navigable
Ports: Acajutla, Cutuco
Civil air: 7 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 25 total, 84 usable; 6 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: nationwide trunk
radio relay system; connection into Cen-
tral American Microwave System;
1 16,000 telephones; stations — 77 AM, no
FM, 5 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Na-
tional Guard, National Police, Treasury
Police
Military manpower males 15-49,
1,180,751; 754,350 fit for military service;
68,805 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 4% of GDP, or
$220 million (1990 est.)
Bioko
Gulf of Guinea
Island not
shown in true
geographical
position.
H ,
Annobon
See region*! map VII
Bat a
RIO MUNI
Acalayong
Geography
Total area: 28,050 km2; land area: 28,050
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Maryland
Land boundaries: 539 km total; Cameroon
189 km, Gabon 350 km
Coastline: 296 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with
Gabon
Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain: coastal plains rise to interior hills;
islands are volcanic
Natural resources: timber, crude oil, small
unexploited deposits of gold, manganese,
uranium
Land use: 8% arable land; 4% permanent
crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 51%
forest and woodland; 33% other
Environment: subject to violent windstorms
Note: insular and continental regions
rather widely separated
People
Population: 368,935 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 16 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 118 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male,
52 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Equatorial Guinean(s)
or Equatoguinean(s); adjective — Equato-
rial Guinean or Equatoguinean
92
Ethnic divisions: indigenous population of
Bioko, primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos;
Rio Muni, primarily Fang; less than 1,000
Europeans, mostly Spanish
Religion: natives all nominally Christian
and predominantly Roman Catholic; some
pagan practices retained
Language: Spanish (official), pidgin En-
glish, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Literacy: 40%
Labor force: 172,000 (1986 est.); 66% ag-
riculture, 23% services, 11% industry
(1980); labor shortages on plantations;
58% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: no formal trade unions
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Equatorial
Guinea
Type: republic
Capital: Malabo
Administrative divisions: 2 provinces (pro-
vincias, singular — provincia); Bioko, Rio
Muni; note — there may now be 6 prov-
inces named Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur,
Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Literal, Wele
Nzas
Independence: 12 October 1968 (from
Spain; formerly Spanish Guinea)
Constitution: 15 August 1982
Legal system: in transition; partly based
on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
National holiday: Independence Day, 12
October (1968)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, deputy prime minister, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber
of People's Representatives (Camara de
Representantes del Pueblo)
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal
Leaders: Chief of State — President Brig.
Gen. Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA
MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Cristino SERICHE Bioko Malabo (since
15 August 1982); Deputy Prime Minister
Isidore Eyi Monsuy Andeme (since 1 5
August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea
(PDEG), Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, party
leader
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: President — last held 25 June
1989 (next to be held 25 June 1996); re-
sults— President Brig. Gen. Obiang
Nguema Mbasogo was reelected without
opposition;
Chamber of Deputies — last held 10 July
1988 (next to be held 10 July 1993); re-
sults— PDEG is the only party; seats — (41
total) PDEG 41
Communists: no significant number but
some sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, Conference of
East and Central African States, ECA,
FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD,
ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU,
NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Damaso OBIANG NDONG; Chancery at
801 Second Avenue, Suite 1403, New
York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 599-
1523; US— Ambassador Chester E.
NORRIS, Jr.; Embassy at Calle de Los
Ministros, Malabo (mailing address is P.
O. Box 597, Malabo); telephone 2406 or
2507
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
green (top), white, and red with a blue
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
and the coat of arms centered in the white
band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-
pointed stars (representing the mainland
and five offshore islands) above a gray
shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below
which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD.
PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)
Economy
Overview: The economy, destroyed during
the regime of former President Macias
Nguema, is now based on agriculture, for-
estry, and fishing, which account for about
60% of GNP and nearly all exports. Sub-
sistence agriculture predominates, with
cocoa, coffee, and wood products providing
income, foreign exchange, and government
revenues. There is little industry. Com-
merce accounts for about 10% of GNP,
and the construction, public works, and
service sectors for about 34%. Undevel-
oped natural resources include titanium,
iron ore, manganese, uranium, and allu-
vial gold. Oil exploration is taking place
under concessions offered to US, French,
and Spanish firms.
GNP: $103 million, per capita $293; real
growth rate NA%( 1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): —6.0%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $23 million; expenditures
$3 1 million, including capital expenditures
of NA (1988)
Exports: $30 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — coffee, timber, cocoa beans;
partners— Spain 44%, FRG 19%, Italy
12%, Netherlands 11% (1987)
Imports: $50 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities — petroleum, food, beverages,
clothing, machinery; partners — Spain
34%, Italy 16%, France 14%, Netherlands
8% (1987)
External debt: $191 million (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 60 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1 70 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: fishing, sawmilling
Agriculture: cash crops — timber and coffee
from Rio Muni, cocoa from Bioko; food
crops — rice, yams, cassava, bananas, oil
palm nuts, manioc, livestock
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY81-88), $11 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $100 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $55 million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine 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 yean 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: Rio Muni — 1,024 km; Bioko —
216km
Ports: Malabo, Bata
Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 6,413 GRT/6,699 DWT;
includes 1 cargo and 1 passenger-cargo
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 4 total, 3 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor system with
adequate government services; interna-
tional communications from Bata and
Malabo to African and European coun-
tries; 2,000 telephones; stations — 2 AM,
no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, and possibly Air
Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 77,363;
39,174 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1 1% of GNP (FY81
est.)
93
Ethiopia
Geography
Total area: 1,221,900 km2; land area:
1,101,000km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 5,141 km total; Djibouti
459 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600
km, Sudan 2,221 km
Coastline: 1,094km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: southern half of the boundary
with Somalia is a Provisional Administra-
tive Line; possible claim by Somalia based
on unification of ethnic Somalis; territorial
dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden;
separatist movement in Eritrea; antigo-
vernment insurgencies in Tigray and other
areas
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide
topographic-induced variation; prone to
extended droughts
Terrain: high plateau with central moun-
tain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Natural resources: small reserves of gold,
platinum, copper, potash
Land use: 12% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 41% meadows and pastures; 24%
forest and woodland; 22% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: geologically active Great
Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions; deforestation; overgraz-
ing; soil erosion; desertification; frequent
droughts; famine
Note: strategic geopolitical position along
world's busiest shipping lanes and close to
Arabian oilfields; major resettlement
project ongoing in rural areas will signifi-
cantly alter population distribution and
settlement patterns over the next several
decades
People
Population: 51,666,622 (July 1990),
growth rate 3.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 45 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male,
52 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun— Ethiopians); adjec-
tive— Ethiopian
Ethnic divisions: 40% Oromo, 32% Am-
hara and Tigrean, 9% Sidamo, 6%
Shankella, 6% Somali, 4% Afar, 2% Gur-
age, 1% other
Religion: 40-45% Muslim, 35-40% Ethio-
pian Orthodox, 15-20% animist, 5% other
Language: Amharic (official), Tigrinya,
Orominga, Arabic, English (major foreign
language taught in schools)
Literacy: 55.2%
Labor force: 18,000,000; 80% agriculture
and animal husbandry, 1 2% government
and services, 8% industry and construction
(1985)
Organized labor All Ethiopian Trade
Union formed by the government in Janu-
ary 1977 to represent 273,000 registered
trade union members
Government
Long-form name: People's Democratic Re-
public of Ethiopia
Type: Communist state
Capital: Addis Ababa
Administrative divisions: 14 administrative
regions (plural — NA, singular — kifle
hager); ArsI, Bale, Eritrea, Gamo Gofa,
Gojam, Gonder, Harerge, Ilubabor, Kefa,
Shewa, STdamo, Tigray, Welega, Welo;
note — the administrative structure may be
changing to 25 administrative regions
(astedader akababiwach, singular — aste-
dader akababee) and 5 autonomous
regions* (rasgez akababiwach, singular —
rasgez akababee); Addis Ababa, ArsT,
Aseb*, Asosa, Bale, Borena, Dire Dawa*,
East Gojam, East Harerge, Eritrea*,
Gambela, Gamo Gofa, Ilubabor, Kefa,
Metekel, Nazaret, North Gonder, North
Shewa, North Welo, Ogaden*, Omo,
STdamo, South Gonder, South Shewa,
South Welo, Tigray*, Welega, West Go-
jam, West Harerge, West Shewa
Independence: oldest independent country
in Africa and one of the oldest in the
world— at least 2,000 years
Constitution: 12 September 1987
Legal system: complex structure with civil,
Islamic, common, and customary law in-
fluences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday: National Revolution
Day, 12 September (1974)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Council of State prime minister, five
deputy prime ministers, Council of Minis-
ters
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Shengo)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— President
MENGISTU Haile-Mariam (Chairman
from 11 September 1977 until becoming
President on 10 September 1987); Vice
President FISSEHA Desta (since 10 Sep-
tember 1987);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
(Acting) and Deputy Prime Minister
HAILU Yimenu (since 7 November 1989;
Deputy Prime Minister WOLLE Chekol
(since 21 November 1989); Deputy Prime
Minister ALEMU Abebe (since 10 Sep-
tember 1987); Deputy Prime Minister
TESFAYE Dinka (since 10 September
1987); Deputy Prime Minister ASHA-
GRE Yigletu (since 21 November 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party-
Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE),
Mengistu Haile-Mariam, secretary gen-
eral
Suffrage: universal at age 1 8
Elections: President — last held 10 Sep-
tember 1987 (next to be held September
1992); results — National Assembly elected
President Mengistu Haile-Mariam;
National Assembly — last held 14 June
1987 (next to be held June 1992);
results— WPE is the only party; seats—
(835 total) WPE 835
Other political or pressure groups: impor-
tant dissident groups include Eritrean
People's Liberation Front (EPLF) in Eri-
trea; Tigrean People's Liberation Front
(TPLF) and Ethiopian Peoples Democratic
Movement in Tigray, Welo, and border
regions; Oromo Liberation Front in We-
lega and Harerge regions
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICO, ICAO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU,
NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Counselor,
Charge d' Affaires ad interim GIRMA
Amare; Chancery at 2134 Kalorama
Road NW, Washington DC 20008; tele-
phone (202) 234-2281 or 2282; US—
Charge d' Affaires Robert G. HOUDEK;
Embassy at Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
(mailing address is P.O. Box 1014, Addis
Ababa); telephone 254-233-4141
94
Europa Island
(French possession)
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
green (top), yellow, and red; Ethiopia is
the oldest independent country in Africa
and the colors of her flag were so often
adopted by other African countries upon
independence that they became known as
the pan-African colors
Economy
Overview: Ethiopia is one of the poorest
and least developed countries in Africa.
Its economy is based on subsistence agri-
culture, which accounts for about 45% of
GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total
employment; coffee generates over 60% of
export earnings. The manufacturing sector
is heavily dependent on inputs from the
agricultural sector. The economy is cen-
trally planned, and over 90% of
large-scale industry is state run. Favorable
agricultural weather largely explains the
4.5% growth in output in FY89.
GDP: $6.6 billion, per capita $130, real
growth rate 4.5% (FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.6%
(FY89)
Unemployment rate: NA; shortage of
skilled manpower
Budget: revenues $ 1 .4 billion; expenditures
$1.9 billion, including capital expenditures
of $0.7 billion (FY87)
Exports: $418 million (f.o.b., FY88); com-
modities— coffee 60%, hides; partners —
US, FRG, Djibouti, Japan, PDRY,
France, Italy
Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., FY88), com-
modities— food, fuels, capital goods; part-
ners—USSR, Italy, FRG, Japan, UK,
US, France
External debt: $2.6 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate —0.2%
(FY88 est.)
Electricity: 330,000 kW capacity; 700 mil-
lion kWh produced, 14 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: cement, textiles, food process-
ing, oil refinery
Agriculture: accounts for 45% of GDP and
is the most important sector of the econ-
omy even though frequent droughts, poor
cultivation practices, and state economic
policies keep farm output low; famines not
uncommon; export crops of coffee and oil-
seeds grown partly on state farms; esti-
mated 50% of agricultural production at
subsistence level; principal crops and live-
stock— cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseeds, po-
tatoes, sugarcane, vegetables, hides and
skins, cattle, sheep, goats
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $471 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $2.6 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $8 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $2.0 bil-
lion
Currency: birr (plural — birr); 1 birr (Br) =
100 cents
Exchange rates: birr (Br) per US$1—
2.0700 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 8 July-7 July
Communications
Railroads: 988 km total; 681 km 1.000-
meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge
(nonoperational)
Highways: 44,300 km total; 3,650 km bi-
tuminous, 9,650 km gravel, 3,000 km im-
proved earth, 28,000 km unimproved
earth
Ports: Aseb, Mitsiwa
Merchant marine: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 71,837 GRT/92,067 DWT;
includes 10 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll off cargo,
1 livestock carrier, 2 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air: 21 major transport aircraft
Airports: 152 total, 1 1 1 usable; 9 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 51 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: open-wire and radio
relay system adequate for government use;
open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti; radio
relay to Kenya and Djibouti; stations — 4
AM, no FM, 1 TV; 45,000 TV sets;
3,300,000 radios; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air
Defense
Military manpower: males 15-49,
11,438,616; 5,922,555 fit for military ser-
vice; 589,231 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 8.5% of GDP (1988)
Mozambique
Channel
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 28 km2; land area: 28 km2
Comparative area: about 0.2 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 22.2 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: NA
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% perma-
nent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other;
heavily wooded
Environment: wildlife sanctuary
Note: located in the Mozambique Channel
340 km west of 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
95
Europa Island (continued)
Communications
Airports: 1 with runway 1 ,220 to 2,439 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications: 1 meteorological sta-
tion
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
Falkland Islands
i Islas Malvinas)
(dependent territory of the UK)
South At/antic Ocean
West
Falkland
Administered by U K
claimed bv Argentina
East Falkland
Scone Sea
See regional map IV
Geography
Total area: 12,170 km2; land area: 12,170
km2; includes the two main islands of East
and West Falkland and about 200 small
islands
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,288 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 100 meter depth
Exclusive fishing zone: 1 50 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: administered by the UK,
claimed by Argentina
Climate: cold marine; strong westerly
winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more
than half of days in year; occasional snow
all year, except in January and February,
but does not accumulate
Terrain: rocky, hilly, mountainous with
some boggy, undulating plains
Natural resources: fish and wildlife
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 99% meadows and pastures; 0%
forest and woodland; 1% other
Environment: poor soil fertility and a short
growing season
Note: deeply indented coast provides good
natural harbors
People
Population: 1,958 (July 1990), growth rate
0.5% (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: N A migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male,
NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Falkland Islanders);
adjective — Falkland Island
Ethnic divisions: almost totally British
Religion: primarily Anglican, Roman
Catholic, and United Free Church; Evan-
gelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lu-
theran, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: English
Literacy: NA%, but compulsory education
up to age 1 5
Labor force: 1,100 (est.); about 95% in
agriculture, mostly sheepherding
Organized labor: Falkland Islands General
Employees Union, 400 members
Government
Long-form name: Colony of the Falkland
Islands
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Stanley
Administrative divisions: none (dependent
territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of
the UK)
Constitution: 3 October 1985
Legal system: English common law
National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June
(1982)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor, Executive Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government — Governor William
Hugh FULLERTON (since NA 1988)
Political parties: NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Council — last held 3
October 1985 (next to be held October
1990); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats — (10 total, 8 elected) number of
seats by party NA
Diplomatic representation: none (depen-
dent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falk-
land Island coat of arms in a white disk
centered on the outer half of the flag; the
coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep
raising is the major economic activity)
above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew
discovered the islands) with a scroll at the
bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE
RIGHT
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on sheep
farming, which directly or indirectly em-
ploys most of the work force. A few dairy
herds are kept to meet domestic consump-
96
Faroe Islands
(part of the Danish realm)
tion of milk and milk products, and crops
grown are primarily those for providing
winter fodder. Major sources of income
are from the export of high-grade wool to
the UK and the sale of stamps and coins.
Rich stocks of fish in the surrounding wa-
ters are not presently exploited by the is-
landers, but development plans called for
the islands to have six trawlers by 1989.
In 1987 the government began to sell
fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operat-
ing within the Falklands exclusive fishing
zone. These license fees amount to more
than $25 million per year. To encourage
tourism, the Falkland Islands Develop-
ment Corporation has built three lodges
for visitors who are attracted by the abun-
dant wildlife and trout fishing.
GNP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget: revenues $11 million; expenditures
$1 1.8 million, including capital expendi-
tures of $1.2 million (FY87)
Exports: at least $14.7 million; commodi-
ties— wool, hides and skins, and other;
partners — UK, Netherlands, Japan (1987
est.)
Imports: at least $13.9 million; commodi-
ties— food, clothing, fuels, and machinery;
partners — UK, Netherlands Antilles (Cu-
rapao), Japan (1987 est.)
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 9,200 kW capacity; 17 million
kWh produced, 8,700 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: wool processing
Agriculture: predominantly sheep farming;
small dairy herds and fodder crops
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $102 million
Currency: Falkland pound (plural —
pounds); 1 Falkland pound (£F) = 100
pence
Exchange rates: Falkland pound (£F) per
US$1— 0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099
(1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987),
0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note— the
Falkland pound is at par with the British
pound
Fiscal year: 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Highways: 510 km total; 30 km paved, 80
km gravel, and 400 km unimproved earth
Ports: Port Stanley
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 5 total, 5 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
to 2,439 m
Telecommunications: government-operated
radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radio
networks provide effective service to al-
most all points on both islands; 590 tele-
phones; stations — 2 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
with links through London to other coun-
tries
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
North
At /antic
Ocean
Set rt gionil map V
fe,^ iv or we yi-
\ tSandoy
;VOV& ^
Sudhuroy
Geography
Total area: 1 ,400 km2; land area: 1 ,400
km2
Comparative area: slightly less than eight
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 764 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 4 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: mild winters, cool summers; usu-
ally overcast; foggy, windy
Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks;
cliffs along most of coast
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 2% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 98% other
Environment: precipitous terrain limits
habitation to small coastal lowlands; ar-
chipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a
few uninhabited islets
Note: strategically located along impor-
tant sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic
about midway between Iceland and Shet-
land Islands
People
Population: 47,715 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 17 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/
woman (1990)
97
Faroe Islands (continued)
Nationality: noun — Faroese (sing., pi.);
adjective — Faroese
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Scandina-
vian population
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran
Language: Faroese (derived from Old
Norse), Danish
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 17,585; largely engaged in
fishing, manufacturing, transportation,
and commerce
Organized labor NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: part of the Danish realm;
self-governing overseas administrative di-
vision of Denmark
Capital: Torshavn
Administrative divisions: none (self-gov-
erning overseas administrative division of
Denmark)
Independence: part of the Danish realm;
self-governing overseas administrative di-
vision of Denmark
Constitution: Danish
Legal system: Danish
National holiday: Birthday of the Queen,
16 April (1940)
Executive branch: Danish monarch, high
commissioner, prime minister, deputy
prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyri)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
(Legting)
Judicial branch: none
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen MAR-
GRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), rep-
resented by High Commissioner Bent
KLINTE (since NA);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Jogvan SUNDSTEIN (since 17 January
1989)
Political parties and leaders: four-party
ruling coalition — People's Party, J6gvan
Sundstein; Republican Party, Signer Han-
sen; Progressive and Fishing Industry
Party combined with the Christian Peo-
ple's Party (CPP-PFIP); Home Rule
Party, Hilmar Kass; opposition — Social
Democratic Party, Atli P. Dam; Coopera-
tion Coalition Party, Pauli Ellefsen;
Progress Party
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: Parliament — last held 8 No-
vember 1988 (next to be held November
1992); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats — (32 total) three-party coalition
21 (People's Party 8, Cooperation Coali-
tion Party 7, Republican Party 6); Social
Democrat 7, CPP-PFIP 2, Home Rule 2
Communists: insignificant number
Member of: Nordic Council
Diplomatic representation: none
(self-governing overseas administrative
division of Denmark)
Flag: white with a red cross outlined in
blue 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 Danne-
brog (Danish flag)
Economy
Overview: The Faroese enjoy the high
standard of living characteristic of the
Danish and other Scandinavian econo-
mies. Fishing is the dominant economic
activity. It employs over 25% of the labor
force, accounts for about 25% of GDP,
and contributes over 80% to export reve-
nues. A handicraft industry employs about
20% of the labor force. Because of cool
summers agricultural activities are limited
to raising sheep and to potato and vegeta-
ble cultivation. There is a labor shortage,
and immigrant workers accounted for 5%
of the work force in 1989. Denmark annu-
ally subsidizes the economy, perhaps on
the order of 1 5% of GDP.
GDP: $662 million, per capita $14,000;
real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: labor shortage
Budget: revenues $176 million; expendi-
tures $176 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (FY86)
Exports: $267 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— fish and fish products 86%, ani-
mal feedstuff's, transport equipment; part-
ners—Denmark 18%, US 14%, FRG,
France, UK, Canada
Imports: $363 million (c.i.f., 1986); com-
modities— machinery and transport equip-
ment 38%, food and livestock 11%, fuels
10%, manufactures 10%, chemicals 5%;
partners: Denmark 46%, FRG, Norway,
Japan, UK
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 80,000 kW capacity; 280 mil-
lion kWh produced, 5,910 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: fishing, shipbuilding, handi-
crafts
Agriculture: accounts for 27% of GDP and
employs 27% of labor force; principal
crops — potatoes and vegetables;
livestock — sheep; annual fish catch about
360,000 metric tons
Aid: none
Currency: Danish krone (plural — kroner);
1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 are
Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per
US$1— 6.560 (January 1990), 7.310
(1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091
(1986), 10.596 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Highways: 200 km
Ports: Torshavn, Tvoroyri; 8 minor
Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 17,249 GRT/1 1,887 DWT;
includes 1 short-sea passenger, 2 cargo, 2
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo;
note — a subset of the Danish register
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international
communications; fair domestic facilities;
27,900 telephones; stations— 1 AM, 3 (10
repeaters) FM, 3 (29 repeaters) TV; 3 co-
axial submarine cables
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Den-
mark
98
I -"• •»
Fiji
• - Rotuma
South Pacific Ocean
Vanua Levu
Viti Levu
0'Taveuni
I
Ceva-i-Ra
Srr rreinntl mip \
Geography
Total area: 18,270 km2; land area: 18,270
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
New Jersey
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,129 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed
archipelagic baselines)
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical marine; only slight sea-
sonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic ori-
gin
Natural resources: timber, fish, gold, cop-
per; offshore oil potential
Land use: 8% arable land; 5% permanent
crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 65%
forest and woodland; 19% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes from
November to January; includes 332 is-
lands of which approximately 1 10 are in-
habited
Note: located 2,500 km north of New
Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean
People
Population: 759,567 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —7 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male,
70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Fijian(s); adjective —
Fijian
Ethnic divisions: 49% Indian, 46% Fijian,
5% European, other Pacific Islanders,
overseas Chinese, and others
Religion: Fijians are mainly Christian,
Indians are Hindu with a Muslim minor-
ity
Language: English (official); Fijian; Hin-
dustani
Literacy: 80%
Labor force: 176,000; 60% subsistence
agriculture, 40% wage earners (1979)
Organized labor: about 45,000 employees
belong to some 46 trade unions, which are
organized along lines of work and ethnic
origin (1983)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Fiji
Type: military coup leader Major General
Sitiveni Rabuka formally declared Fiji a
republic on 6 October 1 987
Capital: Suva
Administrative divisions: 4 divisions and 1
dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern,
Rotuma*, Western
Independence: 10 October 1970 (from UK)
Constitution: 10 October 1970 (suspended
1 October 1987); note — a new constitution
was proposed on 23 September 1988 and
awaits final approval
Legal system: based on British system
National holiday: Independence Day, 10
October (1970)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: the bicameral Parlia-
ment, consisting of an upper house or Sen-
ate and a lower house or House of Repre-
sentatives, was dissolved following the
coup of 14 May 1987; the proposed con-
stitution of NA September 1988 provides
for a bicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Ratu
Sir Penaia Kanatabatu GANILAU (since
5 December 1987);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 5 De-
cember 1987); note — Ratu Sir Kamisese
Mara served as prime minister from 10
October 1970 until the 5-11 April 1987
election; after a second coup led by Major
General Sitiveni Rabuka on 25 September
1987, Ratu Mara was reappointed as
prime minister
Political parties and leaders: Alliance, pri-
marily Fijian, Ratu Mara; National Fed-
eration, primarily Indian, Siddiq Koya;
Western United Front, Fijian, Ratu Osea
Gavidi; Fiji Labor Party, Adi Kuini Bava-
dra; coalition of the National Federation
Party and the Fiji Labor Party, Adi Kuini
Vuikaba Bavadra
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Communists: some
Member of: ACP, ADB, Colombo Plan,
EC (associate), ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU,
SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Counselor
(Commercial), Vice Consul, Charge d'Af-
faires ad interim Abdul H. YUSUF;
Chancery at Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007;
telephone (202) 337-8320; there is a Fijian
Consulate in New York; US — Ambassa-
dor Leonard ROCHWARGER; Embassy
at 31 Loftus Street, Suva (mailing address
is P. O. Box 218, Suva); telephone [679]
3 14-466 or 314-069
Flag: light blue with the flag of the UK in
the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fi-
jian shield centered on the outer half of
the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion
above a white field quartered by the cross
of St. George featuring stalks of sugar-
cane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white
dove
Economy
Overview: Fiji's economy is primarily agri-
cultural, with a large subsistence sector.
Sugar exports are a major source of for-
eign exchange and sugar processing ac-
counts for one-third of industrial output.
Industry, including sugar milling, contrib-
utes 10% to GDP. Fiji traditionally earned
considerable sums of hard currency from
the 250,000 tourists who visited each year.
In 1987, however, after two military
coups, the economy went into decline.
GDP dropped by 7.8% in 1987 and by
another 2.5% in 1988; political uncertainly
created a drop in tourism, and the worst
drought of the century caused sugar pro-
duction to fall sharply. In contrast, sugar
and tourism turned in strong
performances in 1989, and the economy
rebounded vigorously.
GDP: $1.32 billion, per capita $1,750; real
growth rate 12.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.8%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 1 1% (1988)
Budget: revenues $260 million; expendi-
tures $233 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $47 million (1988)
Exports: $312 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— sugar 49%, copra, processed
fish, lumber; partners — UK 45%, Austra-
lia 21%, US 4.7%
Imports: $454 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— food 15%, petroleum products.
99
Fiji (continued)
Finland
machinery, consumer goods; partners —
US 4.8%, NZ, Australia, Japan
External debt: S398 million (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate — 1 5%
(1988 est.)
Electricity: 215,000 kW capacity; 330 mil-
lion kWh produced, 440 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: sugar, copra, tourism, gold,
silver, fishing, clothing, lumber, small cot-
tage industries
Agriculture: principal cash crop is sugar-
cane; coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet pota-
toes, and bananas; small livestock sector
includes cattle, pigs, horses, and goats
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-
87), $677 million
Currency: Fijian dollar (plural — dollars); 1
Fijian dollar (FS) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Fijian dollars (F$) per
US$1— 1.4950 (January 1990), 1.4833
(1989), 1.4303(1988), 1.2439(1987),
1.1329(1986), 1.1536(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 644 km 0.610-meter narrow
gauge, belonging to the government-owned
Fiji Sugar Corporation
Highways: 3,300 km total (1984)— 390 km
paved; 1,200 km bituminous-surface treat-
ment; 1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or
stabilized soil surface; 420 unimproved
earth
Inland waterways: 203 km; 122 km navi-
gable by motorized craft and 200-metric-
ton barges
Ports: Lambasa, Lautoka, Savusavu, Suva
Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 42,872 GRT/49,795 DWT;
includes 1 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo,
2 container, 2 liquefied gas, 1 petroleum,
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chem-
ical tanker
Ciyil air: 1 DC- 3 and 1 light aircraft
Airports: 26 total, 24 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: modern local, interis-
land, and international (wire/radio inte-
grated) public and special-purpose tele-
phone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities;
regional radio center; important COM-
PAC cable link between US-Canada and
New Zealand-Australia; 53,228
telephones; stations — 7 AM, 1 FM, no
TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth
station
Defense Forces
Branches: integrated ground and naval
forces
Military manpower males 15-49, 194,433;
107,317 fit for military service; 7,864
reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (1988)
300km
Gulf of
Bothnia
V«»»a_/ Kuopio
Aland
Islands
Set retlonil m«p V HELSINKI
Geography
Total area: 337,030 km2; land area:
305,470 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Montana
Land boundaries: 2,578 km total; Norway
729 km, Sweden 536 km, USSR 1,313 km
Coastline: 1 , 1 26 km excluding islands and
coastal indentations
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 6 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Territorial sea: 4 nm
Climate: cold temperate; potentially sub-
arctic, but comparatively mild because of
moderating influence of the North Atlan-
tic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than
60,000 lakes
Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plains
interspersed with lakes and low hills
Natural resources: timber, copper, zinc,
iron ore, silver
Land use: 8% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures;
76% forest and woodland; 16% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: permanently wet ground
covers about 30% of land; population con-
centrated on small southwestern coastal
plain
Note: long boundary with USSR; Helsinki
is northernmost national capital on Euro-
pean continent
People
Population: 4,977,325 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
100
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 7 1 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Finn(s); adjective —
Finnish
Ethnic divisions: Finn, Swede, Lapp,
Gypsy, Tatar
Religion: 97% Evangelical Lutheran, 1.2%
Eastern Orthodox, 1.8% other
Language: 93.5% Finnish, 6.3% Swedish
(both official); small Lapp- and Russian-
speaking minorities
Literacy: almost 100%
Labor force: 2,556,000; 33.1% services,
22.9% mining and manufacturing, 13.8%
commerce, 10.3% agriculture, forestry,
and fishing, 7.2% construction, 7.1%
transportation and communications (1989
est.)
Organized labor: 80% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Finland
Type: republic
Capital: Helsinki
Administrative divisions: 1 2 provinces (la'a-
nit, singular — la'ani); Ahvenanmaa, Ha'me,
Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mik-
keli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori,
Uusimaa, Vaasa
Independence: 6 December 1917 (from
Soviet Union)
Constitution: 17 July 1919
Legal system: civil law system based on
Swedish law; Supreme Court may request
legislation interpreting or modifying laws;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 6
December (191 7)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, deputy prime minister, Council of
State (Valtioneuvosto)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
(Eduskunta)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Korkein
Oikeus)
Leaders: Chief of State — President
Mauno KOIVISTO (since 27 January
1982);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Harri HOLKERI (since 30 April 1987);
Deputy Prime Minister Pertti PAASIO
(since NA January 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Social Demo-
cratic Party, Pertti Paasio; Center Party,
Paavo Vayrynen; People's Democratic
League (majority Communist front), Reijo
Kakela; National Coalition (Conservative)
Party, Ilkka Suominen; Liberal People's
Party, KySsti Lallukka; Swedish People's
Party, Christoffer Taxell; Rural Party,
leader NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 3 1
January- 1 February and 15 February
1988 (next to be held January 1994); re-
sults— Mauno Koivisto 48%, Paavo
Vayrynen 20%, Harri Holkeri 18%;
Parliament— last held 15-16 March 1987
(next to be held March 1991); results —
Social Democratic 24.3%, National Coali-
tion (Conservative) 23.9%, Center-Liberal
People's 18.6%, People's Democratic
League 9.4%, Rural 6.3%, Swedish Peo-
ple's 5.3%, Democratic Alternative 4.3%,
Green League 4.0%, Finnish Christian
League 2.6%, Finnish Pensioners 1.2%,
Constitutional Rightist 0.1%; seats — (200
total) Social Democratic 56, National Co-
alition (Conservative) 53, Center-Liberal
People's 40, People's Democratic League
16, Swedish People's 13, Rural 9, Finnish
Christian League 5; Democratic Alterna-
tive 4, Green League 4
Communists: 28,000 registered members;
an additional 45,000 persons belong to
People's Democratic League
Other political or pressure groups: Finnish
Communist Party (majority Communist
faction), Jarmo Wahlstrom; Finnish Com-
munist Party-Unity (minority faction),
Esko-Juhani Tennila; Democratic Alterna-
tive (minority Communist front), Kristiina
Halkola; Finnish Christian League, Esko
Almgren; Constitutional Rightist Party;
Finnish Pensioners Party; Green League,
Heidi Hautala; Communist Workers
Party, Timo Lahdenmaki
Member of: ADB, CCC, CEMA (special
cooperation agreement), DAC, EC (free
trade agreement), EFTA, ESA (associate),
FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC,
ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB— Inter-
American Development Bank, IFAD,
IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU,
IWC — International Wheat Council, Nor-
dic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Jukka VALTASAARI; Chancery at 3216
New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20016; telephone (202) 363-2430;
there are Finnish Consulates General in
Los Angeles and New York, and Consu-
lates in Chicago and Houston; US — Am-
bassador John G. WEINMANN; Em-
bassy at Itainen Puistotie 14ASF-00140,
Helsinki (mailing address is APO New
York 09664); telephone [358] (0) 171931
Flag: white with a blue cross that extends
to the edges of the flag; the vertical part
of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in
the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Economy
Overview: Finland has a highly industrial-
ized, largely free market economy, with
per capita output nearly three-fourths the
US figure. Its main economic force is the
manufacturing sector — principally the
wood, metals, and engineering industries.
Trade is important, with the export of
goods representing about 25% of GNP.
Except for timber and several minerals,
Finland depends on imported raw materi-
als, energy, and some components of man-
ufactured goods. Because of the climate,
agricultural development is limited to
maintaining self-sufficiency in basic com-
modities. Economic prospects are gener-
ally bright, the main shadow being the
increasing pressures on wages and prices.
GDP: $74.4 billion, per capita $15,000;
real growth rate 4.6% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.5%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 3.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $28.3 billion; expendi-
tures $28. 1 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA billion (1988 est.)
Exports: $22.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— timber, paper and pulp, ships,
machinery, clothing and footwear; part-
ners—EC 44.2% (UK 13.0%, FRG
10.8%), USSR 14.9%, Sweden 14.1%, US
5.8%
Imports: $22.0 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, petroleum and pe-
troleum products, chemicals, transport
equipment, iron and steel, machinery, tex-
tile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains; part-
ners— EC 43.5% (FRG 16.9%, UK 6.8%),
Sweden 13.3%, USSR 12.1%, US 6.3%
External debt: $5.3 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.3%
(1989)
Electricity: 13,324,000 kW capacity;
49,330 million kWh produced, 9,940 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: metal manufacturing and ship-
building, forestry and wood processing
(pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs,
textiles, clothing
Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GNP (in-
cluding forestry); livestock production, es-
pecially dairy cattle, predominates; for-
estry is an important export earner and a
secondary occupation for the rural popula-
tion; main crops — cereals, sugar beets,
potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but short of
food and fodder grains; annual fish catch
about 160,000 metric tons
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $1.7 billion
Currency: markka (plural — markkaa); 1
markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia
Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per
US$1— 4.0022 (January 1990), 4.2912
101
Finland (continued)
France
(1989), 4.1828 (1988), 4.3956 (1987),
5.0695(1986), 6.1979(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 5,924 km total; Finnish State
Railways (VR) operate a total of 5,863 km
1.524-meter gauge, of which 480 km are
multiple track and 1,445 km are electri-
fied
Highways: about 103,000 km total, in-
cluding 35,000 km paved (bituminous,
concrete, bituminous-treated surface) and
38,000 km unpaved (stabilized gravel,
gravel, earth); additional 30,000 km of
private (state-subsidized) roads
Inland waterways: 6,675 km total
(including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suit-
able for steamers
Pipelines: natural gas, 580 km
Ports: Helsinki, Oulu, Pori, Rauma,
Turku; 6 secondary, numerous minor ports
Merchant marine: 82 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 737,81 1 GRT/764,695
DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 1 short-sea
passenger, 18 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo,
24 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 2 petroleum,
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 chem-
ical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 7 bulk, 1 com-
bination bulk
Civil air: 39 major transport
Airports: 160 total, 157 usable; 56 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 23 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good service from
cable and radio relay network; 3,140,000
telephones; stations — 4 AM, 42 (101 re-
lays) FM, 79 (195 relays) TV; 2 submarine
cables; satellite service via Swedish earth
stations; satellite earth stations — 2 Atlan-
tic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1,312,941; 1,091,416 fit for military ser-
vice; 32,288 reach military age (17) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: 1.5% of GDP (1989
est.)
English Channel
Sef regional map V
Corsica^ I
Mediterranean ^f
Sea
Geography
Total area: 547,030 km2; land area:
545,630 km2; includes Corsica and the
rest of metropolitan France, but excludes
the overseas administrative divisions
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of Colorado
Land boundaries: 2,892.4 km total; An-
dorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, FRG 451
km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km,
Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzer-
land 573 km
Coastline: 3,427 km (includes Corsica, 644
km)
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2-24 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with
Canada (St. Pierre and Miquelon); Mada-
gascar claims Bassas da India, Europa
Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova
Island, and Tromelin Island; Comoros
claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Trome-
lin Island; Seychelles claims Tromelin Is-
land; Suriname claims part of French Gu-
iana; territorial claim in Antarctica
(Adelie Land)
Climate: generally cool winters and mild
summers, but mild winters and hot sum-
mers along the Mediterranean
Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling
hills in north and west; remainder is
mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south,
Alps in east
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite,
fish, timber, zinc, potash
Land use: 32% arable land; 2% permanent
crops; 23% meadows and pastures; 27%
forest and woodland; 16% other; includes
2% irrigated
Environment: most of large urban areas
and industrial centers in Rhone, Garonne,
Seine, or Loire River basins; occasional
warm tropical wind known as mistral
Note: largest West European nation
People
Population: 56,358,331 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 1 4 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
82 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Frenchman(men),
Frenchwoman(women); adjective — French
Ethnic divisions: Celtic and Latin with
Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochi-
nese, and Basque minorities
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic, 2% Prot-
estant, 1% Jewish, 1% Muslim (North Af-
rican workers), 6% unaffiliated
Language: French ( 1 00% of population);
rapidly declining regional dialects (Pro-
vencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Cata-
lan, Basque, Flemish)
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 24,170,000; 61.5% services,
31.3% industry, 7.3% agriculture (1987)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force (est.)
Government
Long-form name: French Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Paris
Administrative divisions: metropolitan
France — 22 regions (regions, singular —
region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne,
Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne,
Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse,
Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-
de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limou-
sin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-
de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie,
Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote
d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes; note — the 22 re-
gions are subdivided into 96 departments;
see separate entries for the overseas de-
partments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe,
Martinique, Reunion) and the territorial
collectivities (Mayotte, St. Pierre and Mi-
quelon)
Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clip-
perton Island, Europa Island, French
Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic
Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova
Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island,
Wallis and Futuna
Independence: unified by Clovis in 486,
First Republic proclaimed in 1 792
Constitution: 28 September 1958,
amended concerning election of president
in 1962
102
Legal system: civil law system with indige-
nous concepts; review of administrative
but not legislative acts
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille,
14 July (1789)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
(Parlement) consists of an upper house or
Senate (Senat) and a lower house or Na-
tional Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour
de Cassation)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Fran-
cois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
1981);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Michel ROCARD (since 10 March 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the
Republic (RPR, formerly UDR), Jacques
Chirac; Union for French Democracy
(UDF, federation of PR, CDS, and RAD),
Valery Giscard d'Estaing; Republicans
(PR), Francois Leotard; Center for Social
Democrats (CDS), Pierre Mehaignerie;
Radical (RAD), Yves Gallard; Socialist
Party (PS), Pierre Mauroy; Left Radical
Movement (MRG), Yves Collin; Commu-
nist Party (PCF), Georges Marchais; Na-
tional Front (FN), Jean-Marie Le Pen
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 8 May
1988 (next to be held May 1995);
results — Second Ballot Francois Mitter-
rand 54%, Jacques Chirac 46%;
Senate— test held 24 September 1989
(next to be held September 1992);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats — (321 total; 296 metropolitan
France, 1 3 for overseas departments and
territories, and 12 for French nationals
abroad) RPR 93, UDF 143 (PR 53, CDS
65, RAD 25), PS 64, PCF 16, indepen-
dents 2, unknown 3;
National Assembly — last held 5 and 1 2
June 1988 (next to be held June 1993);
results — Second Ballot PS-MRG 48.7%,
RPR 23.1%, UDF 21%, PCF 3.4%, other
3.8%; seats— (577 total) PS 275, RPR
132, UDF 90, UDC 40, PCF 25, indepen-
dents 15
Communists: 700,000 claimed but proba-
bly closer to 1 50,000; Communist voters,
2.8 million in 1988 election
Other political or pressure groups:
Communist-controlled labor union (Confe-
deration Generate du Travail) nearly 2.4
million members (claimed);
Socialist-leaning labor union (Confedera-
tion Francaise Democratique du Travail
or CFDT) about 800,000 members est.;
independent labor union (Force Ouvriere)
about 1,000,000 members est.; indepen-
dent white-collar union (Confederation
Generate des Cadres) 340,000 members
(claimed); National Council of French
Employers (Conseil National du Patronat
Fran?ais — CNPF or Patronat)
Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Eu-
rope, DAC, EC, EIB, EMA, EMS, ESA,
ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP,
IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA,
IDB — Inter- American Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC,
IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC— Inter-
national Whaling Commission, NATO
(signatory), OAS (observer), OECD, SPC,
UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Jacques ANDREANI; Chancery at 4101
Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC
20007; telephone (202) 944-6000; there
are French Consulates General in Boston,
Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles,
New Orleans, Miami, New York, San
Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US— Ambassador Walter J. P. CURLEY;
Embassy at 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382
Paris Cedex 08 (mailing address is APO
New York 09777); telephone [33] (1) 42-
96-12-02 or 42-61-80-75; there are US
Consulates General in Bordeaux, Lyon,
Marseille, and Strasbourg
Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue
(hoist side), white, and red; known as the
French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design
and colors have been the basis for a num-
ber of other flags, including those of Bel-
gium, Chad, Ireland, Ivory Coast, and
Luxembourg; the official flag for all
French dependent areas
Economy
Overview: One of the world's most devel-
oped economies, France has substantial
agricultural resources and a highly diver-
sified modern industrial sector. Large
tracts of fertile land, the application of
modern technology, and subsidies have
combined to make it the leading agricul-
tural producer in Western Europe. France
is largely self-sufficient in agricultural
products and is a major exporter of wheat
and dairy products. The industrial sector
generates about one-third of GDP and
employs about one-third of the work force.
During the period 1982-86 economic
growth was sluggish, averaging only 1 .4%
annually. This trend was reversed by late
1987, however, with a strong expansion of
consumer demand, followed by a surge in
investment. The economy has had diffi-
culty generating enough jobs for new en-
trants into the labor force, resulting in a
high unemployment rate, but the upward
trend in growth recently pushed the job-
less rate below 10%. The steadily advanc-
ing economic integration within the Euro-
pean Community is a major force
affecting the fortunes of the various eco-
nomic sectors.
GDP: $819.6 billion, per capita $14,600;
real growth rate 3.4% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.7% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $197.0 billion; expendi-
tures $213.4 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports: $183.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — machinery and transporta-
tion equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, ag-
ricultural products, iron and steel prod-
ucts, textiles and clothing; partners — FRG
15.8%, Italy 12.2%, UK 9.8%, Belgium-
Luxembourg 8.9%, Netherlands 8.7%, US
6.7%, Spain 5.6%, Japan 1.8%, USSR
1.3% (1989 est.)
Imports: $194.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities — crude oil, machinery and
equipment, agricultural products, chemi-
cals, iron and steel products; partners —
FRG 19.4%, Italy 11.5%, Belgium-Lux-
embourg 9.2%, US 7.7%, UK 7.2%, Neth-
erlands 5.2%, Spain 4.4%, Japan 4.1%,
USSR 2.1% (1989 est.)
External debt: $59.3 billion (December
1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.4%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 109,972,000 kW capacity;
403,570 million kWh produced, 7,210
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals,
automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, elec-
tronics, mining, textiles, food processing,
and tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GNP (in-
cluding fishing and forestry); one of the
world's top five wheat producers; other
principal products — beef, dairy products,
cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes;
self-sufficient for most temperate-zone
foods; shortages include fats and oils and
tropical produce, but overall net exporter
of farm products; fish catch of 850,000
metric tons ranks among world's top 20
countries and is all used domestically
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $59.8 billion
Currency: French franc (plural — francs); 1
French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per
US$1— 5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801
(1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987),
6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
103
France (continued)
Communications
Railroads: French National Railways
(SNCF) operates 34,568 km 1. 435-meter
standard gauge; 1 1,674 km electrified,
15,132 km double or multiple track; 2,138
km of various gauges (1.000-meter to
1 .440-meter), privately owned and oper-
ated
Highways: 1,551,400 km total; 33,400 km
national highway; 347,000 km departmen-
tal highway; 421,000 km community
roads; 750,000 km rural roads; 5,401 km
of controlled-access divided autoroutes;
about 803,000 km paved
Inland waterways: 14,932 km; 6,969 km
heavily traveled
Pipelines: crude oil, 3,059 km; refined
products, 4,487 km; natural gas, 24,746
km
Ports: maritime — Bordeaux, Boulogne,
Brest, Cherbourg, Dunkerque, Fos-Sur-
Mer, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes,
Rouen, Sete, Toulon; inland — 42
Merchant marine: 153 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 3,671,645 GRT/
5,950,785 DWT; includes 10 short-sea
passenger, 19 cargo, 19 container, 1 mul-
tifunction large-load carrier, 30 roll-on/
roll-off cargo, 37 petroleum, oils, and lu-
bricants (POL) tanker, 9 chemical tanker,
6 liquefied gas, 4 specialized tanker, 17
bulk, 1 combination bulk; note — France
also maintains a captive register for
French-owned ships in the Kerguelen Is-
lands (French Southern and Antarctic
Lands) and French Polynesia
Civil air 355 major transport aircraft
(1982)
Airports: 470 total, 460 usable; 204 with
permanent-surface runways; 3 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 34 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 133 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed sys-
tem provides satisfactory telephone, tele-
graph, radio and TV broadcast services;
39,1 10,000 telephones; stations — 42 AM,
138 (777 relays) FM, 215 TV (8,900
relays); 25 submarine coaxial cables; com-
munication satellite earth stations operat-
ing in INTELSAT, 3 Atlantic Ocean and
2 Indian Ocean, EUTELSAT, MARI-
SAT, and domestic systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Na-
tional Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49,
14,285,904; 12,042,731 fit for military
service; 409,544 reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures: 3.8% of GDP, or
$31.1 billion (1989 est.)
French Guiana
(overseas department of France)
North i00krT
Atlantic ~
Ocean
See regional map IV
Geography
Total area: 91,000 km2; land area: 89,150
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Indiana
Land boundaries: 1,183 km total; Brazil
673 km, Suriname 510 km
Coastline: 378 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Suriname claims area between
Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both
headwaters of the Lawa)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; little sea-
sonal temperature variation
Terrain: low-lying coastal plains rising to
hills and small mountains
Natural resources: bauxite, timber, gold
(widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL%
permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and
pastures; 82% forest and woodland; 18%
other
Environment: mostly an unsettled wilder-
ness
People
Population: 97,781 (July 1990), growth
rate 3. 4% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 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: 19 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — French Guianese
(sing., pi.); adjective — French Guiana
Ethnic divisions: 66% black or mulatto;
12% Caucasian; 12% East Indian, Chi-
nese, Amerindian; 10% other
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic
Language: French
Literacy: 73%
Labor force: 23,265; 60.6% services, gov-
ernment, and commerce, 21.2% industry,
18.2% agriculture (1980)
Organized labor: 7% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Department of Guiana
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Cayenne
Administrative divisions: none (overseas
department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department
of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille,
14 July (1789)
Executive branch: French president, com-
missioner of the republic
Legislative branch: unicameral General
Council and a unicameral Regional Coun-
cil
Judicial branch: highest local court is the
Court of Appeals based in Martinique
with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guade-
loupe, and French Guiana
Leaders: Chief of State — President Fran-
cois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
1981);
Head of Government — Commissioner of
the Republic Jean-Pierre LACROIX
(since NA August 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Guianese So-
cialist Party (PSG), Gerard Holder; Rally
for the Republic (RPR), Paulin Brune;
Guyanese Democratic Action (ADG),
Andre Lecante; Union for French Democ-
racy (UDF), Claude Ho A Chuck; Na-
tional Front, Guy Malon; Popular and
National Party of Guiana (PNPG),
Claude Robo; National Anti-Colonist
Guianese Party (PANGA), Michel Kapel
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Regional Council — last held 16
March 1986 (next to be held March
1991); results— PSG 43%, RPR 27.7%,
ADG 12.2%, UDF 8.9%, FN 3.7%,
PNPG 1.4%, others 3.1%; seats— (31 to-
tal) PSG 1 5, RPR 9, ADG 4, UDF 3;
French Senate — last held 24 September
1989 (next to be held September 1992);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (1 total) PSG 1;
French National Assembly — last held 24
September 1989 (next to be held Septem-
ber 1992); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats— (2 total) PSG 1, RPR 1
104
French Polynesia
(overseas territory of France)
Communists: Communist party member-
ship negligible
Member of: WFTU
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas
department of France the interests of
French Guiana are represented in the US
by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
Economy
Overview: The economy is tied closely to
that of France through subsidies and im-
ports. Besides the French space center at
Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most
important economic activities, with ex-
ports of fish and fish products (mostly
shrimp) accounting for about two-thirds of
total revenue in 1985. The large reserves
of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited,
support an expanding sawmill industry
that provides sawn logs for export. Culti-
vation of crops — rice, cassava, bananas,
and sugarcane — are limited to the coastal
area, where the population is largely con-
centrated. French Guiana is heavily de-
pendent on imports of food and energy.
Unemployment is a serious problem, par-
ticularly among younger workers, with an
unemployment rate of 15%.
GDP: $210 million, per capita $3,230; real
growth rate NA% (1982)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4. 1 %
(1987)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1987)
Budget: revenues $735 million; expendi-
tures $735 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (1987)
Exports: $37.0 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood
essence; partners — US 41%, Japan 18%,
France 9% (1984)
Imports: $297.7 million (c.i.f., 1986); com-
modities— food (grains, processed meat),
other consumer goods, producer goods,
petroleum; partners — France 55%, Trini-
dad and Tobago 13%, US 3% (1984)
External debt: $1.2 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 92,000 kW capacity; 185 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1 ,950 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: construction, shrimp process-
ing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Agriculture: some vegetables for local con-
sumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, ba-
nanas, sugar
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $1.1 billion
Currency: French franc (plural — francs); 1
French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per
US$1— 5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801
(1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987),
6.9261 (1986), 8.9852(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 680 km total; 510 km paved,
170 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 460 km, navigable by
small oceangoing vessels and river and
coastal steamers; 3,300 km possibly navi-
gable by native craft
Ports: Cayenne
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 1 total, 1 1 usable; 5 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair open wire and
radio relay system; 18,100 telephones; sta-
tions—5 AM, 7 FM, 9 TV; 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Military manpower: males 15-49 27,866;
18,430 fit for military service
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
lies ...
Marquises '
South Pacific Ocean
«**«..;-' ^\' ,• Archipeldes
'"••. ..PAPEETE <A-N.r Tuamotu
Society • '\ .
Islands Tahl" '*« '•• •- '
'lies -
Jubua'i
bOO km
See regional map \
Geography
Total area: 3,941 km2; land area: 3,660
km2
Comparative area: slightly less than one-
third the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 2,525 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderate
Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands
and low islands with reefs
Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt
Land use: 1% arable land; 19% permanent
crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 31%
forest and woodland; 44% other
Environment: occasional cyclonic storm in
January; includes five archipelagoes
Note: Makatea is one of three great phos-
phate rock islands in the Pacific (others
are Banaba or Ocean Island in Kiribati
and Nauru)
People
Population: 190,181 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 31 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male,
71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — French Polynesian(s);
adjective — French Polynesian
Ethnic divisions: 78% Polynesian, 12%
Chinese, 6% local French, 4% metropoli-
tan French
105
French Polynesia (continued)
Religion: mainly Christian; 55% Protes-
tant, 32% Roman Catholic
Language: French (official), Tahitian
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 57,863 employed (1983)
Organized labor NA
Government
Long-form name: Territory of French
Polynesia
Type: overseas territory of France
Capital: Papeete
Administrative divisions: none (overseas
territory of France)
Independence: none (overseas territory of
France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: based on French system
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille,
14 July (1789)
Executive branch: French president, high
commissioner of the republic, president of
the Council of Ministers, vice president of
the Council of Ministers, Council of Min-
isters
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial
Assembly
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State- — President Fran-
cois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
1981); High Commissioner of the Repub-
lic Jean MONTPEZAT (since NA No-
vember 1987);
Head of Government — President of the
Council of Ministers Alexandre LEON-
TIEFF (since 9 December 1987); Vice
President of the Council of Ministers
Georges KELLY (since 9 December 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Tahoeraa
Huiraatira (Gaullist), Gaston Flosse; Pupu
Here Ai'a, Jean Juventin; Front de Libe-
ration, Oscar Temaru; Ai'a Api, Emile
Vernaudon; la Mana Te Nunaa, Jacques
Drollet; Pupu Taina, Michel Law; Toati-
raa Polynesia, Arthur Chung; Te E'a Api,
Francis Sanford
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Territorial Assembly — last held
16 March 1986 (next to be held March
1 99 1 ); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats — (41 total) Tahoeraa Huiraa-
tira 24, Amuitahiraa Mo Porinesia 6,
Pupu Here Ai'a 4, la Mana 3, Front de
Liberation 2, other 2;
French Senate — last held 24 September
1989 (next to be held September 1992);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats — (1 total) Democrats for Progress 1;
French National Assembly last held 5 and
12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (2 total) Rally for the Republic 1,
Ai'a Api 1
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas
territory of France, French Polynesian
interests are represented in the US by
France
Flag: the flag of France is used
Economy
Overview: Since 1962, when France sta-
tioned military personnel in the region,
French Polynesia has changed from a sub-
sistence economy to one in which a high
proportion of the work force is either em-
ployed by the military or supports the
tourist industry. Tourism accounts for
about 20% of GDP and is a primary
source of hard currency earnings.
GDP: $2.24 billion, per capita $6,400; real
growth rate NA% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 .2%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: 8% (1986 est.)
Budget: revenues $431; expenditures $418,
including capital expenditures of $NA
(1986)
Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— coconut products 79%, mother-
of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat; part-
ners—France 44%, US 21%
Imports: $767 million (c.i.f., 1 986); com-
modities— fuels, foodstuffs, equipment;
partners— France 50%, US 16%, New
Zealand 6%
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 72,000 kW capacity; 265 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1,350 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, pearls, agricultural
processing, handicrafts
Agriculture: coconut and vanilla planta-
tions; vegetables and fruit; poultry, beef,
dairy products
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $3.6 billion
Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Paci-
fique franc (plural — francs); 1 CFP franc
(CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du
Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1—
104.71 (January 1990), 115.99(1989),
108.30(1988), 109.27(1987), 125.92
(1986), 163.35 (1985); note— linked at the
rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 600 km (198 2)
Ports: Papeete, Bora-bora
Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 2,732 GRT/4,191 DWT;
includes 1 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo;
note — a subset of the French register
Civil air about 6 major transport aircraft
Airports: 43 total, 41 usable; 23 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: 33,200 telephones;
84,000 radio receivers; 26,400 TV sets;
stations— 5 AM, 2 FM, 6 TV; 1 Pacific
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is responsibility of France
106
French Southern and
Antarctic Lands
(overseas territory of France)
Gabon
700km
Indian
Ocean
lies Crozet
lie Amsterdam
lie Saint-Paul'
lies Kerguelen
See refional map I
Geography
Total area: 7,7,81 km2; land ar§a: 7,781
km2; includes lie Amsterdam, He Saint-
Paul, lies Kerguelen, and lies Crozet; ex-
cludes claim not recognized by the US of
about 500,000 km2 in Antarctica known
as Terre Adelie
Comparative area: slightly less than 1 .5
times the size of Delaware
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,232 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploration
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claim in Antarctica (Terre
Adelie) not recognized by the US
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: volcanic
Natural resources: fish, crayfish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: lie Amsterdam and lie
Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
Note: located in the southern Indian
Ocean about equidistant between Africa,
Antarctica, and Australia
People
Population: 210 (July 1990), growth rate
0.00% (1990); mostly researchers
Government
Long-form name: Territory of the French
Southern and Antarctic Lands
Type: overseas territory of France gov-
erned by High Administrator Claude
CORBIER (since NA 1988)
Flag: the flag of France is used
Economy
Overview: Economic activity is limited to
servicing meteorological and geophysical
research stations and French and other
fishing fleets. The fishing catches landed
on lies Kerguelen by foreign ships are ex-
ported to France and Reunion.
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 217,203 GRT/348,632
DWT; includes 2 cargo, 3 refrigerated
cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 2 bulk;
note — a subset of the French register
Telecommunications: NA
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
150km
Gull of
Guinea
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 267,670 km2; land area:
257,670 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Colorado
Land boundaries: 2,551 km total; Came-
roon 298 km, Congo 1 ,903 km, Equatorial
Guinea 350 km
Coastline: 885 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary with Equato-
rial Guinea
Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly inte-
rior; savanna in east and south
Natural resources: crude oil, manganese,
uranium, gold, timber, iron ore
Land use: 1% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 78%
forest and woodland; 2% other
Environment: deforestation
People
Population: 1,068,240 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 6 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 106 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male,
56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Gabonese (sing., pi.);
adjective— Gabonese
Ethnic divisions: about 40 Bantu tribes,
including four major tribal groupings
(Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke); about
1 00,000 expatriate Africans and Europe-
ans, including 27,000 French
107
Gabon (continued)
Religion: 55-75% Christian, less than 1%
Muslim, remainder animist
Language: French (official), Fang, Myene,
Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Literacy: 61.6%
Labor force: 1 20,000 salaried; 65.0% agri-
culture, 30.0% industry and commerce,
2.5% services, 2.5% government; 58% of
population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: there are 38,000 mem-
bers of the national trade union, the Ga-
bonese Trade Union Confederation
(COSYGA)
Government
Long-form name: Gabonese Republic
Type: republic; one-party presidential re-
gime since 1964
Capital: Libreville
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces;
Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue,
Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo,
Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue- Maritime, Woleu-
Ntem
Independence: 17 August 1960 (from
France)
Constitution: 21 February 1961, revised
15 April 1975
Legal system: based on French civil law
system and customary law; judicial review
of legislative acts in Constitutional Cham-
ber of the Supreme Court; compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction not accepted
National holiday: Renovation Day (Gabo-
nese Democratic Party established), 12
March (1968)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Assemble Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State— President El
Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December
1967);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Leon MEBIAME (since 16 April 1975)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Gabonese Social Democratic Rally
(RSDG), El Hadj Omar Bongo, president;
formerly Gabonese Democratic Party
(PDG), which was dissolved in February
1990
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President — last held on 9 No-
vember 1986 (next to be held November
1993); results— President Omar BONGO
was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly — last held on 1 7 Feb-
ruary 1985 (next to be held by February
1992); results— PDG was the only party;
seats— (120 total, 111 elected) PDG 111
Communists: no organized party; probably
some Communist sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Confer-
ence of East and Central African States,
EAMA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCO,
ICO, IDA, IDB — Islamic Development
Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU,
NAM, OAU, QIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Jean Robert ODZAGA; Chancery at
2034 20th Street NW, Washington DC
20009; telephone (202) 797-1000; US—
Ambassador Keith L. WAUCHOPE; Em-
bassy at Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville
(mailing address is B. P. 4000, Libreville);
telephone 762003 or 762004, 761337,
721348,740248
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
green (top), yellow, and blue
Economy
Overview: The economy, dependent on
timber and manganese until the early
1 970s, is now dominated by the oil sector.
During the period 1 98 1 -85 oil accounted
for about 46% of GDP, 83% of export
earnings, and 65% of government revenues
on average. The high oil prices of the
early 1 980s contributed to a substantial
increase in per capita income, stimulated
domestic demand, reinforced migration
from rural to urban areas, and raised the
level of real wages to among the highest
in Sub-Saharan Africa. The three-year
slide of Gabon's economy, which began
with falling oil prices in 1985, stabilized
in 1989 because of a near doubling of oil
prices over their 1988 lows. The agricul-
turaJ and industrial sectors are relatively
underdeveloped, accounting for only 8%
and 10%, respectively, of GDP in 1986.
GDP: $3.2 billion, per capita $3,200; real
growth rate 0% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1989)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $927 million; expendi-
tures $1.2 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of $33 million (1988)
Exports: $1.14 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — crude oil 70%, manganese
11%, wood 12%, uranium 6%; partners —
France 53%, US 22%, FRG, Japan
Imports: $0.76 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— foodstuffs, chemical products,
petroleum products, construction materi-
als, manufactures, machinery; partners —
France 48%, US 2.6%, FRG, Japan, UK
External debt: $2.0 billion (October 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.7%
(1986)
Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 980 mil-
lion kWh produced, 920 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: sawmills, petroleum, food and
beverages; mining of increasing impor-
tance (especially manganese and uranium)
Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GDP (in-
cluding fishing and forestry); cash crops —
cocoa, coffee, palm oil; livestock not devel-
oped; importer of food; small fishing oper-
ations provide a catch of about 20,000
metric tons; okoume (a tropical softwood)
is the most important timber product
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $64 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion; Commu-
nist countries (1970-88), $27 million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine 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: 649 km 1.437-meter standard-
gauge single track (Transgabonese Rail-
road)
Highways: 7,500 km total; 560 km paved,
960 km laterite, 5,980 km earth
Inland waterways: 1 ,600 km perennially
navigable
Pipelines: crude oil, 270 km; refined prod-
ucts, 14 km
Ports: Owendo, Port-Gentil, Libreville
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000
CRT or over) totaling 18,563 CRT/
25,330 DWT
Civil air: 1 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 79 total, 68 usable; 10 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate system of
open-wire, radio relay, tropospheric scatter
links and radiocommunication stations;
13,800 telephones; stations — 6 AM, 6
FM, 8 TV; satellite earth stations — 2 At-
lantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 2 domes-
tic satellite
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, para-
military Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 266,110;
133,158 fit for military service; 9,282
reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 3.2% of GDP, or
$102 million (1990 est.)
108
The Gambia
Boundary representation is
not necessarily authoritative
Srr rrgicmul m«|< Ml
Geography
Total area: 1 1,300 km2; land area: 10,000
km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of Delaware
Land boundary: 740 km with Senegal
Coastline: 80 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Continental shelf: not specific
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: short section of boundary with
Senegal is indefinite
Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June
to November); cooler, dry season
(November to May)
Terrain: flood plain of the Gambia River
flanked by some low hills
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 1 6% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 9% meadows and pastures; 20%
forest and woodland; 55% other; includes
3% irrigated
Environment: deforestation
Note: almost an enclave of Senegal; small-
est country on the continent of Africa
People
Population: 848,147 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 48 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 140 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 46 years male,
50 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Gambian(s); adjec-
tive— Gambian
Ethnic divisions: 99% African (42% Man-
dinka, 18% Fula, 16% Wolof, 10% Jola,
9% Serahuli, 4% other); 1% non-Gambian
Religion: 90% Muslim, 9% Christian, 1%
indigenous beliefs
Language: English (official); Mandinka,
Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
Literacy: 25.1%
Labor force: 400,000 (1986 est.); 75.0%
agriculture, 18.9% industry, commerce,
and services, 6.1% government; 55% popu-
lation of working age (1983)
Organized labor: 25-30% of wage labor
force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of The Gam-
bia
Type: republic
Capital: Banjul
Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1
city*; Banjul*, Lower River, MacCarthy
Island, North Bank, Upper River, West-
ern
Independence: 18 February 1965 (from
UK); The Gambia and Senegal signed an
agreement on 1 2 December 1 98 1 (effective
1 February 1982) that called for the cre-
ation of a loose confederation to be known
as Senegambia, but the agreement was
dissolved on 30 September 1989
Constitution: 24 April 1 970
Legal system: based on a composite of En-
glish common law, Koranic law, and cus-
tomary law; accepts compulsory ICJ juris-
diction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 18
February (1965)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Alhaji Sir Dawda
Kairaba JAWARA (since 24 April 1970);
Vice President Bakary Bunja DARBO
(since 12 May 1982)
Political parties and leaders: People's Pro-
gressive Party (PPP), Dawda K. Jawara,
secretary general; National Convention
Party (NCP), Sheriff Dibba; Gambian
People's Party (GPP), Assan Musa Ca-
mara; United Party (UP); People's Demo-
cratic Organization of Independence and
Socialism (PDOIS)
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President — last held on 1 1
March 1987 (next to be held March
1992); results— Sir Dawda Jawara (PPP)
61.1%, Sherif Mustapha Dibba (NCP)
25.2%, Assan Musa Camara (GPP) 13.7%;
House of Representatives — last held on 1 1
March 1987 (next to be held by March
1992); results— PPP 56.6%, NCP 27.6%,
GPP 14.7%, PDOIS 1%; seats— (43 total,
36 elected) PPP 31, NCP 5
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, Common-
wealth, EGA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77,
GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Inter-
American Development Bank, I FAD,
IFC, IMF, IMO, IRC, ITU, NAM,
OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Ousman A. SALLAH; Chancery at Suite
720, 1030 15th Street NW, Washington
DC 20005; telephone (202) 842-1356 or
842-1359; US— Ambassador (vacant); Em-
bassy at Pipeline Road (Kairaba Avenue),
Fajara, Banjul (mailing address is P. M.
B. No. 19, Banjul); telephone Serrekunda
[220] 92856 or 92858, 91970, 91971
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), blue with white edges, and green
Economy
Overview: The Gambia has no important
mineral or other natural resources and has
a limited agricultural base. It is one of the
world's poorest countries with a per capita
income of about $250. About 75% of the
population is engaged in crop production
and livestock raising, which contributes
about 30% to GDP. Small-scale manufac-
turing activity — processing peanuts, fish,
and hides — accounts for less than 10% of
GDP. Tourism is a growing industry. The
Gambia imports about 33% of its food, all
fuel, and most manufactured goods. Ex-
ports are concentrated on peanut products
(over 75% of total value).
GDP: $195 million, per capita $250; real
growth rate 4.6% (FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0%
(FY89 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $75 million; expenditures
$67 million, including capital expenditures
of $21 million (FY89)
Exports: $133 million (f.o.b., FY89); com-
modities— peanuts and peanut products,
fish, cotton lint, palm kernels; partners —
Ghana 49%, Europe 27%, Japan 12%, US
1% (1986)
Imports: $105 million (c.i.f., FY89); com-
modities— foodstuffs, manufactures, raw
materials, fuel, machinery and transport
equipment; partners — Europe 55% (EC
39%, other 16%), Asia 20%, US 11%, Se-
negal 4% (1986)
External debt: $330 million (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.3%
(FY88)
Electricity: 29,000 kW capacity; 64 mil-
lion kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: peanut processing, tourism,
beverages, agricultural machinery assem-
bly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP and
employs about 75% of the population; im-
ports one-third of food requirements; ma-
jor export crop is peanuts; the principal
crops — millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cas-
sava, palm kernels; livestock — cattle,
sheep, and goats; forestry and fishing re-
sources not fully exploited
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $84 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
109
The Gambia (continued)
Gaza Strip
mitments (1970-87), $422 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $39 million
Currency: dalasi (plural — dalasi); 1 dalasi
(D) = 100 bututs
Exchange rates: dalasi (D) per US$1 —
8.3232 (December 1989), 7.5846 (1989),
6.7086 (1988), 7.0744 (1987), 6.9380
(1986), 3.8939 (1985)
Fiscal yean 1 July-30 June
Communications
Highways: 3,083 km total; 431 km paved,
501 km gravel/laterite, and 2,151 km
unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 400 km
Ports: Banjul
Civil air 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: adequate network of
radio relay and wire; 3,500 telephones;
stations— 3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, paramilitary Gendarme-
rie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 182,308;
92,001 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: NA
See recional map VI
Israeli occupied
status to be determined
Boundary representation is
not necessarily authoritative
Note: The war between Israel and the
Arab states in June 1967 ended with Is-
rael in control of the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan
Heights. As stated in the 1978 Camp Da-
vid Accords and reaffirmed by President
Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initia-
tive, the final status of the West Bank and
the Gaza Strip, their relationship with
their neighbors, and a peace treaty be-
tween Israel and Jordan are to be negoti-
ated among the concerned parties. Camp
David further specifies that these negotia-
tions will resolve the respective bound-
aries. Pending the completion of this pro-
cess, it is US policy that the final status of
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has
yet to be determined. In the view of the
US, the term West Bank describes all of
the area west of the Jordan under Jorda-
nian administration before the 1967 Arab-
Israeli war. With respect to negotiations
envisaged in the framework agreement,
however, it is US policy that a distinction
must be made between Jerusalem and the
rest of the West Bank because of the
city's special status and circumstances.
Therefore, a negotiated solution for the
final status of Jerusalem could be different
in character from that of the rest of the
West Bank.
Geography
Total area: 380km2; land area: 380 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 62 km total; Egypt 1 1
km, Israel 51 km
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims: Israeli occupied with
status to be determined
Disputes: Israeli occupied with status to
be determined
Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and
warm to hot summers
Terrain: flat to rolling, sand and dune cov-
ered coastal plain
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 13% arable land, 32% perma-
nent crops, 0% meadows and pastures, 0%
forest and woodland, 55% other
Environment: desertification
Note: there are 1 8 Jewish settlements in
the Gaza Strip
People
Population: 615,575 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.2% (1990); in addition, there are
2,500 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip
Birth rate: 47 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 7 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 55 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male,
66 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: NA
Ethnic divisions: 99.8% Palestinian Arab
and other, 0.2% Jewish
Religion: 99% Muslim (predominantly
Sunni), 0.7% Christian, 0.3% Jewish
Language: Arabic, Israeli settlers speak
Hebrew, English widely understood
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: (excluding Israeli Jewish set-
tlers) 32.0% small industry, commerce and
business, 24.4% construction, 25.5% ser-
vice and other, and 18.1% agriculture
(1984)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Note: The Gaza Strip is currently gov-
erned by Israeli military authorities and
Israeli civil administration. It is US policy
that the final status of the Gaza Strip will
be determined by negotiations among the
concerned parties. These negotiations will
determine how this area is to be governed.
Economy
Overview: Nearly half of the labor force of
the Gaza Strip is employed across the bor-
der by Israeli industrial, construction, and
agricultural enterprises, with worker
transfer funds accounting for 40% of
GNP in 1989. The once dominant agricul-
tural sector now contributes only 1 3% to
GNP, about the same as that of the con-
struction sector, and industry accounts for
7%. Gaza depends upon Israel for 90% of
its imports and as a market for 80% of its
110
exports. Unrest in the territory in 1988-89
(intifadah) has raised unemployment and
substantially lowered the incomes of the
population.
GNP: $380 million, per capita $650; real
growth rate NA% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $36.6 million; expendi-
tures $32.0 million, including capital ex-
penditures of N A (1986)
Exports: $88 million; commodities — cit-
rus; partners — Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)
Imports: $260 million; commodities —
food, consumer goods, construction male-
rials; partners — Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: power supplied by Israel
Industries: generally small family busi-
nesses that produce cement, textiles, soap,
olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl
souvenirs; the Israelis have established
some small-scale modern industries in an
industrial center
Agriculture: olives, citrus and other fruits,
vegetables, beef, dairy products
Aid: none
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- March 31
Communications
Railroads: one line, abandoned and in dis-
repair, but trackage remains
Highways: small, poorly developed indige-
nous road network
Ports: facilities for small boats to service
Gaza
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way less than 1,220 m
Telecommunications: stations — no AM, no
FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Branches: NA
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
German Democratic Republic
(East Germany)
Mecklenburger
Bucht
Baltic Sea
Sassnitz
Schwerm
The final borders of ^X^Wittenbw ga 'Schwedt
Germany have not **^r* \
been established \ \
\ Bwlin. >
ElMbhUttenstadt
• Magdeburg
Halle
Leipzig
Dresden
100km
See region*) mip V
Geography
Total area: 108,330 km2; land area:
105,980 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Tennessee
Land boundaries: 2,296 km total; Czecho-
slovakia 459 km, Poland 456 km, FRG
1,381 km
Coastline: 901 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: it is US policy that the final
borders of Germany have not been estab-
lished; the US is seeking to settle the
property claims of US nationals against
the GDR
Climate: temperate; cloudy, cold winters
with frequent rain and snow; cool, wet
summers
Terrain: mostly flat plain with hills and
mountains in south
Natural resources: lignite, potash, ura-
nium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel
Land use: 45% arable land; 3% permanent
crops; 12% meadows and pastures; 28%
forest and woodland; 1 2% other; includes
2% irrigated
Environment: significant deforestation in
mountains caused by air pollution and
acid rain
Note: strategic location on North Euro-
pean Plain and near the entrance to the
Baltic Sea; West Berlin is an enclave
(about 1 16 km by air or 176 km by road
from FRG)
People
Population: 16,307,170 (July 1990),
growth rate -0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 12 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: -6 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — German(s); adjective —
German
Ethnic divisions: 99.7% German, 0.3%
Slavic and other
Religion: 47% Protestant, 7% Roman
Catholic, 46% unaffiliated or other; less
than 5% of Protestants and about 25% of
Roman Catholics active participants
Language: German
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 8,960,000; 37.5% industry,
21.1% services, 10.8% agriculture and for-
estry, 10.3% commerce, 7.4% transport
and communications, 6.6% construction,
3.1% handicrafts, 3.2% other (1987)
Organized labor: 87.7% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: German Democratic
Republic; abbreviated GDR
Type: Communist state
Capital: East Berlin (not officially recog-
nized by France, UK, and US, which to-
gether with the USSR have special rights
and responsibilities in Berlin)
Administrative divisions: 1 4 districts (bc-
zirke, singular — bezirk); Cottbus, Dresden,
Erfurt, Frankfurt, Gera, Halle,
Karl-Marx-Stadt, Leipzig, Magdeburg,
Neubrandenburg, Potsdam, Rostock,
Schwerin, Suhl
Independence: self-government proclaimed
7 October 1949, with permission of the
Soviet authorities
Constitution: 9 April 1968, amended 7
October 1974
Legal system: civil law system modified by
Communist legal theory; no judicial re-
view of legislative acts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Foundation of the Ger-
man Democratic Republic, 7 October
(1949)
Executive branch: Council of State abol-
ished on 5 April 1 990, post of president to
be created; chairman of the Council of
Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's
Chamber (Volkskammer)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Acting President
of the People's Chamber Sabine
BERGMANN-POHL (since 5 April
1990);
111
German Democratic Republic
(East Germany) (continued)
Head of Government — Chairman of the
Council of Ministers Lothar DE MAI-
ZIERE (since 12 April 1990); Deputy
Chairman Peter-Michael DIESTEL (since
16 April 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for
Germany — Christian Democratic Union
(CDU), Lothar de Maiziere, chairman;
German Social Union (DSU),
Hans-Wilhelm Ebeling, chairman; and
Democratic Awakening (DA), Rainer Ep-
pelmann, chairman;
Social Democratic Party of Germany
(SPD), Markus Meckel, acting chairman;
Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS,
former Communist), Gregor Gysi, chair-
man;
League of Free Democrats (BFD) — Liber-
als, Rainer Ortleb, chairman; Free Demo-
cratic Party (FDP), Bruno Menzel, chair-
man; and German Forum Party (DFP),
Juergen Schmieder, chairman;
Alliance '90— New Forum, Baerbel Boh-
ley, Jens Reich, Sebastian Pflugbeil,
spokespersons; Democracy Now, (Conrad
Weiss, spokesperson; and United Left,
Herbert Misslitz, spokesperson;
Greens Party (GP), Vera Wollenberger,
spokesperson;
Democratic Peasants' Party (DBD), Guen-
ther Maleuda, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: People's Chamber — last held on
18 March 1990 (next to be held March
NA); results — Alliance for Germany —
CDU 40.9%, DSU 6.3%, DA 0.9%; SPD
21.8; BFD 5.3%; SPD 21.8%; PDS 16.3%;
Alliance 90 2.9%; DBD 2.2%; GP 2.0%;
NDPD 0.4%; others 1.0%; seats— (400
total, including 66 from East Berlin) Alli-
ance for Germany— CDU 164, DSU 25,
DA 4; SPD 87; BFD 21; PDS 65; Alli-
ance 90 12, DBD 9; GP 8; NDPD 2; oth-
ers 3
Communists: 500,000 to 700,000 party
members (1990)
Member of: CEMA, IAEA, IBEC, ICES,
ILO, IMO, IPU, ITU, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, Warsaw Pact, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Dr. Gerhard HERDER; Chancery at
1717 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Wash-
ington DC 20036; telephone (202) 232-
3134; US— Ambassador Richard C.
BARKLEY; Embassy at 1080 Berlin,
Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5, East
Berlin (mailing address is Box E, APO
New York 09742); telephone [37] (2) 220-
2741
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
black (top), red, and yellow with the coat
of arms centered; the coat of arms con-
tains, in yellow, a hammer and compass
encircled by a wreath of grain with a
black, red, and gold ribbon at the bottom;
similar to the flag of the FRG which does
not have a coat of arms
Economy
Overview: The GDR is moving rapidly
away from its centrally planned economy.
As the 1990s begin, economic integration
with West Germany appears inevitable,
beginning with the establishment of a
common currency. The opening of the
border with the FRG in late 1989 and the
continuing emigration of hundreds of
thousands of skilled workers had brought
growth to a standstill by yearend 1989.
Features of the old economic regime that
will quickly change: (a) the collectivization
of 95% of East German farms; (b) state
ownership of nearly all transportation fa-
cilities, industrial plants, foreign trade or-
ganizations, and financial institutions; (c)
the 65% share in trade of the USSR and
other CEMA countries; and (d) the de-
tailed control over economic details exer-
cised by Party and state. Once integrated
into the thriving West German economy,
the area will have to stem the outflow of
workers and renovate the obsolescent in-
dustrial base. After an initial readjust-
ment period, living standards and quality
of output will steadily rise toward West
German levels.
GNP: $159.5 billion, per capita $9,679;
real growth rate 1.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $123.5 billion; expendi-
tures $123.2 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $33 billion (1986)
Exports: $30.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and transport equip-
ment 47%, fuels and metals 16%, con-
sumer goods 16%, chemical products and
building materials 13%, semimanufac-
tured goods and processed foodstuffs 8%;
partners — USSR, Czechoslovakia, Poland,
FRG, Hungary, Bulgaria, Switzerland,
Romania
Imports: $31.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— fuels and metals 40%, machin-
ery and transport equipment 29%, chemi-
cal products and building materials 9%;
partners — CEMA countries 65%, non-
Communist 33%, other 2%
External debt: $20.6 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.7%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: (including East Berlin)
24,585,000 kW capacity; 122,500 million
kWh produced, 7,390 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: metal fabrication, chemicals,
brown coal, shipbuilding, machine build-
ing, food and beverages, textiles, petro-
leum
Agriculture: accounts for about 10% of
GNP (including fishing and forestry); prin-
cipal crops — wheat, rye, barley, potatoes,
sugar beets, fruit; livestock products in-
clude pork, beef, chicken, milk, hides and
skins; net importer of food; fish catch of
193,600 metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor — $4.0 billion extended bilater-
ally to non-Communist less developed
countries (1956-88)
Currency: GDR mark (plural — marks); 1
GDR mark (M) = 100 pfennige
Exchange rates: GDR marks (M) per
US$1— 3.01 (1988), 3.00 (1987), 3.30
(1986), 3.70(1985), 3.64(1984)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 14,005 km total; 13,730 km
1.435-meter standard gauge, 275 km
1.000-meter or other narrow gauge, 3,830
(est.) km 1.435-meter double-track stan-
dard gauge; 2,754 km overhead electrified
(1986)
Highways: 124,615 km total; 47,214 km
concrete, asphalt, stone block, of which
1,913 km are autobahn and limited access
roads, 11,261 are trunk roads, and 34,040
are regional roads; 77,401 municipal roads
(1985)
Inland waterways: 2,319 km (1986)
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,301 km; refined
products, 500 km; natural gas, 2,150 km
(1988)
Ports: Rostock, Wismar, Stralsund, Sass-
nitz; river ports are East Berlin, Riesa,
Magdeburg, and Eisenhuttenstadt on the
Elbe or Oder Rivers and connecting ca-
nals
Merchant marine: 145 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 1,349,537 CRT/
1,733,089 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 89
cargo, 10 refrigerated cargo, 6 roll-on/
roll-off cargo, 16 container, 1 multifunc-
tion large-load carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 1
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas
tanker, 16 bulk
Civil air: 45 major transport aircraft
Airports: 190 total, 190 usable; 70 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
way over 3,659 m; 45 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 40 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 23 AM, 17
FM, 21 TV; 15 Soviet TV relays;
6,181,860 TV sets; 6,700,000 radio receiv-
ers; at least 1 satellite earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: National People's Army, Border
Troops, Air and Air Defense Command,
People's Navy
Military manpower eligible 15-49,
7,944,305; of the 4,045,396 males 15-49,
3,243,970 are fit for military service;
91,579 reach military age (18) annually; of
the 3,898,909 females 15-49, 3,117,847
are fit for military service; 85,892 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 16.2 billion marks,
5.4% of total budget (1989); note— conver-
sion of the military budget into US dollars
using the official administratively set ex-
change rate would produce misleading
results
112
Germany, Federal Republic of
(West Germany)
The final borders of
Germany have not
been established
See regional map V
Geography
Total area: 248,580 km2; land area:
244,280 km2; includes West Berlin
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Oregon
Land boundaries: 4,256 km total; Austria
784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czechoslovakia
356 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km,
GDR 1,381 km; Luxembourg 138 km,
Netherlands 577 km, Switzerland 334 km
Coastline: 1,488 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm (extends, at one
point, to 16 nm in the Helgolander
Bucht)
Disputes: it is US policy that the final
borders of Germany have not been estab-
lished
Climate: temperate and marine; cool,
cloudy, wet winters and summers; occa-
sional warm, tropical foehn wind; high
relative humidity
Terrain: lowlands in north, uplands in cen-
ter, Bavarian Alps in south
Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash,
timber
Land use: 30% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 1 9% meadows and pastures; 30%
forest and woodland; 20% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: air and water pollution
Note: West Berlin is an exclave (about
1 1 6 km by air or 1 76 km by road from
FRG)
People
Population: 62,168,200 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.5% (1990)
Birthrate: 11 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — German(s); adjective —
German
Ethnic divisions: primarily German; Dan-
ish minority
Religion: 45% Roman Catholic, 44% Prot-
estant, 11% other
Language: German
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 27,790,000; 41.6% industry,
35.4% services and other, 18.2% trade and
transport, 4.8% agriculture (1987)
Organized labor: 9,300,000 total;
7,760,000 in German Trade Union Feder-
ation (DGB); union membership consti-
tutes about 40% of union-eligible labor
force, 34% of total labor force, and 35%
of wage and salary earners (1986)
Government
Long-form name: Federal Republic of
Germany; abbreviated FRG
Type: federal republic
Capital: Bonn
Administrative divisions: 10 states (lander,
singular — land); Baden- Wiirttemberg,
Bayern, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Nie-
dersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen,
Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Schleswig-
Holstein
Constitution: 23 May 1949, provisional
constitution known as Basic Law
Legal system: civil law system with indige-
nous concepts; judicial review of legisla-
tive acts in the Federal Constitutional
Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday: NA
Executive branch: president, chancellor,
Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
(Parlament) consists of an upper chamber
or Federal Assembly (Bundesrat) and a
lower chamber or National Assembly
(Bundestag)
Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional
Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
Leaders: Chief of State— President Dr.
Richard von WEIZSACKER (since 1
July 1984);
Head of Government — Chancellor Dr.
Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982)
Political parties and leaders: Christian
Democratic Union (CDU), Helmut Kohl;
Christian Social Union (CSU), Theo Wai-
gel; Free Democratic Party (FDP), Otto
Lambsdorff; Social Democratic Party
(SPD), Hans-Jochen Vogel; National
Democratic Party (NPD), Martin Muss-
gnug; Republikaner, Franz Schoerhuber;
Communist Party (DKP), Herbert Mies;
Green Party — Realos faction, Joschka Fis-
cher; Green Party — Fundis faction, Jutta
Ditfurth
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly — last held
25 January 1987 (next to be held by 18
January 1991); results— SPD 37.0%, CDU
34.5%, CSU 9.8%, FDP 9.1%, Green
Party 8.2%, others 1.4%; seats— (497 to-
tal, 22 are elected by the West Berlin
House of Representatives and have limited
voting rights) SPD 186, CDU 174, CSU
49, FDP 46, Green Party 42
Communists: about 40,000 members and
supporters
Other political or pressure groups: expel-
lee, refugee, and veterans groups
Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Eu-
rope, DAC, EC, EIB, EMS, ESA, FAO,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO,
ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB — Inter-American
Development Bank, IFAD, IEA, IFC,
IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITC,
ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD,
UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Jeurgen RUHFUS; Chancery at 4645
Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC
20007; telephone (202) 298-4000; there
are FRG Consulates General in Atlanta,
Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and New
York, and Consulates in Miami and New
Orleans; US — Ambassador Vernon WAL-
TERS; Embassy at Deichmanns Avenue,
5300 Bonn 2 (mailing address is APO
New York 09080); telephone 49 (228)
3391; there are US Consulates General in
Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and Stutt-
gart
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
black (top), red, and yellow; similar to the
flag of the GDR which has a coat of arms
in the center
Economy
Overview: West Germany, a major eco-
nomic power and a leading exporter, has a
highly urbanized and skilled population
that enjoys excellent living standards and
comprehensive social welfare benefits. The
FRG is poor in natural resources, coal
being the most important mineral. The
FRG's comparative advantage lies in the
technologically advanced production
stages. Thus manufacturing and services
dominate economic activity, and raw ma-
terials and semimanufactures constitute a
large proportion of imports. In 1988 man-
ufacturing accounted for 35% of GDP,
113
Germany, Federal Republic of
(West Germany) (continued)
with other sectors contributing lesser
amounts. The major economic problem in
1 989 is persistent unemployment of over
8%. The FRO is well poised to take ad-
vantage of the increasing economic inte-
gration of the European Community. The
dramatic opening of the boundary with
East Germany in late 1989 poses new eco-
nomic challenges that could tax even this
powerful economy.
GDP: $945.7 billion, per capita $15,300;
real growth rate 4.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 8.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $539 billion; expendi-
tures $563 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of $1 1.5 billion (1988)
Exports: $323.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— manufactures 86.6% (including
machines and machine tools, chemicals,
motor vehicles, iron and steel products),
agricultural products 4.9%, raw materials
2.3%, fuels 1 .3%; partners— EC 52.7%
(France 12%, Netherlands 9%, Italy 9%,
UK 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 7%), other
West Europe 18%, US 10%, Eastern Eu-
rope 4%, OPEC 3% (1987)
Imports: $250.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— manufactures 68.5%, agricul-
tural products 12.0%, fuels 9.7%, raw ma-
terials 7.1%; partners— EC 52.7% (France
12%, Netherlands 11%, Italy 10%, UK
7%, Belgium-Luxembourg 7%), other
West Europe 15%, US 6%, Japan 6%,
Eastern Europe 5%, OPEC 3% (1987)
External debt: $500 million (June 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.3%
(1988)
Electricity: (including West Berlin)
1 10,075,000 kW capacity; 452,390 million
kWh produced, 7,420 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: among world's largest produc-
ers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals,
machinery, ships, vehicles, and machine
tools; electronics, food and beverages
Agriculture: accounts for about 2% of
GDP (including fishing and forestry); di-
versified crop and livestock farming; prin-
cipal crops and livestock include potatoes,
wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbage,
cattle, pigs, poultry; net importer of food;
fish catch of 202,000 metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $60.0 billion
Currency: deutsche mark (plural — marks);
1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige
Exchange rates: deutsche marks (DM) per
US$1— 1.6918 (January 1990), 1.8800
(1989), 1.7562(1988), 1.7974(1987),
2.1715(1986), 2.9440(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 31,443 km total; 27,421 km
government owned, 1.435-meter standard
gauge (12,491 km double track, 11,501
km electrified); 4,022 km nongovernment
owned, including 3,598 km 1. 435-meter
standard gauge (214 km electrified) and
424 km 1.000-meter gauge (186 km elec-
trified)
Highways: 466,305 km total; 169,568 km
primary, includes 6,435 km autobahn,
32,460 km national highways (Bundes-
strassen), 65,425 km state highways (Lan-
desstrassen), 65,248 km county roads
(Kreisstrassen); 296,737 km of secondary
communal roads (Gemeindestrassen)
Inland waterways: 5,222 km, of which al-
most 70% are usable by craft of 1,000-
metric ton capacity or larger; major rivers
include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is
an important connection between the Bal-
tic Sea and the North Sea
Pipelines: crude oil, 2,343 km; refined
products, 3,446 km; natural gas, 95,414
km
Ports: maritime — Bremerhaven, Brunsbut-
tel, Cuxhaven, Emden, Bremen, Ham-
burg, Kiel, Lilbeck, Wilhelmshaven; in-
land— 27 major
Merchant marine: 422 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 3,436,568 GRT/
4,297,520 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 7
short-sea passenger, 218 cargo, 4 refriger-
ated cargo, 95 container, 20 roll-on/roll-
off cargo, 2 railcar carrier, 7 barge car-
rier, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 12
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 21 chemical tanker, 15 liquefied
gas, 5 combination ore/oil, 13 combina-
tion bulk
Civil air 194 major transport aircraft
Airports: 466 total, 457 usable; 240 with
permanent-surface runways; 3 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 41 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 55 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed,
modern telecommunication service to all
parts of the country; fully adequate in all
respects; 40,300,000 telephones; stations —
87 AM, 205 (376 relays) FM, 300 (6,400
relays) TV; 6 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations operating in
INTELSAT (12 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian
Ocean), EUTELSAT, and domestic
systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
16,006,352; 13,883,536 fit for military
service; 326,666 reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (1989
est.)
114
Ghana
Scr regioni I map VII
Geography
Total area: 238,540 km2; land area:
230,020 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Oregon
Land boundaries: 2,093 km total; Burkina
548 km, Ivory Coast 668 km, Togo 877
km
Coastline: 539 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively
dry along southeast coast; hot and humid
in southwest; hot and dry in north
Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected
plateau in south-central area
Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial
diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rub-
ber
Land use: 5% arable land; 7% permanent
crops; 1 5% meadows and pastures; 37%
forest and woodland; 36% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recent drought in north se-
verely affecting marginal agricultural ac-
tivities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil
erosion; dry, northeasterly harmattan wind
(January to March)
Note: Lake Volta is world's largest artifi-
cial lake
People
Population: 15,165,243 (July 1990),
growth rate 3.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 1 migrant/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 89 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male,
56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Ghanaian(s); adjec-
tive— Ghanaian
Ethnic divisions: 99.8% black African
(major tribes — 44% Akan, 16% Moshi-
Dagomba, 13% Ewe, 8% Ga), 0.2% Euro-
pean and other
Religion: 38% indigenous beliefs, 30%
Muslim, 24% Christian, 8% other
Language: English (official); African lan-
guages include Akan, Moshi-Dagomba,
Ewe, and Ga
Literacy: 53.2%
Labor force: 3,700,000; 54.7% agriculture
and fishing, 18.7% industry, 15.2% sales
and clerical, 7.7% services, transportation,
and communications, 3.7% professional;
48% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: 467,000 (about 13% of
labor force)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Ghana
Type: military
Capital: Accra
Administrative divisions: 1 0 regions;
Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern,
Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East,
Upper West, Volta, Western
Independence: 6 March 1957 (from UK,
formerly Gold Coast)
Constitution: 24 September 1979;
suspended 31 December 1981
Legal system: based on English common
law and customary law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 6
March (1957)
Executive branch: chairman of the Provi-
sional National Defense Council (PNDC),
PNDC, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly dissolved after 3 1 December
1981 coup, and legislative powers were
assumed by the Provisional National De-
fense Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— Chairman of the Provisional
National Defense Council Fit. Lt. (Ret.)
Jerry John RAWLINGS (since 31 De-
cember 1981)
Political parties and leaders: none; politi-
cal parties outlawed after 31 December
1981 coup
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Communists: a small number of Commu-
nists and sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Common-
wealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO,
ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Eric K. OTOO; Chancery at 2460 16th
Street NW, Washington DC 20009; tele-
phone (202) 462-0761; there is a Ghanaian
Consulate General in New York; US —
Ambassador Raymond C. EWING; Em-
bassy at Ring Road East, East of Dan-
quah Circle, Accra (mailing address is P.
O. Box 194, Accra); telephone 775347
through 775349
Hag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), yellow, and green with a large black
five-pointed star centered in the gold
band; uses the popular pan-African colors
of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia
which has a coat of arms centered in the
yellow band
Economy
Overview: Supported by substantial inter-
national assistance, Ghana has been im-
plementing a steady economic rebuilding
program since 1983. Good harvests in
1988 featured the 6% growth in GNP.
Moves toward privatization and relaxation
of government controls continued in 1988-
89, although at a slower-than-expected
pace. In 1988 service on the $2.8 billion
debt was equivalent to 75% of export
earnings. As Ghana obtains concessional
loans and pays off high-interest debt, how-
ever, debt service is expected to fall below
30% of export earnings in the early 1990s.
The economic rebuilding program has
both helped and harmed the manufactur-
ing sector, for example, by improving the
supply of raw materials and by increasing
competition from imports. The long-term
outlook is favorable provided that the po-
litical structure can endure the slow pace
at which living standards are improving
and can manage the problems stemming
from excessive population growth.
GNP: $5.2 billion, per capita $400; real
growth rate 6% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 32.7%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 26% (April 1987)
Budget: revenues $769 million; expendi-
tures $749 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $179 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $977 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— cocoa 60%, timber, gold, tuna,
bauxite, and aluminum; partners — US
23%, UK, other EC
Imports: $988 million (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— petroleum 16%, consumer
goods, foods, intermediate goods, capital
equipment; partners— US 10%, UK, FRG,
France, Japan, South Korea, GDR
External debt: $3.0 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.5% in
manufacturing (1987)
Electricity: 1,172,000 kW capacity; 4,110
million kWh produced, 280 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
115
Ghana (continued)
Industries: mining, lumbering, light manu-
facturing, fishing, aluminum, food process-
ing
Agriculture: accounts for more than 50%
of GDP (including fishing and forestry);
the major cash crop is cocoa; other princi-
pal crops — rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts,
corn, shea nuts, timber; normally
self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
for the international drug trade
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $424 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.9 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $84 mil-
lion
Currency: cedi (plural — cedis); 1 cedi (C)
= 100 pesewas
Exchange rates: cedis (C) per US$1 —
301.68 (December 1989), 270.00 (1989),
202.35 (1988), 153.73 (1987), 89.20 (1986),
54.37 (1985)
Fiscal year calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 953 km, all 1.067-meter gauge;
32 km double track; railroads undergoing
major renovation
Highways: 28,300 km total; 6,000 km con-
crete or bituminous surface, 22,300 km
gravel, laterite, and improved earth sur-
faces
Inland waterways: Volta, Ankobra, and
Tano Rivers provide 155 km of perennial
navigation for launches and lighters; Lake
Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and
feeder waterways
Pipelines: none
Ports: Tema, Takoradi
Merchant marine: 4 cargo ships (1,000
CRT or over) totaling 52,016 CRT/
66,627 DWT
Civil air 6 major transport aircraft
Airports: 10 total, 9 usable; 5 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor to fair system
of open-wire and cable, radio relay links;
38,000 telephones; stations — 6 AM, no
FM, 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, para-
military Palace Guard, paramilitary Peo-
ple's Militia
Military manpower: males 15-49,
3,437,300; 1,927,817 fit for military ser-
vice; 167,778 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 0.9% of GNP (1987)
Gibraltar
(dependent territory of the UK)
Mediterranean
Sea
Strati of Gibraltar
S«e rrfionil map V
ighthouse
Geography
Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
Comparative area: about 1 1 times the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 1.2 km with Spain
Coastline: 12 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: source of occasional friction be-
tween Spain and the UK
Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters
and warm summers
Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders
The Rock
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: natural freshwater sources
are meager so large water catchments
(concrete or natural rock) collect rain wa-
ter
Note: strategic location on Strait of Gi-
braltar that links the North Atlantic
Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
People
Population: 29,572 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: -8 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: 2.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Gibraltarian; adjec-
tive— Gibraltar
Ethnic divisions: mostly Italian, English,
Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish descent
Religion: 75% Roman Catholic, 8%
Church of England, 2.25% Jewish
Language: English and Spanish are pri-
mary languages; Italian, Portuguese, and
Russian also spoken; English used in the
schools and for official purposes
Literacy: 99% (est.)
Labor force: about 14,800 (including non-
Gibraltar laborers); UK military establish-
ments and civil government employ nearly
50% of the labor force
Organized labor: over 6,000
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Gibraltar
Administrative divisions: none (colony of
the UK)
Independence: none (colony of the UK)
Constitution: 30 May 1969
Legal system: English law
National holiday: Commonwealth Day
(second Monday of March), 12 March
1990
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor, chief minister, Gibraltar Council,
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of
Appeal
Leaders: Chief of St ate— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor and Commander in
Chief Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter
TERRY (since NA 1985);
Head of Government — Chief Minister Joe
BOSSANO (since NA March 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist La-
bor Party (SL), Joe Bossano; Gibraltar
Labor Party/ Association for the Advance-
ment of Civil Rights (GCL/AACR),
Adolfo Canepa; Independent Democratic
Party, Joe Pitaluga
Suffrage: universal at age 1 8, plus other
UK subjects resident six months or more
Elections: House of Assembly: last held
on 24 March 1988 (next to be held March
1992); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (18 total, 15 elected) SL 8,
GCL/AACR 7
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: House-
wives Association, Chamber of
Commerce, Gibraltar Representatives Or-
ganization
Diplomatic representation: none (colony of
the UK)
Flag: two horizontal bands of white (top,
double-width) and red with a
116
Glorioso Islands
(French possession)
three-towered red castle in the center of
the white band; hanging from the castle
gate is a gold key centered in the red
band
Economy
Overview: The economy depends heavily
on British defense expenditures, revenue
from tourists, fees for services to shipping,
and revenues from banking and finance
activities. Because more than 70% of the
economy is in the public sector, changes in
government spending have a major impact
on the level of employment. Construction
workers are particularly affected when
government expenditures are cut.
GNP: $129 million, per capita $4,450;
real growth rate NA% (FY85)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4%
(1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $105 million; expendi-
tures $104 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (FY87)
Exports: $62.2 million (1985); commodi-
ties— (principally reexports) petroleum
75%, beverages and tobacco 12%, manu-
factured goods 8%; partners — UK, Mo-
rocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US,
FRG
Imports: $147 million (1985); commodi-
ties— manufactured goods, fuels, and
foodstuffs; partners — UK, Morocco, Por-
tugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 46,000 kW capacity; 200 mil-
lion kWh produced, 6,770 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, banking and finance,
construction, commerce; support to large
UK naval and air bases; transit trade and
supply depot in the port; light manufac-
turing of tobacco, roasted coffee, ice, min-
eral waters, candy, beer, and canned fish
Agriculture: NA
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $0.8 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $162.5 million
Currency: Gibraltar pound (plural —
pounds); 1 Gibraltar pound (£G) = 100
pence
Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (£G)
per US$1— 0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099
(1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987),
0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note— the
Gibraltar pound is at par with the British
pound
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 1 .000-meter-gauge system in
dockyard area only
Highways: 50 km, mostly good bitumen
and concrete
Ports: Gibraltar
Merchant marine: 45 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 2,126,060 GRT/4, 189,948
DWT; includes 1 0 cargo, 2 refrigerated
cargo, 1 container, 16 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical
tanker 1 combination oil/ore, 1 liquefied
gas, 1 3 bulk; note — a flag of convenience
registry
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate interna-
tional radiocommunication facilities; auto-
matic telephone system with 10,500 tele-
phones; stations— 1 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
3km
Indian
Ocean
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 5 km2; land area: 5 km2; in-
cludes lie Glorieuse, lie du Lys, Verte
Rocks, Wreck Rock, and South Rock
Comparative area: about 8.5 times the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 35.2 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf :2QQ 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, coconuts
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other — lush vege-
tation and coconut palms
Environment: subject to periodic cyclones
Note: located in the Indian Ocean just
north of the Mozambique Channel be-
tween 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
117
GlorioSO Islands (continued)
Greece
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Airports: 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
Mediterranean Sea
Set rfgionil map V
Geography
Total area: 131,940 km2; land area:
130,800km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Alabama
Land boundaries: 1,228 km total; Albania
282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206
km, Yugoslavia 246 km
Coastline: 13,676 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: complex maritime and air (but
not territorial) disputes with Turkey in
Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Macedonia
question with Bulgaria and Yugoslavia;
Northern Epirus question with Albania
Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot,
dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges
extending into sea as peninsulas or chains
of islands
Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magne-
site, crude oil, marble
Land use: 23% arable land; 8% permanent
crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 20%
forest and woodland; 9% other; includes
7% irrigated
Environment: subject to severe
earthquakes; air pollution; archipelago of
2,000 islands
Note: strategic location dominating the
Aegean Sea and southern approach to
Turkish Straits
People
Population: 10,028,171 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 11 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Greek(s); adjective —
Greek
Ethnic divisions: Greek 98%, others 2%;
note — the Greek Government states there
are no ethnic divisions in Greece
Religion: 98% Greek Orthodox, 1.3%
Muslim, 0.7% other
Language: Greek (official); English and
French widely understood
Literacy: 95%
Labor force: 3,860,000; 43% services, 27%
agriculture, 20% manufacturing and min-
ing, 7% construction (1985)
Organized labor: 10-15% of total labor
force, 20-25% of urban labor force
Government
Long-form name: Hellenic Republic
Type: presidential parliamentary govern-
ment; monarchy rejected by referendum 8
December 1974
Capital: Athens
Administrative divisions: 5 1 departments
(nomoi, singular — nomos); Aitolia kai
Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis. Arkadhia,
Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama, Ev-
ritania, Evros, Ewoia, Fiorina, Fokis,
Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia, Imathia, loannina,
Iraklion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Ke-
fallinia. Kerkira, Khalkidhiki, Khania,
Khios, Kikladhes, Kilkis, Korinthia,
Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lesvos,
Levkas, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria,
Preveza, Rethfmni, Rodhopi, Samos,
Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trfkala,
Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos
Independence: 1 827 (from the Ottoman
Empire)
Constitution: 11 June 1975
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Independence Day (proc-
lamation of the war of independence), 25
March (1821)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
(Vouli)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President
Christos SARTZETAKIS (since 30
March 1985);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Constantin MITSOTAKIS (since 1 1 April
1990)
Political parties and leaders: New Democ-
racy (ND; conservative), Constantine Mit-
sotakis; Panhellenic Socialist Movement
118
(PASOK), Andreas Papandreou; Demo-
cratic Renewal (DR), Constantine Stefa-
nopoulos; Communist Party (KKE), Grigo-
rios Farakos; Greek Left Party (EAR),
Leonidas Kyrkos; KKE and EAR have
joined in the Left Alliance, Harilaos Flo-
rakis, president
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: President— last held 30 March
1985 (next to be held after 8 April 1990
parliamentary election); results — Christos
Sartzetakis was elected by Parliament;
Parliament: — last held on 8 April 1990
(next to be held April 1994); results — New
Democracy 46.89%, Panhellenic Socialist
Movement 38.62%, Left Alliance 10.27%,
PASOK-Left Alliance Cooperation 1.02%,
Ecologist-Alternative 0.77%, Democratic
Renewal 0.67%, Muslim 0.5%; seats —
(300 total) New Democracy 150, Panhelle-
nic Socialist Movement 123, Left Alliance
19, PASOK-Left Alliance Cooperation 4,
Muslim independent 2, Democratic Re-
newal 1, Ecologist-Alternative 1
Communists: an estimated 60,000 mem-
bers and sympathizers
Member of: CCC, EC, EIB (associate),
FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, ITU,
IWC — International Wheat Council,
NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Christos ZACHARAKIS; Chancery at
2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Wash-
ington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-
3168; there are Greek Consulates General
in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New
York, and San Francisco, and Consulates
in Boston and New Orleans; US — Ambas-
sador Michael G. SOTIRHOS; Embassy
at 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160
Athens (mailing address is APO New
York 09253); telephone [30] (1) 721-2951
or 721-8401; there is a US Consulate
General in Thessaloniki
Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue
(top and bottom) alternating with white;
there is a blue square in the upper hoist-
side corner bearing a white cross; the
cross symbolizes Christianity, the estab-
lished religion of the country
Economy
Overview: Greece has a mixed capitalistic
economy with the basic entrepreneurial
system overlaid in 1981-89 by a socialist-
left-government that enlarged the public
sector and became the nation's largest em-
ployer. Like many other Western econo-
mies, Greece suffered severely from the
global oil price hikes of the 1970s, annual
GDP growth plunging from 8% to 2% in
the 1980s, and inflation, unemployment,
and budget deficits rising sharply. The fall
of the socialist government in 1989 and
the inability of the conservative opposition
to muster a clear majority have led to
business uncertainty and the continued
prospects for lackluster economic perfor-
mance. Once the political situation is
sorted out, Greece will have to face the
challenges posed by the steadily increasing
integration of the European Community,
including the progressive lowering of tariff
barriers. Tourism continues as a major
industry, providing a vital offset to the
sizable commodity trade deficit.
GDP: $56.3 billion, per capita $5,605; real
growth rate 2.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.8%
(December 1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.7% (1988)
Budget: revenues $15.5 billion; expendi-
tures $23.9 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $2.5 billion (1988)
Exports: $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— manufactured goods, food and
live animals, fuels and lubricants, raw ma-
terials; partners— FRG 24%, Italy 14%,
nonoil developing countries 1 1 .8%, France
9.5%, US 7.1%, UK 6.8%
Imports: $13.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and transport equip-
ment, light manufactures, fuels and lubri-
cants, foodstuffs, chemicals; partners —
FRG 22%, nonoil developing countries
14%, oil exporting countries 13%, Italy
12%, France 8%, US 3.2%
External debt: $20.0 billion (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 1 .6%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 10,500,000 kW capacity;
36,420 million kWh produced, 3,630 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: food and tobacco processing,
textiles, chemicals, metal products, tour-
ism, mining, petroleum
Agriculture: including fishing and forestry,
accounts for 14% of GNP and 27% of the
labor force; principal products — wheat,
corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes,
wine, tobacco, potatoes, beef, mutton,
pork, dairy products; self-sufficient in
food; fish catch of 1 35,000 metric tons in
1987
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-81), $525 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.3 billion
Currency: drachma (plural — drachmas); 1
drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta
Exchange rates: drachma (Dr) per
US$1— 158.03 (January 1990), 162.42
(1989), 141.86(1988), 135.43(1987),
139.98(1986), 138.12(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 2,479 km total; 1,565 km
1.435-meter standard gauge, of which 36
km electrified and 100 km double track,
892 km 1.000-meter gauge; 22 km 0.750-
meter narrow gauge; all government
owned
Highways: 38,938 km total; 16,090 km
paved, 13,676 km crushed stone and
gravel, 5,632 km improved earth, 3,540
km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 80 km; system consists
of three coastal canals and three uncon-
nected rivers
Pipelines: crude oil, 26 km; refined prod-
ucts, 547 km
Ports: Piraeus, Thessaloniki
Merchant marine: 954 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 20,544,516 GRT/
36,858,545 DWT; includes 15 passenger,
58 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo,
164 cargo, 18 container, 20 roll-on/roll-off
cargo, 27 refrigerated cargo, 182 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker,
10 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 20
combination ore/oil, 6 specialized tanker,
407 bulk, 15 specialized bulk; note — eth-
nic Greeks also own large numbers of
ships under the registry of Liberia, Pan-
ama, Cyprus, and Lebanon
Civil air: 39 major transport aircraft
Airports: 79 total, 77 usable; 60 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate, modern
networks reach all areas; 4,079,000 tele-
phones; stations — 30 AM, 17 (20 repeat-
ers) FM, 39 (560 repeaters) TV; 8 subma-
rine cables; satellite earth stations
operating in INTELSAT (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT,
and MARISAT systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy,
Hellenic Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
2,418,754; 1,861,141 fit for military ser-
vice; about 73,809 reach military age (21)
annually
Defense expenditures: 6.0% of GDP, or
$3.4 billion (1989 est.)
119
Greenland
(part of the Danish realm)
Arctic Ocean
BOO km
Baffin Bay
Qeqertarsu
Davis Strait
NUUK( ,
(GODTHAB)
Qaqortoq
S«r«flon»l map II
Denmark Strait
Geography
Total area: 2,175,600 km2; land area:
34 1,700 km2 (ice free)
Comparative area: slightly more than
three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 44,087 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 4 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: Denmark has challenged Nor-
way's maritime claims between Greenland
and Jan Mayen
Climate: arctic to subarctic; cool summers,
cold winters
Terrain: flat to gradually sloping icecap
covers all but a narrow, mountainous, bar-
ren, rocky coast
Natural resources: zinc, lead, iron ore,
coal, molybdenum, cryolite, uranium, fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 1% meadows and pastures;
NEGL% forest and woodland; 99% other
Environment: sparse population confined to
small settlements along coast; continuous
permafrost over northern two-thirds of the
island
Note: dominates North Atlantic Ocean
between North America and Europe
People
Population: 56,078 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 28 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male,
68 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Greenlander(s); adjec-
tive— Greenlandic
Ethnic divisions: 86% Greenlander (Es-
kimos and Greenland-born Caucasians),
14% Danish
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran
Language: Eskimo dialects, Danish
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 22,800; largely engaged in
fishing, hunting, sheep breeding
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: part of the Danish realm;
self-governing overseas administrative di-
vision
Capital: Nuuk (Godthdb)
Administrative divisions: 3 municipalities
(kommuner, singular — kommun); Nord-
gronland, 0stgr0nland, Vestgrenland
Independence: part of the Danish realm;
self-governing overseas administrative di-
vision
Constitution: Danish
Legal system: Danish
National holiday: Birthday of the Queen,
16 April (1940)
Executive branch: Danish monarch, high
commissioner, home rule chairman, prime
minister, Cabinet (Landsstyre)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
(Landsting)
Judicial branch: High Court (Landsret)
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen MAR-
GRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), rep-
resented by High Commissioner Bent
KLINTE (since NA);
Head of Government — Home Rule Chair-
man Jonathan MOTZFELDT (since NA
May 1979)
Political parties: Siumut (moderate social-
ist, advocates more distinct Greenlandic
identity and greater autonomy from Den-
mark); Atassut Party (more conservative,
favors continuing close relations with Den-
mark); Inuit Ataqatigiit (Marxist-Leninist
party that favors complete independence
from Denmark rather than home rule);
Polar Party (Conservative-Greenland Na-
tionalist)
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Parliament — last held on 27
May 1987 (next to be held by 27 May
1991); results — Siumut 39.8%, Atassut
Party 40.1%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 15.3%, Po-
lar Party 4.5%; seats — (27 total) Siumut
11, Atassut Party 11, Inuit Ataqatigiit 4,
Polar Party 1;
Danish Parliament — last held on 10 May
1988 (next to be held by 10 May 1992);
Greenland elects two representatives to
the Danish Parliament; results — (percent
of vote by party NA; seats — (2 total) num-
ber of seats by party NA
Diplomatic representation: none
(self-governing overseas administrative
division of Denmark)
Flag: the flag of Denmark is used
Economy
Overview: Over the past 25 years, the
economy has changed from one based on
subsistence whaling, hunting, and fishing
to one dependent on foreign trade. Fishing
is still the most important industry, ac-
counting for over two-thirds of exports
and about 25% of the population's income.
Exploitation of mineral resources is lim-
ited to lead and zinc. Maintenance of a
social welfare system similar to
Denmark's has given the public sector a
dominant role in the economy. Greenland
is heavily dependent on an annual subsidy
of about $400 million from the Danish
Government.
GNP: $500 million, per capita $9,000;
real growth rate 5% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: 10%
Budget: revenues $380 million; expendi-
tures $380 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1985)
Exports: $386.2 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities — fish and fish products, me-
tallic ores and concentrates; partners —
Denmark 76%, FRG 7%, Sweden 5%
Imports: $445.6 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum and petroleum prod-
ucts, machinery and transport equipment,
food products; partners — Denmark 66%,
Norway 5%, Sweden 4%, FRG 4%, Japan
4% US 3%
External debt: $445 million (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 84,000 kW capacity; 176 mil-
lion kWh produced, 3,180 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: fish processing, lead and zinc
mining, handicrafts
Agriculture: sector dominated by fishing
and sheep raising; crops limited to forage
and small garden vegetables; 1987 fish
catch of 101,000 metric tons
Aid: none
Currency: Danish krone (plural — kroner);
1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ere
Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per
US$1— 6.560 (January 1990), 7.310
(1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091
(1986), 10.596 (1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
120
Grenada
Communications
Highways: 80 km
Ports: Kangerluarsoruseq (Faeringehavn),
Paamiut (Frederikshaab), Nuuk
(Godthaab), Sisitniut (Holsteinsborg), Ju-
lianehaab, Maarmorilik, North Star Bay,
and at least 10 minor ports
Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,021 GRT/
1,778 DWT; note— operates under the
registry of Denmark
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 1 total, 8 usable; 5 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: adequate domestic
and international service provided by ca-
bles and radio relay; 17,900 telephones;
stations— 5 AM, 7 (35 relays) FM, 4 (9
relays) TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is responsibility of Denmark
15 km
Caribbean
Sea
Hillsborough
. t
..Qftonde
*> Is/and
See regional map III
Caribbean
Sea
L SAINT GEORGE'S
Grenada
Geography
Total area: 340 km2; land area: 340 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 121 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; tempered by northeast
trade winds
Terrain: volcanic in origin with central
mountains
Natural resources: timber, tropical fruit,
deepwater harbors
Land use: 1 5% arable land; 26% perma-
nent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 9%
forest and woodland; 47% other
Environment: lies on edge of hurricane
belt; hurricane season lasts from June to
November
Note: islands of the Grenadines group are
divided politically with St. Vincent and
the Grenadines
People
Population: 84,135 (July 1990), growth
rate -0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 36 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —33 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male,
74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Grenadian(s); adjec-
tive— Grenadian
Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African
descent
Religion: largely Roman Catholic; Angli-
can; other Protestant sects
Language: English (official); some French
patois
Literacy: 85%
Labor force: 36,000; 31% services, 24%
agriculture, 8% construction, 5% manufac-
turing, 32% other (1985)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Saint George's
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 1
dependency*; Carriacou and Little
Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David,
Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark,
Saint Patrick
Independence: 7 February 1974 (from UK)
Constitution: 19 December 1973
Legal system: based on English common
law
National holiday: Independence Day, 7
February (1974)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, Ministers of
Government (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 ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General Sir Paul
SCOON (since 30 September 1978);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Nicholas BRATHWAITE (since 13
March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: National
Democratic Congress (NDC), Nicholas
Brathwaite; Grenada United Labor Party
(GULP), Sir Eric Gairy; The National
Party (TNP), Ben Jones; New National
Party (NNP), Keith Mitchell; Maurice
Bishop Patriotic Movement (MBPM),
Terrence Merryshow; New Jewel Move-
ment (NJM), Bernard Coard
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives — last
held on 13 March 1990 (next to be held
by March 1 996); results — percent of vote
by party NA; seats— (15 total) NDC 8,
GULP 3, TNP 2, NNP 2
Communists: about 450 members of the
New Jewel Movement (pro-Soviet) and the
Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (pro-
Cuban)
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, FAO, G-
77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM,
OAS, DECS, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO
121
Grenada (continued)
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Albert O. XAVIER; Chancery at 1701
New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washing-
ton DC 20009; telephone (202) 265-2561;
there is a Grenadian Consulate General in
New York; US— Charge d'Affaires James
F. COOPER; Embassy at Ross Point Inn,
Saint George's (mailing address is P. O.
Box 54, Saint George's); telephone [440]
1731 or 1734
Flag: a rectangle divided diagonally into
yellow triangles (top and bottom) and
green triangles (hoist side and outer side)
with a red border around the flag; there
are seven yellow five-pointed stars with
three centered in the top red border, three
centered in the bottom red border, and
one on a red disk superimposed at the
center of the flag; there is also a symbolic
nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle
(Grenada is the world's second-largest pro-
ducer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the
seven stars represent the seven administra-
tive divisions
Economy
Overview: The economy is essentially agri-
cultural and centers on the traditional
production of spices and tropical plants.
Agriculture accounts for about 20% of
GDP and 90% of exports and employs
24% of the labor force. Tourism is the
leading foreign exchange earner, followed
by agricultural exports. Manufacturing
remains relatively undeveloped, but with a
more favorable private investment climate
since 1983, it is expected to grow. Despite
an impressive average annual growth rate
for the economy of 5.5% during the period
1984-88, unemployment remains high at
about 26%.
GDP: $129.7 million, per capita $1,535;
real growth rate 5% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.0%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 26% (1988)
Budget: revenues $74.2 million; expendi-
tures $82.3 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $27.8 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $31.8 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — nutmeg 35%, cocoa beans
15%, bananas 13%, mace 7%, textiles;
partners— US 4%, UK, FRG, Nether-
lands, Trinidad and Tobago
Imports: $92.6 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities — machinery 24%, food 22%,
manufactured goods 19%, petroleum 8%;
partners— US 32%, UK, Trinidad and
Tobago, Japan, Canada
External debt: $108 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.8%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 1 1,400 kW capacity; 24 mil-
lion kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita
(1989)
Guadeloupe
(overseas department of France)
Industries: food and beverage, textile, light
assembly operations, tourism, construction
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP and
90% of exports; bananas, cocoa, nutmeg,
and mace account for two-thirds of total
crop production; world's second-largest
producer and fourth-largest exporter of
nutmeg and mace; small-size farms pre-
dominate, growing a variety of citrus
fruits, avocados, root crops, sugarcane,
corn, and vegetables
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY84-88), $60 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $61 million; Commu-
nist countries (1970-88), $32 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 EC dollar (ECS) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars
(ECS) per US$1— 2.70 (fixed rate since
1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 1,000 km total; 600 km paved,
300 km otherwise improved; 100 km
unimproved
Ports: Saint George's
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: automatic, island-
wide telephone system with 5,650 tele-
phones; new SHF links to Trinidad and
Tobago and St. Vincent; VHF and UHF
links to Trinidad and Carriacou;
stations— 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Grenada Police Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
20km
Basse- Terre
See regional map III
Caribbean
Sea
St Martin and St Barthelemy
are not shown
Geography
Total area: 1,780 km2; land area: 1,760
km2
Comparative area: 10 times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 14 km with Netherlands
Antilles
Coastline: 306 km
Maritime claims:
Contijienlal shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: subtropical tempered by trade
winds; relatively high humidity
Terrain: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin
with interior mountains; Grand-Terre is
low limestone formation
Natural resources: cultivable land,
beaches, and climate that foster tourism
Land use: 18% arable land; 5% permanent
crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 40%
forest and woodland; 24% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes (June
to October); La Soufriere is an active vol-
cano
Note: located 500 km southeast of Puerto
Rico in the Caribbean Sea
People
Population: 342,175 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —6 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/
woman (1990)
122
Nationality: noun — Guadeloupian(s); ad-
jective— Guadeloupe
Ethnic divisions: 90% black or mulatto;
5% white; less than 5% East Indian, Leba-
nese, Chinese
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 5% Hindu
and pagan African
Language: French, Creole patois
Literacy: over 70%
Labor force: 120,000; 53.0% services, gov-
ernment, and commerce, 25.8% industry,
21.2% agriculture
Organized labor: 1 1% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Department of Guade-
loupe
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Basse-Terre
Administrative divisions: none (overseas
department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department
of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille,
14 July (1789)
Executive branch: government commis-
sioner
Legislative branch: unicameral General
Council and unicameral Regional Council
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour
d'Appel) with jurisdiction over Guade-
loupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
Leaders: Chief of State — President Fran-
cois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
1981);
Head of Government — Commissioner of
the Republic Jean-Paul PROUST (since
November 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the
Republic (RPR), Marlene Captant; Com-
munist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Chris-
tian Medard Celeste; Socialist Party
(PSG), Dominique Larifla; Independent
Republicans; Union for French Democ-
racy (UDF); Union for a New Majority
(UNM)
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: General Council — last held
NA 1986 (next to be held by NA 1992);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats — (42 total) number of seats by party
NA;
Regional Council — last held on 16 March
1986 (next to be held by 16 March 1992);
results— RPR 33.1%, PS 28.7%, PCG
23.8%, UDF 10.7%, others 3.8%; seats—
(41 total) RPR 15, PS 12, PCG 10, UDF
4;
French Senate — last held on 5 and 12
June 1988 (next to be held June 1994);
Guadeloupe elects two representatives;
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (2 total) PCG 1, PS 1;
French National Assembly — last held on
5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June
1994); Guadeloupe elects four representa-
tives; results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1
seat, PCG 1 seat
Communists: 3,000 est.
Other political or pressure groups: Popular
Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe
(UPLG); Popular Movement for Indepen-
dent Guadeloupe (MPGI); General Union
of Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG); General
Federation of Guadeloupe Workers (CGT-
G); Christian Movement for the Libera-
tion of Guadeloupe (KLPG)
Member of: WFTU
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas
department of France, the interests of
Guadeloupe are represented in the US by
France
Flag: the flag of France is used
Economy
Overview: The economy depends on agri-
culture, tourism, light industry, and ser-
vices. It is also dependent upon France for
large subsidies and income and social
transfers. Tourism is a key industry, with
most tourists from the US. In addition, an
increasingly large number of cruise ships
visit the islands. The traditionally impor-
tant sugarcane crop is slowly being re-
placed by other crops, such as bananas
(which now supply about 50% of export
earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other
vegetables and root crops are cultivated
for local consumption, although Guade-
loupe is still dependent on imported food,
which comes mainly from France. Light
industry consists mostly of sugar and rum
production. Most manufactured goods and
fuel are imported. Unemployment is espe-
cially high among the young.
GDP: $1.1 billion, per capita $3,300; real
growth rate NA%( 1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1983)
Budget: revenues $251 million; expendi-
tures $251 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (1985)
Exports: $109 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— bananas, sugar, rum;
partners — France 72%, Martinique 16%
(1984)
Imports: $792 million (c.i.f., 1986); com-
modities— vehicles, foodstuffs, clothing
and other consumer goods, construction
materials, petroleum products; partners —
France 59% (1984)
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 103,000 kW capacity; 315 mil-
lion kWh produced, 920 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: construction, cement, rum,
sugar, tourism
Agriculture: cash crops — bananas and sug-
arcane; other products include tropical
fruits and vegetables; livestock — cattle,
pigs, and goats; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $4 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $7.7 billion
Currency: French franc (plural — francs); 1
French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per
US$1— 5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801
(1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987),
6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: privately owned, narrow-gauge
plantation lines
Highways: 1,940 km total; 1,600 km
paved, 340 km gravel and earth
Ports: Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre
Civil air 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 9 total, 9 usable, 8 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic facilities
inadequate; 57,300 telephones; interisland
radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Do-
minica, and Martinique; stations — 2 AM,
8 FM (30 private stations licensed to
broadcast FM), 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT ground station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is responsibility of France
123
Guam
(territory of the US)
Sec regional map X
Geography
Total area: 541 km2; land area: 541 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 125.5 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical marine; generally warm
and humid, moderated by northeast trade
winds; dry season from January to June,
rainy season from July to December; little
seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: volcanic origin, surrounded by
coral reefs; relatively flat coraline lime-
stone plateau (source of most fresh water)
with steep coastal cliffs and narrow
coastal plains in north, low-rising hills in
center, mountains in south
Natural resources: fishing (largely undevel-
oped), tourism (especially from Japan)
Land use: 1 1% arable land; 1 1% perma-
nent crops; 1 5% meadows and pastures;
1 8% forest and woodland; 45% other
Environment: frequent squalls during rainy
season; subject to relatively rare, but po-
tentially very destructive typhoons (espe-
cially in August)
Note: largest and southernmost island in
the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic
location in western North Pacific Ocean
5,955 km west-southwest of Honolulu
about three-quarters of the way between
Hawaii and the Philippines
People
Population: 141,039 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 26 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 4 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male,
75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Guamanian(s); adjec-
tive— Guamanian
Ethnic divisions: 47% Chamorro, 25% Fili-
pino, 10% Caucasian, 18% Chinese, Japa-
nese, Korean, and other
Religion: 98% Roman Catholic, 2% other
Language: English and Chamorro, most
residents bilingual; Japanese also widely
spoken
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 54,000; 42% government,
58% private (1988)
Organized labor: 1 3% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Territory of Guam
Type: organized, unincorporated territory
of the US
Capital: Agana
Administrative divisions: none (territory of
the US)
Independence: none (territory of the US)
Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August
1950
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Guam Discovery Day
(first Monday in March), 6 March 1989
Executive branch: US president, governor,
lieutenant governor, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature
Judicial branch: Superior Court of Guam
(Federal District Court)
Leaders: Chief of State — President
George BUSH (since 20 January 1989);
Head of Government — Governor Joseph
A. ADA (since NA November 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic
Party (controls the legislature); Republican
Party (party of the Governor)
Suffrage: universal at age 18; US citizens,
but do not vote in US presidential elec-
tions
Elections: Governor — last held on NA
November 1986 (next to be held Novem-
ber 1990);
Legislature — last held on 8 November
1988 (next to be held November 1990);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats — (21 total) Democratic 13, Republi-
can 8;
US House of Representatives — last held 8
November 1988 (next to be held Novem-
ber 1990); Guam elects one nonvoting del-
egate; results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats — (1 total) Republican 1
Communists: none
Note: relations between Guam and the US
are under the jurisdiction of the Office of
Territorial and International Affairs, US
Department of the Interior
Diplomatic representation: none (territory
of the US)
Flag: dark blue with a narrow red border
on all four sides; centered is a
red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse con-
taining a beach scene, outrigger canoe
with sail, and a palm tree with the word
GUAM superimposed in bold red letters
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on US
military spending and on revenues from
tourism. Over the past 20 years the tourist
industry has grown rapidly, creating a
construction boom for new hotels and the
expansion of older ones. Visitors
numbered about 800,000 in 1989. The
small manufacturing sector includes tex-
tile and clothing, beverage, food, and
watch production. About 58% of the labor
force works for the private sector and the
rest for government. Most food and indus-
trial goods are imported, with about 75%
from the US. In 1989 the unemployment
rate was about 3%, down from 1 0% in
1983.
GNP: $1.0 billion, per capita $7,675; real
growth rate 20% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.9%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 3% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $208.0 million; expendi-
tures $175 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $17 million (1987 est.)
Exports: $39 million (f.o.b., 1983); com-
modities— mostly transshipments of re-
fined petroleum products, copra, fish; part-
ners—US 25%, others 75%
Imports: $611 million (c.i.f., 1983); com-
modities— mostly crude petroleum and
petroleum products, food, manufactured
goods; partners — US 77%, others 23%
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 500,000 kW capacity; 2,300
million kWh produced, 16,660 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: US military, tourism, petro-
leum refining, construction, concrete prod-
ucts, printing and publishing, food pro-
cessing, textiles
Agriculture: relatively undeveloped with
most food imported; fruits, vegetables,
eggs, pork, poultry, beef, copra
Aid: NA
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
124
Guatemala
Communications
Highways: 674 km all-weather roads
Ports: Apra Harbor
Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 3 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: 26,317 telephones
(1989); stations— 3 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; 2
Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground sta-
tions
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
100km
North
Pacific
Ocean
See regional map 111
Geography
Total area: 108,890 km2; land area:
108,430 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Tennessee
Land boundaries: 1 ,687 km total; Belize
266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras
256 km, Mexico 962 km
Coastline: 400 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claims Belize, but boundary ne-
gotiations are under way
Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands;
cooler in highlands
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow
coastal plains and rolling limestone pla-
teau (Peten)
Natural resources: crude oil, nickel, rare
woods, fish, chicle
Land use: 12% arable land; 4% permanent
crops; 12% meadows and pastures; 40%
forest and woodland; 32% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: numerous volcanoes in
mountains, with frequent violent earth-
quakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurri-
canes and other tropical storms; deforesta-
tion; soil erosion; water pollution
Note: no natural harbors on west coast
People
Population: 9,097,636 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 3 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 61 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male,
65 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Guatemalan(s); adjec-
tive— Guatemalan
Ethnic divisions: 56% Ladino (mestizo —
mixed Indian and European ancestry),
44% Indian
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic;
also Protestant, traditional Mayan
Language: Spanish, but over 40% of the
population speaks an Indian language as a
primary tongue (18 Indian dialects, in-
cluding Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
Literacy: 50%
Labor force: 2,500,000; 57.0% agriculture,
14.0% manufacturing, 13.0% services,
7.0% commerce, 4.0% construction, 3.0%
transport, 0.8% utilities, 0.4% mining
(1985)
Organized labor: 8% of labor force (1988
est.)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Guatemala
Type: republic
Capital: Guatemala
Administrative divisions: 22 departments
(departamentos, singular — departamento);
Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimalte-
nango, Chiquimula, El Progreso,
Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango,
Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quezalte-
nango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez,
San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchite-
pequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from
Spain)
Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14
January 1986
Legal system: civil law system; judicial
review of legislative acts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 5
September (1821)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
(Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Mario Vinicio CE-
REZO Arevalo (since 14 January 1986);
Vice President Roberto CARPIO Nicolle
(since 14 January 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Christian
Democratic Party (DCG), Marco Vinicio
Cerezo Arevalo; National Centrist Union
(UCN), Jorge Carpio Nicolle; National
Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario San-
doval Alarcon; Social Action Movement
(MAS), Jorge Serrano Elfas; Revolution-
ary Party (PR) in coalition with National
125
Guatemala (continued)
Renewal Party (PNR), Alejandro Maldo-
nado Aguirre; Social Democratic Party
(PSD), Mario Solarzano Martinez; Na-
tional Authentic Center (CAN), Mario
David Garcia; United Anti-Communist
Party (PUA), Leonel Sisniega; Emerging
Movement for Harmony (MEC), Louis
Gordillo; Democratic Party of National
Cooperation (PDCN), Adan Fletes; Demo-
cratic Institutional Party (PID), Oscar
Rivas; Nationalist United Front (FUN),
Gabriel Giron
Suffrage: universal at age 1 8, compulsory
for literates, voluntary for illiterates
Elections: President — last held on 3 De-
cember 1985 (next to be held 3 November
1990); results — Mario Vinicio Cerezo
Arevalo (DCG) 38.7%, Jorge Carpio Ni-
colle (UCN) 20.2%, Jorge Serrano Elias
(PDCN/PR) 14.8%;
National Congress — last held on 3 No-
vember 1985 (next to be held 3 November
1990); results— DCG 38.7%, UCN 20.2%,
PDCN/PR 13.8%, MLN/PID 12.6%,
CAN 6.3%, PSD 3.4%, PNR 3.2%, PUA/
FUN/MEC 1.9%; seats— (100 total) DCG
51, UCN 22, MLN 12, PDCN/PR 11,
PSD 2, PNR 1, CAN 1
Communists: Guatemalan Labor Party
(PGT); main radical left guerrilla
groups — Guerrilla Army of the Poor
(EGP), Revolutionary Organization of the
People in Arms (ORPA), Rebel Armed
Forces (FAR), and PGT dissidents
Other political or pressure groups: Feder-
ated Chambers of Commerce and Indus-
try (CACIF), Mutual Support Group
(GAM), Unity for Popular and Labor Ac-
tion (UASP), Agrarian Owners Group
(UNAGRO), Committee for Campesino
Unity (CUC)
Member of: CACM, CCC, FAO, G-77,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO,
IDA, IDB — Inter-American Development
Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC,
ISO, ITU, IWC— International Wheat
Council, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA,
UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Rodolfo ROHRMOSER V; Chancery at
2220 R Street NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 745-4952 through
4954; there are Guatemalan Consulates
General in Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New
York, and San Francisco; US — Ambassa-
dor Thomas F. STROOCK; Embassy at
7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10,
Guatemala City (mailing address is APO
Miami 34024); telephone [502] (2) 31-15-
41
Flag: three equal vertical bands of light
blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with
the coat of arms centered in the white
band; the coat of arms includes a green
and red quetzal (the national bird) and a
scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD
15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the
original date of independence from Spain)
all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles
and a pair of crossed swords and framed
by a wreath
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on agri-
culture, which accounts for 25% of GDP,
employs about 60% of the labor force, and
supplies two-thirds of exports. Industry
accounts for about 20% of GDP and 15%
of the labor force. The economy has reen-
tered a slow-growth phase, but is ham-
pered by political uncertainty. In 1988 the
economy grew by 3.7%, the third consecu-
tive year of mild growth. Government eco-
nomic reforms introduced since 1986 have
stabilized exchange rates and have helped
to stem inflationary pressures. The infla-
tion rate has dropped from 36.9% in 1986
to 15% in 1989.
GDP: $10.8 billion, per capita $1,185; real
growth rate 1.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 5%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 1 3%, with 30-40%
underemployment (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $77 1 million; expendi-
tures $957 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $188 million (1988)
Exports: $1.02 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— coffee 38%, bananas 7%, sugar
7%, cardamom 4%; partners — US 29%, El
Salvador, FRG, Costa Rica, Italy
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— fuel and petroleum products,
machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehi-
cles; partners— US 38%, Mexico, FRG,
Japan, El Salvador
External debt: $3.0 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.5%
(1988 est.)
Electricity: 807,000 kW capacity; 2,540
million kWh produced, 280 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing,
furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals,
rubber, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP;
most important sector of economy and
contributes two-thirds to export earnings;
principal crops — sugarcane, corn, bananas,
coffee, beans, cardamom; livestock — cat-
tle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium
poppy and cannabis for the international
drug trade; the government has engaged
in aerial eradication of opium poppy; tran-
sit country for cocaine shipments
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $869 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $7.7 billion
Currency: quetzal (plural — quetzales); 1
quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: free market quetzales (Q)
per US$1— 3.3913 (January 1990), 2.8261
(1989), 2.6196 (1988), 2.500 (1987), 1.875
(1986), 1.000(1985); note— black-market
rate 2.800 (May 1989)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 870 km 0.914-meter gauge,
single track; 780 km government owned,
90 km privately owned
Highways: 26,429 km total; 2,868 km
paved, 11,421 km gravel, and 12,140
unimproved
Inland waterways: 260 km navigable year
round; additional 730 km navigable dur-
ing high-water season
Pipelines: crude oil, 275 km
Ports: Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal,
Santo Tomas de Castilla
Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 4,129 GRT/6,450
DWT
Civil air: 10 major transport aircraft
Airports: 451 total, 391 usable; 11 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 19 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: fairly modern net-
work centered in Guatemala [city]; 97,670
telephones; stations — 91 AM, no FM, 25
TV, 15 shortwave; connection into Central
American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
2,028,875; 1,327,374 fit for military ser-
vice; 107,251 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 1% of GDP, or
$115 million (1990 est.)
126
Guernsey
(British crown dependency)
Atderney
English Channel
Guernsey.
;t. Sampson
Sark
Little Sarir
See regional map V
Geography
Total area: 194 km2; land area: 194 km2;
includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark,
and some other smaller islands
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: SO km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: temperate with mild winters and
cool summers; about 50% of days are
overcast
Terrain: mostly level with low hills in
southwest
Natural resources: cropland
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% perma-
nent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other;
about 50% cultivated
Environment: large, deepwater harbor at
St. Peter Port
Note: 52 km west of France
People
Population: 57,227 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 6 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (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 .6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Channel Islander(s);
adjective — Channel Islander
Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French
descent
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Pres-
byterian, Baptist, Congregational, Meth-
odist
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 depen-
dency)
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes,
partly common law and practice
Legal system: English law and local stat-
ute; justice is administered by the Royal
Court
National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May
(1945)
Executive branch: British monarch, lieu-
tenant governor, bailiff, deputy bailiff
Legislative branch: States of Deliberation
Judicial branch: Royal Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government — Lieutenant Gover-
nor Lt. Gen. Sir Alexander BOSWELL
(since 1985); Bailiff Sir Charles FROSS-
ARD (since 1982)
Political parties and leaders: none; all in-
dependents
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) extend-
ing 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 grow-
ing tomatoes and flowers for export.
GDP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate 9% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $145.0 million; expendi-
tures $1 17.2 million, including capital ex-
penditures of N A (1985)
Exports: SNA; commodities — tomatoes,
flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant,
other vegetables; partners — UK (regarded
as internal trade)
Imports: SNA; commodities — coal, gaso-
line and oil; partners — UK (regarded as
internal trade)
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 173,000 kW capacity; 525 mil-
lion kWh produced, 9,340 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, banking
Agriculture: tomatoes, flowers (mostly
grown in greenhouses), sweet peppers, egg-
plant, other vegetables and fruit; Guern-
sey cattle
Aid: none
Currency: Guernsey pound (plural —
pounds); 1 Guernsey (£G) pound = 100
pence
Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds (£G)
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 yean 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 subma-
rine cable
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
127
Guinea
200km
CONAKRY*
North
Atlantic
Ocean
SccrtfionilmipVII
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, Libe-
ria 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330
km, Sierra Leone 652 km
Coastline: 320 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: generally hot and humid;
monsoonal-type rainy season (June to No-
vember) with southwesterly winds; dry
season (December to May) with northeast-
erly harmattan winds
Terrain: generally flat coastal plain, hilly
to mountainous interior
Natural resources: bauxite, iron ore, dia-
monds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish
Land use: 6% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 1 2% meadows and pastures;
42% forest and woodland; 40% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan
haze may reduce visibility during dry sea-
son; 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 pop-
ulation (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,
1 5 smaller tribes
Religion: 85% Muslim, 5% indigenous be-
liefs, 1.5% Christian
Language: French (official); each tribe has
its own language
Literacy: 20% in French; 48% in local lan-
guages
Labor force: 2,400,000 (1983); 82.0% agri-
culture, 1 1 .0% industry and commerce,
5.4% services; 88,1 12 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, singu-
lar— region administrative); Beyla, Boffa,
Boke, Conakry, Dabola, Dalaba, Dingui-
raye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria,
Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane,
Kindia, Kissidougou, Koundara,
Kquroussa, Labe, Macenta, Mali, Ma-
mou, 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 ac-
cepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Sec-
ond 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 As-
sembly (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 Gov-
ernment— Gen. Lansana CONTE (since 5
April 1984)
Political parties and leaders: none; follow-
ing the 3 April 1984 coup all political ac-
tivity 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 Devel-
opment Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, Mano
River Union, Niger River Commission,
NAM, OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Kekoura CAMARA; Chancery at 21 12
Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 483-9420; US— Ambassa-
dor 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 natu-
ral 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; expendi-
tures $480 million, including capital ex-
penditures 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, food-
stuffs, 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 mil-
lion kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: bauxite mining, alumina, dia-
mond mining, light manufacturing and
agricultural processing industries
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP (in-
cludes fishing and forestry); mostly subsis-
tence farming; principal products — rice,
coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava,
128
Guinea-Bissau
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 mil-
lion; 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 yean 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 sta-
tions, 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)
V'»4 *" , o
Arquipelago *
dos Bi/agos
North Atlantic Ocean
Scf region!) mip VII
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: 1 2 nm
Disputes: the International Court of Jus-
tice (ICJ) has rendered its decision on the
Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime bound-
ary (in favor of Senegal) — that decision
has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau
Climate: tropical; generally hot and hu-
mid; monsoon-type rainy season (June to
November) with southwesterly winds; dry
season (December to May) with northeast-
erly harmattan winds
Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to
savanna in east
Natural resources: unexploited deposits of
petroleum, bauxite, phosphates; fish, tim-
ber
Land use: 1 1% 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 sea-
son
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 pop-
ulation (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% Euro-
pean 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% agricul-
ture, 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 Minis-
ters (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 Gov-
ernment— 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.
lafai CAMARA (since 7 November
1985); Second Vice President Vasco CA-
BRAL (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;
129
Guinea-Bissau (continued)
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. Jo3o Ber-
nardo Vieira was reelected without opposi-
tion 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 Re-
gional Councils;
Regional Councils— lust held 1 June 1989
(next to be held 1 June 1994); results—
PAIGC is the only party; seats — (473 to-
tal) 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 Devel-
opment Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, IRC, ITU, NAM, OAU, QIC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Alfredo Lopes CABRAL; Chancery (tem-
porary) at the Guinea-Bissauan Perma-
nent Mission to the UN, Suite 604, 21 1
East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017;
telephone (212) 661-3977; US— Ambassa-
dor William L. JACOBSEN; Embassy at
17 Avenida Domingos Ramos, Bissau
(mailing address is C. P. 297, Bissau);
telephone [245] 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 Ethio-
pia; 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 ker-
nels 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); com-
modities— cashews, fish, peanuts, palm
kernels; partners — Portugal, Spain, Swit-
zerland, Cape Verde, China
Imports: $49 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— capital equipment, consumer
goods, semiprocessed goods, foods, petro-
leum; 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 mil-
lion 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 for-
estry potential not fully exploited
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $46 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $519 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $41 million; Com-
munist 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 yean calendar year
Communications
Highways: 3,218 km; 2,698 km bitumi-
nous, 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 radiocommuni-
cations; 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)
130
Guyana
North Atlantic
Ocean
GEORGETOWN
Boundary representatio
not necessarily authont
Scr regional map IV
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 conti-
nental margin or 200 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Essequibo area claimed by Ven-
ezuela; Suriname claims area between
New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/
Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Cou-
rantyne)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated
by northeast trade winds; two rainy sea-
sons (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% per-
manent crops; 6% meadows and pastures;
83% forest and woodland; 8% other; in-
cludes 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., pi.);
adjective— Guyanese
Ethnic divisions: 51% East Indian, 43%
black and mixed, 4% Amerindian, 2% Eu-
ropean 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% ser-
vices; 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 Feb-
ruary (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 Judica-
ture
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 Na-
tional Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond
Hoyte; People's Progressive Party (PPP),
Cheddi Jagan; Working People's Alliance
(WPA), Eusi Kwayana, Rupert Roopna-
rine, Moses Bhagwan; Democratic Labor
Movement (DLM), Paul Tennassee; Peo-
ple's Democratic Movement (PDM), Lle-
wellyn 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 Ku-
mar, 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 elec-
tions—PNC 78%);
National Assembly — last held on 9 De-
cember 1985 (next to be held by 9 Decem-
ber 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 (Pro-
gressive Youth Organization, militant
wing of the PPP) include many Commu-
nists; small but unknown number of ortho-
dox 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 ac-
tive 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, Geor-
getown; telephone [592] (02) 54900
through 54909
Hag: green with a red isosceles triangle
(based on the hoist side) superimposed on
a long yellow arrowhead; there is a nar-
row black border between the red and yel-
low, 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 baux-
ite 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 inter-
131
Guyana (continued)
Haiti
national financial agencies, seeks to reduce
its payment arrears and to raise new
funds. The government's stabilization pro-
gram— aimed at establishing realistic ex-
change rates, reasonable price stability,
and a resumption of growth — requires
considerable public administrative abilities
and continued patience by consumers dur-
ing 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; expendi-
tures $414 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $75 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $215 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.)
commodities — bauxite, sugar, rice,
shrimp, gold, molasses, timber, rum; part-
ners—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 ar-
rears (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate —5.0%
(1988 est.)
Electricity: 221,000 kW capacity; 583 mil-
lion kWh produced, 760 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: bauxite mining, sugar, rice
milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles,
gold mining
Agriculture: most important sector, ac-
counting for 25% of GDP and over 50% of
exports; sugar and rice are key crops; de-
velopment potential exists for fishing and
forestry; not self-sufficient in food, espe-
cially 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), $242 mil-
lion
Currency: Guyanese dollar (plural— dol-
lars); 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 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 yean 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 navi-
gable waterways; Berbice, Demerara, and
Essequibo Rivers are navigable by ocean-
going 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; 1 2 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system with ra-
dio relay network; over 27,000 telephones;
tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; sta-
tions— 4 AM, 3 FM, no TV, 1 shortwave;
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth sta-
tion
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.)
North Atlantic Ocean
He de la Tortuga
Caribbean Sea
See regionil map III
Geography
Total area: 27,750 km2; land area: 27,560
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Maryland
Land boundary: 275 km with the Domini-
can Republic
Coastline: 1,771 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: to depth of exploita-
tion
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claims US-administered Na-
vassa Island
Climate: tropical; semiarid where moun-
tains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
Natural resources: bauxite
Land use: 20% arable land; 13% perma-
nent crops; 18% meadows and pastures;
4% forest and woodland; 45% other; in-
cludes 3% irrigated
Environment: lies in the middle of the hur-
ricane belt and subject to severe storms
from June to October; occasional flooding
and earthquakes; deforestation
Note: shares island of Hispaniola with Do-
minican 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)
132
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, Quest, 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 jurisdic-
tion
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 subse-
quent 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 Gov-
ernment— Provisional President Ertha
PASCAL-TROUILLOT (since 13 March
1990)
Political parties and leaders: Haitian
Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Syl-
vio 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 Patri-
otic Movement of November 28 (MNP-
28), Dejean Belizaire; Movement for the
Organization of the Country (MOP),
Gesner Comeau; Mobilization for Na-
tional 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 res-
ignation of President Lieut. Gen Prosper
Avril;
Legislature — last held 17 January 1988,
but dissolved on 20 June 1988; the gov-
ernment 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: Demo-
cratic Unity Confederation (KID), Roman
Catholic Church, Confederation of Hai-
tian Workers (CTH), Federation of Work-
ers Trade Unions (FOS), Autonomous
Haitian Workers (CATH), National Popu-
lar 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 Massachu-
setts Avenue NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 332-4090 through
4092; there are Haitian Consulates Gen-
eral 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 [509] (1) 20354 or
20368, 20200, 20612
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue
(top) and red with a centered white rect-
angle bearing the coat of arms which con-
tains 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, ade-
quate medical care, or sufficient food. Few
social assistance programs exist, and the
lack of employment opportunities remains
the most critical problem facing the econ-
omy.
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; expendi-
tures $357 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA million (1988)
Exports: $200 million (f.o.b., FY88); com-
modities— 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); com-
modities— machines and manufactures
36%, food and beverages 21%, petroleum
products 1 1 %, fats and oils 1 2%, chemi-
cals 12%; partners— US 65%, Netherlands
Antilles 6%, Japan 5%, France 4%, Can-
ada 2%, Asia 2% (FY86)
External debt: $820 million (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate —2%
(FY87)
Electricity: 230,000 kW capacity; 482 mil-
lion 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 yean 1 October- 30 September
Communications
Railroads: 40 km 0.760-meter narrow
gauge, single-track, privately owned indus-
trial 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
133
Haiti (continued)
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 short-
wave; 1 Atlantic Ocean earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Corps
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
1,264,238; 679,209 fit for military service;
59,655 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA
Heard Island and McDonald
Islands
(territory of Australia)
20km
McDonald
Islands
Flat Island
'McDonald Island
.Shag Island
Indian
Ocean
StcreflonilnupXM
Heard Island
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Aus-
tralia
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 Territo-
rial sea: 3 nm
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: Heard Island — bleak and moun-
tainous, with an extinct volcano; McDon-
ald Islands — small and rocky
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: primarily used as research
stations
Note: located 4, 1 00 km southwest of Aus-
tralia in the southern Indian Ocean
People
Population: uninhabited
Government
Long-form name: Territory of Heard Is-
land and McDonald Islands
Type: territory of Australia administered
by the Antarctic Division of the Depart-
ment of Science in Canberra (Australia)
134
Honduras
Puerto Cortes
Caribbean Sea
Is/as de la Bahia
See regional mtp III
Geography
Total area: 112,090 km2; land area:
111,890km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Tennessee
Land boundaries: 1,520 km total; Guate-
mala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nica-
ragua 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: 1 2 nm
Disputes: several sections of the boundary
with El Salvador are in dispute
Climate: subtropical in lowlands, temper-
ate in mountains
Terrain: mostly mountains in interior, nar-
row 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 gen-
erally mild, earthquakes; damaging hurri-
canes along Caribbean coast; deforesta-
tion; 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 pop-
ulation (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); adjec-
tive— Honduran
Ethnic divisions: 90% mestizo (mixed In-
dian 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% con-
struction, 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: 1 8 departments
(departamentos, singular — departamento);
Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua,
Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Mo-
razan, 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 Span-
ish civil law; some influence of English
common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 5
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 Gov-
ernment— Rafael Leonardo CALLEJAS
Romero (since 26 January 1990)
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party
(PLH)— faction leaders, Carlos Flores Fa-
cusse (leader of Florista Liberal Move-
ment), Carlos Montoya (Azconista subfac-
tion), 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 Call-
ejas (Monarca faction); National Innova-
tion 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 No-
vember 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 No-
vember 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), Peo-
ple's Revolutionary Union/Popular Liber-
ation 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: Na-
tional Association of Honduran Campe-
sinos (ANACH), Honduran Council of
Private Enterprise (COHEP), Confedera-
tion of Honduran Workers (CTH), Na-
tional Union of Campesinos (UNC), Gen-
eral Workers Confederation (CGT),
United Federation of Honduran Workers
(FUTH), Committee for the Defense of
Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH),
Coordinating Committee of Popular Orga-
nizations (CCOP)
Member of: CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB,
IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB— Inter-
American Development Bank, I FAD,
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; tele-
phone (202) 966-7700 through 7702; there
are Honduran Consulates General in Chi-
cago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans,
New York, and San Francisco, and Con-
sulates in Baton Rouge, Boston, Detroit,
Houston, and Jacksonville; US — Ambas-
sador Crescencio ARCOS; Embassy at
Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa (mailing
address is APO Miami 34022); telephone
[504)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 rep-
resent 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
135
Honduras (continued)
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. Ag-
riculture 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. Al-
though industry is still in its early stages,
it employs nearly 1 5% of the labor force,
accounts for 23% of GDP, and generates
20% of exports. The service sectors, in-
cluding 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 pub-
lic sector, and an export sector dependent
mostly on coffee and bananas, which are
subject to sharp price fluctuations.
GDP: S4.4 billion, per capita $890; real
growth rate 4.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 1%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 1 2% unemployed,
30-40% underemployed (1988)
Budget: revenues $1,053 million; expendi-
tures $949 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $159 million (1989)
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— bananas, coffee, shrimp, lob-
ster, minerals, lumber; partners — US 52%,
FRG 11%, Japan, Italy, Belgium
Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f. 1988); com-
modities— machinery and transport equip-
ment, 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 cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: agricultural processing (sugar
and coffee), textiles, clothing, wood prod-
ucts
Agriculture: most important sector, ac-
counting for nearly 30% of GDP, over
60% of the labor force, and two-thirds of
exports; principal products include ba-
Hong Kong
{colony of the UK)
nanas, coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruit,
shrimp; importer of wheat
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis,
cultivated on small plots and used princi-
pally 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 com-
mitments (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, 1 2 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,
1 7 bulk; note — a flag of convenience regis-
try
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 tele-
phones; 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 (1 990 est.)
Lema Channel
SttrttionilmipVIII
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 hu-
mid 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; occa-
sional typhoons
People
Population: 5,759,990 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 1 3 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (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
136
Religion: 90% eclectic mixture of local
religions, 10% Christian
Language: Chinese (Cantonese), English
Literacy: 75%
Labor force: 2,640,000; 35.8% manufac-
turing; 22.7% wholesale and retail trade,
restaurants and hotel, 17.1% services,
7.5% construction, 8.4% transport and
communications, 6.1% financing, insur-
ance, 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 re-
vert 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 re-
spect Hong Kong's existing social and eco-
nomic 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 Au-
gust (1945)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor, chief secretary of the Executive
Council
Legislative branch: Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government — Governor Sir Da-
vid 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 profes-
sionals 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: Federa-
tion of Trade Unions (Communist con-
trolled), Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade
Union Council (Nationalist Chinese domi-
nated), Hong Kong General Chamber of
Commerce, Chinese General Chamber of
Commerce (Communist controlled), Feder-
ation 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— Con
sul 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 [852] (5) 23901 1
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 cen-
tered 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 (rep-
resenting 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 respect-
able 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 pros-
pects remain solid so long as major trad-
ing 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), in-
cluding reexports of $22.9 billion; com-
modities— clothing, textile yarn and fab-
ric, footwear, electrical appliances,
watches and clocks, toys; partners — US
31%, China 14%, FRG 8%, UK 6%, Ja-
pan 5%
Imports: $63.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, transport equipment,
raw materials, semimanufactures, petro-
leum; 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, elec-
tronics, 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), $899.8 million
Currency: Hong Kong dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars (H KS)
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, 1 1 cargo, 1 0 refriger-
ated cargo, 13 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off
cargo, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 9 combi-
nation 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: 1 6 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 pro-
vide 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,
137
Hong Kong (continued)
China; links to 5 international submarine
cables providing access to ASEAN mem-
ber 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 ser-
vice; 46,440 reach military age (18) annu-
ally
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
How land Island
(territory of the US)
See regional map X
North
Pacific \ l«'
Ocean
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: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: equatorial; scant rainfall, con-
stant wind, burning sun
Terrain: low-lying, nearly level, sandy,
coral island surrounded by a narrow fring-
ing 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% for-
est 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
1 942 after Japanese air and naval attacks
during World War II; occupied by US
military during World War II, but aban-
doned after the war; public entry is by
special-use permit only and generally re-
stricted 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 Inte-
rior as part of the National Wildlife Ref-
uge System
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Airports: airstrip constructed in 1 937 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 par-
tially 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
138
Hungary
S« re|ionil m«p V
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, Roma-
nia 443 km, USSR 135 km, Yugoslavia
631 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: Transylvania question with Ro-
mania; 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; 1 1 % 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 pop-
ulation (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); adjec-
tive— 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% in-
dustry, 18.8% agriculture, 7.1% construc-
tion (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 opera-
tion
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Hungary
Type: republic
Capital: Budapest
Administrative divisions: 1 9 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 prin-
ciple that sometimes have the effect of
declaring legislative acts unconstitutional;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion
National holiday: Anniversary of the Lib-
eration, 4 April (1945)
Executive branch: president, premier,
Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Orszaggyiiles)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President-desig-
nate Arpad GONCZ (since 2 May 1990);
Head of Government — Prime Minister-
designate Jozsef ANTALL (since 2 May
1990)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic
Forum, Jozsef Antall, chairman; Free
Democrats, Janos Kis, chairman; Indepen-
dent 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 Demo-
crats 92, Independent Smallholders 43,
Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) 33,
Young Democrats 21, Christian Demo-
crats 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, 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. Sza-
badsag Ter 1 2, Budapest (mailing address
is APO New York 09213); telephone [36]
(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 industri-
alized economy. The share of the labor
force in agriculture dropped from over
50% in 1950 to under 20% in 1989. Agri-
culture nevertheless remains an important
sector, providing sizable export earnings
and meeting domestic food needs. Indus-
try 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 re-
flect the inability of the Soviet-style econ-
omy to modernize capital plant and moti-
vate workers. GNP grew about 1% in
1988 and declined by 1% in 1989. Since
1985 external debt has more than dou-
bled, to nearly $20 billion. In recent years
Hungary has moved further than any
other East European country in experi-
menting with decentralized and market-
139
Hungary (continued)
Iceland
oriented enterprises. These experiments
have failed to jump-start the economy be-
cause of: limitations on funds for privati-
zation; continued subsidization of insol-
vent 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; expendi-
tures $14.2 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $944 million (1988)
Exports: $19.1 billion (f.o.b. 1988); com-
modities— capital goods 36%, foods 24%,
consumer goods 1 8%, fuels and minerals
1 1%, other 1 1%; partners USSR 48%,
Eastern Europe 25%, developed countries
16%, less developed countries 8% (1987)
Imports: $18.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and transport 28%,
fuels 20%, chemical products 14%, manu-
factured consumer goods 16%, agriculture
6%, other 16%; partners— USSR 43%,
Eastern Europe 28%, less developed coun-
tries 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, engineer-
ing industries, processed foods, textiles,
chemicals (especially Pharmaceuticals)
Agriculture: including forestry, accounts
for about 15% of GNP and 19% of em-
ployment; 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 filter
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 yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 7,770 km total; 7,513 km
1.435-meter standard gauge, 222 km nar-
row gauge (mostly 0.760-meter), 35 km
1.524-meter broad gauge; 1,138 km dou-
ble track, 2,088 km electrified; all govern-
ment owned (1987)
Highways: 130,000 km total; 29,701 km
national highway system — 26,727 km as-
phalt and bitumen, 146 km concrete, 55
km stone and road brick, 2,345 km mac-
adam, 428 km unpaved; 58,495 km coun-
try 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 out-
lets 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 ain 22 major transport aircraft
Airports: 90 total, 90 usable; 20 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways 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 ser-
vice; 86,481 reach military age (18) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: 43.7 billion forints,
NA% of total budget (1989); note— con-
version of the military budget into US
dollars using the official administratively
set exchange rate would produce mislead-
ing results
125 km
Greenland Sea
.l.ltjordhur
Hafnarfjttrdhur
North Atlantic Ocean
See regional map V
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: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Rockall continental shelf dispute
involving Denmark, Ireland, and the UK
(Ireland and the UK have signed a bound-
ary 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% per-
manent crops; 23% meadows and pastures;
1% forest and woodland; 76% other
Environment: subject to earthquakes and
volcanic activity
Note: strategic location between Green-
land 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 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
140
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Icelanders); adjec-
tive— 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 manu-
facturing, 5.8% agriculture, 7.9% fish pro-
cessing, 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 1 4 indepen-
dent towns* (kaupstadar, singular — kaup-
stadur); Akranes*, Akureyri*, Arnessysla,
Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla,
Austur-Hunavatnssysla,
Austur-Skaftafellssysla,
Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla, Eyjafjard-
harsysla, Gullbringusysla,
Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*, Isafjordhur*,
Keflavik*, Kjdsarsysla, Kdpavogur*,
Myrasysla, Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-
Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasysla,
Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*,
Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*,
Saudharkrokur*, SeydhisfjSrdhur*,
Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla,
Snaefellsnes-og Hanppadalssysla, Stran-
dasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla,
Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla,
Vestmannaeyjar*,
Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla,
Vestur-Hunavatnssysla,
Vestur-Isafjardharsysla,
Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
Independence: 17 June 1944 (from Den-
mark)
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 Es-
tablishment of the Republic, 1 7 June
(1944)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
(Althing) with an Upper House (Efri De-
ild) and a Lower House (Nedri Deild)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Haesti-
rettur)
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; Pro-
gressive, Steingrimur Hermannsson; So-
cial Democratic, Jon Baldvin Hannibals-
son; 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); re-
sults— 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); re-
sults— 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, Pro-
gressive 13, Social Democratic 10, Peo-
ple's Alliance 8, Citizens Party 7, Wo-
mens 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), EFT A, FAO,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICES, IDA,
IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC— Interna-
tional Whaling Commission, NATO, Nor-
dic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Ingvi S. INGVARSSON; Chancery at
2022 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washing-
ton DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6653
through 6655; there is an Icelandic Con-
sulate General in New York; US — Am-
bassador Charles E. COBB; Embassy at
Laufasvegur 2 1 , Reykjavik (mailing ad-
dress is FPO New York 09571-0001);
telephone [354] (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 Danne-
brog (Danish flag)
Economy
Overview: Iceland's prosperous
Scandinavian-type economy is basically
capitalistic, but with extensive welfare
measures, low unemployment, and com-
paratively 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, result-
ing 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 $N A million (1988)
Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— 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); com-
modities— 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, hydro-
power
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: krdna (plural — kronur); 1 Ice-
landic 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 bitu-
men and concrete; 1 ,284 km bituminous
treated and gravel; 10,893 km earth
Ports: Reykjavik, Akureyri, Hafnarfjord-
hur, Keflavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Siglufjor-
dur, Vestmannaeyjar; numerous minor
ports
141
Iceland (continued)
India
Merchant marine: 18 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 62,867 GRT/87,610 DWT;
includes 9 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1
container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petro-
leum, 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 1 5-49, 68,688;
61,553 fit for military service; no conscrip-
tion or compulsory military service
Defense expenditures: none
Laccadive
Sea
SrrrrKionil map \ 111
Nicobar .;
Islands \
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; Bangla-
desh 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 prob-
lems with downstream riparians, Bangla-
desh 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 re-
serves in the world), iron ore, manganese,
mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, nat-
ural 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 pollu-
tion; desertification
Note: dominates South Asian subconti-
nent; 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 pop-
ulation (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% Bud-
dhist, 0.5% Jains, 0.4% other
Language: Hindi, English, and 14 other
official languages — Bengali, Telgu, Mara-
thi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam,
Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese,
Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; 24 lan-
guages spoken by a million or more per-
sons eac|); numerous other languages and
dialects, for the most part mutually unin-
telligible; 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, po-
litical, and commercial communication;
Hindustani, a popular variant of Hindi/
Urdu, is spoken widely throughout north-
ern 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 N5du, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh,
West Bengal; note — Goa may have be-
come a state with Daman and Diu
remaining a union territory
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK)
142
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 Proc-
lamation of the Republic, 26 January
(1950)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, 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 Ra-
maswamy Iyer VENKATARAMAN
(since 25 July 1987); Vice President Dr.
Shankar Dayal SHARMA (since 3 Sep-
tember 1987);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Vishwanath Pratap SINGH (since 2 De-
cember 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Janata Dal
Party, Prime Minister V. P. Singh; Con-
gress (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 Ka-
zagham, M. Karunanidhi; Akali Dal fac-
tions representing Sikh religious commu-
nity 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 Ma-
hanta
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 post-
ponement); 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 commu-
nal 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, Wash-
ington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-
7000; there are Indian Consulates General
in Chicago, New York, and San Franci-
sco; US— Ambassador William CLARK;
Embassy at Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri
110021, New Delhi; telephone [91] (11)
600651; there are US Consulates General
in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of or-
ange (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 govern-
ment intervention of the socialist mold.
Growth of 4% to 5% annually in the
1 980s has softened the impact of popula-
tion growth on unemployment, social tran-
quility, and the environment. Agricultural
output has continued to expand, reflecting
the greater use of modern farming tech-
niques 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, par-
ticularly in the south, have not benefited
from the green revolution and live in ab-
ject 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); com-
modities— tea, coffee, iron ore, fish prod-
ucts, manufactures; partners — EC 25%,
USSR and Eastern Europe 17%, US 19%,
Japan 10%
Imports: $24.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— 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, ce-
ment, jute manufactures, mining, petro-
leum, 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 coun-
tries
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $4.2 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (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)
143
India (continued)
Indian Ocean
Ports: Bombay, Calcutta, Cochin, Kandla,
Madras, New Mangalore, Port Blair (An-
daman Islands)
Merchant marine: 296 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 5,855,842 GRT/
9,790,260 DWT; includes 1 short-sea pas-
senger, 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 run-
ways over 3,659 m; 57 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 91 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor domestic tele-
phone service, international radio commu-
nications adequate; 3,200,000 telephones;
stations— 170 AM, no FM, 14 TV (gov-
ernment controlled); domestic satellite sys-
tem for communications and TV; 3 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; subma-
rine cables to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and
Pakistan
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Border
Security Forces, Coast Guard, Paramili-
tary 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.)
Geography
Total area: 73,600,000 km2; Arabian Sea,
Bass Strait, Bay of Bengal, Java Sea, Per-
sian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Malacca,
Timor Sea, and other tributary water bod-
ies
Comparative area: slightly less than eight
times the size of the US; third-largest
ocean (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlan-
tic Ocean, but larger than the Arctic
Ocean)
Coastline: 66,526 km
Climate: northeast monsoon (December to
April), southwest monsoon (June to Octo-
ber); 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 counter-
clockwise 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-tc-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 Ma-
lacca, southern access to the Suez Canal,
and the I.ombok 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 off-
shore 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, miner-
als, 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 (Aus-
tralia), Jakarta (Indonesia), Melbourne
(Australia), Richard's Bay (South Africa)
Telecommunications: no submarine cables
144
Indonesia
North
Pacific
Ocean
Java
Indian Ocean
imor New
Guinea
Str regional map IX
Geography
Total area: 1,919,440 km2; land area:
1,826,440km2
Comparative area: slightly less than three
times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 2,602 km total; Malay-
sia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km
Coastline: 54,716 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed
archipelagic baselines)
Continental shelf: to depth of exploita-
tion
Extended economic zone: 200 nm Ter-
ritorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: East Timor question with Portu-
gal
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more mod-
erate 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; 1 5% other; includes
3% irrigated
Environment: archipelago of 1 3,500 islands
(6,000 inhabited); occasional floods, severe
droughts, and tsunamis; deforestation
Note: straddles Equator; strategic location
astride or along major sea lanes from In-
dian 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 pop-
ulation (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); adjec-
tive— Indonesian
Ethnic divisions: majority of Malay stock
comprising 45.0% Javanese, 14.0% Sunda-
nese, 7.5% Madurese, 7.5% coastal Ma-
lays, 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 ibu-
kota); 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 Sela-
tan, 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 Provi-
sional Constitution of 1950, restored 5
July 1959
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law,
substantially modified by indigenous con-
cepts and by new criminal procedures
code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 17
August (1945)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rak-
yat or DPR); note — the People's Consulta-
tive 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 deter-
mine national policy
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Mah-
kamah Agung)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— 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, chair-
man; Development Unity Party (PPP, fed-
eration of former Islamic parties), Ismail
Hasan Metareum, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 1 7 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 1 1%; seats— (500 total-^tOO
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, As-
sociation 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, QIC, OPEC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Abdul Rachman RAMLY; Chancery at
2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Wash-
ington 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 [62]
(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 Mo-
naco which is shorter; also similar to the
flag of Poland which is white (top) and red
145
Indonesia (continued)
Economy
Overview: Indonesia is a mixed economy
with many socialist institutions and cen-
tral 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, in-
cluding 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 encour-
aged 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; expendi-
tures $20.9 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $7.5 billion (FY89)
Exports: $21.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — petroleum and liquefied
natural gas 40%, timber 1 5%, textiles 7%,
rubber 5%, coffee 3%; partners — Japan
42%, US 16%, Singapore 9%, EC 1 1%
(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, co-
coa, coffee, copra, other tropical products
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
for the international drug trade, but not a
major player; government actively eradi-
cating plantings and prosecuting
traffickers
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $4.2 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $19.8 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $213 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $175 mil-
lion
Currency: Indonesian rupiah (plural — ru
piahs); 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 yean 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; 21 1 km
double track; 101 km electrified; all gov-
ernment 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; Suma-
tra 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 CRT
or over) totaling 1,480,912 CRT/
2,245,233 DWT; includes 5 short-sea pas-
senger, 13 passenger-cargo, 173 cargo, 6
container, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 vehi-
cle carrier, 77 petroleum, oils, and lubri-
cants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2
liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 1 live-
stock carrier, 24 bulk
Civil air: about 216 commercial transport
aircraft
Airports: 468 total, 435 usable; 106 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 62 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: interisland micro-
wave 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 In-
dian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and
1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth sta-
tion; and 1 domestic satellite communica-
tions system
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Na-
tional 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)
146
Iran
400km
Gulf
Srr regional map \ 1
Strait of
Hormuz
Gulf Beheihti
of
Oman
Geography
Total area: 1,648,000 km2; land area:
1,636,000km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Alaska
Land boundaries: 5,492 km total; Afghani-
stan 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: 1 2 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 navi-
gation, sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab
waterway and prisoner-of-war exchange
are the major issues for negotiation; Kurd-
ish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Tur-
key, and the USSR; occupies three islands
in the Persian Gulf claimed by UAE
(JazTreh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musi,
Jazlreh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater
Tunb, and Jazlreh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or
Lesser Tunb); periodic disputes with Af-
ghanistan over Helmand water rights; Bo-
luch question with Afghanistan and Paki-
stan
Climate: mostly arid or semiarid, subtro-
pical 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% per-
manent crops; 27% meadows and pastures;
1 1% forest and woodland; 54% other; in-
cludes 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% Azer-
baijani, 9% Kurd, 8% Gilaki and Mazan-
darani, 2% Lur, 1% Baloch, 1% Arab, 3%
other
Religion: 95% Shi'a Muslim, 4% Sunni
Muslim, 2% Zoroastrian, Jewish, Chris-
tian, and Baha'i
Language: 58% Persian and Persian dia-
lects, 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); Azarb5yjSn-e
Bakhtarl, AzarbayjSn-e Khavart,
Bakhtaran, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va
Bakhtiarl, Esfahan, Pars, Gilan,
Hamadan, Hormozgan, 113m, Kerman,
Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohklluyeh va
Bflyer AhmadI, Kordestan, Lorest5n,
MarkazI, Mazandaran, Semnan, Sistan va
BalQchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Independence: 1 April 1979, Islamic Re-
public of Iran proclaimed
Constitution: 2-3 December 1979; revised
1989 to expand powers of the presidency
Legal system: the new Constitution codi-
fies 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 Ak-
bar RAFSANJANI (since 3 August
1989);
Political parties and leaders: there are at
least seven licensed parties; the two most
important are — Militant Clerics Associa-
tion, Mehdi Mahdavi-Karubi and Mo-
hammad Asqar Musavi-Khoinima; Fedai-
yin 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;
1 5,000 to 20,000 est. sympathizers; crack-
down 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 Repub-
lic include Hizballah, Hojjatiyeh Society,
Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution,
Muslim Students Following the Line of
the Imam, and Tehran Militant Clergy
Association; Mojahedin Khalq Organiza-
tion (MKO), People's Fedayeen, and
Kurdish Democratic Party are armed po-
litical groups that have been almost com-
pletely repressed by the government
Member of: CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, IDA, IDB, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IPU, QIC,
OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UNICEF,
UNIDO, WHO
Diplomatic representation: none; protect-
ing 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 1 1 times
along the bottom edge of the green band
and 1 1 times along the top edge of the red
band
147
Iran (continued)
Economy
Overview: Since the 1979 revolution, the
banks, petroleum industry, transportation,
utilities, and mining have been national-
ized, 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, de-
mographic pressures, and ideological ri-
gidities have kept economic growth at de-
pressed 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. Ag-
riculture has suffered from the war, land
reform, and shortages of equipment and
materials. The five-year plan seeks to rein-
vigorate 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 SNA; expenditures $55.1
billion, including capital expenditures of
$1 1.5 billion (FY88 est.)
Exports: $12.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum 90%, carpets, fruits,
nuts, hides; partners — Japan, Turkey, It-
aly, Netherlands, Spain, France, FRG
Imports: $12.0 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— 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, tex-
tiles, cement and other building materials,
food processing (particularly sugar refining
and vegetable oil production), metal fabri-
cating (steel and copper)
Agriculture: principal products — rice,
other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cot-
ton, 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 com-
mitments (1970-87), $1.5 billion; Commu-
nist 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 — do
mestic 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 yean 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 im-
proved 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 1 30 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
Beheshtt, Bandar-e Abbas, Bandar-e
Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni, Bandar-e
Shahld Raja'T, Khorramshahr (largely de-
stroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war)
Merchant marine: 133 ships (1,000 CRT
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 run-
ways 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 Ba-
sil militia and own ground, air, and naval
forces), Gendarmerie
Military manpower males 15-49,
12,302,967; 7,332,614 fit for military ser-
vice; 569,647 reach military age (21) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 8% of GNP, or $7.8
billion (1989 est.)
148
Iraq
200km
Srr regional map V
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: 1 2 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; Kurd-
ish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Tur-
key, 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 be-
comes effective; disputes Kuwaiti owner-
ship of Warbah and Bubiyan islands; peri-
odic disputes with upstream riparian Syria
over Euphrates water rights; potential dis-
pute over water development plans by
Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Riv-
ers
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% for-
est 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 pop-
ulation (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% Shi'a, 32-
37% Sunni), 3% Christian or other
Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish (of-
ficial in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Arme-
nian
Literacy: 55-65% (1 989 est.)
Labor force: 3,400,000 (1984); 39% ser-
vices, 33% agriculture, 28% industry, se-
vere labor shortage (1987); expatriate la-
bor force about 1,000,000 (1989)
Organized labor: less than 10% of the la-
bor force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Iraq
Type: republic
Capital: Baghdad
Administrative divisions: 18 provinces
(muhafazat, singular — muhafazah); Al
AnbSr, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al
Qadislyah, An Najaf, Arbll, As
Sulaymanlyah, At Ta'mlm, Babil,
Baghdad, Dahflk, Dhl Qar, Diyala,
Karbala', Mays3n, Ninawa, Salah ad Din,
WSsil
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 spe-
cial religious courts, civil law system else-
where; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Rev-
olution, 17 July (1968)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, chairman of the Revolutionary Com-
mand Council, vice chairman of the Revo-
lutionary 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 Gov-
ernment—President Saddam HUSAYN
(since 16 July 1979); Vice President Taha
Muhyi al-Din MA'RUF (since 21 April
1974)
Political parties: National Progressive
Front is a coalition of the Arab Ba'th So-
cialist 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); re-
sults— Shi'a Arabs 30%, Kurds 15%,
Sunni Arabs 53%, Christians 2% est.;
seats — (250 total) number of seats by
party NA
Communists: about 1,500 hardcore mem-
bers
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, I FAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, QIC,
OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Dr. Mohamed Sadiq AL-MASHAT;
Chancery at 1801 P Street NW, Wash-
ington DC 20036; telephone (202) 483-
7500; US— Ambassador April C. GLA-
SPIE; Embassy in Masbah Quarter
(opposite the Foreign Ministry Club),
Baghdad (mailing address is P. O. Box
2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad); telephone [964]
(1) 719-6138 or 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-
3791
Elag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and black with three green
five-pointed stars in a horizontal line cen-
tered 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 Ba'thist regime engages in
extensive central planning and manage-
ment of industrial production and foreign
149
Iraq (continued)
trade while leaving some small-scale in-
dustry and services and most agriculture
to private enterprise. The economy is
dominated by the oil sector, which pro-
vides about 95% of foreign exchange earn-
ings. Since the early 1980s financial prob-
lems, caused by war expenditures and
damage to oil export facilities by Iran,
have led the government to implement
austerity measures and to reschedule for-
eign debt payments. Oil exports have
gradually increased with the construction
of new pipelines. Agricultural development
remains hampered by labor shortages, sa-
linization, and dislocations caused by pre-
vious land reform and collectivization pro-
grams. The industrial sector, although
accorded high priority by the government,
is under financial constraints. New invest-
ment 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 SNA billion; expendi-
tures $35 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of NA (1989)
Exports: $12.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— 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); com-
modities— manufactures, food; partners —
Turkey, US, FRG, UK, France, Japan,
Romania, Yugoslavia, Brazil (1988)
External debt: $40 billion (1988 est.), ex-
cluding 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 1 0% 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 com-
mitments (1970-87), $607 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1980-89), $37.2 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $3.9 bil-
lion
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
Iraq-Saudi Arabia
Neutral Zone
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 1 30 km, but closed since Sep-
tember 1980 because of I ran- Iraq war;
Tigris and Euphrates navigable by
shallow-draft steamers (of little impor-
tance); 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, 1 8 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 (in-
cluding 30 IL-76s used by the Iraq Air
Force)
Airports: 111 total, 101 usable; 72 with
permanent-surface runways; 8 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 53 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 14 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good network con-
sists 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, Repub-
lican Guard
Military manpower males 15-49,
4,097,190; 2,284,417 fit for military ser-
vice; 219,701 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: NA
50km
See regional map VI
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% for-
est and woodland; 100% other (sandy
desert)
Environment: harsh, inhospitable
Note: landlocked; located west of quadri-
point with Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Ara-
bia
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 di-
vide the zone between them, but the
agreement must be ratified, however, be-
fore it becomes effective
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Highways: none; some secondary roads
150
Ireland
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the joint responsibility of
Iraq and Saudi Arabia
100 km
onaghan
Irish
DUBLIN. J Sea
Atlantic
Ocean
See regional maf
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: 1 2 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary with the
UK; Northern Ireland question with the
UK; Rockall continental shelf dispute in-
volving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK
(Ireland and the UK have signed a bound-
ary 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, lime-
stone, dolomite, peat, silver
Land use: 14% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 7 1 % 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: — 1 0 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 pi.); adjective — Irish
Ethnic divisions: Celtic, with English mi-
nority
Religion: 94% Roman Catholic, 4% Angli-
can, 2% other
Language: Irish (Gaelic) and English; En-
glish 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 cf Ireland
Type: republic
Capital: Dublin
Administrative divisions: 26 counties; Car-
low, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin,
Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois,
Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth,
Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Ros-
common, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford,
Westmeath, Wexford, WickJow
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 com-
pulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: St. Patrick's Day, 17
March
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, 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; Commu-
nist Party of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan;
Workers' Party, Proinsias DeRossa; Sinn
Fein, Gerry Adams; Progressive Demo-
crats, Desmond O'Malley; note — Prime
151
Ireland (continued)
Minister Haughey heads a coalition con-
sisting of the Fianna Fail and the Progres-
sive Democrats
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 21 October
1983 (next to be held October 1990); re-
sults— 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 1 6, Labor 3, Independents 1 1 ;
House of Representatives — last held on 1 2
July 1989 (next to be held NA June
1994); results— Fianna Fail 44.0%, Fine
Gael 29.4%, Labor Party 9.3%, Progres-
sive 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, Wash-
ington 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 [353] (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 — or-
ange (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 infla-
tion 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. Unemploy-
ment, 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; expendi-
tures $11.2 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $1.5 billion (1989)
Exports: $20.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— live animals, animal products,
chemicals, data processing equipment, in-
dustrial machinery; partners — EC 74%
(UK 35%, FRG 11%, France 9%), US 8%
Imports: $17.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— food, animal feed, chemicals,
petroleum and petroleum products, ma-
chinery, 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, tex-
tiles, 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, vege-
tables
Aid: NA
Currency: Irish pound (plural — pounds); 1
Irish pound (Ir) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Irish pounds (Ir) 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; 1 8 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 sys-
tem using cable and radio relay circuits;
900,000 telephones; stations — 45 AM, 16
(29 relays) FM, 18 (68 relays) TV; 5 coax-
ial 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.)
152
Israel (also see separate Gaza Strip and
West Bank entries)
100km
Nazarl
Mediterranean
Sea
Set regional map VI
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 relation-
ship 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 exploita-
tion
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: separated from Lebanon, Syria,
and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice
Line; differences with Jordan over the lo-
cation 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, as-
phalt, manganese, small amounts of natu-
ral 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 dur-
ing spring and summer; limited arable
land and natural water resources pose se-
rious constraints; deforestation;
Note: there are 1 73 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 1 10,000 in East Jeru-
salem (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 pop-
ulation (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; 1 2.8% commerce;
9.5% finance and business; 6.8% transport,
storage, and communications; 6.5% con-
struction and public works; 5.5% agricul-
ture, 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 (me-
hozot, singular — mehoz); Central, Haifa,
Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Independence: 14 May 1948 (from League
of Nations mandate under British admin-
istration)
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 ir.in's
ter, 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 Septem-
ber 1984 to 20 October 1986, when he
rotated to Vice Prime Minister)
Political parties and leaders: Israel cur-
rently has a national unity government
comprising five parties that hold 95 of the
Knesset's 1 20 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 Absorp-
tion Yitzhak Peretz; National Religious
Party, Minister of Religious Affairs Zevu-
lun 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,
Israel (continued)
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 1 8
Elections: President — last held 23 Febru-
ary 1988 (next to be held February 1994);
results — Gen. Chaim Herzog reelected by
Knesset;
Parliament — last held 1 November 1 988
(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, Cen-
ter 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 govern-
ment's West Bank/Gaza Strip and Leba-
non 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 Interna-
tional 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 Franci-
sco; US — Ambassador William A.
BROWN; Embassy at 71 Hayarkon
Street, Tel Aviv (mailing address is APO
New York 09672); telephone [972] (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 equip-
lent. Despite limited natural resources,
rael has developed its agriculture and
\ustry sectors on an intensive scale over
past 20 years. Industry accounts for
154
about 23% of the labor force, agriculture
for 6%, and services for most of the bal-
ance. Diamonds, high-technology machin-
ery, and agricultural products (fruits and
vegetables) are the biggest export earners.
The balance of payments has traditionally
been negative, but is offset by large trans-
fer 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 medi-
cal scanning equipment. In 1987 the econ-
omy 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; expendi-
tures $26.3 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $7 billion (FY89 est.)
Exports: $10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — polished diamonds, citrus
and other fruits, textiles and clothing, pro-
cessed foods, fertilizer and chemical prod-
ucts, military hardware, electronics; part-
ners—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, Swit-
zerland, 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 cut-
ting and polishing, textiles, clothing,
chemicals, metal products, military equip-
ment, transport equipment, electrical
equipment, miscellaneous machinery, pot-
ash mining, high-technology electronics,
tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP;
largely self-sufficient in food production,
except for bread grains; principal prod-
ucts— 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-3 1 March
Communications
Railroads: 594 km 1 .435-meter gauge,
single track; diesel operated
Highways: 4,500 km; majority is bitumi-
nous surfaced
Pipelines: crude oil, 708 km; refined prod-
ucts, 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 devel-
oped in the Middle East though not the
largest; good system of coaxial cable and
radio relay; 1,800,000 telephones;
stations— 1 1 AM, 24 FM, 54 TV; 2 sub-
marine cables; satellite earth stations — 2
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Israel Defense Forces; histori-
cally there have been no separate Israeli
military services; ground, air, and naval
components are branches of Israel De-
fense Forces
Military manpower eligible 1 5-49,
2,159,462; of the 1,089,346 males 15-49,
898,272 are fit for military service; of the
1,070,1 16 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
Italy
Cagli
Mediterranean
Sea
See region*! man V
Geography
Total area: 301,230 km2; land area:
294,020 km2; includes Sardinia and Sicily
Comparative area: slightly larger than Ar-
izona
Land boundaries: 1,902.2 km total; Aus-
tria 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: 1 2 nm
Disputes: South Tyrol question with Aus-
tria
Climate: predominantly Mediterranean;
Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous;
some plains, coastal lowlands
Natural resources: mercury, potash, mar-
ble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and
crude oil reserves, fish, coal
Land use: 32% arable land; 10% perma-
nent crops; 1 7% meadows and pastures;
22% forest and woodland; 19% other; in-
cludes 10% irrigated
Environment: regional risks include land-
slides, mudflows, snowslides, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, flooding, pollution;
land sinkage in Venice
Note: strategic location dominating cen-
tral 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 popu-
lation (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 pop-
ulation includes small clusters of Gerrnan-
, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north
and Albanian-Italians in the south; Sicil-
ians; Sardinians
Religion: almost 100% nominally Roman
Catholic
Language: Italian; parts of Trentino-Alto
Adige region are predominantly German
speaking; significant French-speaking mi-
nority 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 (re-
gioni, singular — regione); Abruzzi, Basili-
cata, Calabria, Campania,
Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia,
Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Mol-
ise, 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 Consti-
tutional Court; has not accepted compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Re-
public, 2 June (1946)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter,
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
(Parlamento) consists of an upper chamber
or Senate (Senate) and a lower chamber
or Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei
Deputati)
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court
(Corte Costituzionale)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Fran-
cesco 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 MAR-
TELLI (since 23 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Christian
Democratic Party (DC), Arnaldo Forlani
(general secretary), Ciriaco De Mita (pres-
ident); Communist Party (PCI), Achille
Occhetto (secretary general); Socialist
Party (PSI), Bettino Craxi (party secre-
tary); 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 Chris-
tian Democrats, Socialists, Social Demo-
crats, 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); re-
sults—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 Demo-
crats 8, others 7
Communists: 1,673,751 members (1983)
Other political or pressure groups: Vatican
City; three major trade union confedera-
tions (CGIL — Communist dominated,
CISL — Christian Democratic, and UfL —
Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republi-
can); 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
155
Italy (continued)
Peter F. SECCHIA; Embassy at Via Ve-
neto 1 19/A, 00187-Rome (mailing address
is APO New York 09794); telephone [39]
(6) 46741; there are US Consulates Gen-
eral 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 econ-
omy has changed from one based on agri-
culture 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 pri-
vate companies and state enterprises and
an undeveloped agricultural south. Ser-
vices account for 58% of GDP, industry
37%, and agriculture 5%. Most raw mate-
rials 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 aver-
age rate of 3%. For the 1990s, Italy faces
the problems of refurbishing a tottering
communications system, curbing the in-
creasing pollution in major industrial cen-
ters, 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: 1 1.9% (1989)
Budget: revenues $355 billion; expendi-
tures $448 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $141.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— textiles, wearing apparel, met-
als, transportation equipment, chemicals;
partners— EC 57%, US 9%, OPEC 4%
Imports: $143.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— petroleum, industrial machin-
ery, 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 Ital-
ian 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 — 2,100km 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, pro-
vincial highways 101,680 km, communal
highways 141,660 km; 260,500 km con-
crete, 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 Spe-
zia, Livorno, Naples, Palermo (Sicily), Ta-
ranto, 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 re-
frigerated cargo, 22 container, 72 roll-on/
roll-off cargo, 4 vehicle carrier, 1 multi-
function large-load carrier, 2 livestock
carrier, 147 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 37 chemical tanker, 29 liq-
uefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 16 combi-
nation ore/oil, 55 bulk, 2 combination
bulk
Civil air 1 32 major transport aircraft
Airports: 143 total, 138 usable; 88 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 35 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: well engineered, con-
structed, and operated; 28,000,000 tele-
phones; 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 In-
dian Ocean, INMARSAT, and EUTEL-
SAT 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.)
156
Ivory Coast
(also known as Cote d'lvoire)
150km
Abcngourou
Yamoussoukro
Gagnoa B Adzope
S an -Pedro ,
'£*••* Gulf of Guinea
Srr regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 322,460 km2; land area:
318,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
New Mexico
Land boundaries: 3,1 10 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: 1 2 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 Oc-
tober)
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plains;
mountains in northwest
Natural resources: crude oil, diamonds,
manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, cop-
per
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 pop-
ulation (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 1 30,000 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 popu-
lation engaged in agriculture, for estry,
livestock raising; about 1 1% of labor force
are wage earners, nearly half in agricul-
ture 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'lvoire
Type: republic; one-party presidential re-
gime 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, Da-
loa, Danane, Daoukro, Dimbokro, Divo,
Duekoue, Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa,
Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia, Katiola, Kor-
hogo, 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 1 960 (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 Su-
preme Court; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 7 Decem-
ber
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 Gov-
ernment— President Dr. Felix
HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since 27 No-
vember 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); re-
sults— President Felix Houphouet-Boigny
was reelected without opposition to his
fifth consecutive five-year term;
National Assembly — last held 10 Novem-
ber 1985 (next to be held 10 November
1990); results— PDCI is the only party;
seats— (175 total) PDCI 175
Communists: no Communist party; possi-
bly some sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO,
EAMA, EGA, 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 Mas-
sachusetts 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); tele-
phone [225] 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 sen-
sitive to fluctuations in international prices
for coffee and cocoa and to weather condi-
tions. Despite attempts by the government
to diversify, the economy is still largely
dependent on agriculture and related in-
dustries. 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 co-
coa 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)
157
Ivory Coast (continued)
Jamaica
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.5%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 14% (1985)
Budget: revenues $1.6 billion (1986); ex-
penditures S2.3 billion, including capital
expenditures of $504 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— cocoa 30%, coffee 20%, tropical
woods 1 1%, cotton, bananas, pineapples,
palm oil, cotton; partners — France, FRG,
Netherlands, US, Belgium, Spain (1985)
Imports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— manufactured goods and semi-
finished products 50%, consumer goods
40%, raw materials and fuels 10%; part-
ners— France, other EC, Nigeria, US, Ja-
pan (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 cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: foodstuffs, wood processing, oil
refinery, automobile assembly, textiles,
fertilizer, beverage
Agriculture: most important sector, con-
tributing one-third to GDP and 80% to
exports; cash crops include coffee, cocoa
beans, timber, bananas, palm kernels, rub-
ber; 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 Afri-
caine 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 bi-
tuminous and bituminous-treated surface;
32,000 km gravel, crushed stone, laterite,
and improved earth; 1 1 ,000 km
unimproved
Inland waterways: 980 km navigable riv-
ers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons
Ports: Abidjan, San-Pedro
Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 71,945 CRT/ 90,684 DWT;
includes 5 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical
tanker
Civil air: 1 2 major transport aircraft, in-
cluding multinationally owned Air Afri-
que 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 Afri-
can average; consists of open-wire lines
and radio relay links; 87,700 telephones;
stations— 3 AM, 17 FM, 11 TV; 2 Atlan-
tic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; 2
coaxial submarine cables
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, para-
military Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49,
2,874,925; 1,487,909 fit for military ser-
vice; 141,193 males reach military age
(18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (1987)
Caribbean Sea
Ocho Rios
Port Antonio
Caribbean Sea
Stt regional mip III
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 claim:
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate
interior
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow,
discontinuous coastal plain
Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, lime-
stone
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 (espe-
cially 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); adjec-
tive— Jamaican
Ethnic divisions: 76.3% African, 15.1%
Afro-European, 3.4% East Indian and
158
Afro-East Indian, 3.2% white, 1.2% Chi-
nese and Afro-Chinese, 0.8% other
Religion: predominantly Protestant (in-
cluding Anglican and Baptist), some Ro-
man Catholic, some spiritualist cults
Language: English, Creole
Literacy: 74%
Labor force: 728,700; 32% agriculture,
28% industry and commerce, 27% ser-
vices, 1 3% government; shortage of techni-
cal 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; Cla-
rendon, 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 ju-
risdiction
National holiday: Independence Day (first
Monday in August), 6 August 1990
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor 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 St ate— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented 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 Na-
tional Party (PNP), Michael Manley; Ja-
maica 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: Rasta-
farians (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 Mi-
ami and New York; US — Ambassador
Glen HOLDEN; Embassy at 3rd Floor,
Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford
Road, Kingston; telephone [809] 929-4850
Flag: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag
into four triangles — green (top and bot-
tom) 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 in-
dustry because of increases in world metal
prices. The recovery has also been sup-
ported 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 econ-
omy. By October 1989 the economic re-
covery 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): 1 5%
(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, Can-
ada, 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, Can-
ada, 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 cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: tourism, bauxite mining, tex-
tiles, 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 vege-
tables; 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 com-
mitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $27 million; Com-
munist countries (1974-88), $349 million
Currency: Jamaican dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 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 stan-
dard 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-ofT cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubri-
cants (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 do-
mestic telephone network; 127,000 tele-
phones; stations— 10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV;
2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth sta-
tions; 3 coaxial submarine cables
Defense Forces
Branches: Jamaica Defense Force
(includes Coast Guard and Air Wing)
Military manpower: males 1 5-49, 620,400;
440,967 fit for military service; no con-
scription; 27,014 reach minimum volun-
teer age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.1% of GDP (1987)
159
Jan Mayen
(territory of Norway)
Japan
Greenland Sea
Norwegian Sea
See refional map XI
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 Territo-
rial sea: 4 nm
Disputes: Denmark has challenged Nor-
way'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% for-
est 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 (syssel-
mann I resident in Longyearbyen
(Svalbard)
Economy
Overview: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island
with no exploitable natural resources. Eco-
nomic activity is limited to providing ser-
vices for employees of Norway's radio and
meteorological stations located on the is-
land.
Electricity: 15,000 kW capacity; 40 mil-
lion 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 meteoro-
logical station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Nor-
way
North
Pacific
Ocean
Philippine
Sea
? Okinawa
See regional map VIII
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 inter-
national straits — La Perouse or Soya,
Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and
Western channels of the Korea or
Tsushima Strait)
Disputes: Habomai Islands, Etorofu, Ku-
nashiri, and Shikotan Islands occupied by
Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by Ja-
pan; 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 re-
sources, 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 oc-
currences (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: 1 1 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
160
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (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., pi.);
adjective — Japanese
Ethnic divisions: 99.4% Japanese, 0.6%
other (mostly Korean)
Religion: most Japanese observe both
Shinto and Buddhist rites; about 16% be-
long to other faiths, including 0.8% Chris-
tian
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, Nii-
gata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka,
Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane,
Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, TOkyO,
Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata,
Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Independence: 660 BC, traditional found-
ing by Emperor Jimmu; 3 May 1947, con-
stitutional monarchy established
Constitution: 3 May 1947
Legal system: civil law system with
English-American influence; judicial re-
view of legislative acts in the Supreme
Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion, with reservations
National holiday: Birthday of the
Emperor, 23 December (1933)
Executive branch: emperor, prime minis-
ter, 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 AKI-
HITO (since 7 January 1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Toshiki KAIFU (since 9 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Dem-
ocratic Party (LDP), Toshiki Kaifu, presi-
dent; Japan Socialist Party (JSP), T. Doi,
chairman; Democratic Socialist Party
(DSP), Eiichi Nagasue, chairman; Japan
Communist Party (JCP), K. Miyamoto,
Presidium chairman; Komeito (Clean Gov-
ernment 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 1 8
February 1990 (next to be held by Febru-
ary 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, Co-
lombo 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— Inter-
national 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, Wash-
ington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-
6700; there are Japanese Consulates Gen-
eral 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 Mi-
chael H. ARMACOST; Embassy at 10-1,
Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), To-
kyo (mailing address is APO San Franci-
sco 96503); telephone [81] (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 (repre-
senting 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 Ja-
pan advance rapidly, notably in
high-technology fields. Industry, the most
important sector of the economy, is
heavily dependent on imported raw mate-
rials and fuels. Self-sufficent in rice, Japan
must import 50% of its requirements for
other grain and fodder crops. Japan main-
tains one of the world's largest fishing
fleets and accounts for nearly 1 5% of the
total global catch. Overall economic
growth has been spectacular: a 10% aver-
age in the 1960s, a 5% average in the
1970s and 1980s. In 1989 strong invest-
ment 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; expendi-
tures $464 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of $NA (FY89)
Exports: $270 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— manufactures 97% (including
machinery 38%, motor vehicles 1 7%, con-
sumer electronics 10%); partners — US
34%, Southeast Asia 22%, Western Eu-
rope 21%, Communist countries 5%, Mid-
dle East 5%
Imports: $210 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— manufactures 42%, fossil fuels
30%, foodstuffs 15%, nonfuel raw materi-
als 1 3%; partners — Southeast Asia 23%,
US 23%, Middle East 15%, Western Eu-
rope 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, elec-
trical 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, vegeta-
bles, fruit; animal products include pork,
poultry, dairy and eggs; about 50% self-
sufficient in food production; shortages of
161
Japan (continued)
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 (¥) =
100 sen
Exchange rates: yen (¥) per US$1—
145.09 (January 1990), 137.96(1989),
128.15(1988), 144.64(1987), 168.52
(1986), 238.54 (1985)
Fiscal yean 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 multi-
track 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 ex-
pressways, 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; seago-
ing craft ply all coastal inland seas
Pipelines: crude oil, 84 km; refined prod-
ucts, 322 km; natural gas, 1,800 km
Ports: Chiba, Muroran, Kitakyushu,
Kobe, Tomakomai, Nagoya, Osaka, To-
kyo, Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Kawasaki,
Niigata, Fushiki-Toyama, Shimizu, Hi-
meji, Wakayama-Shimozu, Shimonoseki,
Tokuyama-Shimomatsu
Merchant marine: 1,088 ships (1,000 CRT
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 liq-
uefied gas, 1 2 combination ore/oil, 3 spe-
cialized 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 run-
ways 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 tele-
phones; 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
Jarvis Island
(territory of the US)
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% of GNP (1989
est.)
South Pacific Ocean
Sec regional map X
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: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 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% for-
est 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; reoccu-
pied 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
162
Jersey
(British crown dependency)
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 Inte-
rior as part of the National Wildlife Ref-
uge 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 mid-
dle of the west coast
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US; visited annually by the US Coast
Guard
5 km
English Channel
English Channel
See regional map \
Geography
Total area: 1 17 km2; land area: 1 17 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, rug-
ged hills along north coast
Natural resources: agricultural land
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% perma-
nent 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 Chan-
nel Islands; 27 km from France
People
Population: 83,609 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 1 2 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 7 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (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 Islanders);
adjective — Channel Islander
Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French
descent
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Bap-
tist, Congregational New Church, Meth-
odist, 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 depen-
dency)
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes,
partly common law and practice
Legal system: English law and local stat-
ute
National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May
(1945)
Executive branch: British monarch, lieu-
tenant governor, bailiff
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly
of the States
Judicial branch: Royal Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government — Lieutenant Gover-
nor Adm. Sir William PILLAR (since
NA 1985); Bailiff Peter CRILL (since
NA)
Political parties and leaders: none; all in-
dependents
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) ex-
tending to the corners of the flag
Economy
Overview: The economy is based largely on
financial services, agriculture, and tour-
ism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and
especially flowers are important export
crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jer-
sey breed of dairy cattle is known world-
wide 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 con-
tributor to GDP, accounting for 40% of
the island's output. In recent years the
163
Jersey (continued)
electronics industry has developed along-
side the traditional manufacturing of kni-
twear. All raw material and energy re-
quirements are imported, as well as a
large share of Jersey's food needs.
GDP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate8%(1987est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1988
est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues S308.0 million; expendi-
tures $284.4 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (1985)
Exports: SNA; commodities — light indus-
trial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, tex-
tiles; partners — UK
Imports: SNA; commodities — machinery
and transport equipment, manufactured
goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals;
partners — UK
External debt: SNA
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, toma-
toes; dairy and cattle farming
Aid: none
Currency: Jersey pound (plural — pounds);
1 Jersey pound (£J) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Jersey pounds (£J) 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-3 1 March
Communications
Ports: Saint Helier, Gorey, St. Aubin
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way 1,220-2,439 m (St. Peter)
Telecommunications: 63,700 telephones;
stations— 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 3 subma-
rine cables
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
Johnston Atoll
(territory of the US)
2km
North
Htkina Island
Johnston Island
See regional map X
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: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical, but generally dry; con-
sistent northeast trade winds with little
seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly flat with a maximum ele-
vation of 4 meters
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked
until about 1890)
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: some low-growing vegetation
Note: strategic location 1,328 km west-
southwest of Honolulu in the North Pa-
cific Ocean, about one-third of the way
between Hawaii and the Marshall Islands;
Johnston Island and Sand Island are natu-
ral 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 coopera-
tively by DNA and the Fish and Wildlife
Service of the US Department of the Inte-
rior as part of the National Wildlife Ref-
uge 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 person-
nel and contractors located on the island.
All food and manufactured goods must be
imported.
Communications
Ports: Johnston Island
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way 2,743 m
Telecommunications: excellent system in-
cluding 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 LO-
RAN transmitting station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
164
Jordan
(see separate West Bank entry)
(AI Aqub.h
^ -— .
Sec regional mip VI
Note: The war between Israel and the
Arab states in June 1967 ended with Is-
rael 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 Ac-
cords further specify that these negotia-
tions will resolve the location of the re-
spective 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 claim:
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 Jor-
dan River
Natural resources: phosphates, potash,
shale oil
Land use: 4% arable land; 0.5% perma-
nent crops; 1% meadows and pastures;
0.5% forest and woodland; 94% other; in-
cludes 0.5% irrigated
Environment: lack of natural water re-
sources; 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 pop-
ulation (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); adjec-
tive— Jordanian
Ethnic divisions: 98% Arab, 1% Circas-
sian, 1% Armenian
Religion: 92% Sunni Muslim, 8% Chris-
tian
Language: Arabic (official); English widely
understood among upper and middle
classes
Literacy: 71% (est.)
Labor force: 572,000 (1988); 20% agricul-
ture, 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,
A{ Tafilah, Az Zarq5', Irbid, Ma'5n
Independence: 25 May 1946 (from League
of Nations mandate under British admin-
istration; 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 Tribu-
nal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ ju-
risdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 25
May (1946)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minis-
ter, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Assembly (Majlis al 'Umma) consists of
an upper house or House of Notables
(Majlis al-A'yaan) and a lower house or
House of Representatives (Majlis
al-Nuwwab); note — the House of Repre-
sentatives was dissolved by King Hussein
on 30 July 1988 as part of Jordanian dis-
engagement from the West Bank and in
November 1 989 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 Hus-
sein 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, QIC,
UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Hussein A. HAMMAMI; Chancery at
3504 International Drive NW, Washing-
ton 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 [962] (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 benefi-
ciary of the oil boom of the late 1 970s
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 aver-
aging 1-2%. Imports — mainly oil, capital
goods, consumer durables, and
foodstuffs — have been outstripping exports
by roughly $2 billion annually, the differ-
ence being made up by aid, remittances,
and borrowing. In 1989 the government
pursued policies to encourage private in-
vestment, curb imports of luxury goods,
165
Jordan (continued)
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 pro-
posed 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; expendi-
tures $1.6 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of $540 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $0.910 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — fruits and vegetables, phos-
phates, fertilizers; partners — Iraq, Saudi
Arabia, India, Kuwait, Japan, China, Yu-
goslavia, Indonesia
Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities — crude oil, textiles, capital
goods, motor vehicles, foodstuffs; part-
ners— EC, US, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Tur-
key, 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 manufac-
turing
Agriculture: accounts for only 5% of GDP;
principal products are wheat, barley, cit-
rus fruit, tomatoes, melons, olives; live-
stock— sheep, goats, poultry; large net im-
porter of food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $1.7 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $1.2 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion; Com-
munist 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 yean 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
Juan de Nova Island
(French possession)
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 CRT 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 run-
ways over 3,659 m; 1 3 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate system of
radio relay, cable, and radio; 8 1 ,500 tele-
phones; 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 mi-
crowave network linking Syria, Egypt,
Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Jor-
dan
Defense Forces
Branches: Jordan Arab Army, Royal Jor-
danian 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: 1 1% of GNP, or
$570 million (1990 est.)
Mozambique Channel
Sec regional map VII
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: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 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
166
Kenya
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
Wanders
200km
See regional map VII
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: 1 2 nm
Disputes: international boundary and Ad-
ministrative Boundary with Sudan; possi-
ble 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 high-
lands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fer-
tile plateau in west
Natural resources: gold, limestone, dioto-
mite, salt barytes, magnesite, feldspar,
sapphires, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
Land use: 3% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 4% for-
est and woodland; 85% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: unique physiography sup-
ports abundant and varied wildlife of sci-
entific 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 pop-
ulation (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 Val-
ley, Western
Independence: 12 December 1963 (from
UK; formerly British East Africa)
Constitution: 12 December 1963, amended
as a republic 1964; reissued with amend-
ments 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; consti-
tutional amendment in 1982 made Kenya
a de jure one-party state
National holiday: Independence Day, 12
December (1963)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High
Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Daniel Teroitich arap
MOI (since 14 October 1978); Vice Presi-
dent 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 1 988 (next to be held February
1993); results— President Daniel T. arap
Moi was reelected;
167
Kenya (continued)
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, Common-
wealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, I MO, 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 — Ambassa-
dor Smith HEMPSTONE; Embassy at
the corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Se-
lassie Avenue, Nairobi (mailing address is
P. 0. Box 30137, Nairobi or APO New
York 09675); telephone [254] (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 popula-
tion 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 ara-
ble land hamper long-term growth in agri-
culture, 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 underem-
ployment
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); com-
modities— coffee 20%, tea 18%, manufac-
tures 15%, petroleum products 10%
(198 7); partners— Western Europe 45%,
Africa 22%, Far East 10%, US 4%, Mid-
dle East 3% (1987)
Imports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and transportation
equipment 36%, raw materials 33%, fuels
and lubricants 20%, food and consumer
goods 11% (1987); partners— Western Eu-
rope 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, ac-
counting 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 out-
put 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 South-
west Asia to West Africa, Western Eu-
rope, 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 mil-
lion
Currency: Kenyan shilling (plural — shil-
lings); 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 im-
proved 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, 21 1 usable; 18 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways 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 Afri-
can systems; consists of radio relay links,
open-wire lines, and radiocommunication
stations; 260,000 telephones; stations — 1 1
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 1 5-49,
5,240,551; 3,235,557 fit for military ser-
vice; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 1.0% of GDP, or
$100 million (1989 est.)
168
Kingman Reef
(territory of the US)
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
Kiribati
North Pacific Ocean
.— * TARAWA
Kiritimati
(Christmas)
Kiribati
(Gilbert
Islands!
Rawaki
(Phoeni*
Islands!
South Pacific Ocean
See regional map X
See regional map X
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: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderated by pre-
vailing winds
Terrain: low and nearly level with a maxi-
mum elevation of about 1 meter
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est 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 Amer-
ican 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
Geography
Total area: 717 km2; land area: 717 km2;
includes three island groups — Gilbert Is-
lands, 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: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid,
moderated by trade winds
Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls sur-
rounded by extensive reefs
Natural resources: phosphate (production
discontinued in 1979)
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 51% per-
manent 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); adjec-
tive— Kiribati
169
Kiribati (continued)
Ethnic divisions: Micronesian
Religion: 48% Roman Catholic, 45% Prot-
estant (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 Gil-
berts, Tarawa) may have been changed to
20 island councils (one for each of the in-
habited islands) named Abaiang, Abe-
mama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru,
Butaritari, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana,
Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Ono-
toa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Ta-
rawa, 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 presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High
Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President leremia T. TABAI
(since 12 July 1979); Vice President Tea-
tao TEANNAKI (since 20 July 1979)
Political parties and leaders: Gilbertese
National Party; Christian Democratic
Party, Teburoro Tito, secretary; essen-
tially 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 — leremia T. Tabai 50.1%, Tebru-
roro Tito 42.7%, Tetao Tannaki 7.2%;
National Assembly — last held on 1 9
March 1987 (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 hori-
zontal wavy white stripes to represent the
ocean
Economy
Overview: The country has few national
resources. Phosphate deposits were ex-
hausted at the time of independence in
1979. Copra and fish now represent the
bulk of production and exports. The econ-
omy 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 1 7%. The up-
turn 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); consider-
able underemployment
Budget: revenues $22.0 million; expendi-
tures $12.7 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $9.7 million (1988)
Exports: $5.1 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— fish 55%, copra 42%;
partners— EC 20%, Marshall Islands 12%,
US 8%, American Samoa 4% (1985)
Imports: $21.5 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, fuel, transportation
equipment; partners — Australia 39%, Ja-
pan 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; 1 3 million
kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: fishing, handicrafts
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP (in-
cluding fishing); copra and fish contribute
95% to exports; subsistence farming pre-
dominates; food crops — taro, breadfruit,
sweet potatoes, vegetables; not
self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $245 million
Currency: Australian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Australian dollar ($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 yean NA
Communications
Highways: 640 km of motorable roads
Inland waterways: small network of ca-
nals, 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
170
Korea, North
Nijin
Sea of
Japan
Yelloi
Sea '
See regional map VIII
Sartwon
P'anmunjom
Geography
Total area: 120,540 km2; land area:
120,410km2
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: 1 2 nm
Military boundary line: 50 nm (all for-
eign vessels and aircraft without per-
mission are banned)
Disputes: short section of boundary with
China is indefinite; Demarcation Line
with South Korea
Climate: temperate with rainfall concen-
trated in summer
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains sepa-
rated 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; in-
cludes 9% irrigated
Environment: mountainous interior is iso-
lated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely
populated; late spring droughts often fol-
lowed 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 pop-
ulation (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 Re-
public of Korea; abbreviated DPRK
Type: Communist state; one-man rule
Capital: P'ydngyang
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do,
singular and plural) and 3 special cities*
(jikhalsi, singular and plural); Chagang-
do, Hamgydng-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 Com-
munist legal theory; no judicial review of
legislative acts; has not accepted compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 9
September (1948)
Executive branch: president, two vice pres-
idents, 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-sdng (since 28 December 1972); Desig-
nated 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-
sdng, General Secretary, and his son, Kim
Chong-Il, Secretary, Central Committee
Suffrage: universal at age 17
Elections: President — last held 29 Decem-
ber 1986 (next to be held December
1990); results— President Kim II S6ng was
reelected without opposition;
Supreme People's Assembly — last held on
2 November 1986 (next to be held No-
vember 1990, but the constitutional provi-
sion 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 candi-
dates 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, UNC-
TAD, 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 com-
mand economy is socialized; agricultural
land is collectivized; and state-owned in-
dustry produces 95% of manufactured
goods. State control of economic affairs is
unusually tight even for a Communist
country because of the small size and ho-
mogeneity of the society and the strict
one-man rule of Kim. Economic growth
during the period 1984-89 has averaged
approximately 3%. Abundant natural re-
sources and hydropower form the basis of
industrial development. Output of the ex-
tractive industries includes coal, iron ore,
magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead,
and precious metals. Manufacturing em-
phasis 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 fertiliz-
ers 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; expendi-
tures $15.6 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— minerals, metallurgical prod-
ucts, agricultural products, manufactures;
partners— USSR, China, Japan, FRG,
Hong Kong, Singapore
171
Korea, North (continued)
Korea, South
Imports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— 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, min-
ing, 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 mil-
lion metric tons in 1987
Aid: Communist countries (1970-88), $1.3
billion
Currency: North Korean won (plural —
won); 1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100
chdn
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 navi-
gable by small craft only
Pipelines: crude oil, 37 km
Ports: Ch'dngjin, Haeju, Hungnam,
Namp'o, Wonsan, Songnim, Najin
Merchant marine: 65 ships (1,000 CRT
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 run-
ways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 18 AM, no
FM, 1 1 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 ser-
vice; 223,087 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 22% of GNP (1987)
Kangnunq
Ullung-do
Set of
Japan
re(ion>l mJjPlU
Kwangju /Ultan
_iw_^
Pusan
Boundary representation is
not necessarily authoritative
Geography
Total area: 98,480 km2; land area: 98,190
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than In-
diana
Land boundary: 238 km with North Korea
Coastline: 2,413 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in the Ko-
rea 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, graph-
ite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
Land use: 21% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 67%
forest and woodland; 10% other; includes
1 2% 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
172
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous; small Chi-
nese minority (about 20,000)
Religion: strong Confucian tradition; vig-
orous Christian minority (28% of the total
population); Buddhism; pervasive folk reli-
gion (Shamanism); Chondokyo (religion of
the heavenly way), eclectic religion with
nationalist overtones founded in 19th cen-
tury, claims about 1.5 million adherents
Language: Korean; English widely taught
in high school
Literacy: over '
Labor force: 16,900,000; 52% services and
other; 27% mining and manufacturing;
21% agriculture, fishing, forestry (1987)
Organized labor: about 10% of nonagricul-
tural labor force in government-sanctioned
unions
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Korea; ab-
breviated ROK
Type: republic
Capital: Seoul
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do,
singular and plural) and 6 special cities*
(jikhalsi, singular and plural); Cheju-do,
Chdlla-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'ukpydlsi*, Taegu-
jikhalsi*, Taej6n-jikhalsi*
Independence: 15 August 1948
Constitution: 25 February 1988
Legal system: combines elements of conti-
nental 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 minis-
ter, deputy prime minister, State Council
(cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— President ROM
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 Dem-
ocratic 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 De-
cember 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, po-
tentially volatile student population con-
centrated in Seoul; Federation of Korean
Trade Unions; Korean Veterans' Associa-
tion; Federation of Korean Industries; Ko-
rean 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 Com-
mission, IWC — International Wheat
Council, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO,
UNICEF, UNIDO, UN Special Fund,
UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO; offi-
cial observer status at UN
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Tong-Jin PARK; Chancery at 2320 Mas-
sachusetts 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 [82] (2) 732-2601
through 2618; there is a US Consulate in
Pusan
Flag: white with a red (top) and blue yin-
yang symbol in the center; there is a dif-
ferent black trigram from the ancient /
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 be-
fore 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 1 990s, labor unrest — which led to sub-
stantial 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; expendi-
tures $33.6 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of N A (1990)
Exports: $62.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— 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); com-
modities— 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, electron-
ics, 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; live-
stock 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; govern-
ment owned
Highways: 62,936 km total (1982); 13,476
km national highway, 49,460 km provin-
cial and local roads
Inland waterways: 1,609 km; use restricted
to small native craft
Pipelines: 294 km refined products
173
Korea, South (continued}
Kuwait
Ports: Pusan, Inchon, Kunsan, Mokpo,
Ulsan
Merchant marine: 423 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 7,006,481 CRT/
1 1,658,104 DWT; includes 2 short-sea
passenger, 130 cargo, 41 container, 11
refrigerated cargo, 1 1 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 tele-
phones; 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 ser-
vice; 445,320 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 5% of GNP, or $10
billion (1 989 est.)
See regional map VI
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: 1 2 nm
Disputes: ownership of Warbah and
Bubiyan islands disputed by Iraq; owner-
ship of Qaruh and LJmm al Maradim Is-
lands disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate: dry desert; intensely hot sum-
mers; short, cool winters
Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert
plain
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp,
natural gas
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% per-
manent 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 pol-
lution; 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: 1 1 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% Shi'a, 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% ser-
vices, 20.0% construction, 1 2.0% 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 — muhafa/.ah); Al
AhmadT, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawaii!;
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 Is-
lamic law significant in personal matters;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion
National holiday: National Day, 25 Feb-
ruary
Executive branch: amir, prime minister,
deputy prime minister. Council of Minis-
ters (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 Sa'd Abdallah al-Salim
Al SABAH (since 8 February 1978)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: adult males who resided in Ku-
wait before 1920 and their male descen-
dants 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
174
Laos
small, clandestine leftist and Shi'a funda-
mentalist 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,
QIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Shaikh Saud Nasir AL-SABAH; Chan-
cery at 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washing-
ton DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-0702;
US — Ambassador W. Nathaniel
HOWELL; Embassy at Bneid al-Gar (op-
posite the Hilton Hotel), Kuwait City
(mailing address is P. O. Box 77 Safat,
13001 Safat, Kuwait City); telephone
[965] 242-4151 through 4159
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
green (top), white, and red with a black
trapezoid based on the hoist side
Economy
Overview: 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 con-
tribute about 40% to GDP. Most of the
nonoil sector is dependent upon oil-derived
government revenues to provide
infrastructure development and to pro-
mote limited industrial diversification. The
economy is heavily dependent upon for-
eign labor — Kuwaitis account for less
than 20% of the labor force. The early
years of the Iran-Iraq war pushed Ku-
wait'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 expendi-
tures of $3.1 billion (FY88)
Exports: $7.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— oil 90%; partners — Japan, It-
aly, FRG, US
Imports: $5.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— 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, de-
salination, food processing, salt, construc-
tion
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 bilat-
eral 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 bitu-
minous; 500 km earth, sand, light gravel
Pipelines: crude oil, 877 km; refined prod-
ucts, 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 interna-
tional, adequate domestic facilities;
258,000 telephones; stations — 3 AM, 2
FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations— 1 In-
dian 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, Na-
tional 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) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 5.8% of GDP, or
$ 1.2 billion (FY89)
See refionil map IX
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% per-
manent crops; 3% meadows and pastures;
58% forest and woodland; 35% other; in-
cludes 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 pop-
ulation (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
175
Laos (continued)
Ethnic divisions: 50% Lao, 1 5%
Phoutheung (Kha), 20% tribal Thai, 1 5%
Meo, Hmong, Yao, and other
Religion: 85% Buddhist, 15% animist and
other
Language: Lao (official), French, and En-
glish
Literacy: 85%
Labor force: 1-1.5 million; 85-90% in agri-
culture (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: 1 6 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, Savan-
nakhet, Sekong, Vientiane, Vientiane*,
Xaignabouri, Xiangkhoang
Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France)
Constitution: draft constitution under dis-
cussion since 1976
Legal system: based on civil law system;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion
National holiday: National Day (procla-
mation of the Lao People's Democratic
Republic), 2 December (1975)
Executive branch: president, chairman and
five vice chairmen of the Council of Min-
isters, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: Supreme People's As-
sembly
Judicial branch: Central Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Acting President
PHOUMI VONGVICHIT (since 29 Oc-
tober 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; tele-
phone (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 na-
tions, Laos has had a Communist cen-
trally planned economy with government'
ownership and control of productive enter-
prises of any size. Recently, however, the
government has been decentralizing con-
trol and encouraging private enterprise.
Laos is a landlocked country with a primi-
tive infrastructure, that is, it has no rail-
roads, 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 econ-
omy will continue to depend for its sur-
vival 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 expendi-
tures 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 mil-
lion 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; subsis-
tence 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, includ-
ing the US
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-lm
(FY70-79), $276 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $468 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $895 mil-
lion
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 yean 1 July-30 June
Communications
Highways: about 27,527 km total; 1 ,856
km bituminous or bituminous treated;
7,45 1 km gravel, crushed stone, or im-
proved earth; 18,220 km unimproved
earth and often impassable during rainy
season mid-May to mid-September
Inland waterways: about 4,587 km, prima-
rily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 addi-
tional 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 pro-
vides generally erratic service to govern-
ment users; 7,390 telephones (1986); sta-
tions—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, avi-
ation, 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; conscrip-
tion age NA
Defense expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (1987)
176
Lebanon
See regional mtp VI
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 claim:
Territorial sea: \ 2 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; AI Biqa"
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% for-
est and woodland; 61% other; includes 7%
irrigated
Environment: rugged terrain historically
helped isolate, protect, and develop nu-
merous factional groups based on religion,
clan, ethnicity; deforestation; soil erosion;
air and water pollution; desertification
Note: Nahr al Ll|anl 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., pi.);
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 (Ar-
menian Catholic, Caldean, Greek Catho-
lic, Maronite, Protestant, Roman Catho-
lic, Syrian Catholic), 5 Islam (Alawite or
Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni),
and 1 Jewish
Language: Arabic and French (both of-
ficial); Armenian, English
Literacy: 75%
Labor force: 650,000; 79% industry, com-
merce, 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 al-
lies. The cease-fire established in October
1 976 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 Palestin-
ians and Israel's growing support for Leb-
anese 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 Pal-
estinian 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 re-
sulted 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 refu-
gees in two Beirut camps. This prompted
the return of the MNF to ease the secu-
rity burden on Lebanon's weak Army and
security forces. In late March 1984 the
last MNF units withdrew.
Lebanese Parliamentarians met in Ta'if,
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 subse-
quently elected president on 4 November
1989, ending a 13-month period during
which Lebanon had no president and rival
Muslim and Christian governments. Mua-
wad was assassinated 17 days later, on 22
November; on 24 November Elias Harawi
was elected to succeed Muawad.
Progress toward lasting political compro-
mise in Lebanon has been stalled by oppo-
sition from Christian strongman Gen. Mi-
chel 'Awn. 'Awn — appointed acting Prime
Minister by outgoing president Amin Ge-
mayel in September 1988 — called the na-
tional reconciliation accord illegitimate
and has refused to recognize the new Leb-
anese Government.
Lebanon continues to be partially occu-
pied by Syrian troops. Syria augmented
its troop presence during the weeks follow-
ing Muawad's assassination. Troops are
deployed in West Beirut and its southern
suburbs, in Al Biqa", and in northern Leb-
anon. Iran also maintains a small contin-
gent 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 Leba-
non (ASL), which also occupies the secu-
rity zone and is Israel's first line of de-
fense against attacks on its northern
border.
The following description is based on the
present constitutional and customary prac-
tices of the Lebanese system.
Long-form name: Republic of Lebanon;
note — may be changed to Lebanese Re-
public
Type: republic
Capital: Beirut
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates
(muhafazat, singular — muhafa/ah); Al
Biqa', Al JanGb, 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)
177
Lebanon (continued)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet; note — by custom, the presi-
dent is a Maronite Christian, the prime
minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the presi-
dent of the legislature is a Shi'a 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 group-
ings exist, consisting of individual political
figures and followers motivated by reli-
gious, 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 secu-
rity 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, I MO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC— Interna-
tional Wheat Council, NAM, QIC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO,
WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
(vacant); Charge d' Affaires Suleiman
RASSI; note — the former Lebanese Am-
bassador, Dr. Abdallah Bouhabib, is loyal
to Gen. 'Awn and has refused to abandon
his residence or relinquish his post; Chan-
cery at 2560 28th Street NW, Washing-
ton 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, Bei-
rut); telephone [961] 417774 or 415802,
415803,402200,403300
Hag: 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 prop-
erty, 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 strug-
gles to keep afloat in an environment of
physical danger, high unemployment, and
growing shortages. The central govern-
ment'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 expendi-
tures of $N A (1988 est.)
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— agricultural products, chemi-
cals, textiles, precious and semiprecious
metals and jewelry, metals and metal
products; partners — Saudi Arabia 1 6%,
Switzerland 8%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 6%,
US 5%
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— N A; 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, tex-
tiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jew-
elry, 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 produc-
tion 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 mil-
lion; Communist countries (1970-86), $9
million
Currency: Lebanese pound (plural —
pounds); 1 Lebanese pound (£L) = 100
piasters
Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds (£L) per
US$1— 474.21 (December 1989), 496.69
(1989), 409.23 (1988), 224.60 (1987), 38.37
(1986), 16.42 (1985)
Fiscal yean 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 en-
tirely 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 opera-
tion)
Ports: Beirut, Tripoli, Ra's Sil'ata,
Jflniyah, Sidon, Az ZahrSnl, 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 op-
erated by various Christian, Druze, and
Shi'a militias
Merchant marine: 67 ships (1,000 CRT 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 con-
trol of the Lebanese Government
Telecommunications: rebuilding program
disrupted; had fair system of radio relay,
cable; 325,000 telephones; stations — 5
AM, 3 FM, 1 5 TV; 1 inactive Indian
Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station;
3 submarine coaxial cables; radio relay to
Jordan and Syria, inoperable
178
Lesotho
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
Quthi
**"1
Seerrtional map VII
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 win-
ters; hot, wet summers
Terrain: mostly highland with some pla-
teaus, 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 ex-
haustion; desertification
Note: surrounded by South Africa; High-
lands 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 pop-
ulation (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.), Baso-
tho (pi.); adjective — Basotho
Ethnic divisions: 99.7% Sotho; 1,600 Euro-
peans, 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 forma-
tion of a single, umbrella trade union con-
federation
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Lesotho
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Maseru
Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Be-
rea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Ma-
seru, 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 re-
view of legislative acts in High Court and
Court of Appeal; has not accepted com-
pulsory 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 Parlia-
ment consisting of an upper house or Sen-
ate and a lower house or National Assem-
bly 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 Ap-
peal
Leaders: Chief of State— King
MOSHOESHOE II (Paramount Chief
from 1 960 until independence on 4 Octo-
ber 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 Mets-
ing LEKHANYA (since 24 January 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Basotho Na-
tional Party (BNP), position vacant; Basu-
toland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu Mok-
hehle; Basotho Democratic Alliance
(BDA), A. S. Nqojane; National Indepen-
dent Party (NIP), A. C. Manyeli; Mare-
matlou Freedom Party (MFP), S. H. Ma-
pheleba; United Democratic Party, C. D.
Mofeli
179
Lesotho (continued)
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, Common-
wealth, 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 251 1
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
[266] 3 12666
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 moun-
tainous, 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 de-
pends largely on farm products to support
the milling, canning, leather, and jute in-
dustries; 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; expendi-
tures $224 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $68 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $55 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.);
commodities — wool, mohair, wheat, cat-
tle, 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 ma-
terials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, med-
icines, petroleum, oil, and lubricants; part-
ners—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 Af-
rica
Industries: tourism
Agriculture: exceedingly primitive, mostly
subsistence farming and livestock; princi-
pal 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 mil-
lion
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 yean 1 April-3 1 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 stabi-
lized soil; 946 km improved earth, 2,128
km unimproved earth
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 2 with per-
manent surface runways; none with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modest system con-
sisting of a few land lines, a small radio
relay system, and minor radiocommunica-
tion stations; 5,920 telephones; stations — 2
AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Wing, Police De-
partment
Military manpower males 15-49, 381,015;
205,499 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 8.6% of GDP, or
$35 million (1989 est.)
180
Liberia
10O km
North Atlantic Ocean
S« regional map VII
Harper
Geography
Total area: 1 1 1,370 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, dia-
monds, 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 tropi-
cal 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 pop-
ulation (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% descen-
dants 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 lan-
guage group; English used by about 20%
Literacy: 35%
Labor force: 510,000, including 220,000
in the monetary economy; 70.5% agricul-
ture, 10.8% services, 4.5% industry and
commerce, 14.2% other; non- African for-
eigners 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: 1 3 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 presi-
dent, 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 Gov-
ernment— 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), Au-
gustus Caine, chairman; Liberian Action
Party (LAP), Emmanuel Koromah, chair-
man; 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 1 5 Oc-
tober 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 I;
House of Representatives — last held on 1 5
October 1985 (next to be held October
1 99 1 ); 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, 1MO, 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; tele-
phone (202) 723-0437 through 0440; there
is a Liberian Consulate General in New
York; US — Ambassador James K.
BISHOP; Embassy at 1 1 1 United Nations
Drive, Monrovia (mailing address is P. O.
Box 98, Monrovia, or APO New York
09155); telephone [231] 222991 through
222994
Flag: 1 1 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 rub-
ber 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, transpor-
tation equipment, petroleum products, and
foodstuffs. Persistent budget deficits, the
flight of capital, and deterioration of
transport and other infrastructure con-
tinue to hold back economic progress.
GDP: $988 million, per capita $395; real
growth rate 1.5% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 2%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 43% urban (1988)
Budget: revenues $242.1 million; expendi-
tures $435.4 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $29.5 million (1989)
181
Liberia (continued)
Libya
Exports: $550 million (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, tim-
ber 11%, coffee; partners— US, EC, Neth-
erlands
Imports: $335 million (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— rice, mineral fuels, chemicals,
machinery, transportation equipment,
other foodstuffs; partners — US, EC, Ja-
pan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS
External debt: $1.7 billion (December
1989est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% in
manufacturing (1987)
Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 730 mil-
lion kWh produced, 290 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: rubber processing, food pro-
cessing, construction materials, furniture,
palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, dia-
monds)
Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of
GDP (including fishing and forestry); prin-
cipal 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), $77 mil-
lion
Currency: Liberian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per
US$1 — 1.00 (fixed rate since 1940); unof-
ficial 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, 1 52 km
1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines single
track; rail systems owned and operated by
foreign steel and financial interests in con-
junction with Liberian Government
Highways: 10,087 km total; 603 km bitu-
minous 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 1 1 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 liq-
uefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 413 bulk,
2 multifunction large-load carrier, 26
combination bulk; note — a flag of conve-
nience 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 tele-
graph service via radio relay network;
main center is Monrovia; 8,500
telephones; stations — 3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV;
2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth sta-
tions
Defense Forces
Branches: Armed Forces of Liberia, Libe-
ria National Coast Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 627,519;
335,063 fit for military service; no con-
scription
Defense expenditures: 2.4% of GDP (1987)
JRIPOLI
Mediterranean Sea
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 1,759,540 km2; land area:
1,759,540km2
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
459km
Coastline: 1,770 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
GulfofSidra closing line: 32° 30' N
Disputes: claims and occupies a small por-
tion of the Aozou Strip in northern Chad;
maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia;
Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in north-
ern 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% for-
est 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)
182
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (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, 1 8% agri-
culture
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
(baladlyat, singular — baladtyah);
Ajdabiya, Al Aby5r, Al 'Azlzlyah, Al
Bayda', Al Jufrah, Al Jumayl, Al Khums,
Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al QarabQllI, Al
Qubbah, Al 'Ujaylat, Ash Shati', Awbarl,
Az Zahra', Az Zawiyah, BanghazI, BanI
WalTd, Bin Jawwad, Darnah, Ghadamis,
Gharyan, Ghat, JadQ, Jala, Janzdr,
Masallatah, Misratah, Mizdah, Murzuq,
NalQt, Qamlnis, Qasr Bin Ghashlr,
Sabha, Sabratah, Shahhat, Surm3n, Surt,
TajflrS', Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq,
TQkrah, Yafran, Zlltan, Zuwarah; note—
the number of municipalities may have
been reduced to 1 3 named Al Jabal al-
Akhdar, Al Jabal al-Gharbi, Al Jabal al-
Khums, Al Batnam, Al Kufrah, Al Mar-
qab, 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 judi-
cial review of legislative acts; has not ac-
cepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 Sep-
tember (1969)
Executive branch: revolutionary leader,
chairman of the General People's Com-
mittee, General People's Committee (cab-
inet)
Legislative branch: unicameral General
People's Congress
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Revolutionary
Leader Col. Mu'ammar 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 com-
mittees
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 reve-
nues has adversely affected economic de-
velopment. In 1986 per capita GNP was
the highest in Africa at $5,410, but it had
been $2,000 higher in 1982. Severe cut-
backs 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 govern-
ment's ability to implement a number of
planned infrastructure development
projects. The nonoil industrial and con-
struction sectors, which account for about
15% of GNP, have expanded from pro-
cessing 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, re-
quiring 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 expendi-
tures 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 mili-
tary 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, tex-
tiles, 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 (in-
cludes 256 km liquid petroleum gas)
Ports: Tobruk, Tripoli, Banghazi, Misra-
tah, 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, 1 1
cargo, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 1 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1
chemical tanker
Civil air: 59 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 30 total, 1 22 usable; 53 with
permanent-surface runways; 7 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern telecommu-
nications system using radio relay, coaxial
cable, tropospheric scatter, and domestic
satellite stations; 370,000 telephones; sta-
tions—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
183
Liechtenstein
Tunisia; tropospheric scatter to Greece;
planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik sat-
ellite stations
Branches: Armed Forces of the Libyan
Arab Jamahariya includes People's De-
fense (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; conscrip-
tion now being implemented
Defense expenditures: 1 1 . 1 % of GNP
(1987)
Ruggel
See regional map V
5 km
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 moder-
ately 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 popu-
lation (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); ad-
jective— Liechtenstein
Ethnic divisions: 95% Alemannic, 5% Ital-
ian 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 work-
ers (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 Liechten-
stein
Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Vaduz
Administrative divisions: 1 1 communes
(gemeinden, singular — gemeinde); Balzers,
Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Rug-
gell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Trie-
senberg, 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, heredi-
tary prince, prime minister, deputy prime
minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Diet
(Landtag)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Oberster
Gerichtshof) for criminal cases and Supe-
rior 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 Bat-
liner; 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 dip-
lomatic matters, Liechtenstein is repre-
sented in the US by the Swiss Embassy;
US — the US has no diplomatic or consu-
lar mission in Liechtenstein, but the US
Consul General at Zurich (Switzerland)
has consular accreditation at Vaduz
184
Luxembourg
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 indus-
try 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 incor-
poration rules have induced about 25,000
holding or so-called letter box companies
to establish nominal offices in Liechten-
stein. 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 pros-
perous Swiss groups.
GNP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5%
(1987 est.)
Unemployment rate: 0. 1 % (December
1986)
Budget: revenues $171 million; expendi-
tures $189 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (1986)
Exports: $807 million; commodities —
small specialty machinery, dental prod-
ucts, stamps, hardware, pottery;
partners— EC 40%, EFTA 26% (Switzer-
land 19%) (1986)
Imports: $NA; commodities — machinery,
metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor
vehicles; partners — NA
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 150 mil-
lion kWh produced, 5,340 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: electronics, metal manufactur-
ing, textiles, ceramics, Pharmaceuticals,
food products, precision instruments, tour-
ism
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 Switzer-
land
Troisvierg
See regional map V
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 ex-
ploited)
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 pop-
ulation (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); ad-
jective— Luxembourg
Ethnic divisions: Celtic base, with French
and German blend; also guest and worker
residents from Portugal, Italy, and Euro-
pean countries
185
Luxembourg (continued)
Religion: 97% Roman Catholic, 3% Prot-
estant 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 Por-
tugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and FRO;
48.9% services, 24.7% industry, 13.2%
government, 8.8% construction, 4.4% agri-
culture (1984)
Organized labor: 100,000 (est.) members
of four confederated trade unions
Government
Long-form name: Grand Duchy of Luxem-
bourg
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Luxembourg
Administrative divisions: 3 districts; Die-
kirch, 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 min-
ister, vice prime minister. Council of Min-
isters (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber
of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes);
note — the Council of State (Conseil d'E-
tat) 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; So-
cialist Workers Party (LSAP), Jacques
Poos; Liberal (DP), Colette Flesch; Com-
munist (KPL), Rene Urbany; Green Alter-
native (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 1 1, 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 repre-
senting agricultural producers; Christian
and Socialist labor unions; Federation of
Industrialists; Artisans and Shopkeepers
Federation
Member of: Benelux, BLEU, CCC, Coun-
cil 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; Em-
bassy at 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais,
2535 Luxembourg City (mailing address is
APO New York 09132); telephone [352]
460123
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and light blue; similar to the
flag of the Netherlands which uses a
darker blue and is shorter; design was
based on the flag of France
Economy
Overview: The stable economy features
moderate growth, low inflation, and negli-
gible 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 de-
cline 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); com-
modities— finished steel products, chemi-
cals, 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; part-
ners—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, en-
gineering, tires, glass, aluminum
Agriculture: accounts for less than 3% of
GDP (including forestry); principal prod-
ucts— 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 Rail-
ways (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 run-
ways less than 1,220 m; 1 with runways
over 3,659 m
Telecommunications: adequate and effi-
cient 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 1 5-49, 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.)
186
Macau
(overseas territory of Portugal)
Macau
Coloane
See regional map VIII
Zhu Jiang
Kou
llha da Taipa
Una de Coloane
Geography
Total area: 16 km2; land area: 16 km2
Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundary: 0.34 km with China
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 1 2 nm
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: scheduled to become a Special
Administrative Region of China in 1999
Climate: subtropical; marine with cool
winters, warm summers
Terrain: generally flat
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: essentially urban; one cause-
way and one bridge connect the two is-
lands to the peninsula on mainland
Note: 27 km west southwest of Hong
Kong on the southeast coast of China
People
Population: 441,691 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male,
79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Macanese (sing, and
pi.); adjective — Macau
Ethnic divisions: 95% Chinese, 3% Portu-
guese, 2% other
Religion: mainly Buddhist; 17,000 Roman
Catholics, of whom about half are Chi-
nese
Language: Portuguese (official); Cantonese
is the language of commerce
Literacy: almost 100% among Portuguese
and Macanese; no data on Chinese popu-
lation
Labor force: 180,000(1986)
Organized labor: none
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: overseas territory of Portugal;
scheduled to revert to China in 1999
Capital: Macau
Administrative divisions: 2 districts (con-
celhos, singular — concelho); llhas, Macau
Independence: none (territory of Portugal);
Portugal signed an agreement with China
on 13 April 1987 to return Macau to
China on 20 December 1999; in the joint
declaration, China promises to respect
Macau's existing social and economic sys-
tems and lifestyle for 50 years after tran-
sition
Constitution: 17 February 1976, Organic
Law of Macau
Legal system: Portuguese civil law system
National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10
June
Executive branch: president of Portugal,
governor, Consultative Council, (cabinet)
Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President (of
Portugal) Mario Alberto SCARES (since
9 March 1986);
Head of Government — Governor Carlos
MELANCIA (since 3 July 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Association
to Defend the Interests of Macau; Macau
Democratic Center; Group to Study the
Development of Macau; Macau Indepen-
dent Group
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Assembly — last held
on 9 November 1988 (next to be held No-
vember 1991); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats — (17 total; 6 elected by
universal suffrage, 6 by indirect suffrage)
number of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups: wealthy
Macanese and Chinese representing local
interests, wealthy pro-Communist mer-
chants representing China's interests; in
January 1967 the Macau Government
acceded to Chinese demands that gave
China veto power over administration
Member of: Multifiber Agreement
Diplomatic representation: as Chinese ter-
ritory under Portuguese administration,
Macanese interests in the US are repre-
sented by Portugal; US — the US has no
offices in Macau and US interests are
monitored by the US Consulate General
in Hong Kong
Flag: the flag of Portugal is used
Economy
Overview: The economy is based largely on
tourism (including gambling), and textile
and fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to
diversify have spawned other small indus-
tries— toys, artificial flowers, and electron-
ics. The tourist sector has accounted for
roughly 25% of GDP, and the clothing
industry has provided about two-thirds of
export earnings. Macau depends on China
for most of its food, fresh water, and en-
ergy imports. Japan and Hong Kong are
the main suppliers of raw materials and
capital goods.
GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $6,300; real
growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 2% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $305 million; expendi-
tures $298 million, including capital ex-
penditures of SNA (1989)
Exports: $1.7 billion (1989 est.); commodi-
ties— textiles, clothing, toys; partners —
US 33%, Hong Kong 15%, FRG 12%,
France 10% (1987)
Imports: $1.6 billion (1989 est.); commodi-
ties— raw materials, foodstuffs, capital
goods; partners — Hong Kong 39%, China
21%, Japan 10% (1987)
External debt: $91 million (1985)
Industrial production: NA
Electricity: 179,000 kW capacity; 485 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1,110 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: clothing, textiles, toys, plastic
products, furniture, tourism
Agriculture: rice, vegetables; food short-
ages— rice, vegetables, meat; depends
mostly on imports for food requirements
Aid: none
Currency: pataca (plural — patacas); 1 pa-
taca (P) = 100 avos
Exchange rates: patacas (P) per US$1 —
8.03 (1989), 8.044 (1988), 7.993 (1987),
8.029 (1986), 8.045 (1985); note— linked to
the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03
patacas per Hong Kong dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 42 km paved
Ports: Macau
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: none; 1 seaplane station
Telecommunications: fairly modern com-
munication facilities maintained for do-
mestic and international services; 52,000
telephones; stations — 4 AM, 3 FM, no
187
Macau (continued)
Madagascar
TV; 75,000 radio receivers (est.); interna-
tional high-frequency radio communica-
tion facility; access to international com-
munications carriers provided via Hong
Kong and China; 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Military manpower: males 15-49, 166,956;
93,221 fit for military service
Note: defense is responsibility of Portugal
300km
Toamatm*] Indian
ANTANANARIVO. / Ocean
See regional map VII
F»r»dof<v
Geography
Total area: 587,040 km2; land area:
581,540km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of Arizona
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 4,828 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 150 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claims Bassas da India, Europa
Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova
Island, and Tromelin Island (all adminis-
tered by France)
Climate: tropical along coast, temperate
inland, arid in south
Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high pla-
teau and mountains in center
Natural resources: graphite, chromite,
coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semi-
precious stones, mica, fish
Land use: 4% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 58% meadows and pastures; 26%
forest and woodland; 1 1% other; includes
2% irrigated
Environment: subject to periodic cyclones;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification
Note: world's fourth-largest island; strate-
gic location along Mozambique Channel
People
Population: 1 1,800,524 (July 1990),
growth rate 3. 2% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 97 deaths/ 1, 000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male,
54 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Malagasy (sing, and
pi.); adjective — Malagasy
Ethnic divisions: basic split between high-
landers of predominantly
Malayo-Indonesian origin (Merina
1,643,000 and related Betsileo 760,000) on
the one hand and coastal tribes, collec-
tively termed the Cotiers, with mixed Af-
rican, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab an-
cestry (Betsimisaraka 941,000, Tsimihety
442,000, Antaisaka 415,000, Sakalava
375,000), on the other; there are also
1 1,000 European French, 5,000 Indians of
French nationality, and 5,000 Creoles
Religion: 52% indigenous beliefs; about
41% Christian, 7% Muslim
Language: French and Malagasy (official)
Literacy: 67.5%
Labor force: 4,900,000; 90% nonsalaried
family workers engaged in subsistence ag-
riculture; 175,000 wage earners — 26%
agriculture, 1 7% domestic service, 1 5%
industry, 14% commerce, 1 1% construc-
tion, 9% services, 6% transportation, 2%
other; 51% of population of working age
(1985)
Organized labor: 4% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Democratic Republic of
Madagascar
Type: republic
Capital: Antananarivo
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces
(plural — NA, singular — faritanin'); Anta-
nanarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Ma-
hajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
Independence: 26 June 1960 (from France;
formerly Malagasy Republic)
Constitution: 21 December 1975
Legal system: based on French civil law
system and traditional Malagasy law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 26
June (1960)
Executive branch: president, Supreme
Council of the Revolution, prime minister,
Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Popular
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale
Populaire)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme), High Constitutional Court
(Haute Cour Constitutionnelle)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Adm.
Didier RATSIRAKA (since 15 June
1975);
Head of Government — Prime Minister Lt.
Col. Victor RAMAHATRA (since 12
February 1988)
Political parties and leaders: seven parties
are now allowed limited political activity
under the national front and are repre-
188
sented on the Supreme Revolutionary
Council: Advance Guard of the Malagasy
Revolution (AREMA), Didier Ratsiraka;
Congress Party for Malagasy Indepen-
dence (AKFM); Congress Party for Mala-
gasy Independence-Revival (AKFM-R),
Pastor Richard Andriamanjato; Move-
ment for National Unity (VONJY), Dr.
Marojama Razanabahiny; Malagasy
Christian Democratic Union (UDECMA),
Norbert Andriamorasata; Militants for
the Establishment of a Proletarian Re-
gime (MFM), Manandafy Rakotonirina;
National Movement for the Independence
of Madagascar (MONIMA), Monja
Jaona; Socialist Organization Monima
(VSM, an offshoot of MONIMA), Tsihoz-
ony Maharanga
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held on 12
March 1989 (next to be held March
1996); results — Didier Ratsiraka
(AREMA) 62%, Manandafy Rakotonirina
(MFM/MFT) 20%, Dr. Jerome Marojama
Razanabahiny (VONJY) 15%, Monja
Jaona (MONIMA) 3%;
People's National Assembly — last held on
28 May 1989 (next to be held May 1994);
results— AREMA 88.2%, MFM 5.1%,
AKFM 3.7%, VONJY 2.2%, others 0.8%;
seats— (137 total) AREMA 120, MFM 7,
AKFM 5, VONJY 4, MONIMA 1, inde-
pendent 1
Communists: Communist party of virtually
no importance; small and vocal group of
Communists has gained strong position in
leadership of AKFM, the rank and file of
which is non-Communist
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, EAMA,
FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO,
ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO;
Chancery at 2374 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 265-5525 or 5526; there is a Mala-
gasy Consulate General in New York;
US— Ambassador Howard K. WALKER;
Embassy at 14 and 16 Rue Rainitovo,
Antsahavola, Antananarivo (mailing ad-
dress is B. P. 620, Antananarivo); tele-
phone 212-57, 209-56, 200-89, 207-18
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red
(top) and green with a vertical white band
of the same width on hoist side
Economy
Overview: Madagascar is one of the poor-
est countries in the world. During the pe-
riod 1980-85 it had a population growth
of 3% a year and a -0.4% GDP growth
rate. Agriculture, including fishing and
forestry, is the mainstay of the economy,
accounting for over 40% of GDP, employ-
ing about 85% of the labor force, and con-
tributing more than 70% to export earn-
ings. Industry is confined to the processing
of agricultural products and textile manu-
facturing; in 1988 it contributed only 16%
to GDP and employed 3% of the labor
force. Industrial development has been
hampered by government policies that
have restricted imports of equipment and
spare parts and put strict controls on
foreign-owned enterprises. In 1986 the
government introduced a five-year devel-
opment plan that stresses self-sufficiency
in food (mainly rice) by 1990, increased
production for exports, and reduced en-
ergy imports.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $155; real
growth rate 2.2% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 17.0%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $337 million; expendi-
tures $245 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $163 million (1988)
Exports: $284 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— coffee 45%, vanilla 1 5%, cloves
11%, sugar, petroleum products;
partners — France, Japan, Italy, FRG, US
Imports: $319 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— intermediate manufactures
30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 1 5%,
consumer goods 14%, food 13%;
partners — France, FRG, UK, other EC,
US
External debt: $3.6 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate —3.9 %
(1988)
Electricity: 1 19,000 kW capacity; 430 mil-
lion kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: agricultural processing (meat
canneries, soap factories, brewery, tanner-
ies, sugar refining), light consumer goods
industries (textiles, glassware), cement,
automobile assembly plant, paper, petro-
leum
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP;
cash crops — coffee, vanilla, sugarcane,
cloves, cocoa; food crops — rice, cassava,
beans, bananas, peanuts; cattle raising
widespread; not self-sufficient in rice and
wheat flour
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
(cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly
for domestic consumption
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $118 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $2.6 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $491 mil-
lion
Currency: Malagasy franc (plural —
francs); 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100
centimes
Exchange rates: Malagasy francs (FMG)
per US$1— 1,53 1.0 (January 1990),
1603.4(1989), 1,407.1 (1988), 1,069.2
(1987), 676.3 (1986), 662.5 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 1 ,020 km 1 .000-meter gauge
Highways: 40,000 km total; 4,694 km
paved, 8 1 1 km crushed stone, gravel, or
stabilized soil, 34,495 km improved and
unimproved earth (est.)
Inland waterways: of local importance
only; isolated streams and small portions
of Canal des Pangalanes
Ports: Toamasina, Antsiranana, Maha-
janga, Toliara
Merchant marine: 13 ships (',000 CRT or
over) totaling 58,126 GRT/79,420 DWT;
includes 8 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo,
1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 147 total, 1 15 usable; 30 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: above average sys-
tem includes open-wire lines, coaxial ca-
bles, radio relay, and troposcatter links;
submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth
stations — 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; over
38,200 telephones; stations — 14 AM, 1
FM, 7 (30 repeaters) TV
Defense Forces
Branches: Popular Army, Aeronaval
Forces (includes Navy and Air Force),
paramilitary Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49,
2,550,775; 1,519,084 fit for military ser-
vice; 1 16,438 reach military age (20) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 2.2% of GDP, or
$37 million (1989 est.)
189
Malawi
Lake
Nyasa
Sterc(ionilmipVII
2(X)km
Chisamula Island
Likoma Island
Geography
Total area: 1 18,480 km2; land area:
94,080 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Pennsylvania
Land boundaries: 2,881 km total; Mozam-
bique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zam--
bia 837 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: dispute with Tanzania over the
boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
Climate: tropical; rainy season (November
to May); dry season (May to November)
Terrain: narrow elongated plateau with
rolling plains, rounded hills, some moun-
tains
Natural resources: limestone; unexploited
deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Land use: 25% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 20% meadows and pastures;
50% forest and woodland; 5% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: deforestation
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 9,157,528 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 52 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 16 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 30 deaths/ 1 ,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male,
50 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Malawian(s); adjec-
tive— Malawian
Ethnic divisions: Chewa, Nyanja, Tum-
buko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni,
Ngonde, Asian, European
Religion: 55% Protestant, 20% Roman
Catholic, 20% Muslim; traditional indige-
nous beliefs are also practiced
Language: English and Chichewa (official);
other languages important regionally
Literacy: 41.2%
Labor force: 428,000 wage earners; 43%
agriculture, 16% manufacturing, 15% per-
sonal services, 9% commerce, 7%
construction, 4% miscellaneous services,
6% other permanently employed (1986)
Organized labor: small minority of wage
earners are unionized
Note: there are 800,000 Mozambican ref-
ugees in Malawi (1989 est.)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Malawi
Type: one-party state
Capital: Lilongwe
Administrative divisions: 24 districts;
Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa,
Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Ka-
supe, Lilongwe, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mu-
lanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ncheu, Nkhata
Bay, Nkhota Kota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Rum-
phi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba
Independence: 6 July 1964 (from UK; for-
merly Nyasaland)
Constitution: 6 July 1964; republished as
amended January 1974
Legal system: based on English common
law and customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court of
Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 6
July (1964)
Executive branch: president. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly
Judicial branch: High Court, Supreme
Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Dr. Hastings Kamuzu
BANDA (since 6 July 1966; sworn in as
President for Life 6 July 1971)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Maxwell
Pashane, administrative secretary; John
Tembo, treasurer general; top party posi-
tion of secretary general vacant since
1983
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President — President Banda
sworn in as President for Life on 6 July
1971;
National Assembly — last held 27-28 May
1987 (next to be held by May 1992); re-
sults— MCP is the only party; seats — (133
total, 1 12 elected) MCP 133
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Common-
wealth, EC (associated member), FAO,
G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM,
OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Robert B. MBAYA; Chancery at 2408
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-1007;
US— Ambassador George A. TRAIL, III;
Embassy in new capital city development
area, address NA (mailing address is P.
O. Box 30016, Lilongwe); telephone 730-
166
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
black (top), red, and green with a radiant,
rising, red sun centered in the black band;
similar to the flag of Afghanistan which is
longer and has the national coat of arms
superimposed on the hoist side of the
black and red bands
Economy
Overview: A landlocked country, Malawi
ranks among the world's least developed
with a per capita GDP of $180. The econ-
omy is predominately agricultural and
operates under a relatively free enterprise
environment, with about 90% of the popu-
lation living in rural areas. Agriculture
accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of ex-
port revenues. After two years of weak
performance, economic growth improved
significantly in 1988 as a result of good
weather and a broadly based economic
adjustment effort by the government. The
closure of traditional trade routes through
Mozambique continues to be a constraint
on the economy.
GDP: $1.4 billion, per capita $180; growth
rate 3.6% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 31.5%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $246 million; expendi-
tures $390 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $97 million (FY88 est.)
Exports: $292 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, pea-
nuts; partners — US, UK, Zambia, South
Africa, FRG
Imports: $402 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— food, petroleum, semimanufac-
tures, consumer goods, transportation
equipment; partners — South Africa, Ja-
pan, US, UK, Zimbabwe
External debt: $1.4 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.4%
(1988)
Electricity: 181,000 kW capacity; 535 mil-
lion kWh produced, 60 kWh per capita
(1989)
190
Malaysia
Industries: agricultural processing (tea,
tobacco, sugar), sawmilling, cement, con-
sumer goods
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP;
cash crops — tobacco, sugarcane, cotton,
tea, and corn; subsistence crops — potatoes,
cassava, sorghum, pulses; livestock — cattle
and goats
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $182 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.8 billion
Currency: Malawian kwacha (plural —
kwacha); 1 Malawian kwacha (MK) =
100 tambala
Exchange rates: Malawian kwacha (MK)
per US$1— 2.6793 (January 1990), 2.7595
(1989), 2.5613 (1988), 2.2087 (1987),
1.8611 (1986), 1.7191 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Railroads: 789 km 1 .067-meter gauge
Highways: 13,135 km total; 2,364 km
paved; 251 km crushed stone, gravel, or
stabilized soil; 10,520 km earth and im-
proved earth
Inland waterways: Lake Nyasa (Lake
Malawi); Shire River, 144 km
Ports: Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata
Bay, and Nkotakota — all on Lake Nyasa
(Lake Malawi)
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 48 total, 47 usable; 6 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways
1 ,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of open-
wire lines, radio relay links, and radio
communication stations; 36,800
telephones; stations — 8 AM, 4 FM, no
TV; satellite earth stations — 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT
Note: a majority of exports would nor-
mally go through Mozambique on the
Beira or Nacala railroads, but now most
go through South Africa because of insur-
gent activity and damage to rail lines
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Army Air Wing, Army
Naval Detachment, paramilitary Police
Mobile Force Unit, paramilitary Young
Pioneers
Military manpower males 15-49,
1,904,445; 967,032 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1 .6% of GDP, or
$22 million (1989 est.)
500km
TO««9«To
South
China
Sea Kota Kinabali)
Sulu
Sea
Town
KUALA LUMPUR
See regional map IX
Geography
Total area: 329,750 km2; land area:
328,550 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
New Mexico
Land boundaries: 2,669 km total; Brunei
381 km, Indonesia 1,782, Thailand 506
km
Coastline: 4,675 km total (2,068 km Pen-
insular Malaysia, 2,607 km East Malay-
sia)
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation; specified bound-
ary in the South China Sea
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: involved in a complex dispute
over the Spratly Islands with China, Phil-
ippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; state of
Sabah claimed by the Philippines; Brunei
may wish to purchase the Malaysian sa-
lient that divides Brunei into two parts
Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April
to October) and northeast (October to
February) monsoons
Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and
mountains
Natural resources: tin, crude oil, timber,
copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
Land use: 3% arable land; 10% permanent
crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures;
63% forest and woodland; 24% other; in-
cludes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to flooding; air and
water pollution
Note: strategic location along Strait of
Malacca and southern South China Sea
People
Population: 17,510,546 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male,
71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Malaysian(s); adjec-
tive— Malaysian
Ethnic divisions: 59% Malay and other
indigenous, 32% Chinese, 9% Indian
Religion: Peninsular Malaysia — Malays
nearly all Muslim, Chinese predominantly
Buddhists, Indians predominantly Hindu;
Sabah— 38% Muslim, 17% Christian, 45%
other; Sarawak — 35% tribal religion, 24%
Buddhist and Confucianist, 20% Muslim,
16% Christian, 5% other
Language: Peninsular Malaysia — Malay
(official); English, Chinese dialects, Tamil;
Sabah — English, Malay, numerous tribal
dialects, Mandarin and Hakka dialects
predominate among Chinese; Sarawak —
English, Malay, Mandarin, numerous
tribal languages
Literacy: 65.0% overall, age 20 and up;
Peninsular Malaysia — 80%; Sabah — 60%;
Sarawak — 60%
Labor force: 6,800,000; 30.8% agriculture,
17% manufacturing, 13.6% government,
5.8% construction, 4.3% finance, 3.4%
business services, transport and communi-
cations, 0.6% mining, 24.5% other (1989
est.)
Organized labor: 660,000, 10% of total
labor force (1988)
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: Federation of Malaysia formed 9
July 1963; constitutional monarchy nomi-
nally headed by the paramount ruler
(king) and a bicameral Parliament com-
posed of a 58-member Senate and a 177-
member House of Representatives; Penin-
sular Malaysian states — hereditary rulers
in all but Penang and Melaka, where gov-
ernors are appointed by Malaysian Gov-
ernment; powers of state governments are
limited by federal Constitution; Sabah —
self-governing state, holds 20 seats in
House of Representatives, with foreign
affairs, defense, internal security, and
other powers delegated to federal govern-
ment; Sarawak — self-governing state
within Malaysia, holds 24 seats in House
of Representatives, with foreign affairs,
defense, internal security, and other pow-
ers delegated to federal government
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Administrative divisions: 1 3 states (negeri-
negeri, singular — negeri) and 2 federal
191
Malaysia (continued)
territories* (wilayah-wilayah persekutuan,
singular — wilayah persekutuan); Johor,
Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Ne-
geri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pu-
lau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor,
Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan*
Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK)
Constitution: 31 August 1957, amended
16 September 1963 when Federation of
Malaya became Federation of Malaysia
Legal system: based on English common
law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court at request of supreme
head of the federation; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 31 Au-
gust (1957)
Executive branch: paramount ruler, deputy
paramount ruler, prime minister, deputy
prime minister. Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
(Parlimen) consists of an upper house or
Senate (Dewan Negara) and a lower house
or House of Representatives (Dewan Rak-
yat)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Paramount
Ruler AZLAN Muhibbuddin Shah ibni
Sultan Yusof Izzudin (since 26 April
1989); Deputy Paramount Ruler JA'A-
FAR ibni Abdul Rahman (since 26 April
1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister Dr.
MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since 16
July 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Abdul
GHAFAR Baba (since 7 May 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Peninsular
Malaysia — National Front, a confedera-
tion of 14 political parties dominated by
United Malays National Organization
Baru (UMNO Baru), Mahathir bin Moha-
mad; Malaysian Chinese Association
(MCA), Ling Liong Sik; Gerakan Rakyat
Malaysia, Datuk Lim Keng Yaik; Malay-
sian Indian Congress (MIC), Datuk Samy
Vellu;
Sabah — Berjaya Party, Datuk Haji Mo-
hamed Noor Mansoor; Bersatu Sabah
(PBS), Joseph Pairin Kitingan; United Sa-
bah National Organizaton (USNO), Tun
Datuk Mustapha;
Sarawak — coalition Sarawak National
Front composed of the Party Pesaka Bu-
miputra Bersatu (PBB), Datuk Patinggi
Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud; Sara-
wak United People's Party (SUPP), Datuk
Amar Stephen Yong Kuat Tze; Sarawak
National Party (SNAP), Datuk James
Wong; Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak
(PBDS), Datuk Leo Moggie; major opposi-
tion parties are Democratic Action Party
(DAP), Lim Kit Siang and Pan-Malaysian
Islamic Party (PAS), Fadzil Noor
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: House of Representatives — last
held 2-3 August 1986 (next to be held by
August 1991); results — National Front
57.4%, DAP 20.8%, PAS 15.6%, indepen-
dents 3.3%, others 2.9%; note— within the
National Front, UMNO got 35% and
MCA got 14% of the vote; seats— (177
total) National Front 148, DAP 24, PAS
1 , independents 4; note — within the Na-
tional Front, UMNO got 83 seats and
MCA got 1 7 seats
Communists: Peninsular Malaysia — about
1,000 armed insurgents on Thailand side
of international boundary and about 200
full time inside Malaysia surrendered on 2
December 1989; only about 100 Commu-
nist insurgents remain in North Kaliman-
tan and Sabah
Member of: ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, As-
sociation of Tin Producing Countries,
CCC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic Devel-
opment Bank, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC,
ITC, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Albert S. TALALLA; Chancery at 2401
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-2700;
there are Malaysian Consulates General
in Los Angeles and New York; US — Am-
bassador Paul M. CLEVELAND; Em-
bassy at 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400
Kuala Lumpur (mailing address is P. O.
Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur);
telephone [6] (03) 248-90 11
Flag: fourteen equal horizontal stripes of
red (top) alternating with white (bottom);
there is a blue rectangle in the upper
hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent
and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the
crescent and the star are traditional sym-
bols of Islam; the design was based on the
flag of the US
Economy
Overview: In 1988-89 booming exports
helped Malaysia continue to recover from
the severe 1985-86 recession. Real output
grew by 8.7% in 1988 and about 7.7% in
1989, helped by vigorous growth in manu-
facturing output and further increases in
foreign direct investment, particularly
from Japanese and Taiwanese firms facing
higher costs at home. Malaysia has be-
come the world's third-largest producer of
semiconductor devices (after the US and
Japan) and the world's largest exporter of
semiconductor devices. Inflation remained
low as unemployment stood at about 8%
of the labor force and as the government
followed prudent fiscal/monetary policies.
The country is not self-sufficient in food,
and a majority of the rural population
subsists at the poverty level. Malaysia's
high export dependence (merchandise ex-
ports are 63% of GDP) leaves it vulnera-
ble to a recession in the OECD countries
or a fall in world commodity prices.
GDP: $37.9 billion, per capita $2,270; real
growth rate 7.7% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 7.9% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $8.8 billion; expenditures
$1 1.2 billion, including capital expendi-
tures of $2.5 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $24 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — natural rubber, palm oil,
tin, timber, petroleum, electronics, light
manufactures; partners — Singapore, Ja-
pan, USSR, EC, Australia, US
Imports: $20 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — food, crude oil, consumer
goods, intermediate goods, capital equip-
ment, chemicals; partners — Japan, Singa-
pore, FRG, UK, Thailand, China, Austra-
lia, US
External debt: $16.3 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 13.6%
(1988)
Electricity: 5,600,000 kW capacity;
16,500 million kWh produced, 990 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: Peninsular Malaysia — rubber
and oil palm processing and manufactur-
ing, light manufacturing industry, elec-
tronics, tin mining and smelting, logging
and processing timber; Sabah — logging,
petroleum production; Sarawak — agricul-
ture processing, petroleum production and
refining, logging
Agriculture: Peninsular Malaysia — natural
rubber, palm oil, rice; Sabah — mainly
subsistence; main crops — rubber, timber,
coconut, rice; Sarawak — main crops —
rubber, timber, pepper; there is a deficit of
rice in all areas; fish catch of 608,000
metric tons in 1987
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-84), $170 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $3.8 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $42 million
Currency: ringgit (plural — ringgits); 1
ringgit (M$) = 100 sen
Exchange rates: ringgits (M$) per US$1 —
2.7038 (January 1990), 2.7087 (19«9),
2.6188 (1988), 2.5196 (1987), 2.5814
(1986), 2.4830(1985)
Fiscal year calendar year
Communications
Railroads: Peninsular Malaysia — 1,665
km 1 .04-meter gauge; 1 3 km double
track, government owned; Sabah — 136 km
1 .000-meter gauge
Highways: Peninsular Malaysia — 23,600
km (19,352 km hard surfaced, mostly
192
Maldives
bituminous-surface treatment, and 4,248
km unpaved); Sabah — 3,782 km; Sara-
wak— 1,644 km
Inland waterways: Peninsular Malaysia —
3,209 km; Sabah— 1,569 km; Sarawak—
2,518 km
Ports: Tanjong, Kidurong, Kota Kinabalu,
Kuching, Pasir Gudang, Penang, Port Ke-
lang, Sandakan, Tawau
Merchant marine: 159 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 1,525,635 CRT/
2,216,215 DWT; includes 2 short-sea pas-
senger, 71 cargo, 21 container, 2 vehicle
carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 livestock
carrier, 28 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 6 lique-
fied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 1 passenger-
cargo, 22 bulk, 1 passenger
Civil air: 53 major transport aircraft
Pipelines: crude oil, 1,307 km; natural
gas, 379 km
Airports: 126 total, 121 usable; 32 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 19 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good intercity service
provided to peninsular Malaysia mainly
by microwave relay, adequate intercity
radio relay network between -Sa bah and
Sarawak via Brunei; international service
good; good coverage by radio and televi-
sion broadcasts; 994,860 telephones
(1984); stations— 28 AM, 3 FM, 33 TV;
submarine cables extend to India and Sa-
rawak; SEACOM submarine cable links
to Hong Kong and Singapore; satellite
earth stations — 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean
INTELSAT, and 2 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Malaysian Army, Royal
Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air
Force, Royal Malaysian Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
4,499,495; 2,744,743 fit for military ser-
vice; 178,923 reach military age (21) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 3.8% of GDP, or
$ 1.4 billion (1 990 est.)
Male Atoll
Arabian o V^*MALE
Sea ^ (
-•? .i
->s ;.y
Laccadive
''••••' .. Sea
See re(ionilmip VIII
Geography
Total area: 300 km2; land area: 300 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than 1 .5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 644 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: about 100 nm
(defined by geographic coordinates)
Extended economic zone: 37-3 1 0 nm
(segment of zone coincides with mari-
time boundary with India)
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry, north-
east monsoon (November to March);
rainy, southwest monsoon (June to Au-
gust)
Terrain: flat with elevations only as high
as 2.5 meters
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 10% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 3% for-
est and woodland; 84% other
Environment: 1 ,200 coral islands grouped
into 19 atolls
Note: archipelago of strategic location
astride and along major sea lanes in In-
dian Ocean
People
Population: 217,945 (July 1990), growth
rate 3. 7% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 76 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1 990)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male,
65 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Maldivian(s); adjec-
tive— Maldivian
Ethnic divisions: admixtures of Sinhalese,
Dravidian, Arab, and black
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Language: Divehi (dialect of Sinhala;
script derived from Arabic); English spo-
ken by most government officials
Literacy: 36%
Labor force: 66,000 (est.); 80% engaged in
fishing industry
Organized labor: none
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Maldives
Type: republic
Capital: Male
Administrative divisions: 19 district (atolls);
Aliff, Baa, Daalu, Faafu, Gaafu Aliff,
Gaafu Daalu, Haa Aliff, Haa Daalu,
Kaafu, Laamu, Laviyani, Meemu, Navi-
yani, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani,
Thaa, Waavu
Independence: 26 July 1965 (from UK)
Constitution: 4 June 1964
Legal system: based on Islamic law with
admixtures of English common law prima-
rily in commercial matters; has not ac-
cepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 26
July (1965)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Citizens1
Council (Majlis)
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Maumoon Abdul GA-
YOOM (since since 11 November 1978)
Political parties and leaders: no organized
political parties; country governed by the
Didi clan for the past eight centuries
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President — last held 23 Sep-
tember 1988 (next to be held September
1994); results — President Maumoon Ab-
dul Gayoom reelected;
Citizens ' Council — last held on 7 Decem-
ber 1984 (next to be held 7 December
1989); results — percent of vote NA;
seats — (48 total, 40 elected)
Communists: negligible
Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan, Com-
monwealth (special member), ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, I DB— Islamic Development
Bank, I FAD, IFC, IMF, I MO, ITU,
NAM, QIC, SAARC, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Maldives does
not maintain an embassy in the US, but
does have a UN mission in New York;
US — the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is
accredited to Maldives and makes periodic
193
Maldives (continued)
Mali
visits there; US Consular Agency, Mah-
duedurage, Violet Magu, Henveru, Male;
telephone 258 1
Flag: red with a large green rectangle in
the center bearing a vertical white cres-
cent; the closed side of the crescent is on
the hoist side of the flag
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on
fishing, tourism, and shipping. Agriculture
is limited to the production of a few sub-
sistence crops that provide only 10% of
food requirements. Fishing is the largest
industry, employing 80% of the work force
and accounting for over 60% of exports; it
is also an important source of government
revenue. During the 1980s tourism has
become one of the most important and
highest growth sectors of the economy. In
1988 industry accounted for about 14% of
GDP. Real GDP is officially estimated to
have increased by about 10% annually
during the period 1974-86, and GDP esti-
mates for 1988 show a further growth of
9% on the strength of a record fish catch
and an improved tourist season.
GDP: $136 million, per capita $670; real
growth rate 9.2% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1988
est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $51 million; expenditures
$50 million, including capital expenditures
of $25 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $47.0 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — fish 57%, clothing 39%;
partners — Thailand, Western Europe, Sri
Lanka
Imports: $90.0 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities — intermediate and capital
goods 47%, consumer goods 42%, petro-
leum products 1 1 %; partners — Japan,
Western Europe, Thailand
External debt: $70 million (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.9%
(1988 est.)
Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 10 million
kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: fishing and fish processing,
tourism, shipping, boat building, some co-
conut processing, garments, woven mats,
coir (rope), handicrafts
Agriculture: accounts for almost 30% of
GDP (including fishing); fishing more im-
portant than farming; limited production
of coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; most
staple foods must be imported
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $28 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $84 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $14 million
Currency: rufiyaa (plural — rufiyaa); I ru-
fiyaa (Rf) = 100 laaris
Exchange rates: rufiyaa (Rf) per US$1 —
9.3043 (January 1990), 9.0408 (1989),
8.7846 (1988), 9.2230 (1987), 7.1507
(1986), 7.0981 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: Male has 9.6 km of coral high-
ways within the city
Ports: Male, Can
Merchant marine: 16 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 70,066 GRT/1 12,480 DWT;
includes 1 2 cargo, 1 container, 1 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2
bulk
Civil air: I major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 with permanent-surface run-
ways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: minimal domestic
and international facilities; 2,325
telephones; stations — 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV;
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: no military force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 49,261;
27,519 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: $1.8 million (1984
est.)
Boundary representation is
not necessarily authoritative
See rtflonil map VII
Geography
Total area: 1,240,000 km2; land area:
1 ,220,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 7,243 km total; Algeria
1,376 km, Burkina 1,000 km, Guinea 858
km. Ivory Coast 532 km, Mauritania
2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: the disputed international
boundary between Burkina and Mali was
submitted to the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ
issued its final ruling in December 1986,
which both sides agreed to accept; Burk-
ina and Mali are proceeding with bound-
ary demarcation, including the tripoint
with Niger
Climate: subtropical to arid; hot and dry
February to June; rainy, humid, and mild
June to November; cool and dry Novem-
ber to February
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling northern
plains covered by sand; savanna in south,
rugged hills in northeast
Natural resources: gold, phosphates, ka-
olin, salt, limestone, uranium; bauxite,
iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper de-
posits are known but not exploited
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 25% meadows and pastures;
7% forest and woodland; 66% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dust-laden harmattan
haze common during dry seasons; deserti-
fication
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 8,142,373 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 51 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
194
Death rate: 21 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 7 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male,
47 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Malian(s); adjective —
Malian
Ethnic divisions: 50% Mande (Bambara,
Malinke, Sarakole), 17% Peul, 12% Vol-
taic, 6% Songhai, 5% Tuareg and Moor,
10% other
Religion: 90% Muslim, 9% indigenous be-
liefs, 1% Christian
Language: French (official); Bambara spo-
ken by about 80% of the population; nu-
merous African languages
Literacy: 18%
Labor force: 2,666,000 (1986 est.); 80%
agriculture, 19% services, 1% industry and
commerce (1981); 50% of population of
working age (1985)
Organized labor: National Union of Ma-
lian Workers (UNTM) is umbrella organi-
zation for over 1 3 national unions
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Mali
Type: republic; single-party constitutional
government
Capital: Bamako
Administrative divisions: 7 regions (regions,
singular — region); Gao, Kayes, Koulikoro,
Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou;
note — there may be a new capital district
of Bamako
Independence: 22 September 1960 (from
France; formerly French Sudan)
Constitution: 2 June 1974, effective 19
June 1979; amended September 1981 and
March 1985
Legal system: based on French civil law
system and customary law; judicial review
of legislative acts in Constitutional Section
of Court of State; has not accepted com-
pulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Proc-
lamation of the Republic, 22 September
(1960)
Executive branch: president, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Assemble Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (C'our
Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Gen. Moussa
TRAORE (since 6 December 1968)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Democratic Union of Malian People
(UDPM)
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President — last held on 9 June
1985 (next to be held June 1991);
results — General Moussa Traore was re-
elected without opposition;
National Assembly — last held on 26 June
1988 (next to be held June 1991);
results — UDPM is the only party; seats —
(82 total) UDPM 82
Communists: a few Communists and some
sympathizers (no legal Communist party)
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEAO, ECA,
ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto),
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic
Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU,
IRC, ITU, NAM, Niger River Commi-
sion, OAU, QIC, OMVS (Organization
for the Development of the Senegal River
Valley), UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO, WTO,
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Alhousseyni TOURE; Chancery at 2130
R Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 332-2249 or 939-8950;
US— Ambassador Robert M. PRINGLE;
Embassy at Rue Testard and Rue Mo-
hamed V., Bamako (mailing address is B.
P. 34, Bamako); telephone 225834
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green
(hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the pop-
ular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Overview: Mali is among the poorest coun-
tries in the world, with about 80% of its
land area desert or semidesert. Economic
activity is largely confined to the riverine
area irrigated by the Niger. About 10% of
the population lives as nomads and some
80% of the labor force is engaged in agri-
culture and fishing. Industrial activity is
concentrated on processing farm commod-
ities.
GDP: $1.94 billion, per capita $220; real
growth rate -0.9% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $338 million; expendi-
tures $559 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1987)
Exports: $260 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— livestock, peanuts, dried fish,
cotton, skins; partners — mostly franc zone
and Western Europe
Imports: $493 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— textiles, vehicles, petroleum
products, machinery, sugar, cereals; part-
ners— mostly franc zone and Western Eu-
rope
External debt: $2.1 billion (December
1988 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 92,000 kW capacity; 165 mil-
lion kWh produced, 20 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: small local consumer goods and
processing, construction, phosphate, gold,
fishing
Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP;
most production based on small subsis-
tence farms; cotton and livestock products
account for over 70% of exports; other
crops — millet, rice, corn, vegetables, pea-
nuts; livestock — cattle, sheep, and goats
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $313 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $2.4 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $190 mil-
lion
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine 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: 642 km 1.000-meter gauge;
linked to Senegal's rail system through
Kayes
Highways: about 15,700 km total; 1,670
km bituminous, 3,670 km gravel and im-
proved earth, 10,360 km unimproved
earth
Inland waterways: 1,815 km navigable
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 37 total, 29 usable; 8 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic system poor
but improving; provides only minimal ser-
vice with radio relay, wire, and radio com-
munications stations; expansion of radio
relay in progress; 1 1 ,000 telephones; sta-
tions— 2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth
stations— 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force; paramilitary,
Gendarmerie, Republican Guard,
National Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1,585,878; 913,000 fit for military service;
no conscription
Defense expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (1987)
195
Malta
10 km
Mediterranean
Sea
Set rrji.mil mip V
• FiHIt
Geography
Total area: 320 km2; land area: 320 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 140 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: Mediterranean with mild, rainy
winters and hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly low, rocky, flat to
dissected plains; many coastal cliffs
Natural resources: limestone, salt
Land use: 38% arable land; 3% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 59% other; includes 3%
irrigated
Environment: numerous bays provide good
harbors; fresh water very scarce — increas-
ing reliance on desalination
Note: strategic location in central Medi-
terranean, 93 km south of Sicily, 290 km
north of Libya
People
Population: 353,465 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 1 5 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/ 1 ,000 popu-
lation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Maltese (sing, and pi.);
adjective — Maltese
Ethnic divisions: mixture of Arab, Sicilian,
Norman, Spanish, Italian, English
Religion: 98% Roman Catholic
Language: Maltese and English (official)
Literacy: 83%
Labor force: 1 25,674; 30% services, 24%
manufacturing, 21% government (except
job corps), 8% construction, 5% utilities
and drydocks, 4% agriculture (1987)
Organized labor: about 40% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Malta
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Valletta
Administrative divisions: none (administra-
tion directly from Valletta)
Independence: 21 September 1964 (from
UK)
Constitution: 26 April 1974, effective 2
June 1974
Legal system: based on English common
law and Roman civil law; has accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reserva-
tions
National holiday: Freedom Day, 31 March
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, deputy prime minister. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Representatives
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court and
Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State — President Vin-
cent (Censu) TABONE (since 4 April
1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister Dr.
Edward (Eddie) FENECH ADAM1 (since
12 May 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Dr.
Guido DE MARCO (since 14 May 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Nationalist
Party, Edward Fenech Adami; Malta La-
bor Party, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives — last
held on 9 May 1987 (next to be held by
May 1992); results— NP 51.1%, MLP
48.9%; seats — (usually 65 total, but addi-
tional seats are given to the party with the
largest popular vote to ensure a legislative
majority; current total 69) MLP 34, NP
31 before popular vote adjustment; MLP
34, NP 35 after adjustment
Communists: fewer than 100 (est.)
Member of: CCC, Commonwealth, Coun-
cil of Europe, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
ICAO, I FAD, ILO, IMF, I MO,
INTERPOL, ITU, IWC— International
Wheat Council, NAM.UN, UNDP,
UNESCO, UNICEF, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Salvatore J. STELLINI; Chancery at
2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washing-
ton DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-361 1
or 3612; there is a Maltese Consulate
General in New York; US — Ambassador
Sally J. NOVETZKE; Embassy at 2nd
Floor, Development House, St. Anne
Street, Floriana, Valletta (mailing address
is P. O. Box 535, Valletta); telephone
[356] 623653 or 620424, 623216
Flag: two equal vertical bands of white
(hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side
corner is a representation of the George
Cross, edged in red
Economy
Overview: Significant resources are lime-
stone, a favorable geographic location, and
a productive labor force. Malta produces
only about 20% of its food needs, has lim-
ited freshwater supplies, and has no do-
mestic energy sources. Consequently, the
economy is highly dependent on foreign
trade and services. Manufacturing and
tourism are the largest contributors to the
economy. Manufacturing accounts for
about 30% of GDP, with the textile and
clothing industry a major contributor. In
1988 inflation was held to a low 0.9%. Per
capita GDP at $5,100 places Malta in the
middle-income range of the world's na-
tions.
GDP: $1.9 billion, per capita $5,100; real
growth rate 7.1% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 4.4% (1987)
Budget: revenues $844 million; expendi-
tures $938 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $226 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $710 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— clothing, textiles, footwear,
ships; partners— FRG 31%, UK 14%, It-
aly 14%
Imports: $1,360 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— food, petroleum, nonfood raw
materials; partners— FRG 19%, UK 17%,
Italy 17%, US 11%
External debt: $90 million, medium and
long-term (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.2%
(1987)
Electricity: 328,000 kW capacity; 1,1 10
million kWh produced, 2,990 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, ship repair yard,
clothing, construction, food manufactur-
ing, textiles, footwear, clothing, beverages,
tobacco
Agriculture: overall, 20% self-sufficient;
main products — potatoes, cauliflower,
grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus,
cut flowers, green peppers, hogs, poultry,
eggs; generally adequate supplies of vege-
tables, poultry, milk, pork products; sea-
sonal or periodic shortages in grain, ani-
mal fodder, fruits, other basic foodstuffs
196
Man, Isle of
(British crown dependency)
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-lm
(FY70-81), $172 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $332 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $76 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $48 mil-
lion
Currency: Maltese lira (plural — liri); 1
Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per
US$1— 0.3332 (January 1990), 0.3483
(1989), 0.3306 (1988), 0.3451 (1987),
0.3924(1986), 0.4676(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: 1,291 km total; 1,179 km
paved (asphalt), 77 km crushed stone or
gravel, 35 km improved and unimproved
earth
Ports: Valletta, Marsaxlokk
Merchant marine: 314 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 3,677,797 GRT/
6,357,733 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 4
short-sea passenger, 1 27 cargo, 2
container, 1 passenger-cargo, 13 roll-on/
roll-off cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 6 refriger-
ated cargo, 7 chemical tanker, 4 combina-
tion ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 61
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 72 bulk, 1 1 combination bulk;
note — a flag of convenience registry;
China owns 1 ship, Cuba owns 8, and
Vietnam owns 1
Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
ways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: modern automatic
system centered in Valletta; 153,000 tele-
phones; stations— 9 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; 1
submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Armed Forces, Police, Paramili-
tary Dejima Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 92,610;
74,256 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.3% of GDP, or
$25 million (1 989 est.)
10km
Irish Sea
See regional map \
Geography
Total area: 588 km2; land area; 588 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1 1 3 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: cool summers and mild winters;
humid; overcast about half the time
Terrain: hills in north and south bisected
by central valley
Natural resources: lead, iron ore
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% perma-
nent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other;
extensive arable land and forests
Environment: strong westerly winds prevail
Note: located in Irish Sea equidistant
from England, Scotland, and Ireland
People
Population: 64,859 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.2% (1990)
Birthrate: 11 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Manxman, Manxwo-
man, adjective — Manx
Ethnic divisions: native Manx of Norse-
Celtic descent; British
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society
of Friends
Language: English, Manx Gaelic
Literacy: NA%, but compulsory education
between ages of 5 and 15
Labor force: 25,864(1981)
Organized labor: 22 labor unions
patterned along British lines
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: British crown dependency
Capital: Douglas
Administrative divisions: none (British
crown dependency)
Independence: none (British crown depen-
dency)
Constitution: 1961, Isle of Man Constitu-
tion Act
Legal system: English law and local stat-
ute
National holiday: Tynwald Day, 5 July
Executive branch: British monarch, lieu-
tenant governor, prime minister, Executive
Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
(Tynwald) consists of an upper house or
Legislative Council and a lower house or
House of Keys
Judicial branch: High Court of Justice
Leaders: Chief of State — Lord of Mann
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Lieutenant Gover-
nor Maj. Gen. Laurence NEW (since
1985);
Head of Government — President of the
Legislative Council J. C. NIVISON (since
1985)
Political parties and leaders: there is no
party system and members sit as indepen-
dents
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: House of Keys — last held in
1986 (next to be held 1991); results— per-
cent of vote NA; seats — (24 total) inde-
pendents 24
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (British
crown dependency)
Flag: red with the Three Legs of Man em-
blem (Trinacria), in the center; the three
legs are joined at the thigh and bent at
the knee; in order to have the toes point-
ing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a
two-sided emblem is used
Economy
Overview: Offshore banking, manufactur-
ing, and tourism are key sectors of the
economy. The government's policy of of-
fering incentives to high-technology com-
panies and financial institutions to locate
on the island has paid off in expanding
197
Man, Isle Of (continued)
Marshall Islands
employment opportunities in high-income
industries. As a result, agriculture and
fishing, once the mainstays of the econ-
omy, have declined in their shares of
GNP. Banking now contributes over 20%
to GNP and manufacturing about 15%.
Trade is mostly with the UK.
GNP: $490 million, per capita $7,573;
real growth rate NA% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 1.5% (1988)
Budget: revenues $130.4 million; expendi-
tures $1 14.4 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $18.1 million (FY85 est.)
Exports: SNA; commodities — tweeds, her-
ring, processed shellfish meat; partners —
UK
Imports: $NA; commodities — timber, fer-
tilizers, fish; partners — UK
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA'V
Electricity: 61,000 kW capacity; 190 mil-
lion kWh produced, 2,930 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: an important offshore financial
center; financial services, light manufac- .
luring, tourism
Agriculture: cereals and vegetables; cattle,
sheep, pigs, poultry
Aid: NA
Currency: Manx pound (plural — pounds);
1 Manx pound (£M) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Manx pounds (£M) per
US$1— 0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099
(1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987),
0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); the Manx
pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Railroads: 36 km electric track, 24 km
steam track
Highways: 640 km motorable roads
Ports: Douglas, Ramsey, Peel
Merchant marine: 77 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 1,656,216 GRT/2,984,047
DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 8
cargo, 5 container, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo,
32 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 5 chemical tanker, 2 combination
ore/oil, 6 liquefied gas, 1 2 bulk; note — a
captive register of the United Kingdom,
although not all ships on the register are
British-owned
Airports: 2 total; 1 usable with
permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 24,435 telephones;
stations— 1 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
300km
North Pacific Ocean
Taongi
.Bikar
o
oU/elang
rfl ' Tafa' .
°R0ngelap "^Me'"
Kwajalein Likiep >VVo,/e
U/aep &
^Maloelap
MAJURO..
Majuro
Namortk
See rtflonil m«p X
Jaluit
Geography
Total area: 181.3 km2; land area: 181.3
km2; includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwe-
tak, and Kwajalein
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 370.4 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claims US-administered Wake
Island
Climate: wet season May to November;
hot and humid; islands border typhoon
belt
Terrain: low coral limestone and sand is-
lands
Natural resources: phosphate deposits, ma-
rine products, deep seabed minerals
Land use: 0% arable land; 60% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 40% other
Environment: occasionally subject to ty-
phoons; two archipelagic island chains of
30 atolls and 1,152 islands
Note: located 3,825 km southwest of Ho-
nolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and
Papua New Guinea; Bikini and Eniwetak
are former US nuclear test sites; Kwaja-
lein, the famous World War II battle-
ground, is now used as a US missile test
range
People
Population: 43,417 (July 1990), growth
rate 3. 2% (1990)
Birth rate: 39 births/ 1, 000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —1 migrant/ 1,000
population ( 1 990)
Infant mortality rate: 43 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1 990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male,
75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Marshallese; adjec-
tive— Marshallese
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Microne-
sian
Religion: predominantly Christian, mostly
Protestant
Language: English universally spoken and
is the official language; two major Mar-
shallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian
family; Japanese
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 4,800 (1986)
Organized labor: none
Government
Long-form name: Republic of the Mar-
shall Islands
Type: constitutional government in free
association with the US; the Compact of
Free Association entered into force 21 Oc-
tober 1986
Capital: Majuro
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 21 October 1986 (from the
US-administered UN trusteeship;
formerly the Marshall Islands District of
the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
Constitution: I May 1979
Legal system: based on adapted Trust
Territory laws, acts of the legislature, mu-
nicipal, common, and customary laws
National holiday: Proclamation of the Re-
public of the Marshall Islands, 1 May
(1979)
Executive branch: president. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
(Nitijela)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Amata KABUA
(since 1979)
Political parties and leaders: no formal
parties; President Kabua is chief political
(and traditional) leader
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held NA No-
vember 1987 (next to be held November
1991); results — President Amata Kabua
was reelected;
Parliament — last held NA November
1987 (next to be held November 1991);
results — percent of vote NA; seats — (33
total)
Communists: none
Member of: SPF, ESCAP (associate)
Diplomatic representation: Representative
Wilfred I. KENDALL; Representative
Office at Suite 1004, 1901 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW, Washington DC 20006; tele-
198
Martinique
(overseas department of France)
phone (202) 223-4952; US— Representa-
tive Samuel B. THOMSEN; US Office at
NA address (mailing address is P. O. Box
680, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall
Islands 96960); telephone 692-9-3348
Flag: blue with two stripes radiating from
the lower hoist-side corner — orange (top)
and white; there is a white star with four
large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist
side above the two stripes
Economy
Overview: Agriculture and tourism are the
mainstays of the economy. Agricultural
production is concentrated on small farms,
and the most important commercial crops
are coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and
breadfruit. A few cattle ranches supply
the domestic meat market. Small-scale
industry is limited to handicrafts, fish pro-
cessing, and copra. The tourist industry is
the primary source of foreign exchange
and employs about 10% of the labor force.
The islands have few natural resources,
and imports far exceed exports. In 1987
the US Government provided grants of
$40 million out of the Marshallese budget
of $55 million.
GDP: $63 million, per capita $1,500; real
growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.6%
(1981)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $55 million; expenditures
NA, including capital expenditures of NA
(1987 est.)
Exports: $2.5 million (f.o.b., 1985); com-
modities— copra, copra oil, agricultural
products, handicrafts; partners — NA
Imports: $29.2 million (c.i.f., 1985); com-
modities— foodstuffs, beverages, building
materials; partners — NA
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 12,000 kW capacity; 10 mil-
lion kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: copra, fish, tourism; craft items
from shell, wood, and pearl; offshore
banking (embryonic)
Agriculture: coconuts, cacao, taro, bread-
fruit, fruits, copra; pigs, chickens
Aid: under the terms of the Compact of
Free Association, the US is to provide ap-
proximately $40 million in aid annually
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Communications
Highways: macadam and concrete roads
on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), oth-
erwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced
roads and tracks
Ports: Majuro
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 475,968 GRT/949,888
DWT; includes 2 petroleum, oils, and lu-
bricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk carrier;
note — a flag of convenience registry
Airports: 5 total, 5 usable; 4 with
permanent-surface runways; 5 with run-
ways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: telephone network —
570 lines (Majuro) and 186 (Ebeye); telex
services; islands interconnected by short-
wave radio (used mostly for government
purposes); stations — 1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV,
1 shortwave; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
earth stations; US Government satellite
communications system on Kwajalein
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
/ .Rfviir*
Salee > Le V.uclin
See regional map III
Geography
Total area: 1,100 km2; land area: 1,060
km2
Comparative area: slightly more than six
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 290 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade
winds; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain: mountainous with indented coast-
line; dormant volcano
Natural resources: coastal scenery and
beaches, cultivable land
Land use: 10% arable land; 8% permanent
crops; 30% meadows and pastures; 26%
forest and woodland; 26% other; includes
5% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes,
flooding, and volcanic activity that result
in an average of one major natural disas-
ter every five years
Note: located 625 km southeast of Puerto
Rico in the Caribbean Sea
People
Population: 340,381 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 19 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —3 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 1 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 7 1 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/
woman (1990)
199
Martinique (continued)
Nationality: noun — Martiniquais (sing,
and pi.); adjective — Martiniquais
Ethnic divisions: 90% African and
African-Caucasian-Indian mixture, 5%
Caucasian, less than 5% East Indian, Leb-
anese, Chinese
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 5% Hindu
and pagan African
Language: French, Creole patois
Literacy: over 70%
Labor force: 100,000; 31.7% service indus-
try, 29.4% construction and public works,
13.1% agriculture, 7.3% industry, 2.2%
fisheries, 16. 3% other
Organized labor: 1 1 % of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Department of Martini-
que
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Fort-de-France
Administrative divisions: none (overseas
department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department
of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille,
14 July (1789)
Executive branch: government commis-
sioner
Legislative branch: unicameral General
Council and unicameral Regional Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Fran-
cois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
1981);
Head of Government — Government Com-
missioner Jean Claude ROURE (since 5
May 1989); President of the General
Council Emile MAURICE (since NA
1988)
Political parties: Rally for the Republic
(RPR), Stephen Bago; Union of the Left
composed of the Progressive Party of
Martinique (PPM), Aime Cesaire; Social-
ist Federation of Martinique, Michael
Yoyo; and the Communist Party of Marti-
nique (PCM), Armand Nicolas; Union for
French Democracy (UDF), Jean Maran
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: General Council— last held on
NA October 1988 (next to be held by
March 1991); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats — (44 total) number of
seats by party NA;
Regional Assembly — last held on 1 6
March 1986 (next to be held by March
1992); results— UDF/ RPR coalition
49.8%, PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 41.3%,
others 8.9%; seats— (41 total) PPM/FSM/
PCM coalition 21, UDF/RPR coalition
20;
French Senate — last held 24 September
1989 (next to be held September 1992);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (2 total) UDF 1, PPM 1;
French National Assembly — last held on
5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June
1993); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (4 total) PPM 1, FSM 1,
RPR 1, UDF 1
Communists: 1,000 (est.)
Other political or pressure groups: Prole-
tarian Action Group (GAP); Alhed Marie-
Jeanne Socialist Revolution Group (GRS),
Martinique Independence Movement
(MIM), Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance
(ARC), Central Union for Martinique
Workers (CSTM), Marc Pulvar; Frantz
Fanon Circle; League of Workers and
Peasants
Member of: WFTU
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas
department of France, Martiniquais inter-
ests are represented in the US by France;
US— Consul General Ray ROBINSON;
Consulate General at 14 Rue Blenac,
Fort-de-France (mailing address is B. P.
561, Fort-de-France); telephone [596] 63-
13-03
Flag: the flag of France is used
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on sugar-
cane, bananas, tourism, and light industry.
Agriculture accounts for about 7% of
GDP and the small industrial sector for
10%. Sugar production has declined, with
most of the sugarcane now used for the
production of rum. Banana exports are
increasing, however, going mostly to
France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and
grain requirements must be imported, con-
tributing to a chronic trade deficit that
requires large annual transfers of aid from
France. Tourism has become more impor-
tant than agricultural exports as a source
of foreign exchange. The majority of the
work force is employed in the service sec-
tor and in administration. In 1984 the an-
nual per capita income was relatively high
at $3,650. During 1985 the unemployment
rate was between 25% and 30% and was
particularly severe among younger work-
ers.
GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $3,650; real
growth rate NA% (1984)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.4%
(1986)
Unemployment rate: 25-30% (1985)
Budget: revenues $223 million; expendi-
tures $223 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1987 est.)
Exports: $209 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— refined petroleum products,
bananas, rum, pineapples; partners —
France 65%, Guadeloupe 26% (1986)
Imports: $879 million (c.i.f., 1986); com-
modities— petroleum products, foodstuffs,
construction materials, vehicles, clothing
and other consumer goods; partners —
France 64% (1986)
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 108,000 kW capacity; 330 mil-
lion kWh produced, 990 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: construction, rum, cement, oil
refining, sugar, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for about 7% of
GDP; principal crops — pineapples, avoca-
dos, bananas, flowers, vegetables, and sug-
arcane for rum; dependent on imported
food, particularly meat and vegetables
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $9.8 billion
Currency: French franc (plural — francs); 1
French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per
US$1— 5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801
(1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987),
6.9261 (1986), 8.9852(1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Highways: 1,680 km total; 1,300 km
paved, 380 km gravel and earth
Ports: Fort-de-France
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways less
than 2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic facilities
are adequate; 68,900 telephones; interis-
land radio relay links to Guadeloupe, Do-
minica, and St. Lucia; stations — 1 AM, 6
FM, 10 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
200
Mauritania
Set rctionil map VII
Geography
Total area: 1,030,700 km2; land area:
1 ,030,400 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
three times the size of New Mexico
Land boundaries: 5,074 km total; Algeria
463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km,
Western Sahara 1,561 km
Coastline: 754 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: armed conflict in Western Sa-
hara; boundary with Senegal
Climate: desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Terrain: mostly barren, flat plains of the
Sahara; some central hills
Natural resources: iron ore, gypsum, fish,
copper, phosphate
Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 38% meadows and pastures;
5% forest and woodland; 56% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden
sirocco wind blows primarily in March
and April; desertification; only perennial
river is the Senegal
People
Population: 1,934,549 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 49 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 96 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male,
49 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Mauritanian(s); adjec-
tive— Mauritanian
Ethnic divisions: 40% mixed Maur/black,
30% Maur, 30% black
Religion: nearly 100% Muslim
Language: Hasaniya Arabic (national);
French (official); Toucouleur, Fula, Sara-
kole, Wolof
Literacy: 17%
Labor force: 465,000 (1981 est.); 45,000
wage earners (1980); 47% agriculture, 29%
services, 14% industry and commerce,
10% government; 53% of population of
working age (1985)
Organized labor: 30,000 members claimed
by single union, Mauritanian Workers'
Union
Government
Long-form name: Islamic Republic of
Mauritania
Type: republic; military first seized power
in bloodless coup 10 July 1978; a palace
coup that took place on 24 December
1984 brought President Taya to power
Capital: Nouakchott
Administrative divisions: 1 2 regions
(regions, singular — region); Adrar,
Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, El 'Acaba,
Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui,
Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Tagant, Tiris
Zemmour, Trarza; note — there may be a
new capital district of Nouakchott
Independence: 28 November 1960 (from
France)
Constitution: 20 May 1961, abrogated af-
ter coup of 10 July 1978; provisional con-
stitution published 17 December 1980 but
abandoned in 1981; new constitutional
charter published 27 February 1985
Legal system: based on Islamic law
National holiday: Independence Day, 28
November (1960)
Executive branch: president, Military
Committee for National Salvation
(CMSN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Assemblee Nationale),
dissolved after 10 July 1978 coup; legisla-
tive power resides with the CMSN
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Col. Maaouiya Ould
Sid'Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December
1984)
Political parties and leaders: suspended
Suffrage: none
Elections: none; last presidential election
August 1976; National Assembly
dissolved 10 July 1978; no national elec-
tions are scheduled
Communists: no Communist party, but
there is a scattering of Maoist sympathiz-
ers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, AIOEC, Arab
League, CCC, CEAO, C1PEC (associate),
EAMA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77,
GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Is-
lamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, 1PU, ITU, NAM, OAU,
QIC, OMVS (Organization for the Devel-
opment of the Senegal River Valley), UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Abdellah OULD DADDAH; Chancery at
2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 232-5700; US—
Ambassador William H. TWADDELL;
Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott
(mailing address is B. P. 222,
Nouakchott); telephone [2222] 52660 or
52663
Flag: green with a yellow five-pointed star
above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the
closed side of the crescent is down; the
crescent, star, and color green are tradi-
tional symbols of Islam
Economy
Overview: A majority of the population
still depends on agriculture and livestock
for a livelihood, even though most of the
nomads and many subsistence farmers
were forced into the cities by recurrent
drought in 1983. Mauritania has extensive
deposits of iron ore that account for al-
most 50% of total exports. The decline in
world demand for this ore, however, has
led to cutbacks in production in recent
years. The nation's coastal waters are
among the richest fishing areas in the
world, but overexploitation by foreigners
threatens this key source of revenue. The
country's first deepwater port opened near
Nouakchott in 1986.
GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $520; real
growth rate 3.6% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 .4%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 50% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $358 million; expendi-
tures $334 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $79 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $424 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— iron ore, processed fish, small
amounts of gum arabic and gypsum, unre-
corded but numerically significant cattle
exports to Senegal; partners — EC 57%,
Japan 39%, Ivory Coast 2%
Imports: $365 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, consumer goods,
petroleum products, capital goods; part-
ners—EC 79%, Africa 5%, US 4%, Japan
2%
External debt: $2.3 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.4%
(1988 est.)
201
Mauritania (continued)
Mauritius
Electricity: 189,000 kW capacity; 136 mil-
lion kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: fishing, fish processing, mining
of iron ore and gypsum
Agriculture: accounts for 29% of GDP (in-
cluding fishing); largely subsistence farm-
ing and nomadic cattle and sheep herding
except in Senegal river valley; crops —
dates, millet, sorghum, root crops; fish
products number-one export; large food
deficit in years of drought
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $160 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.1 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 mil-
lion; Communist countries (1970-88), $277
million
Currency: ouguiya (plural — ouguiya); 1
ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums
Exchange rates: ouguiya (UM) per
US$1— 83.838 (January 1990), 83.051
(1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987),
74.375 (1986), 77.085 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 670 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge, single track, owned and operated
by government mining company
Highways: 7,525 km total; 1,685 km
paved; 1,040 km gravel, crushed stone, or
otherwise improved; 4,800 km unimproved
roads, trails, tracks
Inland waterways: mostly ferry traffic on
the Senegal River
Ports: Nouadhibou, Nouakchott
Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 1,272 CRT/ 1,840
DWT
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 30 total, 29 usable; 9 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor system of cable
and open-wire lines, minor radio relay
links, and radio communications stations;
5,200 telephones; stations — 2 AM, no
FM, I TV; satellite earth stations — 1 At-
lantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 ARAB-
SAT, with a third planned
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, para-
military Gendarmerie, paramilitary Na-
tional Guard, paramilitary National Po-
lice, paramilitary Presidential Guard,
paramilitary Nomad Security Guards
Military manpower: males 15-49, 410,153;
200,212 fit for military service; conscrip-
tion law not implemented
Defense expenditures: 4.2% of GDP (1987)
Agalega Islands. Cargados
Carajos Shoals, and
Rodngues are not shown
Indian
Ocean
,•
Ooodlandl
Set reflonil map VII
Geography
Total area: 1,860 km2; land area: 1,850
km2; includes Agalega Islands, Cargados
Carajos Shoals (St. Brandon) and Rodri-
gues
Comparative area: slightly less than 10.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 177 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claims Chagos Archipelago,
which includes the island of Diego Garcia
in UK-administered British Indian Ocean
Territory; claims French-administered
Tromelin Island
Climate: tropical modified by southeast
trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to
November); hot, wet, humid summer (No-
vember to May)
Terrain: small coastal plain rising to dis-
continuous mountains encircling central
plateau
Natural resources: arable land, fish
Land use: 54% arable land; 4% permanent
crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 31%
forest and woodland; 7% other; includes
9% irrigated
Environment: subject to cyclones
(November to April); almost completely
surrounded by reefs
Note: located 900 km east of Madagascar
in the Indian Ocean
People
Population: 1,070,005 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 21 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1, 000 population
(1990)
202
Net migration rate: 4 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 20 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male,
73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Mauritian(s); adjec-
tive— Mauritian
Ethnic divisions: 68% I ndo- Mauritian,
27% Creole, 3% Sino- Mauritian, 2%
Franco-Mauritian
Religion: 51% Hindu, 30% Christian
(mostly Roman Catholic with a few Angli-
cans), 17% Muslim, 2% other
Language: English (official), Creole,
French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Literacy: 82.8%
Labor force: 335,000; 29% government
services, 27% agriculture and fishing, 22%
manufacturing, 22% other; 43% of popula-
tion of working age (1985)
Organized labor: 35% of labor force in
more than 270 unions
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Louis
Administrative divisions: 5 urban councils
and 3 district councils*; Beau Bassin-Rose
Hill, Curepipe, Moka-Flacq*, North*,
Port Louis, Quatre Bornes, South*,
Vacoas-Phoenix; note — there may now be
4 urban councils and 9 district councils*
named Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Black
River*, Curepipe, Flacq*, Grand Port*,
Moka*, Pamplemousses*, Plaine
Wilhems*, Port Louis*, Quartre Bornes,
Riviere du Rempart*, Savanne*, and
Vacoas-Phoenix
Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)
Constitution: 12 March 1968
Legal system: based on French civil law
system with elements of English common
law in certain areas
National holiday: Independence Day, 12
March (1968)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General Sir Veera-
samy RINGADOO (since 17 January
1986);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June
1982); Deputy Prime Minister Sir Satcam
BOOLELL (since 15 August 1988)
Political parties and leaders: the govern-
ment is currently controlled by a coalition
composed of the Militant Socialist Move-
ment (MSM), A. Jugnauth, and the Mau-
ritian Labor Party (MLP), S. Boolell; the
main opposition union consists of the
Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM),
Prem Nababsing; Socialist Workers Front,
Sylvio Michel; Democratic Labor Move-
ment, Anil Baichoo; Mauritian Social
Democratic Party (PMSD), G. Duval
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Assembly — last held
on 30 August 1987 (next to be held 30
August 1 992); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats — (70 total, 62 elected)
MSM 24, MMM 21, MLP 10, PMSD 5,
others 10
Communists: may be 2,000 sympathizers;
several Communist organizations; Mauri-
tius Lenin Youth Organization, Mauritius
Women's Committee, Mauritius Commu-
nist Party, Mauritius People's Progressive
Party, Mauritius Young Communist
League, Mauritius Liberation Front, Chi-
nese Middle School Friendly Association,
Mauritius/USSR Friendship Society
Other political or pressure groups: various
labor unions
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Common-
wealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
ISO, ITU, IWC— International Wheat
Council, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Chitmansing JESSERAMSING; Chan-
cery at Suite 134, 4301 Connecticut Ave-
nue NW, Washington DC 20008; tele-
phone (202) 244-1491 or 1492; US—
Ambassador Penne KORTH; Embassy at
4th Floor, Rogers Building, John Kennedy
Street, Port Louis; telephone 082347
Flag: four equal horizontal bands of red
(top), blue, yellow, and green
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on sugar,
manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tour-
ism. Despite significant expansion in other
sectors over the past decade, sugarcane
remains dominant and is grown on about
90% of the cultivated land area, account-
ing for 40% of export earnings. The gov-
ernment's development strategy is cen-
tered on industrialization (with a view to
exports), agricultural diversification, and
tourism. Economic performance in 1988
was impressive, with 6.3% real growth
rate and low unemployment.
GDP: $1.9 billion, per capita $1,910; real
growth rate 6.3% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.2%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 3.6% (1988)
Budget: revenues $351 million; expendi-
tures $414 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $76 million (FY87 est.)
Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light
manufactures 1 0%; partners — EC and US
have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US
15%
Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— manufactured goods 50%, capi-
tal equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petro-
leum products 8%, chemicals 7%;
partners — EC, US, South Africa, Japan
External debt: $670 million (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 12.9%
(FY87)
Electricity: 233,000 kW capacity; 420 mil-
lion kWh produced, 375 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: food processing (largely sugar
milling), textiles, wearing apparel, chemi-
cal and chemical products, metal prod-
ucts, transport equipment, nonelectrical
machinery, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 14% of GDP;
about 90% of cultivated land in sugar-
cane; other products — tea, corn, potatoes,
bananas, pulses, cattle, goats, fish; net
food importer, especially rice and fish
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
for the international drug trade
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $72 million; Western (non-US)
countries (1970-87), $538 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $54 million
Currency: Mauritian rupee (plural —
rupees); 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees
(MauRs) per US$1— 15.033 (January
1990), 15.250(1989), 13.438(1988),
12.878(1987), 13.466(1986), 15.442
(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Highways: 1,800 km total; 1,640 km
paved, 160 km earth
Ports: Port Louis
Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 143,029 CRT/ 248,754
DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 3
cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 3 bulk
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: small system with
good service; new microwave link to Re-
union; high-frequency radio links to sev-
eral countries; 48,000 telephones;
stations — 2 AM, no FM, 4 TV; 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: paramilitary Special Mobile
Force, Special Support Units, regular Po-
lice Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 297,975;
153,130 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: NA
203
Mayotte
(territorial collectivity of France)
10km
ScrrrtiunilmipVII
I
Mozambique Channel
Geography
Total area: 375 km2; land area: 375 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 185.2 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claimed by Comoros
Climate: tropical; marine; hot, humid,
rainy season during northeastern monsoon
(November to May); dry season is cooler
(May to November)
Terrain: generally undulating with ancient
volcanic peaks, deep ravines
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% perma-
nent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: subject to cyclones during
rainy season
Note: part of Comoro Archipelago; lo-
cated in the Mozambique Channel about
halfway between Africa and Madagascar
People
Population: 72,186 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 5 1 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 2 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 89 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male,
58 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Mahorais (sing., pi.);
adjective — Mahoran
Religion: 99% Muslim; remainder Chris-
tian, mostly Roman Catholic
Language: Mahorian (a Swahili dialect),
French
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Territorial Collectivity
of Mayotte
Type: territorial collectivity of France
Capital: Dzaoudzi
Administrative divisions: none (territorial
collectivity of France)
Independence: none (territorial collectivity
of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: French law
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille,
14 July (1789)
Executive branch: government commis-
sioner
Legislative branch: unicameral General
Council (Conseil General)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal
Superieur d'Appel)
Leaders: Chief of State President Francois
MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government Government Com-
missioner Akli KHIDER (since 1983);
President of the General Council Yous-
souf BAMANA (since 1976)
Political parties and leaders: Mahoran
Popular Movement (MPM), Zna M'Oere;
Party for the Mahoran Democratic Rally
(PRDM), Daroueche Maoulida; Mahoran
Rally for the Republic (RMPR), Abdoul
Anizizi; Union of the Center (UDC)
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: General Council — last held NA
June 1988 (next to be held June 1993);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (17 total) MPM 9, RPR 6, others
2;
French Senate — last held on 24 Septem-
ber 1989 (next to be held September
1992); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (1 total) MPM 1;
French National Assembly — last held 5
and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June
1993); results — percent of vote by party
N A; seats— (1 total) UDC 1
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: as a territorial
collectivity of France, Mahoran interests
are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
Economy
Overview: Economic activity is based pri-
marily on the agricultural sector, includ-
ing fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte
is not self-sufficient and must import a
large portion of its food requirements,
mainly from France. The economy and
future development of the island is heavily
dependent on French financial assistance.
GDP: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): VV •
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues NA; expenditures $37.3
million, including capital expenditures of
NA(1985)
Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1984); com-
modities— ylang-ylang, vanilla; partners —
France 79%, Comoros 10%, Reunion 9%
Imports: $21.8 million (f.o.b., 1984); com-
modities— building materials, transporta-
tion equipment, rice, clothing, flour; part-
ners— France 57%, Kenya 16%, South
Africa 11%, Pakistan 8%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: NA kW capacity; NA million
kWh produced, NA kWh per capita
Industries: newly created lobster and
shrimp industry
Agriculture: most important sector; pro-
vides all export earnings; crops — vanilla,
ylang-ylang, coffee, copra; imports major
share of food needs
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $287.8 million
Currency: French franc (plural — francs); 1
French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per
US$1— 5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801
(1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987),
6.9261 (1986), 8.9852(1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Highways: 42 km total; 18 km bituminous
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way 1,220-2,439 m
Ports: Dzaoudzi
Telecommunications: small system admin-
istered by French Department of Posts
and Telecommunications; includes radio
relay and high-frequency radio communi-
cations for links with Comoros and inter-
national communications; 450 telephones;
stations — 1 AM, no FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
204
Mexico
Ciudad
Juarez
North
Pacific
Ocean
See regional map II
Geography
Total area: 1,972,550 km2; land area:
1,923,040 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than three
times the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 4,538 km total; Belize
250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326
km
Coastline: 9,330 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: natural prolongation
of continental margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: varies from tropical to desert
Terrain: high, rugged mountains, low
coastal plains, high plateaus, and desert
Natural resources: crude oil, silver, copper,
gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Land use: 12% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 39% meadows and pastures; 24%
forest and woodland; 24% other; includes
3% irrigated
Environment: subject to tsunamis along
the Pacific coast and destructive earth-
quakes in the center and south; natural
water resources scarce and polluted in
north, inaccessible and poor quality in
center and extreme southeast; deforesta-
tion; erosion widespread; desertification;
serious air pollution in Mexico City and
urban centers along US-Mexico border
Note: strategic location on southern bor-
der of US
People
Population: 87,870,154 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 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: 33 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Mexican(s);
adjective — Mexican
Ethnic divisions: 60% mestizo
(Indian-Spanish), 30% Amerindian or pre-
dominantly Amerindian, 9% white or pre-
dominantly white, 1% other
Religion: 97% nominally Roman Catholic,
3% Protestant
Language: Spanish
Literacy: 88%
Labor force: 26,100,000 (1988); 31.4%
services; 26% agriculture, forestry, hunt-
ing, and fishing, 13.9% commerce, 12.8%
manufacturing, 9.5% construction, 4.8%
transportation, 1.3% mining and quarry-
ing, 0.3% electricity, (1986)
Organized labor: 35% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: United Mexican States
Type: federal republic operating under a
centralized government
Capital: Mexico
Administrative divisions: 3 1 states (estados,
singular — estado) and 1 federal district*
(distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja
California Norte, Baja California Sur,
Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coa-
huila, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango,
Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco,
Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit,
Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro,
Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa,
Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala,
Veracruz, Yucatan, Zacatecas
Independence: 1 6 September 1810 (from
Spain)
Constitution: 5 February 1917
Legal system: mixture of US
constitutional theory and civil law system;
judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reserva-
tions
National holiday: Independence Day, 16
September (1810)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Congress (Congreso de la Union) consists
of an upper chamber or Senate (Camara
de Senadores) and a lower chamber or
Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Dipu-
tados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
(Suprema Corte de Justicia)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Carlos SALINAS de
Gortari (since 1 December 1988)
Political parties and leaders: (recognized
parties) Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI),- Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta;
National Action Party (PAN), Luis Alva-
rez; Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Indale-
cio Sayago Herrera; Democratic Revolu-
tionary Party (PRO), Cuauhtemoc
Cardenas; Cardenist Front for the Na-
tional Reconstruction Party (PFCRN),
Rafael Aguilar Talamantes; Authentic
Party of the Mexican Revolution
(FARM), Carlos Enrique Cantu Rosas
Suffrage: universal and compulsory (but
not enforced) at age 18
Elections: President — last held on 6 July
1988 (next to be held September 1994);
results— Carlos Salinas de Gortari (PRI)
50.74%, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas Solorzano
(FDN) 31.06%, Manuel Clouthier (PAN)
16.81%; others 1.39%; note— several of
the smaller parties ran a common candi-
date under a coalition called the National
Democratic Front (FDN)
Senate — last held on 6 July 1988 (next to
be held September 1991); results— PRI
94%, FDN (now PRO) 6%; seats— (64 to-
tal) number of seats by party NA;
Chamber of Deputies — last held on 6 July
1988 (next to be held September 1991);
results— PRI 53%, PAN 20%, PFCRN
10%, PPS 6%, PARM 7%, PMS (now
part of PRO) 4%; seats— (500 total) num-
ber of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups: Roman
Catholic Church, Confederation of Mexi-
can Workers (CTM), Confederation of
Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN),
Confederation of National Chambers of
Commerce (CONCANACO), National
Peasant Confederation (CNC), National
Confederation of Popular Organizations
(CNOP), Revolutionary Workers Party
(PRT), Mexican Democratic Party (PDM),
Revolutionary Confederation of Workers
and Peasants (CROC), Regional Confed-
eration of Mexican Workers (CROM),
Confederation of Employers of the Mexi-
can Republic (COPARMEX), National
Chamber of Transformation Industries
(CANACINTRA), Business Coordination
Council (CCE)
Member of: FAO, G-77, GATT, Group of
Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC,
ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB— Inter-American
Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC-
International Whaling Commission,
LAIA, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Gustavo PETRICIOLI Iturbide; Chan-
cery at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20006; telephone (202)
728-1600; there are Mexican Consulates
General in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El
205
Mexico (continued)
Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, New
Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San
Antonio, San Diego, and Consulates in
Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Boston,
Brownsville (Texas), Calexico (California),
Corpus Christi, Del Rio (Texas), Detroit,
Douglas (Arizona), Eagle Pass (Texas),
Fresno (California), Kansas City (Mis-
souri), Laredo, McAllen (Texas), Miami,
Nogales (Arizona), Oxnard (California),
Philadelphia, Phoenix, Presidio (Texas),
Sacramento, St. Louis, St. Paul (Minneap-
olis), Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, San
Jose, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Seattle;
US — Ambassador John D.
NEGROPONTE, Jr.; Embassy at Paseo
de la Reforma 305, Mexico 5, D.F.
(mailing address is P. O. Box 3087, La-
redo, TX 78044); telephone [52] (5) 21 1-
0042; there are US Consulates General in
Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey,
and Tijuana, and Consulates in Hermo-
sillo, Matamoros, Mazatlan, Merida, and
Nuevo Laredo
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green
(hoist side), white, and red; the coat of
arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a
snake is its beak) is centered in the white
band
Economy
Overview: Mexico's economy is a mixture
of state-owned industrial plants (notably
oil), private manufacturing and services,
and both large-scale and traditional agri-
culture. In the 1980s Mexico experienced
severe economic difficulties: the nation
accumulated large external debts as world
petroleum prices fell; rapid population
growth outstripped the domestic food sup-
ply; and inflation, unemployment, and
pressures to emigrate became more acute.
Growth in national output dropped from
8% in 1980 to 1.1% in 1988 and 2.5% in
1989. The US is Mexico's major trading
partner, accounting for two-thirds of its
exports and imports. After petroleum, bor-
der assembly plants and tourism are the
largest earners of foreign exchange. The
government, in consultation with interna-
tional economic agencies, is implementing
programs to stabilize the economy and
foster growth.
GDP: $187.0 billion, per capita $2,165;
real growth rate 2.5% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 20% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $36.1 billion; expendi-
tures $56.1 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $7.7 billion (1988)
Exports: $23.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— crude oil, oil products, coffee,
shrimp, engines, cotton; partners — US
66%, EC 16%, Japan 11%
Imports: $23.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— grain, metal manufactures, ag-
ricultural machinery, electrical equipment;
partners— US 62%, EC 18%, Japan 10%
External debt: $95.1 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 1 .3%
(1988)
Electricity: 26,900,000 kW capacity;
103,670 million kWh produced, 1,200
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food and beverages, tobacco,
chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, min-
ing, textiles, clothing, transportation
equipment, tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 9% of GDP and
over 25% of work force; large number of
small farms at subsistence level; major
food crops — corn, wheat, rice, beans; cash
crops — cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; fish
catch of 1 .4 million metric tons among top
20 nations (1987)
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivation of opium
poppy and cannabis continues in spite of
government eradication efforts; major link
in chain of countries used to smuggle co-
caine from South American dealers to US
markets
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $3.0 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $6.8 billion; Commu-
nist countries (1970-88), $110 million
Currency: Mexican peso (plural — pesos); 1
Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: market rate of Mexican
pesos (Mex$) per US$1 — 2,660.3 (January
1990), 2,461.3 (1989), 2,273.1 (1988),
1,378.2 (1987), 61 1.8 (1986), 256.9 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 20,680 km total; 19,950 km
1.435-meter standard gauge; 730 km
0.914-meter narrow gauge
Highways: 210,000 km total; 65,000 km
paved, 30,000 km semipaved or cobble-
stone, 60,000 km rural roads (improved
earth) or roads under construction, 55,000
km unimproved earth roads
Inland waterways: 2,900 km navigable riv-
ers and coastal canals
Pipelines: crude oil, 4,381 km; refined
products, 8,345 km; natural gas, 13,254
km
Ports: Acapulco, Coatzacoalcos, Ense-
nada, Guaymas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan,
Progreso, Puerto Vallarta, Salina Cruz,
Tampico, Veracruz
Merchant marine: 68 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 1,041,229 CRT/ 1, 552,478
DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 10
cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-
off cargo, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubri-
cants (POL) tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 7
liquefied gas, 4 bulk, 4 combination bulk
Civil air: 174 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1,785 total, 1,484 usable; 190
with permanent-surface runways; 2 with
runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 259 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed sys-
tem with extensive radio relay links; con-
nection into Central American Microwave
System; 6.41 million telephones;
stations— 679 AM, no FM, 238 TV, 22
shortwave; 120 domestic satellite termi-
nals; satellite earth stations — 4 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean
INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine
Corps
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
21,575,525; 15,803,322 fit for military
service; 1,1 18,046 reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures: 0.5% of GDP
206
Micronesia, Federated States of
1000 km
Yap
Islands
Inlands KOLONIA
Tru*'"
Islands.
Kapingamarangi
North Pacific Ocean
See regional map X
Geography
Total area: 702 km2; land area: 702 km2;
includes Pohnpei, Truk, Yap, and Kosrae
Comparative area: slightly less than four
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 6,1 12 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; heavy year-round rain-
fall, especially in the eastern islands; lo-
cated on southern edge of the typhoon belt
with occasional severe damage
Terrain: islands vary geologically from
high mountainous islands to low, coral
atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei,
Kosrae, and Truk
Natural resources: forests, marine prod-
ucts, deep-seabed minerals
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% perma-
nent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: subject to typhoons from
June to December; four major island
groups totaling 607 islands
Note: located 5,150 km west-southwest of
Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean,
about three-quarters of the way between
Hawaii and Indonesia
People
Population: 104,937 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 34 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: 26 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Micronesian(s); adjec-
tive— Micronesian; Kosrae(s),
Pohnpeian(s), Trukese, Yapese
Ethnic divisions: nine ethnic Micronesian
and Polynesian groups
Religion: predominantly Christian, divided
between Roman Catholic and Protestant;
other churches include Assembly of God,
Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Ad-
ventist, Latter Day Saints, and the Baha'i
Faith
Language: English is the official and com-
mon language; most indigenous languages
fall within the Austronesian language
family, the exceptions are the Polynesian
languages; major indigenous languages are
Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, and Kosrean
Literacy: NA%, but education compulsory
through eight grades
Labor force: NA; two-thirds are govern-
ment employees; 45,000 people are be-
tween the ages of 1 5 and 65
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Federated States of
Micronesia (no short-form name)
Type: constitutional government in free
association with the US; the Compact of
Free Association entered into force 3 No-
vember 1986
Capital: Kolonia (on the island of Pohn-
pei); note — a new capital is being built
about 10 km southwest in the Palikir val-
ley
Administrative divisions: 4 states; Kosrae,
Pohnpei, Truk, Yap
Independence: 3 November 1986 (from the
US-administered UN Trusteeship; for-
merly the Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, and
Yap districts of the Trust Territory of the
Pacific Islands)
Constitution: 10 May 1979
Legal system: based on adapted Trust
Territory laws, acts of the legislature, mu-
nicipal, common, and customary laws
National holiday: Proclamation of the
Federated States of Micronesia, 10 May
(1979)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President John R. HAGLEL-
GAM (since 11 May 1987); Vice Presi-
dent Hiroshi H. ISMAEL (since 1 1 May
1987)
Political parties and leaders: no formal
parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 1 1 May
1987 (next to be held May 1991);
results — John R. Haglelgam was elected;
House of Representatives — last held on
NA (next to be held NA); results— per-
cent of vote NA; seats — (NA total)
Communists: none
Member of: SPF, ESCAP (associate)
Diplomatic representation: Deputy Repre-
sentative Jesse B. MAREHALAN; Rep-
resentative Office at 706 G Street SE,
Washington DC 20003; telephone (202)
544-2640; US— Representative Michael
G. WYGANT; US Office at address NA,
Kolonia (mailing address is P. O. Box
1 286, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micro-
nesia 96941); telephone 691-320-2187
Flag: light blue with four white
five-pointed stars centered; the stars are
arranged in a diamond pattern
Economy
Overview: Financial assistance from the
US is the primary source of revenue, with
the US pledged to spend $1 billion in the
islands in the 1990s. Micronesia also
earns about $4 million a year in fees from
foreign commercial fishing concerns. Eco-
nomic activity consists primarily of subsis-
tence farming and fishing. The islands
have few mineral deposits worth exploit-
ing, except for high-grade phosphate. The
potential for a tourist industry exists, but
the remoteness of the location and a lack
of adequate facilities hinder development;
note — GNP numbers reflect US spending.
GNP: $150 million, per capita $1,500;
real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 80%
Budget: revenues $110.8 million; expendi-
tures NA, including capital expenditures
of NA (1987 est.)
Exports: $1.6 million (f.o.b., 1983); com-
modities— copra; partners — NA
Imports: $48.9 million (c.i.f., 1983); com-
modities— NA; partners — NA
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 15,000 kW capacity; 35 mil-
lion kWh produced, 340 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, craft items from shell,
wood, and pearl
Agriculture: mainly a subsistence econ-
omy; copra, black pepper; tropical fruits
and vegetables, coconuts, cassava, sweet
potatoes, pigs, chickens
Aid: under terms of the Compact of Free
Association, the US will provide $1.3 bil-
lion in grant aid during the period 1986-
2001
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
207
Micronesia, Federated States of
(continued)
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Communications
Highways: 39 km of paved macadam and
concrete roads on major islands, otherwise
1 87 km stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced
roads
Ports: Colonia (Yap), Truk (Kosrae), Okat
(Kosrae)
Airports: 1 1 total, 10 usable; 7 with
permanent-surface runways; 6 with run-
ways 1,220-2,439
Telecommunications: 16,000 radio receiv-
ers, 1,125 TV sets (est. 1987); telephone
network — 960 telephone lines at both Ko-
lonia and Truk; islands interconnected by
shortwave radio (used mostly for govern-
ment purposes); stations — 5 AM, 1 FM, 6
TV, 1 shortwave; 4 Pacific Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
Midway Islands
(territory of the US)
3 km
p regional map \
Geography
Total area: 5.2 km2; land area: 5.2 km2;
includes Eastern Island and Sand Island
Comparative area: about nine times the
size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1 5 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderated by pre-
vailing easterly winds
Terrain: low, nearly level
Natural resources: fish and wildlife
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: coral atoll
Note: located 2,350 km west-northwest of
Honolulu at the western end of Hawaiian
Islands group, about one-third of the way
between Honolulu and Tokyo; closed to
the public
People
Population: 453 US military personnel
(1989)
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US
administered by the US Navy, under com-
mand of the Barbers Point Naval Air Sta-
tion in Hawaii and managed cooperatively
by the US Navy and the Fish and Wild-
life Service of the US Department of the
Interior as part of the National Wildlife
Refuge System
Diplomatic representation: none (territory
of the US)
Flag: the US flag is used
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on pro-
viding support services for US naval oper-
ations located on the islands. All food and
manufactured goods must be imported.
Communications
Highways: 32 km total
Pipelines: 7.8 km
Ports: Sand Island
Airports: 3 total; 2 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
208
Monaco
1 km
7._>nte Carlo
»/ Casino
Mediterranean
Sea
See regional map V
Geography
Total area: 1.9 km2; land area: 1.9 km2
Comparative area: about three times the
size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundary: 4.4 km with France
Coastline: 4.1 km
Maritime claim:
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: Mediterranean with mild, wet
winters and hot, dry summers
Terrain: hilly, rugged, rocky
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: almost entirely urban
Note: second-smallest independent state in
world (after Vatican City)
People
Population: 29,453 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 7 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 9 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Monacan(s) or Mone-
gasque(s); adjective — Monacan or Mone-
gasque
Ethnic divisions: 47% French, 16% Mone-
gasque, 16% Italian, 21% other
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic
Language: French (official), English, Ital-
ian, Monegasque
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: 4,000 members in 35
Government
Long-form name: Principality of Monaco
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Monaco
Administrative divisions: 4 quarters (quar-
ters, singular — quartier); Fontvieille, La
Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo
Independence: 1419, rule by the House of
Grimaldi
Constitution: 17 December 1962
Legal system: based on French law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 19 No-
vember
Executive branch: prince, minister of state,
Council of Government (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Council (Con-
seil National)
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal (Tri-
bunal Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State— Prince RAIN-
IER III (since November 1949); Heir Ap-
parent Prince ALBERT Alexandre Louis
Pierre (born 14 March 1958);
Head of Government Minister of State
Jean AUSSEIL (since 10 September
1985)
Political parties and leaders: National and
Democratic Union (UND), Democratic
Union Movement (MUD), Monaco Ac-
tion, Monegasque Socialist Party (PSM)
Suffrage: universal adult at age 25
Elections: National Council — last held on
24 January 1988 (next to be held 24 Janu-
ary 1993); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats— (18 total) UND 18
Member of: IAEA, ICAO, I HO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU,
UN (permanent observer), UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WIPO
Diplomatic representation: Monaco main-
tains honorary consulates general in Bos-
ton, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans,
New York, and San Francisco, and honor-
ary consulates in Dallas, Honolulu, Palm
Beach, Philadelphia, and Washington;
US — no mission in Monaco, but the US
Consul General in Marseille, France, is
accredited to Monaco; Consul General R.
Susan WOOD; Consulate General at 12
Boulevard Paul Peytral, 1 3286 Marseille
Cedex (mailing address APO NY 09777);
telephone [33] (91) 549-200
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red
(top) and white; similar to the flag of In-
donesia which is longer and the flag of
Poland which is white (top) and red
Economy
Overview: No data are published on the
economy. Monaco, situated on the French
Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort,
attracting tourists to its casino and pleas-
ant climate. The Principality has success-
fully sought to diversify into services and
small, high-value-added, non-polluting
industries. The state has no income tax
and low business taxes and thrives as a
tax haven both for individuals who have
established residence and for foreign com-
panies that have set up businesses and of-
fices. About 50% of Monaco's annual rev-
enue comes from value-added taxes on
hotels, banks, and the industrial sector;
about 25% of revenue comes from tour-
ism. Living standards are high, that is,
roughly comparable to those in prosperous
French metropolitan suburbs.
GNP: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: full employment
(1989)
Budget: revenues $386 million; expendi-
tures SNA, including capital expenditures
of SNA (1988 est.)
Exports: SNA; full customs integration
with France, which collects and rebates
Monacan trade duties; also participates in
EC market system through customs union
with France
Imports: SNA; full customs integration
with France, which collects and rebates
Monacan trade duties; also participates in
EC market system through customs union
with France
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 10,000 kW standby capacity
(1988); power supplied by France
Industries: Pharmaceuticals, food process-
ing, precision instruments, glassmaking,
printing, tourism
Agriculture: NA
Aid: NA
Currency: French franc (plural — francs); 1
French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per
US$1— 5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801
(1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987),
6.9261 (1986), 8.9852(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 1.6 km 1.435-meter gauge
Highways: none; city streets
Ports: Monaco
Merchant marine: 1 tanker (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 3,268 GRT/4,959 DWT
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 usable airfield with permanent-
surface runways
Telecommunications: served by the French
communications system; automatic tele-
phone system; 38,200 telephones;
stations — 3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; no commu-
nication satellite stations
209
Monaco (continued)
Mongolia
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
SOQkm
Sttrefionil imp VIII
Geography
Total area: 1,565,000 km2; land area:
1,565,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Alaska
Land boundaries: 8,1 14 km total; China
4,673 km, USSR 3,441 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: desert; continental (large daily
and seasonal temperature ranges)
Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains;
mountains in west and southwest; Gobi
Desert in southeast
Natural resources: coal, copper, molybde-
num, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel,
zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold
Land use: 1% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 79% meadows and pastures; 10%
forest and woodland; 10% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: harsh and rugged
Note: landlocked; strategic location be-
tween China and Soviet Union
People
Population: 2,187,275 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 35 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 50 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male,
67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Mongolian(s); adjec-
tive— Mongolian
Ethnic divisions: 90% Mongol, 4% Ka-
zakh, 2% Chinese, 2% Russian, 2% other
Religion: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist,
about 4% Muslim, limited religious activ-
ity because of Communist regime
Language: Khalkha Mongol used by over
90% of population; minor languages in-
clude Turkic, Russian, and Chinese
Literacy: 80% (est.); 100% claimed (1985)
Labor force: NA, but primarily agricul-
tural; over half the adult population is in
the labor force, including a large percent-
age of women; shortage of skilled labor
Organized labor 425,000 members of the
Central Council of Mongolian Trade
Unions (CCMTU) controlled by the gov-
ernment (1984)
Government
Long-form name: Mongolian People's Re-
public; abbreviated MPR
Type: Communist state
Capital: Ulaanbaatar
Administrative divisions: 18 provinces
(aymguud, singular — aymag) and 3
municipalities* (hotuud, singular — hot);
Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy,
Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovl,
Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*,
Govi-Altay,_Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol,
Omnogovi, 6v6rhangay, Selenge, Suh-
baatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
Independence: 13 March 1921 (from
China; formerly Outer Mongolia)
Constitution: 6 July 1960
Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese,
and Turkish systems of law; no constitu-
tional provision for judicial review of leg-
islative acts; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: People's Revolution
Day, 11 July (1921)
Executive branch: chairman and deputy
chairman of the Presidium of the People's
Great Rural, Presidium of the People's
Great Hural, chairman of the Council of
Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's
Great Hural
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Chairman of the
Presidium of the People's Great Hural
Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (since 21
March 1990);
Head of Government — Chairman of the
Council of Ministers Sharabyn
GUNGAADORJ (since 21 March 1990);
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
(MPRP), Gombojabin Ochirbat, General
Secretary
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 2 1 March
1990 (next to be held July 1991); results—
Punsalmaagiyn Ochirbat elected by the
People's Great Hural;
210
Montserrat
(dependent territory of the UK)
People's Great Hural — last held on 22
June 1986 (next to be held June 1990);
results — MPRP was the only party;
seats— (370 total) MPRP 370
Communists: MPRP membership 88,150
(1986est.)
Member of: CEMA, ESCAP, FAO,
IAEA, ILO, IPU, ITU, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Gendengiin NYAMDOO; US— Ambassa-
dor Richard L. WILLIAMS
Flag: three equal, vertical bands of red
(hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the
hoist-side red band in yellow is a
five-pointed star above the national em-
blem (soyombo — a columnar arrangement
of abstract and geometric representations
for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the
yin-yang symbol)
Economy
Overview: Economic activity traditionally
has been based on agriculture and the
breeding of livestock — Mongolia has the
highest number of livestock per person in
the world. In recent years extensive min-
eral resources have been developed with
Soviet support. The mining and processing
of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tung-
sten, and gold account for a large part of
industrial production.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $880 (1985
est.); average real growth rate 3.6% (1976-
85 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): VY •
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures
$2.19 billion, including capital expendi-
tures of $0.9 billion (1987 est.)
Exports: $388 million (f.o.b., 1985); com-
modities— livestock, animal products,
wool, hides, fluorspar, nonferrous metals,
minerals; partners — nearly all trade with
Communist countries (about 80% with
USSR)
Imports: $1.0 billion (c.i.f., 1985); com-
modities— machinery and equipment, fu-
els, food products, industrial consumer
goods, chemicals, building materials,
sugar, tea; partners — nearly all trade with
Communist countries (about 80% with
USSR)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 10.9%
(1985)
Electricity: 657,000 kW capacity; 29,500
million kWh produced, 1,340 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: processing of animal products,
building materials, food and beverage,
mining (particularly coal)
Agriculture: accounts for 90% of exports
and provides livelihood for about 50% of
the population; livestock raising predomi-
nates (sheep, goats, horses); crops — wheat,
barley, potatoes, forage
Aid: about $500-$700 million annually
from USSR
Currency: tughrik (plural — tughriks); 1
tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos
Exchange rates: tughriks (Tug) per
US$1— 3.355 (1986-1988), 3.600 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 1,750 km 1.524-meter broad
gauge (1986)
Highways: 46,700 km total; 1,000 km
hard surface; 45,700 km other surfaces
(1986)
Inland waterways: 397 km of principal
routes (1986)
Civil air: 22 major transport aircraft
Airports: 80 total, 30 usable; 10 with
permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5
with runways over 3,659 m; fewer than 20
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with run-
ways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 13 AM, 1
FM, 1 TV (with 18 provincial relays); re-
lay of Soviet TV; 60,000 TV sets; 186,000
radio receivers; at least 1 satellite earth
station
Defense Forces
Branches: Mongolian People's Army, Air
Force (negligible)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 518,482;
338,652 fit for military service; 24,783
reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA
See region*! map III
Geography
Total area: 100 km2; land area: 100 km2
Comparative area: about 0.6 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; little daily or seasonal
temperature variation
Terrain: volcanic islands, mostly moun-
tainous, with small coastal lowland
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 20% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 10% meadows and pastures; 40%
forest and woodland; 30% other
Environment: subject to severe hurricanes
from June to November
Note: located 400 km southeast of Puerto
Rico in the Caribbean Sea
People
Population: 12,467 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/ 1, 000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —4 migrant/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Montserratian(s); ad-
jective— Montserratian
Ethnic divisions: mostly black with a few
Europeans
Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman
Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Ad-
ventist, other Christian denominations
Language: English
211
MontSCrrat (continued)
Morocco
Literacy: 77%
Labor force: 5,100; 40.5% community,
social, and personal services, 13.5% con-
struction, 12.3% trade, restaurants, and
hotels, 10.5% manufacturing, 8.8% agri-
culture, forestry, and fishing, 14.4% other
(1983 est.)
Organized labor: 30% of labor force, three
trade unions with 1,500 members (1984
est.)
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Plymouth
Administrative divisions: 3 parishes; Saint
Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
Independence: none (colony of the UK)
Constitution: 1 January 1960
Legal system: English common law and
statute law
National holiday: Celebration of the Birth-
day of the Queen (second Saturday of
June)
Executive branch: monarch, governor, Ex-
ecutive Council (cabinet), chief minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Quern ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor Christopher J.
TURNER (since 1987);
Head of Government — Chief Minister
John A. OSBORNE (since 1978)
Political parties and leaders: People's Lib-
eration Movement (PLM), John Osborne;
Progressive Democratic Party (POP), Ho-
well Bramble; United National Front
(UNF), Dr. George Irish; National Devel-
opment Party (NDP), Bertrand Osborne
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Council — last held
on 25 August 1987 (next to be held NA
1992); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (1 1 total, 7 elected) PLM 4,
NDP 2, POP 1
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (colony of
the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and the Mont-
serratian coat of arms centered in the
outer half of the flag; the coat of arms
features a woman standing beside a yellow
harp with her arm around a black cross
Economy
Overview: The economy is small and open
with economic activity centered on tour-
ism and construction. Tourism is the most
important sector and accounted for 20%
of GDP in 1986. Agriculture accounted
for about 4% of GDP and industry 9%.
The economy is heavily dependent on im-
ports, making it vulnerable to fluctuations
in world prices. Exports consist mainly of
electronic parts sold to the US.
GDP: $45.4 million, per capita $3,780;
real growth rate 12% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: 3.0% (1987)
Budget: revenues $10.0 million; expendi-
tures $9.4 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $3.2 million (1987)
Exports: $3.0 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— plastic bags, electronic parts,
apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle;
partners — NA
Imports: $25.3 million (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— machinery and transportation
equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured
goods, fuels, lubricants, and related mate-
rials; partners — NA
External debt: $3.7 million (1985)
Industrial production: growth rate 8.1%
(1986)
Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 12 million
kWh produced, 930 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism; light manufacturing —
rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP;
small-scale farming; food crops — toma-
toes, onions, peppers; not self-sufficient in
food, especially livestock products
Aid: NA
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars
(EC$) per US$1— 2.70 (fixed rate since
1976)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: 280 km total; about 200 km
paved, 80 km gravel and earth
Ports: Plymouth
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way 1,036 m
Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones;
stations— 8 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
Mediterranean Sea
Ceula (Sp )
(•p.l
Aria
Set regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 446,550 km2; land area:
446,300 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
California
Land boundaries: 2,002 km total; Algeria
1,559 km. Western Sahara 443 km
Coastline: 1,835 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claims and administers Western
Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved;
armed conflict in Western Sahara; Spain
controls two coastal presidios or places of
sovereignty (Ceuta, Melilla)
Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more
extreme in the interior
Terrain: mostly mountains with rich
coastal plains
Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore,
manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
Land use: 18% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 28% meadows and pastures; 12%
forest and woodland; 41% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: northern mountains geologi-
cally unstable and subject to earthquakes;
desertification
Note: strategic location along Strait of
Gibraltar
People
Population: 25,648,241 (July 1990).
growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 31 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 1 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
212
Infant mortality rate: 78 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male,
66 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Moroccan(s); adjec-
tive— Moroccan
Ethnic divisions: 99.1% Arab-Berber, 0.7%
non-Moroccan, 0.2% Jewish
Religion: 98.7% Muslim, 1.1% Christian,
0.2% Jewish
Language: Arabic (official); several Berber
dialects; French is language of business,
government, diplomacy, and postprimary
education
Literacy: 28%
Labor force: 7,400,000; 50% agriculture,
26% services, 1 5% industry, 9% other
(1985)
Organized labor: about 5% of the labor
force, mainly in the Union of Moroccan
Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Con-
federation of Labor (CDT)
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Morocco
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Rabat
Administrative divisions: 36 provinces
(provinces, singular — province) and 2
municipalities* (wilayas, singular —
wilaya); Agadir, Al Hocei'ma, Azilal, Beni
Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane,
Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El Ke-
laa des Srarhna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira,
Fes, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra,
Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laa-
youne, Marrakech, Meknes, Nador, Ouar-
zazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, San, Settat,
Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate,
Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit
Independence: 2 March 1956 (from
France)
Constitution: 10 March 1972
Legal system: based on Islamic law and
French and Spanish civil law system; judi-
cial review of legislative acts in Constitu-
tional Chamber of Supreme Court
National holiday: National Day (anniver-
sary of King Hassan IPs accession to the
throne), 3 March (1961)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minis-
ter, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber
of Representatives (Majlis al Nuwab)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— King HASSAN
II (since 3 March 1961);
Head of Government — Prime Minister Dr.
Azzedine LARAKI (since 30 September
1986)
Political parties and leaders: Morocco has
15 political parties; the major ones are
Istiqlal Party, M'Hamed Boucetta; Social-
ist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Ab-
derrahim Bouabid; Popular Movement
(MP), Secretariat General; National As-
sembly of Independents (RNI), Ahmed
Osman; National Democratic Party
(PND), Mohamed Arsalane El-Jadidi;
Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS),
Ali Yata; Constitutional Union (UC),
Maati Bouabid
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: Chamber of Representatives —
last held on 14 September 1984 (were
scheduled for September 1990, but post-
poned until NA 1992); results — percent of
vote by party NA; seats — (306 total, 206
elected) CU 83, RNI 61, MP 47, Istiqlal
41, USFP 36, PND 24, others 14
Communists: about 2,000
Member of: AfDB, Arab League, CCC,
EC (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic
Development Bank, I FAD, IFC, ILO,
ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NAM,
QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Ali BENGELLOUN; Chancery at 1601
21st Street NW, Washington DC 20009;
telephone (202) 462-7979; there is a Mo-
roccan Consulate General in New York;
US— Ambassador Michael USSERY;
Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Ra-
bat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Ra-
bat, or APO New York 09284); telephone
[212] (7) 622-65; there are US Consulates
General in Casablanca and Tangier
Flag: red with a green pentacle
(five-pointed, linear star) known as Solo-
mon's seal in the center of the flag; green
is the traditional color of Islam
Economy
Overview: After registering a robust 10%
growth in 1988, the economy slowed in
1989 because of higher prices for food and
oil imports, lower worker remittances, and
a trade dispute with India over phosphoric
acid prices that cost Rabat $500 million.
To meet the foreign payments shortfall,
Rabat has been drawing down foreign ex-
change reserves. Servicing the $22 billion
foreign debt, high unemployment, and
Morocco's vulnerability to external forces
remain severe problems for the 1 990s.
GDP: $21.9 billion, per capita $880
(1988); real growth rate 4.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1988)
Budget: revenues $5.1 billion; expenditures
$6.0 billion, including capital expenditures
of $1.4 billion (1988)
Exports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— food and beverages 30%, semi-
processed goods 23%, consumer goods
21%, phosphates 1 7%; partners — EC
India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%
Imports: $5.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— capital goods 24%, semipro-
cessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel
and lubricants 16%, food and beverages
13%, consumer goods 10%; partners — EC
53%, US 1 1%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%,
USSR 3%, Japan 2%
External debt: $22.2 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 4%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 2,140,000 kW capacity; 7,760
million kWh produced, 300 kWh per cap-
ita (1 989)
Industries: phosphate rock mining and
processing, food processing, leather goods,
textiles, construction, tourism
Agriculture: 50% of employment and 30%
of export value; not self-sufficient in food;
cereal farming and livestock raising pre-
dominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruit, wine,
vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000
metric tons in 1987
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis;
trafficking on the increase for both domes-
tic and international drug markets; ship-
ments of cannabis mostly directed to
Western Europe; occasional transit point
for cocaine from South America destined
for Western Europe.
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $1.2 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $6.3 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $2.3 billion
Currency: Moroccan dirham (plural — dir-
hams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100
centimes
Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH)
per US$1— 8.093 (January 1990), 8.488
(1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104
(1986), 10.062(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 1,893 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge (246 km double track, 974 km elec-
trified)
Highways: 59,198 km total; 27,740 km
bituminous treated, 31,458 km gravel,
crushed stone, improved earth, and unim-
proved earth
Pipelines: 362 km crude oil; 491 km
(abandoned) refined products; 241 km nat-
ural gas
Ports: Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar,
Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Safi,
Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta
and Melilla
Merchant marine: 54 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 334,931 GRT/5 13,762
DWT; includes I 1 cargo, 2 container, 14
refrigerated cargo, 5 roll-on/roll-ofT cargo,
213
MorOCCO (continued)
Mozambique
3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 1 2 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3
short-sea passenger
Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
Airports: 75 total, 68 usable; 26 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good system com-
posed of wire lines, cables, and radio relay
links; principal centers are Casablanca
and Rabat, secondary centers are Fes,
Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan;
280,000 telephones; stations— 14 AM, 6
FM, 47 TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations — 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; radio re-
lay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sa-
hara; coaxial cable to Algeria; microwave
network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt,
Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Moroccan Army, Royal
Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air
Force, Royal Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49,
6,203,759; 3,946,408 fit for military ser-
vice; 293,893 reach military age (18) an-
nually; limited conscription
Defense expenditures: 7.1% of GDP (1987)
Nacula
iielimann
Mozambique
Channel
Chicualacual
Stf region*! map VII
Inhambane
APUTO
Geography
Total area: 801,590 km2; land area:
784,090 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of California
Land boundaries: 4,571 km total; Malawi
1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swazi-
land 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia
419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km
Coastline: 2,470 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical to subtropical
Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands, uplands
in center, high plateaus in northwest,
mountains in west
Natural resources: coal, titanium
Land use: 4% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 56% meadows and pastures;
20% forest and woodland; 20% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: severe drought and floods
occur in south; desertification
People
Population: 14,565,656 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 3 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 138 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male,
49 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Mozambican(s); adjec-
tive— Mozambican
Ethnic divisions: majority from indigenous
tribal groups; about 10,000 Europeans,
35,000 Euro-Africans, 15,000 Indians
Religion: 60% indigenous beliefs, 30%
Christian, 10% Muslim
Language: Portuguese (official); many in-
digenous dialects
Literacy: 38%
Labor force: NA, but 90% engaged in ag-
riculture
Organized labor: 225,000 workers belong
to a single union, the Mozambique Work-
ers' Organization (OTM)
Note: there are 800,000 Mozambican ref-
ugees in Malawi (1989 est.)
Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of
Mozambique
Type: people's republic
Capital: Maputo
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (pro-
vincias, singular — provfncia); Cabo Del-
gado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo,
Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
Independence: 25 June 1975 (from Portu-
gal)
Constitution: 25 June 1975
Legal system: based on Portuguese civil
law system and customary law
National holiday: Independence Day, 25
June (1975)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral People's
Assembly (Assemble!;! Popular)
Judicial branch: People's Courts at all lev-
els
Leaders: Chief of State — President Joa-
qufm Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 No-
vember 1986);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Mario da Graca MACHUNGO (since 17
July 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Front for the
Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) is
the only legal party and is a Marxist or-
ganization with close ties to the USSR
Suffrage: universal adult at age 1 8
Elections: national elections are indirect
and based on mass meetings throughout
the country
Communists: about 60,000 FRELIMO
members
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, FAO, G-
77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO,
IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, ITU, NAM,
OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Valeriano FERRAO; Chancery at Suite
570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington DC
20036; telephone (202) 293-7146; US—
Ambassador Melissa F. WELLS; Em-
bassy at 3rd Floor, 35 Rua Da Mesquita,
Maputo (mailing address is P. O. Box 783,
Maputo); telephone 743167 or 744163
214
Namibia
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
green (top), black, and yellow with a red
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side;
the black band is edged in white; centered
in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed star
bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black
superimposed on an open white book
Economy
Overview: One of Africa's poorest coun-
tries, with a per capita GDP of little more
than $100, Mozambique has failed to ex-
ploit the economic potential of its sizable
agricultural, hydropower, and transporta-
tion resources. Indeed, national output,
consumption, and investment declined
throughout the first half of the 1980s be-
cause of internal disorders, lack of govern-
ment administrative control, and a grow-
ing foreign debt. A sharp increase in
foreign aid, attracted by an economic re-
form policy, has resulted in successive
years of economic growth since 1985. Ag-
ricultural output, nevertheless, is only at
about 75% of its 1981 level, and grain has
to be imported. Industry operates at only
20-40% of capacity. The economy depends
heavily on foreign assistance to keep
afloat.
GDP: $1.6 billion, per capita less than
$110; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 81.1%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 40.0 (1988)
Budget: revenues $186 million; expendi-
tures $239 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $208 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $100 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— shrimp 48%, cashews 21%,
sugar 10%, copra 3%, citrus 3%;
partners — US, Western Europe, GDR,
Japan
Imports: $764 million (c.i.f., 1988), includ-
ing aid; commodities — food, clothing,
farm equipment, petroleum; partners —
US, Western Europe, USSR
External debt: $4.4 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 2,265,000 kW capacity; 1,740
million kWh produced, 1 20 kWh per cap-
ita (1 989)
Industries: food, beverages, chemicals (fer-
tilizer, soap, paints), petroleum products,
textiles, nonmetallic mineral products (ce-
ment, glass, asbestos), tobacco
Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP,
over 80% of labor force, and about 90% of
exports; cash crops — cotton, cashew nuts,
sugarcane, tea, shrimp; other crops — cas-
sava, corn, rice, tropical fruits; not self-
sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $282 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1 970-87), $3.1 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $37 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $887 mil-
lion
Currency: metical (plural — meticais); 1
metical (Mt) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: meticais (Mt) per US$1 —
800 (September 1989), 528.60 (1988),
289.44 (1987), 40.43 (1986), 43.18 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 3,288 km total; 3,140 km
1.067-meter gauge; 148 km 0.762-meter
narrow gauge; Malawi-Nacala, Malawi-
Beira, and Zimbabwe-Maputo lines are
subject to closure because of insurgency
Highways: 26,498 km total; 4,593 km
paved; 829 km gravel, crushed stone, sta-
bilized soil; 21,076 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: about 3,750 km of navi-
gable routes
Pipelines: 306 km crude oil (not operat-
ing); 289 km refined products
Ports: Maputo, Beira, Nacala
Merchant marine: 5 cargo ships ( 1 ,000
GRT or over) totaling 7,806 GRT/ 12,873
DWT
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 203 total, 153 usable; 27 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 29 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of tropo-
scatter, open-wire lines, and radio relay;
57,400 telephones; stations — 15 AM, 3
FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations — 1 At-
lantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Mozambique Armed Forces
(including Army, Border Guard, Naval
Command, Air Defense Forces)
Military manpower: males 15-49,
3,295,067; 1,892,699 fit for military ser-
vice
Defense expenditures: 8.4% of GDP (1987)
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 824,290 km2; land area:
823,290 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than half
the size of Alaska
Land boundaries: 3,935 km total; Angola
1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Af-
rica 966 km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline: 1,489 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: short section of boundary with
Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint with
Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in
disagreement; possible future claim to
South Africa's Walvis Bay
Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse
and erratic
Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib
Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in
east
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, ura-
nium, gold, lead, tin, zinc, salt, vanadium,
natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of
coal and iron ore
Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 64% meadows and pastures;
22% forest and woodland; 13% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: inhospitable with very lim-
ited natural water resources; desertifica-
tion
Note: Walvis Bay area is an exclave of
South Africa in Namibia
People
Population: 1,452,951 (July 1990), growth
rate 5.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 0 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 20 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
215
Namibia (continued)
Infant mortality rate: 71 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 57 years male,
63 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Namibian(s); adjec-
tive— Namibian
Ethnic divisions: 86% black, 6.5% white,
7.5% mixed; about 50% of the population
belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% from
the Kavangos tribe
Religion: predominantly Christian
Language: Afrikaans principal language of
about 60% of white population, German
of 33%, and English of 7% (all official);
several indigenous languages
Literacy: 1 00% whites, 1 6% nonwhites
Labor force: 500,000; 60% agriculture,
19% industry and commerce, 8% services,
7% government, 6% mining (1981 est.)
Organized labor: 1 5 trade unions — largest
is the mineworkers' union which has a
sizable black membership
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Namibia
Type: republic as of 21 March 1990
Capital: Windhoek
Administrative divisions: 26 districts; Be-
thanien, Boesmanland, Caprivi Oos, Da-
maraland, Gobabis, Grootfontein, Herero-
land Oos, Hereroland Wes, Kaokoland,
Karasburg, Karibib, Kavango, Keetman-
shoop, Liideritz, Maltahohe, Mariental,
Namaland, Okahandja, Omaruru, Otjiwa-
rongo, Outjo, Owambo, Rehoboth, Swa-
kopmund, Tsumeb, Windhoek
Independence: 21 March 1990
Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law
and customary law
National holiday: Settlers' Day, 10 De-
cember
Executive branch: president. Cabinet, Con-
stitutional Council
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment President Sam NUJOMA (since
21 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: South- West
Africa People's Organization (SWAPO),
Sam Nujoma; Democratic Turnhalle Alli-
ance (DTA), Dirk Mudge; United Demo-
cratic Front (UDF), Justus Garoeb; Action
Christian National (ACN), Kosie Preto-
rius; National Patriotic Front (NPF),
Moses Katjiuongua; Federal Convention
of Namibia (FCN), Hans Diergaardt; Na-
mibia National Front (NNF), Vekuii Ru-
koro
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly — last held
on 7-1 1 November 1989 (next to be held
NA); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (72 total) SWAPO 41, DTA
21, UDF 4, ACN 3, NNF 1, FCN 1,
NPF I
Communists: no Communist party
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: FAO, IAEA, ILO,
UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation: NA
Flag: a large blue triangle with a yellow
sunburst fills the upper left section, and
an equal green triangle (solid) fills the
lower right section; the triangles are sepa-
rated by a red stripe which is contrasted
by two narrow white edge borders
Economy
Overview: The economy is heavily depen-
dent on the mining industry to extract and
process minerals for export. Mining ac-
counts for almost 35% of GDP, agricul-
ture and fisheries 10-15%, and manufac-
turing about 5%. Namibia is the
fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals
in Africa and the world's fifth-largest pro-
ducer of uranium. Alluvial diamond de-
posits are among the richest in the world,
making Namibia a primary source for
gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also pro-
duces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin,
silver, and tungsten, and it has substantial
resources of coal.
GNP: $1.54 billion, per capita $1,245; real
growth rate 2.9% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.1%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: over 30% (1988)
Budget: revenues $781 million; expendi-
tures $932 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (FY88)
Exports: $935 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— diamonds, uranium, zinc, cop-
per, meat, processed fish, karakul skins;
partners — South Africa
Imports: $856 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, manufactured con-
sumer goods, machinery and equipment;
partners— South Africa, FRO, UK, US
External debt: about $27 million at inde-
pendence; under a 1971 International
Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Namibia
may not be liable for debt incurred during
its colonial period
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 486,000 kW capacity; 1 ,280
million kWh produced, 930 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: meatpacking, fish processing,
dairy products, mining (copper, lead, zinc,
diamond, uranium)
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP (in-
cluding fishing); mostly subsistence farm-
ing; livestock raising major source of cash
income; crops — millet, sorghum, peanuts;
fish catch potential of over 1 million met-
ric tons not being fulfilled, 1987 catch
reaching only 520,000 metric tons; not
self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $47.2 million
Currency: South African rand (plural —
rand); I South African rand (R) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: South African rand (R)
per US$1— 2.5555 (January 1990), 2.6166
(1989), 2.261 1 (1988), 2.0350 (1987),
2.2685(1986), 2.1911 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Railroads: 2,341 km 1.067-meter gauge,
single track
Highways: 54,500 km; 4,079 km paved,
2,540 km gravel, 47,881 km earth roads
and tracks
Ports: Luderitz; primary maritime outlet
is Walvis Bay (South Africa)
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 143 total, 123 usable; 21 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 63 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good urban, fair ru-
ral services; radio relay connects major
towns, wires extend to other population
centers; 62,800 telephones; stations — 2
AM, 40 FM, 3 TV
Defense Forces
Branches: NA
Military manpower: males 15-49, 298,249;
176,660 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 4.9% of GNP (1986)
Note: the South-West Africa Territorial
Force, established in 1980, was demobi-
lized in June 1989; a new national defense
force will probably be formed by the new
government
216
Nauru
South
Pacific
Ocean
Scr rrgionxl map X
Geography
Total area: 21 km2; land area: 21 km2
Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 30 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm .
Climate: tropical; monsoonal; rainy season
(November to February)
Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring
around raised coral reefs with phosphate
plateau in center
Natural resources: phosphates
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: only 53 km south of Equator
Note: one of three great phosphate rock
islands in the Pacific (others are Banaba
or Ocean Island in Kiribati and Makatea
in French Polynesia)
People
Population: 9,202 (July 1990), growth rate
1.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 41 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male,
69 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Nauruan(s); adjec-
tive— Nauruan
Ethnic divisions: 58% Nauruan, 26% other
Pacific Islander, 8%, Chinese, 8% Euro-
pean
Religion: Christian (two-thirds Protestant,
one-third Roman Catholic)
Language: Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Is-
land language (official); English widely
understood, spoken, and used for most
government and commercial purposes
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Nauru
Type: republic
Capital: no capital city as such; govern-
ment offices in Yaren District
Administrative divisions: 1 4 districts;
Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti,
Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, ljuw, Me-
neng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Independence: 31 January 1968 (from UN
trusteeship under Australia, New Zea-
land, and UK); formerly Pleasant Island
Constitution: 29 January 1968
Legal system: own Acts of Parliament and
British common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 31
January (1968)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Bernard
DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
20
Elections: President — last held 9 Decem-
ber 1989 (next to be held December
1992); results — Bernard Dowiyogo elected
by Parliament;
Parliament — last held on 9 December
1989 (next to be held December 1992);
results — percent of vote NA; seats — (18
total) independents 18
Member of: Commonwealth (special mem-
ber), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU,
SPC, SPF, UPU
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador T.
W. STAR resides in Melbourne
(Australia); there is a Nauruan Consulate
in Agana (Guam); US — the US Ambassa-
dor to Australia is accredited to Nauru
Flag: blue with a narrow, horizontal, yel-
low stripe across the center and a large
white 1 2-pointed star below the stripe on
the hoist side; the star indicates the
country's location in relation to the Equa-
tor (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points
symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru
Economy
Overview: Revenues come from the export
of phosphates, the reserves of which are
expected to be exhausted by the year
2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans
one of the highest per capita incomes in
the Third World— $10,000 annually. Few
other resources exist so most necessities
must be imported, including fresh water
from Australia. The rehabilitation of
mined land and the replacement of income
from phosphates constitute serious long-
term problems. Substantial investment in
trust funds, out of phosphate income, will
help cushion the transition.
GNP: over $90 million, per capita
$10,000; real growth rate NA% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget: revenues $69.7 million; expendi-
tures $51.5 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (FY86 est.)
Exports: $93 million (f.o.b., 1984); com-
modities— phosphates; partners — Austra-
lia, NZ
Imports: $73 million (c.i.f., 1984); com-
modities— food, fuel, manufactures, build-
ing materials, machinery; partners — Aus-
tralia, UK, NZ, Japan
External debt: $33.3 million
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 13,250 kW capacity; 48 mil-
lion kWh produced, 5,300 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: phosphate mining, financial
services, coconuts
Agriculture: negligible; almost completely
dependent on imports for food and water
Aid: none
Currency: Australian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Australian dollar ($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: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 3.9 km; used to haul
phosphates from the center of the island
to processing facilities on the southwest
coast
Highways: about 27 km total; 21 km
paved, 6 km improved earth
Ports: Nauru
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 39,597 GRT/50,729 DWT;
includes I passenger-cargo, 1 cargo, 2
bulk
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft, one
on order
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way 1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate intraisland
and international radio communications
provided via Australian facilities; 1,600
telephones; 4,000 radio receivers;
stations — 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
217
Navassa Island
(territory of the US)
Branches: no regular armed forces
Military manpower: males 15-49. 298,249;
176,660 fit for military service; 100 reach
age 18 annually
Defense expenditures: no formal defense
structure
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
Caribbean
Sea
Sec regional mtp HI
Geography
Total area: 5.2 knr; land area: 5.2 km2
Comparative area: about nine times the
size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 8 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claimed by Haiti
Climate: marine, tropical
Terrain: raised coral and limestone pla-
teau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical
white cliffs (9 to 15 meters high)
Natural resources: guano
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 10% meadows and pastures; 0%
forest and woodland; 90% other
Environment: mostly exposed rock, but
enough grassland to support goat herds;
dense stands of fig-like trees, scattered
cactus
Note: strategic location between Cuba,
Haiti, and Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea;
160 km south of the US Naval Base at
Guantanamo, Cuba
People
Population: uninhabited; transient Haitian
fishermen and others camp on the island
Government
Long-form name: none (territory of the
US)
Type: unincorporated territory of the US
administered by the US Coast Guard
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
218
Nepal
200km
KATHMANDU
Biritnagar
See regional map VIII
Geography
Total area: 140,800 km2; land area:
1 36,800 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Ar-
kansas
Land boundaries: 2,926 km total; China
1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: varies from cool summers and
severe winters in north to subtropical sum-
mers and mild winter in south
Terrain: Tarai or flat river plain of the
Ganges in south, central hill region, rug-
ged Himalayas in north
Natural resources: quartz, water, timber,
hydroelectric potential, scenic beauty;
small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt,
iron ore
Land use: 17% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 1 3% meadows and pastures;
33% forest and woodland; 37% other; in-
cludes 2% irrigated
Environment: contains eight of world's 10
highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion;
water pollution
Note: landlocked; strategic location be-
tween China and India
People
Population: 19,145,800 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 39 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 99 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male,
50 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Nepalese (sing, and
pi.); adjective — Nepalese
Ethnic divisions: Newars, Indians, Tibet-
ans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias,
Rais, Limbus, Sherpas, as well as many
smaller groups
Religion: only official Hindu state in
world, although no sharp distinction be-
tween many Hindu (about 88% of popula-
tion) and Buddhist groups; small groups of
Muslims and Christians
Language: Nepali (official); 20 languages
divided into numerous dialects
Literacy: 20%
Labor force: 4,100,000; 93% agriculture,
5% services, 2% industry; severe lack of
skilled labor
Organized labor: Teachers' Union, not of-
ficially recognized
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Nepal
Type: constitutional monarchy, but King
Birendra exercises control over multitiered
system of government
Capital: Kathmandu
Administrative divisions: 14 zones (anchal,
singular and plural); BagmatI, BherT,
DhawalSgiri, GandakI, Janakpur, Karnall,
KosT, Lumbinl, MahakalT, Mechl,
NarSyanI, Rapt!, Sagarmatha, Set!
Independence: 1768, unified by Prithyi
Narayan Shah
Constitution: 16 December 1962
Legal system: based on Hindu legal con-
cepts and English common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty
the King, 28 December (1945)
Executive branch: monarch, chairman of
the Council of State, Council of State,
prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Rashtriya Panchayat)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
(Sarbochha Adalat)
Leaders: Chief of Stale— King BIREN-
DRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (since 31 Jan-
uary 1972, crowned King 24 February
1985); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DI-
PENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, son of
the King (born 21 June 1971);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Marich Man Singh SHRESTHA (since
15 July 1986)
Political parties and leaders: all political
parties outlawed but operate more or less
openly; Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Ga-
nesh Man Singh, K. P. Bhattarai, G. P.
Koirala
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: National Assembly — last held
on 12 May 1986 (next to be held May
1991); results — all independents since po-
litical parties are officially banned; seats —
(140 total, 112 elected) independents 1 12
Communists: Communist Party of Nepal
(CPN); factions include V. B. Manandhar,
Man Mohan Adhikari/Sahana Pradhan,
Bharat Raj Joshi, Rai Majhi, Tulsi Lai,
Krishna Raj Burma
Other political or pressure groups: numer-
ous small, left-leaning student groups in
the capital; Indian merchants in Tarai and
capital; several small, radical Nepalese
antimonarchist groups operating from
north India
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
I FAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, I MO,
INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, NAM,
SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Mohan Man SAINJU; Chancery at 2131
Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 667-4550; there is a Nepa-
lese Consulate General in New York;
US— Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH;
Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu;
telephone [977] 41 1 179 or 412718, 41 1601
Flag: red with a blue border around the
unique shape of two overlapping right tri-
angles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a
white stylized moon and the larger, lower
triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
Economy
Overview: Nepal is among the poorest and
least developed countries in the world with
a per capita income of only $158. Real
growth averaged 4% in the 1980s until
FY89, when it plunged to 1.5% because of
the ongoing trade/transit dispute with In-
dia. Agriculture is the mainstay of the
economy, providing a livelihood for over
90% of the population and accounting for
60% of GDP and about 75% of exports.
Industrial activity is limited, and what
there is involves the processing of agricul-
tural produce (jute, sugarcane, tobacco,
and grain). Apart from agricultural land
and forests, the only other exploitable nat-
ural resources are mica, hydropower, and
tourism. Despite considerable investment
in the agricultural sector, production in
the 1980s has not kept pace with the pop-
ulation growth of 2.7%, which has led to a
reduction in exportable surpluses and
balance-of-payments difficulties. Economic
prospects for the 1990s remain grim.
GDP: $2.9 billion, per capita $158; real
growth rate 1.5%(FY89)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.1%
(FY89 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5%; underemploy-
ment estimated at 25-40% (1987)
219
Nepal (continued)
Netherlands
Budget: revenues $296 million; expendi-
tures $635 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $394 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $374 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.),
but does not include unrecorded border
trade with India; commodities — clothing,
carpets, leather goods, grain; partners —
India 38%, US 23%, UK 6%, other Eu-
rope 9% (FY88)
Imports: $724 million (c.i.f., FY89 est.);
commodities — petroleum products 20%,
fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%; partners —
India 36%, Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US
1%(FY88)
External debt: $1.3 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —4.5%
(FY89 est.)
Electricity: 205,000 kW capacity; 535 mil-
lion kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: small rice, jute, sugar, and oil-
seed mills; cigarette, textiles, cement,
brick; tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and
90% of work force; farm products — rice,
corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk,
buffalo meat; not self-sufficient in food,
particularly in drought years
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
for the domestic and international drug
markets
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $285 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1980-87), $1.8 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $273 mil-
lion
Currency: Nepalese rupee (plural —
rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100
paisa
Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs)
per US$1— 28.559 (January 1990), 27.189
(1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987),
21.230(1986), 18.246(1985)
Fiscal year: 16 July- 15 July
Communications
Railroads: 52 km (1985), all 0.762-meter
narrow gauge; all in Tarai close to Indian
border; 10 km from Raxaul to Blrganj is
government owned
Highways: 5,958 km total (1986); 2,645
km paved, 8 1 5 km gravel or crushed
stone, 2,257 km improved and unimproved
earth; also 241 km of seasonally motor-
able tracks
Civil air: 5 major and 1 1 minor transport
aircraft
Airports: 38 total, 38 usable; 5 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor telephone and
telegraph service; fair radio communica-
tion and broadcast service; international
radio communication service is poor;
30,000 telephones (1987); stations— 4 AM,
no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Nepalese Army, Royal
Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Po-
lice Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
4,531,660; 2,347,412 fit for military ser-
vice; 225,349 reach military age (17) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 2% of GDP, or $58
million (1989 est.)
"°rth o.n 0
H.lder
Sea
Leauwarden Groningen
V...J
See refionsl mip V
Geography
Total area: 37,290 km2; land area: 33,940
km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries: 1,027 km total; Belgium
450 km, FRG 577 km
Coastline: 45 1 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers
and mild winters
Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and re-
claimed land (polders); some hills in south-
east
Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil,
fertile soil
Land use: 25% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 34% meadows and pastures; 9%
forest and woodland; 31% other; includes
15% irrigated
Environment: 27% of the land area is be-
low sea level and protected from the
North Sea by dikes
Note: located at mouths of three major
European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse,
Schelde)
People
Population: 14,936,032 (July 1990).
growth rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/ 1, 000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/
woman (1990)
220
Nationality: noun — Dutchman(men),
Dutch woman(women); adjective — Dutch
Ethnic divisions: 96% Dutch, 4% Moroc-
cans, Turks, and others (1988)
Religion: 36% Roman Catholic, 27% Prot-
estant, 4% other, 33% unaffiliated (1986)
Language: Dutch
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 5,300,000; 50.1% services,
28.2% manufacturing and construction,
15.9% government, 5.8% agriculture
(1986)
Organized labor: 29% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of the Nether-
lands
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Amsterdam, but government re-
sides at The Hague
Administrative divisions: 1 2 provinces (pro-
vincien, singular — provincie); Drenthe,
Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Gro-
ningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-
Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland,
Zuid-Holland
Dependent areas: Aruba, Netherlands
Antilles
Independence: 1 579 (from Spain)
Constitution: 17 February 1983
Legal system: civil law system incorporat-
ing French penal theory; judicial review in
the Supreme Court of legislation of lower
order rather than Acts of Parliament; ac-
cepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April
(1938)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minis-
ter, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet
of Ministers
Legislative branch: bicameral States Gen-
eral (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper
chamber or First Chamber (Eerste Kamer)
and a lower chamber or Second Chamber
(Tweede Kamer)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (De Hoge
Raad)
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen BEA-
TRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30
April 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-
ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of
Queen Beatrix (born 27 April 1967);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since
4 November 1982); Deputy Prime Minis-
ter Wim KOK (since 2 November 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Christian
Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van
Velzen; Labor (PvdA), Wim Kok; Liberal
(VVD), Joris Voorhoeve; Democrats '66
(D'66), Hans van Mierio; Communist
(CPN), Henk Hoekstra; a host of minor
parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: First Chamber — last held on 9
June 1987 (next to be held 9 June 1991);
results — elected by the country's 12 pro-
vincial councils; seats — (75 total) percent
of seats by party NA;
Second Chamber — last held on 6 Septem-
ber 1989 (next to be held by September
1993); results— CDA 35.3%, PvdA 31.9%,
VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, others 10.3%;
seats— (150 total) CDA 54, PvdA 49,
VVD 22, D'66 12, others 13
Communists: about 6,000
Other political or pressure groups: large
multinational firms; Federation of Nether-
lands Trade Union Movement (comprising
Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a
Protestant trade union; Federation of
Catholic and Protestant Employers Asso-
ciations; the nondenominational Federa-
tion of Netherlands Enterprises; and
IKV — Interchurch Peace Council
Member of: ADB, Benelux, CCC, Council
of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, EIB, EMS,
ESA, ESCAP, FAQ, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA,
IDB — Inter-American Development Bank,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG,
IMF, IMO, INRO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU,
IWC — International Wheat Council (with
respect to interests of the Netherlands
Antilles and Suriname), NATO, OAS (ob-
server), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WEU, WHO,
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Richard H. FEIN; Chancery at 4200 Lin-
nean Avenue NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 244-5300; there
are Dutch Consulates General in Chicago,
Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco; US — Ambassador C. Ho-
ward WILKINS; Embassy at Lange
Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ The Hague
(mailing address APO New York 09159);
telephone [31] (70) 62-49-1 1; there is a US
Consulate General in Amsterdam
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and blue; similar to the flag
of Luxembourg which uses a lighter blue
and is longer
Economy
Overview: This highly developed and af-
fluent economy is based on private enter-
prise. The government makes its presence
felt, however, through many regulations,
permit requirements, and welfare
programs affecting most aspects of eco-
nomic activity. The trade and financial
services sector contributes over 50% of
GDP. Industrial activity, including con-
struction, provides about 25% of GDP,
and is led by the food-processing,
oil-refining, and metal-working industries.
The highly mechanized agricultural sector
employs only 6% of the labor force, but
provides large surpluses for export and the
domestic food-processing industry. An un-
employment rate of over 8.6% and a siz-
able budget deficit are currently the most
serious economic problems.
GDP: $205.9 billion, per capita $13,900;
real growth rate 4.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 8.6% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $71 billion; expenditures
$82 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA billion (1989)
Exports: $1 10.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— agricultural products, processed
foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals,
metal products, textiles, clothing; part-
ners—EC 74.9% (FRG 28.3%, Belgium-
Luxembourg 14.2%, France 10.7%, UK
10.2%), US 4.7% (1 988)
Imports: $100.9 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— raw materials and semifinished
products, consumer goods, transportation
equipment, crude oil, food products; part-
ners—EC 63.8% (FRG 26.5%, Belgium-
Luxembourg 23.1%, UK 8.1%), US 7.9%
(1988)
External debt: none
Industrial production: growth rate 4.8%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 22,216,000 kW capacity;
63,570 million kWh produced, 4,300 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: agroindustries, metal and engi-
neering products, electrical machinery and
equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing,
construction, microelectronics
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; ani-
mal production predominates; crops —
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vege-
tables; shortages of grain, fats, and oils
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $15.8 billion
Currency: Netherlands guilder, gulden, or
florin (plural — guilders, gulden, or florins);
1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.)
= 100 cents
Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gul-
den, or florins (f.) per US$1— 2.2906 (Jan-
uary 1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766 (1988),
2.0257 (1987), 2.4500 (1986), 3.3214
(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
221
Netherlands (continued)
Netherlands Antilles
(part of the Dutch realm)
Communications
Railroads: 3,037 km track (includes 1,871
km electrified and 1,800 km double track;
2,87 1 km 1 .435-meter standard gauge op-
erated by Netherlands Railways (NS); 166
km privately owned
Highways: 108,360 km total; 92,525 km
paved (including 2,185 km of limited ac-
cess, divided highways); 15,835 km gravel,
crushed stone
Inland waterways: 6,340 km, of which
35% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton
capacity or larger
Pipelines: 418 km crude oil; 965 km re-
fined products; 10,230 km natural gas
Ports: maritime — Amsterdam, Delfzijl,
Den Helder, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Ij-
muiden, Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Ter-
neuzen, Vlissingen; inland — 29 ports
Merchant marine: 345 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 2,661,822 CRT/
3,732,282 DWT; includes 2 short-sea pas-
senger, 1 87 cargo, 42 refrigerated cargo,
23 container, 9 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3
livestock carrier, 12 multifunction large-
load carrier, 1 5 petroleum, oils, and lubri-
cants (POL) tanker, 27 chemical tanker,
1 1 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 1
combination ore/oil, 9 bulk, 2 combina-
tion bulk; note — many Dutch-owned ships
are also registered in the captive Nether-
lands Antilles register
Civil air: 98 major transport aircraft
Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 19 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed,
well maintained, and integrated; extensive
system of multiconductor cables, supple-
mented by radio relay links; 9,418,000
telephones; stations — 6 AM, 20 (32 re-
peaters) FM, 21 (8 repeaters) TV; 5 sub-
marine cables; communication satellite
earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1
Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) and
EUTELSAT systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Netherlands Army,
Royal Netherlands Navy/ Marine Corps,
Royal Netherlands Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
4,134,006; 3,660,048 fit for military ser-
vice; 1 1 1 ,948 reach military age (20) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 2.9% of GDP, or
$6.0 billion (1989 est.)
Islands not shown in true
geograph/cat position
Caribbean Sea
Sin/ Maarten
I +£,
Philiptburo"1
Sfbt
Sint Eustatius
Sabana
WILLEMSTAD
See rrfioiul map HI
KralendijE
Bonaire
Geography
Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2;
includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint
Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part
of the island of Saint Martin)
Comparative area: slightly less than 5.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 14 km with Guadeloupe
Coastline: 364 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by northeast
trade winds
Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao
only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use: 8% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 92% other
Environment: Curacao and Bonaire are
south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so
rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba,
and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurri-
canes from July to October
Note: consists of two island groups — Cu-
racao and Bonaire are located off the
coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten,
Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to
the north
People
Population: 183,503 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 1 1 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
79 years female (1990)
222
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Netherlands Antil-
lean(s); adjective — Netherlands Antillean
Ethnic divisions: 85% mixed African; re-
mainder Carib Indian, European, Latin,
and Oriental
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic;
Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: Dutch (official); Papiamento, a
Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect
predominates; English widely spoken;
Spanish
Literacy: 95%
Labor force: 89,000; 65% government,
28% industry and commerce (1983)
Organized labor: 60-70% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: part of the Dutch realm — full au-
tonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954
Capital: Willemstad
Administrative divisions: none (part of the
Dutch realm)
Independence: none (part of the Dutch
realm)
Constitution: 29 December 1954, Statute
of the Realm of the Netherlands, as
amended
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law
system, with some English common law
influence
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April
(1938)
Executive branch: Dutch monarch, gover-
nor, prime minister, vice prime minister,
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: Parliament (Staten)
Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Jus-
tice
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen BEA-
TRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30
April 1980), represented by Governor
General Jaime SALEH (since October
1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Maria LIBERIA-PETERS (since 17 May
1988, previously served from September
1984 to November 1985)
Political parties and leaders: political par-
ties are indigenous to each island: Cu-
raqao — National People's Party (NVP),
Maria Liberia-Peters; New Antilles Move-
ment (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina;
Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Au-
gustus Diaz; Workers' Liberation Front
(FOL), Wilson (Papa) Godett; Socialist
Independent (SI), George Hueck and Nel-
son Monte;
Bonaire — New Force, Rudy Ellis; Demo-
cratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), John Evert
(Jopie) Abraham;
Sint Maarten — Democratic Party of Sint
Maarten, Claude Wathey; Patriotic Move-
ment of Sint Maarten, Romeo Paplophlet;
Sint Eustatius — Democratic Party of Sint
Eustatius, Albert K. Van Putten; Wind-
ward Islands People's Movement (WIPM),
Eric Henriquez;
Saba — Windward Islands People's Move-
ment (WIPM Saba), Will Johnston; Saba
Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon
Hassell; Saba Unity Party, Carmen Sim-
monds
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Parliament — last held on 22
November 1 985 (next to be held Novem-
ber 1989); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats— (22 total) PNP 6, MAN
4, DP-Curacao 3, DP-St. Maarten 3, DP-
Bonaire 2, DP-St. Eustatius 1, FOL 1,
UPB 1, WIPM 1; note— the government
of Prime Minister Maria Liberia-Peters is
a coalition of several parties
Communists: small leftist groups
Member of: EC (associate), INTERPOL;
associated with UN through the Nether-
lands; UPU, WMO
Diplomatic representation: as an autono-
mous part of the Netherlands, Nether-
lands Antillean interests in the US are
represented by the Netherlands; US —
Consul General Sharon P. WILKINSON;
Consulate General at St. Anna Boulevard
19, Willemstad, Curacao (mailing address
P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao);
telephone [599] (9) 6 13066
Flag: white with a horizontal blue stripe
in the center superimposed on a vertical
red band also centered; five white five-
pointed stars are arranged in an oval pat-
tern in the center of the blue band; the
five stars represent the five main islands of
Bonaire, Curasao, Saba, Sint Eustatius,
and Sint Maarten
Economy
Overview: Tourism, petroleum refining,
and offshore finance are the mainstays of
the economy. The islands enjoy a compar-
atively high per capita income and a well-
developed infrastructure compared with
other countries in the region. Unlike many
Latin American countries, the Nether-
lands Antilles has avoided large interna-
tional debt. Almost all consumer and capi-
tal goods are imported, with the US being
the major supplier. The economy has suf-
fered somewhat in recent years because of
the depressed state of the world oil market
and declining tax revenues. In 1983 the
drop in oil prices led to the devaluation of
the Venezuelan bolivar, which ended a
substantial flow of Venezuelan tourists to
the islands. As a result of a decline in tax
revenues, the government has been seek-
ing financial support from the Nether-
lands.
GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $5,500; real
growth rate 3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 26.0% (1988)
Budget: revenues $180 million; expendi-
tures $289 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1987 est.)
Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum products 98%; part-
ners—US 55%, UK 7%, Jamaica 5%
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— crude petroleum 64%, food,
manufactures; partners — Venezuela 52%,
Nigeria 15%, US 12%
External debt: $701.2 million (December
1987)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 125,000 kW capacity; 365 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1,990 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism (Curacao and Sint
Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao),
petroleum transshipment facilities (Cu-
racao and Bonaire), light manufacturing
(Curacao)
Agriculture: hampered by poor soils and
scarcity of water; chief products — aloes,
sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropi-
cal fruit; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
79), $353 million
Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder,
gulden, or florin (plural — guilders, gulden,
or florins); 1 Netherlands Antillean guil-
der, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean
guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per
US$1— 1.80 (fixed rate since 1971)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 950 km total; 300 km paved,
650 km gravel and earth
Ports: Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralen-
dijk
Merchant marine: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 418,206 GRT/414,325
DWT; includes 4 passenger, 1 9 cargo, 5
refrigerated cargo, 7 container, 4 roll-on/
roll-off cargo, 6 multifunction large-load
carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 2 lique-
fied gas, 2 bulk; note — all but a few are
foreign owned
223
Netherlands Antilles (continued)
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 7 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: generally adequate
facilities; extensive interisland radio relay
links; stations— 9 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 2
submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations
Defense Forces
Military Manpower: males 15-49 49,299;
27,888 fit for military service; 1,678 reach
military age (20) annually
Note: defense is responsibility of the
Netherlands
New Caledonia
(overseas territory of France)
150fcm
Coral Sea
lies
Loyaute
Coral Sea
Sre rrgionil map \
I/O des Pins
Islands of Huon and
Chesterfield are not shown
Geography
Total area: 19,060 km2; land area: 18,760
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
New Jersey
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 2,254 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast
trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain: coastal plains with interior moun-
tains
Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron,
cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, cop-
per
Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL%
permanent crops; 14% meadows and pas-
tures; 51% forest and woodland; 35%
other
Environment: typhoons most frequent from
November to March
Note: located 1,750 km east of Australia
in the South Pacific Ocean
People
Population: 153,215 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 7 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male,
71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — New Caledonian(s);
adjective — New Caledonian
Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 42.5%, Euro-
pean 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian
3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%,
other 3.0%
Religion: over 60% Roman Catholic, 30%
Protestant, 10% other
Language: French; Melanesian-Polynesian
dialects
Labor force: 50,469; foreign workers for
plantations and mines from Wallis and
Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia
(1980est.)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Territory of New Cale-
donia and Dependencies
Type: overseas territory of France
Capital: Noumea
Administrative divisions: none (overseas
territory of France)
Independence: none (overseas territory of
France); note — a referendum on indepen-
dence will be held in 1998 (there will be a
review of the issue in 1992)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords
grant substantial autonomy to the islands;
formerly under French law
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille,
14 July (1789)
Executive branch: high commissioner,
Consultative Committee (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial
Assembly
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State — President Fran-
cois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
1981);
Head of Government High Commissioner
and President of the Council of Govern-
ment Bernard GRASSET (since 15 July
1988)
Political parties: white-dominated Ras-
semblement pour la Caledonie dans la
Republique (RPCR), conservative; Mela-
nesian proindependence Kanak Socialist
National Liberation Front (FLNKS); Me-
lanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Libera-
tion (LKS); National Front (FN), extreme
right; Caledonian Separatist Front, ex-
treme left
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: Territorial Congress — last held
NA June 1989 (next to be held NA 1993);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19,
FN 3, others 5;
French Senate — last held 24 September
1989 (next to be held September 1992);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (1 total) RPCR 1;
224
New Zealand
French National Assembly — last held 5
and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June
1 993); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (2 total) RPCR 2
Communists: number unknown; Palita ex-
treme left party; some politically active
Communists deported during 1950s; small
number of North Vietnamese
Member of: EIB (associate), WFTU,
WMO
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas
territory of France, New Caledonian in-
terests are represented in the US by
France
Flag: the flag of France is used
Economy
Overview: New Caledonia has more than
40% of the world's known nickel
resources. In recent years the economy
has suffered because of depressed interna-
tional demand for nickel, the principal
source of export earnings. Only a negligi-
ble amount of the land is suitable for cul-
tivation, and food accounts for about 25%
of imports.
GNP: $860 million, per capita $5,810;
real growth rate 2.4%. (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5%
(1986)
Unemployment rate: 6.2% (1983)
Budget: revenues $1 10.5 million; expendi-
tures $110.5 million, including capital ex-
penditures of N A (1981)
Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— nickel metal 87%, nickel ore;
partners — France 56.3%, Japan
Imports: $180 million (c.i.f., 1986); com-
modities— foods, fuels, minerals,
machines, electrical equipment; partners —
France 50.3%, Australia
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 2,200
million kWh produced, 14,440 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: nickel mining
Agriculture: large areas devoted to cattle
grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables;
60% self-sufficient in beef
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $3.6 billion
Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Paci-
fique franc (plural — francs); 1 CFP franc
(CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du
Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 —
104.71 (January 1990), 115.99(1989),
108.30(1988), 109.27(1987), 125.92
(1986), 163.35 (1985); note— linked at the
rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 5,448 km total; 558 km paved,
2,251 km improved earth, 2,639 km unim-
proved earth
Ports: Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 29 total, 27 usable; 5 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 32,578 telephones
(1987); stations— 5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1
Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
Kermadec
Islands '
Greymouth
South
Pacific
Ocean
Tasman
Sea \Lj\ North Island
Auckland
New Plymouth
Christchurch
t
South Island
Dunedin
"p Chatham
* Islands
Set regional map \
Geography
Total area: 268,680 km2; land area:
268,670 km2; includes Antipodes Islands,
Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Camp-
bell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kerma-
dec Islands
Comparative area: about the size of Colo-
rado
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 15,134 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica
(Ross Dependency)
Climate: temperate with sharp regional
contrasts
Terrain: predominately mountainous with
some large coastal plains
Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore,
sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold,
limestone
Land use: 2% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 53% meadows and pastures; 38%
forest and woodland; 7% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: earthquakes are common,
though usually not severe
People
Population: 3,295,866 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —3 migrant/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 0 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
78 years female (1990)
225
New Zealand (continued)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — New Zealander(s); ad-
jective— New Zealand
Ethnic divisions: 88% European, 8.9%
Maori, 2.9% Pacific Islander, 0.2% other
Religion: 81% Christian, 18% none or un-
specified, 1% Hindu, Confucian, and other
Language: English (official), Maori
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 1,591,900; 67.4% services,
19.8% manufacturing, 9.3% primary pro-
duction (1987)
Organized labor 681,000 members; 43%
of labor force (1986)
Government
Long-form name: none; abbreviated NZ
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Wellington
Administrative divisions: 93 counties, 9
districts*, and 3 town districts**; Akaroa,
Amuri, Ashburton, Bay of Islands, Bruce,
Buller, Chatham Islands, Cheviot, Clifton,
Clutha, Cook, Dannevirke, Egmont, Eke-
tahuna, Ellesmere, Eltham, Eyre, Feather-
ston. Franklin, Golden Bay, Great Barrier
Island, Grey, Hauraki Plains, Hawera*,
Hawke's Bay, Heathcote, Hikurangi**,
Hobson, Hokianga, Horowhenua, Huru-
nui, Hutt, Inangahua, Inglewood, Kai-
koura, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Lake, Macken-
zie, Malvern, Manaia**, Manawatu,
Mangonui, Maniototo, Marlborough,
Masterton, Matamata, Mount Herbert,
Ohinemuri, Opotiki, Oroua, Otamatea,
Otorohanga*, Oxford, Pahiatua, Paparua,
Patea, Piako, Pohangina, Raglan,
Rangiora*, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua*,
Runanga, Saint Kilda, Silverpeaks, South-
land, Stewart Island, Stratford, Strathal-
lan, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo, Tau-
ranga, Thames-Coromandel*, Tuapeka,
Vincent, Waiapu, Waiheke, Waihemo,
Waikato, Waikohu, Waimairi, Waima-
rino, Waimate, Waimate West, Waimea,
Waipa, Waipawa*, Waipukurau*, Waira-
rapa South, Wairewa, Wairoa, Waitaki,
Waitomo*, Waitotara, Wallace, Wanga-
nui, Waverley**, Westland, Whakatane*,
Whangarei, Whangaroa, Woodville
Dependent areas: Cook Islands, Niue, To-
kelau
Independence: 26 September 1907 (from
UK)
Constitution: no formal, written constitu-
tion; consists of various documents, in-
cluding certain acts of the UK and New
Zealand Parliaments; Constitution Act
1986 was to have come into force 1 Janu-
ary 1987, but has not been enacted
Legal system: based on English law, with
special land legislation and land courts for
Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion, with reservations
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of
Waitangi established British sovereignty),
6 February (1840)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Representatives (commonly called Parlia-
ment)
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Ap-
peal
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II ( since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General The Most
Rev. Sir Paul REEVES (since 20 Novem-
ber 1985);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Geoffrey PALMER (since 8 August
1989); Deputy Prime Minister Helen
CLARK (since 8 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: New Zealand
Labor Party (NZLP; government),
Geoffrey Palmer; National Party (NP;
opposition), Jim Bolger; Democratic Party,
Neil Morrison; Socialist Unity Party
(SUP; pro-Soviet), Ken Douglas
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives — last
held on 15 August 1987 (next to be held
by August 1990); results— LP 47%, NP
45%, DP 6%; seats— (97 total) LP 58, NP
39
Communists: SUP about 1 40, other
groups, about 200
Member of: ADB, ANZUS, ASPAC,
CCC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth,
DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, OECD,
SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Harold Huyton FRANCIS; Chancery at
37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-4800;
there are New Zealand Consulates Gen-
eral in Los Angeles and New York; US —
Ambassador Delia NEWMAN; Embassy
at 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon,
Wellington (mailing address is Private
Bag, Wellington, or FPO San Francisco
96690-0001); telephone [64] (4) 722-068;
there is a US Consulate General in Auck-
land
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant with four red
five-pointed stars edged in white centered
in the outer half of the flag; the stars rep-
resent the Southern Cross constellation
Economy
Overview: Since 1984 the government has
been reorienting an agrarian economy de-
pendent on a guaranteed British market to
an open free market economy that can
compete on the global scene. The govern-
ment has hoped that dynamic growth
would boost real incomes, reduce infla-
tionary pressures, and permit the expan-
sion of welfare benefits. The results have
been mixed: inflation is down from
double-digit levels but growth has been
sluggish and unemployment, always a
highly sensitive issue, has been at a record
high 7.4%. In 1988 GDP fell by 1% and
in 1989 grew by a moderate 2.4%.
GDP: $39.1 billion, per capita $1 1,600;
real growth rate 2.4% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues SI 8.6 billion; expendi-
tures SI 9.1 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of SNA (FY90 est.)
Exports: $8.9 billion (f.o.b., FY89); com-
modities— wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fruit,
fish, cheese, manufactures, chemicals, fo-
resty products; partners — EC 18.3%, Ja-
pan 17.9%, Australia 17.5%, US 13.5%,
China 3.6%, South Korea 3.1%
Imports: $7.5 billion (c.i.f., FY89); com-
modities— petroleum, consumer goods,
motor vehicles, industrial equipment; van-
new— Australia 19.7%, Japan 16.9%, EC
16.9%, US 15.3%, Taiwan 3.0%
External debt: $17.0 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate — 1 .6%
(FY88)
Electricity: 7,800,000 kW capacity;
27,600 million kWh produced, 8,190 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, wood and pa-
per products, textiles, machinery, trans-
portation equipment, banking and insur-
ance, tourism, mining
Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of
GNP and 10% of the work force; livestock
predominates — wool, meat, dairy products
all export earners; crops — wheat, barley,
potatoes, pulses, fruits, and vegetables;
surplus producer of farm products; fish
catch reached a record 431,000 metric
tons in 1987
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $448 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZS) =
100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars
(NZ$)per US$1— 1.6581 (January 1990),
1.6708(1989), 1.5244(1988), 1.6886
(1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 4,716 km total; all 1.067-meter
gauge; 274 km double track; 1 1 3 km elec-
trified; over 99% government owned
Highways: 92,648 km total; 49,547 km
paved, 43,101 km gravel or crushed stone
226
Nicaragua
Inland waterways: 1,609 km; of little im-
portance to transportation
Pipelines: 1,000 km natural gas; 160 km
refined products; 1 50 km condensate
Ports: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin,
Wellington, Tauranga
Merchant marine: 18 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 190,553 GRT/257,782
DWT; includes 1 cargo, 2 container, 4
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 railcar carrier, 4
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, I liquefied gas, 5 bulk
Civil air: about 40 major transport aircraft
Airports: 157 total, 157 usable; 33 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 47 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent interna-
tional and domestic systems; 2,1 10,000
telephones; stations 64 AM, 2 FM, 14
TV; submarine cables extend to Australia
and Fiji; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
earth stations
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal New Zealand Navy,
New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand
Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 872,336;
740,207 fit for military service; 29,532
reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GDP, or
$820 million (1989 est.)
North
Pacific
Ocean
See regional map HI
Geography
Total area: 129,494 km2; land area:
120,254km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
New York State
Land boundaries: 1,231 km total; Costa
Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Coastline: 910 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 25 nm security zone
(status of claim uncertain)
Continental shelf: not specified
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: territorial disputes with Colom-
bia over the Archipelago de San Andres y
Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank
Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in
highlands
Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains
rising to central interior mountains; nar-
row Pacific coastal plain interrupted by
volcanoes
Natural resources: gold, silver, copper,
tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use: 9% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 43% meadows and pastures; 35%
forest and woodland; 12% other; including
1% irrigated
Environment: subject to destructive earth-
quakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occa-
sional severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil
erosion; water pollution
People
Population: 3,722,683 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 40 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 3 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male,
62 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Nicaraguan(s); adjec-
tive— Nicaraguan
Ethnic divisions: 69% mestizo, 1 7% white,
9% black, 5% Indian
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 5% Prot-
estant
Language: Spanish (official); English- and
Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic
coast
Literacy: 88% (1981)
Labor force: 1,086,000; 43% service, 44%
agriculture, 13% industry (1986)
Organized labor: 35% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Nicaragua
Type: republic
Capital: Managua
Administrative divisions: 9 administrative
regions encompassing 1 7 departments (de-
partamentos, singular — departamento);
North, Atlantic Coast, South, Atlantic
Coast, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chon-
tales, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Leon,
Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa,
Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from
Spain)
Constitution: January 1987
Legal system: civil law system; Supreme
Court may review administrative acts
National holiday: Independence Day, 15
September (1821)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: National Assembly
(Asamblea Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte
Suprema) and municipal courts
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President-Elect Violeta Barios
de CHAMORRO (since 25 February
1990; takes office 25 April 1990); Vice
President-elect Virgilio GODOY (since 25
February 1990; takes office 25 April 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
Ruling coalition: National Opposition
Union (UNO) — 14 party alliance: Na-
tional Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano
Matamoros; Conservative Popular Alli-
ance Party (PAPC), Miriam Arguello; Na-
tional Conservative Action Party (PANC),
Hernaldo Zuniga; National Democratic
Confidence Party (PDCN), Augustin Jar-
quin; Independent Liberal Party (PLI),
Virgilio Godoy; Neo-Liberal Party
(PALI), Andres Zuniga; Liberal Constitu-
tionalist Party (PLC), Jose Ernesto So-
marriba; National Action Party (PAN),
F.duardo Rivas; Nicaraguan Socialist
Party (PSN), Gustavo Tablada; Commu-
227
Nicaragua (continued)
nist Party of Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli AI-
timirano; Popular Social Christian Party
(PPSC), Luis Humberto; Nicaraguan
Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto
Urroz; Social Democratic Party (PSD),
Guillermo Potoy; Central American Inte-
grationist Party (PIAC), Alejandro Perez;
Opposition parties: Sandinista National
Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel Ortega;
Central American Unionist Party
(PUCA), Blanca Rojas; Democratic Con-
servative Party of Nicaragua (PGDN),
Jose Brenes; Liberal Party of National
Unity (PLUIN), Eduardo Coronado;
Movement of Revolutionary Unity
(MUR), Francisco Samper; Social Chris-
tian Party (PSC), Erick Ramirez; Revolu-
tionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio
Miranda; Social Conservative Party
(PSOC), Fernando Aguerro; Popular Ac-
tion Movement — Marxist-Leninist (MAP-
ML), Isidro Tellez; Popular Social Chris-
tian Party (PPSC), Mauricio Diaz,
Suffrage: universal at age 16
Elections: President — last held on 25 Feb-
ruary 1 990 (next to be held February
1996); results— Violeta Barrios de Cha-
morro (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel Ortega Saa-
vedra (FSLN) 40.8%, others 4.5%;
National Constituent Assembly — last held
on 25 February 1990 (next to be held Feb-
ruary 1996); results— UNO 53.9%, FSLN
40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%; seats— (92
total) UNO 51, FSLN 39, PSC 1, MUR
1
Communists: FSLN— 35,000; other Com-
munists— 1 5,000-20,000
Other political or pressure groups: Perma-
nent Congress of Workers (CPT), Confed-
eration of Labor Unification (CUS), Au-
tonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central
(CTN-A), Independent General Confeder-
ation of Workers (CTG-I), Communist
Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS),
Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CST); Su-
perior Council of Private Enterprise
(COSEP) is an umbrella group of 1 1 dif-
ferent business groups, including the
Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of
Industry, and the Nicaraguan Develop-
ment Institute (INDE)
Member of: CACM, CEMA (observer),
FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB— Inter-
American Development Bank, I FAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITU,
NAM, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA,
UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Charge d'Af-
faires Leonor Arguello de HUPER; Chan-
cery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue
NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone
(202) 387-4371 or 4372; US— Charge
d'Affaires John P. LEONARD; Embassy
at Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua
(mailing address is APO Miami 34021);
telephone [505] (2) 66010 or 66013, 66015
through 66018, 66026, 66027, 66032
through 66034; note — Nicaragua expelled
the US Ambassador on 1 1 July 1988, and
the US expelled the Nicaraguan Ambas-
sador on 12 July 1988
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue
(top), white, and blue with the national
coat of arms centered in the white band;
the coat of arms features a triangle encir-
cled by the words REPUBLICA DE NIC-
ARAGUA on the top and AMERICA
CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the
flag of El Salvador which features a round
emblem encircled by the words REPU-
BLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA
AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the
white band; also similar to the flag of
Honduras, which has five blue stars ar-
ranged in an X pattern centered in the
white band
Economy
Overview: Government control of the econ-
omy historically has been extensive, al-
though the new government has pledged
to reduce it. The financial system is di-
rectly controlled by the state, which also
regulates wholesale purchasing, produc-
tion, sales, foreign trade, and distribution
of most goods. Over 50% of the agricul-
tural and industrial firms are state owned.
Sandinista economic policies and the war
have produced a severe economic crisis.
The foundation of the economy continues
to be the export of agricultural commodi-
ties, largely coffee and cotton. Farm pro-
duction fell by roughly 7% in 1989, the
fifth successive year of decline. The agri-
cultural sector employs 44% of the work
force and accounts for 23% of GDP and
86% of export earnings. Industry, which
employs 1 3% of the work force and con-
tributes 26% to GDP, showed a sharp
drop of —23% in 1988 and remains below
pre-1979 levels. External debt is one of
the highest in the world on a per capita
basis. In 1989 the annual inflation rate
was 1,700%, down from a record 16,000%
in 1988. Shortages of basic consumer
goods are widespread.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $470; real
growth rate -5.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 ,700%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1989)
Budget: revenues $0.9 billion; expenditures
$1.4 billion, including capital expenditures
of $0.15 billion (1987)
Exports: $250 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — coffee, cotton, sugar, ba-
nanas, seafood, meat, chemicals;
partners— CEMA 15%, OECD 75%, oth-
ers 10%
Imports: $550 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities — petroleum, food, chemicals,
machinery, clothing; partners — CEMA
55%, EC 20%, Latin America 10%, others
10%
External debt: $8 billion (year end 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate —23%
(1988 est.)
Electricity: 415,000 kW capacity; 1,340
million kWh produced, 380 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: food processing, chemicals,
metal products, textiles, clothing, petro-
leum refining and distribution, beverages,
footwear
Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP and
44% of work force; cash crops — coffee,
bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops —
rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans; va-
riety of animal products — beef, veal, pork,
poultry, dairy; while normally
self-sufficient in food, war-induced short-
ages now exist
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-82), $290 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1 970-87), $981 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $3.3 bil-
lion
Currency: c6rdoba (plural — cordobas); 1
cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: cordobas (C$) per
US$1— 65,000 (February 1990) is the free
market rate; official rate is 46,000 (Feb-
ruary 1990), 270 (1988), 0.103 (1987),
0.097(1986), 0.039(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 373 km 1.067-meter gauge,
government owned; majority of system not
operating; 3 km 1 .435-meter gauge line at
Puerto Cabezas (does not connect with
mainline)
Highways: 25,930 km total; 4,000 km
paved (includes all 2,170 km gravel or
crushed stone, 5,425 km earth or graded
earth, 14,335 km unimproved, 368.5 km
of the Pan-American highway)
Inland waterways: 2,220 km, including 2
large lakes
Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km
Ports: Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas,
Puerto Sandino, Rama
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 2,161 GRT/2,500
DWT
Civil air 12 major transport aircraft
Airports: 261 total, 169 usable; 9 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
228
Niger
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: low-capacity radio
relay and wire system being expanded;
connection into Central American Micro-
wave System; 60,000 telephones;
stations— 45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 short-
wave; satellite earth stations — 1 Intersput-
nik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Sandinista Popular Army, San-
dinista Navy, Sandinista Air Force/Air
Defense, Sandinista People's Militia
Military manpower: males 15-49, 747,144;
459,333 fit for military service; 44,213
reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA
500km
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 1,267,000 km2; land area:
1,266,700km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 5,697 km total; Algeria
956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina 628 km,
Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821
km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 km2
in northern Niger; exact locations of the
Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-
Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not
been determined, so the boundary has not
been demarcated and border incidents
have resulted; Burkina and Mali are pro-
ceeding with boundary demarcation, in-
cluding the tripoint with Niger
Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty;
tropical in extreme south
Terrain: predominately desert plains and
sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south;
hills in north
Natural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore,
tin, phosphates
Land use: 3% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 2% for-
est and woodland; 88% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recurrent drought and deser-
tification severely affecting marginal agri-
cultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 7,969,309 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 52 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 3 1 deaths/ 1 ,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male,
53 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Nigerien(s) adjective —
Nigerien
Ethnic divisions: 56% Hausa; 22%
Djerma; 8.5% Fula; 8% Tuareg; 4.3% Beri
Beri (Kanouri); 1.2% Arab, Toubou, and
Gourmantche; about 4,000 French expa-
triates
Religion: 80% Muslim, remainder indige-
nous beliefs and Christians
Language: French (official); Hausa,
Djerma
Literacy: 13.9%
Labor force: 2,500,000 wage earners
(1982); 90% agriculture, 6% industry and
commerce, 4% government; 51% of popu-
lation of working age (1985)
Organized labor: negligible
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Niger
Type: republic; presidential system in
which military officers hold key offices
Capital: Niamey
Administrative divisions: 7 departments
(departements, singular — departement);
Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey,
Tahoua, Zinder
Independence: 3 August 1 960 (from
France)
Constitution: adopted NA December 1989
after 1 5 years of military rule
Legal system: based on French civil law
system and customary law; has not ac-
cepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holidays: Republic Day, 18 De-
cember (1958)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Development
Council
Judicial branch: State Court (Cour d'Etat),
Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Brig.
Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November
1987);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
ALIOU MAHAMIDA (since 2 March
1990)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
National Movement for the Development
Society (MNSD), leader NA
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
Elections: President — last held December
1989 (next to be held NA 1996); results-
President Ali Saibou was reelected with-
out opposition;
National Development Council — last held
December 1989 (next to be held NA
229
Niger (continued)
Nigeria
1994); results— MNSD is the only party;
seats— (150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly
elected)
Communists: no Communist party; some
sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC,
CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, En-
tente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IDB — Islamic Development
Bank, I FAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU,
Lake Chad Basin Commission, Niger
River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM,
QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE;
Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Wash-
ington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-
4224 through 4227; US— Ambassador
Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue
des Ambassadeurs, Niamey (mailing ad-
dress is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone
[227] 72-26-61 through 64 and 72-26-70
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of or-
ange (top), white, and green with a small
orange disk (representing the sun) centered
in the white band; similar to the flag of
India which has a blue, spoked wheel cen-
tered in the white band
Economy
Overview: About 90% of the population is
engaged in farming and stock rearing, ac-
tivities which generate almost half of the
national income. The economy also de-
pends heavily on exploitation of large ura-
nium deposits. Uranium production grew
rapidly in the mid-1970s, but tapered off
in the early 1 980s, when world prices de-
clined. France is a major customer, while
FRG, Japan, and Spain also make regular
purchases. The depressed demand for ura-
nium has contributed to an overall slug-
gishness in the economy, a severe trade
imbalance, and a mounting external debt.
GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $330; real
growth rate 7.1% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): — 1 .4%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $254 million; expendi-
tures $510 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $239 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $371 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — uranium 76%, livestock,
cowpeas, onions, hides, skins; partners —
NA
Imports: $441 million (e.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities — petroleum products, pri-
mary materials, machinery, vehicles and
parts, electronic equipment, pharmaceuti-
cals, chemical products, cereals, foodstuffs
External debt: $1.8 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.7%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 102,000 kW capacity; 225 mil-
lion kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: cement, brick, rice mills, small
cotton gins, oilseed presses, slaughter-
houses, and a few other small light indus-
tries; uranium production began in 1971
Agriculture: accounts for roughly 40% of
GDP and 90% of labor force; cash
crops — cowpeas, cotton, peanuts; food
crops — millet, sorghum, cassava, rice; live-
stock— cattle, sheep, goats; self-sufficient
in food except in drought years
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $349 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $2.8 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 mil-
lion; Communist countries (1970-88), $61
million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine 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: 1 October-30 September
Communications
Highways: 39,970 km total; 3,170 km bi-
tuminous, 10,330 km gravel and laterite,
3,470 km earthen, 23,000 km tracks
Inland waterways: Niger river is navigable
300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Be-
nin frontier from mid-December through
March
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 31 total, 29 usable; 7 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: small system of wire,
radiocommunications, and radio relay
links concentrated in southwestern area;
1 1,900 telephones; stations— 15 AM, 5
FM, 16 TV; satellite earth stations — 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT, and 4 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, paramilitary
Gendarmerie, paramilitary Republican
Guard, paramilitary Presidential Guard,
paramilitary National Police
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1 ,656,466; 894,095 fit for military service;
87,478 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $20.6 million (1988)
300km
LAG
Bight ol
Benin
Gulf of Guinea
See regional imp VII
Geography
Total area: 923,770 km2; land area:
910,770 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of California
Land boundaries: 4,047 km total; Benin
773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87
km, Niger 1,497 km
Coastline: 853 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 30 nm
Disputes: exact locations of the
Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-
Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not
been determined, so the boundary has not
been demarcated and border incidents
have resulted; Nigerian proposals to re-
open maritime boundary negotiations and
redemarcate the entire land boundary
have been rejected by Cameroon
Climate: varies — equatorial in south, tropi-
cal in center, arid in north
Terrain: southern lowlands merge into
central hills and plateaus; mountains in
southeast, plains in north
Natural resources: crude oil, tin, colum-
bite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc,
natural gas
Land use: 31% arable land; 3% permanent
crops; 23% meadows and pastures; 1 5%
forest and woodland; 28% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recent droughts in north se-
verely affecting marginal agricultural ac-
tivities; desertification; soil degradation,
rapid deforestation
People
Population: 1 18,819,377 (July 1990),
growth rate 3.0% (1 990)
Birth rate: 46 births/ 1, 000 population
(1990)
230
Death rate: 1 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/ 1 ,000 popu-
lation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 19 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male,
49 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Nigerian(s);
adjective — Nigerian
Ethnic divisions: more than 250 tribal
groups; Hausa and Fulani of the north,
Yoruba of the southwest, and Ibos of the
southeast make up 65% of the population;
about 27,000 non-Africans
Religion: 50% Muslim, 40% Christian,
10% indigenous beliefs
Language: English (official); Hausa, Yo-
ruba, Ibo, Fulani, and several other lan-
guages also widely used
Literacy: 42.4%
Labor force: 42,844,000; 54% agriculture,
19% industry, commerce, and services,
1 5% government; 49% of population of
working age (1985)
Organized labor: 3,520,000 wage earners
belong to 42 recognized trade unions,
which come under a single national labor
federation — the Nigerian Labor Congress
(NLC)
Government
Long-form name: Federal Republic of Ni-
geria
Type: military government since 31 De-
cember 1983
Capital: Lagos
Administrative divisions: 21 states and 1
territory*; Abuja Capital Territory*,
Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bendel,
Benue, Borno, Cross River, Gongola, Imo,
Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos,
Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers,
Sokoto
Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)
Constitution: 1 October 1979, amended 9
February 1984, revised 1989
Legal system: based on English common
law, Islamic, and tribal law
National holiday: Independence Day, 1
October (1960)
Executive branch: president of the Armed
Forces Ruling Council, Armed Forces
Ruling Council, National Council of
State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Assembly
was dissolved after the military coup of 31
December 1983
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal
Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President and Commander in
Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Ibrahim BA-
BANGIDA (since 27 August 1985)
Political parties and leaders: two political
parties established by the government in
1989 — Social Democratic Party (SDP)
and National Republican Convention
(NRC)
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President— scheduled for 1 Oc-
tober 1992
Communists: the pro-Communist under-
ground consists of a small fraction of the
Nigerian left; leftist leaders are prominent
in the country's central labor organization
but have little influence on government
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC,
Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO,
G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMO, IMF,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO,
ITC, ITU, IWC— International Wheat
Council, Lake Chad Basin Commission,
Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU,
OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Hamzat AHMADU; Chancery at 2201 M
Street NW, Washington DC 20037; tele-
phone (202) 822-1500; there are Nigerian
Consulates General in Atlanta, New York
and San Francisco; US — Ambassador
Lannon WALKER; Embassy at 2 Eleke
Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos (mailing
address is P. O. Box 554, Lagos); tele-
phone [234] (1) 610097; there is a US
Consulate General in Kaduna
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green
(hoist side), white, and green
Economy
Overview: In 1989, despite rising oil prices,
the economic performance failed to meet
government expectations because of higher
inflationary pressures fueled by a rela-
tively poor agricultural performance. Ag-
ricultural production was up only 4% fol-
lowing a 10% decline in 1988, and
manufacturing remained below the 1985
level with only a 6% increase. The govern-
ment is continuing an economic adjust-
ment program to reduce Nigeria's depen-
dence on oil and to help create a basis for
sustainable noninflationary growth.
GNP: $30.0 billion, per capita $270; real
growth rate 4% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 47.5%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $6.5 billion; expenditures
$7.4 billion, including capital expenditures
of $1.9 billion (1988 est.)
Exports: $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — oil 95%, cocoa, palm ker-
nels, rubber; partners— EC 51%, US 32%
Imports: $5.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities — consumer goods, capital
equipment, chemicals, raw materials; part-
ners—EC, US
External debt: $32 billion, medium and
long-term (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5%
(1987 est.)
Electricity: 4,737,000 kW capacity;
11,270 million kWh produced, 100 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: mining — crude oil, natural gas,
coal, tin, columbite; primary processing
industries — palm oil, peanut, cotton, rub-
ber, petroleum, wood, hides and skins;
manufacturing industries — textiles, ce-
ment, building materials, food products,
footwear, chemical, printing, ceramics,
steel
Agriculture: accounts for 28% of GNP
and half of labor force; inefficient small-
scale farming dominates; once a large net
exporter of food and now an importer;
cash crops — cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, rub-
ber; food crops — corn, rice, sorghum, mil-
let, cassava, yams; livestock — cattle,
sheep, goats, pigs; fishing and forestry re-
sources extensively exploited
Illicit drugs: illicit heroin and some co-
caine trafficking; marijuana cultivation for
domestic consumption and export; major
transit country for heroin en route from
Southwest Asia via Africa to Western Eu-
rope and the US; growing transit route for
cocaine from South America via West
Africa to Western Europe and the US
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $662 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.9 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $2.2 bil-
lion
Currency: naira (plural — naira); 1 naira
(N) = 100 kobo
Exchange rates: naira (N) per US$1 —
7.6221 (December 1989), 7.3647 (1989),
4.5370 (1988), 4.0160 (1987), 1.7545
(1986), 0.8938 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 3,505 km 1 .067-meter gauge
Highways: 107,990 km total 30,019 km
paved (mostly bituminous-surface treat-
ment); 25,411 km laterite, gravel, crushed
stone, improved earth; 52,560 km unim-
proved
Inland waterways: 8,575 km consisting of
Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller riv-
ers and creeks
Pipelines: 2,042 km crude oil; 500 km nat-
ural gas; 3,000 km refined products
Ports: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar,
Warri, Onne, Sapele
231
Nigeria (continued)
Merchant marine: 28 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 428,1 16 GRT/680,343
DWT; includes 19 cargo, 1 refrigerated, 1
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 petroleum, oils,
and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical
tanker, 1 bulk
Civil ain 76 major transport aircraft
Airports: 84 total, 72 usable; 32 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: above-average sys-
tem limited by poor maintenance; major
expansion in progress; radio relay and ca-
ble routes; 155,000 telephones; stations —
37 AM, 19 FM, 38 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT, domestic, with 19 stations; 1
coaxial submarine cable
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, para-
military Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
27,282,248; 15,587,485 fit for military
service; 1,263,883 reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures: 1% of GNP, or
$300 million (1990 est.)
Niue
(free association with New Zealand)
f rreiuna) map \
Geography
Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 64 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast
trade winds
Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast,
central plateau
Natural resources: fish, arable land
Land use: 61% arable land; 4% permanent
crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 19%
forest and woodland; 1 2% other
Environment: subject to typhoons
Note: one of world's largest coral islands;
located about 460 km east of Tonga
People
Population: 2,019 (July 1990), growth rate
NA(1990)
Birth rate: NA births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: N A deaths/ 1 ,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male,
N A years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Niuean(s); adjective —
Niuean
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, with some
200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans
Religion: 75% Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean
Church) — a Protestant church closely re-
lated to the London Missionary Society,
10% Mormon, 5% Roman Catholic, Jeho-
vah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: Polynesian tongue closely re-
lated to Tongan and Samoan; English
Literacy: NA%, but education compulsory
between 5 and 1 4 years of age
Labor force: 1,000 (1981 est.); most work
on family plantations; paid work exists
only in government service, small indus-
try, and the Niue Development Board
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: self-governing territory in free asso-
ciation with New Zealand
Capital: Alofi
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: none (self-governing terri-
tory in free association with New Zea-
land)
Constitution: no formal, written constitu-
tion
Legal system: English common law
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of
Waitangi established British sovereignty),
6 February (1840)
Executive branch: British monarch, pre-
mier, Cabinet
Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Appeal Court of New
Zealand, High Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by New Zealand Representative
John SPRINGFORD (since 1974);
Head of Government — Premier Sir Robert
R. REX (since NA October 1974)
Suffrage: universal adult at age 1 8
Political parties and leaders: Niue People's
Action Party, leader NA
Elections: Legislative Assembly — last held
on 28 March 1987 (next to be held NA
1990); results — percent of vote NA;
seats — (20 total, 6 elected) independents 5,
Niue People's Action Party 1
Member of: ESCAP (associate member),
SPF
Diplomatic representation: none
(self-governing territory in free association
with New Zealand)
Flag: yellow with the flag of the UK in
the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of
the UK bears five yellow five-pointed
stars — a large one on a blue disk in the
center and a smaller one on each arm of
the bold red cross
Economy
Overview: The economy is heavily depen-
dent on aid from New Zealand. Govern-
ment expenditures regularly exceed reve-
nues, with the shortfall made up by grants
from New Zealand — the grants are used
to pay wages to the 80% or more of the
work force employed in public service.
232
Norfolk Island
(territory of Australia)
The agricultural sector consists mainly of
subsistence gardening, although some cash
crops are grown for export. Industry con-
sists primarily of small factories to process
passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut
cream. The sale of postage stamps to for-
eign collectors is an important source of
revenue. The island in recent years has
suffered a serious loss of population be-
cause of migration of Niueans to New
Zealand.
GNP: $2.1 million, per capita $1,000; real
growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.6%
(1984)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $5.5 million; expendi-
tures $6.3 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (FY85 est.)
Exports: $175,274 (f.o.b., 1985); commod-
ities— canned coconut cream, copra,
honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw,
root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handi-
crafts; partners— -NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Is-
lands, Australia
Imports: $3.8 million (c.i.f., 1985); com-
modities— food, live animals, manufac-
tured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants,
chemicals, drugs; partners — NZ 59%, Fiji
20%, Japan 1 3%, Western Samoa, Austra-
lia, US
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 1 ,500 kW capacity; 3 million
kWh produced, 1,420 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourist, handicrafts
Agriculture: copra, coconuts, passion fruit,
honey, limes; subsistence crops — taro,
yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes;
pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $58 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) =
100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars
(NZ$)per US$1— 1.6581 (January 1990),
1.6708(1989), 1.5244(1988), 1.6886
(1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: 123 km all-weather roads, 106
km access and plantation roads
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way of 1,650 m
Telecommunications: single-line telephone
system connects all villages on island; 383
telephones; 1,000 radio receivers (1987
est.); stations — 1 AM, 1 FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of New
Zealand
Cascade
i Burnt Pine
Norfolk Island
South
Pacific
Ocean
See regional m«p \
QNepean
Philip Island
Geography
Total area: 34.6 km2; land area: 34.6 km2
Comparative area: about 0.2 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 32 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: subtropical, mild, little seasonal
temperature variation
Terrain: volcanic formation with mostly
rolling plains
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 25% meadows and pastures; 0%
forest and woodland; 75% other
Environment: subject to typhoons (espe-
cially May to July)
Note: located 1,575 km east of Australia
in the South Pacific Ocean
People
Population: 2,533 (July 1990), growth rate
1.7% (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: N A deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male,
NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Norfolk Islanders);
adjective — Norfolk Islander(s)
Ethnic divisions: descendants of the
Bounty mutiny; more recently, Australian
and New Zealand settlers
233
Norfolk Island (continued)
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic,
Uniting Church in Australia, and
Seventh- Day Adventist
Language: English (official) and Norfolk —
a mixture of 18th century English and
ancient Tahitian
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Territory of Norfolk
Island
Type: territory of Australia
Capital: Kingston (administrative center),
Burnt Pine (commercial center)
Administrative divisions: none (territory of
Australia)
Independence: none (territory of Australia)
Constitution: Norfolk Island Act of 1957
Legal system: wide legislative and execu-
tive responsibility under the Norfolk Is-
land Act of 1979; Supreme Court
National holiday: Pitcairners Arrival Day
Anniversary, 8 June (1856)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general of Australia, administrator,
Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Administrator H. B.
MACDONALD (since NA 1989), who is
appointed by the Governor General of
Australia;
Head of Government — Assembly Presi-
dent and Chief Minister John Terence
BROWN (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Assembly — last held
NA (next to be held NA); results — per-
cent of vote by party NA; seats — (9 total)
percent of seats by party NA
Diplomatic representation: none (territory
of Australia)
Flag: three vertical bands of green (hoist
side), white, and green with a large green
Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the
slightly wider white band
Economy
Overview: The primary economic activity
is tourism, which has brought a level of
prosperity unusual among inhabitants of
the Pacific Islands. The number of visitors
has increased steadily over the years and
reached almost 30,000 in 1986. Revenues
from tourism have given the island a fa-
vorable balance of trade and helped the
Northern Mariana Islands
(commonwealth associated with the US)
agricultural sector to become self-
sufficient in the production of beef, poul-
try, and eggs.
GNP: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $3.4 million; expendi-
tures $3.4 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (FY88)
Exports: $1.8 million (f.o.b., FY85); com-
modities— postage stamps, seeds of the
Norfolk Island pine and Kentia Palm,
small quantities of avocados; partners —
Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Eu-
rope
Imports: $16.3 million (c.i.f., FY85); com-
modities— NA; partners — Australia, Pa-
cific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
External debt: NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 7,000 kW capacity; 8 million
kWh produced, 3,210 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism
Agriculture: Norfolk Island pine seed,
Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables,
fruit, cattle, poultry
Aid: none
Currency: Australian dollar (plural — dol-
lars); 1 Australian dollar ($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: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Highways: 80 km of roads, including 53
km of sealed roads; remainder are earth
formed or coral surfaced
Ports: none; loading jetties at Kingston
and Cascade
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
ways 1,220-2,439 m (Australian owned)
Telecommunications: 1 ,500 radio receivers
(1982); radio link service with Sydney; 987
telephones (1983); stations — 1 AM, no
FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Aus-
tralia
200km
Farallon
de Paiaros
Philippine
Sea
r^Maug Islands
•Asuncion Island
9Agrihan
Pagan^
•Guguan
.Sangan
*Anatahan
'Farallon de
Sa.par M^dinilla
North
Pacific
Ocean
See regional map X
Geography
Total area: 477 km2; land area: 477 km2;
includes Saipan, Rota, and Tinian
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1 ,482 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical marine; moderated by
northeast trade winds, little seasonal tem-
perature variation; dry season December
to July, rainy season July to October
Terrain: southern islands are limestone
with level terraces and fringing coral
reefs; northern islands are volcanic; high-
est elevation is 471 meters (Mt. Tagpochu
on Saipan)
Natural resources: arable land, fish
Land use: 1% arable land; NA% perma-
nent crops; 19% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: Mt. Pagan is an active vol-
cano (last erupted in October 1 988); sub-
ject to typhoons during the rainy season
Note: strategic location 5,635 km west-
southwest of Honolulu in the North Pa-
cific Ocean, about three-quarters of the
way between Hawaii and the Philippines
People
Population: 22,719 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —3 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
234
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male,
70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: undetermined
Ethnic divisions: Chamorro majority; Car-
olinians and other Micronesians; Spanish,
German, Japanese admixtures
Religion: Christian with a Roman Catho-
lic majority, although traditional beliefs
and taboos may still be found
Language: English, but Chamorro and
Carolinian are also spoken in the home
and taught in school
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 17,533, including 10,000 for-
eign workers (1988 est.)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands
Type: commonwealth associated with the
US and administered by the Office of Ter-
ritorial and International Affairs, US De-
partment of the Interior
Capital: Saipan
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: none (commonwealth associ-
ated with the US)
Constitution: Covenant Agreement effec-
tive 3 November 1986
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Commonwealth Day, 8
January (1978)
Executive branch: governor, lieutenant
governor
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislature
consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President
George BUSH (since 20 January 1989);
Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20
January 1989);
Head of Government — Governor Pedro P.
TENORIO (since 1978); Lieutenant Gov-
ernor Pedro A. TENORIO (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic
Party, Antonio S. Guerrero; Republican
Party, Alonso Igisomar
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous
inhabitants are US citizens but do not
vote in US presidential elections
Elections: Governor — last held on NA
(next to be held NA); results — Pedro P.
TENORIO (Democratic Party) was
elected;
Senate — last held on NA (next to be held
NA); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats — (9 total) number of seats by
party NA;
House of Representatives — last held on
NA (next to be held NA); results — per-
cent of vote by party NA; seats — (14 to-
tal) number of seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives — last held
NA (next to be held NA); results — per-
cent of vote by party NA; seats — (1 total)
party of nonvoting delegate NA
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: blue with a white five-pointed star
superimposed on the gray silhouette of a
latte stone (a traditional foundation stone
used in building) in the center
Economy
Overview: The economy benefits substan-
tially from financial assistance from the
US. An agreement for the years 1986 to
1992 entitles the islands to $228 million
for capital development, government oper-
ations, and special programs. Another ma-
jor source of income is the tourist indus-
try, which employs about 10% of the work
force. The agricultural sector is made up
of cattle ranches and small farms produc-
ing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and
melons. Industry is small scale in
nature — mostly handicrafts and fish pro-
cessing.
GNP: $165 million, per capita $9,170;
real growth rate NA% (1982)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: N A%
Budget: revenues SNA; expenditures $70.6
million, including capital expenditures of
$NA (1987)
Exports: $NA; commodities — vegetables,
beef, pork; partners — NA
Imports: $NA; commodities — NA; part-
ners— NA
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 35 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1 ,640 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, construction, light in-
dustry, handicrafts
Agriculture: coffee, coconuts, fruits, to-
bacco, cattle
Aid: none
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Communications
Highways: 300 km total (53 km primary,
55 km secondary, 192 km local)
Ports: Saipan, Rota, Tinian
Airports: 6 total, 4 usable; 3 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 2 AM, no
FM, 1 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
earth stations
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
235
Non»a>
. > »« v..
Tatal area: 524.220 km-, land area:
30" .860 km-
Co«avatn* area: slightly larger than
Ne» Mexico
Land •••aiiii 2,582 km total: Finland
729 km. Sweden 1.657. USSR 196 km
Fin l haii 2:. 925 km (3.419 km rniiahiaif-.
2,413 km large islands: 16.093 km lone
~ : - ~-"~:*---~.. - ^ * i- ^ *-z ~ " : *
indentations i
BMC
10 nm
Aeff: 200 meters or to
200 nai
: maritime boundary dispute with
USSR: territorial claim m Aatarctica
(Oveoi Maud Landc Denmark has chal-
Greenland aad Jan Mayca
CJBaBaVtC ^f) \ IT*f-T t tC &jOD£ CT^R^-L. nyXilnCQ
b> North Atlantic Current; colder inte-
rior, rain*
Terraicgl
valevs: "— " •*+**'Li'L4 •«'•—•• coasthnc
b> fjords: arctk tundra in
ie oil. T-otitJ. natu-
"" .~ t ~~. -. . ~
ral g»i. pyrites,
-,, - .-. _( ft'
Land mae: 3% arable land; 0%
crape NEGL* meadows and pnuajet,
27* forest and woodland; 70*
in North Atlantic
4.252.806 (Jnh 19901 growth
rate 0.5* (19901
Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population
m
Death rate: 11 deaths / 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net BBgratMa rake 2 migrants/ 1.000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant BMftafity rate: 7 deaths/1.000 live
births (19901
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male.
81 years female (1990)
Tetal fertility rate: 1 .8 children born/
i!990l
ity: noun — Norwegian* st adjec-
tive— Norwegian
K Germanic (Nordic, AJ-
Baltic) and racial-cultural minority
of 20.000 Lapps
RcfciaK 94* Evangelical Lutheran (state
church). 4* other Protestant and Roman
CatboBc. 2* other
1 jaeaigi, Norwegian (officialt small
Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities
100*
2,164.000: 33.6* services,
17.4* commerce. 16.6* mining and man-
ufacturing, 8.4* transportation, 7.8* con-
struction, 6.8* hanking and financial ser-
vices, 6.5* agriculture, forestry, and
fishing (1986)
Organized labor 66* of labor force (1985 >
Tarkey oaiy NATO
with the
Kingdom of Norway
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Oslo
1 •••Hi Hi n S iiini 19 proyinces (fy-
Iker. singular — fylkct Akersbus. Aust-
Agocr. DVskenKi. FinnxnariL, Hcdmark.
Hordaland. Mere og RomsdaL Nordhnd,
Nord-Tiwndelag. Oppiand. Oslo. OstfoVt
Rogaland. Sogn og Fjordanc.
Sar-Trvnoelag. Tdemark. Troms. Vest-
Agder. VestfoW
Imbfrmtrmui 26 October 1905 (from
Sweden)
Caaililatiaa 17 May 1814. modified in
1884
Deacarfeat areas: Bouvet Island. Jan Ma-
yrauSwalbard
Legal system: mixture of customary law.
civil law system, and common law tradi-
tions; Scpreme Court readers advisory
to legislature wfccB yrirpii' aitf jrtt
ICJ jurisdiction, with reserva-
r. Constitution Day, 17
prime minis-
USSR
May il814i
ter. State Council (cabinet)
Ltgbiatr** hraack unicameral Parliament
(Storting or Stoninget) with an Upper
Chamber (Lagtingt and a Lower Chamber
(Oddsting)
Jaafetal hraack Supreme Coin (Hoieste-
reu)
Leaders Chief of Stale— King OLAV V
(since 21 September I957t Heir Apparent
Crown Prince HARALD (born 21 Febru-
ary 1937fc
Head tf Government — Prime Minister
Jan P SYSE (since 16 October 1989)
Political parties aad ttiatrs: Labor. Gro
Harlem Brundtland; Conservative. Jan P.
Syse: Center. Johan J. Jakobsen; Chris-
tian People s, Kjell Magnc Bondcvik: So-
cialist Left. Eric Solbeim; Norwegian
Communist, Hans I. Klei-en; Progress,
Carl I. Hagen; Liberal. Arnc Fjortoft;
Finn mark List, leader NA
Saffrage: universal at age 18
Electioas: Parliament — last held on 1 1
September 1989 (next to be held 6 Sep-
tember 1993t results — Labor 34.3%. Con-
servative 22.2%. Progress 13.0%, Socialist
Left 10.1%. Christian People's 8.5%. Cen-
ter 6.6%. Finnmark List 0.3%. others 5%;
seats — <165 total) Labor 63. Conservative
37. Progress 22, Socialist Left 17. Chris-
tian People's 14. Center 1 1. Finnmark
List 1
CaaMMBKtK 15400 est.; 5,500 Norwegian
Communist Party (NKPc 10.000 Workers
Communist Party Marxist-Leninist (AK.P-
Ml_ pro-Chinese)
Meaner oft ADB. CCC. Council of Eu-
rope. DAC. EFT A, ESA, FAO. GATT.
IAEA. IBRD. ICAC. ICAO. ICES. ICO.
IDA, IEA (associate member). I FAD,
IFC. IHO. ILO. ILZSG. IMF. IMO.
INTELSAT. INTERPOU IPU, ITU.
IWC — International Whaling Commis-
sion. IWC— International Wheat Council.
NATO. Nordic Council. OECD. L N
UNESCO. UPU. WHO. WIPO. WMO.
WSG
Kjekj VIBE: Chancen, at 2720 34th
Street NW. Washington DC 20008: tele-
phone (202) 333-6000: there are Norwe-
gian Ctmm\*tr* General in Houston, Los
Angeles. Minneapolis, New York, and
San Francisco, aad Consulates in Miami
aad New Orleans: L'S — Ambassador Lo-
re* Miller RL PPE; Embassy at Dram-
measveicB 1 8, Oslo 2 (madia^ adaVcss is
APO New York 09085t telephone [47] (2)
44-85-50
Flat; red with a Mae 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 Damte-
prt* (Danish flag)
F.conorm
Oterview: Norway is a prosperous capital-
ist nation with the resources to finance
extensive welfare measures. Since 1975
exploitation of large crude oil and natural
gas reserves has helped achieve an average
annual growth of roughly 4%, the third-
highest among OECD countries. Growth
slackened in 1987-88 because of the sharp
drop in world oil prices and a slowdown in
consumer spending, but picked up again in
1 989. Future economic issues involve the
aging of the population, the increased eco-
nomic integration of Europe, and the bal-
ance between private and public influence
in economic decisions.
GDP: $75.8 billion, per capita $17,900;
real growth rate 5.7% (1989 est.)
laftatkM rate iconsaBwr prices): 4.5%
(1989)
UaeaployBMBt rate: 3.9% (1989 est., ex-
cluding people in job-training programs)
Badget: revenues $40.6 billion; expendi-
tures $41.3 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $22.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989K com-
modities— petroleum and petroleum prod-
ucts 25%, natural gas 11%. fish 7%, alu-
minum 6%. ships 3.5%. pulp and paper;
partners— UK 26%, EFTA 16.3%, less
developed countries 14%, Sweden 12%.
FRG 12%, US 6%, Denmark 5% (1988)
Imports: $18.7 billion fc.i.f.. 1989); com-
modities— machinery, fuels and
lubricants, transportation equipment,
chemicals, foodstuffs, clothing, ships; part-
ners— Sweden 1 8%. less developed coun-
tries 18%, FRG 14%. Denmark 8%. UK
7%, US 7%, Japan 5% (1988>
Exteraal debt: $18.3 billion (December
1989)
iMhstrial proawctioa: growth rate 15.8%
(1989)
Electricity: 26,735.000 kW capacity;
121,685 million kWh produced. 28,950
k Wh per capita (1 989 >
Industries: petroleum and gas. food pro-
cessing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper
products, metals, chemicals, timber, min-
ing, textiles, fishing
Agricafcare: accounts for 3.1% of GNP
and 6.5% of labor force; among world's
top 10 fishing nations; livestock output
exceeds value of crops; over half of food
needs imported; fish catch of 1 .9 million
metric tons in 1987
Ait donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87J, $3.7 billion
Curreao : Norwegian krone (plural — kro-
ner): 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 arc
Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr)
per US$1— 6.5405 (January 199OX 6.9045
(1989), 6.5170 (1988K 6.7375 (1987X
7.3947 (1986X 8.5972 (1985)
Fiscal
: 4,223 km 1. 435-meter standard
gauge; Norwegian State Railways (NSB)
operates 4.219 km (2,450 km electrified
and 96 km double track); 4 km other
Highways: 79,540 km total; 18,600 km
concrete, bituminous, stone block; 19,980
km bituminous treated; 40.960 km gravel,
crushed stone, and earth
Iwbtmt waterways: 1 ,577 km along west
coast; 1 .5-2.4 m draft vessels maximum
PIpfJBM- refined products, 53 km
Ports: Oslo. Bergen. Fredrikstad, Kristian-
sand. Stavanger. Trondbeim
Merchant mariae: 660 ships 11,000 GRT
or over* totaling 16.702^254 CRT/
28,722,304 DWT; includes 1 1 passenger.
19 short-sea passenger, 104 cargo, 3
passenger-cargo. 19 refrigerated cargo. 6
container. 40 roll-on/rottoff cargo, 6 vehi-
cle carrier. 1 railcar carrier, 1 28 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker,
86 chemical tanker, 62 liquefied gas, 26
combination ore/oil. 142 balk, 7 combina-
tion bulk; note — the governmeat has cre-
ated a captive register, the Norwegian
International Ship Register (NIS), as a
subset of the Norwegian register; ships OB
the NIS enjoy many benefits of flags of
convenience and do not have to be crewed
by Norwegians; the majority of ships un-
der the Norwegian flag are now registered
with the NIS
Chi air: 76 major transport aircraft
.Airports: 104 total, 104 usable: 64 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways
2,440-3.659 m; 16 with railways 1 ,220-
2,439m
B dCCQHBH^BVCftilQBK niyn^jfi^iil v OOOCS~
tic and international telephone, telegraph,
and telex services; 3.102,000 telephones;
stations— 8 AM. 46 (1.400 relays) FM. 55
(2.100 relays) TV; 4 coaxial submarine
cables; communications satellite earth sta-
tions operating in the ELTELSAT.
INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean*. MARI-
SAT, and domestic systems
Def.
Forces
Royal Norwegian Army, Royal
Norwegian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air
Force
Mifitary ••afn»rr males 15-49,
1,1 15.620; 937.555 fit for military service;
32.748 reach military age (20) annually
DcCease expiaditam 3J% of GDP. or
$2.5 billion (1989 est.)
Geography
Total area: 212.460 fan1: land area:
212,460 fair
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Kansas
Land hiiaadniri 1.374 km total; Saudi
Arabia 676 fan, UAE 410 km. PDRY 288
km
Coasdme: 2,092 fan
Maritime claims:
Continental skeif: to be denned
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 an
DJjpntti. Administrative Line with
PDRY. BO defined boandary with most of
UAE. Administrative Line in far north
nhnali dry desert; hot, hnmid along
coast; hot, dry interior; strong soathwest
summer monsoon (May to September) in
far sooth
TerranE vast lAJilial dueil plain, rvgcjed
monntains ia north and soath
Nararai ujomcti: cmde oiL copper, as-
bestos, witte marble.
NEGL%
permanent crops; 5%
tares; 0% forest and
, NEGL% irrigated
and pas-
large
il fresh
strategic location with '.
foot-
Strait of Hormaz (17% of world's ofl pn>-
i transits this pan
i Gatf to Arabeui Seal
1. 457.064 (Jary 19901 growth
rate 3.1% (19901
Barn rate 43 births/1.000 popabtioa
Death rale 12 deaths/ 1. 000 popnbtion
•M
Oman (continued)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 105 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male,
58 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Omani(s); adjective —
Omani
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Arab,
with small Balochi, Zanzibar!, and Indian
groups
Religion: 75% Ibadhi Muslim; remainder
Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, some Hindu
Language: Arabic (official); English, Balo-
chi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Literacy: 20%
Labor force: 430,000; 60% agriculture
(est.); 58% are non-Omani
Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
Government
Long-form name: Sultanate of Oman
Type: absolute monarchy; independent,
with residual UK influence
Capital: Muscat
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 1650, expulsion of the Por-
tuguese
Constitution: none
Legal system: based on English common
law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to
the sultan; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch: sultan, Cabinet, State
Consultative Assembly
Legislative branch: none
Judicial branch: none; traditional Islamic
judges and a nascent civil court system
National holiday: National Day, 18 No-
vember
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— Sultan and Prime Minister QA-
BOOS bin Sa'id Al Said (since 23 July
1970)
Political parties: none
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Other political or pressure groups: out-
lawed Popular Front for the Liberation of
Oman (PFLO), based in South Yemen;
small, clandestine Shi'a fundamentalist
groups are active
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77,
GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic
Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU,
NAM, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Awadh Bader AL-SHANFARI; Chancery
at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
387-1980 through 1982; US— Ambassador
Richard BOEHM; Embassy at address
NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box
966, Muscat); telephone 738-231 or 738-
006
Flag: three horizontal bands of white (top,
double width), red, and green (double
width) with a broad, vertical, red band on
the hoist side; the national emblem (a
khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed
on two crossed swords in scabbards) in
white is centered at the top of the vertical
band
Economy
Overview: Economic performance is closely
tied to the fortunes of the oil industry.
Petroleum accounts for nearly all export
earnings, about 70% of government reve-
nues, and more than 50% of GDP. Oman
has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels,
equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the
current rate of extraction. Although agri-
culture employs a majority of the popula-
tion, urban centers depend on imported
food.
GDP: $7.8 billion, per capita $6,006; real
growth rate -3.0% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $3.1 billion; expenditures
$4.2 billion, including capital expenditures
of $1.0 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — petroleum, reexports, pro-
cessed copper, dates, nuts, fish; partners —
Japan, South Korea, Thailand
Imports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — machinery, transportation
equipment, manufactured goods, food,
livestock, lubricants; partners — Japan,
UAE, UK, FRO, US
External debt: $3.1 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.0%
(1986)
Electricity: 1,130,000 kW capacity; 3,600
million kWh produced, 2,760 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: crude oil production and re-
fining, natural gas production, construc-
tion, cement, copper
Agriculture: accounts for 3.4% of GDP
and 60% of the labor force (including
fishing); less than 2% of land cultivated;
largely subsistence farming (dates, limes,
bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cat-
tle); not self-sufficient in food; annual fish
catch averages 100,000 metric tons
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-lm
(FY70-88), $122 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $92 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 mil-
lion
Currency: Omani rial (plural — rials); 1
Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza
Exchange rates: Omani rials (RO) per
US$1— 0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 22,800 km total; 3,800 km bi-
tuminous surface, 1 9,000 km motorable
track
Pipelines: crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas
1 ,030 km
Ports: Mln5' Qabfls, Mln5' RaysQt
Civil air 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 128 total, 119 usable; 6 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 63 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of open-
wire, radio relay, and radio communica-
tions stations; 50,000 telephones;
stations— 3 AM, 3 FM, 1 1 TV; satellite
earth stations — 2 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT and 8 domes-
tic
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal
Oman Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 350,173;
198,149 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 16.5% of GDP, or
$1.3 billion (1990 est.)
238
Pacific Islands, Trust Territory
of the (Palau)
85 tm Kayangel Islands 0 pa/au
> Islands
huapy
Babelthu
KOROR*
Philippine
Sea
,Sonsorol Islands
.Pulo Anna
. Merit
Q Helen Island
See regional map X
North
Pacific
Ocean
Geography
Total area: 458 km2; land area: 458 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,519 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: wet season May to November;
hot and humid
Terrain: islands vary geologically from the
high mountainous main island of Babel-
thuap to low, coral islands usually fringed
by large barrier reefs
Natural resources: forests, minerals (espe-
cially gold), marine products; deep-seabed
minerals
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% perma-
nent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: subject to typhoons from
June to December; archipelago of six is-
land groups totaling over 200 islands in
the Caroline chain
Note: important location 850 km south-
east of the Philippines; includes World
War II battleground of Peleliu and world-
famous rock islands
People
Population: 14,310 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 25 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 1 2 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Palauan(s); adjective —
Palauan
Ethnic divisions: Palauans are a composite
of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian
races
Religion: predominantly Christian, mainly
Roman Catholic
Language: Palauan is the official
language, though English is commonplace;
inhabitants of the isolated southwestern
islands speak a dialect of Trukese
Literacy: NA%, but education compulsory
through eight grades
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Trust Territory of the
Pacific Islands (no short-form name); may
change to Republic of Palau after inde-
pendence; note — Belau, the native form of
Palau, is sometimes used
Type: UN trusteeship administered by the
US; constitutional government signed a
Compact of Free Association with the US
on 10 January 1986, after approval in a
series of UN-observed plebiscites; until
the UN trusteeship is terminated with en-
try into force of the Compact, Palau re-
mains under US administration as the
Palau District of the Trust Territory of
the Pacific Islands
Capital: Koror; a new capital is being
built about 20 km northeast in eastern
Babelthuap
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: still part of the
US-administered UN trusteeship (the last
polity remaining under the trusteeship; the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, Feder-
ated States of Micronesia, and Common-
wealth of the Northern Marianas have
left); administered by the Office of Terri-
torial and International Affairs, US De-
partment of Interior
Constitution: 11 January 1981
Legal system: based on Trust Territory
laws, acts of the legislature, municipal,
common, and customary laws
National holiday: Constitution Day, 9 July
(1979)
Executive branch: US president, US vice
president, national president, national vice
president
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
(Olbiil Era Kelulau or OEK) consists of an
upper house or Senate and a lower house
or House of Delegates
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President
George BUSH (since 20 January 1989),
represented by High Commissioner Janet
MCCOY (since NA);
Head of Government — President Ngirat-
kel ETPISON (since 2 November 1988)
Political parties: no formal parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held on 2 No-
vember 1988 (next to be held November
1992); Ngiratkel Etpison 26.3%, Roman
Tmetuchl 25.9%, Thomas Remengesau
19.5%, others 28.3%;
Senate — last held 2 November 1988 (next
to be held November 1992); results — per-
cent of vote NA; seats — (18 total);
House of Delegates — last held 2 Novem-
ber 1988 (next to be held November
1992); results — percent of vote NA;
seats— (16 total)
Diplomatic representation: none; US — US
Liaison Officer Steven R. PRUETT; US
Liaison Office at Top Side, Neeriyas, Ko-
ror (mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Ko-
ror, Republic of Palau 96940); telephone
160-680-920 or 990
Flag: light blue with a large yellow disk
(representing the moon) shifted slightly to
the hoist side
Economy
Overview: The economy consists primarily
of subsistence agriculture and fishing.
Tourism provides some foreign exchange,
although the remote location of Palau and
a shortage of suitable facilities has hin-
dered development. The government is the
major employer of the work force, relying
heavily on financial assistance from the
US.
GDP: $31.6 million, per capita $2,260;
real growth rate NA% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 20% (1986)
Budget: revenues $6.0 million; expendi-
tures NA, including capital expenditures
of NA (1986)
Exports: $0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— NA; partners — US, Japan
Imports: $27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986); com-
modities— NA; partners — US
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 22 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1,550 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, craft items (shell,
wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and
agriculture
Agriculture: subsistence- level production
of coconut, copra, cassava, sweet potatoes
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $2 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $62.6 million
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
239
Pacific Islands, Trust Territory
Of the (Palau) {continued)
Communications
Highways: 25.7 km paved macadam and
concrete roads, otherwise stone-, coral-, or
laterite-surfaced roads (1986)
Ports: Koror
Airports: 2 with permanent-surface run-
ways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 1 AM, 1
FM, 1 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US and that will not change when the
UN trusteeship terminates
Pacific Ocean
Geography
Total area: 165,384,000 km2; includes
Arafura Sea, Banda Sea, Bellingshausen
Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea,
East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Makas-
sar Strait, Philippine Sea, Ross Sea, Sea
of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China
Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary wa-
ter bodies
Comparative area: slightly less than 18
times the size of the US; the largest ocean
(followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian
Ocean, and Arctic Ocean); covers about
one-third of the global surface; larger
than the total land area of the world
Coastline: 135,663km
Climate: the western Pacific is
monsoonal — a rainy season occurs during
the summer months, when moisture-laden
winds blow from the ocean over the land,
and a dry season during the winter
months, when dry winds blow from the
Asian land mass back to the ocean
Terrain: surface in the northern Pacific
dominated by a clockwise, warm water
gyre (broad, circular system of currents)
and in the southern Pacific by a counter-
clockwise, cool water gyre; sea ice occurs
in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk
during winter and reaches maximum
northern extent from Antarctica in Octo-
ber; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific
is dominated by the East Pacific Rise,
while the western Pacific is dissected by
deep trenches; the world's greatest depth
is 10,924 meters in the Marianas Trench
Natural resources: oil and gas fields, poly-
metallic nodules, sand and gravel aggre-
gates, placer deposits, fish
Environment: endangered marine species
include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter,
seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in
Philippine Sea and South China Sea; dot-
ted with low coral islands and rugged vol-
canic islands in the southwestern Pacific
Ocean; subject to tropical cyclones (ty-
phoons) in southeast and east Asia from
May to December (most frequent from
July to October); tropical cyclones (hurri-
canes) may form south of Mexico and
strike Central America and Mexico from
June to October (most common in August
and September); southern shipping lanes
subject to icebergs from Antarctica; occa-
sional El Nifio phenomenon occurs off the
coast of Peru when the trade winds
slacken and the warm Equatorial Coun-
tercurrent moves south, which kills the
plankton that is the primary food source
for anchovies; consequently, the anchovies
move to better feeding grounds, causing
resident marine birds to starve by the
thousands because of their lost food
source
Note: the major choke points are the Ber-
ing Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait,
and the Singapore Strait; the Equator di-
vides the Pacific Ocean into the North
Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific
Ocean; ships subject to superstructure ic-
ing in extreme north from October to
May and in extreme south from May to
October; persistent fog in the northern
Pacific from June to December is a haz-
ard to shipping; surrounded by a zone of
violent volcanic and earthquake activity
sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring
of Fire
Economy
Overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major
contributor to the world economy and par-
ticularly to those nations its waters di-
rectly touch. It provides cheap sea trans-
portation between East and West,
extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and
gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel
for the construction industry. In 1985 over
half (54%) of the world's total fish catch
came from the Pacific Ocean, wh;ch is the
only ocean where the fish catch has in-
creased every year since 1978. Exploita-
tion of offshore oil and gas reserves is
playing an ever increasing role in the en-
ergy supplies of Australia, New Zealand,
China, US, and Peru. The high cost of
recovering offshore oil and gas, combined
with the lower world prices for oil since
1985, has slowed but not stopped new
drillings.
Industries: fishing, oil and gas production
240
Pakistan
Communications
Ports: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong,
Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines),
Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US),
Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore,
Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (USSR),
Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
Telecommunications: several submarine
cables with network focused on Guam and
Hawaii
See regional map VIII
Geography
Total area: 803,940 km2; land area:
778,720 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of California
Land boundaries: 6,774 km total; Afghani-
stan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912
km, Iran 909 km
Coastline: 1,046 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: boundary with India; Pashtun
question with Afghanistan; Baloch ques-
tion with Afghanistan and Iran; water
sharing problems with upstream riparian
India over the Indus
Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate
in northwest; arctic in north
Terrain: flat Indus plain in east; moun-
tains in north and northwest; Balochistan
plateau in west
Natural resources: land, extensive natural
gas reserves, limited crude oil, poor qual-
ity coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Land use: 26% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 6% meadows and pastures;
4% forest and woodland; 64% other; in-
cludes 19% irrigated
Environment: frequent earthquakes, occa-
sionally severe especially in north and
west; flooding along the Indus after heavy
rains (July and August); deforestation; soil
erosion; desertification; water logging
Note: controls Khyber Pass and Malakand
Pass, traditional invasion routes between
Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
People
Population: 1 14,649,406 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 4 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —6 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 10 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male,
57 years female (1 990)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Pakistani(s); adjec-
tive— Pakistani
Ethnic divisions: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun
(Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants
from India and their descendents)
Religion: 97% Muslim (77% Sunni, 20%
Shi'a), 3% Christian, Hindu, and other
Language: Urdu and English (official); to-
tal spoken languages — 64% Punjabi, 12%
Sindhi, 8% Pashtu, 7% Urdu, 9% Balochi
and other; English is lingua franca of Pa-
kistani elite and most government minis-
tries, but official policies are promoting its
gradual replacement by Urdu
Literacy: 26%
Labor force: 28,900,000; 54% agriculture,
13% mining and manufacturing, 33% ser-
vices; extensive export of labor (1987 est.)
Organized labor: about 10% of industrial
work force
Government
Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Pa-
kistan
Type: parliamentary with strong execu-
tive, federal republic
Capital: Islamabad
Administrative divisions: 4 provinces, I
tribal area*, and 1 territory**;
Balochistan, Federally Administered
Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital
Territory**, North- West Frontier, Pun-
jab, Sindh; note — the
Pakistani-administered portion of the dis-
puted Jammu and Kashmir region
includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern
Areas
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK;
formerly West Pakistan)
Constitution: 10 April 1973, suspended 5
July 1977, restored 30 December 1985
Legal system: based on English common
law with provisions to accommodate Pa-
kistan's stature as an Islamic state; ac-
cepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday: Pakistan Day (proclama-
tion of the republic), 23 March (1956)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal
Legislature (Mijlis-e-Shoora) consists of
241
Pakistan (continued)
an upper house or Senate and a lower
house or National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal
Islamic (Shari'at) Court
Leaders: Chief of State— President GHU-
LAM ISHAQ Khan (since 13 December
1988);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Benazir BHUTTO (since 2 December
1988)
Political parties and leaders: Pakistan Peo-
ple's Party (PPP), Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto; Pakistan Muslim League (PML),
former Prime Minister Mohammed Khan
Junejo; PML is the main party in the
anti-PPP Islamic Democratic Alliance
(IDA); Muhajir Quami Movement, Altaf
Hussain; Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI),
Fazlur Rahman; Jamaat-i-Islami (JI),
Qazi Hussain Ahmed; Awami National
Party (ANP), Khan Abdul Waii Khan
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Flections: President — last held on 12 De-
cember 1988 (next to be held December
1993); results — Ghulam Ishaq Khan was
elected by the Federal Legislature;
Senate — last held March 1988 (next to be
held March 1990); results — elected by
provincial assemblies; seats — (87 total)
PML 84, PPP 2, independent 1;
National Assembly — last held on 1 6 No-
vember 1988 (next to be held November
1993); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (237 total) PPP 109, IJI 65,
MQM 14, JUI 8, PAI 3, ANP 3, BNA 3,
others 3, independents 29
Communists: the Communist party is no
longer outlawed and operates openly
Other political or pressure groups: military
remains dominant political force; ulema
(clergy), industrialists, and small
merchants also influential
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic
Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC—
International Wheat Council, NAM, OIC,
SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WFTU, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Zulfikar ALI KHAN; Chancery at 2315
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6200;
there is a Pakistani Consulate General in
New York; US— Ambassador Robert B.
OAKLEY; Embassy at Diplomatic En-
clave, Ramna 5, Islamabad (mailing ad-
dress is P. O. Box 1048, Islamabad); tele-
phone [92] (51) 8261-61 through 79; there
are US Consulates General in Karachi
and Lahore, and a Consulate in Peshawar
Flag: green with a vertical white band on
the hoist side; a large white crescent and
star are centered in the green field; the
crescent, star, and color green are tradi-
tional symbols of Islam
Economy
Overview: Pakistan is a poor Third World
country faced with the usual problems of
rapidly increasing population, sizable gov-
ernment deficits, and heavy dependence on
foreign aid. In addition, the economy must
support a large military establishment and
provide for the needs of 4 million Afghan
refugees. A real economic growth rate
averaging 5-6% in recent years has en-
abled the country to cope with these prob-
lems. Almost all agriculture and small-
scale industry is in private hands, and the
government seeks to privatize a portion of
the large-scale industrial enterprises now
publicly owned. In December 1988, Paki-
stan signed a three-year economic reform
agreement with the IMF, which provides
for a reduction in the government deficit
and a liberalization of trade in return for
further IMF financial support. The so-
called Islamization of the economy has
affected mainly the financial sector; for
example, a prohibition on certain types of
interest payments. Pakistan almost cer-
tainly will make little headway against its
population problem; at the current rate of
growth, population would double in 32
years.
GNP: $43.2 billion, per capita $409; real
growth rate 5. 1% (FY89)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 1 %
(FY89)
Unemployment rate: 4% (FY89 est.)
Budget: revenues $7.5 billion; expenditures
$10.3 billion, including capital expendi-
tures of $2.3 billion (FY89 est.)
Exports: $4.5 billion (f.o.b., FY89); com-
modities— rice, cotton, textiles, clothing;
partners— EC 31%, US 11%, Japan 11%
(FY88)
Imports: $7.2 billion (f.o.b., FY89); com-
modities— petroleum, petroleum products,
machinery, transportation, equipment,
vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals;
partners— EC 26%, Japan 15%, US 1 1%
(FY88)
External debt: $17.4 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3%
(FY89)
Electricity: 7,575,000 kW capacity;
29,300 million kWh produced, 270 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, bever-
ages, petroleum products, construction
materials, clothing, paper products, inter-
national finance, shrimp
Agriculture: 24% of GNP, over 50% of
labor force; world's largest contiguous irri-
gation system; major crops — cotton,
wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegeta-
bles; livestock products — milk, beef, mut-
ton, eggs; self-sufficient in food grain
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium
poppy and cannabis for the international
drug trade; government eradication efforts
on poppy cultivation of limited success;
1988 output of opium and hashish each
estimated at about 200 metric tons
Aid: (including Bangladesh before 1972)
US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $4.2 billion authorized (ex-
cluding what is now Bangladesh); Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilat-
eral commitments (1980-87), $7.5 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $2.9 bil-
lion
Currency: Pakistani rupee (plural —
rupees); 1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100
paisa
Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees (PRs)
per US$1— 21.420 (January 1990), 20.541
(1989), 18.003(1988), 17.399(1987),
16.648(1986), 15.928(1985)
Fiscal yean 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad
gauge, 445 km meter gauge, and 610 km
narrow gauge; 1 ,037 km broad-gauge dou-
ble track; 286 km electrified; all govern-
ment owned (1985)
Highways: 101,315 km total (1987);
40,155 km paved, 23,000 km gravel,
29,000 km improved earth, and 9,160 km
unimproved earth or sand tracks (1985)
Pipelines: 250 km crude oil; 4,044 km nat-
ural gas; 885 km refined products (1987)
Ports: Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad
bin Qasim
Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 338,173 GRT/508,107
DWT; includes 4 passenger-cargo, 24
cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker
Civil air: 30 major transport aircraft
Airports: 115 total, 102 usable; 70 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international
radiocommunication service over micro-
wave and INTELSAT satellite; domestic
radio communications poor; broadcast ser-
vice good; 564,500 telephones (1987); sta-
tions—16 AM, 8 FM, 16; satellite eath
station— 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
242
Palmyra Atoll
(territory of the US)
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Civil
Armed Forces, National Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49,
26,215,898; 16,080,545 fit for military
service; 1,282,294 reach military age (17)
annually
Defense expenditures: 5.6% of GNP, or
$2.4 billion (1989 est.)
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage in West
Lagoon
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way 1,220-2,439 m
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
North
Pacific
Ocean
See region*! map X
Geography
Total area: 1 1.9 km2; land area: 1 1.9 km2
Comparative area: about 20 times the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 14.5 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Terrain: low, with maximum elevations of
about 2 meters
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 100%
forest and woodland; 0% other
Environment: about 50 islets covered with
dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-
like trees up to 30 meters tall
Note: located 1 ,600 km south-southwest of
Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, al-
most halfway between Hawaii and Ameri-
can Samoa
People
Population: uninhabited
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US;
privately owned, but administered by the
Office of Territorial and International Af-
fairs, US Department of the Interior
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
243
Panama
Caribbean Sea
North Pacific Ocean
See regional map III
Geography
Total area: 78,200 km2; land area: 75,990
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
South Carolina
Land boundaries: 555 km total; Colombia
225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
Coastline: 2,490 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; pro-
longed rainy season (May to January),
short dry season (January to May)
Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged
mountains and dissected, upland plains;
coastal areas largely plains and rolling
hills
Natural resources: copper, mahogany for-
ests, shrimp
Land use: 6% arable land; 2% permanent
crops; 15% meadows and pastures; 54%
forest and woodland; 23% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: dense tropical forest in east
and northwest
Note: strategic location on eastern end of
isthmus forming land bridge connecting
North and South America; controls Pan-
ama Canal that links North Atlantic
Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pa-
cific Ocean
People
Population: 2,425,400 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 26 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Panamanian(s); adjec-
tive— Panamanian
Ethnic divisions: 70% mestizo (mixed In-
dian and European ancestry), 14% West
Indian, 10% white, 6% Indian
Religion: over 93% Roman Catholic, 6%
Protestant
Language: Spanish (official); 14% speak
English as native tongue; many Panama-
nians bilingual
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 770,472 (1987); 27.9% gov-
ernment and community services; 26.2%
agriculture, hunting, and fishing; 16%
commerce, restaurants, and hotels; 10.5%
manufacturing and mining; 5.3%
construction; 5.3% transportation and
communications; 4.2% finance, insurance,
and real estate; 2.4% Canal Zone; short-
age of skilled labor, but an oversupply of
unskilled labor
Organized labor: 17% of labor force (1986)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Panama
Type: centralized republic
Capital: Panama
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (pro-
vincias, singular — provincia) and I
territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chi-
riqui. Code, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los
Santos, Panama, San Bias*, Veraguas
Independence: 3 November 1903 (from
Colombia; became independent from
Spain 28 November 1821)
Constitution: 1 1 October 1 972; major re-
forms adopted April 1983
Legal system: based on civil law system;
judicial review of legislative acts in the
Supreme Court of Justice; accepts com-
pulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 3
November (1903)
Executive branch: president, two vice pres-
idents, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
(Corte Suprema de Justica) currently be-
ing reorganized
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Guillermo ENDARA
(since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May
1989); First Vice President Ricardo Arias
CALDERON (since 20 December 1989,
elected 7 May 1989); Second Vice Presi-
dent Guillermo FORD (since 20 Decem-
ber 1989, elected 7 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Government
alliance — Authentic Liberal Party (PLA);
faction of Authentic Panamenista Party
(PPA), Guillermo Endara; Christian Dem-
ocrat Party (PDC), Ricardo Arias Calde-
ron; Nationalist Republican Liberal
Movement (MOLIRENA), Alfredo Rami-
rez; former Noriegist parties — Democratic
Revolutionary Party (PRD, ex-official gov-
ernment party), Carlos Duque; Labor
Party (PALA), Ramon Sieiro Murgas;
People's Party (PdP, Soviet-oriented Com-
munist party), Ruben Dario Sousa Batista;
Democratic Workers Party; National Ac-
tion Party (PAN);
other opposition parties — Popular Nation-
alist Party (PNP), Olimpo A. Saez Ma-
ruci; factions of the former Liberal and
Republican parties; Popular Action Party
(PAP), Carlos Ivan Zuniga; Socialist
Workers Party (PST, leftist), Jose Cam-
bra; Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT,
leftist), Graciela Dixon
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: President — last held on 7 May
1989, annulled but later upheld (next to
be held May 1994); results — anti-Noriega
coalition believed to have won about 75%
of the total votes cast;
Legislative Assembly — last held on 7 May
1989, annulled but later upheld; in process
of reorganization (next to be held May
1994); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats — (67 total) the Electoral Tribu-
nal has confirmed 58 of the 67 seats —
PDC 27, MOLIRENA 15, PLA 6, No-
riegist PRD 7, PPA 3; legitimate holders
of the other 9 seats cannot be determined
and a special election will be held
Communists: People's Party (PdP), pro-
Noriega regime mainline Communist
party, did not obtain the necessary 3% of
the total vote in the 1984 election to re-
tain its legal status; about 3,000 members
Other political or pressure groups: Na-
tional Council of Organized Workers
(CONATO); National Council of Private
Enterprise (CONEP); Panamanian Associ-
ation of Business Executives (APEDE)
Member of: FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IDB—
Inter-American Development Bank, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, IWC— Interna-
tional Whaling Commission, IWC — Inter-
national Wheat Council, NAM, OAS,
PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Eduardo VALLARINO; Chancery at
2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-1407; the
status of the Consulates General and Con-
sulates has not yet been determined;
US— Ambassador Deane R. HINTON;
Embassy at Avenida Balboa and Calle 38,
Apartado 6959, Panama City 5 (mailing
address is Box E, APO Miami 34002);
telephone [507] 27- 1777
244
Papua New Guinea
Flag: divided into four, equal rectangles;
the top quadrants are white with a blue
five-pointed star in the center (hoist side)
and plain red, the bottom quadrants are
plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red
five-pointed star in the center
Economy
Overview: The GDP contracted an esti-
mated 7.5% in 1989, following a drop of
20% in 1988. Political instability, lack of
credit, and the erosion of business confi-
dence prompted declines of 20-70% in the
financial, agricultural, commercial, manu-
facturing, and construction sectors be-
tween 1987 and 1989. Transits through
the Panama Canal were off slightly, as
were toll revenues. Unemployment
remained about 23% during 1989. Imports
of foodstuffs and crude oil increased dur-
ing 1989, but capital goods imports con-
tinued their slide. Exports were widely
promoted by Noriega trade delegations,
but sales abroad remained stagnant.
GDP: $3.9 billion, per capita $1,648; real
growth rate -7.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): —0.1%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 23% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $598 million; expendi-
tures $750 million, including capital ex-
penditures of SNA (1989 est.)
Exports: $220 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — bananas 40%, shrimp 27%,
coffee 4%, sugar, petroleum products;
partners — US 90%, Central America and
Caribbean, EC (1989 est.)
Imports: $830 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — foodstuffs 16%, capital
goods 9%, crude oil 1 6%, consumer goods,
chemicals; partners — US 35%, Central
America and Caribbean, EC, Mexico,
Venezuela (1989 est.)
External debt: $5.2 billion (November
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —4.1%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,270
million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: manufacturing and construc-
tion activities, petroleum refining, brew-
ing, cement and other construction mate-
rial, sugar mills, paper products
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP
(1989 est.), 26% of labor force (1987);
crops — bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugar-
cane; livestock; fishing; importer of food
grain, vegetables, milk products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $515 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $568 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $4 million
Currency: balboa (plural — balboas); 1 bal-
boa (B) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1—
1.000 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 238 km total; 78 km 1.524-
meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 8,530 km total; 2,745 km
paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone,
2,515 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 800 km navigable by
shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Ca-
nal
Pipelines: crude oil, 1 30 km
Ports: Cristobal, Balboa, Puerto de La
Bahia de Las Minas
Merchant marine: 3,187 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 46,502,092 GRT/
72,961,250 DWT; includes 34 passenger,
22 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger-cargo,
1,087 cargo, 179 refrigerated cargo, 186
container, 71 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 136
vehicle carrier, 7 livestock carrier, 9 mul-
tifunction large-load carrier, 315 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker,
184 chemical tanker, 30 combination ore/
oil, 91 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker,
767 bulk, 58 combination bulk; note — all
but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the
top 4 foreign owners are Japan 41%,
Greece 9%, Hong Kong 9%, and the US
7% (China owns at least 144 ships, Yugo-
slavia 12, Cuba 6, and Vietnam 9)
Civil air 16 major transport aircraft
Airports: 123 total, 112 usable; 42 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic and inter-
national facilities well developed; connec-
tion into Central American Microwave
System; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite anten-
nas; 220,000 telephones; stations— 91
AM, no FM, 23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine
cable
Defense Forces
Branches: the Panamanian Defense Forces
(PDF) ceased to exist as a military institu-
tion shortly after the United States in-
vaded Panama on 20 December 1989;
President Endara is attempting to restruc-
ture the forces, with more civilian control,
under the new name of Panamanian Pub-
lic Forces (PPF)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 628,327;
433,352 fit for military service; no con-
scription
Defense expenditures: 2.0% of GDP (1987)
500km
South Pacific Ocean
New Ireland
. na • . .
-xl » C~-*~Vr^ K Bouoaim,/Je
PORT
MORESBY
Coral Sea
See regional map X
Geography
Total area: 461,690 km2; land area:
451,710km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
California
Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia
Coastline: 5,152km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed
archipelagic baselines)
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (De-
cember to March), southeast monsoon
(May to October); slight seasonal tempera-
ture variation
Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal
lowlands and rolling foothills
Natural resources: gold, copper, silver,
natural gas, timber, oil potential
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 1% per-
manent crops; NEGL% meadows and pas-
tures; 71% forest and woodland; 28%
other
Environment: one of world's largest
swamps along southwest coast; some ac-
tive volcanos; frequent earthquakes
Note: shares island of New Guinea with
Indonesia
People
Population: 3,822,875 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 34 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male,
56 years female (1990)
245
Papua New Guinea (continued)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Papua New
Guinean(s); adjective — Papua New Gui-
nean
Ethnic divisions: predominantly Melane-
sian and Papuan; some Negrito, Microne-
sian, and Polynesian
Religion: over half of population nominally
Christian (490,000 Roman Catholic,
320,000 Lutheran, other Protestant sects);
remainder indigenous beliefs
Language: 7 1 5 indigenous languages; En-
glish spoken by 1-2%, pidgin English
widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
Literacy: 32%
Labor force: 1,660,000; 732,806 in sala-
ried employment; 54% agriculture, 25%
government, 9% industry and commerce,
8% services (1980)
Organized labor: more than 50 trade
unions, some with fewer than' 20 members
Government
Long-form name: Independent State of
Papua New Guinea
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Moresby
Administrative divisions: 20 provinces;
Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East
New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Ma-
dang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, Na-
tional Capital, New Ireland, Northern,
North Solomons, Sandaun, Southern
Highlands, Western, Western Highlands,
West New Britain
Independence: 16 September 1975 (from
UN trusteeship under Australian adminis-
tration)
Constitution: 16 September 1975
Legal system: based on English common
law
National holiday: Independence Day, 16
September (1975)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister. National Executive Council (cab-
inet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Parliament (sometimes referred to as the
House of Assembly)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen Elizabeth
II (since 6 February 1952), represented by
Governor General Vincent ERI (since 18
January 1990);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Rabbie NAMALIU (since 4 July 1988);
Deputy Prime Minister Akoko DOI (since
7 July 1988)
Political parties: Pangu Party, People's
Progress Party, United Party, Papua Be-
sena, National Party, Melanesian Alliance
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Parliament — last held
13 June-4 July 1987 (next to be held 4
July 1992); results— PP 14.7%, PDM
10.8%, PPP 6.1%, MA 5.6%, NP 5.1%,
PAP 3.2%, independents 42.9%, others
11.6%; seats— (109 total) PP 26, PDM 17,
NP 12, MA 7, PAP 6, PPP 5, indepen-
dents 22, others 14
Communists: no significant strength
Member of: ACP, ADB, ANRPC, CIPEC
(associate). Commonwealth, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU,
SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at Suite
350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20036; telephone (202)
659-0856; US — Ambassador-designate
William FERRAND; Embassy at Armit
Street, Port Moresby (mailing address is
P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby); telephone
[675] 21 1-455 or 594, 654
Flag: divided diagonally from upper hoist-
side corner; the upper triangle is red with
a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered;
the lower triangle is black with five white
five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross
constellation centered
Economy
Overview: Papua New Guinea is richly
endowed with natural resources, but ex-
ploitation has been hampered by the rug-
ged terrain and the high cost of develop-
ing an infrastructure. Agriculture provides
a subsistence livelihood for more than half
of the population. Mining of numerous
deposits, including copper and gold, ac-
counts for about 60% of export earnings.
Budgetary support from Australia and
development aid under World Bank aus-
pices help sustain the economy.
GDP: $3.26 billion, per capita $890; real
growth rate 1.2% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% ( 1 988
est.)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1988)
Budget: revenues $962 million; expendi-
tures $998 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $169 million (1988)
Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— gold, copper ore, coffee, copra,
palm oil, timber, lobster; partners — FRG,
Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US
Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and transport equip-
ment, fuels, food, chemicals, consumer
goods; partners — Australia, Singapore,
Japan, US, New Zealand, UK
External debt: $2.5 billion (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 397,000 kW capacity; 1,510
million kWh produced, 400 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: copra crushing, oil palm pro-
cessing, plywood processing, wood chip
production, gold, silver, copper, construc-
tion, tourism
Agriculture: one-third of GDP; livelihood
for 85% of population; fertile soils and
favorable climate permits cultivating a
wide variety of crops; cash crops — coffee,
cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels; other prod-
ucts— tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit,
vegetables, poultry, pork; net importer of
food for urban centers
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $38.8 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $5.8 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million
Currency: kina (plural — kina); 1 kina (K)
= 100 toea
Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1—
1.1 592 (December 1989), 1.1685(1989),
1.1538(1988), 1.1012(1987), 1.0296
(1986), 1.0000(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 19,200 km total; 640 km
paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or
stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unim-
proved earth
Inland waterways: 10,940 km
Ports: Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port
Moresby, Rabaul
Merchant marine: 1 1 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 18,675 GRT/27,954 DWT;
includes 6 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo,
1 combination ore/oil, 2 bulk
Civil air: about 1 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 575 total, 455 usable; 19 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 38 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: services are adequate
and being improved; facilities provide rad-
iobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph,
coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and in-
ternational radiocommunication services;
submarine cables extend to Australia and
Guam; 51,700 telephones (1985);
stations— 31 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV (1987); 1
Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Papua New Guinea Defense
Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 952,454;
529,570 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.3% of GDP, or
$42 million (1989 est.)
246
Paracel Islands
Paraguay
50km
?00 km
North Reef
Amphitrite
6 0 Group
-5- o
VI Duncan
reefs
Crescent
Group
South China Sea
See regional map \\
Geography
Total area: undetermined
Comparative area: undetermined
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 518 km
Maritime claims: undetermined
Disputes: occupied by China, but claimed
by Taiwan and Vietnam
Climate: tropical
Terrain: undetermined
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: subject to typhoons
Note: located 400 km east of Vietnam in
the South China Sea about one-third of
the way between Vietnam and the Philip-
pines
People
Population: no permanent inhabitants
Government
Long-form name: none
Economy
Overview: no economic activity
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Defense Forces
Note: occupied by China
See regional map IV
ncarnacion
Geography
Total area: 406,750 km2; land area:
397,300 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
California
Land boundaries: 3,920 km total; Argen-
tina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil
1,290km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: short section of the boundary
with Brazil (just west of Guaira Falls on
the Rio Parana) is in dispute
Climate: varies from temperate in east to
semiarid in far west
Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills
east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region
west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy
plain near the river, and dry forest and
thorny scrub elsewhere
Natural resources: iron ore, manganese,
limestone, hydropower, timber
Land use: 20% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 39% meadows and pastures; 35%
forest and woodland; 5% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: local flooding in southeast
(early September to June); poorly drained
plains may become boggy (early October
to June)
Note: landlocked; buffer between Argen-
tina and Brazil
People
Population: 4,660,270 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 36 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male,
72 years female (1 990)
Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Paraguayan(s); adjec-
tive— Paraguayan
Ethnic divisions: 95% mestizo (Spanish
and Indian), 5% white and Indian
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic; Menno-
nite and other Protestant denominations
Language: Spanish (official) and Guarani
Literacy: 8 1 %
Labor force: 1,300,000; 44% agriculture,
34% industry and commerce, 18% ser-
vices, 4% government (1986)
Organized labor: about 2% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Paraguay
Type: republic
Capital: Asuncion
Administrative divisions: 1 9 departments
(departamentos, singular — departamento);
Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay,
Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canen-
diyu, Central, Chaco, Concepcion, Cordil-
lera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones,
Neembucu, Nueva Asuncion, Paraguari,
Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
Independence: 14 May 1811 (from Spain)
Constitution 25 August 1967
Legal system: based on Argentine codes,
Roman law, and French codes; judicial
review of legislative acts in Supreme
Court of Justice; does not accept compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Days, 14-
15 May (1811)
Executive branch: president, Council of
Ministers (cabinet), Council of State
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of
an upper chamber or Senate and a lower
chamber or Chamber of Deputies
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
(Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Gen. Andres RO-
DRIGUEZ Pedotti (since 15 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Colorado
Party, Juan Ramon Chaves; Authentic
Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), Domingo
Laino; Christian Democratic Party (PDC),
Jorge Dario Cristaldo; Febrerista Revolu-
tionary Party (PRF), Euclides Acevedo;
Liberal Party (PL), Reinaldo Odone; Pop-
ular Colorado Movement (MOPOCO),
Miguel Angel Gonzalez Casabianca; Rad-
ical Liberal Party (PLR), Emilio
Forestieri; Popular Democratic Movement
(MDP)
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18 and up to age 60
247
Paraguay (continued)
Elections: President — last held 1 May
1989 (next to be held February 1993); re-
sults—-Gen. Rodriguez 75.8%, Domingo
Laino 19.4%;
Senate — last held 1 May 1989 (next to be
held by May 1993); results— percent of
vote by party NA; seats — (36 total) Colo-
rado Party 24, PLRA 10, PLR 1, PRF 1;
Chamber of Deputies — last held on 1 May
1989 (next to be held by May 1994); re-
sults— percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (72 total) Colorado Party 48,
PLRA 19, PRF 2, PDC 1, PL 1, PLR 1
Communists: Oscar Creydt faction and
Miguel Angel Soler faction (both illegal);
3,000 to 4,000 (est.) party members and
sympathizers in Paraguay, very few are
hard core; party beginning to return from
exile is small and deeply divided
Other political or pressure groups: Febre-
rista; Authentic Radical Liberal; Chris-
tian Democratic Parties; Confederation of
Workers (CUT); Roman Catholic Church
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—
Inter-American Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, LAIA,
OAS, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Marcos MARTINEZ MENDIETA;
Chancery at 2400 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 483-6960 through 6962; there are
Paraguayan Consulates General in New
Orleans and New York, and a Consulate
in Houston; US — Ambassador Timothy L.
TOWELL; Embassy at 1776 Avenida
Mariscal Lopez, Asuncion (mailing ad-
dress is C. P. 402, Asuncidn, or APO Mi-
ami 34036-0001); telephone [595] (21)
201-041 or 049
Flag: three equal, horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and blue with an emblem
centered in the white band; unusual flag
in that the emblem is different on each
side; the obverse (hoist side at the left)
bears the national coat of arms (a yellow
five-pointed star within a green wreath
capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL
PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the
reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the
seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a
red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y
Justica (Peace and Justice) capped by the
words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY,
all within two circles)
Economy
Overview: The economy is predominantly
agricultural. Agriculture, including for-
estry, accounts for about 25% of GNP,
employs about 45% of the labor force, and
provides the bulk of exports. Paraguay has
no known significant mineral or petroleum
resources, but does have a large hydro-
power potential. Since 1981 economic per-
formance has declined compared with the
boom period of 1976-81, when real GDP
grew at an average annual rate of nearly
11%. During 1982-86 real GDP fell three
out of five years, inflation jumped to an
annual rate of 32%, and foreign debt rose.
Factors responsible for the erratic behav-
ior of the economy were the completion of
the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, bad weather
for crops, and weak international com-
modity prices for agricultural exports. In
1987 the economy experienced a modest
recovery because of improved weather
conditions and stronger international
prices for key agricultural exports. The
recovery continued through 1988, with a
bumper soybean crop and record cotton
production. The government, however,
must follow through on promises of re-
forms needed to deal with large fiscal def-
icits, growing debt arrearages, and falling
reserves.
GDP: $8.9 billion, per capita $1,970; real
growth rate 5.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1989
est.)
Unemployment rate: 12% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $609 million; expendi-
tures $909 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $401 million (1988)
Exports: $1,020 million (registered f.o.b..
1989 est.); commodities — cotton, soybean,
timber, vegetable oils, coffee, tung oil,
meat products; partners — EC 37%, Brazil
25%, Argentina 10%, Chile 6%, US 6%
Imports: $1,010 million (registered c.i.f.,
1989 est.); commodities — capital goods
35%, consumer goods 20%, fuels and lu-
bricants 19%, raw materials 16%, food-
stuffs, beverages, and tobacco 1 0%; part-
ners—Brazil 30%, EC 20%, US 18%,
Argentina 8%, Japan 7%
External debt: $2.9 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 2%
(1987)
Electricity: 5,169,000 kW capacity;
15,140 million kWh produced, 3,350 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: meat packing, oilseed crushing,
milling, brewing, textiles, other light con-
sumer goods, cement, construction
Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and
50% of labor force; cash crops — cotton,
sugarcane; other crops — corn, wheat, to-
bacco, soybeans, cassava, fruits, and vege-
tables; animal products — beef, pork, eggs,
milk; surplus producer of timber;
self-sufficient in most foods
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
for the international drug trade with an
estimated 300 hectares cultivated in 1988;
important transshipment point for Boliv-
ian cocaine headed for the US and Europe
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $168 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $994 million
Currency: guarani (plural — guaranies); 1
guarani (0) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: guaranies (0) per US$1 —
1,200.20 (November 1989; floated in Feb-
ruary 1989), 550.00 (fixed rate
1986-February 1989), 339.17 (1986),
306.67 (1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 970 km total; 440 km 1 .435-
meter standard gauge, 60 km 1 .000-meter
gauge, 470 km various narrow gauge (pri-
vately owned)
Highways: 21,960 km total; 1,788 km
paved, 474 km gravel, and 19,698 km
earth
Inland waterways: 3,100 km
Ports: Asuncion
Merchant marine: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 20,735 GRT/26,043 DWT;
includes 13 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker; note — 1 naval
cargo ship is sometimes used commer-
cially
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 873 total, 753 usable; 6 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 52 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: principal center in
Asuncion: fair intercity microwave net;
78,300 telephones; stations — 40 AM, no
FM, 5 TV, 7 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Paraguayan Army, Paraguayan
Navy, Paraguayan Air Force
Military manpower males 15-49,
1,096,227; 798,750 fit for military service;
49,791 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: NA
248
Peru
500km
See region*! mip IV
Geography
Total area: 1,285,220 km2; land area:
1,280,000km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Alaska
Land boundaries: 6,940 km total; Bolivia
900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km,
Colombia 2,900 km, Ecuador 1 ,420 km
Coastline: 2,414 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: two sections of the boundary
with Ecuador are in dispute
Climate: varies from tropical in east to dry
desert in west
Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high
and rugged Andes in center (sierra), east-
ern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin
(selva)
Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, pe-
troleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phos-
phate, potash
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 21% meadows and pastures;
55% forest and woodland; 21% other; in-
cludes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to earthquakes, tsu-
namis, landslides, mild volcanic activity;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification; air pollution in Lima
Note: shares control of Lago Titicaca,
world's highest navigable lake, with Bo-
livia
People
Population: 21,905,605 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 67 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male,
66 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Peruvian(s);
adjective — Peruvian
Ethnic divisions: 45% Indian; 37% mestizo
(mixed Indian and European ancestry);
15% white; 3% black, Japanese, Chinese,
and other
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic
Language: Spanish and Quechua (official),
Aymara
Literacy: 80% (est.)
Labor force: 6,800,000 (1986); 44% gov-
ernment and other services, 37% agricul-
ture, 19% industry (1988 est.)
Organized labor: about 40% of salaried
workers (198 3 est.)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Peru
Type: republic
Capital: Lima
Administrative divisions: 24 departments
(departamentos, singular — departamento)
and 1 constitutional province* (provincia
constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apu-
rimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca,
Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco,
lea, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque,
Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua,
Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna,
Tumbes, Ucayali
Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: 28 July 1980 (often referred
to as the 1979 Constitution because con-
stituent assembly met in 1979, but Consti-
tution actually took effect the following
year); reestablished civilian government
with a popularly elected president and bi-
cameral legislature
Legal system: based on civil law system;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion
National holiday: Independence Day, 28
July (1821)
Executive branch: president, two vice pres-
idents, prime minister. Council of Minis-
ters (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress
(Congreso) consists of an upper chamber
or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber
or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Di-
putados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
(Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Alan
GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 1985);
First Vice President Luis Alberto
SANCHEZ Sanchez (since 28 July 1985);
Second Vice President Luis Juan ALVA
Castro (since 28 July 1985);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Guillermo LARCO Cox (since 3 October
1989)
Political parties and leaders: American
Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA),
Alan Garcia Perez; United Left (IU), run
by committee; Democratic Front (FRE-
DEMO), headed by Maria Vargas Llosa
of the Liberty Movement (ML), coalition
also includes the Popular Christian Party
(PPC), Luis Bedoya Reyes and the Popu-
lar Action Party (AP), Fernando Belaunde
Terry; Socialist Left (ISO), Alfonso Bar-
rantes Lingan
Suffrage: universal at age 1 8
Elections: President — last held on 14
April 1985 (next to be held 8 April 1990);
results— Alan Garcia Perez (APRA) 46%,
Alfonso Barrantes Lingan (IU) 22%, oth-
ers 32%;
Senate — last held on 14 April 1985 (next
to be held April 1 990); results — percent of
vote by party NA; seats — (60 total)
APRA 32, IU 15, AP 5, others 8;
Chamber of Deputies — last held 14 April
1985 (next to be held April 1990);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (180 total) APRA 107, IU 48, AP
10, others 15
Communists: Peruvian Communist Party-
Unity (PCP-U), pro-Soviet, 2,000; other
minor Communist parties
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: Andean Pact, AIOEC, AS-
SIMER, CCC, CIPEC, FAO, G-77,
GATT, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA,
IATP, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—
Inter- American Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, INTERPOL,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, ISO, ITU,
IWC — International Wheat Council,
LAIA, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO,
WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Cesar G. ATALA; Chancery at 1700
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20036; telephone (202) 833-9860
through 9869); Peruvian Consulates Gen-
eral are located in Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson
(New Jersey), San Francisco, and San
Juan (Puerto Rico); US — Ambassador
Anthony QUAINTON; Embassy at the
corner of Avenida Inca Garcilaso de la
Vega and Avenida Espana, Lima (mailing
address is P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1010, or
APO Miami 34031); telephone [51] (14)
338-000
Flag: three equal, vertical bands of red
(hoist side), white, and red with the coat
of arms centered in the white band; the
coat of arms features a shield bearing a
llama, cinchona tree (the source of qui-
nine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out
gold coins, all framed by a green wreath
249
Peru (continued)
Philippines
Economy
Overview: The economy is verging on hy-
perinflation and economic activity is con-
tracting rapidly. Deficit spending is at the
root of domestic economic problems, but
poor relations with international lenders —
the result of curtailing debt payments
since 1985 — are preventing an inflow of
funds to generate a recovery. Reduced
standards of living have increased labor
tensions, and strikes, particularly in the
key mining sector, have cut production
and exports. Foreign exchange shortages
have forced reductions in vital consumer
imports such as food and industrial inputs.
Peru is the world's leading producer of
coca, from which the drug cocaine is pro-
duced.
GDP: S18.9 billion, per capita $880; real
growth rate -12.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2,775%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 15.0%; underemploy-
ment estimated at 60% (1989)
Budget: revenues $3.2 billion; expenditures
$3.7 billion, including capital expenditures
of $796 million (1986)
Exports: $3.55 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— fishmeal, cotton, sugar, coffee,
copper, iron ore, refined silver, lead, zinc,
crude petroleum and byproducts; part-
ners—EC 22%, US 20%, Japan 1 1%,
Latin America 8%, USSR 4%
Imports: $2.50 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— foodstuffs, machinery, transport
equipment, iron and steel semimanufac-
tures, chemicals, Pharmaceuticals; part-
ners—US 23%, Latin America 16%, EC
12%, Japan 7%, Switzerland 3%
External debt: $17.7 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate
-25.0% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 4,867,000 kW capacity;
15,540 million kWh produced, 725 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: mining of metals, petroleum,
fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing,
cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding,
metal fabrication
Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP,
37% of labor force; commercial crops —
coffee, cotton, sugarcane; other crops —
rice, wheat, potatoes, plantains, coca; ani-
mal products — poultry, red meats, dairy,
wool; not self-sufficient in grain or vegeta-
ble oil; fish catch of 4.6 million metric
tons (1987), world's fifth-largest
Illicit drugs: world's largest coca producer
and source of supply for coca paste and
cocaine base; about 85% of cultivation is
for illicit production; most of coca base is
shipped to Colombian drug dealers for
processing into cocaine for the interna-
tional drug market
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $1.6 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $3.7 billion; Commu-
nist countries (1970-88), $577 million
Currency: inti (plural — intis); 1 inti (I/) =
1,000 soles
Exchange rates: intis (I/) per US$1—
5,26 1.40 (December 1989), 128.83(1988),
16.84(1987), 13.95 (1986), 10.97 (1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 1,876 km total; 1,576 km
1.435-meter standard gauge, 300 km
0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 56,645 km total; 6,030 km
paved, 11,865 km gravel, 14,610 km im-
proved earth, 24,140 km unimproved
earth
Inland waterways: 8,600 km of navigable
tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km
Lago Titicaca
Pipelines: crude oil, 800 km; natural gas
and natural gas liquids, 64 km
Ports: Callao, Ilo, Iquitos, Matarani, Ta-
lara
Merchant marine: 32 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 341,213 GRT/535,215
DWT; includes 18 cargo, 1 refrigerated
cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1
chemical tanker, 8 bulk; note — in addi-
tion, 7 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo
are sometimes used commercially
Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
Airports: 242 total, 226 usable; 35 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 24 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 39 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: fairly adequate for
most requirements; nationwide radio relay
system; 544,000 telephones; stations — 273
AM, no FM, 140 TV, 144 shortwave; 2
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth sta-
tions, 12 domestic antennas
Defense Forces
Branches: Peruvian Army (Ejercito
Peruano), Peruvian Navy (Marina de
Guerra del Peru), Peruvian Air Force
(Fuerza Aerea del Peru)
Military manpower: males 15-49,
5,543,166; 3,751,077 fit for military ser-
vice; 236,814 reach military age (20) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 4.9% of GNP (1987)
Aparri*.
Bag
'L uzon
South An<"*
MAM
China
Philippine
Sea
Mindanao
Set regional map IX
f Celebes Sea
Geography
Total area: 300,000 km2; land area:
298,170km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Ar-
izona
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 36,289 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed
archipelagic baselines)
Continental shelf: to depth of exploita-
tion
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: irregular polygon ex-
tending up to 100 nm from coastline as
defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s
has also claimed polygonal-shaped area
in South China Sea up to 285 nm in
breadth
Disputes: involved in a complex dispute
over the Spratly Islands with China, Ma-
laysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; claims Ma-
laysian state of Sabah
Climate: tropical marine; northeast mon-
soon (November to April); southwest mon-
soon (May to October)
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow to
extensive coastal lowlands
Natural resources: timber, crude oil,
nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
Land use: 26% arable land; 1 1% perma-
nent crops; 4% meadows and pastures;
40% forest and woodland; 19% other; in-
cludes 5% irrigated
Environment: astride typhoon belt, usually
affected by 1 5 and struck by five to six
cyclonic storms per year; subject to land-
slides, active volcanoes, destructive earth-
quakes, tsunami; deforestation; soil ero-
sion; water pollution
People
Population: 66,1 17,284 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 32 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
250
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male,
69 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.3 children born/
woman (199/0)
Nationality: noun — Filipino(s); adjective —
Philippine
Ethnic divisions: 91.5% Christian Malay,
4% Muslim Malay, 1.5% Chinese, 3%
other
Religion: 83% Roman Catholic, 9% Prot-
estant, 5% Muslim, 3% Buddhist and
other
Language: Pilipino (based on Tagalog) and
English; both official
Literacy: 88% (est.)
Labor force: 22,889,000; 47% agriculture,
20% industry and commerce, 13.5% ser-
vices, 10% government, 9.5% other (1987)
Organized labor: 2,064 registered unions;
total membership 4.8 million (includes 2.7
million members of the National Congress
of Farmers Organizations)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of the Philip-
pines
Type: republic
Capital: Manila
Administrative divisions: 73 provinces and
61 chartered cities*; Abra, Agusan del
Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay,
Angeles*, Antique, Aurora, Bacolod*,
Bago*, Baguio*, Bais*, Basilan, Basilan
City*, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Ba-
tangas City*, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon,
Bulacan, Butuan*, Cabanatuan*, Cadiz*,
Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro*, Calbayog*,
Caloocan*, Camarines Norte, Camarines
Sur, Camiguin, Canlaon*, Capiz, Catan-
duanes, Cavite, Cavite City*, Cebu, Cebu
City*, Cotabato*, Dagupan*, Danao*,
Dapitan*, Davao City* Davao, Davao del
Sur, Davao Oriental, Dipolog*,
Dumaguete*, Eastern Samar, General
Santos*, Gingoog*, Ifugao, Iligan*, Ilocos
Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Iloilo City*,
Iriga*, Isabela, Kalinga-Apayao, La
Carlota*, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, La-
nao del Sur, Laoag*, Lapu-Lapu*, La
Union, Legaspi*, Leyte, Lipa*, Lucena*,
Maguindanao, Mandaue*, Manila*,
Marawi*, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro
Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis
Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain,
Naga*, Negros Occidental, Negros Orien-
tal, North Cotabato, Northern Samar,
Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*,
Ormoc*, Oroquieta*, Ozamis*,
Pagadian*, Palawan, Palayan*,
Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasay*, Puerto
Princesa*, Quezon, Quezon City*, Qui-
rino, Rizal, Romblon, Roxas*, Samar,
San Carlos* (in Negros Occidental), San
Carlos* (in Pangasinan), San Jose*, San
Pablo*, Silay*, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South
Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kuda-
rat, Sulu, Surigao*, Surigao del Norte,
Surigao del Sur, Tacloban*, Tagaytay*,
Tagbilaran*, Tangub*, Tarlac, Tawitawi,
Toledo*, Trece Martires*, Zambales,
Zamboanga*, Zamboanga del Norte,
Zamboanga del Sur
Independence: 4 July 1946 (from US)
Constitution: 2 February 1987, effective
11 February 1987
Legal system: based on Spanish and
Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day (from
Spain), 12 June (1898)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress
consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Corazon C.
AQUINO (since 25 February 1986); Vice
President Salvador H. LAUREL (since 25
February 1986)
Political parties and leaders: PDP-Laban,
Aquilino Pimentel; Struggle of Philippine
Democrats (LDP), Neptali Gonzales; Na-
tionalista Party, Salvador Laurel, Juan
Ponce Enrile; Liberal Party, Jovito Sa-
longa
Suffrage: universal at age 15
Elections: President — last held 7 February
1986 (next election to be held May 1992);
results — Corazon C. Aquino elected after
the fall of the Marcos regime;
Senate — last held 1 1 May 1987 (next to
be held May 1993); results — Pro- Aquino
LDP 63%, Liberals LDP and PDP-Laban
(Pimentel wing) 25%, Opposition Nationa-
lista Party 4%, independents 8%; seats —
(24 total) Pro-Aquino LDP 15, Liberals
LDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 6, Opposition
1, independents 2;
House of Representatives — last held on 1 1
May 1987 (next to be held May 1992);
results — Pro-Aquino LDP 73%, Liberals
LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing)
10%, Opposition Nationalista Party 17%;
seats — (250 total, 1 80 elected) number of
seats by party NA
Communists: the Communist Party of the
Philippines (CPP) controls about 18,000-
23,000 full-time insurgents and is not rec-
ognized as a legal party; a second Com-
munist party, the pro-Soviet Philippine
Communist Party (PKP), has quasi-legal
status
Member of: ADB, ASEAN, ASPAC,
CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-
77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC,
ISO, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Emmanuel PELAEZ; Chancery at 1617
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20036; telephone (202) 483-1414;
there are Philippine Consulates General in
Agana (Guam), Chicago, Honolulu, Hous-
ton, Los Angeles, New York, San Franci-
sco, and Seattle; US — Ambassador Ni-
cholas PL ATT; Embassy at 1201 Roxas
Boulevard, Manila (mailing address is
APO San Francisco 96528); telephone [63]
(2) 521-71 16; there is a US Consulate in
Cebu
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue
(top) and red with a white equilateral tri-
angle based on the hoist side; in the center
of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight
primary rays (each containing three indi-
vidual rays) and in each corner of the tri-
angle is a small yellow five-pointed star
Economy
Overview: The economy continues to re-
cover from the political turmoil following
the ouster of former President Marcos and
several coup attempts. After two consecu-
tive years of economic contraction (1984
and 1985), the economy has since 1986
had positive growth. The agricultural sec-
tor, together with forestry and fishing,
plays an important role in the economy,
employing about 50% of the work force
and providing almost 30% of GDP. The
Philippines is the world's largest exporter
of coconuts and coconut products. Manu-
facturing contributed about 25% of GDP.
Major industries include food processing,
chemicals, and textiles.
GNP: $40.5 billion, per capita $625; real
growth rate 5.2% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.6%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 8.7% (1989)
Budget: $7.2 billion; expenditures $8.12
billion, including capital expenditures of
$0.97 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: revenues $8.1 billion (f.o.b.,
1989); commodities — electrical equipment
19%, textiles 16%, minerals and ores 11%,
farm products 10%, coconut 10%, chemi-
cals 5%, fish 5%, forest products 4%; part-
ners—US 36%, EC 19%, Japan 18%,
ESCAP 9%, ASEAN 7%
Imports: $10.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— raw materials 53%, capital
goods 1 7%, petroleum products 1 7%; part-
ners—US 25%, Japan 17%, ESCAP 13%,
EC 11%, ASEAN 10%, Middle East 10%
251
Philippines (continued)
External debt: $27.8 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.3%
(1989)
Electricity: 6,700,000 kW capacity;
25,000 million kWh produced, 385 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, Pharmaceuticals,
chemicals, wood products, food processing,
electronics assembly, petroleum refining,
fishing
Agriculture: accounts for about one-third
of GNP and 50% of labor force; major
crops — rice, coconut, corn, sugarcane, ba-
nanas, pineapple, mango; animal prod-
ucts— pork, eggs, beef; net exporter of
farm products; fish catch of 2 million met-
ric tons annually
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
for the international drug trade; growers
are producing more and better quality
cannabis despite government eradication
efforts
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $3.2 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $6.4 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Com-
munist countries (1975-88), $123 million
Currency: Philippine peso (plural — pesos);
1 Philippine peso (P) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Philippine pesos (P) per
US$1— 22.464 (January 1990), 21.737
(1989), 21.095 (1988), 20.568 (1987),
20.386 (1986), 18.607 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 378 km operable on Luzon,
34% government owned (1982)
Highways: 156,000 km total (1984);
29,000 km paved; 77,000 km gravel,
crushed-stone, or stabilized-soil surface;
50,000 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 3,219 km; limited to
shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m) vessels
Pipelines: refined products, 357 km
Ports: Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao,
Guimaras, Iloilo, Legaspi, Manila, Subic
Bay
Merchant marine: 595 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 9,134,924 GRT/
15,171,692 DWT; includes 1 passenger,
10 short-sea passenger, 16
passenger-cargo, 1 66 cargo, 1 7 refriger-
ated cargo, 30 vehicle carrier, 8 livestock
carrier, 7 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6
container, 36 petroleum, oils, and lubri-
cants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 6
liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 282
bulk, 5 combination bulk; note — many
Philippine flag ships are foreign owned
and are on the register for the purpose of
long-term bare-boat charter back to their
original owners who are principally in Ja-
pan and FRG
Pitcairn Islands
(dependent territory of the UK)
Civil air: 53 major transport aircraft
Airports: 301 total, 237 usable; 70 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 49 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international
radio and submarine cable services; do-
mestic and interisland service adequate;
872,900 telephones; stations— 267 AM
(including 6 US), 55 FM, 33 TV
(including 4 US); submarine cables ex-
tended to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore,
Taiwan, and Japan; satellite earth sta-
tions—I Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 2
Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 1 1 do-
mestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Marine Corps,
Air Force, Constabulary — Integrated Na-
tional Police
Military manpower: males 15-49,
16,160,543; 11,417,451 fit for military
service; 684,976 reach military age (20)
annually
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GNP, or
$850 million (1 990 est.)
Oeno
_
Pitcairn
South Pacific Ocean
Stt regional map X
Geography
Total area: 47 km2; land area: 47 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 51 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical, hot, humid, modified by
southeast trade winds; rainy season (No-
vember to March)
Terrain: rugged volcanic formation; rocky
coastline with cliffs
Natural resources: miro trees (used for
handicrafts), fish
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% perma-
nent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: subject to typhoons (espe-
cially November to March)
Note: located in the South Pacific Ocean
about halfway between Peru and New
Zealand
People
Population: 56 (July 1990), growth rate
0.0% (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male,
N A years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Pitcairn Islandcr(s);
adjective — Pitcairn Islander
Ethnic divisions: descendants of Bounty
mutineers
Religion: 100% Seventh-Day Adventist
252
Poland
Language: English (official); also a Tahitian/
English dialect
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA; no business community
in the usual sense; some public works;
subsistence farming and fishing
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Pitcairn, Henderson,
Ducie, and Oeno Islands
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Adamstown
Administrative divisions: none (dependent
territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of
the UK)
Constitution: Local Government
Ordinance of 1 964
Legal system: local island by-laws
National holiday: Celebration of the Birth-
day of the Queen (second Saturday in
June), 10 June 1989
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor, island magistrate
Legislative branch: unicameral Island
Council
Judicial branch: Island Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by the Governor and UK High
Commissioner to New Zealand Robin A.
C. BY ATT (since NA 1988);
Head of Government — Island Magistrate
and Chairman of the Island Council Brian
YOUNG (since N A 1985)
Political parties and leaders: NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18 with three
years residency
Elections: Island Council — last held NA
(next to be held NA); results — percent of
vote by party NA; seats — (11 total, 5
elected) number of seats by party NA
Communists: none
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Diplomatic representation: none (depen-
dent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn
Islander coat of arms centered on the
outer half of the flag; the coat of arms is
yellow, green, and light blue with a shield
featuring a yellow anchor
Economy
Overview: The inhabitants exist on fishing
and subsistence farming. The fertile soil
of the valleys produces a wide variety of
fruits and vegetables, including citrus,
sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams,
and beans. Bartering is an important part
of the economy. The major sources of rev-
enue are the sale of postage stamps to col-
lectors and the sale of handicrafts to pass-
ing ships.
GNP: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $430,440; expenditures
$429,983. including capital expenditures
of SNA (FY87 est.)
Exports: SNA; commodities — fruits, vege-
tables, curios; partners — NA
Imports: SNA; commodities — fuel oil, ma-
chinery, building materials, flour, sugar,
other foodstuffs; partners — NA
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 1 10 kW capacity; 0.30 million
kWh produced, 4,410 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: postage stamp sales, handi-
crafts
Agriculture: based on subsistence fishing
and farming; wide variety of fruits and
vegetables grown; must import grain prod-
ucts
Aid: none
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZS) =
100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars
(NZS) per US$1— 1.6581 (January 1990),
1.6708(1989), 1.5244(1988), 1.6866
(1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Railroads: none
Highways: 6.4 km dirt roads
Ports: Bounty Bay
Airports: none
Telecommunications: 24 telephones; party
line telephone service on the island; sta-
tions— 1 AM, no FM, no TV; diesel gen-
erator provides electricity
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
Baltic Sea
150>m
Set regional mip V
oundary representation is
not necessarily authoritative
Geography
Total area: 312,680 km2; land area:
304,510 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
New Mexico
Land boundaries: 2,980 km total; Czecho-
slovakia 1,309 km, GDR 456 km, USSR
1,215km
Coastline: 491 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: temperate with cold, cloudy,
moderately severe winters with frequent
precipitation; mild summers with frequent
showers and thundershowers
Terrain: mostly flat plain, mountains along
southern border
Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper,
natural gas, silver, lead, salt
Land use: 46% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 1 3% meadows and pastures; 28%
forest and woodland; 1 2% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: plain crossed by a few north-
flowing, meandering streams; severe air
and water pollution in south
Note: historically, an area of conflict be-
cause of flat terrain and the lack of natu-
ral barriers on the North European Plain
People
Population: 37,776,725 (July 1990),
growth rate NEGL (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 5 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 13 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/
woman (1990)
253
Poland (continued)
Nationality: noun — Pole(s); adjective —
Polish
Ethnic divisions: 98.7% Polish, 0.6%
Ukrainian, 0.5% Byelorussian, less than
0.05% Jewish
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic (about
75% practicing), 5% Russian Orthodox,
Protestant, and other
Language: Polish
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 17,128,000 (1988); 36.5%
industry and construction; 28.5% agricul-
ture; 14.7% trade, transport, and commu-
nications; 20.3% government and other
Organized labor: trade union pluralism
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Poland
Type: democratic state
Capital: Warsaw
Administrative divisions: 49 provinces (wo-
jewodztwa, singular — wojewodztwo); Biata
Podlaska, Biatystok, Bielsko-Biahi, By-
dgoszcz, Chetm, Ciechanow,
Czestochowa, Elblag, Gdansk, Gorzow
Wielkopolski, Jelenia Gora, Kalisz, Kato-
wice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin, Krakow,
Krosno, Legnica, Leszno, Lodz, Lomza,
Lublin, Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn, Opole,
Ostroteka, Pita, Piotrk6w, Ptock, Poznan,
Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow, Siedlce, Sie-
radz, Skierniewice, Stupsk, Suwatki, Szc-
zecin, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow, Torun,
Watbrzych, Warszawa, Wtoctawek, Wro-
claw, Zamosc, Zielona G6ra
Independence: 11 November 1918, inde-
pendent republic proclaimed
Constitution: the Communist-imposed
Constitution of 22 July 1952 will be re-
placed by a democratic Constitution be-
fore May 1991
Legal system: mixture of Continental (Na-
poleonic) civil law and Communist legal
theory; no judicial review of legislative
acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday: National Liberation
Day, 22 July (1952) will probably be re-
placed by Constitution Day, 3 May (1794)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
(Parlament) consists of an upper house or
Senate (Senat) and a lower house or Na-
tional Assembly (Sejm)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Gen.
Wojciech JARUZELSKI (since 19 July
1989, Chairman of Council of State since
6 November 1985);
Head of Government — Premier Tadeusz
MAZOWIECKI (since 24 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Center-right
agrarian parties — Polish Peasant Party
(PSL, known unofficially as
PSL-Wilanowska), Gen. Franciszek Ka-
minski, chairman; Polish Peasant Party-
Solidarity, Josef Slisz, chairman; Polish
Peasant Party-Rebirth (formerly the
United Peasant Party), Kazimirrz Olrsiak,
chairman;
Other center-right parties — National
Party, Bronislaw Ekert, chairman; Chris-
tian National Union, Urrslaw
Chnzanowski, chairman; Christian Demo-
cratic Labor Party, Wladyslaw Sila Now-
icki, chairman; Democratic Party, Jerzy
Jozwiak, chairman;
Center-left parties — Polish Socialist Party,
Jan Jozef Lipski, chairman;
Left-wing parties — Polish Socialist Party-
Democratic Revolution;
Other — Social Democracy of the Republic
of Poland (formerly the Communist Party
or Polish United Workers' Party/PZPR),
Aleksander Kwasnuewski, chairman;
Union of the Social Democracy of the Re-
public of Poland (breakaway faction of the
PZPR), Tadrusz Fiszbach, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Senate — last held 4 and 18
June 1989 (next to be held June 1993);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (100 total) Solidarity 99, indepen-
dent 1;
National Assembly — last held 4 and 1 8
June 1989 (next to be held June 1993);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats — (460 total) Communists 1 73, Soli-
darity 161, Polish Peasant Party 76, Dem-
ocratic Party 27, Christian National
Union 23; note — rules governing the elec-
tion limited Solidarity's share of the vote
to 35% of the seats; future elections are to
be freely contested
Communists: 70,000 members in the Com-
munist successor party (1990)
Other political or pressure groups: power-
ful Roman Catholic Church; Confedera-
tion for an Independent Poland (KPN), a
nationalist group; Solidarity (trade union);
All Poland Trade Union Alliance (OPZZ),
populist program; Clubs of Catholic Intel-
lectuals (KIKs); Freedom and Peace
(WiP), a pacifist group; Independent Stu-
dent Union (NZS)
Member of: CCC, CEMA, Council of Eu-
rope, FAO, GATT, IAEA, ICAO, ICES,
IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMO, IPU, ISO, ITC,
ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, Warsaw Pact, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Jan KIN AST; Chancery at 2640 16th
Street NW, Washington DC 20009; tele-
phone (202) 234-3800 through 3802; there
are Polish Consulates General in Chicago
and New York; US — Ambassador John
R. DAVIS, Jr.; Embassy at Aleje Ujaz-
dowskie 29/31, Warsaw (mailing address
is APO New York 09213); telephone [48]
283041 through 283049; there is a US
Consulate General in Krakow and a Con-
sulate in Poznan
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white
(top) and red — a crowned eagle is to be
added; similar to the flags of Indonesia
and Monaco which are red (top) and white
Economy
Overview: The economy, except for the
agricultural sector, had followed the So-
viet model of state ownership and control
of the country's productive assets. About
75% of agricultural production had come
from the private sector and the rest from
state farms. The economy has presented a
picture of moderate but slowing growth
against a background of underlying weak-
nesses in technology and worker motiva-
tion. GNP increased between 3% and 6%
annually during the period 1983-1986, but
grew only 2.5% and 2.1% in 1987 and
1 988, respectively. Output dropped by
1.5% in 1989. The inflation rate, after
falling sharply from the 1982 peak of
100% to 22% in 1986, rose to a galloping
rate of 640% in 1989. Shortages of con-
sumer goods and some food items wors-
ened in 1988-89. Agricultural products
and coal have remained the biggest hard
currency earners, but manufactures are
increasing in importance. Poland, with its
hard currency debt of approximately $40
billion, is severely limited in its ability to
import much-needed hard currency goods.
The sweeping political changes of 1989
disrupted normal economic channels and
exacerbated shortages. In January 1990,
the new Solidarity-led government
adopted a cold turkey program for trans-
forming Poland to a market economy. The
government moved to eliminate subsidies,
end artificially low prices, make the ztoty
convertible, and, in general, halt the hy-
perinflation. These financial measures are
accompanied by plans to privatize the
economy in stages. Substantial outside aid
will be needed if Poland is to make a suc-
cessful transition in the 1990s.
GNP: $172.4 billion, per capita $4,565;
real growth rate -1.6% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 640%
(1 989 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%; 215,000 (of-
ficial number, mid-March 1990)
Budget: revenues $23 billion; expenditures
$24 billion, including capital expenditures
of $3.5 billion (1988)
Exports: $24.7 billion (f.o.b., 1987 est.);
commodities — machinery and equipment
63%; fuels, minerals, and metals 14%;
manufactured consumer goods 14%; agri-
cultural and forestry products 5% (1987
254
Portugal
est.); partners— USSR 25%, FRG 12%,
Czechoslovakia 6% (1988)
Imports: $22.8 billion (f.o.b., 1987 est.);
commodities — machinery and equipment
36%; fuels, minerals, and metals 35%;
manufactured consumer goods 9%; agri-
cultural and forestry products 1 2%; part-
ners—USSR 23%, FRG 1 3%, Czechoslo-
vakia 6% (1988)
External debt: $40 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —2.0%
(1988)
Electricity: 31,390,000 kW capacity;
125,000 million kWh produced, 3,260
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: machine building, iron and
steel, extractive industries, chemicals,
shipbuilding, food processing, glass, bever-
ages, textiles
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP
and 28% of labor force; 75% of output
from private farms, 25% from state farms;
productivity remains low by European
standards; leading European producer of
rye, rapeseed, and potatoes; wide variety
of other crops and livestock; major ex-
porter of pork products; normally self-
sufficient in food
Aid: donor — bilateral aid to
non-Communist less developed countries,
$2.1 billion (1954-88)
Currency: zfoty (plural — zfotych); 1 zfoty
(Zt) = 100 groszy
Exchange rates: zfotych (Zf) per US$1 —
9,500.00 (January 1990), 1,439.18(1989),
430.55 (1988), 265.08 (1987), 175.29
(1986), 147.14(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 27,245 km total; 24,333 km
1.435-meter standard gauge, 397 km
1.524-meter broad gauge, 2,515 km nar-
row gauge; 8,986 km double track; 10,000
km electrified; government owned (1986)
Highways: 299,887 km total; 130,000 km
improved hard surface (concrete, asphalt,
stone block); 24,000 km unimproved hard
surface (crushed stone, gravel); 100,000
km earth; 45,887 km other urban roads
(1985)
Inland waterways: 3,997 km navigable riv-
ers and canals (1988)
Pipelines: 4,500 km for natural gas; 1,986
km for crude oil; 360 km for refined prod-
ucts (1987)
Ports: Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Swi-
noujscie; principal inland ports are Gli-
wice on Kanaf Gliwice, Wroclaw on the
Oder, and Warsaw on the Vistula
Merchant marine: 234 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 2,957,534 GRT/
4,164,665 DWT; includes 5 short-sea pas-
senger, 93 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 2
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 9 container, 3 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4
chemical tanker, 105 bulk
Civil air: 42 major transport aircraft
Airports: 160 total, 160 usable; 85 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
way over 3,659 m; 35 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 65 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 30 AM, 28
FM, 41 TV; 4 Soviet TV relays;
9,691,075 TV sets; 9,290,000 radio receiv-
ers; at least 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Ground Forces, National Air
Defense Forces, Air Force Command,
Navy
Military manpower males 15-49,
9,501,088; 7,503,477 fit for military ser-
vice; 292,769 reach military age (19) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 954 billion zfotych,
NA% of total budget (1989); note— con-
version of the military budget into US
dollars using the official administratively
set exchange rate would produce mislead-
ing results
125 km
Azores and Madeira
Islands are not shown
Set r«gionit map Vind VII
Geography
Total area: 92,080 km2; land area: 91,640
km2; includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Indiana
Land boundary: 1,214 km with Spain
Coastline: 1,793 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Macau is scheduled to become a
Special Administrative Region of China in
1999; East Timor question with Indonesia
Climate: maritime temperate; cool and
rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Terrain: mountainous north of the Tagus,
rolling plains in south
Natural resources: fish, forests (cork),
tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble
Land use: 32% arable land; 6% permanent
crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 40%
forest and woodland; 1 6% other; includes
7% irrigated
Environment: Azores subject to severe
earthquakes
Note: Azores and Madeira Islands occupy
strategic locations along western sea ap-
proaches to Strait of Gibraltar
People
Population: 10,354,497 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male,
78 years female (1990)
255
Portugal (continued)
Total fertility rate: l.S children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Portuguese (sing, and
pi.); adjective — Portuguese
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Mediterra-
nean stock in mainland, Azores, Madeira
Islands; citizens of black African descent
who immigrated to mainland during deco-
lonization number less than 100,000
Religion: 97% Roman Catholic, 1% Prot-
estant denominations, 2% other
Language: Portuguese
Literacy: 83%
Labor force: 4,605,700; 45% services, 35%
industry, 20% agriculture (1988)
Organized labor: about 55% of the labor
force; the Communist-dominated General
Confederation of Portuguese Workers —
Intersindical (CGTP-IN) represents more
than half of the unionized labor force; its
main competition, the General Workers
Union (UGT), is organized by the Social-
ists and Social Democrats and represents
less than half of unionized labor
Government
Long-form name: Portuguese Republic
Type: republic
Capital: Lisbon
Administrative divisions: 1 8 districts (dis-
tritos, singular — distrito) and 2 autono-
mous regions* (regioes autonomas, singu-
lar— regiao autonoma); Acores*, Aveiro,
Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco,
Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria,
Lisbon. Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, San-
tarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila
Real, Viseu
Dependent area: Macau (scheduled to be-
come a Special Administrative Region of
China in 1999)
Independence: 1140; independent republic
proclaimed 5 October 1910
Constitution: 25 April 1976, revised 30
October 1982; new discussions on consti-
tutional revision began October 1987
Legal system: civil law system; the Consti-
tutional Tribunal reviews the constitution-
ality of legislation; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10
June
Executive branch: president. Council of
State, prime minister, deputy prime minis-
ter, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly
of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Jus-
tice (Supremo Tribunal de Justica)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Dr.
Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES
(since 9 March 1986);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since 6 No-
vember 1985); Deputy Prime Minister (va-
cant)
Political parties and leaders: Social Demo-
cratic Party (PSD), Anibal Cavaco Silva;
Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), Jorge
Sampaio; Party of Democratic Renewal
(PRD), Herminio Martinho; Portuguese
Communist Party (PCP), Alvaro Cunhal;
Social Democratic Center (CDS), Diogo
Freitas do Amaral
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 16 Febru-
ary 1986 (next to be held January 1991);
results — Dr. Mario Lopes Soares 5 1 .3%,
Prof. Diogo Freitas do Amal 48.7%;
Assembly of the Republic — last held 1 9
July 1987 (next to be held July 1991); re-
sults— Social Democrats 59.2%, Socialists
24.0%, Communists (in a front coalition)
12.4%, Democratic Renewal 2.8%, Center
Democrats 1 .6%; seats — (250 total) Social
Democrats 148, Socialists 60, Communists
(in a front coalition) 3 1 seats, Democratic
Renewal 7, Center Democrats 4
Communists: Portuguese Communist
Party claims membership of 200,753 (De-
cember 1983)
Member of: CCC, Council of Europe, EC,
EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP,
IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDB—
Inter-American Development Bank, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IRC,
ISO, ITU, IWC— International Wheat
Council, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Joao Eduardo M. PEREIRA BASTOS;
Chancery at 2125 Kalorama Road NW,
Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
328-8610; there are Portuguese Consu-
lates General in Boston, New York, and
San Francisco, and Consulates in Los
Angeles, Newark (New Jersey), New Bed-
ford (Massachusetts), and Providence
(Rhode Island); US — Ambassador Edward
M. ROWELL; Embassy at Avenida das
Forcas Armadas, 1600 Lisbon (mailing
address is APO New York 09678-0002);
telephone [351] (1) 726-6600 or 6659,
8670, 8880; there are US Consulates in
Oporto and Ponta Delgada (Azores)
Flag: two vertical bands of green (hoist
side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with
the Portuguese coat of arms centered on
the dividing line
Economy
Overview: During the past four years, the
economy has made a sustained recovery
from the severe recession of 1983-85. The
economy grew by 4.7% in 1987, 4.1% in
1988, and 3.5% in 1989, largely because
of strong domestic consumption and in-
vestment spending. Unemployment has
declined for the third consecutive year,
but inflation continues to be about three
times the European Community average.
The government is pushing economic re-
structuring and privatization measures in
anticipation of the 1992 European Com-
munity timetable to form a single large
market in Europe.
GDP: $72.1 billion, per capita $6,900; real
growth rate 3.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 1 .8%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.9% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $19.0 billion; expendi-
tures $22.2 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $1 1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— cotton textiles, cork and cork
products, canned fish, wine, timber and
timber products, resin, machinery, appli-
ances; partners — EC 72%, other developed
countries 1 3%, US 6%
Imports: $17.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum, cotton, foodgrains,
industrial machinery, iron and steel,
chemicals; partners — EC 67%, other de-
veloped countries 1 3%, less developed
countries 15%, US 4%
External debt: $17.2 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.5%
(1988)
Electricity: 6,729,000 kW capacity;
16,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles and footwear; wood
pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil
refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine;
tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 9% of GDP and
20% of labor force; small inefficient farms;
imports more than half of food needs; ma-
jor crops — grain, potatoes, olives, grapes;
livestock sector — sheep, cattle, goats, poul-
try, meat, dairy products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $1.8 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $998 million
Currency: Portuguese escudo (plural —
escudos); 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100
centavos
Exchange rates: Portuguese escudos (Esc)
per US$1 — 149. 15 (January 1990), 157.46
(1989), 143.95(1988), 140.88(1987),
149.59(1986), 170.39(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 3,613 km total; state-owned
Portuguese Railroad Co. (CP) operates
2,858 km 1.665-meter gauge (434 km
electrified and 426 km double track), 755
km 1.000-meter gauge; 12 km
256
Puerto Rico
(commonwealth associated with the US)
(1.435-meter gauge) electrified, double
track, privately owned
Highways: 73,661 km total; 61,599 km
paved (bituminous, gravel, and crushed
stone), including 140 km of limited-access
divided highway; 7,962 km improved
earth; 4,100 km unimproved earth (motor-
able tracks)
Inland waterways: 820 km navigable; rela-
tively unimportant to national economy,
used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300-
metric-ton cargo capacity
Pipelines: crude oil, 1 1 km; refined prod-
ucts, 58 km
Ports: LeixSes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Del-
gada (Azores), Velas (Azores), Setubal,
Sines
Merchant marine: 50 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 576,654 GRT/ 1,005,740
DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 21
cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 1
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 10 petroleum, oils,
and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical
tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 10 bulk, 1 combi-
nation bulk; note — Portugal has created a
captive register on Madeira (MAR) for
Portuguese-owned ships that will have the
taxation and crewing benefits of a flag of
convenience; although only one ship is
currently known to fly the Portuguese flag
on the MAR register, it is likely that a
majority of Portuguese flag ships will
transfer to this subregister in a few years
Airports: 69 total, 64 usable; 37 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 1 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: facilities are gener-
ally adequate; 2,250,000 telephones; sta-
tions—44 AM, 66 (22 relays) FM, 25 (23
relays) TV; 7 submarine cables; communi-
cation satellite ground stations operating
in the INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and
1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and do-
mestic systems (mainland and Azores)
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower males 15-49,
2,583,782; 2,102,835 fit for military ser-
vice; 88,384 reach military age (20) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: $1.3 billion (1989
est.)
North Atlantic Ocean
Caribbean Sea
See regional mtp III
Isla Oesecheo and
Isla Mona are not shown.
Geography
Total area: 9,104 km2; land area: 8,959
km2
Comparative area: slightly less than three
times the size of Rhode Island
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 501 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical marine, mild, little sea-
sonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal
plain belt in north; mountains precipitous
to sea on west coast
Natural resources: some copper and
nickel; potential for onshore and offshore
crude oil
Land use: 8% arable land; 9% permanent
crops; 51% meadows and pastures; 25%
forest and woodland; 7% other
Environment: many small rivers and high
central mountains ensure land is well wa-
tered; south coast relatively dry; fertile
coastal plain belt in north
Note: important location between the Do-
minican Republic and the Virgin Islands
group along the Mona Passage — a key
shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San
Juan is one of the biggest and best natural
harbors in the Caribbean
People
Population: 3,291,207 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 19 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: -11 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Puerto Rican(s); adjec-
tive— Puerto Rican
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Hispanic
Religion: mostly Christian, 85% Roman
Catholic, 1 5% Protestant denominations
and other
Language: Spanish (official); English is
widely understood
Literacy: 89%
Labor force: 1,062,000; 23% government,
20% trade, 18% manufacturing, 4% agri-
culture, 35% other (1988)
Organized labor: 1 1 5,000 members in 4
unions; the largest is the General Confed-
eration of Puerto Rican Workers with
35,000 members (1983)
Government
Long-form name: Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico
Type: commonwealth associated with the
US
Capital: San Juan
Administrative divisions: none (common-
wealth associated with the US)
Independence: none (commonwealth associ-
ated with the US)
Constitution: ratified 3 March 1952; ap-
proved by US Congress 3 July 1952; ef-
fective 25 July 1952
National holiday: Constitution Day, 25
July (1952)
Legal system: based on English common
law
Executive branch: US president, US vice
president, governor
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative
Assembly consists of an upper house or
Senate and a lower house or House of
Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— President
George BUSH (since 20 January 1989);
Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20
January 1989);
Head of Government Governor Rafael
HERNANDEZ Col6n (since 2 January
1989)
Political parties and leaders: Popular
Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael
Hernandez Colon; New Progressive Party
(PNP), Baltasar Corrado del Rio; Puerto
Rican Socialist Party (PSP), Juan Mari
Bras and Carlos Gallisa; Puerto Rican
Independence Party (PIP), Ruben Berrios
Martinez; Puerto Rican Communist Party
(PCP), leaders) unknown
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous
inhabitants are US citizens, but do not
vote in US presidential elections
257
Puerto RiCO (continued)
Qatar
Elections: Governor — last held 8 Novem-
ber 1988 (next to be held November
1992); results— Rafael Hernandez Col6n
(PPD) 48.7%, Baltasar Corrada Del Rio
(PNP) 45.8%, Ruben Barrios Martinez
(PIP) 5.5%;
Senate— last held 8 November 1988 (next
to be held November 1992); results — per-
cent of vote by party NA; seats — (27 to-
tal) PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1;
House of Representatives — last held 8
November 1988 (next to be held Novem-
ber 1 992); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats— (53 total) PPD 36, PNP
15, PIP 2
Other political or pressure groups: all have
engaged in terrorist activities — Armed
Forces for National Liberation (FALN),
Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolu-
tion, Boricua Popular Army (also known
as the Macheteros), Armed Forces of Pop-
ular Resistance
Diplomatic representation: none (common-
wealth associated with the US)
Flag: five equal horizontal bands of red
(top and bottom) alternating with white; a
blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist
side bears a large white five-pointed star
in the center; design based on the US flag
Economy
Overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most
dynamic economies in the Caribbean re-
gion. Industry has surpassed agriculture
as the primary sector of economic activity
and income. Encouraged by duty-free ac-
cess to the US and by tax incentives, US
firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico
since the 1970s. Important new industries
include Pharmaceuticals, electronics, tex-
tiles, petrochemicals, and processed foods.
Sugar production has lost out to dairy
production and other livestock products as
the main source of income in the agricul-
tural sector. Tourism has traditionally
been an important source of income for
the island.
GNP: $18.4 billion, per capita $5,574; real
growth rate 4.9% (FY88)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 33% (De-
cember 1987-88)
Unemployment rate: 1 2.8% (December
1988)
Budget: revenues $4.9 million; expendi-
tures $4.9 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (FY88)
Exports: $13.2 billion (f.o.b., FY88); com-
modities— sugar, coffee, petroleum prod-
ucts, chemical, metal products, textiles,
electronic equipment; partners — US 87%
Imports: $1 1.8 billion (c.i.f., FY88); com-
modities— chemicals, clothing, food, fish
products, crude oil; partners — US 60%
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate 5.8%
(FY87)
Electricity: 4,149,000 kW capacity;
14,050 million kWh produced, 4,260 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, manufacturing, phar-
maceuticals, chemicals, food processing,
petroleum refining
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of labor
force; crops — sugarcane, coffee, pineap-
ples, tobacco, bananas; livestock — cattle,
chickens; imports a large share of food
needs
Aid: none
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 100 km rural narrow-gauge
system for hauling sugarcane; no passen-
ger railroads
Highways: 1 3,762 km paved
Ports: San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Are-
cibo
Airports: 33 total; 23 usable; 19 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 2,000,000 radio re-
ceivers; 810,000 TV receivers; 769,140
telephones; stations — 69 AM, 42 FM, 24
TV (1984)
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US; paramilitary National Guard; police
force of 10,050 men and women (1984)
Hawar Islands are
m dispute between'
Bahrain and Qata
Persian
Gulf
See regional mip VI
itation is
ot necessarily authoritative
Geography
Total area: 1 1,000 km2; land area: 1 1,000
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Connecticut
Land boundaries: 60 km total; Saudi Ara-
bia 40 km, UAE 20 km
Coastline: 563 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific
Exclusive fishing zone: as delimited
with neighboring states, or to limit of
shelf, or to median line
Extended economic zone: to median
line
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: boundary with UAE is in dis-
pute; territorial dispute with Bahrain over
the Hawar Islands
Climate: desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry
in summer
Terrain: mostly flat and barren desert cov-
ered with loose sand and gravel
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas,
fish
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% per-
manent crops; 5% meadows and pastures;
0% forest and woodland; 95% other
Environment: haze, duststorms, sandstorms
common; limited freshwater resources
mean increasing dependence on
large-scale desalination facilities .
Note: strategic location in central Persian
Gulf near major crude oil sources
People
Population: 490,897 (July 1990), growth
rate 5.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 22 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 3 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 38 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
258
Infant mortality rate: 25 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male,
73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Qatari(s); adjective —
Qatari
Ethnic divisions: 40% Arab, 18% Paki-
stani, 18% Indian, 10% Iranian, 14%
other
Religion: 95% Muslim
Language: Arabic (official); English is
commonly used as second language
Literacy: 40%
Labor force: 104,000; 85% non-Qatari in
private sector (1983)
Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
Government
Long-form name: State of Qatar
Type: traditional monarchy
Capital: Doha
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 3 September 1971 (from
UK)
Constitution: provisional constitution en-
acted 2 April 1970
Legal system: discretionary system of law
controlled by the amir, although civil
codes are being implemented; Islamic law
is significant in personal matters
National holiday: Independence Day, 3
September (1971)
Executive branch: amir, Council of Minis-
ters (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Advisory
Council (Majlis al-Shura)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— Amir and Prime Minister Kha-
lifa bin Hamad Al THANI (since 22 Feb-
ruary 1972); Heir Apparent Hamad bin
Khalifa AL THANI (appointed 31 May
1977; son of Amir)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: none
Elections: Advisory Council — constitution
calls for elections for part of this consulta-
tive body, but no elections have been held;
seats— <30 total)
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77,
GATT (de facto), GCC, IBRD, ICAO,
IDB— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, QIC,
OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Hamad 'Abd al-'Aziz AL-KAWARI,
Chancery at Suite 1 180, 600 New Hamp-
shire Avenue NW, Washington DC
20037; telephone (202) 338-01 11; US—
Ambassador Mark G. HAMBLEY; Em-
bassy at Fariq Bin Omran (opposite the
television station), Doha (mailing address
is P. O. Box 2399, Doha); telephone [974]
864701 through 864703
Flag: maroon with a broad white serrated
band (nine white points) on the hoist side
Economy
Overview: Oil is the backbone of the econ-
omy and accounts for 90% of export earn-
ings and more than 80% of government
revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.3 billion
barrels should ensure continued output at
current levels for about 25 years. Oil has
given Qatar a per capita GDP of about
$17,000, among the highest in the world.
GDP: $5.4 billion, per capita $17,070; real
growth rate 9.0% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 .6%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures
$3.4 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA (FY88 est.)
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — petroleum products 90%,
steel, fertilizers; partners — France, FRG,
Italy, Japan, Spain
Imports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.), ex-
cluding military equipment; commodi-
ties— foodstuffs, beverages, animal and
vegetable oils, chemicals, machinery and
equipment; partners — EC, Japan, Arab
countries, US, Australia
External debt: $1.1 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.6%
(1987)
Electricity: 1,514,000 kW capacity; 4,000
million kWh produced, 8,540 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: crude oil production and re-
fining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel,
cement
Agriculture: farming and grazing on small
scale, less than 2% of GDP; commercial
fishing increasing in importance; most
food imported
Aid: donor — pledged $2.7 billion in ODA
to less developed countries (1979- 88)
Currency: Qatari riyal (plural — riyals); 1
Qatari riyal (QR) = 100 dirhams
Exchange rates: Qatari riyals (QR) per
US$1— 3.6400 riyals (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Highways: 1,500 km total; 1,000 km bitu-
minous, 500 km gravel or natural surface
(est.)
Pipelines: crude oil, 235 km; natural gas,
400km
Ports: Doha, Musayid, Halul Island
Merchant marine: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 273,318 GRT/420,227
DWT; includes 7 cargo, 3 container, 2
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; none with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern system cen-
tered in Doha; 110,000 telephones; tropo-
spheric scatter to Bahrain; radio relay to
Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Bahrain
and UAE; stations— 2 AM, 1 FM, 3 TV;
satellite earth stations — 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police
Department
Military manpower: males 15-49, 255,474;
120,614 fit for military service; 3,982
reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA
259
Reunion
(overseas department of France)
SAINT DENIS
Indian Ocean
Set rciionil mip VII
Geography
Total area: 2,510 km2; land area: 2,500
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Rhode Island
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 201 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderates with ele-
vation; cool and dry from May to Novem-
ber, hot and rainy from November to
April
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous;
fertile lowlands along coast
Natural resources: fish, arable land
Land use: 20% arable land; 2% permanent
crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 35%
forest and woodland; 39% other; includes
2% irrigated
Environment: periodic devastating cyclones
Note: located 750 km east of Madagascar
in the Indian Ocean
People
Population: 595,583 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Reunionese (sing, and
pi.); adjective — Reunionese
Ethnic divisions: most of the population is
of intermixed French, African, Malagasy,
Chinese, Pakistani, and Indian ancestry
Religion: 94% Roman Catholic
Language: French (official); Creole widely
used
Literacy: NA%, but over 80% among
younger generation
Labor force: NA; 30% agriculture, 21%
industry, 49% services (1981); 63% of pop-
ulation of working age (1983)
Organized labor: General Confederation of
Workers of Reunion (CGTR)
Government
Long-form name: Department of Reunion
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Saint-Denis
Administrative divisions: none (overseas
department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department
of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: French law
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille,
14 July (1789)
Executive branch: French president, Com-
missioner of the Republic
Legislative branch: unicameral General
Council, unicameral Regional Council
Judicial branch: Court of Appeals (Cour
d'appel)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Fran-
cois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
1981);
Head of Government — Commissioner of
the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN
(since September 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the
Republic (RPR), Francois Mas; Union for
French Democracy (UDF), Gilbert Ger-
ard; Communist Party of Reunion (PCR);
France-Reunion Future (FRA), Andre
Thien Ah Koon; Socialist Party (PS),
Jean-Claude Fruteau; Social Democrats
(CDS), other small parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Regional Council — last held 16
March 1986 (next to be held March
1991); results— RPR/UDF 36.8%, PCR
28.2%, FRA and other right wing 17.3%,
PS 14.1%, other 3.6%; seats— <45 total)
RPR/UDF 18, PCR 13, FRA and other
right wing 8, PS 6;
French Senate — last held 24 September
1989 (next to be held September 1992);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (3 total) RPR-UDF 1, PS 1, inde-
pendent 1;
French National Assembly — last held 5
and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June
1993); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (5 total) PCR 2, RPR 1,
UDF-CDS 1, FRA 1
Communists: Communist party small but
has support among sugarcane cutters, the
minuscule Popular Movement for the Lib-
eration of Reunion (MPLR), and in the
district of Le Port
Member of: WFTU
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas
department of France, Reunionese inter-
ests are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
Economy
Overview: The economy has traditionally
been based on agriculture. Sugarcane has
been the primary crop for more than a
century, and in some years it accounts for
85% of exports. The government is push-
ing the development of a tourist industry
to relieve a high unemployment rate that
was over 30% in 1986. The economic well-
being of Reunion depends heavily on con-
tinued financial assistance from France.
GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $4,290
(1985); real growth rate 9% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: 32.0%; high seasonal
unemployment (1986)
Budget: revenues $358 million; expendi-
tures $914 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1986)
Exports: $136 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— sugar 75%, rum and molasses
4%, perfume essences 4%, vanilla and tea
1%; partners — France, Mauritius, Bah-
rain, S. Africa, Italy
Imports: $1.1 million (c.i.f., 1986); com-
modities— manufactured goods, food, bev-
erages, tobacco, machinery and transpor-
tation equipment, raw materials, and
petroleum products; partners — France,
Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
External debt: NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 245,000 kW capacity; 546 mil-
lion kWh produced, 965 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: sugar, rum, cigarettes, several
small shops producing handicraft items
Agriculture: accounts for 30% of labor
force; dominant sector of economy; cash
crops — sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco; food
crops — tropical fruits, vegetables, corn;
imports large share of food needs
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $13.5 billion
Currency: French franc (plural — francs); 1
French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per
US$1— 5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801
(1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987),
6.9261 (1986), 8.9852(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
260
Romania
Communications
Highways: 2,800 km total; 2,200 km
paved, 600 km gravel, crushed stone, or
stabilized earth
Ports: Pointe des Galets
Civil air: 1 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; 1 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate system for
needs; modern open-wire line and radio
relay network; principal center
Saint-Denis; radiocommunication to Com-
oros, France, Madagascar; new radio re-
lay route to Mauritius; 85,900 telephones;
stations— 3 AM, 13 FM, 1 (18 relays) TV;
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Military manpower: males 15-49, 158,812;
82,400 fit for military service; 6,075 reach
military age (18) annually
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
200km
ngalia
See regional m»p V
Geography
Total area: 237,500 km2; land area:
230,340 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Oregon
Land boundaries: 2,904 km total; Bulgaria
608 km, Hungary 443 km, USSR 1,307
km, Yugoslavia 546 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Transylvania question with Hun-
gary; Bessarabia question with USSR
Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy winters
with frequent snow and fog; sunny sum-
mers with frequent showers and thunder-
storms
Terrain: central Transylvanian Basin is
separated from the plain of Moldavia on
the east by the Carpathian Mountains and
separated from the Walachian Plain on
the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Natural resources: crude oil (reserves be-
ing exhausted), timber, natural gas, coal,
iron ore, salt
Land use: 43% arable land; 3% permanent
crops; 19% meadows and pastures; 28%
forest and woodland; 7% other; includes
11% irrigated
Environment: frequent earthquakes most
severe in south and southwest; geologic
structure and climate promote landslides,
air pollution in south
Note: controls most easily traversable land
route between the Balkans and western
USSR
People
Population: 23,273,285 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 1 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male,
75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Romanian(s); adjec-
tive— Romanian
Ethnic divisions: 89.1% Romanian; 7.8%
Hungarian; 1.5% German; 1.6% Ukrai-
nian, Serb, Croat, Russian, Turk, and
Gypsy
Religion: 80% Romanian Orthodox; 6%
Roman Catholic; 4% Calvinist, Lutheran,
Jewish, Baptist
Language: Romanian, Hungarian, Ger-
man
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 10,690,000; 34% industry,
28% agriculture, 38% other (1987)
Organized labor: until December 1989, a
single trade union system organized by
the General Confederation of Romanian
Trade Unions (UGSR) under control of
the Communist Party; since Ceau$escu's
overthrow, newly-created trade and pro-
fessional trade unions are joining two rival
umbrella organizations — Organization of
Free Trade Unions and Fratia (Brother-
hood)
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: former Communist state; current
multiparty provisional government has
scheduled a general democratic election
for 20 May 1990
Capital: Bucharest
Administrative divisions: 40 counties
(judete, singular — judet) and 1
municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad,
Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Bo-
tosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau,
Caiarasj, Cara$-Severin, Cluj, Constanta,
Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galaji, Gorj,
Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, lalomita,
Ia$i, Maramures,, Mehedinti, Mures,
Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Saiaj, Satu Mare,
Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea,
Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea
Independence: 1881 (from Turkey); repub-
lic proclaimed 30 December 1947
Constitution: 21 August 1965; new consti-
tution being drafted
Legal system: former mixture of civil law
system and Communist legal theory that
increasingly reflected Romanian traditions
is being revised; Communist regime had
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction;
Provisional Council of National Unity will
probably accept ICJ jurisdiction
261
Romania (continued)
National holiday: Liberation Day, 23 Au-
gust (1944); new national day to commem-
orate popular anti-Ceausescu uprising un-
der discussion
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, prime minister, and Council of Min-
isters (cabinet) appointed by provisional
government
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper house or Senate
(Senat) and a lower house or House of
Deputies (Adunarea Dcputatilor)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
Leaders: Chief of State— President of Pro-
visional Council of National Unity Ion
ILIESCU (since 23 December 1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister of
Council of Ministers Petre ROMAN
(since 23 December 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Social Demo-
cratic Party, Sergiu Cunes'cu; National
Liberal Party, Radu Cimpeanu; National
Christian Peasants Party, Corneliu Co-
posu; Free Democratic Social Justice
Party, Gheorghe Susana; several others
being formed; Communist Party has
ceased to exist; formation of left-wing par-
ties is uncertain
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Senate — elections for the new
upper house to be held 20 May 1990;
House of Deputies — elections for the new
lower house to be held 20 May 1990
Communists: 3,400,000 (November 1984);
Communist Party has ceased to exist
Member of: CCC, CEMA, FAO, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, ITC,
ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw
Pact, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Virgil CONSTANTINESCU; Chancery
at 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 232-4747; US—
Ambassador Alan GREEN, Jr.; Embassy
at Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest
(mailing address is APO New York
09213); telephone [40] (0) 10-40-40
Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue
(hoist side), yellow, and red; the national
coat of arms that used to be centered in
the yellow band, has been removed; now
similar to the flags of Andorra and Chad
Economy
Overview: Industry, which accounts for
one-third of the labor force and generates
over half the GNP, suffers from an aging
capital plant and persistent shortages of
energy. In recent years the agricultural
sector has had to contend with drought,
mismanagement, and shortages of inputs.
Favorable weather in 1989 helped produce
a good harvest, although far below gov-
ernment claims. The new government is
slowly loosening the tight central controls
of Ceausescu's command economy. It has
instituted moderate land reforms, with
close to one-third of cropland now in pri-
vate hands, and it has allowed changes in
prices for private agricultural output.
Also, the new regime is permitting the
establishment of private enterprises of 20
or fewer employees in services,
handicrafts, and small-scale industry. Fur-
thermore, the government has halted the
old policy of diverting food from domestic
consumption to hard currency export mar-
kets. So far, the government does not
seem willing to adopt a thorough-going
market system.
GNP: $79.8 billion, per capita $3,445; real
growth rate -1.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0% (1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $26 billion; expenditures
$21.6 billion, including capital expendi-
tures of $13.6 billion (1987)
Exports: $1 1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and equipment
34.7%, fuels, minerals and metals 24.7%,
manufactured consumer goods 16.9%, ag-
ricultural materials and forestry products
1 1 .9%, other 1 1 .6% ( 1 986); partners-
USSR 27%, Eastern Europe 23%, EC
15%, US 5%, China 4% (1987)
Imports: $8.75 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— fuels, minerals, and metals
5 1 .0%, machinery and equipment 26.7%,
agricultural and forestry products 1 1 .0%,
manufactured consumer goods 4.2%
(1986); partners — Communist countries
60%, non-Communist countries 40%
(1987)
External debt: none (mid- 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.6%
(1988)
Electricity: 22,640,000 kW capacity;
80,000 million kWh produced, 3,440 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: mining, timber, construction
materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine
building, food processing, petroleum
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP
and 28% of labor force; major wheat and
corn producer; other products — sugar
beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, milk, eggs,
meat, grapes
Aid: donor — $4.3 billion in bilateral aid to
non-Communist less developed countries
(1956-88)
Currency: leu (plural — lei); 1 leu (L) =
100 bani
Exchange rates: lei (L) per US$1— 20.96
(February 1990), 14.922(1989), 14.277
(1988), 14.557(1987), 16.153(1986),
17.141 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 11,221 km total; 10,755 km
1.435-meter standard gauge, 421 km nar-
row gauge, 45 km broad gauge; 3,328 km
electrified, 3,060 km double track; govern-
ment owned (1986)
Highways: 72,799 km total; 15,762 km
concrete, asphalt, stone block; 20,208 km
asphalt treated; 27,729 km gravel, crushed
stone, and other paved surfaces; 9,100 km
unpaved roads (1985)
Inland waterways: 1,724 km (1984)
Pipelines: 2,800 km crude oil; 1,429 km
refined products; 6,400 km natural gas
Ports: Constanta, Galati, Braila, Manga-
lia; inland ports are Giurgiu, Drobcta-
Turnu Severin, Orsova
Merchant marine: 282 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 3,313,320 CRT/
5,134,335 DWT; includes 1 passenger-
cargo, 184 cargo, 1 container, 1 rail-car
carrier, 14 roll-on/roll-oft" cargo, 2 live-
stock carrier, 10 petroleum, oils, and lu-
bricants (POL) tanker, 69 bulk
Civil air: 70 major transport aircraft
Airports: 165 total, 165 usable; 25 with
permanent-surface runways; 15 with run-
ways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 39 AM, 30
FM, 38 TV; 3,910,000 TV sets; 3,225,000
radio receivers; satellite earth stations — 1
Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Romanian Army, Security
Troops, Air and Air Defense Forces, Ro-
manian Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49,
5,736,783; 4,860,427 fit for military ser-
vice; 193,537 reach military age (20) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 1 1 .8 billion lei,
2.8% of total budget (1989); note— conver-
sion of the military budget into US dollars
using the official administratively set ex-
change rate would produce misleading
results
262
Rwanda
50km
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 26,340 km2; land area: 24,950
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Maryland
Land boundaries: 893 km total; Burundi
290 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169
km, Zaire 217 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons
(February to April, November to Janu-
ary); mild in mountains with frost and
snow possible
Terrain: mostly grassy uplands and hills;
mountains in west
Natural resources: gold, cassiterite (tin
ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), natural
gas, hydropower
Land use: 29% arable land; 1 1 % perma-
nent crops; 1 8% meadows and pastures;
10% forest and woodland; 32% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; overgrazing;
soil exhaustion; soil erosion; periodic
droughts
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 7,609,119 (July 1990), growth
rate 3. 8% (1990)
Birth rate: 53 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 1 3 deaths/ 1 ,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male,
54 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 8.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun and adjective — Rwan-
dan(s)
Ethnic divisions: Hutu 90%, Tutsi 9%,
Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
Religion: Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant
9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and
other 25%
Language: Kinyarwanda, French (official);
Kiswahili used in commercial centers
Literacy: 46.6%
Labor force: 3,600,000; 93% agriculture,
5% government and services, 2% industry
and commerce; 49% of population of
working age (1985)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Rwanda
Type: republic; presidential system in
which military leaders hold key offices
Capital: Kigali
Administrative divisions: 10 prefectures
(prefectures, singular — prefecture in
French; plural — NA, singular — prefegi-
tura in Kinyarwanda); Butare, Byumba,
Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama,
Kibungo, Kibuye, Rigali, Ruhengeri
Constitution: 17 December 1978
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN
trusteeship under Belgian administration)
Legal system: based on German and Bel-
gian civil law systems and customary law;
judicial review of legislative acts in the
Supreme Court; has not accepted compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 1
July (1962)
Executive branch: president, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Development Council (Conseil pour le De-
veloppement National)
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (con-
sists of the Court of Cassation and the
Council of State in joint session)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Maj. Gen. Juvenal
HABYARIMANA (since 5 July 1973)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
National Revolutionary Movement for
Development (MRND), Maj. Gen. Juvenal
Habyarimana (officially a development
movement, not a party)
Suffrage: universal adult, exact age NA
Elections: President — last held 19 Decem-
ber 1988 (next to be held December
1993); results— President Maj. Gen. Ju-
venal Habyarimana reelected;
National Development Council — last held
19 December 1988 (next to be held De-
cember 1993); results — MRND is the only
party; seats— (70 total); MRND 70
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, EAMA, CCC,
FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU,
NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Aloys UWIMANA; Chancery at 1714
New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washing-
ton DC 20009; telephone (202) 232-2882;
US — Ambassador Leonard H. O.
SPEARMAN, Sr.; Embassy at Boulevard
de la Revolution, Kigali (mailing address
is B. P. 28, Kigali); telephone [205] 75601
through 75603 or 72126 through 72128
Flag: three equal vertical bands of red
(hoist side), yellow, and green with a large
black letter R centered in the yellow
band; uses the popular pan-African colors
of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea,
which has a plain yellow band
Economy
Overview: About 40% of GDP comes from
the agricultural sector; coffee and tea
make up 80-90% of total exports. The
amount of fertile land is limited, however,
and deforestation and soil erosion have
created problems. The industrial sector in
Rwanda is small, contributing less than
20% to GDP. Manufacturing focuses
mainly on the processing of agricultural
products. The Rwandan economy remains
dependent on coffee exports and foreign
aid, with no relief in sight. Weak interna-
tional prices since 1986 have caused the
economy to contract and per capita GDP
to decline.
GDP: $2.3 billion, per capita $325; real
growth rate -2.5% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $413 million; expendi-
tures $522 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $230 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $118 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— coffee 85%, tea, tin, cassiterite,
wolframite, pyrethrum; partners — FRG,
Belgium, Italy, Uganda, UK, France, US
Imports: $278 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— textiles, foodstuffs, machines
and equipment, capital goods, steel, petro-
leum products, cement and construction
material; partners — US, Belgium, FRG,
Kenya, Japan
External debt: $645 million (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1 .2%
(1988)
Electricity: 26,000 kW capacity; 1 1 2 mil-
lion kWh produced, 15 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: mining of cassiterite (tin ore)
and wolframite (tungsten ore), tin, cement,
agricultural processing, small-scale bever-
age production, soap, furniture, shoes,
plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Agriculture: cash crops — coffee, tea, pyre-
thrum (insecticide made from
263
Rwanda (continued)
chrysanthemums); main food crops — ba-
nanas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; stock
raising; self-sufficiency declining; country
imports foodstuffs as farm production fails
to keep up with a 3.8% annual growth in
population
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $118 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $45 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $58 mil-
lion
Currency: Rwandan franc (plural — francs);
1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Rwandan francs (RF) per
US$1— 78.99 (December 1989), 79.98
(1989), 76.45 (1988), 79.67 (1987), 87.64
(1986), 101.26(1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Highways: 4,885 km total; 460 km paved,
1,725 km gravel and/or improved earth,
2,700 km unimproved
Inland waterways: Lac Kivu navigable by
shallow-draft barges and native craft
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 8 total, 8 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: fair system with low-
capacity radio relay system centered on
Kigali; 6,600 telephones; stations— 2 AM,
5 FM, no TV; satellite earth stations — 1
Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYM-
PHONIE
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, paramilitary, Gendarme-
rie
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1,586,989; 810,560 fit for military service;
no conscription
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GDP (1987)
St. Helena
(dependent territory of the UK)
Ascension and Tristan
da Cunha islands are
not shown
Sre region*! map V'll
Geography
Total area: 410 km2; land area: 410 km2;
includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inac-
cessible Island, Nightingale Island, and
Tristan da Cunha
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.3
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 60 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; marine; mild, tempered
by trade winds
Terrain: rugged, volcanic; small scattered
plateaus and plains
Natural resources: fish; Ascension is a
breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty
terns; no minerals
Land use: 7% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 3% for-
est and woodland; 83% other
Environment: very few perennial streams
Note: Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile
and burial; the remains were taken to
Paris in 1840
People
Population: 6,657 (July 1990), growth rate
0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEG1 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 46 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male,
75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — St. Helenian(s); adjec-
tive— St. Helenian
Ethnic divisions: NA
Religion: Anglican majority; also Baptist,
Seventh-Day Adventist, and Roman Cath-
olic
Language: English
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: St. Helena General
Workers' Union, 472 members; 1 7%
crafts, 10% professional and technical,
10% service, 9% management and clerical,
9% farming and fishing, 6% transport, 5%
sales, 1% security, and 33% other
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Jamestown
Administrative divisions: 2 dependencies
and 1 administrative area*; Ascension*,
Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha
Independence: none (dependent territory of
the UK)
Constitution: 1 January 1967
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Celebration of the Birth-
day of the Queen (second Saturday in
June), 10 June 1989
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government — Governor and
Commander in Chief Robert F. STIM-
SON (since 1987)
Political parties and leaders: St. Helena
Labor Party, G. A. O. Thornton; St. Hel-
ena Progressive Party, leader unknown;
note — both political parties inactive since
1976
Suffrage: NA
Elections: Legislative Council — last held
October 1984 (next to be held NA); re-
sults— percent of vote by party NA;
seats — (15 total, 12 elected) number of
seats by party NA
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (depen-
dent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and the St. He-
lenian shield centered on the outer half of
the flag; the shield features a rocky coast-
line and three-masted sailing ship
264
St. Kitts and Nevis
Economy
Overview: The economy depends primarily
on financial assistance from the UK. The
local population earns some income from
fishing, the rearing of livestock, and sales
of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs,
a large proportion of the work force have
left to seek employment overseas.
GDP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): —1.1%
(1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $3.2 million; expendi-
tures $2.9 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (1984)
Exports: $23.9 thousand (f.o.b., 1984);
commodities — fish (frozen skipjack, tuna,
salt-dried skipjack), handicrafts;
partners — South Africa, UK
Imports: $2.4 million (c.i.f., 1984); com-
modities— food, beverages, tobacco, fuel
oils, animal feed, building materials, mo-
tor vehicles and parts, machinery and
parts; partners — UK, South Africa
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 9,800 kW capacity; 10 million
kWh produced, 1,390 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: crafts (furniture, lacework,
fancy woodwork), fish
Agriculture: maize, potatoes, vegetables;
timber production being developed; craw-
fishing on Tristan da Cunha
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $168 million
Currency: St. Helenian pound (plural —
pounds); 1 St. Helenian pound (f S) = 100
pence
Exchange rates: St. Helenian pounds (£S)
per US$1— 0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099
(1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987),
0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note— the
St. Helenian pound is at par with the
British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: 87 km bitumen-sealed roads,
20 km earth roads on St. Helena; 80 km
bitumen-sealed on Ascension; 2.7 km
bitumen-sealed on Tristan da Cunha
Ports: Jamestown (St. Helena), George-
town (Ascension)
Merchant marine: 1 passenger-cargo ship
totaling 3,150 GRT/2,264 DWT
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
way 2,440-3,659 m on Ascension
Telecommunications: 1,500 radio receivers;
stations — 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 550 tele-
phones in automatic network; HF radio
links to Ascension, then into worldwide
submarine cable and satellite networks;
major coaxial cable relay point between
South Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascen-
sion; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth
stations
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
Sadlers
Towif\ Saint
{Christopher
10km
Caribbean
Sea
Caribbean
Sea
See region*! map III
Geography
Total area: 360 km2; land area: 360 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 135 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: subtropical tempered by constant
sea breezes; little seasonal temperature
variation; rainy season (May to Novem-
ber)
Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interi-
ors
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 22% arable land; 17% perma-
nent crops; 3% meadows and pastures;
17% forest and woodland; 41% other
Environment: subject to hurricanes (July to
October)
Note: located 320 km southeast of Puerto
Rico
People
Population: 40,157 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 1 1 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male,
71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African
descent
Nationality: noun — Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s);
adjective — Kittsian, Nevisian
265
St. Kitts and Nevis (continued)
Religion: Anglican, other Protestant sects,
Roman Catholic
Language: English
Literacy: 80%
Labor force: 20,000 (1981)
Organized labor: 6,700
Government
Long-form name: Federation of Saint
Kitts and Nevis
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Basseterre
Administrative divisions: 14 parishs; Christ
Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy
Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint
George Gingerland, Saint James Wind-
ward, Saint John Capisterre, Saint John
Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul
Capisterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint
Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland,
Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Pal-
metto Point
Independence: 19 September 1983 (from
UK)
Constitution: 19 September 1983
Legal system: based on English common
law
National holiday: Independence Day, 19
September (1983)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Assembly (sometimes referred to as the
National Assembly)
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Su-
preme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General Sir Clement
Athelston ARRINDELL (since 19 Sep-
tember 1983, previously Governor General
of the Associated State since November
1981);
Head of Government — Prime Minister Dr.
Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS (since
19 September 1983, previously Premier of
the Associated State since February
1980); Deputy Prime Minister Michael
Oliver POWELL (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: People's Ac-
tion Movement (PAM), Kennedy Sim-
monds; St. Kitts and Nevis Labor Party
(SKNLP), Lee Moore; Nevis Reformation
Party (NRP), Simeon Daniel; Concerned
Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance Amory
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: House of Assembly — last held
21 March 1989 (next to be held by 21
March 1994); seats— (14 total, II elected)
PAM 6, SKNLP 2, NRP 2, CCM 1
Communists: none known
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, Common-
wealth, FAO, IBRD, IMF, ISO, OAS,
OECS, UN
Diplomatic representation:
Minister-Counselor (Deputy Chief of Mis-
sion), Charge d' Affaires ad interim Erstein
M. EDWARDS; Chancery at Suite 540,
2501 M Street NW, Washington DC
20037; telephone (202) 833-3550; US—
none
Flag: divided diagonally from the lower
hoist side by a broad black band bearing
two white five-pointed stars; the black
band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle
is green, the lower triangle is red
Economy
Overview: The economy has historically
depended on the growing and processing
of sugarcane and on remittances from
overseas workers. In recent years, tourism
and export-oriented manufacturing have
assumed larger roles.
GDP: $119 million, per capita $3,240; real
growth rate 6% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: 20-25% (1987)
Budget: revenues $38.5 million; expendi-
tures $45.0 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $15.8 million (1988)
Exports: $30.3 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— sugar, manufactures, postage
stamps; partners— US 44%, UK 30%, Tri-
nidad and Tobago 12% (1987)
Imports: $94.7 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, intermediate manu-
factures, machinery, fuels; partners — US
35%, UK 18%, Trinidad and Tobago 10%,
Canada 6%, Japan 4% (1987)
External debt: $27.6 million (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.8%
(1986)
Electricity: 15,800 kW capacity; 45 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1,120 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: sugar processing, tourism, cot-
ton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, bever-
ages
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP;
cash crop — sugarcane; subsistence crops —
rice, yams, bananas; fishing potential not
fully exploited; most food imported
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $13.6 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $46 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars
(EC$) per US$1— 2.70 (fixed rate since
1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 58 km 0.760-meter narrow
gauge on St. Kitts for sugarcane
Highways: 300 km total; 125 km paved,
1 25 km otherwise improved, 50 km unim-
proved earth
Ports: Basseterre (St. Kitts), Charlestown
(Nevis)
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; I with runways
2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good interisland VH1 /
UHF/SHF radio connections and interna-
tional link via Antigua and Barbuda and
St. Martin; 2,400 telephones; stations — 2
AM, no FM, 4 TV
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Po-
lice Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
266
St. Lucia
f rrcionil map 111
Geography
Total area: 620 km2; land area: 610 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1 58 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, moderated by northeast
trade winds; dry season from January to
April, rainy season from May to August
Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with
some broad, fertile valleys
Natural resources: forests, sandy beaches,
minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geo-
thermal potential
Land use: 8% arable land; 20% permanent
crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 1 3%
forest and woodland; 54% other; includes
2% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes and
volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion
Note: located 700 km southeast of Puerto
Rico
People
Population: 153, 196 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 33 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: 18 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male,
74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — St. Lucian(s); adjec-
tive— St. Lucian
Ethnic divisions: 90.3% African descent,
5.5% mixed, 3.2% East Indian, 0.8% Cau-
casian
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic, 7% Prot-
estant, 3% Anglican
Language: English (official), French patois
Literacy: 78%
Labor force: 43,800; 43.4% agriculture,
38.9% services, 17.7% industry and com-
merce (1983 est.)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Castries
Administrative divisions: 1 1 parishes;
Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dau-
phin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Mi-
coud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Independence: 22 February 1979 (from
UK)
Constitution: 22 February 1979
Legal system: based on English common
law
National holiday: Independence Day, 22
February (1979)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Su-
preme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General Stanislaus
Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
John George Melvin COMPTON (since 3
May 1982)
Political parties and leaders: United
Workers' Party (UWP), John Compton;
St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian
Hunte; Progressive Labor Party (PLP),
George Odium
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Assembly — last held
6 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7
Communists: negligible
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, FAO, G-
77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, NAM,
OAS, OECS, PAHO, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS; Chancery
at Suite 309, 2100 M Street NW, Wash-
ington DC 30037; telephone (202) 463-
7378 or 7379; there is a St. Lucian Con-
sulate General in New York; US — none
Flag: blue with a gold isosceles triangle
below a black arrowhead; the upper edges
of the arrowhead have a white border
Economy
Overview: Since 1983 the economy has
shown an impressive average annual
growth rate of almost 5% because of
strong agricultural and tourist industry
sectors. There is also an expanding indus-
trial base supported by foreign investment
in manufacturing and other activities,
such as in data processing. The economy,
however, remains vulnerable because the
important agricultural sector is dominated
by banana production. St. Lucia is subject
to periodic droughts and/or tropical
storms, and its protected market agree-
ment with the UK for bananas may end
in 1992.
GDP: $172 million, per capita $1,258; real
growth rate 6.8% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.0%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: 18.6% (1986)
Budget: revenues $71.7 million; expendi-
tures $79.3 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $19.6 million (1987)
Exports: $76.8 million (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— bananas 67%, cocoa, vegeta-
bles, fruits, coconut oil, clothing; part-
ners— UK 55%, CARICOM 21%, US
1 8%, other 6%
Imports: $178.1 million (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— manufactured goods 22%, ma-
chinery and transportation equipment
21%, food and live animals 20%, mineral
fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equip-
ment, fertilizers, petroleum products; part-
ners—US 33%, UK 16%, CARICOM
14.8%, Japan 6.5%, other 29.7%
External debt: $39.5 million (December
1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.4%
(1987)
Electricity: 20,000 kW capacity; 80 mil-
lion kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: clothing, assembly of electronic
components, beverages, corrugated boxes,
tourism, lime processing, coconut process-
ing
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and
43% of labor force; crops — bananas, coco-
nuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops,
cocoa; imports food for the tourist indus-
try
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $4 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $93 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
267
St. Lucia (continued)
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars
(ECS) per US$1— 2.70 (fixed rate since
1976)
Fiscal Year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: 760 km total; 500 km paved;
260 km otherwise improved
Ports: Castries
Civil air: 2 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; 1 with runways
1,220-2,439
Telecommunications: fully automatic tele-
phone system; 9,500 telephones; direct
radio relay link with Martinique and St.
Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland
troposcatter link to Barbados; stations — 4
AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (cable)
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal St. Lucia Police Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
St. Pierre and Miquelon
(territorial collectivity of France)
Miqut'ln
North Atlantic
Ocean
See regional map II
Geography
Total area: 242 km2; land area: 242 km2;
includes eight small islands in the St.
Pierre and the Miquelon groups
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 120 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: focus of maritime boundary dis-
pute between Canada and France
Climate: cold and wet, with much mist
and fog; spring and autumn are windy
Terrain: mostly barren rock
Natural resources: fish, deep-water ports
Land use: 1 3% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 4% for-
est and woodland; 83% other
Environment: vegetation scanty
Note: located 25 km south of Newfound-
land, Canada, in the North Atlantic
Ocean
People
Population: 6,330 (July 1990), growth rate
0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 17 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —6 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Frenchman(men),
Frenchwoman(women); adjective — French
Ethnic divisions: originally Basques and
Bretons (French fishermen)
Religion: 98% Roman Catholic
Language: French
Literacy: NA%, but compulsory education
between 6 and 16 years of age
Labor force: 2,510(1982)
Organized labor: Workers' Force trade
union
Government
Long-form name: Territorial Collectivity
of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Type: territorial collectivity of France
Capital: St. Pierre
Administrative divisions: none (territorial
collectivity of France)
Independence: none (territorial collectivity
of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: French law
National holiday: National Day, 14 July
Executive branch: commissioner of the
Republic
Legislative branch: unicameral General
Council
Judicial branch: Superior Tribunal of Ap-
peals (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Fran-
cois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
1981);
Head of Government — Commissioner of
the Republic Jean-Pierre MARQUIE
(since February 1989); President of the
General Council Marc PLANTEGEN-
EST (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist
Party (PS); Union for French Democracy
(UDF/CDS), Gerard Grignon
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: General Council — last held
September-October 1988 (next to be held
September 1994); results — percent of vote
by party NA; seats — (19 total) Socialist
and other left-wing parties 13, UDF and
right-wing parties 6;
French President— last held 8 May 1988
(next to be held May 1995); results —
(second ballot) Jacques Chirac 56%, Fran-
cois Mitterrand 44%;
French Senate — last held 24 September
1989 (next to be held September 1992);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (1 total) PS 1;
French National Assembly — last held 5
and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June
1993); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (1 total) UDF/CDS 1
Diplomatic representation: as a territorial
collectivity of France, local interests are
represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
268
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Economy
Overview: The inhabitants have tradition-
ally earned their livelihood by fishing and
by servicing fishing fleets operating off the
coast of Newfoundland. The economy has
been declining, however, because the num-
ber of ships stopping at St. Pierre has
steadily dropped over the years. In March
1 989, an agreement between France and
Canada set fish quotas for St. Pierre's
trawlers fishing in Canadian and
Canadian-claimed waters for three years.
The agreement settles a longstanding dis-
pute that had virtually brought fish ex-
ports to a halt. The islands are heavily
subsidized by France. Imports come pri-
marily from Canada.
GDP: SNA, per capita $2,495 (1984); real
growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 13.3% (1987)
Budget: revenues SNA million; expendi-
tures $13.9 million, including capital ex-
penditures of SNA (1988)
Exports: $23.3 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— fish and fish products, fox and
mink pelts; partners — US 58%, France
17%, UK 11%, Canada, Portugal
Imports: $50.3 million (c.i.f., 1986); com-
modities— meat, clothing, fuel, electrical
equipment, machinery, building materials;
partners — Canada, France, US, Nether-
lands, UK
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 10,000 kW capacity; 25 mil-
lion kWh produced, 3,970 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: fishing and supply base for
fishing fleets; tourism
Agriculture: vegetables, cattle, sheep and
pigs for local consumption; fish catch,
14,750 metric tons (1986)
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $477 million
Currency: French franc (plural — francs); 1
French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per
US$1— 5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801
(1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987),
6.9261 (1986), 8.9852(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 120 km total; 60 kM paved
(1985)
Ports: St. Pierre
Civil air Air Saint-Pierre
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways, none with
runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runway
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 3,601 telephones;
stations — 1 AM, 3 FM, no TV; radiotele-
communication with most countries in the
world; 1 satellite earth station in French
domestic system
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
Chateaubelair
KINGSTOWN
eorgetown
Saint
'incent
Caribbean
Bequia^J Sea
V i«
Caribbean *
Sea A *Mutti«iH
•£>.
Union Island
Sec regional map III
Geography
Total area: 340 km2; land area: 340 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 84 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; little seasonal tempera-
ture variation; rainy season (May to No-
vember)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere
volcano on the island of St. Vincent
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 38% arable land; 12% perma-
nent crops; 6% meadows and pastures;
41% forest and woodland; 3% other; in-
cludes 3% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes; Souf-
riere volcano is a constant threat
Note: some islands of the Grenadines
group are administered by Grenada
People
Population: 112,646 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 27 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 8 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 32 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
72 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — St. Vincentian(s) or
Vincentian(s); adjectives — St. Vincentian
or Vincentian
269
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
(continued)
Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African
descent; remainder mixed, with some
white, East Indian, Carib Indian
Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman
Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: English, some French patois
Literacy: 82%
Labor force: 67,000 (1984 est.)
Organized labor 10% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Kingstown
Administrative divisions: 6 parishes; Char-
lotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint
David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
Independence: 27 October 1979 (from UK)
Constitution: 27 October 1979
Legal system: based on English common
law
National holiday: Independence Day, 27
October (1979)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Assembly (includes 1 5 elected representa-
tives and six appointed senators)
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Su-
preme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General David JACK
(since 29 September 1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July
1984)
Political parties and leaders: New Demo-
cratic Party (NDP), James (Son) Mitchell;
St. Vincent Labor Party (SVLP), Vincent
Beach; United People's Movement (UPM),
Adrian Saunders; Movement for National
Unity (MNU), Ralph Gonsalves; National
Reform Party (NRP), Joel Miguel
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Assembly — last held
16 May 1989 (next to be held July 1994);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (15 total) NDP 15
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, FAO, G-
77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IMF, IMO, OAS, OECS, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: three vertical bands of blue (hoist
side), gold (double width), and green; the
gold band bears three green diamonds ar-
ranged in a y pattern
Economy
Overview: Agriculture, dominated by ba-
nana production, is the most important
sector of the economy, providing employ-
ment for over 60% of the labor force and
contributing about 20% to GDP. The ser-
vices sector is next in importance, based
mostly on a growing tourist industry. The
economy continues to have a high unem-
ployment rate of 30% because of an over-
dependence on the weather-plagued ba-
nana crop as a major export earner.
Government progress toward diversifying
into new industries has been relatively un-
successful.
GDP: $136 million, per capita $1,305; real
growth rate 8.4% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 30% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $42.7 million; expendi-
tures $67.5 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $25.8 (FY88)
Exports: $63.8 million (f.o.b., 1986); com-
modities— bananas, eddoes and dasheen
(taro), arrowroot starch, copra; partners —
CARICOM 60%, UK 27%, US 10%
Imports: $87.3 million (c.i.f., 1986); com-
modities— foodstuffs, machinery and
equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, min-
erals and fuels; partners — US 37%, CA-
RICOM 18%, UK 13%
External debt: $35 million (July 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate — 1 .2%
(1986)
Electricity: 16,600 kW capacity; 64 mil-
lion kWh produced, 610 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: food processing (sugar, flour),
cement, furniture, rum, starch, sheet
metal, beverage
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP and
60% of labor force; provides bulk of ex-
ports; products — bananas, arrowroot
(world's largest producer), coconuts, sweet
potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle,
sheep, hogs, goats; small fish catch used
locally
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $71 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars
(EC$) per US$1— 2.70 (fixed rate since
1976)
Fiscal yean 1 July-30 June
Communications
Highways: about 1,000 km total; 300 km
paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unim-
proved
Ports: Kingstown
Merchant marine: 175 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 1,305,945 GRT/
2,029,935 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 1
passenger cargo, 103 cargo, 10 container,
8 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 refrigerated
cargo, 9 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 2 lique-
fied gas, 28 bulk, 4 combination bulk;
note — a flag of convenience registry
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: islandwide fully au-
tomatic telephone system; 6,500
telephones; VHF/UHF interisland links to
Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF
links to Grenada and St. Lucia; stations —
2 AM, no FM, 1 TV (cable)
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal St. Vincent and the
Grenadines Police Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
270
San Marino
regional map V
Geography
Total area: 60 km2; land area: 60 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundary: 39 km with Italy
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool win-
ters; warm, sunny summers
Terrain: rugged mountains
Natural resources: building stones
Land use: 17% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 83% other
Environment: dominated by the Appenines
Note: landlocked; world's smallest repub-
lic; enclave of Italy
People
Population: 23,123 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 8 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male,
79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Sanmarinese (sing,
and pi.); adjective — Sanmarinese
Ethnic divisions: Sanmarinese, Italian
Religion: Roman Catholic
Language: Italian
Literacy: 97%
Labor force: about 4,300
Organized labor: Democratic Federation
of Sanmarinese Workers (affiliated with
ICFTU) has about 1,800 members;
Communist-dominated General Federa-
tion of Labor, 1,400 members
Government
Long-form name: Republic of San Marino
Type: republic
Capital: San Marino
Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities
(castelli, singular — castello); Acquaviva,
Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova,
Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Monte
Giardino, San Marino, Serravalle
Independence: 301 (by tradition)
Constitution: 8 October 1600; electoral
law of 1926 serves some of the functions
of a constitution
Legal system: based on civil law system
with Italian law influences; has not ac-
cepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the
Foundation of the Republic, 3 September
Executive branch: two captains regent,
Congress of State (cabinet); real executive
power is wielded by the secretary of state
for foreign affairs and the secretary of
state for internal affairs
Legislative branch: unicameral Grand and
General Council (Consiglio Grande e Gen-
erale)
Judicial branch: Council of Twelve (Consi-
glio dei XII)
Leaders: Co-Chiefs of State and
Co-Heads of Government — Captain Re-
gent Salvatori REVES (since April 1989)
and Captain Regent Luciano CARDELLI
(since April 1989); Captains Regent are
elected for six-month terms
Political parties and leaders: Christian
Democratic Party (DCS), Gabriele Gatti;
Communist Party (PCS), Gilberto Ghiotti;
Socialist Unity Party (PSU), Emilio Delia
Balda and Patrizia Busignani; San Marino
Socialist Party (PSS), Antonio Volpinari;
San Marino Social Democratic Party
(PSDS), Augusto Casali; San Marino Re-
publican Party (PRS), Cristoforo Busca-
rini
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Grand and General Council —
last held 29 May 1988 (next to be held by
May 1993); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats— (60 total) DCS 27, PCS
18, PSU 8, PSS 7
Communists: about 300 members; the
PCS, in conjunction with the PSS, PSU,
and PSDS, has led the government since
1978
Other political parties or pressure groups:
political parties influenced by policies of
their counterparts in Italy
Member of: ICJ, ITU, IRC, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WTO; observer sta-
tus in NAM
Diplomatic representation: San Marino
maintains honorary Consulates General in
Washington and New York, and an hon-
orary Consulate in Detroit; US — no mis-
sion in San Marino, but the Consul Gen-
eral in Florence (Italy) is accredited to
San Marino; Consulate General at 38
Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci, Florence,
Italy (mailing address is APO NY 09019);
telephone [39] (55) 298-276
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white
(top) and light blue with the national coat
of arms superimposed in the center; the
coat of arms has a shield (featuring three
towers on three peaks) flanked by a
wreath, below a crown and above a scroll
bearing the word L1BERTAS (Liberty)
Economy
Overview: The economy relies heavily on
the tourist industry as a source of revenue.
More than 2 million tourists visit each
year, contributing about 60% to GDP.
The sale of postage stamps to foreign col-
lectors is another important income pro-
ducer. The manufacturing sector employs
nearly 40% of the labor force and agricul-
ture less than 4%. The per capita level of
output and standard of living are compa-
rable to northern Italy.
GDP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.4%
(1986)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% (1985)
Budget: revenues $99.2 million; expendi-
tures SNA, including capital expenditures
of SNA (1983)
Exports: trade data are included with the
statistics for Italy; commodity trade con-
sists primarily of exchanging building
stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine,
baked goods, hides, and ceramics for a
wide variety of consumer manufactures
Imports: see Exports
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: supplied by Italy
Industries: wine, olive oil, cement, leather,
textile, tourist
Agriculture: employs less than 4% of labor
force; products — wheat, grapes, corn, ol-
ives, meat, cheese, hides; small numbers of
cattle, pigs, horses; depends on Italy for
food imports
Aid: NA
Currency: Italian lira (plural — lire); 1 Ital-
ian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi; also mints
its own coins
Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per
US$1 — 1,262.5 (January 1990), 1,372.1
(1989), 1,301.6(1988), 1,296.1 (1987),
1,490.8(1986), 1,909.4(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
271
San Marino (continued)
Sao Tome and Principe
Communications
Highways: 104 km
Telecommunications: automatic telephone
system; 1 1 ,700 telephones; stations — no
AM, 20 FM, no TV; radio relay and cable
links into Italian networks; no communi-
cation satellite facilities
Defense Forces
Branches: public security or police force of
less than 50 people
Military manpower: all fit men ages 16-60
constitute a militia that can serve as an
army
Defense expenditures: NA
Jlheu Bombom
//ha dO rManto Antonio
Principe ^-/T
ilheu Caro$o
Tinhosa Pequena ,
*Tinhosa Grande
Gulf
of
Guinea
llhtu das Cabras
vei^/ 1J-3AO TOME
llha de
Sao Tome
llhtu
Gago Coulinho ;
Set regional map VII
Crui
Geography
Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 5.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 209 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed
archipelagic baselines)
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; one rainy
season (October to May)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 1% arable land; 20% permanent
crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 75%
forest and woodland; 3% other
Environment: deforestation; soil erosion
Note: located south of Nigeria and west of
Gabon near the Equator in the North At-
lantic Ocean
People
Population: 124,765 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 38 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 61 deaths/ 1, 000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male,
67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Sao Tomean(s); adjec-
tive— Sao Tomean
Ethnic divisions: mestico, angolares (de-
scendents of Angolan slaves), forros (de-
scendents of freed slaves), servicais (con-
tract laborers from Angola, Mozambique,
and Cape Verde), tongas (children of ser-
vicais born on the islands), and Europeans
(primarily Portuguese)
Religion: Roman Catholic, Evangelical
Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: Portuguese (official)
Literacy: 50% (est.)
Labor force: 2 1 ,096 ( 1 98 1 ); most of popu-
lation engaged in subsistence agriculture
and fishing; labor shortages on plantations
and of skilled workers; 56% of population
of working age (1983)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Democratic Republic of
Sao Tome and Principe
Type: republic
Capital: Sao Tome
Administrative divisions: 2 districts (con-
celhos, singular — concelho); Principe, Sao
Tome
Independence: 12 July 1975 (from Portu-
gal)
Constitution: 5 November 1975, approved
15 December 1982
Legal system: based on Portuguese law
system and customary law; has not ac-
cepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 12
July (1975)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter. Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
People's Assembly, sometimes referred to
as the National Popular Assembly (As-
sembleia Popular Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Dr.
Manuel Pinto da COSTA (since 12 July
1975);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Celestino Rocha da COSTA (since 8 Jan-
uary 1988)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome
and Principe (MLSTP), Dr. Manuel Pinto
da Costa
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 30 Sep-
tember 1985 (next to be held September
1990); results— President Dr. Manuel
Pinto da Costa was reelected without op-
position by the National People's Assem-
bly;
National People's Assembly — last held 30
September 1 985 (next to be held Septem-
ber 1990); results— MLSTP is the only
party; seats— (40 total) MLSTP 40 (indi-
rectly elected)
Member of: ACP, AfDB, FAO, G-77,
GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM,
OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO
272
Saudi Arabia
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Joaquim Rafael BRANCO; Chancery
(temporary) at 801 Second Avenue, Suite
1504, New York, NY 10017; telephone
(212) 697-421 1; US— the US Ambassador
in Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and
Principe on a nonresident basis and makes
periodic visits to the islands
Flag: three horizontal bands of green (top),
yellow (double width), and green with two
black five-pointed stars placed side by side
in the center of the yellow band and a red
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side;
uses the popular pan-African colors of
Ethiopia
Economy
Overview: The economy has remained de-
pendent on cocoa since the gained inde-
pendence nearly 15 years ago. Since then,
however, cocoa production has gradually
deteriorated because of drought and mis-
management, so that by 1987 output had
fallen to less than 50% of its former lev-
els. As a result, a shortage of cocoa for
export has created a serious balance-of-
payments problem. Production of less im-
portant crops, such as coffee, copra, and
palm kernels, has also declined. The value
of imports generally exceeds that of ex-
ports by a ratio of 4 to 1 . The emphasis
on cocoa production at the expense of
other food crops has meant that Sao
Tome has to import 90% of food needs. It
also has to import all fuels and most man-
ufactured goods. Over the years, Sao
Tome has been unable to service its exter-
nal debt, which amounts to roughly 80%
of export earnings. Considerable potential
exists for development of a tourist indus-
try, and the government has taken steps to
expand facilities in recent years. The gov-
ernment also implemented a Five- Year
Plan covering 1 986-90 to restructure the
economy and reschedule external debt ser-
vice payments in cooperation with the In-
ternational Development Association and
Western lenders.
GDP: $37.9 million, per capita $340; real
growth rate 1.8% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2%
(1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $19.2 million; expendi-
tures $25.1 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $19.9 million (1987)
Exports: $9.1 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — cocoa 90%, copra, coffee,
palm oil; partners— FRG, GDR, Nether-
lands, China
Imports: $17.3 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities — machinery and electrical
equipment 59%, food products 32%, fuels
9%; partners — Portugal, GDR, Angola,
China
External debt: $95 million (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.1%
(1986)
Electricity: 6,000 kW capacity; 12 million
kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: light construction, shirts, soap,
beer, fisheries, shrimp processing
Agriculture: dominant sector of economy,
primary source of exports; cash crops —
cocoa (90%), coconuts, palm kernels,
coffee; food products — bananas, papaya,
beans, poultry, fish; not self-sufficient in
food grain and meat
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $7 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), 41.9 million
Currency: dobra (plural — dobras); 1 dobra
(Db) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: dobras (Db) per US$1 —
122.48 (December 1988), 72.827 (1987),
36.993(1986), 41.195(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 300 km (two-thirds are paved);
roads on Principe are mostly unpaved and
in need of repair
Ports: Sao Tome, Santo Antonio
Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: minimal system;
2,200 telephones; stations — 1 AM, 2 FM,
no TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49, 27,805;
14,662 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.6% of GDP (1980)
500 kn
See regional map VI
Geography
Total area: 2,149,690 km2; land area:
2,149,690km2
Comparative area: slightly less than one-
fourth the size of US
Land boundaries: 4,410 km total; Iraq 488
km, Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone 198
km, Jordan 742 km, Kuwait 222 km,
Oman 676 km, Qatar 40 km, UAE 586
km, PDRY 830 km, YAR 628 km
Coastline: 2,510 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 8 nm
Continental shelf: not specific
Exclusive fishing zone: not specific
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: no defined boundaries with
PDRY, UAE, and YAR; shares Neutral
Zone with Iraq — in July 1975, Iraq and
Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to di-
vide the zone between them, but the
agreement must be ratified, however, be-
fore it becomes effective; Kuwaiti owner-
ship of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Is-
lands is disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate: harsh, dry desert with great ex-
tremes of temperature
Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas,
iron ore, gold, copper
Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 39% meadows and pastures;
1% forest and woodland; 59% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: no perennial rivers or per-
manent water bodies; developing extensive
coastal seawater desalination facilities;
desertification
Note: extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf
and Red Sea provide great leverage on
shipping (especially crude oil) through Per-
sian Gulf and Suez Canal
273
Saudi Arabia (continued)
People
Population: 17,1 15,728 (July 1990),
growth rate 4.4% (1990); note — the popu-
lation figure is based on growth since the
last official Saudi census of 1974 reported
a total of 7 million persons and includes
foreign workers, while estimates from
other sources may be 1 5-30% lower
Birth rate: 37 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 1 3 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 71 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male,
67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Saudi(s); adjective —
Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Ethnic divisions: 90% Arab, 10% Afro-
Asian
Religion: 100% Muslim
Language: Arabic
Literacy: 52%
Labor force: 4,200,000; about 60% are
foreign workers; 34% government, 28%
industry and oil, 22% services, and 16%
agriculture
Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Saudi Ara-
bia
Type: monarchy
Capital: Riyadh
Administrative divisions: 1 4 emirates
(imarat, singular — im3rah); Al BShah, Al
Hudud ash ShamalTyah, Al Jawf, Al
Madlnah, Al QasTm, Al Qurayyat, Ar
Riyad, Ash Sharqlyah, 'Aslr, HS'il, JlzSn,
Makkah, Najr5n, Tabuk
Independence: 23 September 1932 (unifi-
cation)
Constitution: none; governed according to
Shari'a (Islamic law)
Legal system: based on Islamic law, sev-
eral secular codes have been introduced;
commercial disputes handled by special
committees; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Unification of the King-
dom, 23 September (1932)
Executive branch: monarch and prime
minister, crown prince and deputy prime
minister. Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: none
Judicial branch: Supreme Council of Jus-
tice
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— King and Prime Minister
FAHD bin 'Abd al-'Aziz Al Sa'ud (since
13 June 1982); Crown Prince and Deputy
Prime Minister 'ABDALLAH bin 'Abd
al-'Aziz Al Sa'ud (half-brother to the
King, appointed heir to the throne 1 3
June 1982)
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Communists: negligible
Member of: Arab League, CCC, FAO,
G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB— Islamic Development Bank, I FAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ITU, IWC— International
Wheat Council, NAM, OAPEC, QIC,
OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
BANDAR Bin Sultan; Chancery at 601
New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washing-
ton DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-3800;
there are Saudi Arabian Consulates Gen-
eral in Houston, Los Angeles, and New
York; US— Ambassador Charles W.
FREEMAN; Embassy at Collector Road
M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh (mailing
address is P. O. Box 9041, Riyadh 1 1 143,
or APO New York 09038); telephone
[966] (1) 488-3800; there are US Consu-
lates General in Dhahran and Jiddah
(Jeddah)
Flag: green with large white Arabic script
(that may be translated as There is no
God but God; Muhammad is the Messen-
ger of God) above a white horizontal saber
(the tip points to the hoist side); green is
the traditional color of Islam
Economy
Overview: By far the most important eco-
nomic activity is the production of petro-
leum and petroleum products. The petro-
leum sector accounts for about 85% of
budget revenues, 80% of GDP, and almost
all export earnings. Saudi Arabia has the
largest reserves of petroleum in the world,
is the largest exporter of petroleum, and
plays a leading role in OPEC. Oil wealth
has provided a per capita GDP that is
comparable to most industrialized coun-
tries. Saudi Arabia is one of the few coun-
tries where consumer prices have been
dropping or showing little change in re-
cent years.
GDP: $73 billion, per capita $4,720; real
growth rate 3.2% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5%
(1989est.)
Unemployment rate: 0% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $31.5 billion; expendi-
tures $38.1 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1990)
Exports: $24.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — petroleum and petroleum
products 89%; partners — Japan 26%, US
26%, France 6%, Bahrain 6%
Imports: $21.8 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — manufactured goods, trans-
portation equipment, construction materi-
als, processed food products; partners —
US 20%, Japan 18%, UK 16%, Italy 11%
External debt: $18.9 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 6.1%
(1980-86)
Electricity: 25,066,000 kW capacity;
50,000 million kWh produced, 3,100 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: crude oil production, petroleum
refining, basic petrochemicals, cement,
small steel-rolling mill, construction, fer-
tilizer, plastic
Agriculture: accounts for about 10% of
GDP, 16% of labor force; fastest growing
economic sector; subsidized by govern-
ment; products — wheat, barley, tomatoes,
melons, dates, citrus fruit, mutton, chick-
ens, eggs, milk; approaching self-suffi-
ciency in food
Aid: donor — pledged $64.7 billion in bilat-
eral aid (1979-89)
Currency: Saudi riyal (plural — riyals); 1
Saudi riyal (SR) = 100 halalas
Exchange rates: Saudi riyals (SR) per
US$1— 3.7450 (fixed rate since late 1986),
3.7033(1986), 3.6221 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 886 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge
Highways: 74,000 km total; 35,000 km
bituminous, 39,000 km gravel and im-
proved earth
Pipelines: 6,400 km crude oil; 1 50 km re-
fined products; 2,200 km natural gas, in-
cludes 1,600 km of natural gas liquids
Ports: Jiddah, Ad Dammam, Ras Tanura,
Jizan, Al Jubayl, Yanbu al Bahr, Yanbu
al Sinaiyah
Merchant marine: 94 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 1,988,322 GRT/3,474,788
DWT; includes 1 passenger, 6 short-sea
passenger, 1 passenger-cargo, 15 cargo, 12
roll-on /roll-off cargo, 3 container, 6 re-
frigerated cargo, 4 livestock carrier, 32
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 8 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas,
1 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized
tanker, 3 bulk
Civil air: 182 major transport aircraft
available
Airports: 204 total, 1 79 usable; 66 with
permanent-surface runways; 13 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 33 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 98 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: good system with
extensive microwave and coaxial cable
274
Senegal
systems; 1 ,624,000 telephones; stations —
21 AM, 16 FM, 97 TV; radio relay to
Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE,
YAR, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Ku-
wait; submarine cable to Djibouti and
Egypt; satellite earth stations — 3 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 INMAR-
SAT, 1 ARABSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Saudi Arabian Land Forces,
Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Royal Saudi
Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Defense
Force, Saudi Arabian National Guard,
Coast Guard and Frontier Forces, Special
Security Force, Public Security Force,
Special Emergency Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
6,437,039; 3,606,344 fit for military ser-
vice; 159,186 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 16.9% of GDP, or
$12.3 billion (1990 est.)
not necessarily authoritative
Set re(iona) mip VII
Geography
Total area: 196,190 km2; land area:
192,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
South Dakota
Land boundaries: 2,640 km total; The
Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-
Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania
813km
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: short section of the boundary
with The Gambia is indefinite; the Inter-
national Court of Justice (ICJ) rendered
its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal
maritime boundary in favor of Senegal —
that decision has been rejected by Guinea-
Bissau; boundary with Mauritania
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; rainy season
(December to April) has strong southeast
winds; dry season (May to November)
dominated by hot, dry harmattan wind
Terrain: generally low, rolling, plains ris-
ing to foothills in southeast
Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron
ore
Land use: 27% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 30% meadows and pastures; 31%
forest and woodland; 12% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: lowlands seasonally flooded;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification
Note: The Gambia is almost an enclave
People
Population: 7,713,851 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 44 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male,
56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Senegalese (sing, and
pi.); adjective — Senegalese
Ethnic divisions: 36% Wolof, 17% Fulani,
17% Serer, 9% Toucouleur, 9% Diola, 9%
Mandingo, 1% European and Lebanese,
2% other
Religion: 92% Muslim, 6% indigenous be-
liefs, 2% Christian (mostly Roman Catho-
lic)
Language: French (official); Wolof, Pulaar,
Diola, Mandingo
Literacy: 28.1%
Labor force: 2,509,000; 77% subsistence
agricultural workers; 175,000 wage earn-
ers— 40% private sector, 60% government
and parapublic; 52% of population of
working age (1985)
Organized labor: majority of wage-labor
force represented by unions; however,
dues-paying membership very limited; ma-
jor confederation is National Confedera-
tion of Senegalese Labor (CNTS), an af-
filiate of governing party
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Senegal
Type: republic under multiparty demo-
cratic rule
Capital: Dakar
Administrative divisions: 1 0 regions
(regions, singular — region); Dakar, Diour-
bel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-
Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Independence: 4 April 1960 (from France);
The Gambia and Senegal signed an agree-
ment on 1 2 December 1 98 1 (effective 1
February 1982) that called for the cre-
ation of a loose confederation to be known
as Senegambia, but the agreement was
dissolved on 30 September 1 989
Constitution: 3 March 1963, last revised
in 1984
Legal system: based on French civil law
system; judicial review of legislative acts
in Supreme Court, which also audits the
government's accounting office; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 4
April (1960)
Executive branch: president. Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme)
275
Senegal (continued)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Abdou DIOUF (since
1 January 1981)
Political parties and leaders: Socialist
Party (PS), Abdou Diouf; Senegalese
Democratic Party (PDS), Abdoulaye
Wade; 13 other small uninfluential parties
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President — last held 28 Febru-
ary 1988 (next to be held February 1993);
results— Abdou Diouf (PS) 73%, Abdou-
laye Wade (PDS) 26%, others 1%;
National Assembly — last held 28 Febru-
ary 1988 (next to be held February 1993);
results— PS 71%, PDS 25%, others 4%;
seats— (120 total) PS 103, PDS 17
Communists: small number of Commu-
nists and sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups: stu-
dents, teachers, labor, Muslim Brother-
hoods
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC,
CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, EIB
(associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic Devel-
opment Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU,
NAM, OAU, OCAM, QIC, OMVS (Or-
ganization for the Development of the Se-
negal River Valley), UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Ibra Deguene KA; Chancery at 21 12 Wy-
oming Avenue NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 234-0540 or 0541;
US— Ambassador George E. MOOSE;
Embassy on Avenue Jean XXIII at the
corner of Avenue Kleber, Dakar (mailing
address is B. P. 49, Dakar); telephone
[221 J21-42-96
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green
(hoist side), yellow, and red with a small
green five-pointed star centered in the yel-
low band; uses the popular pan-African
colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Overview: The agricultural sector accounts
for about 20% of GDP and provides em-
ployment for about 75% of the labor
force. About 40% of the total cultivated
land is used to grow peanuts, an impor-
tant export crop. The principal economic
resource is fishing, which brought in about
$200 million or about 25% of total foreign
exchange earnings in 1987. Mining is
dominated by the extraction of phosphate,
but production has faltered because of
reduced worldwide demand for fertilizers
in recent years. Over the past 10 years
tourism has become increasingly more im-
portant to the economy.
GDP: $5.0 billion, per capita $680; real
growth rate 5.1% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): — 1.8%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3.5% (1987)
Budget: revenues $921 million; expendi-
tures $1,024 million; including capital ex-
penditures of $14 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $761 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— manufactures 30%, fish prod-
ucts 27%, peanuts 1 1%, petroleum prod-
ucts 1 1%, phosphates 10%; partners — US,
France, other EC, Ivory Coast, India
Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— semimanufactures 30%, food
27%, durable consumer goods 17%, petro-
leum 1 2%, capital goods 1 4%; partners —
US, France, other EC, Nigeria, Algeria,
China, Japan
External debt: $3.8 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.9%
(1986)
Electricity: 210,000 kW capacity; 760 mil-
lion kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: fishing, agricultural processing,
phosphate mining, petroleum refining,
building materials
Agriculture: including fishing, accounts for
20% of GDP and 75% of labor force; ma-
jor products — peanuts (cash crop), millet,
corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes,
green vegetables; estimated two-thirds
self-sufficient in food; fish catch of
299,000 metric tons in 1987
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $492 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $4.4 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $589 mil-
lion; Communist countries (1970-88), $295
million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine 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: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 1,034 km 1.000-meter gauge;
all single track except 70 km double track
Dakar to Thies
Highways: 14,000 km total; 3,770 km
paved, 10,230 km laterite or improved
earth
Inland waterways: 900 km total; 785 km
on the Senegal, 1 15 km on the Saloum
Ports: Dakar, Kaolack
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT and
over) totaling 9,263 GRT/15,167 DWT;
includes 2 cargo, 1 bulk
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 25 total, 20 usable; 10 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: above-average urban
system, using radio relay and cable;
40,200 telephones; stations — 8 AM, no
FM, 1 TV; 3 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, para-
military Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
1,682,786; 878,812 fit for military service;
88,940 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 2% of GDP, or
$100 million (1989 est.)
276
Seychelles
300 km
Amir ante
Isles
,
Mahe
Island
Indian Ocean
Aldabra
, Islands
i:; Cosmotedo
. Group
See regional map VII
' Farquhar
... Group
Geography
Total area: 455 km2; land area: 455 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 491 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claims Tromelin Island
Climate: tropical marine; humid; cooler
season during southeast monsoon (late
May to September); warmer season during
northwest monsoon (March to May)
Terrain: Mahe Group is granitic, narrow
coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral,
flat, elevated reefs
Natural resources: fish, copra, cinnamon
trees
Land use: 4% arable land; 18% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 1 8%
forest and woodland; 60% other
Environment: lies outside the cyclone belt,
so severe storms are rare; short droughts
possible; no fresh water, catchements col-
lect rain; 40 granitic and about 50 coral-
line islands
Note: located north-northeast of Madaga-
scar in the Indian Ocean
People
Population: 68,336 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 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: 1 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male,
75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Seychellois (sing, and
pi.); adjective — Seychelles
Ethnic divisions: Seychellois (mixture of
Asians, Africans, Europeans)
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic, 8% Angli-
can, 2% other
Language: English and French (official);
Creole
Literacy: 60%
Labor force: 27,700; 31% industry and
commerce, 21% services, 20% government,
12% agriculture, forestry, and fishing,
16% other (1985); 57% of population of
working age (1983)
Organized labor: three major trade unions
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Seychelles
Type: republic; member of the Common-
wealth
Capital: Victoria
Administrative divisions: none; note — there
may be 21 administrative districts named
Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis,
Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie St. Anne,
Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cas-
cade, Glacis, Grand Anse (on Mahe
Island), Grand Anse (on Praslin Island),
La Digue, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe
Larue, Port-Glaud, Riviere Anglaise, St.
Louis, Takamaka
Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)
Constitution: 5 June 1979
Legal system: based on English common
law, French civil law, and customary law
National holiday: Liberation Day (anniver-
sary of coup), 5 June (1977)
Executive branch: president, Council of
Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal,
Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President France Albert RENE
(since 5 June 1977)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Seychelles People's Progressive Front
(SPPF), France Albert Rene
Suffrage: universal at age 1 7
Elections: President — last held 9- 1 1 June
1989 (next to be held June 1994);
results — President France Albert Rene
reelected without opposition;
National Assembly — last held 5 Decem-
ber 1987 (next to be held December
1992); results— SPPF is the only party;
seats— (25 total, 23 elected) SPPF 23
Communists: negligible, although some
Cabinet ministers espouse pro-Soviet line
Other political or pressure groups: trade
unions, Roman Catholic Church
Member of: ACP, AfDB, FAO, G-77,
GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, I FAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL,
NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Second Secre-
tary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Marc
R. MARENGO; Chancery (temporary) at
820 Second Avenue, Suite 201, New
York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 687-
9766; US— Ambassador James MORAN;
Embassy at 4th Floor, Victoria House,
Victoria (mailing address is Box 148, Vic-
toria, or APO New York 09030); tele-
phone 23921 or 23922
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top),
white (wavy), and green; the white band is
the thinnest, the red band is the thickest
Economy
Overview: In this small, open tropical is-
land economy, the tourist industry em-
ploys about 30% of the labor force and
provides the main source of hard currency
earnings. In recent years the government
has encouraged foreign investment in or-
der to upgrade hotels and other services.
At the same time, the government has
moved to reduce the high dependence on
tourism by promoting the development of
farming, fishing, and small-scale manufac-
turing.
GDP: $255 million, per capita $3,720; real
growth rate 6.2%; (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1986)
Budget: revenues $106 million; expendi-
tures $130 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $21 million (1987)
Exports: $17 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — fish, copra, cinnamon bark,
petroleum products (reexports); partners —
France 63%, Pakistan 12%, Reunion 10%,
UK 7% (1987)
Imports: $116 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — manufactured goods, food,
tobacco, beverages, machinery and trans-
portation equipment, petroleum products;
partners— UK 20%, France 14%, South
Africa 13%, PDRY 13%, Singapore 8%,
Japan 6% (1987)
External debt: $178 million (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7%
(1987)
Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 67 mil-
lion kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, processing of coconut
and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat
building, printing, furniture, beverage
Agriculture: accounts for 7% of GDP,
mostly subsistence farming; cash crops —
coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla; other prod-
277
Seychelles (continued)
Sierra Leone
ucts — sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas;
broiler chickens; large share of food needs
imported; expansion of tuna fishing under
way
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY78-88), $23 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1978-87), $297 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $56 million
Currency: Seychelles rupee (plural —
rupees); 1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Seychelles rupees (SR)
per US$1— 5.4884 (January 1990), 5.6457
(1989), 5.3836 (1988), 5.6000 (1987),
6.1768(1986), 7.1343(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 260 km total; 160 km bitumi-
nous, 100 km crushed stone or earth
Ports: Victoria
Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,827 CRT/
2,170 DWT
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 14 total, 14 usable; 8 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: direct radio commu-
nications with adjacent islands and Afri-
can coastal countries; 13,000 telephones;
stations — 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT earth station; USAF
tracking station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Militia
Military manpower: males 15-49, 17,073;
8,776 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 6% of GDP, or $12
million (1990 est.)
Island
North Atlantic Ocean
S.er.iionilmipVII Sulinw
Geography
Total area: 71,740 km2; land area: 71,620
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
South Carolina
Land boundaries: 958 km total; Guinea
652 km, Liberia 306 km
Coastline: 402 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; summer
rainy season (May to December); winter
dry season (December to April)
Terrain: coastal belt of mangrove swamps,
wooded hill country, upland plateau,
mountains in east
Natural resources: diamonds, titanium ore,
bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Land use: 25% arable land; 2% permanent
crops; 3 1 % meadows and pastures; 29%
forest and woodland; 1 3% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: extensive mangrove swamps
hinder access to sea; deforestation; soil
degradation
People
Population: 4,165,953 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 21 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 154 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 42 years male,
47 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Sierra Leonean(s); ad-
jective— Sierra Leonean
Ethnic divisions: 99% native African (30%
Temne, 30% Mende); 1% Creole, Euro-
pean, Lebanese, and Asian; 13 tribes
Religion: 30% Muslim, 30% indigenous
beliefs, 10% Christian, 30% other or none
Language: English (official); regular use
limited to literate minority; principal ver-
naculars are Mende in south and Temne
in north; Krio is the language of the reset-
tled ex-slave population of the Freetown
area and is lingua franca
Literacy: 31% (1986)
Labor force: 1 ,369,000 (est.); 65% agricul-
ture, 19% industry, 16% services (1981);
only about 65,000 earn wages (1985); 55%
of population of working age
Organized labor: 35% of wage earners
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Sierra
Leone
Type: republic under presidential regime
Capital: Freetown
Administrative divisions: 4 provinces; East-
ern, Northern, Southern, Western
Independence: 27 April 1961 (from UK)
Constitution: 14 June 1978
Legal system: based on English law and
customary laws indigenous to local tribes;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion
National holiday: Republic Day, 27 April
(1961)
Executive branch: president, two vice pres-
idents, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of
Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Gen. Joseph Saidu
MOMOH (since 28 November 1985);
First Vice President Abu Bakar
KAMARA (since 4 April 1987); Second
Vice President Salia JUSU-SHERIFF
(since 4 April 1987)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
All People's Congress (APC), Gen. Joseph
Saidu Momoh
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: President — last held 1 October
1985 (next to be held October 1992); re-
sults— Gen. Joseph Saidu Momoh was
elected without opposition;
House of Representatives — last held 30
May 1986 (next to be held May 1991);
results — APC is the only party; seats —
(127 total, 105 elected) APC 105
Communists: no party, although there are
a few Communists and a slightly larger
number of sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, Commonwealth,
ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
IDB— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU,
278
Singapore
IRC, ITU, Mano River Union, NAM,
OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
George CAREW; Chancery at 1701 19th
Street NW, Washington DC 20009; tele-
phone (202) 939-9261; US— Ambassador
Johnny YOUNG; Embassy at the corner
of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Street,
Freetown; telephone 26481
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of light
green (top), white, and light blue
Economy
Overview: The economic and social infra-
structure is not well developed. Subsis-
tence agriculture dominates the economy,
generating about one-third of GDP and
employing about two-thirds of the working
population. Manufacturing accounts for
less than 10% of GDP, consisting mainly
of the processing of raw materials and of
light manufacturing for the domestic mar-
ket. Diamond mining provides an impor-
tant source of hard currency. The econ-
omy suffers from high unemployment,
rising inflation, large trade deficits, and a
growing dependency on foreign assistance.
GDP: $965 million, per capita $250; real
growth rate 1.8%(FY87)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 42% (Sep-
tember 1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $86 million; expenditures
$128 million, including capital expendi-
tures of $NA (FY90 est.)
Exports: $106 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— rutile 50%, bauxite 17%, cocoa
1 1%, diamonds 3%, coffee 3%; partners —
US, UK, Belgium, FRG, other Western
Europe
Imports: $167 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— capital goods 40%, food 32%,
petroleum 12%, consumer goods 7%, light
industrial goods; partners — US, EC, Ja-
pan, China, Nigeria
External debt: $805 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate — 19%
(FY88 est.)
Electricity: 83,000 kW capacity; 180 mil-
lion kWh produced, 45 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: mining (diamonds, bauxite,
rutile), small-scale manufacturing (bever-
ages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear), petro-
leum refinery
Agriculture: accounts for over 30% of
GDP and two-thirds of the labor force;
largely subsistence farming; cash crops —
coffee, cocoa, palm kernels; harvests of
food staple rice meets 80% of domestic
needs; annual fish catch averages 53,000
metric tons
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $149 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $698 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $18 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $101 mil-
lion
Currency: leone (plural — leones); 1 leone
(Le) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: leones per US$1 —
87.7193 (January 1990), 58.1395 (1989),
31.2500 (1988), 30.7692 (1987), 8.3963
(1986), 4.7304(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 Jul\ -30 June
Communications
Railroads: 84 km 1 .067-meter narrow-
gauge mineral line is used on a limited
basis because the mine at Marampa is
closed
Highways: 7,400 km total; 1,150 km bitu-
minous, 490 km laterite (some gravel), re-
mainder improved earth
Inland waterways: 800 km; 600 km navi-
gable year round
Ports: Freetown, Pepel
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 12 total, 8 usable; 5 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: marginal telephone
and telegraph service; national microwave
radio relay system unserviceable at
present; 23,650 telephones; stations — 1
AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49, 918,078;
433,350 fit for military service; no con-
scription
Defense expenditures: 1% of GDP (1986)
10km
Singapore Strait
Main Strait
See rfgiunal map IX
Geography
Total area: 632.6 km2; land area: 622.6
km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: not specific
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no
pronounced rainy or dry seasons; thunder-
storms occur on 40% of all days (67% of
days in April)
Terrain: lowland; gently undulating cen-
tral plateau contains water catchment
area and nature preserve
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use: 4% arable land; 7% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 5% for-
est and woodland; 84% other
Environment: mostly urban and industrial-
ized
Note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea
routes
People
Population: 2,720,915 (July 1990), growth
rate 1. 3% (1990)
Birth rate: 1 8 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Singaporean(s), adjec-
tive— Singapore
Ethnic divisions: 76.4% Chinese, 14.9%
Malay, 6.4% Indian, 2.3% other
279
Singapore {continued)
Religion: majority of Chinese are Bud-
dhists or atheists; Malays nearly all Mus-
lim (minorities include Christians, Hindus,
Sikhs, Taoists, Confucianists)
Language: Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and
English (official); Malay (national)
Literacy: 86.8% (1987)
Labor force: 1,280,000; 34.4% industry,
1.2% agriculture, 61.7% services (1988)
Organized labor: 2 11, 200; 16.5% of labor
force (1988)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Singapore
Type: republic within Commonwealth
Capital: Singapore
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 9 August -1965 (from Ma-
laysia)
Constitution: 3 June 1959, amended 1965;
based on preindependence State of Singa-
pore Constitution
Legal system: based on English common
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ ju-
risdiction
National holiday: National Day, 9 August
(1965)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, two deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— President WEE
Kim Wee (since 3 September 1985);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
LEE Kuan Yew (since 5 June 1959); First
Deputy Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong
(since 2 January 1985); Second Deputy
Prime Minister ONG Teng Cheong (since
2 January 1985)
Political parties and leaders:
government — People's Action Party
(PAP), Lee Kuan Yew; opposition — Work-
ers' Party (WP), J. B. Jeyaretnam; Singa-
pore Democratic Party (SDP), Chiam See
Tong; National Solidarity Party (NSP),
Soon Kia Seng; United People's Front
(UPF), Harbans Singh; Barisan Sosialis
(BS); Communist party illegal
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
20
Elections: President — last held 31 August
1989 (next to be held NA August 1993);
results — President Wee Kim Wee was
reelected by Parliament without opposi-
tion;
Parliament— last held 3 September 1988
(next to be held NA September 1993);
results— PAP 61.8%, WP 18.4%, SDP
11.5%, NSP 3.7%, UPF 1.3%, others
3.3%; seats— (81 total) PAP 80, SDP 1;
note — BS has 1 nonvoting seat
Communists: 200-500; Barisan Sosialis
infiltrated by Communists
Member of: ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN,
CCC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth,
ESCAP, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IFC, I HO, ILO, IMF, I MO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO,
ITU, NAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Tommy KOH Tong Bee; Chancery at
1824 R Street NW, Washington DC
20009; telephone (202) 667-7555; US—
Ambassador Robert D. ORR; Embassy at
30 Hill Street, Singapore 0617 (mailing
address is FPO San Francisco 96699);
telephone [65] 338-0251
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red
(top) and white; near the hoist side of the
red band, there is a vertical, white cres-
cent (closed portion is toward the hoist
side) partially enclosing five white five-
pointed stars arranged in a circle
Economy
Overview: Singapore has an open entrepre-
neurial economy with strong service and
manufacturing sectors and excellent inter-
national trading links derived from its en-
trepot history. During the 1970s and early
1980s, the economy expanded rapidly,
achieving an average annual growth rate
of 9%. Per capita GDP is among the high-
est in Asia. In 1985 the economy regis-
tered its first drop in 20 years and
achieved less than a 2% increase in 1986.
Recovery was strong. Estimates for 1989
suggest a 9.2% growth rate based on ris-
ing demand for Singapore's products in
OECD countries, a strong Japanese yen,
and improved competitiveness of domestic
manufactures.
GDP: $27.5 billion, per capita $10,300;
real growth rate 9.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2% ( 1 989 est.)
Budget: revenues $6.6 billion; expenditures
$5.9 billion, including capital expenditures
of $2.2 billion (FY88)
Exports: $46 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — includes transshipments to
Malaysia — petroleum products, rubber,
electronics, manufactured goods; part-
ners—US 24%, Malaysia 14%, Japan 9%,
Thailand 6%, Hong Kong 5%, Australia
3%, FRG 3%
Imports: $53 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); com-
modities— includes transshipments from
Malaysia — capital equipment, petroleum,
chemicals, manufactured goods,
foodstuffs; partners— Japan 22%, US 16%,
Malaysia 15%, EC 12%, Kuwait 1%
External debt: $5.2 billion (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 9%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 4,000,000 kW capacity;
12,000 million kWh produced, 4,490 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum refining, electronics,
oil drilling equipment, rubber processing
and rubber products, processed food and
beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, fi-
nancial services, biotechnology
Agriculture: occupies a position of minor
importance in the economy; self-sufficient
in poultry and eggs; must import much of
other food; major crops — rubber, copra,
fruit, vegetables
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-83), $590 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $882 million
Currency: Singapore dollar (plural — dol-
lars); I Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Singapore dollars per
US$1 — 1.8895 (January 1990), 1.9503
(1989), 2.0124(1988), 2.1060(1987),
2.1774(1986), 2.2002(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Railroads: 38 km of 1.000-meter gauge
Highways: 2,597 km total (1984)
Ports: Singapore
Merchant marine: 407 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 7,286,824 CRT/
11,921,610 DWT; includes 126 cargo, 52
container, 5 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 1 re-
frigerated cargo, 1 3 vehicle carrier, I live-
stock carrier, 103 petroleum, oils, and lu-
bricants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical tanker,
4 combination ore/oil, I specialized
tanker, 1 5 liquefied gas, 68 bulk, 3 combi-
nation bulk; note — many Singapore flag
ships are foreign owned
Civil air: 38 major transport aircraft (est.)
Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 6 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good domestic facili-
ties; good international service; good radio
and television broadcast coverage;
1,1 10,000 telephones; stations — 13 AM, 4
FM, 2 TV; submarine cables extend to
Malaysia (Sabah and peninsular Malay-
sia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satel-
lite earth stations — 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean
INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Army
Reserve
Military manpower males 1 5-49, 834,720;
621,497 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 5% of GDP, or $1.4
billion (1 989 est.)
280
Solomon Islands
a Isabel
South
Pacific
Ocean
Guadalcanal «^ Santa
•^ Cristobal \ Islands
Coral Sea
Set regional map X
Geography
Total area: 28,450 km2; land area: 27,540
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Maryland
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 5,313 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed
archipelagic baselines)
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical monsoon; few extremes
of temperature and weather
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with
some low coral atolls
Natural resources: fish, forests, gold, baux-
ite, phosphates
Land use: 1% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 93%
forest and woodland; 4% other
Environment: subject to typhoons, which
are rarely destructive; geologically active
region with frequent earth tremors
Note: located just east of Papua New
Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
People
Population: 335,082 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 41 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1,000 popula-
tion (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male,
72 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Solomon Islander(s);
adjective— Solomon Islander
Ethnic divisions: 93.0% Melanesian, 4.0%
Polynesian, 1.5% Micronesian, 0.8% Euro-
pean, 0.3% Chinese, 0.4% other
Religion: almost all at least nominally
Christian; Anglican, Seventh-Day Advent-
ist, and Roman Catholic Churches domi-
nant
Language: 120 indigenous languages; Me-
lanesian pidgin in much of the country is
lingua franca; English spoken by 1-2% of
population
Literacy: 60%
Labor force: 23,448 economically active;
32.4% agriculture, forestry, and fishing;
25% services, 7.0% construction, manufac-
turing, and mining; 4.7% commerce,
transport, and finance (1984)
Organized labor: NA, but most of the
cash-economy workers have trade union
representation
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: independent parliamentary state
within Commonwealth
Capital: Honiara
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1
town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*,
Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, West-
ern
Independence: 7 July 1978 (from UK; for-
merly British Solomon Islands)
Constitution: 7 July 1978
Legal system: common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 7
July (1978)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Parliament
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General George LEP-
PING (since 27 June 1989, previously
acted as governor general since 7 July
1988);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Solomon MAMALONI (since 28 March
1989); Deputy Prime Minister Danny
PHILIP (since 31 March 1989)
Political parties and leaders: People's Alli-
ance Party (PAP), Solomon Mamaloni;
United Party (UP), Sir Peter Kenilorea;
Solomon Islands Liberal Party (SILP),
Bartholemew Ulufa'alu; Nationalist Front
for Progress (NFP), Andrew Nori; Labor
Party (LP), Joses Tuhanuku
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: National Parliament — last held
22 February 1989 (next to be held Febru-
ary 1993); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats — (38 total) PAP 13, UP
6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2, independents 9
Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth,
ESCAP, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, SPF, UN,
UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
(vacant) resides in Honiara (Solomon
Islands); US — the ambassador in Papua
New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon
Islands; Embassy at Mud Alley, Honiara
(mailing address is American Embassy, P.
O. Box 561, Honiara); telephone (677)
23488
Hag: divided diagonally by a thin yellow
stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the
upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five
white five-pointed stars arranged in an X
pattern; the lower triangle is green
Economy
Overview: About 90% of the population
depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing,
and forestry for at least part of their live-
lihood. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry
contribute about 75% to GDP, with the
fishing and forestry sectors being impor-
tant export earners. The service sector
contributes about 25% to GDP. Manufac-
turing activity is negligible. Most manu-
factured goods and petroleum products
must be imported. The islands are rich in
undeveloped mineral resources such as
lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The economy
suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-
1986 which caused widespread damage to
the infrastructure.
GDP: $156 million, per capita $500; real
growth rate 4.3% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 1 .2%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $139.0 million; expendi-
tures $154.4 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $1 13.4 million (1987)
Exports: $80.1 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— fish 46%, timber 3 1 %, copra
5%, palm oil 5%; partners — Japan 51%,
UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%,
Australia 2%, US 2% (1985)
Imports: $101.7 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities — plant and machinery 30%,
fuel 19%, food 16%; partners— Japan
36%, US 23%, Singapore 9%, UK 9%,
NZ 9%, Australia 4%, Hong Kong 4%,
China 3% (1985)
External debt: $128 million (1988 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0%
(1987)
Electricity: 1 5,000 kW capacity; 30 mil-
lion kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: copra, fish (tuna)
Agriculture: including fishing and forestry,
accounts for about 75% of GDP; mostly
subsistence farming; cash crops — cocoa,
beans, coconuts, palm kernels, timber;
other products — rice, potatoes, vegetables,
fruit, cattle, pigs; not self-sufficient in food
grains; 90% of the total fish catch of
44,500 metric tons was exported (1988)
281
Solomon Islands (continued)
Somalia
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1985),
$16.1 million
Currency: Solomon Islands dollar
(plural — dollars); 1 Solomon Islands dollar
(SIS) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars
(SIS) per US$1— 2.4067 (January 1990),
2.3090 (1989), 2.0825 (1988), 2.0033
(1987), 1.7415 (1986), 1.4808 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: about 2,100 km total (1982); 30
km sealed, 290 km gravel, 980 km earth,
800 private logging and plantation roads
of varied construction
Ports: Honiara, Ringi Coye
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 29 total, 27 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 5 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones;
stations — 4 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: NA
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
GuH at Aden
Baidoa / Indian Ocean
MOGADISHU
Chisimayu
Stf regional map VII
Boundary representation is
Geography
Total area: 637,660 km2; land area:
627,340 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Texas
Land boundaries: 2,340 km total; Djibouti
58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline: 3,025 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: southern half of boundary with
Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative
Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over
the Ogaden; possible claims to Djibouti,
Ethiopia, and Kenya based on unification
of ethnic Somalis
Climate: desert; northeast monsoon (De-
cember to February), cooler southwest
monsoon (May to October); irregular rain-
fall; hot, humid periods (tangambili) be-
tween monsoons
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plateau
rising to hills in north
Natural resources: uranium, and largely
unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gyp-
sum, bauxite, copper, salt
Land use: 2% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 46% meadows and pastures;
14% forest and woodland; 38% other; in-
cludes 3% irrigated
Environment: recurring droughts; frequent
dust storms over eastern plains in summer;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification
Note: strategic location on Horn of Africa
along southern approaches to Bab el Man-
deb and route through Red Sea and Suez
Canal
People
Population: 8,424,269 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 24 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 125 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male,
54 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Somali(s); adjective —
Somali
Ethnic divisions: 85% Somali, rest mainly
Bantu; 30,000 Arabs, 3,000 Europeans,
800 Asians
Religion: almost entirely Sunni Muslim
Language: Somali (official); Arabic, Ital-
ian, English
Literacy: 1 1 .6% (government est.)
Labor force: 2,200,000; very few are
skilled laborers; 70% pastoral nomad, 30%
agriculture, government, trading, fishing,
handicrafts, and other; 53% of population
of working age (1985)
Organized labor: General Federation of
Somali Trade Unions is controlled by the
government
Government
Long-form name: Somali Democratic Re-
public
Type: republic
Capital: Mogadishu
Administrative divisions: 1 6 regions
(plural — NA, singular — gobolka); Bakool,
Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo,
Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada I loose.
Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha
Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Togdheer,
Woqooyi Galbeed
Independence: 1 July 1 960 (from a merger
of British Somaliland, which became inde-
pendent from the UK on 26 June 1960,
and Italian Somaliland, which became
independent from the Italian-administered
UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form
the Somali Republic)
Constitution: 25 August 1979, presidential
approval 23 September 1 979
National holiday: Anniversary of the Rev-
olution, 21 October (1969)
Executive branch: president, two vice pres-
idents, prime minister. Council of Minis-
ters (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's
Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President and
Commander in Chief of the Army Maj.
Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre (since 21 Oc-
tober 1969);
Head of Government — Prime Minister Lt.
Gen. Mohamed Ali SAMANTAR (since
1 February 1987)
282
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party
(SRSP), Maj. Gen. Mohamed Siad Barre,
general secretary
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 23 Decem-
ber 1 986 (next to be held December
1993); results — President Siad was
reelected without opposition;
People's Assembly — last held 31 Decem-
ber 1984 (next scheduled for December
1989 was postponed); results — SRSP is
the only party; seats — (177 total, 171
elected) SRSP 171
Communists: probably some Communist
sympathizers in the government hierarchy
Member of: ACP, AfDB, Arab League,
EAMA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, QIC,
UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
ABDIKARIM AH Omar; Chancery at
Suite 710, 600 New Hampshire Avenue
NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone
(202) 342-1575; there is a Somali Consu-
late General in New York; US — Ambas-
sador T. Frank CRIGLER; Embassy at
Corso Primo Luglio, Mogadishu (mailing
address is P. O. Box 574, Mogadishu);
telephone [252] (01) 20811
Flag: light blue with a large white five-
pointed star in the center; design based on
the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland
was a UN trust territory)
Economy
Overview: One of the world's least devel-
oped countries, Somalia has few resources.
In 1988 per capita GDP was $210. Agri-
culture is the most important sector of the
economy, with the livestock sector
accounting for about 40% of GDP and
about 65% of export earnings. Nomads
and seminomads who are dependent upon
livestock for their livelihoods make up
about 50% of the population. Crop pro-
duction generates only 10% of GDP and
employs about 20% of the work force. The
main export crop is bananas; sugar, sor-
ghum, and corn are grown for the domes-
tic market. The small industrial sector is
based on the processing of agricultural
products and accounts for less than 10%
of GDP. At the end of 1988 serious eco-
nomic problems facing the nation were the
external debt of $2.8 billion and double-
digit inflation.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $210; real
growth rate -1.4% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 81.7%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $273 million; expendi-
tures $405 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $219 million (1987)
Exports: $58.0 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— livestock, hides, skins, bananas,
fish; partners — US 0.5%, Saudi Arabia,
Italy, FRG(1986)
Imports: $354.0 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— textiles, petroleum products,
foodstuffs, construction materials; part-
ners—US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK,
Saudi Arabia (1986)
External debt: $2.8 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 71,000 kW capacity; 65 mil-
lion kWh produced, 8 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: a few small industries, includ-
ing sugar refining, textiles, petroleum re-
fining
Agriculture: dominant sector, led by live-
stock raising (cattle, sheep, goats); crops —
bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugar-
cane; not self-sufficient in food; fishing
potential largely unexploited
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $618 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $2.8 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.1 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $336 mil-
lion
Currency: Somali shilling (plural — shil-
lings); 1 Somali shilling (So.Sh.) = 100
centesimi
Exchange rates: Somali shillings (So. Sh.)
per US$1— 643.92 (December 1989),
170.45 (1988), 105.18 (1987), 72.00 (1986),
39.49(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 15,215 km total; including
2,335 km bituminous surface, 2,880 km
gravel, and 10,000 km improved earth or
stabilized soil (1983)
Pipelines: 1 5 km crude oil
Ports: Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu
Merchant marine: 3 cargo ships (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 6,563 GRT/9,512
DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 refrigerated
cargo
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 60 total, 45 usable; 8 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: minimal telephone
and telegraph service; radio relay and tro-
poscatter system centered on Mogadishu
connects a few towns; 6,000 telephones;
stations— 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT earth station; sched-
uled to receive an ARABSAT station
Defense Forces
Branches: Somali National Army
(including Navy, Air Force, and Air De-
fense Force), National Police Force
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
1,878,939; 1,052,644 fit for military ser-
vice
Defense expenditures: NA
283
South Africa
South
Atlantic
Ocean
Cape Town
ifossetbaai
Indian Ocean
ast London
on Elizabeth
See regional mip VI]
Geography
Total area: 1,221,040 km2; land area:
1,221,040 km2; includes Walvis Bay, Ma-
rion Island, and Prince Edward Island
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 4,973 km total; Bots-
wana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozam-
bique 491 km, Namibia 1,078 km, Swazi-
land 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline: 2,881 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: South Africa administered Na-
mibia until independence was achieved on
21 March 1990; possible future claim to
Walvis Bay by Namibia
Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical
along coast; sunny days, cool nights
Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by
rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Natural resources: gold, chromium, anti-
mony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel,
phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds,
platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural
gas
Land use: 10% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 65% meadows and pastures; 3%
forest and woodland; 21% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: lack of important arterial
rivers or lakes requires extensive water
conservation and control measures
Note: Walvis Bay is an exclave of South
Africa in Namibia; completely surrounds
Lesotho; almost completely surrounds
Swaziland
People
Population: 39,549,941 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.67%; includes the 10 so-
called homelands, which are not recog-
nized by the US
four independent homelands — Bophuthats-
wana 2,352,296, growth rate 2.80%; Cis-
kei 1,025,873, growth rate 2.93%; Trans-
kei 4,367,648, growth rate 4.19%; Venda
665,197, growth rate 3.86%
six other homelands — Gazankulu 742,361,
growth rate 3.99%; Kangwane 556,009,
growth rate 3.64%; KwaNdebele 348,655,
growth rate 3.35%; KwaZulu 5,349,247,
growth rate 3.62%; Lebowa 2,704,641,
growth rate 3.92%; Qwagwa 268,138,
growth rate 3.59%
Birth rate: 35 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 52 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 6 1 years male,
67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — South African(s); ad-
jective— South African
Ethnic divisions: 73.8% black, 14.3%
white, 9.1% Colored, 2.8% Indian
Religion: most whites and Coloreds and
roughly 60% of blacks are Christian;
roughly 60% of Indians are Hindu, 20%
Muslim
Language: Afrikaans, English (official);
many vernacular languages, including
Zulu, Xhosa, North and South Sotho, Ts-
wana
Literacy: almost all white population liter-
ate; government estimates 50% of blacks
literate
Labor force: 1 1,000,000 economically ac-
tive; 34% services, 30% agriculture, 29%
industry and commerce, 7% mining (1985)
Organized labor: about 17% of total labor
force is unionized; African unions repre-
sent 1 5% of black labor force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of South Af-
rica; abbreviated RSA
Type: republic
Capital: administrative, Pretoria; legisla-
tive, Cape Town; judicial, Bloemfontein
Administrative divisions: 4 provinces;
Cape, Natal, Orange Free State, Trans-
vaal; there are 10 homelands not recog-
nized by the US — 4 independent (Bophu-
thatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, Venda) and 6
other (Gazankulu, Kangwane, KwaNde-
bele, KwaZulu, Lebowa, Qwaqwa)
Independence: 31 May 1910 (from UK)
Constitution: 3 September 1984
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law
and English common law; accepts compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Republic Day, 3 1 May
(1910)
Executive branch: state president, cabinet,
Executive Council (cabinet) Ministers'
Councils (from the three houses of Parlia-
ment)
Legislative branch: tricameral Parliament
consists of the House of Assembly
(whites). House of Representatives (Colo-
reds), and House of Delegates (Indians)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— State President Frederik W.
DE KLERK (since 13 September 1989)
Political parties and leaders: white politi-
cal parlies and leaders — National Party
(NP), Frederik W. de Klerk (majority
party); Conservative Party (CP), Dr. An-
dries P. Treurnicht (official opposition
party); Herstigte National Party (HNP),
Jaap Marais; Democratic Party (DP),
Zach De Beer, Wynand Malan, and Denis
Worrall;
Colored political parties and leaders —
Labor Party (LP), Allan Hendrickse (ma-
jority party); Democratic Reform Party
(DRP), Carter Ebrahim; United Demo-
cratic Party (UDP), Jac Rabie; Freedom
Party;
Indian political parties and leaders — Soli-
darity, J. N. Reddy (majority party); Na-
tional People's Party (NPP), Amichand
Rajbansi; Merit People's Party
Suffrage: universal at age 18, but voting
rights are racially based
Elections: House of Assembly (whites) —
last held 6 September 1989 (next to be
held by September 1994); results— NP
58%, CP 23%, DP 19%; seats— (178 total,
166 elected) NP 103, CP 41, DP 34;
House of Representatives (Coloreds) — last
held 6 September 1989 (next to be held by
September 1 994); results — percent of vote
by party NA; seats — (85 total, 80 elected)
LP 69, DRP 5, UDP 3, Freedom Party 1,
independents 2;
House of Delegates (Indians) — last held 6
September 1989 (next to be held by Sep-
tember 1 994); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats — (45 total, 40 elected)
Solidarity 16, NPP 9, Merit People's
Party 3, United Party 2, Democratic
Party 2, People's Party 1 , National Fed-
eral Party 1 , independents 6
Communists: small Communist party ille-
gal since 1950; party in exile maintains
headquarters in London, Daniel Tloome
(Chairman) and Joe Slovo (General Secre-
tary)
Other political groups: insurgent groups in
exile — African National Congress (ANC),
284
Oliver Tambo; Pan-Africanist Congress
(PAC), Zephania Mothopeng;
internal antiapartheid groups —
Pan-Africanist Movement (PAM), Clar-
ence Makwetu; United Democratic Front
(UDF), Albertina Sisulu and Archibald
Gumede
Member of: CCC, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IFC, IHO, ILZSG, IMF,
INTELSAT, ISO, ITU, IWC— Interna
tional Whaling Commission, IWC — Inter-
national Wheat Council, Southern African
Customs Union, UN, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG (membership
rights in IAEA, ICAO, ITU, WHO,
WIPO, and WMO suspended or
restricted)
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Piet G. J. KOORNHOF; Chancery at
3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Wash-
ington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-
4400; there are South African Consulates
General in Beverly Hills (California), Chi-
cago, Houston, and New York; US — Am-
bassador William L. SWING; Embassy at
Thibault House, 225 Pretorius Street, Pre-
toria; telephone [27] (12) 28-4266; there
are US Consulates General in Cape
Town, Durban, and Johannesburg
Flag: actually four flags in one — three
miniature flags reproduced in the center
of the white band of the former flag of the
Netherlands which has three equal hori-
zontal bands of orange (top), white, and
blue; the miniature flags are a vertically
hanging flag of the old Orange Free State
with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining
on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of
the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on
the other side
Economy
Overview: Many of the white one-seventh
of the South African population enjoy in-
comes, material comforts, and health and
educational standards equal to those of
Western Europe. In contrast, most of the
remaining population suffers from the pov-
erty patterns of the Third World, includ-
ing unemployment, lack of job skills, and
barriers to movement into higher-paying
fields. Inputs and outputs thus do not
move smoothly into the most productive
employments, and the effectiveness of the
market is further lowered by international
constraints on dealings with South Africa.
The main strength of the economy lies in
its rich mineral resources, which provide
two-thirds of exports. Average growth of
2% in output in recent years falls far short
of the level needed to cut into the high
unemployment level.
GDP: $83.5 billion, per capita $2,380; real
growth rate 3.2% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.67%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 22% (1988); blacks
25-30%, up to 50% in homelands (1988
est.)
Budget: revenues $24.3 billion; expendi-
tures $27.3 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA billion (FY91)
Exports: $21.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — gold 40%, minerals and
metals 23%, food 6%, chemicals 3%; part-
ners—FRG, Japan, UK, US, other EC,
Hong Kong
Imports: $18.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities — machinery 27%, chemicals
11%, vehicles and aircraft 11%, textiles,
scientific instruments, base metals; part-
ners—US, FRG, Japan, UK, France, It-
aly, Switzerland
External debt: $21.2 billion (1988 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.6%
(1988)
Electricity: 34,941,000 kW capacity;
158,000 million kWh produced, 4,100
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining (world's largest pro-
ducer of diamonds, gold, chrome), auto-
mobile assembly, metalworking, machin-
ery, textile, iron and steel, chemical,
fertilizer, foodstuffs
Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP and
30% of labor force; diversified agriculture,
with emphasis on livestock; products —
cattle, poultry, sheep, wool, milk, beef,
corn, wheat; sugarcane, fruits, vegetables;
self-sufficient in food
Aid: NA
Currency: rand (plural — rand); 1 rand (R)
= 100 cents
Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1 —
2.5555 (January 1990), 2.6166 (1989),
2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685
(1986), 2.1911 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-3 1 March
Communications
Railroads: 20,638 km route distance total;
35,079 km of 1.067-meter gauge trackage
(counts double and multiple tracking as
single track); 314 km of 610 mm gauge
Highways: 188,309 km total; 54,013 km
paved, 134,296 km crushed stone, gravel,
or improved earth
Pipelines: 931 km crude oil; 1,748 km re-
fined products; 322 km natural gas
Ports: Durban, Cape Town, Port Eliza-
beth, Richard's Bay, Saldanha, Mossel-
baai, Walvis Bay
Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 275,684 GRT/273,973
DWT; includes 7 container, 1 vehicle car-
rier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker
Civil air: 8 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 931 total, 793 usable; 124 with
permanent-surface runways; 4 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 213 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: the system is the
best developed, most modern, and has the
highest capacity in Africa; it consists of
carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial
cables, radio relay links, fiber optic cable,
and radiocommunication stations; key cen-
ters are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Dur-
ban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and
Pretoria; 4,500,000 telephones; stations —
14 AM, 286 FM, 67 TV; 1 submarine
cable; satellite earth stations — 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Medi-
cal Services
Military manpower males 15-49,
9,544,357; 5,828,167 fit for military ser-
vice; 419,815 reach military age (18) an-
nually; obligation for service in Citizen
Force or Commandos begins at 18; volun-
teers for service in permanent force must
be 17; national service obligation is two
years; figures include the so-called home-
lands not recognized by the US
Defense expenditures: 5% of GDP, or $4
billion (1989 est.)
285
South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands
(dependent territory of the UK)
Soviet Union
South Sandwich Islands.
Shag and Clerke Rocks
50km
South At/antic
Ocean
Scotia Sea
Administered by U.K..
claimed by Argentina
Stt retionil map IV
Geography
Total area: 4,066 km2; land area: 4,066
km2; includes Shag and Clerke Rocks
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Rhode Island
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: undetermined
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: administered by the UK,
claimed by Argentina
Climate: variable, with mostly westerly
winds throughout the year, interspersed
with periods of calm; nearly all precipita-
tion falls as snow
Terrain: most of the islands, rising steeply
from the sea, are rugged and mountain-
ous; South Georgia is largely barren and
has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the
South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic
origin with some active volcanoes
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other; largely
covered by permanent ice and snow with
some sparse vegetation consisting of grass,
moss, and lichen
Environment: reindeer, introduced early in
this century, live on South Georgia;
weather conditions generally make it diffi-
cult to approach the South Sandwich Is-
lands; the South Sandwich Islands are
subject to active volcanism
Note: the north coast of South Georgia
has several large bays, which provide good
anchorage
People
Population: no permanent population;
there is a small military garrison on South
Georgia and the British Antarctic Survey
has a biological station on Bird Island; the
South Sandwich islands are uninhabited
Government
Long-form name: South Georgia and the
South Sandwich Islands (no short-form
name)
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Grytviken Harbour on South
Georgia is the chief town
Administrative divisions: none (dependent
territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of
the UK)
Constitution: 3 October 1985
Legal system: English common law
National holiday: Liberation Day, 14 June
(1982)
Executive branch: British monarch, com-
missioner
Legislative branch: none
Judicial branch: none
Leaders: Chief of State — Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Commissioner William Hugh
FULLERTON (since 1988; resident at
Stanley, Falkland Islands)
Economy
Overview: Some fishing takes place in ad-
jacent waters. There is a potential source
of income from harvesting fin fish and
krill. The islands receive income from
postage stamps produced in the UK.
Budget: revenues $291,777; expenditures
$451,01 1, including capital expenditures
of SNA (FY88 est.)
Electricity: 900 kW capacity; 2 million
kWh produced, NA kWh per capita
(1989)
Communications
Highways: NA
Ports: Grytviken Harbour on South Geor-
gia
Airports: none
Telecommunications: coastal radio station
at Grytviken; no broadcast stations
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
2000 km
Arctic Ocean
Barents Sea *.j;
Murmansk ^
Baku*
Caspian
Sea
The United States Government has not recognized
the incorporation ot Estonia. Latvia, and Lithuania
into the Soviet union Other boundary representation
is not necessarily authoritative
Sw regional maps VIII and XI
Geography
Total area: 22,402,200 km2; land area:
22,272,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5
times the size of US
Land boundaries: 19,933 km total; Af-
ghanistan 2,384 km, Czechoslovakia 98
km, China 7,520 km, Finland 1,313 km,
Hungary 1 35 km, Iran 1 ,690 km. North
Korea 17 km, Mongolia 3,441 km, Nor-
way 196 km, Poland 1,215 km, Romania
1,307km, Turkey 617 km
Coastline: 42,777 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: bilateral negotiations are under
way to resolve four disputed sections of
the boundary with China (Pamir, Argun,
Amur, and Khabarovsk areas); US Gov-
ernment has not recognized the incorpora-
tion of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into
the Soviet Union; Habomai Islands, Eto-
rofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan islands oc-
cupied by Soviet Union since 1945,
claimed by Japan; Kuril Islands adminis-
tered by Soviet Union; maritime dispute
with Norway over portion of Barents Sea;
has made no territorial claim in Antarc-
tica (but has reserved the right tc do so)
and does not recognize the claims of any
other nation; Bessarabia question with
Romania; Kurdish question among Iran,
Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR
Climate: mostly temperate to arctic conti-
nental; winters vary from cool along Black
Sea to frigid in Siberia; summers vary
from hot in southern deserts to cool along
Arctic coast
Terrain: broad plain with low hills west of
Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in
Siberia, deserts in Central Asia, moun-
tains in south
286
Natural resources: self-sufficient in oil,
natural gas, coal, and strategic minerals
(except bauxite, alumina, tantalum, tin,
tungsten, fluorspar, and molybdenum),
timber, gold, manganese, lead, zinc,
nickel, mercury, potash, phosphates
Land use: 10% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 1 7% meadows and pastures;
41% forest and woodland; 32% other; in-
cludes 1% irrigated
Environment: despite size and diversity,
small percentage of land is arable and
much is too far north; some of most fertile
land is water deficient or has insufficient
growing season; many better climates have
poor soils; hot, dry, desiccating sukhovey
wind affects south; desertification; contin-
uous permafrost over much of Siberia is a
major impediment to development
Note: largest country in world, but unfa-
vorably located in relation to major sea
lanes of world
People
Population: 290,938,469 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 0 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male,
74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Soviet(s); adjective —
Soviet
Ethnic divisions: Russian 50.78%, Ukrai-
nian 15.45%, Uzbek 5.84%, Byelorussian
3.51%, Kazakh 2.85%, Azerbaijan 2.38%,
Armenian 1.62%, Tajik 1.48%, Georgian
1.39%, Moldavian 1.17%, Lithuanian
1.07%, Turkmen 0.95%, Kirghiz 0.89%,
Latvian 0.51%, Estonian 0.36%, others
9.75%
Religion: 20% Russian Orthodox; 1 0%
Muslim; 7% Protestant, Georgian Ortho-
dox, Armenian Orthodox, and Roman
Catholic; less than 1% Jewish; 60% atheist
(est.)
Language: Russian (official); more than
200 languages and dialects (at least 18
with more than 1 million speakers); 75%
Slavic group, 8% other Indo-European,
12% Altaic, 3% Uralian, 2% Caucasian
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 152,300,000 civilians; 80%
industry and other nonagricultural fields,
20% agriculture; shortage of skilled labor
(1989)
Organized labor: 98% of workers are
union members; all trade unions are orga-
nized within the All-Union Central Coun-
cil of Trade Unions (AUCCTU) and con-
duct their work under guidance of the
Communist party
Government
Long-form name: Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics; abbreviated USSR
Type: Communist state
Capital: Moscow
Administrative divisions: 1 soviet federa-
tive socialist republic* (sovetskaya federa-
tivnaya sotsialistcheskaya respublika) and
1 4 soviet socialist republics (sovetskiye
sotsialisticheskiye respubliki, singular —
sovetskaya sotsialisticheskaya respublika);
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, Azer-
baijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Byelorus-
sian Soviet Socialist Republic, Estonian
Soviet Socialist Republic, Georgian Soviet
Socialist Republic, Kazakh Soviet Social-
ist Republic, Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Re-
public, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic,
Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic,
Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Rus-
sian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic*,
Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, Turkmen
Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian So-
viet Socialist Republic, Uzbek Soviet So-
cialist Republic; note — the Russian Soviet
Federative Socialist Republic is often ab-
breviated RSFSR and Soviet Socialist Re-
public is often abbreviated SSR
Independence: 1721 (Russian Empire pro-
claimed)
Constitution: 7 October 1977
Legal system: civil law system as modified
by Communist legal theory; no judicial
review of legislative acts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Great October Socialist
Revolution, 7-8 November (1917)
Executive branch: president
Legislative branch: the Congress of Peo-
ple's Deputies is the supreme organ of
USSR state power and selects the bicam-
eral USSR Supreme Soviet (Verkhovnyy
Sovyet) which consists of two coequal
houses — Council of the Union (Sovet So-
yuza) and Council of Nationalities (Sovet
Natsionalnostey)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of the
USSR
Leaders: Chid' of State — President Mik-
hail Sergeyevich GORBACHEV (since 14
March 1 990; General Secretary of the
Central Committee of the Communist
Party since 11 March 1985);
Head of Government — Chairman of the
USSR Council of Ministers Nikolay Iva-
novich RYZHKOV (since 28 September
1985)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
(CPSU), President Mikhail Sergeyevich
Gorbachev, general secretary of the Cen-
tral Committee of the CPSU; note — the
CPSU is the only party, but others are
forming
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 14 March
1990 (next to be held NA 1995); results-
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was
elected by the Congress of People's Depu-
ties;
Congress of People 's Deputies — last held
12 March 1990 (next to be held NA); re-
sults— CPSU is the only party; seats —
(2,250 total) CPSU 1,931, non-CPSU 319;
USSR Supreme Soviet— last held NA
June 1989 (next to be held NA); results—
CPSU is the only party; seats — (542 total)
CPSU 475, non-CPSU 67;
Council of the Union — last held Spring
1989 (next to be held NA); results—
CPSU is the only party; sents — (271 total)
CPSU 239, non-CPSU 32;
Council of Nationalities — last held Spring
1989 (next to be held NA); results—
CPSU is the only party; seats — (271 total)
CPSU 236, non-CPSU 35
Communists: about 19 million party mem-
bers
Other political or pressure groups: Komso-
mol, trade unions, and other organizations
that facilitate Communist control;
regional popular fronts, informal organiza-
tions, and nascent parties with varying
attitudes toward the Communist Party
establishment
Member of: CEMA, ESCAP, IAEA,
IBEC, ICAC, ICAO, ICCO, ICES, ILO,
ILZSG, IMO, INRO, INTERPOL, IPU,
ISO, ITC, ITU, International Whaling
Commission, IWC — International Wheat
Council, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UPU, Warsaw Pact, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-
designate Aleksandr BESSMERTNYKH;
Chancery at 1125 16th Street NW,
Washington DC 20036; telephone (202)
628-7551 or 8548; there is a Soviet Con-
sulate General in San Francisco; US —
Ambassador Jack F. MATLOCK, Jr.;
Embassy at Ulitsa Chaykovskogo 19/21 /
23, Moscow (mailing address is APO New
York 09862); telephone [7] (096) 252-24-
5 1 through 59; there is a US Consulate
General in Leningrad
Flag: red with the yellow silhouette of a
crossed hammer and sickle below a
yellow-edged five-pointed red star in the
upper hoist-side corner
Economy
Overview: The first five years of
perestroyka (economic restructuring) have
undermined the institutions and processes
287
Soviet Union (continued)
of the Soviet command economy without
replacing them with efficiently functioning
markets. The initial reforms featured
greater authority for enterprise managers
over prices, wages, product mix, invest-
ment, sources of supply, and customers.
But in the absence of effective market dis-
cipline, the result was the disappearance
of low-price goods, excessive wage
increases, an even larger volume of unfin-
ished construction projects, and, in gen-
eral, continued economic stagnation. The
Gorbachev regime has made at least four
serious errors in economic policy in these
five years: the unpopular and short-lived
anti-alcohol campaign; the initial cutback
in imports of consumer goods; the failure
to act decisively for the privatization of
agriculture; and the buildup of a massive
overhang of unspent rubles in the hands of
households and enterprises. In October
1989, a top economic adviser, Leonid
Abalkin presented an ambitious but rea-
sonable timetable for the conversion to a
partially privatized market system in the
1990s. In December 1989, however, Pre-
mier Ryzhkov's conservative approach
prevailed, namely, the contention that a
period of retrenchment was necessary to
provide a stable financial and legislative
base for launching further reforms. Ac-
cordingly, the new strategy was to put the
reform process on hold in 1990-92 by re-
centralizing economic authority and to
placate the rank-and-file through sharp
increases in consumer goods output. In
still another policy twist, the leadership in
early 1990 was considering a marked
speedup in the marketization process. Be-
cause the economy is caught in between
two systems, there was in 1989 an even
greater mismatch between what was pro-
duced and what would serve the best in-
terests of enterprises and households.
Meanwhile, the seething nationality prob-
lems have been dislocating regional pat-
terns of economic specialization and pose
a further major threat to growth prospects
over the next few years.
GNP: $2,659.5 billion, per capita $9,211;
real growth rate 1.4% (1989 est. based on
Soviet statistics; cutbacks in Soviet report-
ing on products included in sample make
the estimate subject to greater uncertainty
than in earlier years)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1989
est.)
Unemployment rate: officially, no unem-
ployment
Budget: revenues $622 billion; expendi-
tures $781 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of $1 19 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $110.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum and petroleum prod-
ucts, natural gas, metals, wood, agricul-
tural products, and a wide variety of
manufactured goods (primarily capital
goods and arms); partners — Eastern Eu-
rope 49%, EC 14%, Cuba 5%, US, Af-
ghanistan (1988)
Imports: $107.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— grain and other agricultural
products, machinery and equipment, steel
products (including large-diameter pipe),
consumer manufactures; partners — East-
ern Europe 54%, EC 11%, Cuba, China,
US (1988)
External debt: $27.3 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.2%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 355,000,000 kW capacity;
1,790,000 million kWh produced, 6,150
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: diversified, highly developed
capital goods and defense industries; con-
sumer goods industries comparatively less
developed
Agriculture: accounts for roughly 20% of
GNP and labor force; production based on
large collective and state farms; ineffi-
ciently managed; wide range of temperate
crops and livestock produced; world's
second-largest grain producer after the
US; shortages of grain, oilseeds, and meat;
world's leading producer of sawnwood and
roundwood; annual fish catch among the
world's largest — 11.2 million metric tons
(1987)
Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis
and opium poppy, mostly for domestic
consumption; government has begun erad-
ication program to control cultivation;
used as a transshipment country
Aid: donor — extended to non-Communist
less developed countries (1954-88), $47.4
billion; extended to other Communist
countries (1954-88), $147.6 billion
Currency: ruble (plural — rubles); 1 ruble
(R) = 100 kopeks
Exchange rates: rubles (R) per US$1 —
0.600 (February 1990), 0.629 (1989), 0.629
(1988), 0.633 (1987), 0.704 (1986), 0.838
(1985); note — the exchange rate is admin-
istratively set and should not be used in-
discriminately to convert domestic rubles
to dollars; on 1 November 1989 the
USSR began using a rate of 6.26 rubles
to the dollar for Western tourists buying
rubles and for Soviets traveling abroad,
but retained the official exchange rate for
most trade transactions
Fiscal year calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 146,100 km total; 51,700 km
electrified; does not include industrial lines
(1987)
Highways: 1,609,900 km total; 1,196,000
km hard-surfaced (asphalt, concrete, stone
block, asphalt treated, gravel, crushed
stone); 413,900 km earth (1987)
Inland waterways: 122,500 km navigable,
exclusive of Caspian Sea (1987)
Pipelines: 81,500 km crude oil and refined
products; 195,000 km natural gas (1987)
Ports: Leningrad, Riga, Tallinn, Kalinin-
grad, Liepaja, Ventspils, Murmansk, Ark-
hangel'sk, Odessa, Novorossiysk,
Il'ichevsk, Nikolayev, Sevastopol', Vladi-
vostok, Nakhodka; inland ports are
Astrakhan', Baku, Gor'kiy, Kazan', Kha-
barovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuybyshev, Mos-
cow, Rostov, Volgograd, Kiev
Merchant marine: 1,646 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 16,436,063 GRT/
22,732,215 DWT; includes 53 passenger,
937 cargo, 52 container, 1 1 barge carrier,
5 roll-on/float off cargo, 5 railcar carrier,
108 roll-on/roll-orT cargo, 251 petroleum,
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 1 liq-
uefied gas, 21 combination ore/oil, 4 spe-
cialized liquid carrier, 17 chemical tanker,
171 bulk; note — 639 merchant ships are
based in Black Sea, 383 in Baltic Sea, 408
in Soviet Far East, and 216 in Barents
Sea and White Sea; the Soviet Ministry of
Merchant Marine is beginning to use for-
eign registries for its merchant ships to
increase the economic competitiveness of
the fleet in the international market — the
first reregistered ships have gone to the
Cypriot flag
Civil air: 4,500 major transport aircraft
Airports: 6,950 total, 4,530 usable; 1,050
with permanent-surface runways; 30 with
runways over 3,659 m; 490 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 660 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: extensive network of
AM-FM stations broadcasting both Mos-
cow and regional programs; main TV cen-
ters in Moscow and Leningrad plus 1 1
more in the Soviet republics; hundreds of
TV stations; 85,000,000 TV sets;
162,000,000 radio receivers; many satellite
earth stations and extensive satellite net-
works (including 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations)
Defense Forces
Branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air De-
fense Forces, Air Forces, Strategic Rocket
Forces
Military manpower males 15-49,
69,634,893; 55,588,743 fit for military
service; 2,300,127 million reach military
age (18) annually (down somewhat from
2,500,000 a decade ago)
Defense expenditures: NA
288
Spain
300km
Bay ot Biscay
North
Atlantic
Ocean Strait ot
Gibraltar
See rf (ional map V and VII
Mediterranean
Sea
Canary Islands Ceuta
and Melilla are not shown
Geography
Total area: 504,750 km2; land area:
499,400 km2; includes Balaeric Islands,
Canary Islands, Ceuta, Mellila, bias Cha-
farinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon
de Velez de la Gomera
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of Oregon
Land boundaries: 1,903.2 km total; An-
dorra 65 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar
1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km
Coastline: 4,964 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Gibraltar question with UK;
controls two presidios or places of sover-
eignty (Ceuta and Melilla) on the north
coast of Morocco
Climate: temperate; clear, hot summers in
interior, more moderate and cloudy along
coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior,
partly cloudy and cool along coast
Terrain: large, flat to dissected plateau
surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in
north
Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore,
uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gyp-
sum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin,
potash, hydropower
Land use: 31% arable land; 10% perma-
nent crops; 21% meadows and pastures;
31% forest and woodland; 7% other; in-
cludes 6% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; air pollution
Note: strategic location along approaches
to Strait of Gibraltar
People
Population: 39,268,715 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birthrate: II births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male,
82 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Spaniard(s); adjec-
tive— Spanish
Ethnic divisions: composite of Mediterra-
nean and Nordic types
Religion: 99% Roman Catholic, 1% other
sects
Language: Castilian Spanish; second lan-
guages include 17% Catalan, 7% Galician,
and 2% Basque
Literacy: 97%
Labor force: 14,621,000; 53% services,
24% industry, 14% agriculture, 9% con-
struction (1988)
Organized labor: less 10% of labor force
(1988)
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Spain
Type: parliamentary monarchy
Capital: Madrid
Administrative divisions: 1 7 autonomous
communities (comunidades autonomas,
singular — comunidad autonoma); Anda-
lucia, Aragon, Asturias, Canarias, Canta-
bria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y
Leon, Cataluna, Extremadura, Galicia,
Islas Baleares, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia,
Navarra, Pais Vasco, Valenciana
Independence: 1 492 (expulsion of the
Moors and unification)
Constitution: 6 December 1978, effective
29 December 1978
Legal system: civil law system, with re-
gional applications; does not accept com-
pulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 12 Octo-
ber
Executive branch: monarch, president of
the government (prime minister), deputy
prime minister, Council of Ministers (cab-
inet), Council of State
Legislative branch: bicameral The General
Courts or National Assembly (Las Cortes
Generales) consists of an upper house or
Senate (Senado) and a lower house or
Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Di-
putados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal
Supremo)
Leaders: Chief of State— King JUAN
CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez (since 2
December 1982); Deputy Prime Minister
Alfonso GUERRA Gonzalez (since 2 De-
cember 1982)
Political parties and leaders: principal na-
tional parties, from right to left — Popular
Party (PP), Jose Maria Aznar; Popular
Democratic Party (PDP), Luis de
Grandes; Social Democratic Center
(CDS), Adolfo Suarez Gonzalez; Spanish
Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Felipe
Gonzalez Marquez; Spanish Communist
Party (PCE), Julio Anguita; chief regional
parties — Convergence and Unity (CiU),
Jordi Pujol Saley, in Catalonia; Basque
Nationalist Party (PNV), Xabier Arzallus;
Basque Solidarity (EA), Carlos Garaicoet-
xea Urizza; Basque Popular Unity (HB),
Jon Idigoras; Basque Left (EE), Juan Ma-
ria Bandries Molet; Andalusian Party
(PA); Independent Canary Group (AIC);
Aragon Regional Party (PAR); Valencian
Union (UV)
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: The Courts General — last held
29 October 1989 (next to be held October
1993); results— PSOE 39.6%, PP 25.8%,
CDS 9%, Communist-led coalition (IU)
9%, CiU 5%, Basque Nationalist Party
1.2%, HB 1%, Andalusian Party 1%, oth-
ers 8.4%; seats — (350 total, 18 vacant
pending new elections caused by voting
irregularities) PSOE 176, PP 106, CiU 18,
IU 17, CDS 14, PNV 5, HB 4, others 10
Communists: PCE membership declined
from a possible high of 160,000 in 1977 to
roughly 60,000 in 1987; the party gained
almost 1 million voters and 10 deputies in
the 1989 election; voters came mostly
from the disgruntled socialist left; remain-
ing strength is in labor, where it domi-
nates the Workers Commissions trade
union (one of the country's two major la-
bor centrals), which claims a membership
of about 1 million; experienced a modest
recovery in 1986 national election, nearly
doubling the share of the vote it received
in 1982
Other political or pressure groups: on the
extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and
Liberty (ETA) and the First of October
Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO)
use terrorism to oppose the government;
free labor unions (authorized in April
1977) include the Communist-dominated
Workers Commissions (CCOO); the So-
cialist General Union of Workers (UGT),
and the smaller independent Workers
Syndical Union (USO); the Catholic
Church; business and landowning inter-
ests; Opus Dei; university students
Member of: Andean Pact (observer), AS-
SIMER, CCC, Council of Europe, EC,
ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC,
ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB— Inter-
American Development Bank, 1EA,
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF,
I MO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC,
IPU, ITC, ITU, IWC— International
289
Spain (continued)
Wheat Council, NATO, OAS (observer),
OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Julian SANTAMARIA; Chancery at
2700 15th Street NW, Washington DC
20009; telephone (202) 265-0190 or 0191;
there are Spanish Consulates General in
Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New Orleans, New York, San
Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US— Ambassador Joseph ZAPPALA;
Embassy at Serrano 75, Madrid 6
(mailing address is APO New York
09285); telephone [34] (1) 276-3400 or
3600; there is a US Consulate General in
Barcelona and a Consulate in Bilbao
Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top),
yellow (double width), and red with the
national coat of arms on the hoist side of
the yellow band; the coat of arms includes
the royal seal framed by the Pillars of
Hercules which are the two promontories
(Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the
eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar
Economy
Overview: This Western capitalistic econ-
omy has done well since Spain joined the
European Economic Community in 1986.
With increases in real GNP of 5.5% in
1987 and about 5% in 1988 and 1989,
Spain has been the fastest growing mem-
ber of the EC. Increased investment —
both domestic and foreign — has been the
most important factor pushing the eco-
nomic expansion. Inflation moderated to
4.8% in 1988, but an overheated economy
caused inflation to reach an estimated 7%
in 1989. Another economic problem facing
Spain is an unemployment rate of 16.5%,
the highest in Europe.
GNP: $398.7 billion, per capita $10,100;
real growth rate 4.8% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.0%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 16.5% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $57.8 billion; expendi-
tures $66.7 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $10.4 billion (1987)
Exports: $40.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, live animals, wood,
footwear, machinery, chemicals;
partners— EC 66%, US 8%, other devel-
oped countries 9%
Imports: $60.4 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum, footwear, machin-
ery, chemicals, grain, soybeans, coffee,
tobacco, iron and steel, timber, cotton,
transport equipment; partners — EC 57%,
US 9%, other developed countries 1 3%,
Middle East 3%
External debt: $32.7 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.0%
(1988)
Electricity: 46,589,000 kW capacity;
157,040 million kWh produced, 3,980
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles and apparel (including
footwear), food and beverages, metals and
metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuild-
ing, automobiles, machine tools
Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GNP and
14% of labor force; major products —
grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes,
sugar beets, citrus fruit, beef, pork, poul-
try, dairy; largely self-sufficient in food;
fish catch of 1 .4 million metric tons
among top 20 nations
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-lm
(FY70-87), $1.9 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-79), $545.0 million
Currency: peseta (plural — pesetas); 1 pe-
seta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 —
109.69 (January 1990), 118.38(1989),
116.49(1988), 123.48(1987), 140.05
(1986), 170.04(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 15,430 km total; Spanish Na-
tional Railways (RENFE) operates 12,691
km 1.668-meter gauge, 6,184 km electri-
fied, and 2,295 km double track; FEVE
(government-owned narrow-gauge rail-
ways) operates 1,821 km of predominantly
1.000-meter gauge and 441 km electrified;
privately owned railways operate 918 km
of predominantly 1.000-meter gauge, 512
km electrified, and 56 km double track
Highways: 150,839 km total; 82,513 km
national (includes 2,433 km limited-access
divided highway, 63,042 km bituminous
treated, 17,038 km intermediate bitumi-
nous, concrete, or stone block) and 68,326
km provincial or local roads (bituminous
treated, intermediate bituminous, or stone
block)
Inland waterways: 1 ,045 km, but of minor
economic importance
Pipelines: 265 km crude oil; 1 ,794 km re-
fined products; 1,666 km natural gas
Ports: Algeciras, Alicante, Almeria, Bar-
celona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena,
Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, El Ferrol
del Caudillo, Puerto de Gijon, Huelva, La
Corufta, Las Palmas (Canary Islands),
Mahon, Malaga, Melilla, Rota, Santa
Cruz de Tenerife, Sagunto, Tarragona,
Valencia, Vigo, and 175 minor ports
Merchant marine: 324 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 3,492,563 GRT/
6,128,190 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 9
short-sea passenger, 121 cargo, 19 refrig-
erated cargo, 17 container, 23 roll-on/roll-
off cargo, 51 petroleum, oils, and lubri-
cants (POL) tanker, 16 chemical tanker,
10 liquefied gas, I specialized tanker, 1
combination ore/oil, 49 bulk, 5 vehicle
carrier
Civil air: 142 major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 10 total, 103 usable; 62 with
permanent-surface runways; 4 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 29 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: generally adequate,
modern facilities; 15,310,000 telephones;
stations— 196 AM, 404 (134 relays) FM,
143 (1,297 relays) TV; 17 coaxial subma-
rine cables; communications satellite earth
stations operating in INTELSAT (5 At-
lantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean), MARI-
SAT, and ENTELSAT systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
10,032,649; 8,141,384 fit for military ser-
vice; 338,582 reach military age (20) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GDP, or
$8.4 billion (1989 est.)
290
Spratly Islands
Sri Lanka
100km
South China Sea
^Northeast Cay
'
^
Southwest Cay,
est or
Thitu Island . , i Island
* -Lankiam Cay Ffal
' Loaita'lsland Island-,
ItuAoa Island.'??"" Cay Nh
», • Namyit Island
' ' IX-
Sin Cowe Island J . '
'fiery Cross Keel
- Spratly Island
* Allison
fleet
•Amboyna Cay
Communications
Airports: 3 total, 2 usable; none with run-
ways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Defense Forces
Note: approximately 50 small islands or
reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Jaffna
See regional map I X
Ste region.! map V
Geography
Total area: less than 5 km2; land area:
less than 5 km2; includes 100 or so islets,
coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over
the South China Sea
Comparative area: undetermined
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 926 km
Maritime claims: undetermined
Disputes: China, Malaysia, the Philip-
pines, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim all or
part of the Spratly Islands
Climate: tropical
Terrain: flat
Natural resources: fish, guano; oil and nat-
ural gas potential
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: subject to typhoons; includes
numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and
coral reefs
Note: strategically located near several
primary shipping lanes in the central
South China Sea; serious navigational
hazard
People
Population: no permanent inhabitants;
garrisons
Government
Long-form name: none
Economy
Overview: Economic activity is limited to
commercial fishing and phosphate mining.
Geological surveys carried out several
years ago suggest that substantial reserves
of oil and natural gas may lie beneath the
islands; commercial exploitation has yet to
be developed.
Industries: some guano mining
Geography
Total area: 65,610 km2; land area: 64,740
km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
West Virginia
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,340 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; monsoonal; northeast
monsoon (December to March); southwest
monsoon (June to October)
Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plain;
mountains in south-central interior
Natural resources: limestone, graphite,
mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay
Land use: 1 6% arable land; 1 7% perma-
nent crops; 7% meadows and pastures;
37% forest and woodland; 23% other; in-
cludes 8% irrigated
Environment: occasional cyclones, torna-
dos; deforestation; soil erosion
Note: only 29 km from India across the
Palk Strait; near major Indian Ocean sea
lanes
People
Population: 17,196,436 (July 1990),
growth rate 1.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 21 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 3 1 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
72 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/
woman (1990)
291
Sri Lanka (continued)
Nationality: noun — Sri Lankan(s); adjec-
tive— Sri Lankan
Ethnic divisions: 74% Sinhalese; 18% Ta-
mil; 7% Moor; 1% Burgher, Malay, and
Veddha
Religion: 69% Buddhist, 1 5% Hindu, 8%
Christian, 8% Muslim
Language: Sinhala (official); Sinhala and
Tamil listed as national languages; Sin-
hala spoken by about 74% of population,
Tamil spoken by about 1 8%; English com-
monly used in government and spoken by
about 10% of the population
Literacy: 87%
Labor force: 6,600,000; 45.9% agriculture,
13.3% mining and manufacturing, 12.4%
trade and transport, 28.4% services and
other (1985 est.)
Organized labor: about 33% of labor force,
over 50% of which are employed on tea,
rubber, and coconut estates
Government
Long-form name: Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka
Type: republic
Capital: Colombo
Administrative divisions: 24 districts; Am-
parai, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa,
Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota,
Jaffna, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalla, Kuru-
negala, Mannar, Matale, Matara, Mone-
ragala, Mullativu, Nuwara Eliya, Polon-
naruwa, Puttalam, Ratnapura,
Trincomalee, Vavuniya; note — the admin-
istrative structure may now include 8
provinces (Central, North Central, North
Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa,
Southern, Uva, and Western) and 25 dis-
tricts (with Kilinochchi added to the exist-
ing districts)
Independence: 4 February 1948 (from UK;
formerly Ceylon)
Constitution: 31 August 1978
Legal system: a highly complex mixture of
English common law, Roman-Dutch,
Muslim, and customary law; has not ac-
cepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence and Na-
tional Day, 4 February (1948)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Rana-
singhe PREMADASA (since 2 January
1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGE (since 6
March 1989)
Political parties and leaders: United Na-
tional Party (UNP), Ranasinghe Prema-
dasa; Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP),
Sirimavo Bandaranaike; Sri Lanka Mus-
lim Congress (SLMC), Mhm. Ashraff; All
Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Kumar
Ponnambalam; Mahajana Eksath Pera-
muna (MEP, or People's United Front),
Dinesh Gundawardene; Sri Lanka Maha-
jana Party (SLMP, or Sri Lanka People's
Party), Chandrika Baudaranaike Kumara-
natunga; Lanka Sama Samaja Party
(LSSP, Lanka Socialist Party/Trotskyite),
Colin R. de Silva; Nava Sama Samaja
Party (NSSP, or New Socialist Party),
Vasudeva Nanayakkara; Tamil United
Liberation Front (TULF), leader NA;
Communist Party/Moscow (CP/M), K. P.
Silva; Communist Party/Beijing (CP/B),
N. Shanmugathasan
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 19 Decem-
ber 1988 (next to be held December
1994); results — Ranasinghe Premadasa
(UNP) 50%, Sirimavo Bandaranaike
(SLFP) 45%, others 5%;
Parliament— last held 15 February 1989
(next to be held by February 1995); re-
sults— percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (225 total) UNP 125, SLFP 67,
others 33
Other political or pressure groups: Libera-
tion Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and
other smaller Tamil separatist groups; Ja-
natha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or Peo-
ple's Liberation Front); Buddhist clergy;
Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups; labor
unions
Member of: ADB, ANRPC, CCC, Co-
lombo Plan, Commonwealth, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC,
ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
W. Susanta De ALWIS; Chancery at
2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4025
through 4028; there is a Sri Lankan Con-
sulate in New York; US — Ambassador
Marion V. CREEKMORE; Embassy at
210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 (mailing ad-
dress is P. O. Box 106, Colombo); tele-
phone [94] (1) 548007
Flag: yellow with two panels; the smaller
hoist-side panel has two equal vertical
bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the
other panel is a large dark red rectangle
with a yellow lion holding a sword and
there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner;
the yellow field appears as a border that
goes around the entire flag and extends
between the two panels
Economy
Overview: Agriculture, forestry, and
fishing dominate the economy, employing
about half of the labor force and account-
ing for about 25% of GDP. The plantation
crops of tea, rubber, and coconuts provide
about 50% of export earnings and almost
20% of budgetary revenues. The economy
has been plagued by high rates of unem-
ployment since the late 1970s.
GDP: $6.1 billion, per capita $370; real
growth rate 2.7% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1 5%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 20% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures
$2.3 billion, including capital expenditures
of $0.7 billion (1989)
Exports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— tea, textiles and garments, pe-
troleum products, coconut, rubber, agri-
cultural products, gems and jewelry,
marine products; partners — US 26%,
Egypt, Iraq, UK, FRG, Singapore, Japan
Imports: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum, machinery and
equipment, textiles and textile materials,
wheat, transportation equipment, electrical
machinery, sugar, rice; partners — Japan,
Saudi Arabia, US 5.6%, India, Singapore,
FRG, UK, Iran
External debt: $5.6 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 5%
(1988)
Electricity: 1 ,300,000 kW capacity; 4,200
million kWh produced, 250 kWh per cap-
ita (1 989)
Industries: processing of rubber, tea, coco-
nuts, and other agricultural commodities;
cement, petroleum refining, textiles, to-
bacco, clothing
Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and
nearly half of labor force; most important
staple crop is paddy rice; other field
crops — sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseeds,
roots, spices; cash crops — tea, rubber, co-
conuts; animal products — milk, eggs,
hides, meat; not self-sufficient in rice pro-
duction
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $932 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1980-87), $4.3 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $169 mil-
lion; Communist countries (1970-88), $369
million
Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (plural —
rupees); 1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Sri Lankan rupees (SLRs)
per US$1— 40.000 (January 1990), 36.047
(1989), 31.807 (1988), 29.445 (1987),
28.017(1986), 27.163(1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
292
Sudan
Communications
Railroads: 1,868 km total (1985); all
1.868-meter broad gauge; 102 km double
track; no electrification; government
owned
Highways: 66,176 km total (1985); 24,300
km paved (mostly bituminous treated),
28,916 km crushed stone or gravel, 12,960
km improved earth or unimproved earth;
several thousand km of mostly unmotor-
able tracks
Inland waterways: 430 km; navigable by
shallow-draft craft
Pipelines: crude and refined products, 62
km (1987)
Ports: Colombo, Trincomalee
Merchant marine: 40 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 258,923 GRT/334,702
DWT; includes 22 cargo, 8 refrigerated
cargo, 4 container, 1 livestock carrier, 2
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 3 bulk
Civil air: 8 major transport (including 1
leased)
Airports: 14 total, 13 usable; 12 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international
service; 109,900 telephones (1982); sta-
tions—12 AM, 5 FM, 1 TV; submarine
cables extend to Indonesia, Djibouti, In-
dia; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth
stations
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Police
Force, Special Police Task Force,
National Auxiliary Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
4,568,648; 3,574,637 fit for military ser-
vice; 177,610 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 5% of GDP, or
$300 million (1989 est.)
Str regional ma
Geography
Total area: 2,505,810 km2; land area:
2,376,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than one
quarter the size of US
Land boundaries: 7,697 km total; Central
African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360
km, Egypt 1,273 km, Ethiopia 2,221 km,
Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda
435 km, Zaire 628 km
Coastline: 853 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: international boundary and Ad-
ministrative Boundary with Kenya; inter-
national boundary and Administrative
Boundary with Egypt
Climate: tropical in south; arid desert in
north; rainy season (April to October)
Terrain: generally flat, featureless plain;
mountains in east and west
Natural resources: modest reserves of
crude oil, iron ore, copper, chromium ore,
zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, crude oil
Land use: 5% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 24% meadows and pastures;
20% forest and woodland; 51% other; in-
cludes 1% irrigated
Environment: dominated by the Nile and
its tributaries; dust storms; desertification
Note: largest country in Africa
People
Population: 24,971,806 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 44 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 4 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 2 migrants/ 1 ,000
population ( 1 990)
Infant mortality rate: 107 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 5 1 years male,
55 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Sudanese (sing, and
pi.); adjective — Sudanese
Ethnic divisions: 52% black, 39% Arab,
6% Beja, 2% foreigners, 1% other
Religion: 70% Sunni Muslim (in north),
20% indigenous beliefs, 5% Christian
(mostly in south and Khartoum)
Language: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta
Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-
Hamitic, and Sudanic languages, English;
program of Arabization in process
Literacy: 31% (1986)
Labor force: 6,500,000; 80% agriculture,
10% industry and commerce, 6% govern-
ment; labor shortages for almost all cate-
gories of skilled employment (1983 est.);
52% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: trade unions suspended
following 30 June 1989 coup; now in pro-
cess of being legalized anew
Government
Long-form name: Republic of the Sudan
Type: military; civilian government sus-
pended and martial law imposed after 30
June 1989 coup
Capital: Khartoum
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (aqalTm,
singular — iqlTm); A'5lT an Nil, Al Awsat,
Al Istiwa'T, Al Khartum, Ash Shamall,
Ash SharqT, Bahr al Ghazal, DarfGr,
Kurduffin
Independence: 1 January 1956 (from
Egypt and UK; formerly Anglo-Egyptian
Sudan)
Constitution: 12 April 1973, suspended
following coup of 6 April 1985; interim
constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended
following coup of 30 June 1989
Legal system: based on English common
law and Islamic law; in September 1983
then President Nimeiri declared the penal
code would conform to Islamic law; some
separate religious courts; accepts compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 1
January (1956)
Executive branch: executive and legislative
authority vested in a 1 5-member Revolu-
tionary Command Council (RCC); chair-
man of the RCC acts as prime minister;
in July 1989 RCC appointed a predomi-
nately civilian 22-member cabinet to func-
tion as advisers
Legislative branch: none
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Special
Revolutionary Courts
293
Sudan (continued)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— Revolutionary Command Coun-
cil Chairman and Prime Minister Brig.
Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR
(since 30 June 1989); Deputy Chairman of
the Command Council and Deputy Prime
Minister Brig. Gen. al-Zubayr Muham-
mad SALIH (since 9 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders: none; banned
following 30 June 1989 coup
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, Arab
League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic Devel-
opment Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
I MO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU,
NAM, OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
'Abdallah Ahmad 'ABDALLAH; Chan-
cery at 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
338-8565 through 8570; there is a Suda-
nese Consulate General in New York;
US — Ambassador James CHEEK; Em-
bassy at Shar'ia Ali Abdul Latif, Khar-
toum (mailing address is P. O. Box 699,
Khartoum, or APO New York 09668);
telephone 74700 or 75680, 7461 1
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and black with a green isosce-
les triangle based on the hoist side
Economy
Overview: Sudan, one of the world's poor-
est countries, is buffeted by civil war,
chronic political instability, adverse
weather, and counterproductive economic
policies. The economy is dominated by
governmental entities that account for
more than 70% of new investment. The
private sector's main areas of activity are
agriculture and trading, with most private
industrial investment predating 1980. The
economy's base is agriculture, which em-
ploys 80% of the work force. Industry
mainly processes agricultural items. A
high foreign debt and arrearages of about
$13 billion continue to cause difficulties.
Since 1979 the International Monetary
Fund has provided assistance and has
forced Sudan to make economic reforms
aimed at improving the performance of
the economy.
GDP: $8.5 billion, per capita $340
(FY87); real growth rate 7.0% (FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 70%
(FY89)
Unemployment rate: NA
Budget: revenues $514 million; expendi-
tures $1.3 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of $183 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $550 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.);
commodities — cotton 43%, sesame, gum
arable, peanuts; partners — Western Eu-
rope 46%, Saudi Arabia 1 4%, Eastern Eu-
rope 9%, Japan 9%, US 3% (FY88)
Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., FY89 est.);
commodities — petroleum products, manu-
factured goods, machinery and equipment,
medicines and chemicals; partners — West-
ern Europe 32%, Africa and Asia 15%,
US 13%, Eastern Europe 3% (FY88)
External debt: $1 1.6 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate — 1 .7%
(FY89 est.)
Electricity: 606,000 kW capacity; 900 mil-
lion kWh produced, 37 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: cotton ginning, textiles,
cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling,
shoes, petroleum refining
Agriculture: accounts for 35% of GNP
and 80% of labor force; untapped poten-
tial for higher farm production; two-thirds
of land area suitable for raising crops and
livestock; major products — cotton,
oilseeds, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum ara-
bic, sheep; marginally self-sufficient in
most foods
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $4.4 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.1 billion; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $588 million
Currency: Sudanese pound (plural —
pounds); 1 Sudanese pound (£Sd) = 100
piasters
Exchange rates: official rate — Sudanese
pounds (£Sd) per US$1— 4.5004 (fixed
rate since 1987), 2.8121 (1987), 2.5000
(1986), 2.2883 (1985); note— commercial
exchange rate is set daily, 12.2 (March
1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 5,500 km total; 4,784 km
1 .067-meter gauge, 7 1 6 km 1 .6096-meter-
gauge plantation line
Highways: 20,000 km total; 1 ,600 km bi-
tuminous treated, 3,700 km gravel, 2,301
km improved earth, 1 2,399 km
unimproved earth and track
Inland waterways: 5,310 km navigable
Pipelines: refined products, 815 km
Ports: Port Sudan, Suakin
Merchant marine: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 91,107 GRT/ 122,222 DWT;
includes 8 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo
Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
Airports: 78 total, 68 usable; 8 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 31 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: large, well-equipped
system by African standards, but barely
adequate and poorly maintained; consists
of radio relay, cables, radio communica-
tions, and troposcatter; domestic satellite
system with 14 stations; 73,400
telephones; stations — 4 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV;
satellite earth stations — 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air
Defense Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
5,621,469; 3,437,004 fit for military ser-
vice; 273,01 1 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 7.2% of GDP, or
$6 10 million (1989 est)
294
Suriname
North Atlantic
Ocean
See regional map IV
Geography
Total area: 163,270 km2; land area:
161,470km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Georgia
Land boundaries: 1,707 km total; Brazil
597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana
600 km
Coastline: 386 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claims area in French Guiana
between Litani Rivier and Riviere Ma-
rouini (both headwaters of the Lawa);
claims area in Guyana between New
(Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/
Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Cou-
rantyne)
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade
winds
Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow
coastal plain with swamps
Natural resources: timber, hydropower
potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore,
and modest amounts of nickel, copper,
platinum, gold
Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL%
permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and
pastures; 97% forest and woodland; 3%
other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: mostly tropical rain forest
People
Population: 396,813 (July 1990), growth
rate 1.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 27 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —7 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male,
71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Surinamer(s); adjec-
tive— Surinamese
Ethnic divisions: 37.0% Hindustani (East
Indian), 31.0% Creole (black and mixed),
15.3% Javanese, 10.3% Bush black, 2.6%
Amerindian, 1 .7% Chinese, 1 .0% Europe-
ans, 1.1% other
Religion: 27.4% Hindu, 19.6% Muslim,
22.8% Roman Catholic, 25.2% Protestant
(predominantly Moravian), about 5% in-
digenous beliefs
Language: Dutch (official); English widely
spoken; Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, some-
times called Taki-Taki) is native language
of Creoles and much of the younger popu-
lation and is lingua franca among others;
also Hindi Suriname Hindustani (a vari-
ant of Bhoqpuri), and Javanese
Literacy: 65%
Labor force: 104,000 (1984)
Organized labor: 49,000 members of labor
force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Suriname
Type: republic
Capital: Paramaribo
Administrative divisions: 1 0 districts (dis-
trikten, singular — distrikt); Brokopondo,
Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nicke-
rie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipali-
wini, Wanica
Independence: 25 November 1975 (from
Netherlands; formerly Netherlands Gu-
iana or Dutch Guiana)
Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Independence Day, 25
November (1975)
Executive branch: president, vice president
and prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers,
Council of State; note — commander in
chief of the National Army maintains sig-
nificant power
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Ramsewak
SHANK AR (since 25 January 1988);
Vice President and Prime Minister Henck
Alfonsus Eugene ARRON (since 25 Janu-
ary 1988)
Political parties and leaders: 25 February
Movement established by Lt. Col. Desire
Bouterse in November 1983, but much of
its activity taken over by New Democratic
Party (NDP) in May 1987; leftists (all
small groups) — Revolutionary People's
Party (RVP), Michael Naarendorp; Pro-
gressive Workers and Farmers (PALU),
Iwan Krolis; traditional parties — Progres-
sive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath
Lachmon; National Party of Suriname
(NPS), Henck Arron; Indonesian Peasants
Party (KTPI), Willy Soemita; the VHP,
NPS, and KTPI formed a coalition known
as The Front in July 1987 that over-
whelmingly defeated the NDP in the No-
vember 1987 elections
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly — last held
25 November 1987 (next to be held No-
vember 1992); results— The Front 80%,
others 20%; seats— (51 total) The Front
40, NDP 3, PALU 4, Pendawa Llwa 4
Member of: ACP, ECLA, FAO, GATT,
G-77, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, IDB— Inter-
American Development Bank, I FAD,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU,
NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Willem A. UDENHOUT; Chancery at
Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
244-7488 or 7490 through 7492; there is a
Surinamese Consulate General in Miami;
US— Ambassador Richard HOWLAND;
Embassy at Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat
129, Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O.
Box 1821, Paramaribo); telephone [597]
72900 or 76459
Flag: five horizontal bands of green (top,
double width), white, red (quadruple
width), white, and green (double width);
there is a large yellow five-pointed star
centered in the red band
Economy
Overview: The economy is dominated by
the bauxite industry, which accounts for
about 80% of export earnings and 40% of
tax revenues. The economy has been in
trouble since the Dutch ended develop-
ment aid in 1982. A drop in world bauxite
prices that started in the late 1970s and
continued until late 1986, was followed by
the outbreak of a guerrilla insurgency in
the interior. The guerrillas targeted the
economic infrastructure, crippling the im-
portant bauxite sector and shutting down
other export industries. These problems
have created both high inflation and high
unemployment. A small gain in economic
growth of 3.6% was registered in 1988
due to reduced guerrilla activity and im-
proved international markets for bauxite.
GDP: $1.27 billion, per capita $3,215; real
growth rate 3.6% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (1988
est.)
Unemployment rate: 27% (1988)
Budget: revenues $466 million; expendi-
tures $716 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $123 million (1989 est.)
295
Suriname (continued)
Exports: $425 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — alumina, bauxite, alumi-
num, rice, wood and wood products,
shrimp and fish, bananas; partners — Neth-
erlands 28%, US 22%, Norway 18%, Ja-
pan 1 1%, Brazil 10%, UK 4%
Imports: $365 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — capital equipment, petro-
leum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods;
partners— US 34%, Netherlands 20%,
Trinidad and Tobago 8%, Brazil 5%, UK
3%
External debt: $65 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —3.1%
(1986)
Electricity: 458,000 kW capacity; 2,018
million kWh produced, 5,030 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: bauxite mining, alumina and
aluminum production, lumbering, food
processing, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for 1 1 % of both
GDP and labor force; paddy rice planted
on 85% of arable land and represents 60%
of total farm output; other products — ba-
nanas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains,
peanuts, beef, chicken; shrimp and for-
estry products of increasing importance;
self-sufficient in most foods
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-83), $2.5 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $1.4 billion
Currency: Surinamese guilder, gulden, or
florin (plural — guilders, gulden, or florins);
1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin
(Sf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Surinamese guilders, gul-
den, or florins (Sf.) per US$1— 1.7850
(fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 166 km total; 86 km 1.000-
meter gauge, government owned, and 80
km 1.435-meter standard gauge; all single
track
Highways: 8,300 km total; 500 km paved;
5,400 km bauxite gravel, crushed stone, or
improved earth; 2,400 km sand or clay
Inland waterways: 1 ,200 km; most impor-
tant means of transport; oceangoing ves-
sels with drafts ranging from 4.2 m to
7 m can navigate many of the principal
waterways
Ports: Paramaribo, Moengo
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT;
includes 2 cargo, 1 container
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 47 total, 43 usable; 6 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Svalbard
(territory of Norway)
Telecommunications: international facili-
ties good; domestic radio relay system;
27,500 telephones; stations — 5 AM, 14
FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations
Defense Forces
Branches: National Army (including Sup-
port Battalion, Infantry Battalion, Mecha-
nized Cavalry Unit, Military Police Bri-
gade, Navy which is company-size, small
Air Force element)
Military manpower, males 15-49, 105,328;
62,896 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 7.2% of GDP, or
$91 million (1990 est.)
r\
V "Tea"*
fHopen
Norwegian
Sea
S« regional mip XI
20Okm
Geography
Total area: 62,049 km2; land area: 62,049
km2; includes Spitsbergen and Bjerneya
(Bear Island)
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
West Virginia
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 3,587 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm uni-
laterally claimed by Norway, not recog-
nized by USSR
Territorial sea: 4 nm
Disputes: focus of maritime boundary dis-
pute between Norway and USSR
Climate: arctic, tempered by warm North
Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold win-
ters; North Atlantic Current flows along
west and north coasts of Spitsbergen,
keeping water open and navigable most of
the year
Terrain: wild, rugged mountains; much of
high land ice covered; west coast clear of
ice about half the year; fjords along west
and north coasts
Natural resources: coal, copper, iron ore,
phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other; there are
no trees and the only bushes are crow-
berry and cloudberry
Environment: great calving glaciers de-
scend to the sea
Note: located 445 km north of Norway
where the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea,
Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea meet
People
Population: 3,942 (July 1990), growth rate
NA% (1990); about one-third of the popu-
lation resides in the Norwegian areas
296
Swaziland
(Longyearbyen and Svea on Vestspitsber-
gen) and two-thirds in the Soviet areas
(Barentsburg and Pyramiden on Vestspits-
bergen); about 9 persons live at the Polish
research station
Birth rate: NA births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male,
NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/
woman (1990)
Ethnic divisions: 64% Russian, 35% Nor-
wegian, 1% other (1981)
Language: Russian, Norwegian
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: none
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: territory of Norway administered
by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through
a governor (sysselmann) residing in Long-
yearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 Febru-
ary 1 920) sovereignty was given to Nor-
way
Capital: Longyearbyen
Leaders: Chief of State— King OLAV V
(since 21 September 1957);
Head of Government Governor Leif
ELDRING (since NA)
Flag: the flag of Norway is used
Economy
Overview: Coal mining is the major eco-
nomic activity on Svalbard. By treaty (9
February 1920), the nationals of the
treaty powers have equal rights to exploit
mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian
regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and
Swedish coal companies have mined in the
past, the only companies still mining are
Norwegian and Soviet. Each company
mines about half a million tons of coal
annually. The settlements on Svalbard are
essentially company towns. The Norwe-
gian state-owned coal company employs
nearly 60% of the Norwegian population
on the island, runs many of the local ser-
vices, and provides most of the local infra-
structure. There is also some trapping of
seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus.
Electricity: 21,000 kW capacity; 45 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1 1,420 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Currency: Norwegian krone (plural — kro-
ner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ere
Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr)
per US$1— 6.5405 (January 1990), 6.9045
(1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987),
7.3947(1986), 8.5972(1985)
Communications
Ports: limited facilities — Ny-Alesund, Ad-
vent Bay
Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 5 meteorological/
radio stations; stations — 1 AM, 1 (2 re-
lays) FM, 1 TV
Defense Forces
Note: demilitarized by treaty (9 February
1920)
50 km
Sef regional map Ml
Geography
Total area: 17,360 km2; land area: 17,200
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
New Jersey
Land boundaries: 535 km total; Mozambi-
que 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: varies from tropical to near tem-
perate
Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; some
moderately sloping plains
Natural resources: asbestos, coal, clay, tin,
hydroelelectric power, forests, and small
gold and diamond deposits
Land use: 8% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 67% meadows and pastures;
6% forest and woodland; 19% other; in-
cludes 2% irrigated
Environment: overgrazing; soil degrada-
tion; soil erosion
Note: landlocked; almost completely sur-
rounded by South Africa
People
Population: 778,525 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 126 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male,
55 years female (1 990)
Total fertility rate: 6.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Swazi(s); adjective —
Swazi
Ethnic divisions: 97% African, 3% Euro-
pean
297
Swaziland (continued)
Religion: 60% Christian, 40% indigenous
beliefs
Language: English and siSwati (official);
government business conducted in English
Literacy: 67.9%
Labor force: 195,000; over 60,000
engaged in subsistence agriculture; about
92,000 wage earners (many only intermit-
tently), with 36% agriculture and forestry,
20% community and social services, 14%
manufacturing, 9% construction, 21%
other; 24,000-29,000 employed in South
Africa (1987)
Organized labor: about 1 0% of wage earn-
ers
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Swaziland
Type: monarchy; independent member of
Commonwealth
Capital: Mbabane (administrative); I o-
bamba (legislative)
Administrative divisions: 4 districts;
Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence: 6 September 1 968 (from
UK)
Constitution: none; constitution of 6 Sep-
tember 1 968 was suspended on 1 2 April
1973; a new constitution was promulgated
13 October 1978, but has not been for-
mally presented to the people
Legal system: based on South African
Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts,
Swazi traditional law and custom in tradi-
tional courts; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Somhlolo (Independence)
Day, 6 September (1968)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
(Libandla) is advisory and consists of an
upper house or Senate and a lower house
or House of Assembly
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Ap-
peal
Leaders: Chief of State— King MSWATI
III (since 25 April 1986);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Obed MFANYANA (since 12 July 1989)
Political parties: none; banned by the
Constitution promulgated on 13 October
1978
Suffrage: none
Elections: no direct elections
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, FAO, G-
77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL,
ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, Southern Afri-
can Customs Union, SADCC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Absalom Vusani MAMBA; Chancery at
4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washing-
ton DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-6683;
US — Ambassador (vacant), Deputy Chief
of Mission Armajane KARAER; Embassy
at Central Bank Building, Warner Street,
Mbabane (mailing address is P. O. Box
199, Mbabane); telephone 22281 through
22285
Flag: three horizontal bands of blue (top),
red (triple width), and blue; the red band
is edged in yellow; centered in the red
band is a large black and white shield
covering two spears and a staff decorated
with feather tassels, all placed horizon-
tally
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on subsis-
tence agriculture, which occupies much of
the labor force and contributes about 25%
to GDP. Manufacturing, which includes a
number of agroprocessing factories, ac-
counts for another 25% of GDP. Mining
has declined in importance in recent
years; high-grade iron ore deposits were
depleted in 1978, and health concerns cut
world demand for asbestos. Exports of
sugar and forestry products are the main
earners of hard currency. Surrounded by
South Africa, except for a short border
with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily
dependent on South Africa, from which it
receives 90% of its imports and to which it
sends about one-third of its exports.
GNP: $539 million, per capita $750; real
growth rate 5.7% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 17% (1989
est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $255 million; expendi-
tures $253 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA million (FY91 est.)
Exports: $394 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— sugar, asbestos, wood pulp, cit-
rus, canned fruit, soft drink concentrates;
partners — South Africa, UK, US
Imports: $386 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— motor vehicles, machinery,
transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum
products, foodstuffs; partners — South Af-
rica, US, UK
External debt: $275 million (December
1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 24%
(1986)
Electricity: 50,000 kW capacity; 1 30 mil-
lion kWh produced, 170 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: mining (coal and asbestos),
wood pulp, sugar
Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and
over 60% of labor force; mostly subsis-
tence agriculture; cash crops — sugarcane,
citrus fruit, cotton, pineapples; other crops
and livestock — corn, sorghum, peanuts,
cattle, goats, sheep; not self-sufficient in
grain
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-lm
(FY70-88), $132 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $468 million
Currency: lilangeni (plural — emalangeni);
1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: emalangeni (E) per
US$1— 2.5555 (January 1990), 2.6166
(1989), 2.261 1 (1988), 2.0350 (1987),
2.2685 (1986), 2.191 1 (1985); note— the
Swazi emalangeni is at par with the South
African rand
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Railroads: 297 km plus 71 km disused,
1.067-meter gauge, single track
Highways: 2,853 km total; 510 km paved,
1 ,230 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabi-
lized soil, and 1,1 13 km improved earth
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 23 total, 22 usable; 1 with
permanent-surfaced 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: system consists of
carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-
capacity radio relay links; 15,400 tele-
phones; stations— 6 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV; 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Umbutfo Swaziland Defense
Force, Royal Swaziland Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 166,537;
96,239 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: NA
298
Sweden
Tarnal
Luli-.l
Gull
of
SundjvaH'f Bothnia
avle
^Uppsala
I \J
* ^STOCKHOLM
. jbnkpping
Goteborg^
Kattegat \ Jf>lar,d Ball.c Sea
Malm° \__jKarlsktona
See regional map V
Geography
Total area: 449,960 km2; land area:
411,620km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
California
Land boundaries: 2,193 km total; Finland
536 km, Norway 1,657 km
Coastline: 3,218 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: temperate in south with cold,
cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy
summers; subarctic in north
Terrain: mostly flat or gently rolling low-
lands; mountains in west
Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead,
copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydro-
power potential
Land use: 7% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 2% meadows and pastures; 64%
forest and woodland; 27% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: water pollution; acid rain
Note: strategic location along Danish
Straits linking Baltic and North Seas
People
Population: 8,526,452 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 1 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 3 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male,
81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Swede(s); adjective —
Swedish
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous white popu-
lation; small Lappish minority; about 12%
foreign born or first-generation
immigrants (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes,
Norwegians, Greeks, Turks)
Religion: 93.5% Evangelical Lutheran,
1.0% Roman Catholic, 5.5% other
Language: Swedish, small Lapp- and
Finnish-speaking minorities; immigrants
speak native languages
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 4,531,000 (1988); 32.8% pri-
vate services, 30.0% government services,
22.0% mining and manufacturing, 5.9%
construction, 5.0% agriculture, forestry,
and fishing, 0.9% electricity, gas, and wa-
terworks (1986)
Organized labor: 90% of labor force (1985
est.)
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Sweden
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Stockholm
Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (Ian,
singular and plural); Alvsborgs Lan, Ble-
kinge La'n, Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs
och Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands
Lan, Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan,
Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs La'n, Kristian-
stads Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus
Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan,
Ostergotlands La'n, Skaraborgs La'n, S6-
dermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan, Upp-
sala La'n, Va'rmlands La'n, Va'sterbottens
La'n, Va'sternorrlands Lan, Vastmanlands
Lan
Independence: 6 June 1809, constitutional
monarchy established
Constitution: 1 January 1975
Legal system: civil law system influenced
by customary law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Day of the Swedish
Flag, 6 June
Executive branch: monarch, prime minis-
ter. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
(Riksdag)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court ( Ho'gsta
Domstolen)
Leaders: Chief of State— King CARL
XVI Gustaf (since 19 September 1973);
Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA In-
grid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King
(born 14 July 1977);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Ingvar CARLSSON (since 12 March
1986); Deputy Prime Minister Kjell-Olof
FELDT (since NA March 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Moderate
(conservative), Carl Bildt; Center, Olof
Johansson; Liberal People's Party, Bengt
Westerberg; Social Democratic, Ingvar
Carlsson; Left Party-Communist (VPK),
Lars Werner; Swedish Communist Party
(SKP), Rune Pettersson; Communist
Workers' Party, Rolf Hagel; Green Party,
no formal leader
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Parliament — last held 1 8 Sep-
tember 1988 (next to be held September
1991); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats — (349 total) Social Democratic
156, Moderate (conservative) 66, Liberals
44, Center 42, Communists 21, Greens 20
Communists: VPK and SKP; VPK, the
major Communist party, is reported to
have roughly 17,800 members; in the
1988 election, the VPK attracted 5.8% of
the vote
Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Eu-
rope, DAC, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO. ICES, ICO,
IDA, IDB — Inter-American Development
Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO,
ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL,
INTELSAT, IPU, ISO, ITU, IWC— In-
ternational, Whaling Commission, IWC—
International Wheat Council, Nordic
Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Anders THUNBORG; Chancery at Suite
1200, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20037; telephone (202)
944-5600; there are Swedish Consulates
General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minne-
apolis, and New York; US — Ambassador
Charles E. REDMAN; Embassy at
Strandvagen 101, S-115 27 Stockholm;
telephone [46] (8) 7835300
Flag: blue with a yellow cross that extends
to the edges of the flag; the vertical part
of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in
the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Economy
Overview: Aided by a long period of peace
and neutrality during World War I
through World War II, Sweden has
achieved an enviable standard of living
under a mixed system of high-tech capi-
talism and extensive welfare benefits. It
has essentially full employment, a modern
distribution system, excellent internal and
external communications, and a skilled
and intelligent labor force. Timber, hydro-
power, and iron ore constitute the resource
base of an economy that is heavily ori-
ented toward foreign trade. Privately
owned firms account for about 90% of in-
dustrial output, of which the engineering
sector accounts for 50% of output and ex-
ports. As the 1 990s open, however, Swe-
den faces serious economic problems: long
waits for adequate housing, the decay of
299
Sweden (continued)
Switzerland
the work ethic, and a loss of competitive
edge in international markets.
GDP: $132.7 billion, per capita $15,700;
real growth rate 2.1% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.7% (Sep-
tember 1989)
Unemployment rate: 1.5% (1989)
Budget: revenues $58.0 billion; expendi-
tures $57.9 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (FY89)
Exports: $52.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — machinery, motor vehicles,
paper products, pulp and wood, iron and
steel products, chemicals, petroleum and
petroleum products; partners — EC 52.1%,
(FRG 12.1%, UK 11.2%, Denmark 6.8%),
US 9.8%, Norway 9.3%
Imports: $48.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities — machinery, petroleum and
petroleum products, chemicals, motor ve-
hicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing;
partners— EC 55.8% (FRG 21.2%, UK
8.6%, Denmark 6.6%), US 7.5%, Norway
6.0%
External debt: $17.9 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.3%
(1989)
Electricity: 39,716,000 kW capacity;
200,315 million kWh produced, 23,840
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: iron and steel, precision equip-
ment (bearings, radio and telephone parts,
armaments), wood pulp and paper prod-
ucts, processed foods, motor vehicles
Agriculture: animal husbandry predomi-
nates, with milk and dairy products ac-
counting for 37% of farm income; main
crops — grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 100%
self-sufficient in grains and potatoes, 85%
self-sufficient in sugar beets
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $7.9 billion
Currency: Swedish krona (plural — kroner);
1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 6re
Exchange rates: Swedish kronor (SKr) per
US$1— 6.1798 (January 1990), 6.4469
(1989), 6.1272 (1988), 6.3404 (1987),
7.1236(1986), 8.6039(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 1 2,000 km total; Swedish State
Railways (SJ)— 10,819 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 6,955 km electrified and
1,152 km double track; 182 km 0.891-
meter gauge; 1 1 7 km rail ferry service;
privately owned railways — 511 km 1.435-
meter standard gauge (332 km electrified);
371 km 0.891 -meter gauge (all electrified)
Highways: 97,400 km (51,899 km paved,
20,659 km gravel, 24,842 km unimproved
earth)
Inland waterways: 2,052 km navigable for
small steamers and barges
Pipelines: 84 km natural gas
Ports: Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Hel-
singborg, Kalmar, Malmo, Stockholm;
numerous secondary and minor ports
Merchant marine: 173 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 1,856,217 CRT/
2,215,659 DWT; includes 9 short-sea pas-
senger, 29 cargo, 3 container, 42 roll-on/
roll-off cargo, 1 1 vehicle carrier, 2 railcar
carrier, 27 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 25 chemical tanker, 1 lique-
fied gas, 5 combination ore/oil, 6 special-
ized tanker, 12 bulk, 1 combination bulk
Civil air: 65 major transports
Airports: 259 total, 256 usable; 138 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 91 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent domestic
and international facilities; 8,200,000 tele-
phones; stations — 4 AM, 56 (320 relays)
FM, 1 10 (925 relays) TV; 5 submarine
coaxial cables; communication satellite
earth stations operating in the
INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean) and EU-
TELSAT systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Swedish Army, Royal
Swedish Air Force, Royal Swedish Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49,
2,133,101; 1,865,526 fit for military ser-
vice; 56,632 reach military age (19) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: 4.5% billion (1989
est.)
100km
chaffhausen
Bodensee
Sre regional map V
Geography
Total area: 41,290 km2; land area: 39,770
km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries: 1,852 km total; Austria
164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km,
Liechtenstein 41 km, FRG 334 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: temperate, but varies with alti-
tude; cold, cloudy, rainy /snowy winters;
cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers
with occasional showers
Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in south.
Jura in northwest) with a central plateau
of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Natural resources: hydropower potential,
timber, salt
Land use: 10% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 26%
forest and woodland; 23% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: dominated by Alps
Note: landlocked; crossroads of northern
and southern Europe
People
Population: 6,742,461 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 12 births/ 1, 000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 3 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male,
83 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Swiss (sing. & pi.);
adjective — Swiss
300
Ethnic divisions: total population — 65%
German, 18% French, 10% Italian, 1%
Romansch, 6% other; Swiss nationals —
74% German, 20% French, 4% Italian, 1%
Romansch, 1% other
Religion: 49% Roman Catholic, 48% Prot-
estant, 0.3% Jewish
Language: total population — 65% German,
18% French, 12% Italian, 1% Romansch,
4% other; Swiss nationals — 74% German,
20% French, 4% Italian, 1% Romansch,
1% other
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 3,220,000; 841,000 foreign
workers, mostly Italian; 42% services, 39%
industry and crafts, 1 1% government, 7%
agriculture and forestry, 1% other (1988)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Swiss Confederation
Type: federal republic
Capital: Bern
Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (can-
tons, singular — canton in French; cantoni,
singular — cantone in Italian; kantone, sin-
gular— kanton in German); Aargau,
Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-
Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus,
Graubiinden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern,
Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt
Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn,
Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug,
Zurich
Independence: 1 August 1291
Constitution: 29 May 1874
Legal system: civil law system influenced
by customary law; judicial review of legis-
lative acts, except with respect to federal
decrees of general obligatory character;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday: Anniversary of the
Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1
August (1291)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Federal Council (German — Bundes-
rat, French — Conseil Federal)
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal As-
sembly (German — Bundesversammlung,
French — Assemblee Federate) consists of
an upper council or Council of States
(German — Standerat, French — Conseil
des Etats) and and a lower council or Na-
tional Council (German — Nationalrat,
French — Conseil National)
Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Arnold ROLLER
(1990 calendar year; presidency rotates
annually); Vice President Flavio COTTI
(term runs concurrently with that of presi-
dent)
Political parties and leaders: Social Demo-
cratic Party (SPS), Helmut Hubacher,
chairman; Radical Democratic Party
(FDP), Bruno Hunziker, president; Chris-
tian Democratic People's Party (CVP),
Eva Segmiiller- Weber, president; Swiss
People's Party (SVP), Hans Uhlmann,
president; Workers' Party (PdA), Armand
Magnin, secretary general; National Ac-
tion Party (NA), Hans Zwicky, chairman;
Independents' Party (LdU), Dr. Franz
Jaeger, president; Republican Movement
(Rep), Dr. James Schworzenboch, Franz
Baumgartner, leaders; Liberal Party
(LPS), Gilbert Coutau, president; Evangel-
ical People's Party (EVP), Max Diinki,
president; Progressive Organizations of
Switzerland (POCH), Georg Degen, secre-
tary; Federation of Ecology Parties (GP),
Laurent Rebeaud, president; Autonomous
Socialist Party (PSA), Werner Carobbio,
secretary
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: Council of State — last held
throughout 1987 (next to be held NA);
results — percent of vote by party NA;
seats— (46 total) CVP 19, FDP 14, SPS 5,
SVP 4, others 4;
National Council — last held 1 8 October
1987 (next to be held October 1991); re-
sults—FDP 22.9%, CVP 20.0%, SPS
18.4%, SVP 1 1.0%, GP 4.8%, others
22.9%; seats— (200 total) FDP 51, CVP
42, SPS 41, SVP 25, GP 9, others 32
Communists: 4,500 members (est.)
Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Eu-
rope, DAC, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT,
IAEA, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDB— Inter-
American Development Bank, IEA,
IFAD, ILO, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC— Interna-
tional Wheat Council, OECD, UNESCO,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WSG, WTO; permanent observer
status at the UN
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Edouard BRUNNER; Chancery at 2900
Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC
20008; telephone (202) 745-7900; there
are Swiss Consulates General in Atlanta,
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
York, and San Francisco; US — Ambassa-
dor Joseph B. GUILDENHORN; Em-
bassy at Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern;
telephone [41] (31) 437011; there is a
Branch Office of the Embassy in Geneva
and a Consulate General in Zurich
Flag: red square with a bold, equilateral
white cross in the center that does not ex-
tend to the edges of the flag
Economy
Overview: Switzerland's economic success
is matched in few, if any, other nations.
Per capita output, general living
standards, education and science, health
care, and diet are unsurpassed in Europe.
Inflation remains low because of sound
government policy and harmonious labor-
management relations. Unemployment is
negligible, a marked contrast to the larger
economies of Western Europe. This eco-
nomic stability helps promote the impor-
tant banking and tourist sectors. Since
World War II, Switzerland's economy has
adjusted smoothly to the great changes in
output and trade patterns in Europe and
presumably can adjust to the challenges of
the 1990s, in particular, the further eco-
nomic integration of Western Europe and
the amazingly rapid changes in East Eu-
ropean political/economic prospects.
GDP: $1 19.5 billion, per capita $17,800;
real growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 0.5% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $17.0 billion; expendi-
tures $16.8 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (1988)
Exports: $51.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and equipment, pre-
cision instruments, metal products, food-
stuffs, textiles and clothing; partners —
Europe 64% (EC 56%, other 8%), US 9%,
Japan 4%
Imports: $57.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— agricultural products, machin-
ery and transportation equipment, chemi-
cals, textiles, construction materials;
partners— Europe 79% (EC 72%, other
7%), US 5%
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 7.0%
(1988)
Electricity: 17,710,000 kW capacity;
59,070 million kWh produced, 8,930 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: machinery, chemicals, watches,
textiles, precision instruments
Agriculture: dairy farming predominates;
less than 50% self-sufficient; food short-
ages— fish, refined sugar, fats and oils
(other than butter), grains, eggs, fruits,
vegetables, meat
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $2.5 billion
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: 5,174 km total; 2,971 km are
government owned and 2,203 km are
nongovernment owned; the government
301
Switzerland (continued)
Syria
network consists of 2,897 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge and 74 km 1.000-meter
narrow gauge track; 1,432 km double
track, 99% electrified; the nongovernment
network consists of 710 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 1,418 km 1.000-meter
gauge, and 75 km 0.790-meter gauge
track, 100% electrified
Highways: 62,145 km total (all paved), of
which 18,620 km are canton and 1,057
km are national highways (740 km auto-
bahn); 42,468 km are communal roads
Pipelines: 314 km crude oil; 1,506 km nat-
ural gas
Inland waterways: 65 km; Rhine (Basel to
Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Bodensee);
12 navigable lakes
Ports: Basel (river port)
Merchant marine: 20 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 215,851 GRT/365,131
DWT; includes 4 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off
cargo, 3 chemical tanker, 3 specialized
liquid cargo, 8 bulk
Civil air: 89 major transport aircraft
Airports: 72 total, 70 usable; 42 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent domestic,
international, and broadcast services;
5,808,000 telephones; stations — 6 AM, 36
(400 relays) FM, 145 (1,250 relays) TV;
communications satellite earth stations
operating in the INTELSAT (4 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and EUTEL-
SAT systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1,800,211; 1,550,662 fit for military ser-
vice; 44,154 reach military age (20) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: $1.2 billion (1989
est.)
150l»m
Mediterranean
Sea
Srr regional map VI
Geography
Total area: 185,180 km2; land area:
184,050 km2 (including 1,295 km2 of
Israeli-occupied territory)
Comparative area: slightly larger than
North Dakota
Land boundaries: 2,253 km total; Iraq 605
km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Leba-
non 375 km, Turkey 822 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 6 nm beyond territo-
rial sea limit
Territorial sea: 35 nm
Disputes: separated from Israel by the
1949 Armistice Line; Golan Heights is
Israeli occupied; Hatay question with Tur-
key; periodic disputes with Iraq over
Euphrates water rights; ongoing dispute
over water development plans by Turkey
for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers;
Kurdish question among Iran, Iraq, Syria,
Turkey, and the USSR
Climate: mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny
summers (June to August) and mild, rainy
winters (December to February) along
coast
Terrain: primarily semiarid and desert
plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains
in west
Natural resources: crude oil, phosphates,
chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron
ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum
Land use: 28% arable land; 3% permanent
crops; 46% meadows and pastures; 3%
forest and woodland; 20% other; includes
3% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; overgrazing;
soil erosion; desertification
Note: there are 35 Jewish settlements in
the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
People
Population: 12,483,440 (July 1990),
growth rate 3.8% (1990); in addition, there
are 13,500 Druze and 10,500 Jewish set-
tlers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
Birth rate: 44 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 38 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Syrian(s); adjective —
Syrian
Ethnic divisions: 90.3% Arab; 9.7% Kurds,
Armenians, and other
Religion: 74% Sunni Muslim; 16% Ala-
wite, Druze, and other Muslim sects; 10%
Christian (various sects); tiny Jewish com-
munities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and
Aleppo
Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Ar-
menian, Aramaic, Circassian; French
widely understood
Literacy: 49%
Labor force: 2,400,000; 36% miscellaneous
and government services, 32% agriculture,
32% industry and construction); majority
unskilled; shortage of skilled labor (1984)
Organized labor: 5% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Syrian Arab Republic
Type: republic; under leftwing military
regime since March 1 963
Capital: Damascus
Administrative divisions: 14 provinces
(muhafa/at, singular — muhafazah); Al
Hasakah, Al LadhiqTyah, Al Qunaytirah.
Ar Raqqah, As Suwayd'a, Dar'a, Dayr az
Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims,
Idlib, MadTnat Dimashq, Tarsus
Independence: 1 7 April 1 946 (from League
of Nations mandate under French admin-
istration); formerly United Arab Republic
Constitution: 13 March 1973
Legal system: based on Islamic law and
civil law system; special religious courts;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion
National holiday: National Day, 17 April
(1946)
Executive branch: president, three vice
presidents, prime minister, three deputy
prime ministers, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's
Council (Majlis ash Sha'ab)
Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional
Court, High Judicial Council, Court of
Cassation, State Security Courts
Leaders: Chief of State — President Lt.
Gen. Hafiz al-ASSAD (since 22 February
302
1971); Vice Presidents 'Abd al-Halim
KHADDAM, Dr. Rif at al-ASSAD, and
Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA
(since 11 March 1984);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Mahmud ZU'BI (since 1 November 1987);
Deputy Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Mustafa
T ALAS (since 11 March 1984)
Political parties and leaders: ruling party
is the Arab Socialist Resurrectionist
(Ba'th) Party; the Progressive National
Front is dominated by Ba'thists but in-
cludes independents and members of the
Syrian Arab Socialist Party (ASP), Arab
Socialist Union (ASU), Socialist Unionist
Movement, and Syrian Communist Party
(SCP)
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President— last held 10-11 Feb-
ruary 1985 (next to be held February
1992); results — President Hafiz al- Assad
was reelected without opposition;
People 's Council — last held 10-11 Febru-
ary 1986 (next to be held 22 May 1990);
results— Ba'th 66%, ASU 5%, SCP 5%,
Socialist Unionist Movement 4%, ASP
2%, independents 18%; seats — (195 total)
Ba'th 129, Communist 9, ASU 9, Sociali-
ist Unionist Movement 8, ASP 5, indepen-
dents 35; the People's Council will have
250 seats total in the 22 May 1990 elec-
tion
Communists: mostly sympathizers, num-
bering about 5,000
Other political or pressure groups: non-
Ba'th parties have little effective political
influence; Communist party ineffective;
greatest threat to Assad regime lies in
factionalism in the military; conservative
religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood
Member of: Arab League, CCC, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB—
Islamic Development Bank, I FAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITU, IWC—
International Wheat Council, NAM, OA-
PEC, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Minister-Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad
interim Bushra KANAFANI; Chancery
at 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washing-
ton DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-6313;
US— Ambassador Edward P. DJERE-
JIAN; Embassy at Abu Rumaneh, Al
Mansur Street No.2, Damascus (mailing
address is P. O. Box 29, Damascus); tele-
phone [963] (1 1) 333052 or 332557,
330416, 332814, 332315
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and black with two small
green five-pointed stars in a horizontal
line centered in the white band; similar to
the flags of the YAR which has one star
and Iraq which has three stars (in a hori-
zontal 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: Syria's rigidly structured
Ba'thist economy is turning out roughly
the same amount of goods in 1989 as in
1983, when the population was 20%
smaller. Economic difficulties are attribut-
able, in part, to severe drought in several
recent years, costly but unsuccessful at-
tempts to match Israel's military strength,
a falloff in Arab aid, and insufficient for-
eign exchange earnings to buy needed in-
puts for industry and agriculture. Socialist
policy, embodied in a thicket of bureau-
cratic regulations, in many instances has
driven away or pushed underground the
mercantile and entrepreneurial spirit for
which Syrian businessmen have long been
famous. Two bright spots: a sizable num-
ber of villagers have benefited from land
redistribution, electrification, and other
rural development programs; and a recent
find of light crude oil has enabled Syria to
cut back its substantial imports of light
crude. A long-term concern is the addi-
tional drain of upstream Euphrates water
by Turkey when its vast dam and irriga-
tion projects are completed toward the
end of the 1990s.
GDP: $18.5 billion, per capita $1,540; real
growth rate -2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 70% (1989
est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $3.2
billion, including capital expenditures of
$1.92 billion (1989)
Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — petroleum, textiles, fruits
and vegetables, phosphates; partners —
Italy, Romania, USSR, US, Iran, France
Imports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — petroleum, machinery, base
metals, foodstuffs and beverages; part-
ners—Iran, FRG, USSR, France, GDR,
Libya, US
External debt: $5.3 billion in hard cur-
rency (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 2,867,000 kW capacity; 6,000
million kWh produced, 500 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, bever-
ages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, pe-
troleum
Agriculture: accounts for 27% of GDP and
one-third of labor force; all major crops
(wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas)
grown on rainfed land causing wide
swings in yields; animal products — beef,
lamb, eggs, poultry, milk; not
self-sufficient in grain or livestock prod-
ucts
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-81), $538 million; Western (non-
US) ODA and OOF bilateral commit-
ments (1970-87), $1.0 billion; OPEC bilat-
eral aid (1979-89), $12.3 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $3.3 bil-
lion
Currency: Syrian pound (plural — pounds);
1 Syrian pound (£S) = 100 piasters
Exchange rates: Syrian pounds (£S) per
US$1— 1 1.2250 (fixed rate since 1987),
3.9250 (fixed rate 1976-87)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 2,241 km total; 1,930 km stan-
dard gauge, 311 km 1.050-meter narrow
gauge; note — the Tartus-Latakia line is
nearly complete
Highways: 27,000 km total; 21,000 km
paved, 3,000 km gravel or crushed stone,
3,000 km improved earth
Inland waterways: 672 km; of little eco-
nomic importance
Pipelines: 1,304 km crude oil; 515 km re-
fined products
Ports: Tartus, Latakia, Baniyas
Merchant marine: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 53,938 GRT/72,220 DWT;
includes 16 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo,
1 bulk
Civil air: 35 major transport aircraft
Airports: 97 total, 94 usable; 24 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 21 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system currently
undergoing significant improvement;
512,600 telephones; stations — 9 AM, 1
FM, 40 TV; satellite earth stations — 1
Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station,
with 1 Intersputnik station under
construction; 1 submarine cable; coaxial
cable and radio relay to Iraq, Jordan,
Turkey, and Lebanon (inactive)
Defense Forces
Branches: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian
Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49,
2,712,360; 1,520,798 fit for military ser-
vice; 144,791 reach military age (19) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: NA
303
Tanzania
See regional map VM
Geography
Total area: 945,090 km2; land area:
886,040 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
twice the size of California
Land boundaries: 3,402 km total; Burundi
451 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km,
Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km,
Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
Coastline: 1,424 km
Maritime claim:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: boundary dispute with Malawi
in Lake Nyasa; Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia
tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no
longer be indefinite since it is reported
that the indefinite section of the Zaire-
Zambia boundary has been settled
Climate: varies from tropical along coast
to temperate in highlands
Terrain: plains along coast; central pla-
teau; highlands in north, south
Natural resources: hydropower potential,
tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds,
gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
Land use: 5% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 40% meadows and pastures; 47%
forest and woodland; 7% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: lack of water and tsetse fly
limit agriculture; recent droughts affected
marginal agriculture; Kilimanjaro is high-
est point in Africa
People
Population: 25,970,843 (July 1990),
growth rate 3.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 50 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 16 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 107 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male,
54 years female (1 990)
Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Tanzanian(s); adjec-
tive— Tanzanian
Ethnic divisions: mainland — 99% native
African consisting of well over 100 tribes;
1% Asian, European, and Arab
Religion: mainland — 33% Christian, 33%
Muslim, 33% indigenous beliefs; Zanzi-
bar— almost all Muslim
Language: Swahili and English (official);
English primary language of commerce,
administration, and higher education;
Swahili widely understood and generally
used for communication between ethnic
groups; first language of most people is
one of the local languages; primary educa-
tion is generally in Swahili
Literacy: 79%
Labor force: 732,200 wage earners; 90%
agriculture, 10% industry and commerce
(1986est.)
Organized labor: 15% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: United Republic of Tan-
zania
Type: republic
Capital: Dar es Salaam; some government
offices have been transferred to Dodoma,
which is planned as the new national capi-
tal in the 1990s
Administrative divisions: 25 regions;
Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa,
Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Mara,
Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza,
Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani,
Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida,
Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South,
Zanzibar North, Zanzibar Urban/West,
Ziwa Magharibi
Independence: Tanganyika became inde-
pendent 9 December 1961 (from UN
trusteeship under British administration);
Zanzibar became independent 19 Decem-
ber 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united
with Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the
United Republic of Tanganyika and Zan-
zibar; renamed United Republic of Tanza-
nia 29 October 1964
Constitution: 15 March 1984 (Zanzibar
has its own Constitution but remains sub-
ject to provisions of the union Constitu-
tion)
Legal system: based on English common
law; judicial review of legislative acts lim-
ited to matters of interpretation; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Union Day, 26 April
(1964)
Executive branch: president, first vice pres-
ident and prime minister of the union, sec-
ond vice president and president of Zanzi-
bar, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Bunge)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High
Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Ali
Hassan MWINYI (since 5 November
1985);
Head of Government — First Vice Presi-
dent and Prime Minister Joseph Sinde
WARIOBA (since 6 November 1985)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM or Revolu-
tionary Party), Julius Nyerere, party
chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 27 October
1985 (next to be held October 1990); re-
sults— Ali Hassan Mwinyi was elected
without opposition;
National Assembly — last held 27 October
1985 (next to be held October 1990); re-
sults— CCM is the only party; seats — (244
total, 168 elected) CCM 168
Communists: no Communist party; a few
Communist sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Common-
wealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, 1FAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU,
SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-
designate Charles Musama NYIRABU;
Chancery at 2139 R Street NW, Wash-
ington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-
6125; US— Ambassador Edmond DE
JARNETTE; Embassy at 36 Laibon
Road (off Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Sa-
laam (mailing address is P. O. Box 9123,
Dar es Salaam); telephone [255] (51)
37501 through 37504
Flag: divided diagonally by a yellow-edged
black band from the lower hoist-side cor-
ner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green
and the lower triangle is blue
Economy
Overview: Tanzania is one of the poorest
countries in the world. The economy is
heavily dependent on agriculture, which
accounts for about 40% of GDP, provides
85% of exports, and employs 90% of the
work force. Industry accounts for about
10% of GDP and is mainly limited to pro-
cessing agricultural products and light
consumer goods. The economic recovery
program announced in mid- 1986 has gen-
erated notable increases in agricultural
production and financial support for the
program by bilateral donors. The World
304
Thailand
Bank and the International Monetary
Fund have increased the availability of
imports and provided funds to rehabilitate
Tanzania's deteriorated economic infra-
structure.
GDP: $5.92 billion, per capita $235; real
growth rate 4.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 29%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: NY,
Budget: revenues $568 million; expendi-
tures $835 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $230 million (FY89)
Exports: $394 million (f.o.b., FY89); com-
modities— coffee, cotton, sisal, cashew
nuts, meat, tobacco, tea, diamonds, coco-
nut products, pyrethrum, cloves
(Zanzibar); partners— FRG, UK, US,
Netherlands, Japan
Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f., FY89); com-
modities— manufactured goods, machin-
ery and transportation equipment, cotton
piece goods, crude oil, foodstuffs; part-
ners—FRG, UK, US, Iran, Japan, Italy
External debt: $4.5 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 6%
(1988 est.)
Electricity: 401,000 kW capacity; 895 mil-
lion kWh produced, 35 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: primarily agricultural process-
ing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine),
diamond mine, oil refinery, shoes, cement,
textiles, wood products, fertilizer
Agriculture: accounts for over 40% of
GDP; topography and climatic conditions
limit cultivated crops to only 5% of land
area; cash crops — coffee, sisal, tea, cotton,
pyrethrum (insecticide made from chry-
santhemums), cashews, tobacco, cloves
(Zanzibar); food crops — corn, wheat, cas-
sava, bananas, fruits, and vegetables;
small numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats;
not self-sufficient in food grain production
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $387 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $8.5 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $44 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $607 mil-
lion
Currency: Tanzanian shilling (plural —
shillings); 1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) =
100 cents
Exchange rates: Tanzanian shillings (TSh)
per US$1— 192.901 (January 1990),
143.377 (1989), 99.292 (1988), 64.260
(1987), 32.698 (1986), 17.472 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 3,555 km total; 960 km 1.067-
meter gauge; 2,595 km 1 .000-meter
gauge, 6.4 km double track, 962 km Ta-
zara Railroad 1.067-meter gauge; 1 15 km
1 .000-meter gauge planned by end of de-
cade
Highways: total 81,900 km, 3,600 km
paved; 5,600 km gravel or crushed stone;
remainder improved and unimproved
earth
Pipelines: 982 km crude oil
Inland waterways: Lake Tanganyika, Lake
Victoria, Lake Nyasa
Ports: Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Tanga,
and Zanzibar are ocean ports; Mwanza on
Lake Victoria and Kigoma on Lake
Tanganyika are inland ports
Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 29,174 GRT/39,186 DWT;
includes 2 passenger-cargo, 3 cargo, 1
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils,
and lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
Airports: 103 total, 92 usable; 13 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of open
wire, radio relay, and troposcatter;
103,800 telephones; stations— 12 AM, 4
FM, 2 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Tanzanian People's Defense
Force includes Army, Navy, and Air
Force; paramilitary Police Field Force
Unit; Militia
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
5,351,192; 3,087,501 fit for military ser-
vice
Defense expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (1985)
400 km
Andaman
S" I 'SuratThani
Phuket V?
Srr regional map IX
Geography
Total area: 514,000 km2; land area:
511,770km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of Wyoming
Land boundaries: 4,863 km total; Burma
1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754
km, Malaysia 506 km
Coastline: 3,219 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: boundary dispute with Laos
Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy
southwest monsoon (mid-May to Septem-
ber); dry, cool northeast monsoon (No-
vember to mid-March); southern isthmus
always hot and humid
Terrain: central plain; eastern plateau
(Khorat); mountains elsewhere
Natural resources: tin, rubber, natural gas,
tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gyp-
sum, lignite, fluorite
Land use: 34% arable land; 4% permanent
crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 30%
forest and woodland; 31% other; includes
7% irrigated
Environment: air and water pollution; land
subsidence in Bangkok area
Note: controls only land route from Asia
to Malaysia and Singapore
People
Population: 55,1 15,683 (July 1990),
growth rate 1.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 34 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
305
Thailand (continued)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male,
70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Thai (sing, and pi.);
adjective — Thai
Ethnic divisions: 75% Thai, 14% Chinese,
11% other
Religion: 95.5% Buddhist, 4% Muslim,
0.5% other
Language: Thai; English is the secondary
language of the elite; ethnic and regional
dialects
Literacy: 82%
Labor force: 26,000,000; 73% agriculture,
1 1% industry and commerce, 10% ser-
vices, 6% government (1984)
Organized labor: 300,000 union members
(1986)
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Thailand
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Bangkok
Administrative divisions: 73 provinces
(changwat, singular and plural); Ang
Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai
Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang
Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon,
Kalasin. Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi,
Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Maha-
nakhon, Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop
Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham,
Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Fathom, Nakhon
Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon
Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Na-
rathiwat, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pa-
thum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phattha-
lung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi,
Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si
Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri,
Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratcha-
buri, Rayong, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Sa-
mut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut
Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri,
Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan
Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang,
Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani,
Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon
Independence: 1 238 (traditional founding
date); never colonized
Constitution: 22 December 1978
Legal system: based on civil law system,
with influences of common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty
the King, 5 December (1927)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minis-
ter, three deputy prime ministers, Council
of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Assembly (Ratha Satha) consists of an
upper house or Senate (Woothi Satha) and
a lower house or House of Representatives
(Satha Poothan)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sam
Dika)
Leaders: Chief of State— King BHUMI-
BOL ADULYADEJ (since 9 June 1946);
Heir Apparent Crown Prince VAJIRA-
LONGKORN (born 28 July 1952);
Head of Government Prime Minister Maj.
Gen. CHATCHAI CHUNHAWAN
(since 9 August 1988); Deputy Prime Min-
ister CHUAN LIKPHAI
Political parties and leaders: Democrat
Party (DP), Social Action Party (SAP),
Thai Nation Party (TNP), People's Party
(Ratsadon), People's Party (Prachachon),
Thai Citizens Party (TCP), United De-
mocracy Party, Solidarity Party, Thai
People's Party, Mass Party, Force of
Truth Party (Phalang Dharma)
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: House of Representatives — last
held 24 July 1988 (next to be held within
90 days of July 1992); results— TNP 27%,
SAP 15%, DP 13%, TCP 9%, others 36%;
seats— (357 total) TNP 96, Solidarity 62,
SAP 54, DP 48, TCP 31, People's Party
(Ratsadon) 21, People's Party (Pracha-
chon) 17, Force of Truth Party (Phalang
Dharma) 14, United Democracy Party 5,
Mass Party 5, others 4
Communists: illegal Communist party has
500 to 1 ,000 members (est.); armed Com-
munist insurgents throughout Thailand
total 300 to 500 (est.)
Member of: ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN,
ASPAC, Association of Tin Producing
Countries, CCC, Colombo Plan, GATT,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INRO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
VITTHYA VEJJAJIVA; Embassy at
2300 Kalorama Road NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-7200;
there are Thai Consulates General in Chi-
cago, Los Angeles, and New York; US —
Ambassador Daniel O'DONAHUE; Em-
bassy at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok
(mailing address is APO San Francisco
96346); telephone [66] (2) 252-5040; there
is a US Consulate General in Chiang Mai
and Consulates in Songkhla and Udorn
Flag: five horizontal bands of red (top),
white, blue (double width), white, and red
Economy
Overview: Thailand, one of the more ad-
vanced developing countries in Asia, en-
joyed its second straight exceptionally
prosperous year in 1989. Real output
again rose about 1 1%. The increasingly
sophisticated manufacturing sector bene-
fited from export-oriented investment, and
agriculture grew by 4.0% because of im-
proved weather. The trade deficit of $5.2
billion was more than offset by earnings
from tourism ($3.9 billion), remittances,
and net capital inflows. The government
has followed a fairly sound fiscal and
monetary policy, aided by increased tax
receipts from the fast-moving economy. In
1 989 the government approved new
projects — roads, ports, electric power,
communications — needed to refurbish the
now overtaxed infrastructure. Although
growth in 1990-91 must necessarily fall
below the 1988-89 pace, Thailand's imme-
diate economic outlook is good, assuming
the continuation of prudent government
policies in the context of a private-sector-
oriented development strategy.
GNP: $64.5 billion, per capita $1,160; real
growth rate 10.8% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 6% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $12.1 billion; expendi-
tures $9.7 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of NA (FY89)
Exports: $19.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— textiles 12%, fishery products
12%, rice 8%, tapioca 8%, jewelry 6%,
manufactured gas, corn, tin; partners —
US 18%, Japan 14%, Singapore 9%,
Netherlands, Malaysia, Hong Kong,
China (1988)
Imports: $25.1 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— machinery and parts 23%, pe-
troleum products 13%, chemicals 11%,
iron and steel, electrical appliances; part-
ners— Japan 26%, US 14%, Singapore
7%, FRG, Malaysia, UK (1987)
External debt: $18.5 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 12.5%
(1989)
Electricity: 7,100,000 kW capacity;
28,000 million kWh produced, 500 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism is the largest source of
foreign exchange; textiles and garments,
agricultural processing, beverages,
tobacco, cement, other light manufactur-
ing, such as jewelry; electric appliances
and components, integrated circuits, furni-
ture, plastics; world's second-largest tung-
sten producer and third-largest tin pro-
ducer
Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GNP
and 73% of labor force; leading producer
and exporter of rice and cassava (tapioca);
other crops — rubber, corn, sugarcane, co-
conuts, soybeans; except for wheat, self-
sufficient in food; fish catch of 2.2 million
tons (1 987)
Illicit drugs: a minor producer, major il-
licit trafficker of heroin, particularly from
Burma and Laos, and cannabis for the
international drug market; eradication
efforts have reduced the area of cannabis
306
Togo
cultivation and shifted some production to
neighboring countries; opium poppy culti-
vation has been affected by eradication
efforts, but unusually good weather
boosted output in 1989
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $828 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $7.0 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million
Currency: baht (plural — baht); 1 baht (B)
= 100 satang
Exchange rates: baht (B) per US$1—
25.726 (January 1990), 25.699 (1989),
25.294 (1988), 25.723 (1987), 26.299
(1986), 27.159(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 October- 30 September
Communications
Railroads: 3,940 km 1 .000-meter gauge,
99 km double track
Highways: 44,534 km total; 28,016 km
paved, 5,132 km earth surface, 1 1,386 km
under development
Inland waterways: 3,999 km principal wa-
terways; 3,701 km with navigable depths
of 0.9 m or more throughout the year;
numerous minor waterways navigable by
shallow-draft native craft
Pipelines: natural gas, 350 km; refined
products, 67 km
Ports: Bangkok, Pattani, Phuket, Satta-
hip, Si Racha
Merchant marine: 122 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 483,688 GRT/730,750
DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 70
cargo, 8 container, 27 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 liquefied gas, 1
chemical tanker, 3 bulk, 1 refrigerated
cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 1 combination
bulk
Civil air: 41 (plus 2 leased) major trans-
port aircraft
Airports: 127 total, 103 usable; 56 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 26 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: service to general
public adequate; bulk of service to govern-
ment activities provided by multichannel
cable and radio relay network; 739,500
telephones (1987); stations — over 200 AM,
100 FM, and 1 1 TV in government-con-
trolled networks; satellite earth stations —
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific
Ocean INTELSAT; domestic satellite sys-
tem being developed
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai
Navy (includes Royal Thai Marine Corps),
Royal Thai Air Force; paramilitary forces
include Border Patrol Police, Thahan Ph-
ran (irregular soldiers), Village Defense
Forces
Military manpower: males 15-49,
15,617,486; 9,543,119 fit for military ser-
vice; 610,410 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 2.9% of GNP, or
$1.9 billion (1989 est.)
Sfr regional map VII
Kpalime
J.OMEJ
Bight of Benin
Geography
Total area: 56,790 km2; land area: 54,390
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
West Virginia
Land boundaries: 1,647 km total; Benin
644 km, Burkina 126 km, Ghana 877 km
Coastline: 56 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 30 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; se-
miarid in north
Terrain: gently rolling savanna in north;
central hills; southern plateau; low coastal
plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Natural resources: phosphates, limestone,
marble
Land use: 25% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 28%
forest and woodland; 42% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry harmattan wind can
reduce visibility in north during winter;
recent droughts affecting agriculture; de-
forestation
People
Population: 3,674,355 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 50 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 112 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male,
57 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Togolese (sing, and
pi.); adjective — Togolese
307
Togo (continued)
Ethnic divisions: 37 tribes; largest and
most important are Ewe, Mina, and
Kabye; under 1% European and Syrian-
Lebanese
Religion: about 70% indigenous beliefs,
20% Christian, 10% Muslim
Language: French, both official and lan-
guage of commerce; major African lan-
guages are Ewe and Mina in the south
and Dagomba and Kabye in the north
Literacy: 40.7%
Labor force: NA; 78% agriculture, 22%
industry; about 88,600 wage earners,
evenly divided between public and private
sectors; 50% of population of working age
(1985)
Organized labor: one national union, the
National Federation of Togolese Workers
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Togo
Type: republic; one-party presidential re-
gime
Capital: Lome
Administrative divisions: 21 circumscrip-
tions (circonscriptions, singular — circon-
scription); Amlame (Amou), Aneho (Lacs),
Atakpame (Ogou), Badou (Wawa), Bafilo
(Assoli), Bassar (Bassari), Dapaong (Tone),
Kante (Reran), Klouto (Kioto), Kpagouda
(Binah), Lama-Kara (Kozah), Lome
(Golfe), Mango (Oti), Niamtougou (Dou-
felgou), Notse (Haho), Sotouboua,
Tabligbo (Yoto), Tchamba, Tchaoudjo,
Tsevie (Zio), Vogan (Vo); note — the 21
units may now be called prefectures (pre-
fectures, singular — prefecture) and
reported name changes for individual
units are included in parenthesis
Independence: 27 April 1960 (from UN
trusteeship under French administration,
formerly French Togo)
Constitution: 30 December 1979, effective
13 January 1980
Legal system: French-based court system
National holiday: Liberation Day (anniver-
sary of coup), 13 January (1967)
Executive branch: president. Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Assembles Nationale)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour
d'Appel), Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment — President Gen. Gnassingbe
EYADEMA (since 14 April 1967)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Rally of the Togolese People (RPT), Presi-
dent Eyadema
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: President — last held 21 Decem-
ber 1986 (next to be held December
1993); results — Gen. Eyadema was re-
elected without opposition;
National Assembly— last held 4 March
1990 (next to be held March 1995); re-
sults— RPT is the only party; seats — (77
total) RPT 77
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEAO
(observer), EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, EN-
TENTE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Ellom-Kodjo SCHUPPIUS; Chancery at
2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Wash-
ington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-
4212 or 4213; US— Ambassador Rush W.
TAYLOR, Jr.; Embassy at Rue Pelletier
Caventou and Rue Vauban, Lome
(mailing address is B. P. 852, Lome); tele-
phone [228] 21-29-91 through 94 and 21-
36-09
Flag: five equal horizontal bands of green
(top and bottom) alternating with yellow;
there is a white five-pointed star on a red
square in the upper hoist-side corner; uses
the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Overview: Togo is one of the least devel-
oped countries in the world with a per
capita GDP of about $400. The economy
is heavily dependent on subsistence agri-
culture, which accounts for about 35% of
GDP and provides employment for 80% of
the labor force. Primary agricultural ex-
ports are cocoa, coffee, and cotton, which
together account for about 30% of total
export earnings. Togo is self-sufficient in
basic foodstuffs when harvests are normal.
In the industrial sector phosphate mining
is by far the most important activity, with
phosphate exports accounting for about
40% of total foreign exchange earnings.
GDP: $1.35 billion, per capita $405; real
growth rate 4.1% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5%
(1987 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.0% (1987)
Budget: revenues $354 million; expendi-
tures $399 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $102 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $344 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— phosphates, cocoa, coffee, cot-
ton, manufactures, palm kernels; part-
ners—EC 70%, Africa 9%, US 2%, other
19% (1985)
Imports: $369 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— food, fuels, durable consumer
goods, other intermediate goods, capital
goods; partners— EC 69%, Africa 10%,
Japan 7%, US 4%, other 10% (1985)
External debt: $1.3 billion (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.9%
(1987 est.)
Electricity: 1 17,000 kW capacity; 155 mil-
lion kWh produced, 45 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: phosphate mining, agricultural
processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles,
beverages
Agriculture: cash crops — coffee, cocoa,
cotton; food crops — yams, cassava, corn,
beans, rice, millet, sorghum, fish
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $121 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $1.6 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $46 mil-
lion
Currency: Communaute Financiere Afri-
caine 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 yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 515 km 1.000-meter gauge,
single track
Highways: 6,462 km total; 1 ,762 km
paved; 4,700 km unimproved roads
Inland waterways: none
Ports: Lome, Kpeme (phosphate port)
Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 41,809 GRT/72,289 DWT;
includes 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 multi-
function large-load carrier
Civil air 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 9 total, 9 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m none with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system based on
network of open-wire lines supplemented
by radio relay routes; 12,000 telephones;
stations— 2 AM, no FM, 3 (2 relays) TV;
satellite earth stations — 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, para-
military Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 767,949;
403,546 fit for military service; no con-
scription
Defense expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (1987)
308
Tokelau
{territory of New Zealand)
South Pacific Ocean
Sff regional m«p X
Geography
Total area: 10 km2; land area: 10 km2
Comparative area: about 1 7 times the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 101 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade
winds (April to November)
Terrain: coral atolls enclosing large la-
goons
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: lies in Pacific typhoon belt
Note: located 3,750 km southwest of Ho-
nolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about
halfway between Hawaii and New Zea-
land
People
Population: 1,700 (July 1990), growth rate
0.0% (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: N A deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male,
NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Tokelauan(s); adjec-
tive— Tokelauan
Ethnic divisions: all Polynesian, with cul-
tural ties to Western Samoa
Religion: 70% Congregational Christian
Church, 30% Roman Catholic; on Atafu,
all Congregational Christian Church of
Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catho-
lic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with
the Congregational Christian Church pre-
dominant
Language: Tokelauan (a Polynesian lan-
guage) and English
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: territory of New Zealand
Capital: none, each atoll has its own ad-
ministrative center
Administrative divisions: none (territory of
New Zealand)
Independence: none (territory of New Zea-
land)
Constitution: administered under the To-
kelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in
1970
Legal system: British and local statutes
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of
Waitangi established British sovereignty
over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
Executive branch: administrator (appointed
by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in New
Zealand), official secretary
Legislative branch: Council of Elders
(Taupulega) on each atoll
Judicial branch: High Court in Niue, Su-
preme Court in New Zealand
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government — Administrator Neil
WALTER; Official Secretary M. NORR-
ISH, Office of Tokelau Affairs
Suffrage: NA
Elections: NA
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (territory
of New Zealand)
Flag: the flag of New Zealand is used
Economy
Overview: Tokelau's small size, isolation,
and lack of resources greatly restrain eco-
nomic development and confine agricul-
ture to the subsistence level. The people
must rely on aid from New Zealand to
maintain public services, annual aid being
substantially greater than GDP. The prin-
cipal sources of revenue come from sales
of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins,
and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to
families from relatives in New Zealand.
GDP: $1.4 million, per capita $800; real
growth rate NA% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): N A%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $430,830; expenditures
$2.8 million, including capital expendi-
tures of $37,300 (FY87)
Exports: $98,000 (f.o.b., 1983); commodi-
ties— stamps, copra, handicrafts; part-
ners— NZ
Imports: $323,400 (c.i.f., 1983); commodi-
ties— foodstuffs, building materials, fuel;
partners — NZ
External debt: none
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 200 kW capacity; 0.30 million
kWh produced, 175 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: small-scale enterprises for co-
pra production, wood work, plaited craft
goods; stamps, coins; fishing
Agriculture: coconuts, copra; basic subsis-
tence crops — breadfruit, papaya, bananas;
pigs, poultry, goats
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $21 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) =
100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars
(NZ$)per US$1— 1.6581 (January 1990),
1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886
(1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: none; lagoon landings by am-
phibious aircraft from Western Samoa
Telecommunications: telephone service be-
tween islands and to Western Samoa
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of New
Zealand
309
Tonga
200km
South
Pacific
Ocean
Jalahi
Niuatopulapu
Vova'u ._
Group
Ha'apai
Group
Tongatapu
Group
Stt refiontl map X
Minerva Reef not shown
Geography
Total area: 748 km2; land area: 718 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than four
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 419 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: no specific limits
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by trade winds;
warm season (December to May), cool
season (May to December)
Terrain: most islands have limestone base
formed from uplifted coral formation; oth-
ers have limestone overlying volcanic base
Natural resources: fish, fertile soil
Land use: 25% arable land; 55% perma-
nent crops; 6% meadows and pastures;
1 2% forest and woodland; 2% other
Environment: archipelago of 170 islands
(36 inhabited); subject to cyclones (Oc-
tober to April); deforestation
Note: located about 2,250 km north-
northwest of New Zealand, about two-
thirds of the way between Hawaii and
New Zealand
People
Population: 101,313 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 27 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 1 1 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male,
70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Tongan(s); adjective —
Tongan
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian; about 300
Europeans
Religion: Christian; Free Wesleyan
Church claims over 30,000 adherents
Language: Tongan, English
Literacy: 90-95%; compulsory education
for children ages 6 to 14
Labor force: NA; 70% agriculture; 600
engaged in mining
Organized labor none
Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Tonga
Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Nukualofa
Administrative divisions: three island
groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u
Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK; for-
merly Friendly Islands)
Constitution: 4 November 1875, revised 1
January 1967
Legal system: based on English law
National holiday: Emancipation Day, 4
June (1970)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minis-
ter, deputy prime minister, Council of
Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — King Taufa'ahau
TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Prince Fatafehi TU'IPELEHAKE (since
16 December 1965)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: all literate, tax-paying males and
all literate females over 21
Elections: Legislative Assembly — last held
14-15 February 1990 (next to be held NA
February 1993); results — percent of vote
NA; seats— (29 total, 9 elected) 6 prore-
form, 3 traditionalist
Communists: none known
Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth,
FAO, ESCAP, GATT (de facto), IFAD,
ITU, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Siosaia Ma'Ulupekotofa TUITA resides in
London; US — the US has no offices in
Tonga; the Ambassador to Fiji is accred-
ited to Tonga and makes periodic visits
Flag: red with a bold red cross on a white
rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
Economy
Overview: The economy's base is agricul-
ture, which employs about 70% of the la-
bor force and contributes 50% to GDP.
Coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are
the main crops and make up two-thirds of
exports. The country must import a high
proportion of its food, mainly from New
Zealand. The manufacturing sector ac-
counts for only 10% of GDP. Tourism is
the primary source of hard currency earn-
ings, but the island remains dependent on
sizable external aid and remittances to
sustain its trade deficit.
GDP: $86 million, per capita $850; real
growth rate 3.6% (FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2%
(FY87)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $54.8 million; expendi-
tures $56.2 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $16.9 million (FY88 est.)
Exports: $9.1 million (f.o.b., FY88 est.);
commodities — coconut oil, desiccated co-
conut, copra, bananas, taro, vanilla beans,
fruits, vegetables, fish; partners — NZ
54%, Australia 30%, US 8%, Fiji 5%
(FY87)
Imports: $60.1 million (c.i.f., FY88 est.);
commodities — food products, beverages
and tobacco, fuels, machinery and trans-
port equipment, chemicals, building mate-
rials; partners — NZ 39%, Australia 25%,
Japan 9%, US 6%, EC 5% (FY87)
External debt: $31.8 million (1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 1 5%
(FY86)
Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 8 million
kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, fishing
Agriculture: dominated by coconut, copra,
and banana production; vanilla beans, co-
coa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $15 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $220 million
Currency: pa'anga (plural — pa'anga); 1
pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1 —
1.23 (FY89 est.), 1.37 (FY88), 1.51
(FY87), 1.43 (FY86), 1.30(FY85)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
310
Trinidad and Tobago
Communications
Highways: 198 km sealed road ( Tonga -
tapu); 74 km (Vava'u); 94 km unsealed
roads usable only in dry weather
Ports: Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai
Merchant marine: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 37,249 GRT/50,116 DWT;
includes 2 cargo, 1 roll-on /roll-off cargo,
2 container, 1 liquefied gas
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439
m
Telecommunications: 3,529 telephones;
66,000 radio receivers; no TV sets; sta-
tions— 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Land Force, Maritime Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
50km
Caribbean Sea
Scarborough
PORTOF SPAIN
Gulf of Paris
Srf regional map III
Guayaguayare
Geography
Total area: 5,130 km2; land area: 5,130
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Delaware
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 362 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary with Vene-
zuela in the Gulf of Paria
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to
December)
Terrain: mostly plains with some hills and
low mountains
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas,
asphalt
Land use: 14% arable land; 17% perma-
nent crops; 2% meadows and pastures;
44% forest and woodland; 23% other; in-
cludes 4% irrigated
Environment: outside usual path of hurri-
canes and other tropical storms
Note: located 1 1 km from Venezuela
People
Population: 1,344,639 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male,
74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Trinidadian(s), Toba-
gonian(s); adjective — Trinidadian, Tobago-
nian
Ethnic divisions: 43% black, 40% East In-
dian, 14% mixed, 1% white, 1% Chinese,
1% other
Religion: 36.2% Roman Catholic, 23.0%
Hindu, 13.1% Protestant, 6.0% Muslim,
21.7% unknown
Language: English (official), Hindi,
French, Spanish
Literacy: 98%
Labor force: 463,900; 18.1% construction
and utilities; 14.8% manufacturing, min-
ing, and quarrying; 10.9% agriculture;
56.2% other (1 985 est.)
Organized labor: 22% of labor force (1988)
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Trinidad
and Tobago
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port-of-Spain
Administrative divisions: 8 counties, 3
municipalities*, and 1 ward**; Arima*,
Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva, Port-of-Spain*,
Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George,
Saint Patrick, San Fernando*, Tobago**,
Victoria
Independence: 31 August 1962 (from UK)
Constitution: 31 August 1976
Legal system: based on English common
law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 31
August (1962)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal,
Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Noor
Mohammed HASSAN ALI (since 18
March 1987);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON
(since 18 December 1986)
Political parties and leaders: National Al-
liance for Reconstruction (NAR), A. N.
R. Robinson; People's National Movement
(PNM), Patrick Manning; United Na-
tional Congress, Basdeo Panday; Move-
ment for Social Transformation
(MOTION), David Abdullah
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives — last
held 15 December 1986 (next to be held
by December 1991); results— NAR 66%,
PNM 32%, others 2%; seats— (36 total)
NAR 33, PNM 3
311
Trinidad and Tobago (continued)
Communists: Communist Party of Trini-
dad and Tobago; Trinidad and Tobago
Peace Council, James Millette
Other political pressure groups: National
Joint Action Committee (NJAC), radical
antigovernment black-identity organiza-
tion; Trinidad and Tobago Peace Council,
leftist organization affiliated with the
World Peace Council; Trinidad and To-
bago Chamber of Industry and
Commerce; Trinidad and Tobago Labor
Congress, moderate labor federation;
Council of Progressive Trade Unions, rad-
ical labor federation
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, CCC,
Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—
Inter- American Development Bank, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, IWC— Interna-
tional Wheat Council, NAM, OAS,
PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Angus Albert KHAN; Chancery at 1708
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20036; telephone (202) 467-6490; Tri-
nidad and Tobago has a Consulate Gen-
eral in New York; US — Ambassador
Charles A. GARGANO; Embassy at 15
Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
(mailing address is P. O. Box 752, Port-of-
Spain); telephone [809] 622-6372 or 6376,
6176
Flag: red with a white-edged black diago-
nal band from the upper hoist side
Economy
Overview: Trinidad and Tobago's
petroleum-based economy has been in de-
cline since 1982. During the first half of
the 1980s, the petroleum sector accounted
for nearly 80% of export earnings, 40% of
government revenues, and almost 25% of
GDP. In recent years, however, the econ-
omy has suffered because of the sharp fall
in the price of oil. The government, in re-
sponse to the revenue loss, pursued a se-
ries of austerity measures that pushed the
unemployment rate to 22% in 1988. Agri-
culture employs only about 1 1% of the
labor force and produces less than 3% of
GDP. Since this sector is small, it has
been unable to absorb the large numbers
of the unemployed. The government cur-
rently seeks to diversify its export base.
GDP: $3.75 billion, per capita $3,070; real
growth rate -2.0% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.0%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 22% (1988)
Budget: revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures
$2.1 billion, including capital expenditures
of $430 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1987); com-
modities— includes reexports — petroleum
and petroleum products 70%, fertilizer,
chemicals 1 5%, steel products, sugar, co-
coa, coffee, citrus (1987); partners — US
61%, EC 15%, CARICOM 9%, Latin
America 7%, Canada 3% (1986)
Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1987); com-
modities— raw materials 41%, capital
goods 30%, consumer goods 29% (1986);
partners— US 42%, EC 21%, Japan 10%,
Canada 6%, Latin America 6%, CARI-
COM 4% (1986)
External debt: $2.02 billion (December
1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.2%,
excluding oil refining (1986)
Electricity: 1,176,000 kW capacity; 3,350
million kWh produced, 2,700 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, chemicals, tourism,
food processing, cement, beverage, cotton
textiles
Agriculture: accounts for about 3% of
GDP and 4% of labor force; highly subsi-
dized sector; major crops — cocoa and sug-
arcane; sugarcane acreage is being shifted
into rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; must
import large share of food needs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-85), $370 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $437 million
Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar
(plural— dollars); 1 Trinidad and Tobago
dollar (TT$)= 100 cents
Exchange rates: Trinidad and Tobago dol-
lars (TT$) per US$1— 4.2500 (January
1990), 4.2500 (1989), 3.8438 (1988),
3.6000 (1987), 3.6000 (1986), 2.4500
(1985)
Fiscal yean calendar year
Communications
Railroads: minimal agricultural system
near San Fernando
Highways: 8,000 km total; 4,000 km
paved, 1,000 km improved earth, 3,000
km unimproved earth
Pipelines: 1,032 km crude oil; 19 km re-
fined products; 904 km natural gas
Ports: Port-of-Spain, Point Lisas, Pointe-
a-Pierre
Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 5 usable; 3 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent interna-
tional service via tropospheric scatter links
to Barbados and Guyana; good local ser-
vice; 109,000 telephones; stations — 2 AM,
4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Trinidad and Tobago Defense
Force, Trinidad and Tobago Police Ser-
vice
Military manpower: males 1 5-49, 343,292;
248,674 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.6% of GDP, or
$59 million (1989 est.)
312
Tromelin Island
(French possession)
Tunisia
Communications
Airports: 1 with runway less than 1,220 m
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications: important meteoro-
logical station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
200km
Srr regional map VII
Srr rrgional map VII
Geography
Total area: 1 km2; land area: I km2
Comparative area: about 1 .7 times the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 3.7 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claimed by Madagascar, Mauri-
tius, and Seychelles
Climate: tropical
Terrain: sandy
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other — scattered
bushes
Environment: wildlife sanctuary
Note: located 350 km east of Madagascar
and 600 km north of Reunion in the In-
dian Ocean; climatologically important
location for forecasting cyclones
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
Geography
Total area: 163,610 km2; land area:
155,360km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Georgia
Land boundaries: 1,424 km total; Algeria
965 km, Libya 459 km
Coastline: 1,148 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with
Libya
Climate: temperate in north with mild,
rainy winters and hot, dry summers;
desert in south
Terrain: mountains in north; hot, dry cen-
tral plain; semiarid south merges into the
Sahara
Natural resources: crude oil, phosphates,
iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use: 20% arable land; 10% perma-
nent crops; 19% meadows and pastures;
4% forest and woodland; 47% other; in-
cludes 1% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; overgrazing;
soil erosion; desertification
Note: strategic location in central Medi-
terranean; only 144 km from Italy across
the Strait of Sicily; borders Libya on east
People
Population: 8,095,492 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male,
70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/
woman (1990)
313
Tunisia (continued)
Nationality: noun — Tunisian(s);
adjective — Tunisian
Ethnic divisions: 98% Arab, 1% European,
less than 1% Jewish
Religion: 98% Muslim, 1% Christian, less
than 1% Jewish
Language: Arabic (official); Arabic and
French (commerce)
Literacy: 62% (est.)
Labor force: 2,250,000; 32% agriculture;
shortage of skilled labor
Organized labor: about 360,000 members
claimed, roughly 20% of labor force; Gen-
eral Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT),
quasi-independent of Constitutional Dem-
ocratic Party
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Tunisia;
note — may be changed to Tunisian Re-
public
Type: republic
Capital: Tunis
Administrative divisions: 23 governorates
(wilSyat, singular — wilSyah); Al Kaf, Al
Mahdlyah, Al MunastTr, Al Qasrayn, Al
Qayrawan, ArySnah, Bajah, Banzart, Bin
'ArQs, Jundubah, Madanln, Nabul, Qabis,
Qafsah, QibilT, Safaqis, SidT Bu Zayd,
Silyanah, Susah, Tajawln, Tawzar, Tflnis,
Zaghwan
Independence: 20 March 1 956 (from
France)
Constitution: 1 June 1959
Legal system: based on French civil law
system and Islamic law; some judicial re-
view of legislative acts in the Supreme
Court in joint session
National holiday: National Day, 20 March
(1956)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour
de Cassation)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Gen.
Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 No-
vember 1987);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September
1989)
Political parties and leaders: Constitu-
tional Democratic Rally Party (RCD),
President Ben Ali (official ruling party);
Movement of Democratic Socialists
(MDS), Ahmed Mestiri; five other political
parties are legal, including the Communist
Party
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: President — last held 2 April
1989 (next to be held April 1994);
results — Gen. Zine el Abidine Ben Aliwas
reelected without opposition;
National Assembly — last held 2 April
1989 (next to be held April 1994);
results— RCD 80.7%, independents/
Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, others 2.4%
seats— (141 total) RCD 141
Communists: a small number of nominal
Communists, mostly students
Member of: AfDB, Arab League, AIOEC,
CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto),
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic
Development Bank, I FAD, IFC, ILO,
ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOOC, ITU, IWC— Inter-
national Wheat Council, NAM, OAPEC,
OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Abdelaziz HAMZAOUI; Chancery at
1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Wash-
ington DC 20005; telephone (202) 862-
1850; US— Ambassador Robert H. PEL-
LETREAU, Jr.; Embassy at 144 Avenue
de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis- Belvedere; tele-
phone [216] (1) 782-566
Flag: red with a white disk in the center
bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a
red five-pointed star; the crescent and star
are traditional symbols of Islam
Economy
Overview: The economy depends primarily
on petroleum, phosphates, and tourism for
continued growth. Two successive
drought-induced crop failures have
strained the government's budget and in-
creased unemployment. The current ac-
count fell from a $23 million surplus in
1988 to a $390 million deficit in 1989.
Despite its foreign payments problems,
Tunis appears committed to its
IMF-supported structural adjustment pro-
gram. Nonetheless, the government may
have to slow its implementation to head
off labor unrest. The increasing foreign
debt — $7.6 billion at yearend 1989 — is
also a key problem. Tunis probably will
seek debt relief in 1990.
GDP: $8.7 billion, per capita $1,105; real
growth rate 3.1% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1989)
Budget: revenues $2.9 billion; expenditures
$3.2 billion, including capital expenditures
of $0.8 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— hydrocarbons, agricultural
products, phosphates and chemicals; part-
ners—EC 73%, Middle East 9%, US 1%,
Turkey, USSR
Imports: $4.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— industrial goods and equipment
57%, hydrocarbons 1 3%, food 1 2%, con-
sumer goods; partners — EC 68%, US 7%,
Canada, Japan, USSR, China, Saudi Ara-
bia, Algeria
External debt: $7.6 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.5%
(1988)
Electricity: 1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210
million kWh produced, 530 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly
phosphate and iron ore), textiles, footwear,
food, beverages
Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and
one-third of labor force; output subject to
severe fluctuations because of frequent
droughts; export crops — olives, dates, or-
anges, almonds; other products — grain,
sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef,
dairy; not self-sufficient in food; fish catch
of 99,200 metric tons (1986)
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $694 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $4.6 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 mil-
lion; Communist countries (1970-88), $410
million
Currency: Tunisian dinar (plural — dinars);
1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes
Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per
US$1— 0.9055 (January 1990), 0.9493
(1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287 (1987),
0.7940(1986), 0.8345(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 2,154 km total; 465 km 1.435-
meter standard gauge; 1,689 km 1.000-
meter gauge
Highways: 17,700 km total; 9,100 km bi-
tuminous; 8,600 km improved and unim-
proved earth
Pipelines: 797 km crude oil; 86 km refined
products; 742 km natural gas
Ports: Bizerte, Gabes, Sfax, Sousse,
Tunis, La Goulette, Zarzis
Merchant marine: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 160,172 GRT/2 18,970
DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 4
cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6
chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk
Civil air: 13 major transport aircraft
Airports: 30 total, 28 usable; 1 3 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: the system is above
the African average; facilities consist of
open-wire lines, multiconductor cable, and
radio relay; key centers are Safaqis,
Susah, Bizerte, and Tunis; 233,000 tele-
phones; stations— 18 AM, 4 FM, 14 TV;
314
Turkey
4 submarine cables; satellite earth sta-
tions—I Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and
1 ARABSAT with back-up control sta-
tion; coaxial cable to Algeria; radio relay
to Algeria, Libya, and Italy
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
1,997,197; 1,149,141 fit for military ser-
vice; 88,368 reach military age (20) annu-
ally
Defense expenditures: 2.7% of GDP, or
$235 million (1989 est.)
400 k-r
Black Sea
jf ANKARA Siv(1,
Erxurum
Mediterranean
Sea
Spe rrcJonal map VI
Geography
Total area: 780,580 km2; land area:
770,760 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Texas
Land boundaries: 2,715 km total; Bulgaria
240 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km,
Iraq 331 km, Syria 822 km, USSR 617
km
Coastline: 7,200 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: in Black Sea
only — to the maritime boundary agreed
upon with the USSR
Territorial sea: 6 nm (12 nm in Black
Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
Disputes: complex maritime and air (but
not territorial) disputes with Greece in
Aegean Sea; Cyprus question; Hatay
question with Syria; ongoing dispute with
downstream riparians (Syria and Iraq)
over water development plans for the Ti-
gris and Euphrates rivers; Kurdish ques-
tion among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and
the USSR
Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers
with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal
plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)
Natural resources: antimony, coal, chro-
mium, mercury, copper, borate, sulphur,
iron ore
Land use: 30% arable land; 4% permanent
crops; 12% meadows and pastures; 26%
forest and woodland; 28% other; includes
3% irrigated
Environment: subject to severe earth-
quakes, especially along major river val-
leys in west; air pollution; desertification
Note: strategic location controlling the
Turkish straits (Bosporus, Sea of Mar-
mara, Dardanelles) that link Black and
Aegean Seas; Turkey and Norway only
NATO members having a land boundary
with the USSR
People
Population: 56,704,327 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 29 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 74 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male,
67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Turk(s); adjective-^
Turkish
Ethnic divisions: 85% Turkish, 1 2% Kurd,
3% other
Religion: 98% Muslim (mostly Sunni), 2%
other (mostly Christian and Jewish)
Language: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Ara-
bic
Literacy: 70%
Labor force: 1 8,800,000; 56% agriculture,
30% services, 14% industry; about
1,000,000 Turks work abroad (1987)
Organized labor: 10-15% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Turkey
Type: republican parliamentary democ-
racy
Capital: Ankara
Administrative divisions: 67 provinces
(iller, singular — il); Adana, Adiyaman,
Afyon, Agri, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya,
Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bilecik, Bingol,
Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale,
Cankiri, Corum, Denizli, Diyarbakir,
Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eski-
sehir, Gaziantep, Giresun, Giimushane.
Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Isparta, Istanbul,
Izmir, Kahraman Maras, Kars, Kasta-
monu, Kayseri, Kirklareli, Kirs,ehir, Ko-
caeli, Konya, Kiitahya, Malatya, Manisa,
Mardin, Mugla, Mus,, Nev$ehir, Nigde,
Ordu, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Siirt, Si-
nop, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon,
Tunceli, Urfa, Usak, Van, Yozgat,
Zonguldak; note — there may be four new
provinces named Aksaray, Bayburt, Kara-
man, and Kirikkale
Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor
state to the Ottoman Empire)
Constitution: 7 November 1982
Legal system: derived from various conti-
nental legal systems; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Anniversary of the Dec-
laration of the Republic, 29 October
(1923)
315
Turkey (continued)
Executive branch: president, Presidential
Council, prime minister, deputy prime
minister. Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Grand Na-
tional Assembly (Biiyiik Millet Meclisi)
Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
Leaders: Chief of State — President Turgut
OZAL (since 9 November 1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Yildirim AKBULUT (since 9 November
1989); Deputy Prime Minister Ali
BOZER (since 31 March 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Motherland
Party (ANAP), Yildirim Akbulut; Social
Democratic Populist Party (SHP), Erdal
Inonfl; Correct Way Party (CWP), Sii-
leyman Demirel; Democratic Left Party
(DLP), Biilent Ecevit; Prosperity Party
(RP), Necmettin Erbakan; National Work
Party (MCP), Alpaslan Tiirke$; Reform
Democratic Party (I DP), Aykut Edibal!
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: Grand National Assembly — last
held 29 November 1987 (next to be held
November 1992); results— ANAP 36%,
SHP 25%, CWP 19%, others 20%; seats—
(450 total) ANAP 283, SHP 81, CWP 56,
independents 26, vacant 4
Communists: strength and support negligi-
ble
Member of: ASSIMER, CCC, Council of
Europe, EC (associate member), ECO-
SOC, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC,
ICAO, IDA, IDB — Islamic Development
Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF,
I MO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC,
IPU, ITC, ITU, NATO, OECD, QIC,
UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Nuzhet KANDEMIR; Chancery at 1606
23rd Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 387-3200; there are Turk-
ish Consulates General in Chicago, Hous-
ton, Los Angeles, and New York; US —
Ambassador Morton ABRAMOWITZ;
Embassy at 1 10 Ataturk Boulevard, An-
kara (mailing address is APO New York
09254—0001); telephone [90] (4) 126 54
70; there are US Consulates General in
Istanbul and Izmir, and a Consulate in
Adana
Flag: red with a vertical white crescent
(the closed portion is toward the hoist side)
and white five-pointed star centered on the
hoist side
Economy
Overview: The economic reforms that Tur-
key launched in 1980 continue to bring an
impressive stream of benefits. The econ-
omy has grown steadily since the early
1980s, with real growth in per capita
GDP increasing more than 6% annually.
Agriculture remains the most important
economic sector, employing about 60% of
the labor force, accounting for almost 20%
of GDP, and contributing about 25% to
exports. Impressive growth in recent years
has not solved all of the economic prob-
lems facing Turkey. Inflation and interest
rates remain high, and a large budget def-
icit will continue to provide difficulties for
a country undergoing a substantial trans-
formation from a centrally controlled to a
free market economy. The government has
launched a multimillion-dollar develop-
ment program in the southeastern region,
which includes the building of a dozen
dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
to generate electric power and irrigate
large tracts of farmland. The planned tap-
ping of huge quantities of Euphrates wa-
ter has raised serious concern in the
downstream riparian nations of Syria and
Iraq.
GDP: $75 billion, per capita $1,350; real
growth rate 1.8% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 68.8%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 15.8% (1988)
Budget: revenues $12.1 billion; expendi-
tures $14.5 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $2.08 billion (FY88 est.)
Exports: $1 1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— industrial products 70%, crops
and livestock products 25%; partners —
FRG 18.4%, Iraq 8.5%, Italy 8.2%, US
6.5%, UK 4.9%, Iran 4.7%
Imports: $14.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— crude oil, machinery, transport
equipment, metals, Pharmaceuticals, dyes,
plastics, rubber, mineral fuels, fertilizers,
chemicals; partners— FRG 14.3%, US
10.6%, Iraq 10.0%, Italy 7.0%, France
5.8%, UK 5.2%
External debt: $36.3 billion (November
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.4%
(1988)
Electricity: 14,064,000 kW capacity;
40,000 million kWh produced, 720 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, min-
ing (coal, chromite, copper, boron miner-
als), steel, petroleum, construction, lum-
ber, paper
Agriculture: accounts for 20% of GDP and
employs majority of population;
products — tobacco, cotton, grain, olives,
sugar beets, pulses, citrus fruit, variety of
animal products; self-sufficient in food
most years
Illicit drugs: one of the world's major sup-
pliers of licit opiate products; government
maintains strict controls over areas of
opium poppy cultivation and output of
poppy straw concentrate
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $2.2 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $7.9 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $665 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $4.5 bil-
lion
Currency: Turkish lira (plural — liras); 1
Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kuru?
Exchange rates: Turkish liras (TL) per
US$1— 2,314.7 (November 1989), 1,422.3
(1988), 857.2 (1987), 674.5 (1986), 522.0
(1985)
Fiscal year calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 8,401 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge; 479 km electrified
Highways: 49,615 km total; 26,915 km
bituminous; 16,500 km gravel or crushed
stone; 4,000 km improved earth; 2,200 km
unimproved earth (1985)
Inland waterways: about 1 ,200 km
Pipelines: 1,738 km crude oil; 2,321 km
refined ^products; 70_8 km natural gas_
Ports: Iskenderun, Istanbul, Mersin, Izmir
Merchant marine: 327 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 2,972,465 CRT/
5,087,620 DWT; includes 6 short-sea pas-
senger, 1 passenger, 1 passenger-cargo,
193 cargo, 1 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off
cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 livestock
carrier, 35 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 1 5 chemical tanker, 2 lique-
fied gas, 4 combination ore/oil, 1 special-
ized tanker, 55 bulk, 4 combination bulk,
1 specialized liquid cargo
Civil air 30 major transport aircraft
(1985)
Airports: 1 19 total, 112 usable; 69 with
permanent-surface runways; 3 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 28 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair domestic and
international systems; trunk radio relay
network; 3,100,000 telephones; stations —
15 AM; 45 (60 repeaters) FM; 61 (476
repeaters) TV; communications satellite
earth stations operating in the
INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean) and EU-
TELSAT systems; 1 submarine telephone
cable
Defense Forces
Branches: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force,
Gendarmerie, Coast Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49,
14,413,944; 8,813,430 fit for military ser-
vice; 597,547 reach military age (20) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 3.9% of GDP, or
$2.9 billion (1989 est.)
316
Turks and Caicos Islands
(dependent territory of the UK)
North Atlantic
Ocean
50km
Q Provide'nciales
ffwesl
Caicos
North Caicos
^Middle Caicos
ast Caicos
Cockburn J GRAND TURK*
Harbour O ICockburn/l/
Town) \f
S>" .'':
Cat(,
-' ' Turks
Islands
North Atlantic
Ocean
Stc regional map III
Geography
Total area: 430 km2; land area: 430 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 389 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine; moderated by
trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain: low, flat limestone; extensive
marshes and mangrove swamps
Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch-
Land use: 2% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 98% other
Environment: 30 islands (eight inhabited);
subject to frequent hurricanes
Note: located 190 km north of the Domin-
ican Republic in the North Atlantic
Ocean
People
Population: 9,761 (July 1990), growth rate
2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 25 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 4 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: no noun or adjectival forms
Ethnic divisions: majority of African de-
scent
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Bap-
tist, Methodist, Church of God, Seventh-
Day Adventist
Language: English (official)
Literacy: 99% (est.)
Labor force: NA; majority engaged in
fishing and tourist industries; some subsis-
tence agriculture
Organized labor: St. George's Industrial
Trade Union
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
Administrative divisions: none (dependent
territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of
the UK)
Constitution: introduced 30 August 1 976,
suspended in 1986, and a Constitutional
Commission is currently reviewing its con-
tents
Legal system: based on laws of England
and Wales with a small number adopted
from Jamaica and The Bahamas
National holiday: Constitution Day, 30
August (1976)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor, Executive Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1953), repre-
sented by Governor Michael J. BRAD-
LEY (since 1987);
Head of Government — Chief Minister
Oswald O. SKIPPINGS (since 3 March
1988)
Political parties and leaders: People's
Democratic Movement (PDM), Oswald
Skippings; Progressive National Party
(PNP), Dan Malcolm and Norman Saun-
ders; National Democratic Alliance
(NDA), Ariel Missick
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Council — last held
on 3 March 1988 (next to be held NA);
results— PDM 60%, PNP 30%, others
10%; seats— (20 total, 13 elected) PDM
11, PNP 2
Communists: none
Diplomatic representation: as a dependent
territory of the UK, the interests of the
Turks and Caicos Islands are represented
in the US by the UK; US— none
Hag: blue with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial
shield centered on the outer half of the
flag; the shield is yellow and contains a
conch shell, lobster, and cactus
Economy
Overview: The economy is based on
fishing, tourism, and offshore banking.
Subsistence farming — corn and beans —
exists only on the Caicos Islands, so that
most foods, as well as nonfood products,
must be imported.
GDP: $44.9 million, per capita $5,000;
real growth rate NA% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 12% (1989)
Budget: revenues $ 1 2.4 million; expendi-
tures $15.8 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $2.6 million (FY87)
Exports: $2.9 million (f.o.b., FY84); com-
modities— lobster, dried and fresh conch,
conch shells; partners — US, UK
Imports: $26.3 million (c.i.f., FY84); com-
modities— foodstuffs, drink, tobacco,
clothing; partners — US, UK
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 9,050 kW capacity; 1 1 million
kWh produced, 1,160 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: fishing, tourism, offshore finan-
cial services
Agriculture: subsistence farming prevails,
based on corn and beans; fishing more im-
portant than farming; not self-sufficient in
food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $92.8 million
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 121 km, including 24 km tar-
mac
Ports: Grand Turk, Salt Cay, Providen-
ciales, Cockburn Harbour
Civil air: Air Turks and Caicos (passenger
service) and Turks Air Ltd. (cargo service)
Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 4 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair cable and radio
services; 1,446 telephones; stations — 3
AM, no FM, several TV; 2 submarine
cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
earth station
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
317
Tuvalu
Nanurnea
Nonumanga
Nw
Literacy: less than 50%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: none
tVanupu
Nukutelaug
FUNAFUTI
South
Pacific
Ocean
See regional mtp X
t»
Funafuti
Nurakita
Geography
Total area: 26 km2; land area: 26 km2
Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 24 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by easterly
trade winds (March to November); west-
erly gales and heavy rain (November to
March)
Terrain: very low-lying and narrow coral
atolls
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: severe tropical storms are
rare
Note: located 3,000 km east of Papua
New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
People
Population: 9,136 (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 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 33 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male,
63 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Tuvaluans(s); adjec-
tive— Tuvaluan
Ethnic divisions: 96% Polynesian
Religion: Christian, predominantly Protes-
tant
Language: Tuvaluan, English
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: democracy
Capital: Funafuti
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: I October 1978 (from UK;
formerly Ellice Islands)
Constitution: 1 October 1978
National holiday: Independence Day, 1
October (1978)
Executive branch: British monarch, gover-
nor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952), repre-
sented by Governor General Tupua LEU-
PEN A (since 1 March 1986);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 16 October
1989); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Ale-
sana SELUKA (since October 1989)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: universal at age 1 8
Elections: Parliament — last held 28 Sep-
tember 1 989 (next to be held by Septem-
ber 1993); results — percent of vote NA;
seats— (12 total)
Member of: ACP, ESCAP (associate
member), GATT (de facto), SPF, SPC,
UPU
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
(vacant); US — none
Flag: light blue with the flag of the UK in
the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer
half of the flag represents a map of the
country with nine yellow five-pointed stars
symbolizing the nine islands
Economy
Overview: Tuvalu consists of a scattered
group of nine coral atolls with
poor-quality soil. The country has a small
economy, no known mineral resources,
and few exports. Subsistence farming and
fishing are the primary economic activi-
ties. The islands are too small and too re-
mote for development of a tourist indus-
try. Government revenues largely come
from the sale of stamps and coins and
worker remittances. Substantial income is
received annually from an international
trust fund established in 1987 by Austra-
lia, New Zealand, and the UK and sup-
ported also by Japan and South Korea.
GNP: $4.6 million, per capita $530; real
growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9%
(1984)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $2.59 million; expendi-
tures $3.6 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (1983 est.)
Exports: $1.0 million (f.o.b., 1983 est.);
commodities — copra; partners — Fiji, Aus-
tralia, NZ
Imports: $2.8 million (c.i.f., 1983 est.);
commodities — food, animals, mineral fu-
els, machinery, manufactured goods; part-
ners— Fiji, Australia, NZ
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA
Electricity: 2,600 kW capacity; 3 million
kWh produced, 350 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: fishing, tourism, copra
Agriculture: coconuts, copra
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $84 million
Currency: Tuvaluan dollar and Australian
dollar (plural — dollars); I Tuvaluan dollar
($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or
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: 8 km gravel
Ports: Funafuti, Nukufetau
Merchant marine: 1 passenger-cargo
(1,000 CRT or over) totaling 1,043 CRT/
450 DWT
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 1 AM, no
FM, no TV; 300 radiotelephones; 4,000
radio receivers; 108 telephones
Defense Forces
Branches: NA
Military manpower NA
Defense expenditures: NA
318
Uganda
S« regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 236,040 km2; land area:
199,710km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Oregon
Land boundaries: 2,698 km total; Kenya
933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km,
Tanzania 396 km, Zaire 765 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: tropical; generally rainy with two
dry seasons (December to February, June
to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain: mostly plateau with rim of moun-
tains
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, lime-
stone, salt
Land use: 23% arable land; 9% permanent
crops; 25% meadows and pastures; 30%
forest and woodland; 1 3% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: straddles Equator; deforesta-
tion; overgrazing; soil erosion
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 17,960,262 (July 1990),
growth rate 3.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 52 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 17 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 107 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male,
50 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Ugandan(s); adjec-
tive— Ugandan
Ethnic divisions: 99% African, 1 % Euro-
pean, Asian, Arab
Religion: 33% Roman Catholic, 33% Prot-
estant, 16% Muslim, rest indigenous be-
liefs
Language: English (official); Luganda and
Swahili widely used; other Bantu and Ni-
lotic languages
Literacy: 57.3%
Labor force: 4,500,000 (est.); 94% subsis-
tence activities, 6% wage earners (est.);
50% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor: 125,000 union members
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Uganda
Type: republic
Capital: Kampala
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces; Bu-
soga, Central, Eastern, Karamoja, Nile,
North Buganda, Northern, South
Buganda, Southern, Western
Independence: 9 October 1962 (from UK)
Constitution: 8 September 1967,
suspended following coup of 27 July 1985;
in process of constitutional revision
Legal system: government plans to restore
system based on English common law and
customary law and reinstitute a normal
judicial system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 9
October (1962)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, three deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Resistance Council
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High
Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Lt.
Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since
29 January 1986);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Samson Babi Mululu KISEKKA (since 30
January 1986); First Deputy Prime Minis-
ter Eriya KATEGAYA (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
National Resistance Movement (NRM);
note — the Uganda Patriotic Movement
(UPM), Ugandan People's Congress
(UPC), Democratic Party (DP), and Con-
servative Party (CP) are all proscribed
from conducting public political activities
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Resistance Council —
last held 1 1-28 February 1989 (next to be
held after January 1995); results— NRM
is the only party; seats — (278 total, 210
indirectly elected) NRM 210
Other political parties or pressure groups:
Uganda People's Democratic Movement
(UPDM), Uganda People's Front (UPF),
Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM), Holy
Spirit Movement (HSM)
Communists: possibly a few sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Common-
wealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—
Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, QIC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Stephen Kapimpina KATENTA-APULI;
5909 16th Street NW, Washington DC
2001 1; telephone (202) 726-7100 through
7102; US— Ambassador John A. BUR-
ROUGHS, Jr.; Embassy at British High
Commission Building, Obote Avenue,
Kampala (mailing address is P. O. Box
7007, Kampala); telephone [256] (41)
259791
Flag: six equal horizonal bands of black
(top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a
white disk is superimposed at the center
and depicts a red-crested crane (the na-
tional symbol) facing the staff side
Economy
Overview: Uganda has substantial natural
resources, including fertile soils, regular
rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of
copper and cobalt. For most of the past 1 5
years the economy has been devastated by
political instability, mismanagement, and
civil war, keeping Uganda poor with a per
capita income of about $300. (GDP re-
mains below the levels of the early 1970s,
as does industrial production.) Agriculture
is the most important sector of the econ-
omy, employing over 80% of the work
force. Coffee is the major export crop and
accounted for 97% of export revenues in
1988. Since 1986 the government has
acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the
economy by undertaking currency reform,
raising producer prices on export crops,
increasing petroleum prices, and improv-
ing civil service wages. The policy changes
are especially aimed at dampening infla-
tion, which was running at over 300% in
1987, and boosting production and export
earnings.
GDP: $4.9 billion, per capita $300 (1988);
real growth rate 6.1% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 72%
(FY89)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $365 million; expendi-
tures $545 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $165 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $272 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— coffee 97%, cotton, tea; part-
ners—US 25%, UK 18%, France 1 1%,
Spain 10%
Imports: $626 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum products, machinery,
cotton piece goods, metals, transportation
equipment, food; partners — Kenya 25%,
UK 14%, Italy 13%
External debt: $1.4 billion (1989 est.)
319
Uganda (continued)
United Arab Emirates
Industrial production: growth rate 25.1%
(1988)
Electricity: 173,000 kW capacity; 312 mil-
lion kWh produced, 18 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton
textiles, cement
Agriculture: accounts for 57% of GDP and
83% of labor force; cash crops — coffee,
tea, cotton, tobacco; food crops — cassava,
potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; livestock
products — beef, goat meat, milk, poultry;
self-sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(1970-88), $123 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $1.0 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $140 million
Currency: Ugandan shilling (plural — shil-
lings); 1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings (USh)
per US$1— 370 (December 1989), 223.09
(1989), 106.14(1988), 42.84(1987), 14.00
(1986), 6.72 (1985)
Fiscal year 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: 1,300km, 1 .000-meter-gauge
single track
Highways: 26,200 km total; 1,970 km
paved; 5,849 km crushed stone, gravel,
and laterite; remainder earth roads and
tracks
Inland waterways: Lake Victoria, Lake
Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake
Edward; Victoria Nile, Albert Nile; prin-
cipal inland water ports are at Jinja and
Port Bell, both on Lake Victoria
Merchant marine: 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo
(1,000 CRT or over) totaling 1,697 GRT
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 39 total, 30 usable; 5 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system with ra-
dio relay and radio communications sta-
tions; 61,600 telephones; stations — 10
AM, no FM, 9 TV; satellite earth sta-
tions— 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: National Resistance Army
(NRA)
Military manpower: males 1 5-49, about
3,836,921; about 2,084,813 fit for military
service
Defense expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (1985)
Persian Gulf „„-. ., Kh.vm«h
Umm al Qaywayn i
Sfr regional map VI
Geography
Total area: 83,600 km2; land area: 83,600
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Maine
Land boundaries: 1,016 km total; Oman
410 km, Saudi Arabia 586 km, Qatar 20
km
Coastline: 1 ,448 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: defined by bilateral
boundaries or equidistant line
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: boundary with Qatar is in dis-
pute; no defined boundary with Saudi
Arabia; no defined boundary with most of
Oman, but Administrative Line in far
north; claims three islands in the Persian
Gulf occupied by Iran (Jazlreh-ye Abu
Musa or Abu Musa, JazTreh-ye Tonb-e
Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazlreh-ye
Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb)
Climate: desert; cooler in eastern moun-
tains
Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging
into rolling sand dunes of vast desert
wasteland; mountains in east
Natural resources: crude oil and natural
gas
Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL%
permanent crops; 2% meadows and pas-
tures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 98%
other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: frequent dust and sand
storms; lack of natural freshwater
resources being overcome by desalination
plants; desertification
Note: strategic location along southern
approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital
transit point for world crude oil
People
Population: 2,253,624 (July 1990), growth
rate 6.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 31 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 3 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 33 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male,
73 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Emirian(s), adjective —
Emirian
Ethnic divisions: 19% Emirian, 23% other
Arab, 50% South Asian (fluctuating), 8%
other expatriates (includes Westerners and
East Asians); less than 20% of the popula-
tion are UAE citizens (1982)
Religion: 96% Muslim (16% Shi'a); 4%
Christian, Hindu, and other
Language: Arabic (official); Farsi and En-
glish widely spoken in major cities; Hindi,
Urdu
Literacy: 68%
Labor force: 580,000 (1986 est.); 85% in-
dustry and commerce, 5% agriculture, 5%
services, 5% government; 80% of labor
force is foreign
Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
Government
Long-form name: United Arab Emirates
(no short-form name); abbreviated UAE
Type: federation with specified powers del-
egated to the UAE central government
and other powers reserved to member
shaykhdoms
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Administrative divisions: 7 emirates
(imarSt, singular — irnarah): Abu Zaby,
'AjmSn, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Du-
bayy, Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qay-
wayn
Independence: 2 December 1971 (from
UK; formerly Trucial States)
Constitution: 2 December 1971
(provisional)
Legal system: secular codes are being in-
troduced by the UAE Government and in
several member shaykhdoms; Islamic law
remains influential
National holiday: National Day, 2 Decem-
ber (1971)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Supreme Council of Rulers, prime
minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Federal
National Council
Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President
Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan Al NUHAY-
YAN of Abu Dhabi (since 2 December
320
United Kingdom
1971); Vice President Shaykh Rashid bin
Sa'id Al MAKTUM of Dubayy (since 2
December 1971;
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Shaykh Rashid bin Sa'id Al MAKTUM
of Dubayy (Prime Minister since 30 April
1979); Deputy Prime Minister Maktum
bin Rashid al MAKTUM (since 2 Decem-
ber 1971)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Communists: NA
Other political or pressure groups: a few
small clandestine groups are active
Member of: Arab League, CCC, FAO,
G-77, GATT (de facto), GCC, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic Devel-
opment Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU,
NAM, OAPEC, QIC, OPEC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Abdullah bin Zayed AL-NAHAYYAN;
Chancery at Suite 740, 600 New Hamp-
shire Avenue NW, Washington DC
20037; telephone (202) 338-6500; US—
Ambassador Edward S. WALKER, Jr.;
Embassy at Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi
(mailing address is P. O. Box 4009, Abu
Dhabi); telephone [971] (2) 336691; there
is a US Consulate General in Dubai
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of
green (top), white, and black' with a
thicker vertical red band on the hoist side
Economy
Overview: The UAE has an open economy
with one of the world's higher levels of
income per capita. This wealth is based on
oil and gas, and the fortunes of the econ-
omy fluctuate with the prices of those
commodities. Since 1973, when petroleum
prices shot up, the UAE has undergone a
profound transformation from an impover-
ished region of small desert principalities
to a modern state with a high standard of
living. At present levels of production,
crude oil reserves should last for over 100
years.
GNP: $23.3 billion, per capita $1 1,680;
real growth rate -2.1% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5-6%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NEGL (1988)
Budget: revenues S3. 5 billion; expenditures
$4.0 billion, including capital expenditures
of $N A (1989 est.)
Exports: $10.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — crude oil 75%, natural gas,
reexports, dried fish, dates; partners — US,
EC, Japan
Imports: $8.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities — food, consumer and capital
goods; partners — EC, Japan, US
External debt: $1 1.0 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —9.3%
(1986)
Electricity: 5,590,000 kW capacity;
15,000 million kWh produced, 7,090 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, fishing, petrochemi-
cals, construction materials, some boat
building, handicrafts, pearling
Agriculture: accounts for 1% of GNP and
5% of labor force; cash crop — dates; food
products — vegetables, watermelons, poul-
try, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25% self-
sufficient in food
Aid: donor — pledged $9. 1 billion in bilat-
eral aid to less developed countries (1979-
89)
Currency: Emirian dirham (plural — dir-
hams); 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils
Exchange rates: Emirian dirhams (Dh) per
US$1— 3.6710 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 2,000 km total; 1,800 km bitu-
minous, 200 km gravel and graded earth
Pipelines: 830 km crude oil; 870 km natu-
ral gas, including natural gas liquids
Ports: Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan,
MTna' Jabal 'AH, Mlna' Khalid, Mlna'
Rashid, Mlna' Saqr, Mlna' Zayid
Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 728,332 GRT/1, 181,566
DWT; includes 14 cargo, 7 container, 2
roll-on/ro'1-off cargo, 20 petroleum, oils,
and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4 bulk
Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft
Airports: 40 total, 34 usable; 19 with
permanent-surface runways; 8 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate system of
radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers
are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy; 386,600 tele-
phones; stations— 8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV;
satellite earth stations — 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
and 1 ARABSAT; submarine cables to
Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tro-
pospheric scatter to Bahrain; radio relay
to Saudi Arabia
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Cen-
tral Military Command, Federal Police
Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 904,690;
498,082 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: $1.59 billion (1987)
North
Sea
Edinburgh
«\N«wca«l.
^upon Tyne
Fnglish Channel
Seereiionil mtp V
Geography
Total area: 244,820 km2; land area:
241,590 km2; includes Rockall and Shet-
land Islands
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Oregon
Land boundary: Ireland 360 km
Coastline: 12,429km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation or in accordance
with agreed upon boundaries
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary with Ireland;
Northern Ireland question with Ireland;
Gibraltar question with Spain; Argentina
claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas);
Argentina claims South Georgia and the
South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims
island of Diego Garcia in British Indian
Ocean Territory; Hong Kong is scheduled
to become a Special Administrative Re-
gion of China in 1997; Rockall continental
shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland,
and Ireland (Ireland and the UK have
signed a boundary agreement in the Rock-
all area); territorial claim in Antarctica
(British Antarctic Territory)
Climate: temperate; moderated by prevail-
ing southwest winds over the North At-
lantic Current; more than half of the days
are overcast
Terrain: mostly rugged hills and low
mountains; level to rolling plains in east
and southeast
Natural resources: coal, crude oil, natural
gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay,
chalk, gypsum, lead, silica
Land use: 29% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 48% meadows and pastures;
9% forest and woodland; 14% other; in-
cludes 1% irrigated
Environment: pollution control measures
improving air, water quality; because of
321
United Kingdom (continued)
heavily indented coastline, no location is
more than 1 25 km from tidal waters
Note: lies near vital North Atlantic sea
lanes; only 35 km from France
People
Population: 57,365,665 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 1 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Briton(s), British (col-
lective pi.); adjective — British
Ethnic divisions: 81.5% English, 9.6%
Scottish, 2.4% Irish, 1.9% Welsh, 1.8%
Ulster, 2.8% West Indian, Indian, Paki-
stani, and other
Religion: 27.0 million Anglican, 5.3 mil-
lion Roman Catholic, 2.0 million Presby-
terian, 760,000 Methodist, 410,000 Jewish
Language: English, Welsh (about 26% of
population of Wales), Scottish form of
Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 28,120,000; 53.3% services,
23.6% manufacturing and construction,
10.8% self-employed, 6.8% government,
1.0% agriculture (1988)
Organized labor 37% of labor force (1987)
Government
Long-form name: United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland; ab-
breviated UK
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: London
Administrative divisions: 47 counties, 7
metropolitan counties, 26 districts, 9 re-
gions, and 3 islands areas
England — 39 counties, 7 metropolitan
counties*; Avon, Bedford, Berkshire,
Buckingham, Cambridge, Cheshire,
Cleveland, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derby,
Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Es-
sex, Gloucester, Greater London*, Greater
Manchester*, Hampshire, Hereford and
Worcester, Hertford, Humberside, Isle of
Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester, Lin-
coln, Merseyside*, Norfolk, Northampton,
Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Not-
tingham, Oxford, Shropshire, Somerset,
South Yorkshire*, Stafford, Suffolk, Sur-
rey, Tyne and Wear*, Warwick, West
Midlands*, West Sussex, West
Yorkshire*, Wiltshire
Northern Ireland — 26 districts; Antrim,
Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney,
Banbridge, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castle-
reagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon,
Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne,
Limavady, I.isburn, Londonderry, Maghe-
rafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, New-
townabbey, North Down, Omagh,
Strabane
Scotland — 9 regions, 3 islands areas*;
Borders, Central, Dumfries and Galloway,
Fife, Grampian, Highland, Lothian,
Orkney*, Shetland*, Strathclyde, Tayside,
Western Isles*
Wales — 8 counties; Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent,
Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan, Powys, South
Glamorgan, West Glamorgan
Independence: 1 January 1801, United
Kingdom established
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes,
partly common law and practice
Dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda,
British Indian Ocean Territory, British
Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland
Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong
(scheduled to become a Special Adminis-
trative Region of China in 1 997), Jersey,
Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands,
St. Helena, South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Is-
lands
Legal system: common law tradition with
early Roman and modern continental in-
fluences; no judicial review of Acts of Par-
liament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion, with reservations
National holiday: Celebration of the Birth-
day of the Queen (second Saturday in
June), 10 June 1989
Executive branch: monarch, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
consists of an upper house or House of
Lords and a lower house or House of
Commons
Judicial branch: House of Lords
Leaders: Chief of State— Queen ELIZA-
BETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir
Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the
Queen, born 14 November 1948);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Margaret THATCHER (since 4 May
1979); Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey
HOWE (since 24 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Conservative,
Margaret Thatcher; Labour, Neil Kin-
nock; Social Democratic, David Owen;
Social and Liberal Democratic Party, Je-
remy (Paddy) Ashdown; Communist, Gor-
don McLennan; Scottish National, Gor-
don Wilson; Plaid Cymru, Dafydd
Thomas; Ulster Unionist, James Moly-
neaux; Democratic Unionist, Ian Paisley;
Social Democratic and Labour, John
Hume; Provisional Sinn Fein, Gerry
Adams; Alliance/Northern Ireland
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Commons — last held
1 1 June 1987 (next to be held by June
1 992); results — Conservative 43%, Labour
32%, Social and Liberal Democratic Party
23%, others 2%; seats — (650 total) Conser-
vative 376, Labour 228, Social and Lib-
eral Democratic Party 18, Ulster (Official)
Unionist (Northern Ireland) 9, Social
Democratic Party 4, Scottish National
Party 4, Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nationalist)
3, Ulster Democratic Unionist (Northern
Ireland) 3, Social Democratic and Labour
(Northern Ireland) 3, Ulster Popular
Unionist (Northern Ireland) 1, Sinn Fein
(Northern Ireland) 1
Communists: 15,961
Other political or pressure groups: Trades
Union Congress, Confederation of British
Industry, National Farmers' Union, Cam-
paign for Nuclear Disarmament
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan,
Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ESCAP,
ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC,
ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB— Inter-
American Development Bank, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC,
IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC— Inter-
national Whaling Commission, IWC —
International Wheat Council, NATO,
OECD, UN, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Sir Antony ACLAND; Chancery at 3100
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-1340;
there are British Consulates General in
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland,
Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco, and Consulates in Dallas,
Miami, and Seattle; US — Ambassador
Henry E. CATTO; Embassy at 24/31
Grosvenor Square, London, W.1A1AE,
(mailing address is Box 40, FPO New
York 09509); telephone [44] (01) 499-9000;
there are US Consulates General in Bel-
fast and Edinburgh
Flag: blue with the red cross of St. George
(patron saint of England) edged in white
superimposed on the diagonal red cross of
St. Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) which
is superimposed on the diagonal white
cross of St. Andrew (patron saint of Scot-
land); known as the Union Flag or Union
Jack; the design and colors (especially the
Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a
number of other flags including dependen-
cies. Commonwealth countries, and others
Economy
Overview: The UK is one of the world's
great trading powers and financial centers,
and its economy ranks among the four
largest in Europe. The economy is essen-
322
tially capitalistic with a generous admix-
ture of social welfare programs and gov-
ernment ownership. Over the last decade
the Thatcher government has halted the
expansion of welfare measures and has
promoted extensive reprivatization of the
government economic sector. Agriculture
is intensive, highly mechanized, and effi-
cient by European standards, producing
about 60% of food needs with only 1 % of
the labor force. Industry is a mixture of
public and private enterprises, employing
about 24% of the work force and generat-
ing 22% of GDP. The UK is an energy-
rich nation with large coal, natural gas,
and oil reserves; primary energy produc-
tion accounts for 1 2% of GDP, one of the
highest shares of any industrial nation.
Following the recession of 1979-81, the
economy has enjoyed the longest period of
continuous economic growth it has had
during the last 30 years. During the pe-
riod 1982-89 real GDP grew by about
25%, while the inflation rate of 14% was
nearly halved. Between 1986 and 1989
unemployment fell from 11% to about 6%.
As a major trading nation, the UK will
continue to be greatly affected by: world
boom or recession; swings in the interna-
tional oil market; productivity trends in
domestic industry; and the terms on which
the economic integration of Europe pro-
ceeds.
GDP: $818.0 billion, per capita $14,300;
real growth rate 2.3% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 6.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $348.7 billion; expendi-
tures $327.8 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $42.0 billion (FY89)
Exports: $151.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— manufactured goods, machin-
ery, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods,
transport equipment; partners — EC 50.4%
(FRG 11.7%, France 10.2%, Netherlands
6.8%), US 13.0%, Communist countries
2.3%
Imports: $189.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— manufactured goods, machin-
ery, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, con-
sumer goods; partners— EC 52.5% (FRG
16.6%, France 8.8%, Netherlands 7.8%),
US 10.2%, Communist countries 2.1%
External debt: $15.7 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.9%
(1989)
Electricity: 98,000,000 kW capacity;
361,990 million kWh produced, 6,350
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: machinery and transportation
equipment, metals, food processing, paper
and paper products, textiles, chemicals,
clothing, other consumer goods, motor ve-
hicles, aircraft, shipbuilding, petroleum,
coal
Agriculture: accounts for only 1.5% of
GNP and 1% of labor force; highly mech-
anized and efficient farms; wide variety of
crops and livestock products produced;
about 60% self-sufficient in food and feed
needs; fish catch of 665,000 metric tons
(1987)
Aid: donor — ODA and OOF commitments
(1970-87), $18.9 billion
Currency: British pound or pound sterling
(plural — pounds); 1 British pound (£) =
100 pence
Exchange rates: British pounds (£) per
US$1— 0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099
(1989) 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987),
0.6817(1986), 0.7714(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Railroads: Great Britain— 16,629 km to-
tal; British Railways (BR) operates 16,629
km 1.435-meter standard gauge (4,205 km
electrified and 12,591 km double or multi-
ple track); several additional small
standard-gauge and narrow-gauge lines
are privately owned and operated; North-
ern Ireland Railways (NIR) operates 332
km 1.600-meter gauge, 190 km double
track
Highways: UK, 362,982 km total; Great
Britain, 339,483 km paved (including
2,573 km limited-access divided highway);
Northern Ireland, 23,499 km (22,907
paved, 592 km gravel)
Inland waterways: 2,291 total; British Wa-
terways Board, 606 km; Port Authorities,
706 km; other, 979 km
Pipelines: 933 km crude oil, almost all
insignificant; 2,993 km refined products;
12,800 km natural gas
Ports: London, Liverpool, Felixstowe, Tees
and Hartlepool, Dover, Sullom Voe, Sou-
thampton
Merchant marine: 285 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 6,174,142GRT/9,024,090
DWT; includes 7 passenger, 22 short-sea
passenger, 44 cargo, 44 container, 21 roll-
on/roll-off cargo, 9 refrigerated cargo, 1
vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 78 petro-
leum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 4
chemical tanker, 5 liquefied gas, 2 combi-
nation ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 45
bulk, 1 combination bulk
Civil air: 618 major transport aircraft
Airports: 522 total, 379 usable; 245 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 37 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 132 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern, efficient do-
mestic and international system;
30,200,000 telephones; excellent country-
wide broadcast systems; stations — 223
AM, 165 (396 relays) FM, 205 (3,210 re-
lays) TV; 38 coaxial submarine cables;
communication satellite earth stations op-
erating in INTELSAT (7 Atlantic Ocean
and 3 Indian Ocean), MARISAT, and
EUTELSAT systems
Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Navy (includes Royal
Marines), Army, Royal Air Force
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
14,462,993; 12,180,580 fit for military
service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 4.3% of GDP, or
$35 billion (1989 est.)
323
United States
2000 km
North
Atlantic
Ocean
, Hawanai
• Islands
S*f rrfionilmiptl
Mexico
Geography
Total area: 9,372,610 km2; land area:
9,166,600 km2; includes only the 50 states
and District of Colombia
Comparative area: about four-tenths the
size of USSR; about one-third the size of
Africa; about one-half the size of South
America (or slightly larger than Brazil);
slightly smaller than China; about two
and one-half times the size of Western
Europe
Land boundaries: 12,248.1 km total; Can-
ada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with
Alaska), Mexico 3,326 km, Cuba (US na-
val base at Guantanamo) 29.1 km
C oastline: 19,924 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: not specified
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary disputes
with Canada; US Naval Base at Guan-
tanamo is leased from Cuba and only mu-
tual agreement or US abandonment of the
area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims
Navassa Island; has made no territorial
claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the
right to do so) and does not recognize the
claims of any other nation
Climate: mostly temperate, but varies
from tropical (Hawaii) to arctic (Alaska);
arid to semiarid in west with occasional
warm, dry Chinook wind
Terrain: vast central plain, mountains in
west, hills and low mountains in east; rug-
ged mountains and broad river valleys in
Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in
Hawaii
Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, mo-
lybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite,
gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver,
tungsten, zinc, crude oil, natural gas, tim-
ber
Land use: 20% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 26% meadows and pastures;
29% forest and woodland; 25% other; in-
cludes 2% irrigated
Environment: pollution control measures
improving air and water quality; acid rain;
agricultural fertilizer and pesticide pollu-
tion; management of sparse natural water
resources in west; desertification; tsuna-
mis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity
around Pacific Basin; continuous perma-
frost in northern Alaska is a major imped-
iment to development
Note: world's fourth-largest country (after
USSR, Canada, and China)
People
Population: 250,410,000 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 15 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male,
80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — American(s); adjec-
tive— American
Ethnic divisions: 85% white, 12% black,
3% other (1985)
Religion: Protestant 61% (Baptist 21%,
Methodist 12%, Lutheran 8%, Presbyte-
rian 4%, Episcopalian 3%, other Protes-
tant 1 3%), Roman Catholic 25%, Jewish
2%, other 5%; none 7%
Language: predominantly English; sizable
Spanish-speaking minority
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 125,557,000 (includes armed
forces and unemployed); civilian labor
force 123,869,000 (1989)
Organized labor. 16,960,000 members;
16.4% of labor force (1989)
Government
Long-form name: United States of Amer-
ica; abbreviated US or USA
Type: federal republic; strong democratic
tradition
Capital: Washington, DC
Administrative divisions: 50 states and 1
district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Ar-
kansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida,
Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michi-
gan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico,
New York, North Carolina, North Da-
kota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennysl-
vania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Independence: 4 July 1 776 (from England)
Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective
4 June 1789
Dependent areas: American Samoa, Baker
Island, Guam, Howland Island; Jarvis Is-
land, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Mid-
way Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra
Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake
Island. Since 18 July 1947, the US has
administered the Trust Territory of the
Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a
new political relationship with three of the
four political units. The Northern Mar-
iana Islands is a Commonwealth associ-
ated with the US (effective 3 November
1986). Palau concluded a Compact of Free
Association with the US that was
approved by the US Congress but to date
the Compact process has not been com-
pleted in Palau, which continues to be ad-
ministered by the US as the Trust Terri-
tory of the Pacific Islands. The Federated
States of Micronesia signed a Compact of
Free Association with the US (effective 3
November 1986). The Republic of the
Marshall Islands signed a Compact of
Free Association with the US (effective 21
October 1986).
Legal system: based on English common
law; judicial review of legislative acts; ac-
cepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 4
July (1776)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress
consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President George BUSH (since
20 January 1989); Vice President Dan
QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Republican
Party, Lee Atwater, national committee
chairman and Jeanie Austin, co-chairman;
Democratic Party, Ronald H. Brown, na-
tional committee chairman; several other
groups or parties of minor political signifi-
cance
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 8 Novem-
ber 1988 (next to be held 3 November
1992); results — George Bush (Republican
Party) 53.37%, Michael Dukakis (Demo-
cratic Party) 45.67%, others 0.96%;
Senate— last held 8 November 1988 (next
to be held 6 November 1990); results—
324
Democratic Party 52.1%, Republican
Party 46.2%, others 1.7%; seats— (100 to-
tal) Democratic Party 55, Republican
Party 45;
House of Representatives — last held 8
November 1988 (next to be held 6 No-
vember 1990); results — Democratic Party
53.2%, Republican Party 45.3%, others
1.5%; seats — (435 total) Democratic Party
259, Republican Party 174, vacant 2
Communists: Communist Party (claimed
15,000-20,000 members), Gus Hall, gen-
eral secretary; Socialist Workers Party
(claimed 1,800 members), Jack Barnes,
national secretary
Member of: ADB, ANZUS, CCC, Co-
lombo Plan, DAC, FAO, ESCAP, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO,
ICEM, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB— Inter-
American Development Bank, IE A,
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU,
IRC, ITC, ITU, IWC— International
Whaling Commission, IWC — Interna-
tional Wheat Council, NATO, OAS,
OECD, PAHO, SPC, UN, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: US Represen-
tative to the UN, Ambassador Thomas R.
PICKERING; Mission at 799 United Na-
tions Plaza, New York, NY 10017; tele-
phone (212) 415-4444
Flag: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of
red (top and bottom) alternating with
white; there is a blue rectangle in the up-
per hoist-side corner bearing 50 small
white five-pointed stars arranged in nine
offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and
bottom) alternating with rows of five stars;
the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 1 3
stripes represent the 13 original colonies;
known as Old Glory; the design and colors
have been the basis for a number of other
flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia,
and Puerto Rico
Economy
Overview: The US has the most powerful
and diversified economy in the world, with
a per capita GNP of over $21,000, the
largest among the major industrial na-
tions. In 1989 the economy entered its
eighth successive year of growth, the long-
est in peacetime history. The expansion
has featured continued moderation in
wage and consumer price increases, an
unemployment rate of 5.2%, (the lowest in
10 years), and an inflation rate of 4.8%.
On the negative side, the US enters the
1 990s with massive budget and trade defi-
cits, huge and rapidly rising medical costs,
and inadequate investment in industrial
capacity and economic infrastructure.
GNP: $5,233.3 billion, per capita $21,082;
real growth rate 2.9% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 5.2% (1989)
Budget: revenues $976 billion; expendi-
tures $1,137 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (FY89 est.)
Exports: $322.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— capital goods, automobiles, in-
dustrial supplies and raw materials, con-
sumer goods, agricultural products;
partners— Canada 22.9%, Japan 1 1 .8%
(1988)
Imports: $440.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— crude and partly refined petro-
leum, machinery, automobiles, consumer
goods, industrial raw materials, food and
beverages; partners — Japan 19.6% , Can-
ada 19.1% (1988)
External debt: $532 billion (December
1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.3%
(1989)
Electricity: 776,550,000 kW capacity;
2,958,300 million kWh produced, 1 1,920
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: leading industrial power in the
world, highly diversified; petroleum, steel,
motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunica-
tions, chemicals, electronics, food process-
ing, consumer goods, fishing, lumber, min-
ing
Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GNP and
2.8% of labor force; favorable climate and
soils support a wide variety of crops and
livestock production; world's
second-largest producer and number-one
exporter of grain; surplus food producer;
fish catch of 5.7 million metric tons (1987)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
for domestic consumption with 1987 pro-
duction estimated at 3,500 metric tons or
about 25% of the available marijuana;
ongoing eradication program aimed at
small plots and greenhouses has not re-
duced production
Aid: donor — commitments, including Ex-
Im (FY80-88), $90.5 billion
Currency: United States dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 United States dollar (US$) =
100 cents
Exchange rates: British pounds (£) per
US$— 0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099
(1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987),
0.6817(1986), 0.7714(1985);
Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$ —
1.1 885 (February 1990), 1.2307(1988),
1.3260(1987), 1.3895(1986);
French francs (F) per US$— 5.695 (Feb-
ruary 1990), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987),
6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985);
Italian lire (Lit) per US$— 1,244.8 (Feb-
ruary 1990), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1
(1987), 1,490.8(1986), 1,909.4(1985);
Japanese yen (¥) per US$— 145.55 (Feb-
ruary 1990), 128.15 (1988), 144.64(1987),
168.52(1986), 238.54(1985);
FRG deutsche marks (DM) per US$—
1.6775 (February 1990), 1.7562(1988),
1.7974(1987), 2.1715 (1986), 2.9440
(1985)
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Communications
Railroads: 270,312 km
Highways: 6,365,590 km, including 88,641
km expressways
Inland waterways: 41,009 km of navigable
inland channels, exclusive of the Great
Lakes (est.)
Pipelines: 275,800 km petroleum, 305,300
km natural gas (1985)
Ports: Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont,
Boston, Charleston, Cleveland, Duluth,
Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Ho-
nolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Long
Beach, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Mobile,
New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia,
Portland (Oregon), Richmond (California),
San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa,
Wilmington
Merchant marine: 373 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling GRT/NA DWT);
includes 2 passenger-cargo, 37 cargo, 22
bulk, 165 tanker, 13 tanker tug-barge, 10
liquefied gas, 124 intermodal; in addition
there are 248 government-owned vessels
Civil air: 3,297 commercial multiengine
transport aircraft, including 2,989 jet, 231
turboprop, 77 piston (1985)
Airports: 15,422 in operation (1981)
Telecommunications: 182,558,000 tele-
phones; stations — 4,892 AM, 5,200 FM
(including 3,915 commercial and 1,285
public broadcasting), 7,296 TV (including
796 commercial, 300 public broadcasting,
and 6,200 commercial cable); 495,000,000
radio receivers (1982); 150,000,000 TV
sets (1982); satellite earth stations — 45
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 16 Pa-
cific Ocean INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Department of the Army, De-
partment of the Navy (including Marine
Corps), Department of the Air Force
Military manpower: 2,247,000 total;
781,000 Army; 599,000 Air Force;
793,000 Navy (includes 200,000 Marine
Corps) (1988)
Defense expenditures: 5.8% of GNP, or
$302.8 billion (1989)
325
Uruguay
126km
ft/o
dels
Plata
Set refionil map IV
Geography
Total area: 1 76,220 km2; land area:
173,620 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Washington State
Land boundaries: 1,564 km total; Argen-
tina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Coastline: 660 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 200 nm (overflight and
navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)
Disputes: short section of boundary with
Argentina is in dispute; two short sections
of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute
(Arroyo de la Invernada area of the Rio
Quarai and the islands at the confluence
of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay)
Climate: warm temperate; freezing tem-
peratures almost unknown
Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low
hills; fertile coastal lowland
Natural resources: soil, hydropower poten-
tial, minor minerals
Land use: 8% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 78% meadows and pastures;
4% forest and woodland; 10% other; in-
cludes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to seasonally high
winds, droughts, floods
People
Population: 3,036,660 (July 1990), growth
rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 1 7 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Uruguayan(s); adjec-
tive— Uruguayan
Ethnic divisions: 88% white, 8% mestizo,
4% black
Religion: 66% Roman Catholic (less than
half adult population attends church regu-
larly), 2% Protestant, 2% Jewish, 30%
nonprofessing or other
Language: Spanish
Literacy: 94%
Labor force: 1 ,300,000; 25% government,
19% manufacturing, 11% agriculture, 12%
commerce, 12% utilities, construction,
transport, and communications, 21% other
services (1988 est.)
Organized labor: Interunion Workers'
Assembly/National Workers' Confedera-
tion (PIT/CNT) Labor Federation
Government
Long-form name: Oriental Republic of
Uruguay
Type: republic
Capital: Montevideo
Administrative divisions: 1 9 departments
(departamentos, singular — departamento);
Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia,
Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Mal-
donado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Ne-
gro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, So-
riano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres
Independence: 25 August 1 828 (from Bra-
zil)
Constitution: 27 November 1966, effective
February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973,
new constitution rejected by referendum
30 November 1980
Legal system: based on Spanish civil law
system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdic-
tion
National holiday: Independence Day, 25
August (1828)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress
(Congreso) consists of an upper chamber
or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber
or Chamber of Deputies (Camera del Di-
putados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Luis Alberto
LACALLE (since 1 March 1990); Vice
President Gonzalo AGUIRRE (since 1
March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: National
(Blanco) Party, Roberto Rubio; Colorado
Party; Broad Front Coalition, Liber Se-
regni includes Communist Party led by
Jaime Perez and National Liberation
Movement (MLN) or Tupamaros led by
Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro; New
Space Coalition consists of the Party of
the Government of the People (PGP) led
by Hugo Batalla, Christian Democratic
Party (PDC), and Civic Union led by
Humberto Ciganda
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: President — last held 26 Novem-
ber 1989 (next to be held November
1994); results— Luis Lacalle (Blanco) 37%,
Jorge Batlle (Colorado) 29%, Liber Se-
regni (Broad Front) 20%;
Senate— last held 26 November 1989
(next to be held November 1994);
results — Blanco 40%, Colorado 30%,
Broad Front 23% New Space 7%; seats —
(30 total) Blanco 1 2, Colorado 9, Broad
Front 7, New Space 2;
Chamber of Deputies — last held NA No-
vember 1 989 (next to be held November
1994); results— Blanco 39%, Colorado
30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%,
others 1%; seats — (99 total) number of
seats by party NA
Communists: 50,000
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT,
Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDB — Inter-American Develop-
ment Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU,
LAIA, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Juan Podesta PINON; Chancery at 1918
F Street NW, Washington DC 20006;
telephone (202) 331-1313 through 1316;
there are Uruguayan Consulates General
in-I.os Angeles, Miami, and New York,
and a Consulate in New Orleans; US —
Ambassador Malcolm R. WILKEY; Em-
bassy at Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo
(mailing address is APO Miami 34035);
telephone [598] (2) 40-90-51
Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of
white (top and bottom) alternating with
blue; there is a white square in the upper
hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bear-
ing a human face known as the Sun of
May and 16 rays alternately triangular
and wavy
Economy
Overview: The economy is slowly recover-
ing from the deep recession of 1981-84. In
1986 real GDP grew by 6.6% and in 1987
by 4.9%. The recovery was led by growth
in the agriculture and fishing sectors, agri-
culture alone contributing 20% to GDP,
employing about 1 1% of the labor force,
and generating a large proportion of ex-
port earnings. Raising livestock, particu-
larly cattle and sheep, is the major agri-
cultural activity. In 1988, despite healthy
exports and an improved current account,
domestic growth slowed because of gov-
326
Vanuatu
ernment concentration on the external sec-
tor, adverse weather conditions, and pro-
longed strikes. High inflation rates of
about 80%, a large domestic debt, and
frequent strikes remain major economic
problems for the government.
GDP: $8.8 billion, per capita $2,950; real
growth rate 1%(1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 80% (1989
est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.0% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures
$1.4 billion, including capital expenditures
of $165 million (1988)
Exports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — hides and leather goods
17%, beef 10%, wool 9%, fish 7%, rice 4%;
partners— Brazil 1 7%, US 1 5%, FRG
10%, Argentina 10% (1987)
Imports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities — fuels and lubricants 1 5%,
metals, machinery, transportation equip-
ment, industrial chemicals; partners —
Brazil 24%, Argentina 14%, US 8%, FRG
8% (1987)
External debt: $6 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate —2.9%
(1988 est.)
Electricity: 1,950,000 kW capacity; 4,330
million kWh produced, 1 ,450 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: meat processing, wool and
hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather
apparel, tires, cement, fishing, petroleum
refining, wine
Agriculture: large areas devoted to exten-
sive livestock grazing; wheat, rice, corn,
sorghum; self-sufficient in most basic food-
stuffs
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $105 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $263 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $69 mil-
lion
Currency: new Uruguayan peso (plural —
pesos); 1 new Uruguayan peso (N$Ur) =
100 centesimos
Exchange rates: new Uruguayan pesos
(N$Ur) per US$1— 832.62 (January
1990), 605.62 (1989), 359.44 (1988),
226.67(1987), 151.99(1986), 101.43
(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 3,000 km, all 1.435-meter stan-
dard gauge and government owned
Highways: 49,900 km total; 6,700 km
paved, 3,000 km gravel, 40,200 km earth
Inland waterways: 1,600 km; used by
coastal and shallow-draft river craft
Ports: Montevideo, Punta del Este
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 65,212 GRT/ 116,61 3 DWT;
includes 2 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 container
Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft
Airports: 92 total, 87 usable; 1 6 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: most modern facili-
ties concentrated in Montevideo; new na-
tionwide radio relay network; 337,000
telephones; stations — 99 AM, no FM, 26
TV, 9 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 71 1,700;
580,898 fit for military service; no con-
scription
Defense expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (1986)
200km
Espifltu
Santo
Coral Sea
V
0 .
'
AobaWaewo
» '
Waew
'
South
e
Pacific Ocean
fp'.':
QErromango
Tanna V>
See regions! map \
Geography
«
Total area: 14,760 km2; land area: 14,760
km2; includes more than 80 islands
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Connecticut
Land boundary: none
Coastline: 2,528 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed
archipelagic baselines)
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by southeast
trade winds
Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic ori-
gin; narrow coastal plains
Natural resources: manganese, hardwood
forests, fish
Land use: 1% arable land; 5% permanent
crops; 2% meadows and pastures; 1% for-
est and woodland; 91% other
Environment: subject to tropical cyclones
or typhoons (January to April); volcanism
causes minor earthquakes
Note: located 5,750 km southwest of Ho-
nolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about
three-quarters of the way between Hawaii
and Australia
People
Population: 165,006 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 37 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 36 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male,
72 years female (1990)
327
Vanuatu (continued)
Total fertility rate: 5.S children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Vanuatuan(s); adjec-
tive— Vanuatuan
Ethnic divisions: 94% indigenous Melane-
sian, 4% French, remainder Vietnamese,
Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders
Religion: most at least nominally Chris-
tian
Language: English and French (official);
pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)
Literacy: 10-20%(est.)
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: 7 registered trade
unions — largest include Oil and Gas
Workers' Union, Vanuatu Airline Work-
ers' Union
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Vanuatu
Type: republic
Capital: Port-Vila
Administrative divisions: 1 1 island coun-
cils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo, Banks/
Torres, Efate, Epi, Malakula, Paama,
Pentecote, Santo/ Malo, Shepherd, Tafea
Independence: 30 July 1980 (from France
and UK; formerly New Hebrides)
Constitution: 30 July 1980
Legal system: unified system being created
from former dual French and British sys-
tems
National holiday: Independence Day, 30
July (1980)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament;
note — the National Council of Chiefs ad-
vises on matters of custom and land
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Frede-
rick TIMAKATA (since 30 January
1989);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Father Walter Hadye LIN I (since 30 July
1 980); Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)
Political parties and leaders: National
Party (Vanua'aku Pali), Walter Lini;
Union of Moderate Parties, Maxine Car-
lot; Melanesian Progressive Party, Barak
Sope
Suffrage: universal at age 1 8
Elections: Parliament — last held 30 No-
vember 1987 (next to be held NA); byelec-
tions were held NA December 1988 to fill
vacancies resulting from the expulsion of
opposition members for boycotting ses-
sions; results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (46 total) National Party 26,
Union of Moderate Parties 19, indepen-
dent 1
Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFC, IMF, ITU, NAM, SPF, UN, WHO,
WMO
Diplomatic representation: Vanuatu does
not have a mission in Washington; US —
the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is
accredited to Vanuatu
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red
(top) and green (bottom) with a black isos-
celes triangle (based on the hoist side) all
separated by a black-edged yellow stripe
in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two
points of the Y face the hoist side and en-
close the triangle); centered in the triangle
is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed na-
mele leaves, all in yellow
Economy
Overview: The economy is based primarily
on subsistence farming that provides a
living for about 80% of the population.
Fishing and tourism are the other main-
stays of the economy. Mineral deposits are
negligible; the country has no known pe-
troleum deposits. A small light-industry
sector caters to the local market. Tax rev-
enues come mainly from import duties.
GDP: $120 million, per capita $820; real
growth rate 0.7% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0%
(1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $80.1 million; expendi-
tures $86.6 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $27.1 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $16 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — copra 37%, cocoa 1 1%,
meat 9%, fish 8%, timber 4%; partners —
Netherlands 34%, France 27%, Japan
17%, Belgium 4%, New Caledonia 3%,
Singapore 2% (1987)
Imports: $58 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — machines and vehicles
25%, food and beverages 23%, basic man-
ufactures 18%, raw materials and fuels
1 1%, chemicals 6%; partners — Australia
36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%,
Fiji 5% (1987)
External debt: $57 million (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 10,000 kW capacity; 20 mil-
lion kWh produced, 1 25 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: food and fish freezing, forestry
processing, meat canning
Agriculture: export crops — copra, cocoa,
coffee, and fish; subsistence crops — copra,
taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, and vegeta-
bles
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $541 million
Currency: vatu (plural — vatu); 1 vatu (VT)
= 100 centimes
Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1 —
107. 17 (January 1990), 116.04(1989),
104.43 (1988), 109.85 (1987), 106.08
(1986), 106.03(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: none
Highways: 1,027 km total; at least 240 km
sealed or all-weather roads
Ports: Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo,
Santu
Merchant marine: 65 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 885,668 CRT/ 1,473,443
DWT; includes 26 cargo, 4 refrigerated
cargo, 5 container, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo,
1 vehicle carrier, 3 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 liquefied gas,
21 bulk, 1 combination bulk; note — a flag
of convenience registry
Civil air no major transport aircraft
Airports: 33 total, 28 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 2 AM, no
FM, no TV; 3,000 telephones; 1 Pacific
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: a paramilitary force is responsi-
ble for internal and external security; no
military forces
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
328
Vatican City
Sec regional m»p V
Geography
Total area: 0.438 km2; land area: 0.438
km2
Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundary: 3.2 km with Italy
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Climate: temperate; mild, rainy winters
(September to mid-May) with hot, dry
summers (May to September)
Terrain: low hill
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: urban
Note: landlocked; enclave of Rome, Italy;
world's smallest state; outside the Vatican
City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel
Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence)
enjoy extraterritorial rights
People
Population: 774 (July 1990), growth rate
0.5% (1990)
Nationality: no noun or adjectival forms
Ethnic divisions: primarily Italians but
also many other nationalities
Religion: Roman Catholic
Language: Italian, Latin, and various
other languages
Literacy: 100%
Labor force: about 1 ,500; Vatican City
employees divided into three categories —
executives, office workers, and salaried
employees
Organized labor: Association of Vatican
Lay Workers, 1,800 members (1987)
Government
Long-form name: State of the Vatican
City; note — the Vatican City is the physi-
cal seat of the Holy See which is the cen-
tral government of the Roman Catholic
Church
Type: monarchical-sacerdotal state
Capital: Vatican City
Independence: 11 February 1929 (from
Italy)
Constitution: Apostolic Constitution of
1967 (effective 1 March 1968)
National holiday: Installation Day of the
Pope (John Paul II), 22 October (1978);
note — Pope John Paul II was elected on
16 October 1978
Executive branch: pope
Legislative branch: unicameral Pontifical
Commission
Judicial branch: none; normally handled
by Italy
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment—Pope JOHN PAUL II (Karol
WOJTYLA; since 16 October 1978)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: limited to cardinals less than 80
years old
Elections: Pope — last held 16 October
1978 (next to be held after the death of
the current pope); results — Karol Wojtyfa
was elected for life by the College of Car-
dinals
Communists: NA
Other political or pressure groups: none
(exclusive of influence exercised by church
officers)
Member: IAEA, INTELSAT, ITU,
IWC— International Wheat Council,
UPU, WIPO, WTO; permanent observer
status at FAO, OAS, UN, and UNESCO
Diplomatic representation: Apostolic Pro-
Nuncio Archbishop Pio LAGHI; 3339
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 333-7121;
US— Ambassador Thomas P. MELADY;
Embassy at Villino Pacelli, Via Aurelia
294, 00165 Rome (mailing address is
APO New York 09794); telephone [396]
639-0558
Flag: two vertical bands of yellow (hoist
side) and white with the crossed keys of
St. Peter and the papal tiara centered in
the white band
Economy
Overview: The economy is supported fi-
nancially by contributions (known as Pe-
ter's pence) from Roman Catholics
throughout the world, the sale of postage
stamps, tourist mementos, fees for admis-
sion to museums, and the sale of publica-
tions.
Budget: revenues $57 million; expenditures
$113.7 million, including capital expendi-
tures of $N A (1986)
Electricity: 5,000 kW standby capacity
(1989); power supplied by Italy
Industries: printing and production of a
small amount of mosaics and staff uni-
forms; worldwide banking and financial
activities
Currency: Vatican lira (plural — lire); 1
Vatican lira (VLit) = 100 centesimi
Exchange rates: Vatican lire (VLit) 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); note— the
Vatican lira is at par with the Italian lira
which circulates freely
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 850 m, 750 mm gauge (links
with Italian network near the Rome sta-
tion of St. Peter's)
Highways: none; all city streets
Telecommunications: stations — 3 AM, 4
FM, no TV; 2,000-line automatic tele-
phone exchange; no communications satel-
lite systems
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Italy;
Swiss Papal Guards are posted at
entrances to the Vatican City
329
Venezuela
Caribbean Sea
Boundary representation
not necessarily authoritative
Sec refional map IV
Geography
Total area: 912,050 km2; land area:
882,050 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than
twice the size of California
Land boundaries: 4,993 km total; Brazil
2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana
743 km
Coastline: 2,800 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 15 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claims Essequibo area of Gu-
yana; maritime boundary disputes with
Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela and
with Trinidad and Tobago in the Gulf of
Paria
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more mod-
erate in highlands
Terrain: Andes mountains and Maracaibo
lowlands in northwest; central plains
(llanos); Guyana highlands in southeast
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas,
iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals,
hydropower, diamonds
Land use: 3% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 39%
forest and woodland; 37% other; includes
NEGL% irrigated
Environment: subject to floods, rockslides,
mudslides; periodic droughts; increasing
industrial pollution in Caracas and Mara-
caibo
Note: on major sea and air routes linking
North and South America
People
Population: 19,698,104 (July 1990),
growth rate 2. 5% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 4 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/ 1,000 popu-
lation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 27 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 7 1 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Venezuelan(s); adjec-
tive— Venezuelan
Ethnic divisions: 67% mestizo, 21% white,
10% black, 2% Indian
Religion: 96% nominally Roman Catholic,
2% Protestant
Language: Spanish (official); Indian dia-
lects spoken by about 200,000 Amerin-
dians in the remote interior
Literacy: 85.6%
Labor force: 5,800,000; 56% services, 28%
industry, 16% agriculture (1985)
Organized labor: 32% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Venezuela
Type: republic
Capital: Caracas
Administrative divisions: 20 states (estados,
singular — estado), 2 territories* (territo-
ries, singular — territorio), 1 federal
district** (distrito federal), and 1 federal
dependence*** (dependencia federal);
Amazonas*, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua,
Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes,
Delta Amacuro*, Dependencias
Federales***, Distrito Federal**, Falcon,
Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Mo-
nagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre,
Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia; note —
the federal dependence consists of 1 1 fed-
erally controlled island groups with a total
of 72 individual islands
Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
Constitution: 23 January 1961
Legal system: based on Napoleonic code;
judicial review of legislative acts in Cassa-
tion Court only; has not accepted compul-
sory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 5
July (1811)
Executive branch: president, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral National
Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of
an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and
a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies
(Camara de Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
(Corte Suprema de Justica)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President Carlos Andres
PEREZ (since 2 February 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Social Chris-
tian Party (COPEI), Eduardo Fernandez,
secretary general; Democratic Action
(AD), Gonzalo Barrios, president, and
Humberto Celli, secretary general; Move-
ment Toward Socialism (MAS), Teodoro
Petkoff, president, and Freddy Mufioz,
secretary general
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
1 8, though poorly enforced
Elections: President — last held 4 Decem-
ber 1988 (next to be held December
1993); results— Carlos Andres Perez (AD)
53%, Eduardo Fernandez (COPEI) 40%,
others 7%;
Senate — last held 4 December 1 988 (next
to be held December 1993); results — per-
cent of vote by party NA; seats — (49 to-
tal) AD 23, COPEI 22, others 4;
Chamber of Deputies — last held 4 Decem-
ber 1 988 (next to be held December
1993); results— AD 43.7%, COPEI 31.4%,
MAS 10.3%, others 14.6%; seats— (201
total) AD 97, COPEI 67, MAS 18, others
19
Communists: 10,000 members (est.)
Other political or pressure groups: FEDE-
CAMARAS, a conservative business
group; Venezuelan Confederation of
Workers, the Democratic Action-
dominated labor organization
Member of: Andean Pact, AIOEC, FAO,
G-77, Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICO, I DB— Inter- Ameri-
can Development Bank, I FAD, IFC, I HO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC—
International Wheat Council, LAIA,
NAM, OAS, OPEC, PAHO, SELA,
WFTU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Simon Alberto CONSALVI Bottaro;
Chancery at 2445 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 797-3800; there are Venezuelan
Consulates General in Baltimore, Boston,
Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans,
New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco,
and San Juan (Puerto Rico); US —
Ambassador-designate Eric JAVITS; Em-
bassy at Avenida Francisco de Miranda
and Avenida Principal de la Floresta, Ca-
racas (mailing address is P. O. Box 62291,
Caracas 1060-A, or APO Miami 34037);
telephone [58] (2) 284-6 1 1 1 or 7 1 1 1 ; there
is a US Consulate in Maracaibo
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of yel-
low (top), blue, and red with the coat of
arms on the hoist side of the yellow band
and an arc of seven white five-pointed
stars centered in the blue band
Economy
Overview: Petroleum is the cornerstone of
the economy and accounted for 17% of
GDP, 52% of central government reve-
330
Vietnam
nues, and 81% of export earnings in 1988.
President Perez introduced an economic
readjustment program when he assumed
office in February 1989. Lower tariffs and
price supports, a free market exchange
rate, and market-linked interest rates have
thrown the economy into confusion, caus-
ing about an 8% decline in GDP.
GDP: $52.0 billion, per capita $2,700; real
growth rate -8.1% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 80.7%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.0% (1988)
Budget: revenues $8.4 billion; expenditures
$8.6 billion, including capital expenditures
of $5.9 billion (1989)
Exports: $10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum 81%, bauxite and
aluminum, iron ore, agricultural products,
basic manufactures; partners — US 50.3%,
FRG 5.3%, Japan 4.1% (1988)
Imports: $10.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— foodstuffs, chemicals, manufac-
tures, machinery and transport equipment;
partners— US 44%, FRG 8.5%, Japan 6%,
Italy 5%, Brazil 4.4% (1987)
External debt: $33.6 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.7%,
excluding oil (1988)
Electricity: 19,110,000 kW capacity;
54,516 million kWh produced, 2,830 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, iron-ore mining,
construction materials, food processing,
textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle
assembly
Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GDP and
1 5% of labor force; products — corn, sor-
ghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegeta-
bles, coffee, beef, pork, milk, eggs, fish;
not self-sufficient in food other than meat
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
and coca for the international drug trade
on a small scale; however, large quantities
of cocaine and marijuana do transit the
country
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-86), $488 million; Communist
countries (1970-88), $10 million
Currency: bolivar (plural — bolivares); 1
bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1—
43.42 (January 1990), 34.6815 (1989),
14.5000 (fixed rate 1987-88), 8.0833
(1986), 7.5000(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 542 km total; 363 km 1 .435-
meter standard gauge all single track,
government owned; 1 79 km 1 .435-meter
gauge, privately owned
Highways: 77,785 km total; 22,780 km
paved, 24,720 km gravel, 14,450 km earth
roads, and 15,835 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco
and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceango-
ing vessels
Pipelines: 6,370 km crude oil; 480 km re-
fined products; 4,010 km natural gas
Ports: Amuay Bay, Bajo Grande, El Ta-
blazo, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, Puerto
Ordaz
Merchant marine: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 997,458 GRT/ 1,6 15, 155
DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 1
passenger cargo, 28 cargo, 2 container, 3
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 17 petroleum, oils,
and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical
tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 1 1 bulk, 1 vehicle
carrier, 1 combination bulk, 1 combina-
tion ore/oil
Civil air: 58 major transport aircraft
Airports: 306 total, 278 usable; 134 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 92 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern and expand-
ing; 1,440,000 telephones; stations — 181
AM, no FM, 59 TV, 26 shortwave; 3 sub-
marine coaxial cables; satellite earth sta-
tions— 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and
3 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Ground Forces (Army), Naval
Forces (Navy, Marines, Coast Guard), Air
Forces, Armed Forces of Cooperation
(National Guard)
Military manpower males 15-49,
5,073,913; 3,680,176 fit for military ser-
vice; 21 1,269 reach military age (18) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 1.1% of GDP, or
$570 million (1990 est.)
Gull ol
Thailand
See regional map IX
.ConDao
Geography
Total area: 329,560 km2; land area:
325,360
Comparative area: slightly larger than
New Mexico
Land boundaries: 3,818 km total; Cambo-
dia 982 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 1,555
km
Coastline: 3,444 km (excluding islands)
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: offshore islands and three sec-
tions of the boundary with Cambodia are
in dispute; occupied Cambodia on 25 De-
cember 1978; sporadic border clashes with
China; involved in a complex dispute over
the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia,
Philippines, and Taiwan; maritime bound-
ary dispute with China in the Gulf of
Tonkin; Paracel Islands occupied by
China but claimed by Vietnam and Tai-
wan
Climate: tropical in south; monsoonal in
north with hot, rainy season (mid- May to
mid-September) and warm, dry season
(mid-October to mid- March)
Terrain: low, flat delta in south and north;
central highlands; hilly, mountainous in
far north and northwest
Natural resources: phosphates, coal, man-
ganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil
deposits, forests
Land use: 22% arable land; 2% permanent
crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 40%
forest and woodland; 35% other; includes
5% irrigated
Environment: occasional typhoons (May to
January) with extensive flooding
331
Vietnam (continued)
People
Population: 66,170,889 (July 1990),
growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 30 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —1 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 50 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male,
66 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Vietnamese (sing, and
pi.); adjective — Vietnamese
Ethnic divisions: 85-90% predominantly
Vietnamese; 3% Chinese; ethnic minorities
include Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man,
Cham; other mountain tribes
Religion: Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Ro-
man Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islamic,
Protestant
Language: Vietnamese (official), French,
Chinese, English, Khmer, tribal languages
(Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Literacy: 78%
Labor force: 35,000,000 (1989 est.)
Organized labor: reportedly over 90% of
wage and salary earners are members of
the Vietnam Federation of Trade Unions
(VFTU)
Government
Long-form name: Socialist Republic of
Vietnam; abbreviated SRV
Type: Communist state
Capital: Hanoi
Administrative divisions: 37 provinces
(tinh, singular and plural), 3
municipalities* (thanh pho, singular and
plural); An Giang, Bac Thai, Ben Tre,
Binh Tri Thien, Cao Bang, Cuu Long,
Dae Lac, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai-
Cong Turn, Ha Bac, Hai Hung, Hai
Phong*, Ha Nam Ninh, Ha Noi*, Ha
Son Binh, Ha Tuyen, Hau Giang, Hoang
Lien Son, Ho Chi Minh*, Kien Giang,
Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Long
An, Minh Hai, Nghe Tinh, Nghia Binh,
Phu Khanh, Quang Nam-Da Nang,
Quang Ninh, Song Be, Son La, Tay Ninh,
Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thuan Hai, Tien
Giang, Vinh Pu, Vung Tau-Con Dao;
note — diacritical marks are not included;
the number of provinces may have been
changed with the elimination of Binh Tri
Thien, Nghia Binh, and Phu Khanh and
the addition of Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa,
Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Ngai,
Quang Tri, and Thua Thien
Independence: 2 September 1945 (from
France)
Constitution: 18 December 1980
Legal system: based on Communist legal
theory and French civil law system
National holiday: Independence Day, 2
September (1945)
Executive branch: chairman of the Council
of State, Council of State, chairman of
the Council of Ministers, Council of Min-
isters
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly (Quoc Hoi)
Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court
Leaders: Chief of State — Chairman of the
Council of State Vo Chi CONG (since 18
June 1987);
Head of Government — Chairman of the
Council of Ministers (Premier) Do MUOI
(since 22 June 1988)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Vietnam Communist Party (VCP), Ngu-
yen Van Linh
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly — last held
19 April 1987 (next to be held April
1992); results— VCP is the only party;
seats— (496 total) VCP or VCP-approved
496
Communists: nearly 2 million
Member of: ADB, CEMA, Colombo Plan,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
INTELSAT, IRC, ITU, Mekong Com-
mittee, NAM, UN, UNDP, UNESCO,
UNICEF, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: red with a large yellow five-pointed
star in the center
Economy
Overview: This is a centrally planned, de-
veloping economy with extensive govern-
ment ownership and control of productive
facilities. The economy is primarily agri-
cultural, employing about 65% of the la-
bor force and accounting for almost half
of GNP. Rice is the staple crop; substan-
tial amounts of maize, sorghum, cassava,
and sweet potatoes are also grown. The
government permits sale of surplus grain
on the open market. Most of the mineral
resources are located in the north, includ-
ing coal, which is an important export
item. Following the end of the war in
1975, heavy handed government measures
undermined efforts at an efficient merger
of the agricultural resources of the south
and the industrial resources of the north.
The economy remains heavily dependent
on foreign aid and has received assistance
from Communist countries, Sweden, and
UN agencies. Inflation, although down
from recent triple-digit levels, is still a
major weakness, and per capita output is
among the world's lowest. Since early
1989 the government has sponsored a
broad reform program that seeks to turn
more economic activity over to the private
sector.
GNP: $14.2 billion, per capita $215; real
growth rate 8% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 40% (1989
est.)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $3.2 billion; expenditures
$4.3 billion, including capital expenditures
of $528 million (1987 est.)
Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— agricultural and handicraft
products, coal, minerals, ores; partners —
USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, Singapore
Imports: $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— petroleum, steel products, rail-
road equipment, chemicals, medicines,
raw cotton, fertilizer, grain; partners —
USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, Singapore
External debt: $16 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 10%
(1989)
Electricity: 2,465,000 kW capacity; 6,730
million kWh produced, 100 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: food processing, textiles, ma-
chine building, mining, cement, chemical
fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for half of GNP;
paddy rice, corn, potatoes make up 50% of
farm output; commercial crops (rubber,
soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas) and animal
products other 50%; not self-sufficient in
food staple rice; fish catch of 900,000
metric tons (1988 est.)
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-74), $3.1 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $2.7 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $61 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $10.9 million
Currency: new dong (plural — new dong); 1
new dong (D) = 100 xu
Exchange rates: new dong (D) per US$1 —
4,000 (March 1990), 900 (1988), 225
(1987), 18 (1986), 12(1985); note— 1985-
89 figures are end of year
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 3,059 km total; 2,454 1 .000-
meter gauge, 151 km 1.435-meter stan-
dard gauge, 230 km dual gauge (three
rails), and 224 km not restored to service
Highways: about 85,000 km total; 9,400
km bituminous, 48,700 km gravel or im-
proved earth, 26,900 km unimproved
earth
Pipelines: 150 km, refined products
Inland waterways: about 1 7,702 km navi-
gable; more than 5,149 km navigable at
all times by vessels up to 1.8 meter draft
332
Virgin Islands
(territory of the US)
Ports: Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh
City
Merchant marine: 71 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 290,123 GRT/432,152
DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 55
cargo, 4 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-
off cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 8 petroleum,
oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk;
note — Vietnam owns 10 cargo ships (1,000
CRT or over) totaling 1 1 1,028 DWT un-
der the registry of Panama and Malta
Civil air: controlled by military
Airports: 100 total, 100 usable; 50 with
permanent-surface runways; 10 with run-
ways 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 35,000 telephones in
Ho Chi Minh City (1984); stations— 16
AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 2,300,000 TV sets;
6,000,000 radio receivers; at least 2 satel-
lite earth stations, including I Indian
Ocean INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49,
15,707,629; 10,030,563 fit for military
service; 787,444 reach military age (17)
annually
Defense expenditures: 19.4% of GNP
(1986est.)
North Atlantic Ocean JQ .
CHARLOTTBJ Saint John
Saint Thomas '- ^
Caribbean Sea
Saint Croix
y~~_
Christiansted
See rrtional mip III
Geography
Total area: 352 km2; land area: 349 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice
the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 188 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: subtropical, tempered by easterly
tradewinds, relatively low humidity, little
seasonal temperature variation; rainy sea-
son May to November
Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and moun-
tainous with little level land
Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf
Land use: 15% arable land; 6% permanent
crops; 26% meadows and pastures; 6%
forest and woodland; 47% other
Environment: rarely affected by
hurricanes; subject to frequent severe
droughts, floods, earthquakes; lack of nat-
ural freshwater resources
Note: important location 1,770 km south-
east of Miami and 65 km east of Puerto
Rico, along the Anegada Passage — a key
shipping lane for the Panama Canal; St.
Thomas has one of the best natural, deep-
water harbors in the Caribbean
People
Population: 99,200 (July 1990), growth
rate -0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 22 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 20 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 1 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Virgin Islanders); ad-
jective— Virgin Islander
Ethnic divisions: 74% West Indian (45%
born in the Virgin Islands and 29% born
elsewhere in the West Indies), 13% US
mainland, 5% Puerto Rican, 8% other;
80% black, 15% white, 5% other; 14% of
Hispanic origin
Religion: 42% Baptist, 34% Roman Catho-
lic, 17% Episcopalian, 7% other
Language: English (official), but Spanish
and Creole are widely spoken
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 45,000 \\ 987)
Organized labor: 90% of the government
labor force
Government
Long-form name: Virgin Islands of the
United States
Type: organized, unincorporated territory
of the US administered by the Office of
Territorial and International Affairs, US
Department of the Interior
Capital: Charlotte Amalie
Administrative divisions: none (territory of
the US)
Independence: none (territory of the US)
Constitution: Revised Organic Act of 22
July 1954 serves as the constitution
Legal system: based on US
National holiday: Transfer Day (from
Denmark to US), 31 March (1917)
Executive branch: US president, governor,
lieutenant governor
Legislative branch: unicameral Senate
Judicial branch: US District Court han-
dles civil matters over $50,000, felonies
(persons 1 5 years of age and over), and
federal cases; Territorial Court handles
civil matters up to $50,000 small claims,
juvenile, domestic, misdemeanors, and
traffic cases
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— President George BUSH (since
20 January 1989), represented by Gover-
nor Alexander FARRELLY (since 5 Jan-
uary 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek
HODGE (since 5 January 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic
Party, Marilyn Stapleton; Independent
Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin Brown;
Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole Davis
Suffrage: universal at age 1 8; indigenous
inhabitants are US citizens, but do not
vote in US presidential elections
Elections: Governor — last held N A 1 986
(next to be held NA 1990); results— Ale-
xander Farrelly (Democratic Party) de-
feated Adelbert Bryan (ICM);
333
Virgin Islands (continued)
Senate— last held 8 November 1988 (next
to be held NA); results — percent of vote
by party NA; seats — (15 total) number of
seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives — last held 8
November 1988 (next to be held 6 No-
vember 1990); results — the Virgin Islands
elects one nonvoting representative
Diplomatic representation: none (territory
of the US)
Flag: white with a modified US coat of
arms in the center between the large blue
initials V and /; the coat of arms shows an
eagle holding an olive branch in one talon
and three arrows in the other with a su-
perimposed shield of vertical red and
white stripes below a blue panel
Economy
Overview: Tourism is the primary
economic activity, accounting for more
than 70% of GDP and 70% of employ-
ment. The manufacturing sector consists
of textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and
watch assembly plants. The agricultural
sector is small with most food imported.
International business and financial ser-
vices are a small but growing component
of the economy. The world's largest petro-
leum refinery is at St. Croix.
GDP: $1.03 billion, per capita $9,030; real
growth rate NA% (1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 3.5% (1987)
Budget: revenues $3 1 5 million; expendi-
tures $322 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (FY88)
Exports: $3.4 billion (f.o.b., 1985); com-
modities— refined petroleum products;
partners — US, Puerto Rico
Imports: $3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1985); com-
modities— crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer
goods, building materials; partners — US,
Puerto Rico
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate 12%
Electricity: 341,000 kW capacity; 507 mil-
lion kWh produced, 4,650 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: tourism, government service,
petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum
distilling, construction, Pharmaceuticals,
textiles, electronics
Agriculture: truck gardens, food crops
(small scale), fruit, sorghum, Senepol cat-
tle
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $33.5 million
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Wake Island
(territory of the US)
Communications
Highways: 856 km total
Ports: St. Croix — Christiansted, Frede-
riksted; St. Thomas — Long Bay, Crown
Bay, Red Hook; St. John— Cruz Bay
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439
m; international airports on St. Thomas
and St. Croix
Telecommunications: 44,280 telephones;
stations — 4 AM, 6 FM, 3 TV; modern
system using fiber optic cable, submarine
cable, microwave radio, and satellite facil-
ities; 90,000 radio receivers; 56,000 televi-
sion sets
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
North
Pacific
Ocean
Ste regional map X
Geography
Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
Comparative area: about 1 1 times the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 19.3 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 1 2 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: claimed by the Republic of the
Marshall Islands
Climate: tropical
Terrain: atoll of three coral islands built
up on an underwater volcano; central la-
goon is former crater, islands are part of
the rim; average elevation less than four
meters
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 100% other
Environment: subject to occasional
typhoons
Note: strategic location 3,700 km west of
Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean,
about two-thirds of the way between Ha-
waii and the Northern Mariana Islands;
emergency landing location for transpa-
cific flights
People
Population: 195 (January 1990); no indige-
nous inhabitants; temporary population
consists of 1 1 US Air Force personnel, 27
US civilians, and 151 Thai contractors
Note: population peaked about 1970 with
over 1 ,600 persons during the Vietnam
conflict
Government
Long-form name: none
334
Wallis and Futuna
(overseas territory of France)
Type: unincorporated territory of the US
administered by the US Air Force (under
an agreement with the US Department of
Interior) since 24 June 1972
Flag: the US flag is used
Economy
Overview: Economic activity is limited to
providing services to US military person-
nel and contractors located on the island.
All food and manufactured goods must be
imported.
Communications
Ports: none; because of the reefs, there
are only two offshore anchorages for large
ships
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface run-
ways 2,987 m
Telecommunications: underwater cables to
Guam and through Midway to Honolulu;
AFRTS radio and television service pro-
vided by satellite; stations — 1 AM, no
FM, no TV
Note: formerly an important commercial
aviation base, now used only by US mili-
tary and some commercial cargo planes
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
MATA-UTUj
He Uvet?
South Pacific Ocean
lie Futuna
lie Atofi
Ste region*! map X
Geography
Total area: 274 km2; land area: 274 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1 29 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (No-
vember to April); cool, dry season (May to
October)
Terrain: volcanic origin; low hills
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 5% arable land; 20% permanent
crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% for-
est and woodland; 75% other
Environment: both island groups have
fringing reefs
Note: located 4,600 km southwest of Ho-
nolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to
New Zealand
People
Population: 14,9 10 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 8 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 32 deaths/ 1,000
population (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male,
70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Wallisian(s), Futu-
nan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders;
adjective — Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis
and Futuna Islander
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Polyne-
sian
Religion: largely Roman Catholic
Language: French, Wallisian (indigenous
Polynesian language)
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: Territory of the Wallis
and Futuna Islands
Type: overseas territory of France
Capital: Mata-Utu
Administrative divisions: none (overseas
territory of France)
Independence: none (overseas territory of
France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: French
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille,
14 July (1789)
Executive branch: French president, high
administrator; note — there are three tradi-
tional kings with limited powers
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial
Assembly (Assemblee Territoriale)
Judicial branch: none; justice generally
administered under French law by the
chief administrator, but the three tradi-
tional kings administer customary law and
there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu
Leaders: Chief of State — President Fran-
cois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
1981);
Head of Government — Chief Administra-
tor Roger DUMEC (since 15 July 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the
Republic (RPR); Union Populaire Locale
(UPL); Union Pour la Democratic Fran-
caise (UDF)
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: Territorial Assembly — last held
15 March 1987 (next to be held March
1 992); results — percent of vote by party
NA; seats— (20 total) RPR 7, UDF coali-
tion 7, UPL 6;
French Senate — last held NA (next to be
held NA); results — percent of vote by
party NA; seats — (1 total) party of the
representative is NA;
French National Assembly — last held NA
(next to be held NA); results — percent of
vote by party NA; seats — (1 total) RPR 1
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas
territory of France, local interests are rep-
resented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
Economy
Overview: The economy is limited to sub-
sistence agriculture. The majority of the
labor force earns its livelihood from agri-
335
Wallis and Futuna (continued}
West Bank
culture, raising livestock, and fishing, with
the rest employed by the government sec-
tor. Exports are negligible. The Territory
has to import food, fuel, and construction
materials, and is dependent on budgetary
support from France to meet recurring
expenses. The economy also benefits from
cash remittances from expatriate workers.
GDP: $6.7 million, per capita $484; real
growth rate NA% (est. 1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA,
including capital expenditures of SNA
Exports: $NA; commodities — copra; part-
ners— NA
Imports: $3.4 million (c.i.f., 1977); com-
modities— largely foodstuffs and some
equipment associated with development
programs; partners — France, Australia,
New Zealand
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 1,200 kW capacity; 1 million
kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: copra, handicrafts, fishing,
lumber
Agriculture: dominated by coconut pro-
duction, with subsistence crops of yams,
taro, bananas
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $118 million
Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Paci-
fique franc (plural — francs); 1 CFP franc
(CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du
Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1—
104.71 (January 1990), 115.99(1989),
108.30(1988), 109.27(1987), 125.92
(1986), 163.35 (1985); note— linked at the
rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: NA
Communications
Highways: 100 km on lie Uvea (Wallis
Island), 16 km sealed; 20 km earth sur-
face on ile Futuna (Futuna Island)
Inland waterways: none
Ports: Mata-Utu, Leava
Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 1 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 225 telephones; sta-
tions— 1 AM, no FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of
France
50l>m
See regional map VI
Note: The war between Israel and the
Arab states in June 1967 ended with Is-
rael in control of the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan
Heights. As stated in the 1978 Camp Da-
vid Accords and reaffirmed by President
Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initia-
tive, the final status of the West Bank and
the Gaza Strip, their relationship with
their neighbors, and a peace treaty be-
tween Israel and Jordan are to be negoti-
ated among the concerned parties. Camp
David further specifies that these negotia-
tions will resolve the respective bound-
aries. Pending the completion of this pro-
cess, it is US policy that the final status of
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has
yet to be determined. In the view of the
US, the term West Bank describes all of
the area west of the Jordan River under
Jordanian administration before the 1967
Arab-Israeli war. However, with respect
to negotiations envisaged in the frame-
work agreement, it is US policy that a
distinction must be made between Jerusa-
lem and the rest of the West Bank be-
cause of the city's special status and cir-
cumstances. Therefore, a negotiated
solution for the final status of Jerusalem
could be different in character from that
of the rest of the West Bank.
Geography
Total area: 5,860 km2; land area: 5,640
km2; includes West Bank, East Jerusalem,
Latrun Salient, Jerusalem No Man's
Land, and the northwest quarter of the
Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Delaware
Land boundaries: 404 km total; Israel 307
km, Jordan 97 km;
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: Israeli occupied with status to
be determined
Climate: temperate, temperature and pre-
cipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot
summers, cool to mild winters
Terrain: mostly rugged dissected upland,
some vegetation in west, but barren in
east
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 27% arable land, 0% permanent
crops, 32% meadows and pastures, 1%
forest and woodland, 40% other
Environment: highlands are main recharge
area for Israel's coastal aquifers
Note: landlocked; there are 173 Jewish
settlements in the West Bank and 14
Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East
Jerusalem
People
Population: 1,058,122 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.6% (1990); in addition, there are
70,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank
and 110,000 in East Jerusalem (1989 est.)
Birth rate: 37 births/ 1, 000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: — 5 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male,
68 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: NA
Ethnic divisions: 88% Palestinian Arab
and other, 1 2% Jewish
Religion: 80% Muslim (predominantly
Sunni), 12% Jewish, 8% Christian and
other
Language: Arabic, Israeli settlers speak
Hebrew, English widely understood
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA; excluding Israeli Jewish
settlers — 29.8% small industry, commerce,
and business, 24.2% construction, 22.4%
agriculture, 23.6% service and other
(1984)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Note: The West Bank is currently gov-
erned by Israeli military authorities and
Israeli civil administration. It is US policy
that the final status of the West Bank will
be determined by negotiations among the
concerned parties. These negotiations will
determine how the area is to be governed.
336
Western Sahara
Economy
Overview: Economic progress in the West
Bank has been hampered by Israeli mili-
tary occupation and the effects of the Pal-
estinian uprising. Industries using
advanced technology or requiring sizable
financial resources have been discouraged
by a lack of financial resources and Israeli
policy. Capital investment has largely
gone into residential housing, not into pro-
ductive assets that could compete with
Israeli industry. A major share of GNP is
derived from remittances of workers em-
ployed in Israel and neighboring Gulf
states. Israeli reprisals against Palestinian
unrest in the West Bank since 1987 have
pushed unemployment up and lowered
living standards.
GNP: $1.0 billion, per capita $1,000; real
growth rate -15% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $47.4 million; expendi-
tures $45.7 million, including capital ex-
penditures of NA (FY86)
Exports: $150 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — N A ; partners — Jordan,
Israel
Imports: $410 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities — NA; partners — Jordan,
Israel
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: power supplied by Israel
Industries: generally small family busi-
nesses that produce cement, textiles, soap,
olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl
souvenirs; the Israelis have established
some small-scale modern industries in the
settlements and industrial centers
Agriculture: olives, citrus and other fruits,
vegetables, beef, and dairy products
Aid: none
Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural —
shekels) and Jordanian dinar (plural —
dinars); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100
new agorot and 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) =
l.OOOfils
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS)
per US$1— 1.9450 (January 1990), 1.9164
(1989), 1.5992(1988), 1.5946(1987),
1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985); 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: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: small indigenous road network,
Israelis developing east-west axial high-
ways
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: open-wire telephone
system currently being upgraded;
stations — no AM, no FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Branches: NA
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
Spp rrtionil map VII
Geography
Total area: 266,000 km2; land area:
266,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Colorado
Land boundaries: 2,046 km total; Algeria
42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco
443 km
Coastline: 1,110 km
Maritime claims: contingent upon resolu-
tion of sovereignty issue
Disputes: claimed and administered by
Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved
and guerrilla fighting continues in the
area
Climate: hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold
offshore currents produce fog and heavy
dew
Terrain: mostly low, flat desert with large
areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to
small mountains in south and northeast
Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% per-
manent crops; 19% meadows and pastures;
0% forest and woodland; 81% other
Environment: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden
sirocco wind can occur during winter and
spring; widespread harmattan haze exists
60% of time, often severely restricting vis-
ibility; sparse water and arable land
People
Population: 19 1,707 (July 1990), growth
rate 2. 7% (1990)
Birth rate: 48 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 23 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 177 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 39 years male,
41 years female (1990)
337
Western Sahara (continued)
Western Samoa
Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Saharan(s), Moroc-
can(s); adjective — Saharan, Moroccan
Ethnic divisions: Arab and Berber
Religion: Muslim
Language: Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan
Arabic
Literacy: 20% among Moroccans, 5%
among Saharans (est.)
Labor force: 1 2,000; 50% animal
husbandry and subsistence farming
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: legal status of territory and question
of sovereignty unresolved; territory con-
tested by Morocco and Polisario Front
(Popular Front for the Liberation of the
Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro); terri-
tory partitioned between Morocco and
Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco
acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania,
under pressure from Polisario guerrillas,
abandoned all claims to its portion in Au-
gust 1 979; Morocco moved to occupy that
sector shortly thereafter and has since as-
serted administrative control; the Polisa-
rio's government in exile was seated as an
OAU member in 1984; guerrilla activities
continue to the present
Capital: none
Administrative divisions: none (under de
facto control of Morocco)
Leaders: none
Diplomatic representation: none
Economy
Overview: Western Sahara, a territory
poor in natural resources and having little
rainfall, has a per capita GDP of just a
few hundred dollars. Fishing and phos-
phate mining are the principal industries
and sources of income. Most of the food
for the urban population must be
imported. All trade and other economic
activities are controlled by the Moroccan
Government.
GDP: SNA, per capita SNA; real growth
rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues SNA; expenditures SNA,
including capital expenditures of SNA
Exports: $8 million (f.o.b., 1982 est.);
commodities — phosphates 62%;
partners — Morocco claims and adminis-
ters Western Sahara, so trade partners are
included in overall Moroccan accounts
Imports: $30 million (c.i.f., 1982 est.);
commodities — fuel for fishing fleet, food-
stuffs; partners — Morocco claims and ad-
ministers Western Sahara, so trade part-
ners are included in overall Moroccan
accounts
External debt: SNA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 60,000 kW capacity; 79 mil-
lion kWh produced, 425 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: phosphate, fishing, handicrafts
Agriculture: practically none; some barley
is grown in nondrought years; fruit and
vegetables are grown in the few oases;
food imports are essential; camels, sheep,
and goats are kept by the nomadic na-
tives; cash economy exists largely for the
garrison forces
Aid: NA
Currency: Moroccan dirham (plural — dir-
hams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100
centimes
Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH)
per US$1— 8.093 (January 1990), 8.488
(1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104
(1986), 10.062 (1985)
Fiscal year: NA
Communications
Highways: 6,100 km total; 1,350 km sur-
faced, 4,750 km improved and
unimproved earth roads and tracks
Ports: El Aaiun, Ad Dakhla
Airports: 16 total, 14 usable; 3 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: sparse and limited
system; tied into Morocco's system by ra-
dio relay, tropospheric scatter, and 2 At-
lantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
linked to Rabat, Morocco; 2,000
telephones; stations — 2 AM, no FM, 2 TV
Defense Forces
Branches: NA
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
South Pacific Ocean
South Pacific Ocean
Set reel mitt I map X
Geography
Total area: 2,860 km2; land area: 2,850
km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
Rhode Island
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 403 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy season (October to
March), dry season (May to October)
Terrain: narrow coastal plain with volca-
nic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish
Land use: 19% arable land; 24% perma-
nent crops; NEGL% meadows and pas-
tures; 47% forest and woodland; 1 0%
other
Environment: subject to occasional
typhoons; active volcanism
Note: located 4,300 km southwest of Ho-
nolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about
halfway between Hawaii and New Zea-
land
People
Population: 186,031 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 34 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —5 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/ 1 ,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male,
69 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Western Samoan(s);
adjective — Western Samoan
338
Ethnic divisions: Samoan; about 7% Euro-
nesians (persons of European and Polyne-
sian blood), 0.4% Europeans
Religion: 99.7% Christian (about half of
population associated with the London
Missionary Society; includes Congrega-
tional, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter
Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Language: Samoan (Polynesian), English
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 37,000; 22,000 employed in
agriculture (198 3 est.)
Organized labor: Public Service Associa-
tion (PSA)
Government
Long-form name: Independent State of
Western Samoa
Type: constitutional monarchy under na-
tive chief
Capital: Apia
Administrative divisions: 1 1 districts;
A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga,
Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli,
Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti,
Vaisigano
Independence: 1 January 1962 (from UN
trusteeship administered by New Zealand)
Constitution: 1 January 1962
Legal system: based on English common
law and local customs; judicial review of
legislative acts with respect to fundamen-
tal rights of the citizen; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 1 June
Executive branch: monarch, Executive
Council, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Assembly (Fono)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of
Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State — Susuga Malietoa
TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State
from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole
Chief of State on 5 April 1963);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April
1988)
Political parties and leaders: Human
Rights Protection Party (HRPP), Tofilau
Eti, chairman; Samoan National Develop-
ment Party (SNDP), Tupua Tamasese Efi,
chairman
Suffrage: there are two electoral rolls — the
matai (head of family) roll and the indi-
viduals roll; about 12,000 persons are on
the matai roll, hold matai titles, and elect
45 members of the Legislative Assembly;
about 1,600 persons are on the individuals
roll, lack traditional matai ties, and elect
two members of the Legislative Assembly
by universal adult suffrage at the age of
NA
Elections: Legislative Assembly — last held
26 February 1988 (next to be held by
February 1991); results — percent of vote
by party NA; seats— (47 total) HRPP 25,
SNDP 22
Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IMF, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO,
WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Fili (Felix) Tuaopepe WENDT; Chancery
(temporary) at the Western Samoan Mis-
sion to the UN, 820 2nd Avenue, New
York, NY 10017 (212) 599-6196; US—
the ambassador to New Zealand is ac-
credited to Western Samoa
Flag: red with a blue rectangle in the up-
per hoist-side quadrant bearing five white
five-pointed stars representing the South-
ern Cross constellation
Economy
Overview: Agriculture employs two-thirds
of the labor force, contributes 50% to
GDP, and is the source of 90% of exports.
The bulk of export earnings comes from
the sale of coconut oil and copra. The
economy depends on emigrant remittances
and foreign aid to support a level of im-
ports about five times export earnings.
Tourism has become the most important
growth industry, and construction of the
first international hotel is under way.
GDP: $112 million, per capita $615; real
growth rate 0.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.5%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%; shortage of
skilled labor
Budget: revenues $54 million; expenditures
$54 million, including capital expenditures
of $28 million (1988)
Exports: $9.9 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— coconut oil and cream 42%,
taro 19%, cocoa 14%, copra, timber; part-
ners— NZ 30%, EC 24%, Australia 21%,
American Samoa 7%, US 9% (1987)
Imports: $51.8 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— intermediate goods 58%, food
1 7%, capital goods 1 2%; partners — New
Zealand 31%, Australia 20%. Japan 15%,
Fiji 15%, US 5%, EC 4% (1987)
External debt: $75 million (December
1988 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate —4.0%
(1987)
Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 35 mil-
lion kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: timber, tourism, food process-
ing, fishing
Agriculture: coconuts, fruit (including ba-
nanas, taro, yams)
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $16 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $261 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million
Currency: tala (plural — tala); 1 tala (WS$)
= 100 sene
Exchange rates: tala (WS$) per US$1 —
2.2857 (January 1990), 2.2686 (1989),
2.0790 (1988), 2.1204 (1987), 2.2351
(1986), 2.2437 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 2,042 km total; 375 km sealed;
remainder mostly gravel, crushed stone, or
earth
Ports: Apia
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 24,930 GRT/34,135 DWT;
includes 2 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off
cargo
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 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: 7,500 telephones;
70,000 radio receivers; stations — 1 AM,
no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean
INTELSAT station
Defense Forces
Branches: NA
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA
339
World
Set r<|ion>l mip I
Geography
Total area: 510,072,000 km2; 361,132,000
km2 (70.8%) is water and 148,940,000
km2 (29.2%) is land
Comparative area: land area about 1 6
times the size of the US
Land boundaries: 442,000 km
Coastline: 359,000 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: generally 24 nm, but
varies from 4 nm to 24 nm
Continental shelf: generally 200 nm,
but some are 200 meters in depth
Exclusive fishing zone: most are 200
nm, but varies from 12 nm to 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm, only
Madagascar claims 1 50 nm
Territorial sea: generally 1 2 nm, but
varies from 3 nm to 200 nm
Disputes: 13 international land boundary
disputes — Argentina-Uruguay,
Bangladesh-India, Brazil-Paraguay,
Brazil-Uruguay, Cambodia- Vietnam,
China-India, China-USSR, Ecuador-Peru,
El Salvador-Honduras, French Guiana-
Suriname, Guyana-Suriname, Guyana-
Venezuela, Qatar-UAE
Climate: two large areas of polar climates
separated by two rather narrow temperate
zones from a wide equatorial band of
tropical to subtropical climates
Terrain: highest elevation is Mt. Everest
at 8,848 meters and lowest elevation is the
Dead Sea at 392 meters below sea level;
greatest ocean depth is the Marianas
Trench at 10,924 meters
Natural resources: the oceans represent
the last major frontier for the discovery
and development of natural resources
Land use: 10% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 24% meadows and pastures; 31%
forest and woodland; 34% other; includes
1 .6% irrigated
Environment: large areas subject to severe
weather (tropical cyclones), natural disas-
ters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis,
volcanic eruptions), industrial disasters,
pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic sub-
stances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing,
deforestation, desertification), loss of wild-
life resources, soil degradation, soil deple-
tion, erosion
People
Population: 5,316,644,000 (July 1990),
growth rate 1.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 27 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Infant mortality rate: 70 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male,
64 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/
woman (1990)
Literacy: 77% men; 66% women (1980)
Labor force: 1,939,000,000(1984)
Organized labor: NA
Government
Administrative divisions: 248 nations, de-
pendent areas, and other entities
Legal system: varies among each of the
entities; 162 are parties to the United Na-
tions International Court of Justice (ICJ)
or World Court
Diplomatic representation: there are 1 59
members of the UN
Economy
Overview: In 1989 the World economy
grew at an estimated 3.0%, somewhat
lower than the estimated 3.4% for 1988.
The technologically advanced areas —
North America, Japan, and Western Eu-
rope— together account for 65% of the
gross world product (GWP) of $20.3 tril-
lion; these developed areas grew in the
aggregate at 3.5%. In contrast, the Com-
munist (Second World) countries typically
grew at between 0% and 2%, accounting
for 23% of GWP. Experience in the devel-
oping countries continued mixed, with the
newly industrializing countries generally
maintaining their rapid growth, and many
others struggling with debt, inflation, and
inadequate investment. The year 1989
ended with remarkable political upheavals
in the Communist countries, which pre-
sumably will dislocate economic produc-
tion still further. The addition of nearly
100 million people a year to an already
overcrowded globe will exacerbate the
problems of pollution, desertification, un-
deremployment, and poverty throughout
the 1990s.
GWP (gross world product): $20.3 trillion,
per capita $3,870; real growth rate 3.0%
(1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5%, devel-
oped countries; 100%, developing countries
with wide variations (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Exports: $2,694 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— NA; partners — in value, about
70% of exports from industrial countries
Imports: $2,750 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— NA; partners — in value, about
75% of imports by the industrial countries
External debt: $1,008 billion for less de-
veloped countries (1988 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 2,838,680,000 kW capacity;
11,222,029 million kWh produced, 2,140
kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: chemicals, energy, machinery,
electronics, metals, mining, textiles, food
processing
Agriculture: cereals (wheat, maize, rice),
sugar, livestock products, tropical crops,
fruit, vegetables, fish
Aid: NA
Communications
Ports: Mina al Ahmadi (Kuwait), Chiba,
Houston, Kawasaki, Kobe, Marseille, New
Orleans, New York, Rotterdam, Yoko-
hama
Defense Forces
Branches: ground, maritime, and air
forces at all levels of technology
Military manpower 29. 1 5 million persons
in the defense forces of the World (1987)
Defense expenditures: 5.4% of GWP, or
$1.1 trillion (1989 est.)
340
Yemen Arab Republic
[Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen]
Red Sea
oufidary representation is
(Mocha -3 no' necessarily authomatrve
Set regional map \ I
Geography
Total area: 195,000 km2; land area:
195,000km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than
South Dakota
Land boundaries: 1 ,209 km total; Saudi
Arabia 628 km, PDRY 581 km
Coastline: 523 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: sections of the boundary with
PDRY are indefinite or undefined; unde-
fined section of boundary with Saudi Ara-
bia
Climate: desert; hot and humid along
coast; temperate in central mountains;
harsh desert in east
Terrain: narrow coastal plain (Tihama);
western mountains; flat dissected plain in
center sloping into desert interior of Ara-
bian Peninsula
Natural resources: crude oil, rock salt,
marble; small deposits of coal, nickel, and
copper; fertile soil
Land use: 14% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 36% meadows and pastures;
8% forest and woodland; 42% other; in-
cludes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to sand and dust
storms in summer; overgrazing; soil ero-
sion; desertification
Note: controls northern approaches to Bab
el Mandeb linking Red Sea and Gulf of
Aden, one of world's most active shipping
lanes
People
Population: 7,160,981 (July 1990), growth
rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 52 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 1 7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —4 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 129 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male,
49 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.6 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Yemeni(s); adjective —
Yemeni
Ethnic divisions: 90% Arab, 10% Afro-
Arab (mixed)
Religion: 100% Muslim (Sunni and Shi'a)
Language: Arabic
Literacy: 1 5% (est.)
Labor force: NA; 70% agriculture and
herding, 30% expatriate laborers (est.)
Government
Long-form name: Yemen Arab Republic;
abbreviated YAR
Type: republic; military regime assumed
power in June 1974
Capital: Sanaa
Administrative divisions: 1 1 governorates
(muhafazat, singular — muhafazah); Al
BaydS', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al
Mahwlt, Dhamar, Hajjah, Ibb, Ma'rib,
Sa'dah, San'5', Ta'izz
Independence: November 1918 (from Otto-
man Empire)
Constitution: 28 December 1970,
suspended 19 June 1974
Legal system: based on Turkish law, Is-
lamic law, and local customary law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Proclamation of the Re-
public, 26 September (1962)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, prime minister, four deputy prime
ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Consulta-
tive Assembly (Majlis ash-Shura)
Judicial branch: State Security Court
Leaders: Chief of State— President Col.
'Ali 'Abdallah SALIH (since 18 July
1978); Vice President (vacant);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
'Abd al-'Aziz 'ABD AL-GHANI (since
12 November 1983, previously prime min-
ister from 1975-1980 and co-Vice Presi-
dent from October 1980 to November
1983)
Political parties and leaders: no legal po-
litical parties; in 1983 President Salih
started the General People's Congress,
which is designed to function as the
country's sole political party
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Consultative Assembly — last
held 5 July 1988 (next to be held NA);
results — percent of vote NA; seats — (159
total, 128 elected)
Communists: small number
Other political or pressure groups: conser-
vative tribal groups, Muslim Brotherhood,
leftist factions — pro-Iraqi Ba'thists, Nasir-
ists, National Democratic Front (NDF)
supported by the PDRY
Member of: ACC, Arab League, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, 1CAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic
Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
ITU, NAM, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Mohsin A. al-AINI; Chancery at Suite
840, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20037; telephone (202)
965-4760 or 4761; there is a Yemeni Con-
sulate General in Detroit and a Consulate
in San Francisco; US — Ambassador
Charles F. DUNBAR; Embassy at ad-
dress NA, Sanaa (mailing address is P. O.
Box 1088, Sanaa); telephone [967] (2)
27 1950 through 271958
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and black with a large green
five-pointed star centered in the white
band; similar to the flags of Iraq, which
has three stars, and Syria, which has two
stars — all green and five-pointed in a hori-
zontal line centered in the white band;
also similar to the flag of Egypt, which
has a symbolic eagle centered in the white
band
Economy
Overview: The low level of domestic indus-
try and agriculture make North Yemen
dependent on imports for virtually all of
its essential needs. Large trade deficits are
made up for by remittances from Yemenis
working abroad and foreign aid. Once
self-sufficient in food production, the YAR
is now a major importer. Land once used
for export crops — cotton, fruit, and vege-
tables— has been turned over to growing
qat, a mildly narcotic shrub chewed by
Yemenis that has no significant export
market. Oil export revenues started
flowing in late 1987 and boosted 1988
earnings by about $800 million.
GDP: $5.5 billion, per capita $820; real
growth rate 19.7% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.9%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: 13% (1986)
Budget: revenues $1.32 billion; expendi-
tures $2.18 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $588 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $853 million (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— crude oil, cotton, coffee, hides,
vegetables; partners— US 41%, PDRY
14%, Japan 12%
Imports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— textiles and other manufac-
tured consumer goods, petroleum prod-
ucts, sugar, grain, flour, other foodstuffs,
341
Yemen Arab Republic (continued)
and cement; partners — Italy 10%, Saudi
Arabia 9%, US 9.3%, Japan 9%, UK 8%
(1985)
External debt: $3.5 billion (December
1989est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 2% in
manufacturing (1988)
Electricity: 415,000 kW capacity; 500 mil-
lion kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: crude oil production, small-
scale production of cotton textiles and
leather goods; food processing; handi-
crafts; fishing; small aluminum products
factory; cement
Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP and
70% of labor force; farm products — grain,
fruits, vegetables, qat (mildly narcotic
shrub), coffee, cotton, dairy, poultry, meat,
goat meat; not self-sufficient in grain
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(1970-88), $354 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $1.4 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.9 billion; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $248 million
Currency: Yemeni riyal (plural — riyals); 1
Yemeni riyal (YR) = 100 fils
Exchange rates: Yemeni riyals (YR) per
US$1— 9.7600 (January 1990), 9.7600
(1989), 9.7717 (1988), 10.3417 (1987),
9.6392(1986), 7.3633(1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 4,500 km; 2,000 km bitumi-
nous, 500 km crushed stone and gravel,
2,000 km earth, sand, and light gravel
(est.)
Pipelines: crude oil, 424 km
Ports: Al Hudaydah, Al MukhS, Sallf,
Ra's al Katib
Merchant marine: 1 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 192,679 GRT/40,640 DWT
Civil air 7 major transport aircraft
Airports: 19 total, 14 usable; 3 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: system poor but im-
proving; new radio relay and cable net-
works; 50,000 telephones; stations — 3
AM, no FM, 17 TV; satellite earth sta-
tions—I Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARAB-
SAT; tropospheric scatter to PDRY; radio
relay to PDRY, Saudi Arabia, and
Djibouti
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police
Military manpower: males 15-49,
1,289,217; 734,403 fit for military service;
79,609 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $358 million (1987)
Yemen, People's Democratic
Republic of
[Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]
300km
Perim
Gulf of Aden
Scf regional map VI
Geography
Total area: 332,970 km2; land area:
332,970 km2; includes Perim, Socotra
Comparative area: slightly larger than
New Mexico
Land boundaries: 1,699 km total; Oman
288 km, Saudi Arabia 830 km, YAR 581
km
Coastline: 1,383 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: edge of continental
margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: sections of boundary with YAR
indefinite or undefined; Administrative
Line with Oman; no defined boundary
with Saudi Arabia
Climate: desert; extraordinarily hot and
dry
Terrain: mostly upland desert plains; nar-
row, flat, sandy coastal plain backed by
flat-topped hills and rugged mountains
Natural resources: fish, oil, minerals (gold,
copper, lead)
Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 27% meadows and pastures;
7% forest and woodland; 65% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: scarcity of natural freshwa-
ter resources; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification
Note: controls southern approaches to Bab
el Mandeb linking Red Sea to Gulf of
Aden, one of world's most active shipping
lanes
People
Population: 2,585,484 (July 1990), growth
rate 3. 2% (1990)
Birth rate: 48 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/ 1, 000 population
(1990)
342
Net migration rate: — 2 migrants/ 1 ,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male,
54 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Yemeni(s); adjective —
Yemeni
Ethnic divisions: almost all Arabs; a few
Indians, Somalis, and Europeans
Religion: Sunni Muslim, some Christian
and Hindu
Language: Arabic
Literacy: 25%
Labor force: 477,000; 45.2% agriculture,
2 1.2% services, 13.4% construction, 10.6%
industry, 9.6% commerce and other (1983)
Organized labor: 348,200; the General
Confederation of Workers of the People's
Democratic Republic of Yemen has
35,000 members
Government
Long-form name: People's Democratic Re-
public of Yemen; abbreviated PDRY
Type: republic
Capital: Aden
Administrative divisions: 6 governorates
(niuhafa/.at, singular — muhafazah); Ab-
yan, 'Adan, Al Mahrah, Hadramawt,
Lahij, Shabwah
Independence: 30 November 1967 (from
UK)
Constitution: 31 October 1978
Legal system: based on Islamic law (for
personal matters) and English common
law (for commercial matters)
National holiday: National Day, 14 Octo-
ber
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, two deputy prime ministers, Council
of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme
People's Council
Judicial branch: Federal High Court
Leaders: Chief of Stale — President Hay-
dar Abu Bakr al-'ATTAS (since 8 Febru-
ary 1986);
Head of Government — Chairman of the
Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Dr.
Yasin Sa'id NU'MAN (since 8 February
1986); Deputy Prime Minister Salih Abu
Bakr bin HUSAYNUN (since 8 February
1986); Deputy Prime Minister Salih Mu-
nassir al-SIYAYLI (since 8 February
1986)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) is a coali-
tion of National Front, Ba'th, and Com-
munist Parties
Suffrage: universal at age 1 8
Elections: Supreme People's Council — last
held 28-30 October 1986 (next to be held
NA); results — YSP is the only party;
seats— (1 1 1 total) YSP or YSP approved
111
Communists: NA
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77,
GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB — Islamic Development Bank, I FAD,
ILO, IMF, IMO, ITU, NAM, QIC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: none; the UK
acts as the protecting power for the US in
the PDRY
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and black with a light blue,
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
bearing a red five-pointed star
Economy
Overview: The PDRY is one of the poorest
Arab countries, with a per capita GNP of
about $500. A shortage of natural
resources, a widely dispersed population,
and an arid climate make economic devel-
opment difficult. The economy has grown
at an average annual rate of only 2-3%
since the mid-1970s. The economy is or-
ganized along socialist lines, dominated by
the public sector. Economic growth has
been constrained by a lack of incentives,
partly stemming from centralized control
over production decisions, investment allo-
cation, and import choices.
GNP: $1.2 billion, per capita $495; real
growth rate 5.2% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8%
(1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $429 million; expendi-
tures $976 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $402 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $82.2 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — cotton, hides, skins, dried
and salted fish; partners — Japan, YAR,
Singapore
Imports: $598.0 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities — grain, consumer goods,
crude oil, machinery, chemicals;
partners — USSR, Australia, UK
External debt: $2.25 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 245,000 kW capacity; 600 mil-
lion kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita
(1989)
Industries: petroleum refinery (operates on
imported crude oil); fish
Agriculture: accounts for 13% of GNP
and 45% of labor force; products — grain,
qat (mildly narcotic shrub), coffee, fish,
livestock; fish and honey major exports;
most food imported
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-80), $4.5 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $241 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $279 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $2.2 bil-
lion
Currency: Yemeni dinar (plural — dinars);
1 Yemeni dinar (YD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Yemeni dinars (YD) per
US$1— 0.3454 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Highways: 11,000 km; 2,000 km bitumi-
nous, 9,000 km natural surface (est.)
Pipelines: refined products, 32 km
Ports: Aden, Al Khalf, Nishtun
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 4,309 GRT/6,568 DWT;
includes 2 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air 8 major transport aircraft
Airports: 42 total, 29 usable; 7 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 1 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: small system of
open-wire, radio relay, multiconductor
cable, and radio communications stations;
15,000 telephones (est.); stations — 1 AM,
no FM, 5 TV; satellite earth stations — 1
Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersput-
nik, 1 ARABSAT; radio relay and tropo-
spheric scatter to YAR
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Peo-
ple's Militia, People's Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 544,190;
307,005 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: NA
343
Yugoslavia
150km
Sec rrfionil map V
Geography
Total area: 255,800 km2; land area:
255,400 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Wyoming
Land boundaries: 2,961 km total; Albania
486 km, Austria 311 km, Bulgaria 539
km, Greece 246 km, Hungary 631 km,
Italy 202 km, Romania 546 km
Coastline: 3,935 km (including 2,414 km
offshore islands)
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to
depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Kosovo question with Albania;
Macedonia question with Bulgaria and
Greece
Climate: temperate; hot, relatively dry
summers with mild, rainy winters along
coast; warm summer with cold winters
inland
Terrain: mostly mountains with large ar-
eas of karst topography; plain in north
Natural resources: coal, copper, bauxite,
timber, iron ore, antimony, chromium,
lead, zinc, asbestos, mercury, crude oil,
natural gas, nickel, uranium
Land use: 28% arable land; 3% permanent
crops; 25% meadows and pastures; 36%
forest and woodland; 8% other; includes
1% irrigated
Environment: subject to frequent and de-
structive earthquakes
Note: controls the most important land
routes from central and western Europe to
Aegean Sea and Turkish straits
People
Population: 23,841,608 (July 1990),
growth rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 1 5 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male,
76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .9 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Yugoslav(s); adjec-
tive— Yugoslav
Ethnic divisions: 36.3% Serb, 19.7% Croat,
8.9% Muslim, 7.8% Slovene, 7.7% Alba-
nian, 5.9% Macedonian, 5.4% Yugoslav,
2.5% Montenegrin, 1.9% Hungarian, 3.9%
other (1981 census)
Religion: 50% Eastern Orthodox, 30% Ro-
man Catholic, 9% Muslim, 1% Protestant,
10% other
Language: Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, Ma-
cedonian (all official); Albanian, Hungar-
ian
Literacy: 90.5%
Labor force: 9,600,000; 22% agriculture,
27% mining and manufacturing; about 5%
of labor force are guest workers in West-
ern Europe (1986)
Organized labor: 6,200,000 members in
the Confederation of Trade Unions of Yu-
goslavia (SSJ)
Government
Long-form name: Socialist Federal Repub-
lic of Yugoslavia; abbreviated SFRY
Type: Communist state, federal republic
in form
Capital: Belgrade
Administrative divisions: 6 socialist repub-
lics (socijalisticke republike, singular —
socijalisticka republika); Bosna I Hercego-
vina, Crna Gora, Hrvatska, Makedonija,
Slovenija, Srbija; note — there are two au-
tonomous provinces (autonomne pokajine,
singular — autonomna pokajina) named
Kosovo and Vojvodina within Srbija
Independence: 1 December 1918; indepen-
dent monarchy established from the King-
doms of Serbia and Montenegro, parts of
the Turkish Empire, and the
Austro-Hungarian Empire; SFRY pro-
claimed 29 November 1945
Constitution: 21 February 1974
Legal system: mixture of civil law system
and Communist legal theory; has not ac-
cepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Proclamation of the So-
cialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 29
November (1945)
Executive branch: president of the Collec-
tive State Presidency, vice president of the
Collective State Presidency, Collective
State Presidency, president of the Federal
Executive Council, two vice presidents of
the Federal Executive Council, Federal
Executive Council
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal As-
sembly (Savezna Skupstina) consists of an
upper chamber or Chamber of Republics
and Provinces and a lower chamber or
Federal Chamber
Judicial branch: Federal Court (Savezna
Sud), Constitutional Court
Leaders: Chief of State President of the
Collective State Presidency Janez
DRNOVSEK (from Slovenija; one-year
term expires 1 5 May 1 990); Vice Presi-
dent of the Collective State Presidency —
Borisav JOVIC (from Srbija; one-year
term expires 1 5 May 1 990); note — the
offices of president and vice president ro-
tate annually among members of the Col-
lective State Presidency with the current
vice president assuming the presidency
and a new vice president selected from
area which has gone the longest without
filling the position (the current sequence is
Hrvatska, Crna Gora, Vojvodina, Kosovo,
Makedonija, Bosna i Hercegovina, Slove-
nija, and Srbija);
Head of Government President of the
Federal Executive Council Ante MARK-
OVIC (since 16 March 1989); Vice Presi-
dent of the Federal Executive Council
Aleksandar MITROVIC (since 16 March
1989); Vice President of the Federal Exec-
utive Council Zivko PREGL (since 16
March 1989)
Political parties and leaders: there are
about 90 political parties operating
country-wide including the League of
Communists of Yugoslavia (LCY)
Suffrage: at age 1 6 if employed, universal
at age 1 8
Elections: direct national elections proba-
bly will be held in late 1990
Communists: 2,079,013 party members
(1988)
Other political or pressure groups: Social-
ist Alliance of Working People of Yugo-
slavia (SAWPY), the major mass front
organization; Confederation of Trade
Unions of Yugoslavia (CTUY), League of
Socialist Youth of Yugoslavia, Federation
of Veterans' Associations of Yugoslavia
(SUBNOR)
Member of: ASSIMER, CCC, CEMA
(observer but participates in certain com-
missions), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB—
Inter-American Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU,
ITC, ITU, NAM, OECD (participant in
some activities), UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Dzevad MUJEZINOVIC; Chancery at
2410 California Street NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-6566;
there are Yugoslav Consulates General in
Chicago, Cleveland, New York,
344
Pittsburgh, and San Francisco; US — Am-
bassador Warren ZIMMERMAN; Em-
bassy at Kneza Milosa 50, Belgrade; tele-
phone [38] (1 1) 645-655; there is a US
Consulate General in Zagreb
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue
(top), white, and red with a large red five-
pointed star edged in yellow superimposed
in the center over all three bands
Economy
Overview: Tito's reform programs 20 years
ago changed the Stalinist command econ-
omy to a decentralized semimarket system
but a system that the rigid, ethnically di-
vided political structure ultimately could
not accommodate. A prominent feature of
the reforms was the establishment of
workers' self-management councils in all
large plants, which were to select manag-
ers, stimulate production, and divide the
proceeds. The general result of these re-
forms has been rampant wage-price infla-
tion, substantial rundown of capital plant,
consumer shortages, and a still larger in-
come gap between the poorer southern
regions and the relatively affluent northern
provinces of Hrvatska and Slovenija. In
1988-89 the beleaguered central govern-
ment has been reforming the reforms, try-
ing to create an open market economy
with still considerable state ownership of
major industrial plants. These reforms
have been moving forward with the advice
and support of the International Monetary
Fund through a series of tough negotia-
tions. Self-management supposedly is to
be replaced by the discipline of the mar-
ket and by fiscal austerity, ultimately
leading to a stable dinar. However, strikes
in major plants, hyperinflation, and inter-
regional political jousting have held back
progress. According to US economic ad-
visers, only a highly unlikely combination
of genuine privatization, massive Western
economic investment and aid, and political
moderation can salvage this economy.
GNP: $129.5 billion, per capita $5,464;
real growth rate -1.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2,700%
(1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1989)
Budget: revenues $6.4 billion; expenditures
$6.4 billion, including capital expenditures
of SNA (1990)
Exports: $13.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— raw materials and semimanu-
factures 50%, consumer goods 31%, capi-
tal goods and equipment 1 9%; partners —
EC 30%, CEMA 45%, less developed
countries 14%, US 5%, other 6%
Imports: $13.8 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— raw materials and semimanu-
factures 79%, capital goods and equip-
ment 15%, consumer goods 6%;
partners— EC 30%, CEMA 45%, less
developed countries 14%, US 5%, other
6%
External debt: $17.0 billion, medium and
long term (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate —1%
(1989 est.)
Electricity: 21,000,000 kW capacity;
87,100 million kWh produced, 3,650 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: metallurgy, machinery and
equipment, petroleum, chemicals, textiles,
wood processing, food processing, pulp and
paper, motor vehicles, building materials
Agriculture: diversified, with many small
private holdings and large combines; main
crops — corn, wheat, tobacco, sugar beets,
sunflowers; occasionally a net exporter of
corn, tobacco, foodstuffs, live animals
Aid: donor — about $3.5 billion in bilateral
aid to non-Communist less developed
countries (1966-88)
Currency: Yugoslav dinar (plural — dinars);
1 Yugoslav dinar (YD) = 100 paras;
note — on 1 January 1990, Yugoslavia be-
gan issuing a new currency with 1 new
dinar equal to 10,000 YD
Exchange rates: Yugoslav dinars (YD) per
US$1 — 118,568 (January 1990), 28,764
(1989), 2,523 (1988), 737 (1987), 379
(1986), 270 (1985); note— as of February
1990 the new dinar is linked to the FRG
deutsche mark at the rate of 7 new dinars
per 1 deustche mark
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 9,270 km total; (all 1.435-meter
standard gauge) including 926 km double
track, 3,771 km electrified (1987)
Highways: 120,747 km total; 71,315 km
asphalt, concrete, stone block; 34,299 km
macadam, asphalt treated, gravel, crushed
stone; 15,133 km earth (1987)
Inland waterways: 2,600 km (1982)
Pipelines: 1,373 km crude oil; 2,900 km
natural gas; 150 km refined products
Ports: Rijeka, Split, Koper, Bar, Ploce;
inland port is Belgrade
Merchant marine: 270 ships (1,000 CRT
or over) totaling 3,608,705 GRT/
5,809,219 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 4
short-sea passenger, 1 3 1 cargo, 3 refriger-
ated cargo, 16 container, 14 roll-on/roll-
off cargo, 3 multifunction large-load car-
rier, 9 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 3 combi-
nation ore/oil, 73 bulk, 8 combination
bulk; note — Yugoslavia owns 19 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 229,614 GRT/
353,224 DWT under the registry of Libe-
ria, Panama, and Cyprus
Civil air: NA major transport aircraft
Airports: 184 total, 184 usable; 54 with
permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3.659 m; 22 with runways
2,440 to 3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-
2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations — 199 AM,
87 FM, 50 TV; 4,107,846 TV sets;
4,700,000 radio receivers; satellite earth
stations — 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Yugoslav People's Army —
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and
Air Defense Forces, Frontier Guard, Ter-
ritorial Defense Force, Civil Defense
Military manpower: males 15-49,
6,135,628; 4,970,420 fit for military ser-
vice; 188,028 reach military age (19) an-
nually
Defense expenditures: 14.8 trillion dinars,
4.6% of national income (1989 est.);
note — conversion of the military budget
into US dollars using the official adminis-
tratively set exchange rate would produce
misleading results
345
Zaire
Boundary representation is
not necessarily authoritative
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 2,345,410 km2; land area:
2,267,600 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than one-
quarter the size of US
Land boundaries: 10,271 km total; Angola
2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central Afri-
can Republic 1,577 km, Congo 2,410 km,
Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Uganda
765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Coastline: 37 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint
in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be
indefinite since it is reported that the in-
definite section of the Zaire-Zambia
boundary has been settled; long section
with Congo along the Congo River is in-
definite (no division of the river or its is-
lands has been made)
Climate: tropical; hot and humid in equa-
torial river basin; cooler and drier in
southern highlands; cooler and wetter in
eastern highlands; north of Equator — wet
season April to October, dry season De-
cember to February; south of Equator —
wet season November to March, dry sea-
son April to October
Terrain: vast central basin is a low-lying
plateau; mountains in east
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cad-
mium, crude oil, industrial and gem dia-
monds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin,
germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite,
iron ore, coal, hydropower potential
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 4% meadows and pastures;
78% forest and woodland; 15% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: dense tropical rainforest in
central river basin and eastern highlands;
periodic droughts in south
Note: straddles Equator; very narrow strip
of land is only outlet to South Atlantic
Ocean
People
Population: 36,589,468 (July 1990),
growth rate 3.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 103 deaths/ 1,000
live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 5 1 years male,
55 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Zairian(s); adjective —
Zairian
Ethnic divisions: over 200 African ethnic
groups, the majority are Bantu; four larg-
est tribes — Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all
Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Ha-
mitic) make up about 45% of the popula-
tion
Religion: 50% Roman Catholic, 20% Prot-
estant, 10% Kimbanguist, 10% Muslim,
10% other syncretic sects and traditional
beliefs
Language: French (official), Lingala, Swa-
hili, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba
Literacy: 55% males, 37% females
Labor force: 15,000,000; 75% agriculture,
1 3% industry, 1 2% services; 1 3% wage
earners (1981); 51% of population of work-
ing age (1985)
Organized labor: National Union of
Workers of Zaire (UNTZA) is the only
trade union
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Zaire
Type: republic with a strong presidential
system
Capital: Kinshasa
Administrative divisions: 8 regions (regions,
singular — region) and 1 town* (ville); Ban-
dundu, Bas-Zai're, Equateur, Haut-Zai're,
Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental,
Kinshasa*, Kivu, Shaba; note — there may
now be 10 regions with the elimination of
Kivu and addition of Maniema, Nord-
Kivu, and Sud-Kivu
Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Bel-
gium; formerly Belgian Congo, then Congo/
Leopoldville, then Congo/ Kinshasa)
Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended Au-
gust 1974, revised 15 February 1978
Legal system: based on Belgian civil law
system and tribal law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Anniversary of the Re-
gime (Second Republic), 24 November
(1965)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Legislative Council (Conseil Legislatif Na-
tional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour
Supreme)
Leaders: Chief of State — President Mar-
shal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu
wa Za Banga (since 24 November 1965);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
LUNDA Bululu (since 25 April 1990)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
Popular Movement of the Revolution
(MPR)
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age
18
Elections: President — last held 29 July
1984 (next to be held July 1991); results-
President Mobutu was reelected without
opposition;
National Legislative Council — last held 6
September 1987 (next to be held Septem-
ber 1992); results— MPR is the only
party; seats — (210 total) MPR 210
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, Cl-
PEC, EAMA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-
77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITC,
ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
(vacant). Charge d'Affaires MUKENDI
Tambo a Kabila; Chancery at 1800 New
Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC
20009; telephone (202) 234-7690 or 7691;
US— Ambassador William C. HARROP;
Embassy at 310 Avenue des Aviateurs,
Kinshasa (mailing address is APO New
York 09662); telephone [243] (12) 25881
through 25886; there is a US Consulate
General in Lubumbashi
Flag: light green with a yellow disk in the
center bearing a black arm holding a red
flaming torch; the flames of the torch are
blowing away from the hoist side; uses the
popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Overview: In 1988, in spite of large min-
eral resources and one of the most devel-
oped and diversified economies in Sub-
Saharan Africa, Zaire had a GDP per
capita of $195, one of the lowest on the
continent. Agriculture, a key sector of the
economy, employs 75% of the population
but generates under 30% of GDP. The
main impetus for economic development
has been the extractive industries. Mining
and mineral processing account for about
one-third of GDP and two-thirds of total
export earnings. During the period 1983-
88 the economy experienced slow growth.
346
Zambia
high inflation, a rising foreign debt, and a
drop in foreign exchange earnings. Recent
increases in foreign prices for copper — a
key export earner — and other minerals
offer some hope of reversing the economic
decline. Zaire is the world's largest pro-
ducer of diamonds.
GDP: $6.5 billion, per capita $195; real
growth rate 2.8% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 82%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $856 million; expendi-
tures $2.3 billion, including capital expen-
ditures of $655 million (1988)
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— copper 37%, coffee 24%, dia-
monds 12%, cobalt, crude oil; partners —
US, Belgium, France, FRG, Italy, UK,
Japan
Imports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— consumer goods, foodstuffs,
mining and other machinery, transport
equipment, fuels; partners — US, Belgium,
France, FRG, Italy, Japan, UK
External debt: $8.6 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 2,574,000 kW capacity; 5,550
million kWh produced, 160 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
Industries: mining, mineral processing,
consumer products (including textiles,
footwear, and cigarettes), processed foods
and beverages, cement, diamonds
Agriculture: cash crops — coffee, palm oil,
rubber, quinine; food crops — cassava, ba-
nanas, root crops, corn
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis,
mostly for domestic consumption
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-88), $998 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $6.0 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $263 mil-
lion
Currency: zaTre (plural — zai're); 1 zai're (Z)
= 100 makuta
Exchange rates: zai're (Z) per US$1—
465.000 (January 1989), 381.445 (1989),
187.070(1988), 112.403 (1987), 59.625
(1986), 49.873 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 5,254 km total; 3,968 km
1.067-meter gauge (851 km electrified);
125 km 1.000-meter gauge; 136 km
0.615-meter gauge; 1,025 km 0.600-meter
gauge
Highways: 146,500 km total; 2,550 km
bituminous, 46,450 km gravel and im-
proved earth; remainder unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 15,000 km including
the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnec-
ted lakes
Pipelines: refined products 390 km
Ports: Matadi, Boma, Banana
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 CRT or
over) totaling 41,802 GRT/60,496 DWT;
includes 1 passenger cargo, 3 cargo
Civil air: 38 major transport aircraft
Airports: 312 total, 258 usable; 25 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 71 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: barely adequate wire
and radio relay service; 31,200 telephones;
stations— 10 AM, 4 FM, 18 TV; satellite
earth stations — 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT, 14 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Na-
tional Gendarmerie, Logistics Corps, Spe-
cial Presidential Division
Military manpower: males 15-49,
7,970,619; 4,057,561 fit for military ser-
vice
Defense expenditures: $67 million (1988)
Livingstone
See region*! map VII
Geography
Total area: 752,610 km2; land area:
740,720 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Texas
Land boundaries: 5,664 km total; Angola
1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique
419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338
km, Zaire 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: quadripoint with Botswana, Na-
mibia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement;
Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake
Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite
since it is reported that the indefinite sec-
tion of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has
been settled
Climate: tropical; modified by altitude;
rainy season (October to April)
Terrain: mostly high plateau with some
hills and mountains
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, zinc,
lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium,
hydropower potential
Land use: 7% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 47% meadows and pastures;
27% forest and woodland; 19% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; soil erosion;
desertification
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 8,1 12,782 (July 1990), growth
rate 3. 2% (1990)
Birth rate: 49 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 12 deaths/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: —6 migrants/ 1,000
population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 80 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
347
Zambia (continued)
Life expectancy at birth: 55 years male,
58 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Zambian(s); adjec-
tive— Zambian
Ethnic divisions: 98.7% African, 1.1% Eu-
ropean, 0.2% other
Religion: 50-75% Christian, 1% Muslim
and Hindu, remainder indigenous beliefs
Language: English (official); about 70 in-
digenous languages
Literacy: 75.7%
Labor force: 2,455,000; 85% agriculture;
6% mining, manufacturing, and construc-
tion; 9% transport and services
Organized labor: about 238,000 wage
earners are unionized
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Zambia
Type: one-party state
Capital: Lusaka
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Cen-
tral, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lu-
saka, Northern, North- Western, Southern,
Western
Independence: 24 October 1964 (from UK;
formerly Northern Rhodesia)
Constitution: 25 August 1973
Legal system: based on English common
law and customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional
council; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 24
October (1964)
Executive branch: president, prime minis-
ter, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National
Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State — President Dr.
Kenneth David KAUNDA (since 24 Octo-
ber 1964);
Head of Government — Prime Minister
Gen. Malimba MASHEKE (since 15
March 1989)
Political parties and leaders: only party —
United National Independence Party
(UNIP), Kenneth Kaunda
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President — last held 26 October
1988 (next to be held October 1993); re-
sults— President Kenneth Kaunda was
reelected without opposition;
National Assembly — last held 26 October
1988 (next to be held October 1993); re-
sults— UNIP is the only party; seats —
(136 total, 125 elected) UNIP 125
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Common-
wealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto),
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU,
SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador
Paul J. F. LUSAKA; Chancery at 2419
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-9717
through 9721; US — Ambassador Jeffrey
DAVIDOW; Embassy at corner of Inde-
pendence Avenue and United Nations Av-
enue, Lusaka (mailing address is P. O.
Box 31617, Lusaka); telephone [2601]
214911
Flag: green with a panel of three vertical
bands of red (hoist side), black, and or-
ange below a soaring orange eagle, on the
outer edge of the flag
Economy
Overview: Despite temporary growth in
1988, the economy has been in decline for
more than a decade with falling imports
and growing foreign debt. Economic diffi-
culties stem from a sustained drop in cop-
per production and ineffective economic
policies. In 1988 real GDP stood only
slightly higher than that of 10 years be-
fore, while an annual population growth of
more than 3% has brought a decline in
per capita GDP of 25% during the same
period. A high inflation rate has also
added to Zambia's economic woes in re-
cent years.
GDP: $4.0 billion, per capita $530; real
growth rate 6.7% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 55.7%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $570 million; expendi-
tures $939 million, including capital ex-
penditures of $36 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $1,184 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities — copper, zinc, cobalt, lead,
tobacco; partners — EC, Japan, South Af-
rica, US
Imports: $687 million (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— machinery, transportation
equipment, foodstuffs, fuels,
manufactures; partners — EC, Japan,
South Africa, US
External debt: $6.9 billion (December
1989)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
(1986)
Electricity: 1,900,000 kW capacity; 8,245
million kWh produced, 1 ,050 kWh per
capita (1989)
Industries: copper mining and processing,
transport, construction, foodstuffs, bever-
ages, chemicals, textiles, and fertilizer
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and
85% of labor force; crops — corn (food sta-
ple), sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower,
tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava; cattle,
goats, beef, eggs produced; marginally
self-sufficient in corn
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(1970-88), $466 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral com-
mitments (1970-87), $4.2 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Com-
munist countries (1970-88), $533 million
Currency: Zambian kwacha (plural — kwa-
cha); 1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ng-
wee
Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha (ZK)
per US$1— 21.7865 (January 1990),
12.9032 (1989), 8.2237 (1988), 8.8889
(1987), 7.3046 (1986), 2.7137 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 1,266 km, all 1.067-meter
gauge; 1 3 km double track
Highways: 36,370 km total; 6,500 km
paved, 7,000 km crushed stone, gravel, or
stabilized soil; 22,870 km improved and
unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 2,250 km, including
Zambezi and Luapula Rivers, Lake
Tanganyika
Pipelines: 1,7241cm crude oil
Ports: Mpulungu (lake port)
Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
Airports: 121 total, 106 usable; 13 with
permanent-surface runways; 1 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: facilities are among
the best in Sub-Saharan Africa;
high-capacity radio relay connects most
larger towns and cities; 71,700 telephones;
stations— 11 AM, 3 FM, 9 TV; satellite
earth stations — 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, Police, Para-
military
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
1,683,758; 883,283 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: NA
348
Zimbabwe
200km
See regional map VII
Geography
Total area: 390,580 km2; land area:
386,670 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than
Montana
Land boundaries: 3,066 km total; Bots-
wana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km,
South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km
Coastline: none — landlocked
Maritime claims: none — landlocked
Disputes: quadripoint with Botswana, Na-
mibia, and Zambia is in disagreement
Climate: tropical; moderated by altitude;
rainy season (November to March)
Terrain: mostly high plateau with higher
central plateau (high veld); mountains in
east
Natural resources: coal, chromium ore,
asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore,
vanadium, lithium, tin
Land use: 7% arable land; NEGL% per-
manent crops; 1 2% meadows and pastures;
62% forest and woodland; 1 9% other; in-
cludes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recurring droughts; floods
and severe storms are rare; deforestation;
soil erosion; air and water pollution; deser-
tification
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 10,392,161 (July 1990),
growth rate 3.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 42 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/ 1 ,000 pop-
ulation (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 65 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male,
63 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Zimbabwean(s); adjec-
tive— Zimbabwean
Ethnic divisions: 98% African (71% Shona,
16% Ndebele, 11% other); 1% white, 1%
mixed and Asian
Religion: 50% syncretic (part Christian,
part indigenous beliefs), 25% Christian,
24% indigenous beliefs, a few Muslim
Language: English (official); Shona and
Ndebele
Literacy: 74%
Labor force: 3,100,000; 74% agriculture,
16% transport and services, 10% mining,
manufacturing, construction (1987)
Organized labor: 1 7% of wage and salary
earners have union membership
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Zimbabwe
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Harare
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Ma-
nicaland, Mashonaland Central, Masho-
naland East, Mashonaland West, Matabe-
leland North, Matabeleland South,
Midlands, Victoria (commonly called
Masvingo)
Independence: 18 April 1980 (from UK;
formerly Southern Rhodesia)
Constitution: 21 December 1979
Legal system: mixture of Roman-Dutch
and English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 18
April (1980)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Gov-
ernment— Executive President Robert Ga-
briel MUGABE (since 3 1 December
1987); Vice President Simon Vengai MU-
ZENDA (since 31 December 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Zimbabwe
African National Union-Patriotic Front
(ZANU-PF), Robert Mugabe; Zimbabwe
African National Union-Sithole (ZANU-
S), Ndabaningi Sithole; Zimbabwe Unity
Movement (ZUM), Edgar Tekere
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President— last held 28-30
March 1990 (next to be held March
1995); results — President Robert Mugabe
78.3%; Edgar Tekere 21.7%;
Parliament— last held 28-30 March 1990
(next to be held March 1993); results —
percent of vote by party NA; seats — (150
total, 120 elected) ZANU 1 16, ZUM 2,
ZANU-S 1, to be determined 1
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Common-
wealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, INTERPOL, NAM, OAU,
SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Counselor (Po-
litical Affairs), Head of Chancery, Am-
bassador Stanislaus Garikai CHIGWE-
DERE; Chancery at 2852 McGill Terrace
NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 332-7100; US— Ambassador-
designate Steven RHODES; Embassy at
172 Rhodes Avenue, Harare (mailing ad-
dress is P. O. Box 3340, Harare); tele-
phone [263] (14) 794-521
Flag: seven equal horizontal bands of
green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and
green with a white equilateral triangle
edged in black based on the hoist side; a
yellow Zimbabwe bird is superimposed on
a red five-pointed star in the center of the
triangle
Economy
Overview: Agriculture employs a majority
of the labor force and supplies almost 40%
of exports. The agro-based manufacturing
sector produces a variety of goods and
contributes about 25% to GDP. Mining
accounts for only 5% of both GDP and
employment, but supplies of minerals and
metals account for about 40% of exports.
Wide year-to-year fluctuations in agricul-
tural production over the past six years
resulted in not only an uneven growth
rate, but one that did not equal the 3%
annual increase in population.
GDP: $4.6 billion, per capita $470; real
growth rate 5.3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.4%
(1988)
Unemployment rate: at least 20% (1988
est.)
Budget: revenues $2.4 billion; expenditures
$3.0 billion, including capital expenditures
of $290 million (FY90)
Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988); com-
modities— agricultural 34% (tobacco 21%,
other 13%), manufactures 19%, gold 11%,
ferrochrome 1 1 %, cotton 6%; partners —
Europe 55% (EC 41%, Netherlands 6%,
other 8%), Africa 22% (South Africa 12%,
other 10%), US 6%
Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1988); com-
modities— machinery and transportation
equipment 37%, other manufactures 22%,
chemicals 16%, fuels 1 5%; partners — EC
31%, Africa 29% (South Africa 21%,
other 8%), US 8%, Japan 4%
External debt: $2.96 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.7%
(1988 est.)
Electricity: 2,036,000 kW capacity; 5,460
million kWh produced, 540 kWh per cap-
ita (1989)
349
Zimbabwe (continued)
Taiwan
Industries: mining, steel, clothing and
footwear, chemicals, foodstuffs, fertilizer,
beverage, transportation equipment, wood
products
Agriculture: accounts for about 1 5% of
GDP and employs over 70% of population;
40% of land area divided into 6,000 large
commercial farms and 42% in communal
lands; crops — corn (food staple), cotton,
tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, pea-
nuts; livestock — cattle, sheep, goats, pigs;
self-sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY80-88), $359 million; Western (non-
US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-87), $2.0 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $36 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $134 mil-
lion
Currency: Zimbabwean dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100
cents
Exchange rates: Zimbabwean dollars (Z$)
per US$1— 2.2873 (January 1990), 2.1133
(1989), 1.8018 (1988), 1.6611 (1987),
1.6650(1986), 1.6119(1985)
Fiscal year 1 July- 30 June
Communications
Railroads: 2,745 km 1 .067-meter gauge;
42 km double track; 355 km electrified
Highways: 85,237 km total; 15,800 km
paved, 39,090 km crushed stone, gravel,
stabilized soil: 23,097 km improved earth;
7,250 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: Lake Kariba is a poten-
tial line of communication
Pipelines: 8 km, refined products
Civil air: 1 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 506 total, 420 usable; 23 with
permanent-surface runways; 2 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-
3,659 m; 37 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: system was once one
of the best in Africa, but now suffers from
poor maintenance; consists of radio relay
links, open-wire lines, and radio communi-
cations stations; 247,000 telephones; sta-
tions—8 AM, 18 FM, 8 TV; 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Zimbabwe National Army, Air
Force of Zimbabwe, Police Support Unit,
People's Militia
Military manpower: males 15-49,
2,173,448; 1,342,920 fit for military ser-
vice
Defense expenditures: $446.7 million
(FY89 est.)
10O km
Pescadores
Chi lung
• Ma-kung
Taiwan I Phi/lppin
Sea
Quemoy and Matsu
islands are not shown
Set regional map VIM
Geography
Total area: 35,980 km2; land area: 32,260
km2; includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and
Quemoy
Comparative area: slightly less than three
times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 1 2 nm
Disputes: involved in complex dispute over
the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia,
Philippines, and Vietnam; Paracel Islands
occupied by China, but claimed by Viet-
nam and Taiwan; Japanese-administered
Senkaku-shotO (Senkaku Islands) claimed
by China and Taiwan
Climate: tropical; marine; rainy season
during southwest monsoon (June to
August); cloudiness is persistent and ex-
tensive all year
Terrain: eastern two-thirds mostly rugged
mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in
west
Natural resources: small deposits of coal,
natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbes-
tos
Land use: 24% arable land; 1% permanent
crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 55%
forest and woodland; 1 5% other; 1 4% irri-
gated
Environment: subject to earthquakes and
typhoons
People
Population: 20,546,664 (July 1990),
growth rate 1.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/ 1,000 population
(1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population
(1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/
1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/ 1,000 live
births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male,
77 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1 .7 children born/
woman (1990)
Nationality: noun — Chinese (sing., pi.);
adjective — Chinese
Ethnic divisions: 84% Taiwanese, 14%
mainland Chinese, 2% aborigine
Religion: 93% mixture of Buddhist, Con-
fucian, and Taoist; 4.5% Christian; 2.5%
other
Language: Mandarin Chinese (official);
Taiwanese and Hakka dialects also used
Literacy: 94%
Labor force: 7,880,000; 41% industry and
commerce, 32% services, 20% agriculture,
7% civil administration (1986)
Organized labor: 1,300,000 or about
18.4% (government controlled) (1983)
Administration
Long-form name: none
Type: one-party presidential regime; oppo-
sition political parties legalized in March,
1989
Capital: Taipei
Administrative divisions: 1 6 counties
(hsien, singular and plural), 5
municipalities* (shih, singular and plural),
2 special municipalities** (chuan-shih,
singular and plural); Chang-hua, Chia-i,
Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*,
Hua-lien, Man, Kao-hsiung,
Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-
hu, P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-chung*,
T'ai-nan, T'ai-nan*, T'ai-pei, T'ai-pei**,
T'ai-tung, T'ao-yiian, Yiin-lin; note — the
Wade-Giles system is used for romaniza-
tion
Constitution: 25 December 1947
Legal system: based on civil law system;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday: National Day (Anniver-
sary of the Revolution), 10 October (1911)
Executive branch: president, vice presi-
dent, premier of the Executive Yuan, vice
premier of the Executive Yuan, Executive
Y(ian
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative
Yuan
Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan
Leaders: Chief of State— President LI
Teng-hui (since 13 January 1988); Vice
President LI Yuan-tzu (will take office 20
May 1990);
Head of Government — Premier (President
of the Executive Yuan) HAO Po-ts'un
(since May 2 1990); Vice Premier (Vice
President of the Executive Yuan) SHIH
Ch'i-yang (since NA July 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Kuomintang
(Nationalist Party), LI Teng-hui, chair-
350
man; Democratic Socialist Party and
Young China Party controlled by Kuo-
mintang; Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP); Labor Party; 27 other minor par-
ties
Suffrage: universal at age 20
Elections: President — last held 21 March
1990 (next to be held March 1996); re-
sults— President Li Teng-hui was elected
by the National Assembly;
Vice President— last held 22 March 1990
(next to be held March 1996); results — Li
Yuan-tzu was elected by the National As-
sembly;
Legislative Yuan — last held 2 December
1989 (next to be held December 1992);
results— KMT 65%, DPP 33%, indepen-
dents 2%; seats— (304 total, 102 elected)
KMT 78, DPP 21, independents 3
Member of: expelled from UN General
Assembly and Security Council on 25 Oc-
tober 1971 and withdrew on same date
from other charter-designated subsidiary
organs; expelled from IMF/ World Bank
group April/May 1980; member of ADB
and PECC, seeking to join GATT and/or
MFA; attempting to retain membership in
ICAC, ISO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IWC — International Wheat Council; sus-
pended from IAEA in 1972, but still al-
lows IAEA controls over extensive atomic
development
Diplomatic representation: none; unofficial
commercial and cultural relations with the
people of the US are maintained through
a private instrumentality, the Coordina-
tion Council for North American Affairs
(CCNAA) with headquarters in Taipei
and field offices in Washington and 10
other US cities with all addresses and
telephone numbers NA; US — unofficial
commercial and cultural relations with the
people of Taiwan are maintained through
a private institution, the American Insti-
tute in Taiwan (AIT), which has offices in
Taipei at 7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Sec-
tion 3 with telephone 002 [886] (2) 709-
2000 and in Kao-hsiung at 88 Wu Fu 3rd
Road with telephone NA
Flag: red with a dark blue rectangle in the
upper hoist-side corner bearing a white
sun with 12 triangular rays
Economy
Overview: Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist
economy with considerable government
guidance of investment and foreign trade
and partial government ownership of some
large banks and industrial firms. Real
growth in GNP has averaged about 9% a
year during the past three decades. Export
growth has been even faster and has pro-
vided the impetus for industrialization.
Agriculture contributes about 6% to GNP,
down from 35% in 1952. Taiwan currently
ranks as number 13 among major trading
countries. Traditional labor-intensive in-
dustries are steadily being replaced with
more capital- and technology-intensive
industries.
GNP: $121.4 billion, per capita $6,000;
real growth rate 7.2% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.0%
(1989)
Unemployment rate: 1.7% (1989)
Budget: revenues $25.9 billion; expendi-
tures $33.2 billion, including capital ex-
penditures of $NA (FY89)
Exports: $66.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989); com-
modities— textiles 9.7%, electrical ma-
chinery 19.0%, general machinery and
equipment 14%, telecommunications
equipment 9%, basic metals and metal
products 7.4%, foodstuffs 0.9%, plywood
and wood products 1 .3%; partners — US
36.2%, Japan 13.7%
Imports: $52.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989); com-
modities— machinery and equipment
15.9%, crude oil 5%, chemical and chemi-
cal products 11.1%, basic metals 7.4%,
foodstuffs 2.0%; partners— Japan 31%, US
23%, Saudi Arabia 8.6%
External debt: $1.0 billion (December
1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.1%
(1988)
Electricity: 17,000,000 kW capacity;
68,000 million kWh produced, 3,360 kWh
per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, clothing, chemicals,
electronics, food processing, plywood,
sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petro-
leum
Agriculture: accounts for 6% of GNP and
20% of labor force (includes part-time
farmers); heavily subsidized sector; major
crops — rice, sugarcane, sweet potatoes,
fruits, vegetables; livestock — hogs, poultry,
beef, milk, cattle; not self-sufficient in
wheat, soybeans, corn; fish catch expand-
ing, 1.1 million metric tons in (1987)
Aid: US, including Ex-Im (FY46-82), $4.6
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-
87), $439 million
Currency: new Taiwan dollar (plural —
dollars); 1 new Taiwan dollar (NT$) =
100 cents
Exchange rates: new Taiwan dollars per
US$1— 26.3 (March 1990), 26.156 (De-
cember 1989), 28.589 (1988), 31.845
(1987), 37.838 (1986), 39.849 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Railroads: about 1,075 km common car-
rier lines and over 3,800 km industrial
lines; common carrier lines consist of the
1.067-meter gauge 708 km West Line and
the 367 km East Line; a 98.25 km South
Link Line connection is under construc-
tion; common carrier lines owned by the
government and operated by the Railway
Administration under Ministry of Com-
munications; industrial lines owned and
operated by government enterprises
Highways: 18,800 km total; 15,800 km
bituminous or concrete, 2,500 km crushed
stone or gravel, 500 km graded earth
Pipelines: 615 km refined products, 97 km
natural gas
Ports: Kao-hsiung, Chi-lung, Hua-lien,
Su-ao, T'ai-tung
Merchant marine: 218 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) totaling 5,061,960 GRT/
7,634,074 DWT; includes 1 short-sea pas-
senger, 61 cargo, 13 refrigerated cargo, 71
container, 14 petroleum, oils, and lubri-
cants (POL) tanker, 3 combination ore/oil,
1 specialized tanker, 54 bulk
Airports: 38 total, 37 usable; 32 with
permanent-surface runways; 3 with run-
ways over 3,659 m; 16 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways
1, 220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: best developed sys-
tem in Asia outside of Japan; 6,000,000
telephones; extensive microwave transmis-
sion links on east and west coasts; sta-
tions—91 AM, 23 FM, 15 TV (13 relays);
8,000,000 radio receivers; 6,000,000 TV
sets (5,300,000 color, 700,000
monochrome); satellite earth stations — 1
Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT; submarine cable links
to Japan (Okinawa), the Philippines,
Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Australia, Middle East, and Western Eu-
rope
Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy (including
Marines), Air Force, Garrison Command
Military manpower: males 1 5-49,
5,809,354; 4,534,950 fit for military ser-
vice; about 185,235 currently reach mili-
tary age (19) annually
Defense expenditures: 6.8% of GNP, or
$8.2 billion (FY90 est.)
351
Appendix A:
The United Nations System
Main committees
Standing and procedural
committees
Other subsidiary organs of the
General Assembly
Trusteeship Council
Security Council
UNRWA: United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East
UNCTAD: United Nations
Conference on Trade and
Development
UNICEF: United Nations
Children's Fund
UNHCR: United Nations Office
of High Commissioner for
Refugees
WFP: World Food Program
UNITAR: United Nations
Institute for Training and
Research
UNDP: United Nations
Development Program
UNIDO: United Nations
Industrial Development
Organization
UNEP: United Nations
Environment Program
UNU: United Nations
University
HABITAT: United Nations
Center for Human Settlements
UNFPA: United Nations Fund
of Population Activities
United Nations Special Fund
World Food Council
Based on chart from the UN Chronicle
General Assembly
International Court
of Justice
Secretariat
Economic and
Social Council
Regional Commissions
Functional Commissions
Sessional, standing, and
ad hoc committees
D Principal organs of the United Nations
• Other United Nations organs
D Specialized agencies and other
autonomous organizations
within the system
UNDOF: United Nations
Disengagement Observer Force
UNFICYP: United Nations
Force in Cyprus
UNIFIL: United Nations Interim
Forces in Lebanon
UNMOGIP: United Nations
Military Observer Group in
India and Pakistan
• UNTSO: United Nations Truce
Supervision Organization
Military Staff Committee
— CH IAEA: International Atomic
Energy Agency
-Q GATT: General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade
— D ILO: International Labor
Organization
— Q FAO: Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United
Nations
-d UNESCO: United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization
-D WHO: World Health
Organization
— Q IMF: International Monetary
Fund
IDA: International
Development Association
IBRD: International Bank for
Reconstruction and
Development
1 G IFC: International Finance
Corporation
•TJ ICAO: International Civil
Aviation Organization
Cl UPU: Universal Postal Union
Q ITU: International
Telecommunication Union
Q WMO: World Meteorological
Organization
•O IMO: International Maritime
Organization
Q WIPO: World Intellectual
Property Organization
Q IFAD: International Fund for
Agricultural Development
352
Appendix B:
International Organizations
ACC
Arab Cooperation Council
ACP
African, Caribbean, and Pacific Countries (associated with the EC)
ADB
Asian Development Bank
AfDB
African Development Bank
AIOEC
Association of Iron Ore Exporting Countries
Andean Pact
ANRPC
Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries
ANZUS
ANZUS Council
APC
African Peanut (Groundnut) Council
Arab League (League of Arab States)
ASEAN
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASPAC
Asian and Pacific Council
ASSIMER
International Mercury Producers Association
Association of Tin Producing Countries
B
Benelux
Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg Economic Union
BLEU
Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
C
CACM
Central American Common Market
CARICOM
Caribbean Community and Common Market
ccc
Customs Cooperation Council
CDB
Caribbean Development Bank
CEAO
West African Economic Community
CEMA
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
CENTO
Central Treaty Organization
CIPEC
Intergovernmental Council of Copper Exporting Countries
Colombo Plan
Commonwealth
Conference of East and Central African States
Council of Europe
DAC
Development Assistance Committee (OECD)
EAMA
African States associated with the EC
EC
European Communities
ECA
Economic Commission for Africa (UN)
ECE
Economic Commission for Europe (UN)
ECLA
Economic Commission for Latin America (UN)
ECOSOC
Economic and Social Council (UN)
ECOWAS
Economic Community of West African States
ECWA
Economic Commission for Western Asia (UN)
EFTA
European Free Trade Association
EIB
European Investment Bank
EMS
European Monetary System
ENTENTE
Council of the Entente
ESA
European Space Agency
ESCAP
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN)
FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization (UN)
353
G-77
Group of 77
Group of Eight
GATT
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (UN)
GCC
Gulf Cooperation Council
IADB
IAEA
IATP
IBA
IBEC
IBRD
ICAC
ICAO
ICCO
ICEM
ICES
ICJ
ICO
IDA
IDB
IDB
IEA
I FAD
IFC
IHO
ILO
ILZSG
IMF
IMO
INRO
INTELSAT
INTERPOL
IOOC
IPU
IRC
ISO
ITC
ITU
IWC
IWC
Inter-American Defense Board
International Atomic Energy Agency (UN)
International Association of Tungsten Producers
International Bauxite Association
International Bank for Economic Cooperation
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(World Bank. UN)
International Cotton Advisory Committee
International Civil Aviation Organization (UN)
International Cocoa Organization
Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration
International Cooperation in Ocean Exploration
International Court of Justice (UN)
International Coffee Organization
International Development Association (IBRD affiliate, UN)
Inter-American Development Bank
Islamic Development Bank
International Energy Agency (associated with OECD)
International Fund for Agricultural Development (UN)
International Finance Corporation (IBRD affiliate, UN)
International Hydrographic Organization
International Labor Organization (UN)
International Lead and Zinc Study Group
International Monetary Fund (UN)
International Maritime Organization (UN)
International Natural Rubber Organization
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
International Criminal Police Organization
International Olive Oil Council
Inter-Parliamentary Union
International Rice Council
International Sugar Organization
International Tin Council
International Telecommunication Union (UN)
International Whaling Commission
International Wheat Council
L
M
N
Lake Chad Basin Commission
LAIA
Latin American Integration Association
Mano River Commission
Mekong Committee
Niger River Commission
NAM
Nonaligned Movement
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Nordic Council
354
OAPEC
OAS
OAU
OCAM
ODECA
OECD
OECS
QIC
OMVS
OPEC
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries
Organization of American States
Organization of African Unity
Afro-Malagasy and Mauritian Common Organization
Organization of Central American States
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States
Organization of the Islamic Conference
Organization for the Development of the Senegal River Valley
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
PAHO
Pan American Health Organization
SAARC
SADCC
SELA
SPC
SPEC
SPF
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
Southern African Development Coordination Conference
Latin American Economic System
South Pacific Commission
South Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation
South Pacific Forum
T
U
TC
TDB
Trusteeship Council (UN)
Trade and Development Board (UN)
UDEAC
UEAC
UN
UNCTAD
UNDP
UNESCO
UNICEF
UN I DO
UPEB
UPU
Central African Customs and Economic Union
Union of Central African States
United Nations
UN Conference on Trade and Development
UN Development Program
UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
UN Children's Fund
UN Industrial Development Organization
Union of Banana Exporting Countries
Universal Postal Union (UN)
W
WCL
WEU
WFC
WFTU
WHO
WIPO
WMO
WPC
WSG
WTO
Warsaw Pact
World Confederation of Labor
Western European Union
World Food Council (UN)
World Federation of Trade Unions
World Health Organization (UN)
World Intellectual Property Organization (UN)
World Meteorological Organization (UN)
World Peace Council
International Wool Study Group
World Tourism Organization
355
Appendix C:
Country Membership in International Organizations
Country
International Organizations
ADB ARAB ASEAN
LEAGUE
CACM CARICOM CEMA EC C-77
1NTEI.SAT 1.AIA
NATO OAPEC OAS
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra0
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina
Burma
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China, People's
Republic of
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands'
Costa Rica
Cuba
Cyprus
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
a Inter- American Development Bank
b Islamic Development Bank
c Not a member of UN
356
United Nations Organizations
OAU OECD QIC OPEC SELA WFTU FAO GATT IAEA IBRD ICAO ICJ IDA IFAD IFC ILO IMF IMO ITU UNESCO UPU WHO WMO
• •
• •
• • *
d Ceased to participate in 1961
: Suspended
f Excluded since 1962
357
Country
Fiji
International Organizations
ADB ARAB ASEAN CACM CARICOM CEMA EC G-77 CCC IDB" IDBb INTE1.SAT I.AIA NAM NATO OAPEC OAS
LEAGUE
Finland
France
French Cuianac
Gabon
Gambia, The
German Democratic
Republic
Germany, Federal
Republic of
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guadeloupe0
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kongc
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kiribati0
Korea, Northc
Korea, South0
Kuwait
Laos
Lebanon
[.(•Mil lid
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein0
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
358
United Nations Organizations
OAU OECD QIC OPEC SELA WFTU FAO GATT IAEA IBRD ICAO ICJ IDA IFAD IFC ILO IMF IMO ITU UNESCO UPU WHO WMO
359
Country
Malta
International Organizations
ADB ARAB ASEAN CACM CARICOM CEMA EC C-T7 CCC IDB* lDBb IVI KI.XAT I U\ NAM NATO OAPEC OAS
LEAGUE
Martinique1
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Monaco1
Mongolia
Morocco
Montserrat'
Mozambique
Namibia'
Nauruc
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles'
New Caledonia'
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Reunion'
Romania
Rwanda
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and
the Grenadines
San Marino'
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
360
United Nations Organizations
OAU OECD O1C OPEC SEI.A WFTU FAO GATT IAEA IBRD ICAO ICJ IDA IFAD 1FC ILO IMF IMO ITU UNESCO UPU WHO WMO
• *
361
Country International Organizations
ADB ARAB ASEAN CACM CAR1COM CEMA EC G-77 CCC IDB1 IDBb INTEI.SAT I.AIA NAM NATO OAPEC OAS
LEAGUE __^_ ^
Suriname __^_ _^____ • • « •
Swaziland • •
Sweden • • •
Switzerland'
Syria
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tonga'
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Tuvalu c
Uganda
Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Vatican Cityc
Venezuela
Vietnam
Western Samoa
Yemen Arab Republic
Yemen, People's Demo-
cratic Republic of
Yugoslavia
Zaire
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Taiwan c
362
United Nations Organizations
OAU OECD QIC OPEC SELA WFTU FAO CATT IAEA IBRD ICAO ICJ IDA IFAD IFC ILO IMF IMO ITU UNESCO UPU WHO WMO
363
Appendix D:
Weights and Measures
Mathematical Notation
Mathematical Power
Name
10" or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000
one quintillion
10" or 1,000,000,000,000,000
one quadrillion
1012or 1,000,000,000,000
one trillion
10' or 1,000,000,000
one billion
10* or 1,000,000
one million
10' or 1,000
one thousand
Wor 100
one hundred
10' or 10
ten
10° or 1
one
10-' or 0.1
one tenth
10-2 or 0.01
one hundredth
10-' or 0.001
one thousandth
10-6 or 0.000 001
one millionth
10-* or 0.000 000 001
one billionth
10-'J or 0.000 000 000 001
one trillionth
10-'5 or 0.000 000 000 000 001
one quadrillionth
10-" or 0.000 000 000 000 000 001
one quintillionth
Metric Interrelationships
Conversions from a multiple or submul tiple to the basic units of meters,
liters, or grams can be done using the table. For example, to convert
from kilometers to meters, multiply by 1,000 (9.26 kilometers equals
9,260 meters) or to convert from meters to kilometers, multiply by
0.001 (9,260 meters equals 9.26 kilometers)
Prefix
Symbol
Length,
weight,
capacity
Area
Volume
exa
E
10"
10*
IO54
peta
P
10"
IO30
104'
tera
T
1012
IO2'
10*
giga
G
10'
10"
IO27
mega
M
10*
IO12
10"
hectokilo
hk
10s
10'°
10"
myria
ma
IO4
10'
IO12
kilo
k
10'
10*
10'
hecto
h
102
10'
104
deka
da
10'
IO2
10'
basic unit
1 meter,
1 meter2
1 meter'
1 gram,
1 liter
deci
d
10-'
io-2
10-'
cent!
c
io-2
10-
10-
milli
m
io-j
i fl-
10^
decimilli
dm
10-
ic-'
10-'2
centimilli
cm
io-5
io-'°
io-"
micro
u
10*
IO-2
10-"
nano
n
i<r
10-"
to-21
pico
P
10 1?
io-24
io-*
femto
f
io-"
io-»
10-5
atto
10*
10*
364
Equivalents Unit
Metric Equivalent
US Equivalent
acre
0.404 685 64 hectares
43,560 feet2
acre
4,046.856 4 meters2
4,840 yards2
acre
0.004 046 856 4 kilometers2
0.00 1 562 5 miles2, statute
are
100 meters2
11 9.599 yards2
barrel (petroleum, US)
1 58.987 29 liters
42 gallons
(proof spirits, US)
15 1.4 16 47 liters
40 gallons
(beer, US)
11 7.347 77 liters
31 gallons
bushel
35.239 07 liters
4 peck;:
cable
219.456 meters
1 20 fathoms
chain (surveyor's)
20.116 8 meters
66 feet
cord (wood)
3.624 556 meters3
128 feet3
cup
0.236 588 2 liters
8 ounces, liquid
degrees, Celsius
(water boils at 100°C,
freezes at 0°C)
multiply by 1.8 and add 32
to obtain ° F
degrees, fahrenheit
subtract 32 and divide
by 1.8 to obtain °C
(water boils at 212°F,
freezes at 32° F)
dram, avoirdupois
1.771 845 2 grams
0.062 5 ounces, avoirdupois
dram, troy
3.887 934 6 grams
0. 1 25 ounces, troy
dram, liquid (US)
3.696 69 milliliters
0.125 ounces, liquid
fathom
1 .828 8 meters
6 feet
foot
30.48 centimeters
12 inches
foot
0.304 8 meters
0.333 333 3 yards
foot
0.000 304 8 kilometers
0.000 189 39 miles, statute
foot2
929.030 4 centimeters2
144 inches2
foot'
0.092 903 04 meters'
0.111 111 1 yards2
foot3
28.3 16 846 592 liters
7.480 519 gallons
foot3
0.028 3 16 847 meters3
1,728 inches3
furlong
201.168 meters
220 yards
gallon, liquid (US)
3.785411 784 liters
4 quarts, liquid
gill (US)
118.294 118 milliliters
4 ounces, liquid
grain
64.798 91 milligrams
0.002 285 71 ounces, avdp.
gram
1,000 milligrams
0.035 273 96 ounces, avdp.
hand (height of horse)
1 0. 1 6 centimeters
4 inches
hectare
10,000 meters2
2.471 053 8 acres
hundredweight, long
50.802 345 kilograms
1 1 2 pounds, avoirdupois
hundredweight, short
45.359 237 kilograms
100 pounds, avoirdupois
inch
2.54 centimeters
0.083 333 33 feet
inch2
6.45 1 6 centimeters2
0.006 944 44 feet2
inch3
16.387 064 centimeters3
0.000 578 7 feet3
inch3
16.387 064 milliliters
0.029 761 6 pints, dry
inch3
16.387 064 milliliters
0.034 632 0 pints, liquid
kilogram
0.001 tons, metric
2.204 623 pounds, avdp.
kilometer
1,000 meters
0.621 371 19 miles, statute
kilometer2
100 hectares
247.105 38 acres
kilometer2
1,000,000 meters2
0.386 102 16 miles2, statute
knot (1 nautical mi/hr)
1.852 kilometers/hour
1.151 statute miles/hour
league, nautical
5.559 552 kilometers
3 miles, nautical
league, statute
4.828.032 kilometers
3 miles, statute
365
Unit
Metric Equivalent
US Equivalent
Equivalents (continued) link (surveyor's)
20.116 8 centimeters
7.92 inches
liter
0.001 meters'
6 1.023 74 inches'
liter
0.1 dekaliter
0.908 083 quarts, dry
liter
1,000 milliliters
1 .056 688 quarts, liquid
meter
100 centimeters
1.093 61 3 yards
meter1
10,000 centimeters2
1.1 95 990 yards2
meter'
1,000 liters
1.307951 yards'
micron
0.000 001 meter
0.000 039 4 inches
mil
0.025 4 millimeters
0.001 inch
mile, nautical
1 .852 kilometers
1.150779 4 miles, statute
mile2, nautical
3.429 904 kilometers2
1.325 miles2, statute
mile, statute
1 .609 344 kilometers
5,280 feet or 8 furlongs
mile', statute
258.998811 hectares
640 acres or 1 section
mile2, statute
2.589 988 1 1 kilometers2
0.755 miles2, nautical
minim (US)
0.061 611 52 milliliters
0.002 083 33 ounces, liquid
ounce, avoirdupois
28.349523 125 grams
437.5 grains
ounce, liquid (US)
29.573 53 milliliters
0.062 5 pints, liquid
ounce, troy
3 1.1 03 476 8 grams
480 grains
pace
76.2 centimeters
30 inches
peck
8.809 767 5 liters
8 quarts, dry
pennyweight
1.555 173 84 grams
24 grains
pint, dry (US)
0.550 610 47 liters
0.5 quarts, dry
pint, liquid (US)
0.473 176 473 liters
0.5 quarts, liquid
point (typographical)
0.351 459 8 millimeters
0.013 837 inches
pound, avoirdupois
453.592 37 grams
16 ounces, avoirdupois
pound, troy
373.241 721 6 grams
1 2 ounces, troy
quart, dry (US)
1.101 221 liters
2 pints, dry
quart, liquid (US)
0.946 352 946 liters
2 pints, liquid
quintal
100 kilograms
220.462 26 pounds, avdp.
rod
5.029 2 meters
5.5 yards
scruple
1 .295 978 2 grams
20 grains
section (US)
2.589 988 1 kilometers2
1 mile2, statute or 640 acres
span
22.86 centimeters
9 inches
stere
1 meter1
1.307 95 yards'
tablespoon
14.786 76 milliliters
3 teaspoons
teaspoon
4.928 922 milliliters
0.333 333 tablespoons
ton, long or deadweight
1,0 16.046 909 kilograms
2,240 pounds, avoirdupois
ton, metric
1,000 kilograms
2,204.623 pounds, avdp.
ton, register
2.831 684 7 meters3
100 feet'
ton, short
907. 184 74 kilograms
2,000 pounds, avoirdupois
township (US)
93.239 572 kilometers2
36 miles2, statute
yard
0.914 4 meters
3 feet
yard2
0.836 127 36 meters2
9 feet2
yard5
0.764 554 86 meters'
27 feet'
yard3
764.554 857 984 liters
201.974 gallons
366
Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names
This list indicates where various names, in-
cluding all United States Foreign Service
Posts, alternate names, former names, and
political or geographical portions of larger
entities, can be found in The World Fact-
book. Spellings are not necessarily those ap-
proved by the United States Board on Geo-
graphic Names (BGN). Alternate names are
included in parentheses, additional informa-
tion is included in brackets.
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Abidjan [US Embassy]
Abu Dhabi [US Embassy]
Acapulco [US Consular Agency]
Accra [US Embassy]
Adana [US Consulate]
Addis Ababa [US Embassy]
Adelaide [US Consular Agency]
Adelie Land (Terre Adelie) [claimed by France]
Aden [US post not maintained, representation by British
Embassy]
Aden, Gulf of
Admiralty Islands
Adriatic Sea
Aegean Islands
Aegean Sea
Afars and Issas, French Territory of the (F.T.A.I.)
Agalega Islands
Aland Islands
Alaska
Alaska, Gulf of
Aldabra Islands
Alderney
Aleutian Islands
Alexander Island
Alexandria [US Consulate General]
Algiers [US Embassy]
Alhucemas, Pefion de
Alphonse Island
Amami Strait
Amindivi Islands
Amirante Isles
Amman [US Embassy]
Amsterdam [US Consulate General]
Amsterdam Island (lie Amsterdam)
Amundsen Sea
Amur
Andaman Islands
Andaman Sea
Anegada Passage
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Anjouan
Ankara [US Embassy]
Annobon
Antananarivo [US Embassy]
Antipodes Islands
Antwerp [US Consulate General]
Aozou Strip [claimed by Libya]
Aqaba, Gulf of
Arabian Sea
Arafura Sea
Argun
Ascension Island
Assumption Island
Asuncion [US Embassy]
Asuncion Island
Ivory Coast
United Arab Emirates
Mexico
Ghana
Turkey
Ethiopia
Australia
Antarctica
Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of
Indian Ocean
Papua New Guinea
Atlantic Ocean
Greece
Atlantic Ocean
Djibouti
Mauritius
Finland
United States
Pacific Ocean
Seychelles
Guernsey
United States
Antarctica
Egypt
Algeria
Spain
Seychelles
Pacific Ocean
India
Seychelles
Jordan
Netherlands
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Pacific Ocean
China; Soviet Union
India
Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Sudan
Comoros
Turkey
Equatorial Guinea
Madagascar
New Zealand
Belgium
Chad
Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
China; Soviet Union
St. Helena
Seychelles
Paraguay
Northern Mariana Islands
367
Name
Entry in The World Fact book
Atacama
Athens [US Embassy]
Attu
Auckland [US Consulate General]
Auckland Islands
Australes lies (lies Tubuai)
Axel Heiberg Island
Azores
Azov, Sea of
Chile
Greece
United States
New Zealand
New Zealand
French Polynesia
Canada
Portugal
Atlantic Ocean
B
Bab el Mandeb
Babuyan Channel
Babuyan Islands
Baffin Bay
Baffin Island
Baghdad [US Embassy]
Balabac Strait
Balearic Islands
Balearic Sea (Iberian Sea)
Bali [US Consular Agency]
Bali Sea
Balintang Channel
Balintang Islands
Balleny Islands
Baltic Sea
Baluchistan
Bamako [US Embassy]
Banaba (Ocean Island)
Bandar Seri Begawan [US Embassy]
Banda Sea
Bangkok [US Embassy]
Bangui [US Embassy]
Banjul [US Embassy]
Banks Island
Banks Islands (lies Banks)
Barcelona [US Consulate General]
Barents Sea
Barranquilla [US Consulate]
Bashi Channel
Basilan Strait
Bass Strait
Batan Islands
Bavaria (Bayern)
Beagle Channel
Bear Island (Bjern0ya)
Beaufort Sea
Bechuanaland
Beijing [US Embassy]
Beirut [US Embassy]
Belem [US Consular Agency]
Belep Islands (lies Belep)
Belfast [US Consulate General]
Belgian Congo
Belgrade [US Embassy]
Belize City [US Embassy]
Belle Isle, Strait of
Bellinghausen Sea
Belmopan
Bengal, Bay of
Bering Sea
Bering Strait
Berkner Island
Berlin, East [US Embassy]
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Philippines
Arctic Ocean
Canada
Iraq
Pacific Ocean
Spain
Atlantic Ocean
Indonesia
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Philippines
Antarctica
Atlantic Ocean
Afghanistan; Iran; Pakistan
Mali
Kiribati
Brunei
Pacific Ocean
Thailand
Central African Republic
Gambia, The
Canada
Vanuatu
Spain
Arctic Ocean
Colombia
Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Philippines
Germany, Federal Republic of
Atlantic Ocean
Svalbard
Arctic Ocean
Botswana
China
Lebanon
Brazil
New Caledonia
United Kingdom
Zaire
Yugoslavia
Belize
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Belize
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Antarctica
German Democratic Republic
368
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Berlin, West [US Mission]
Bern [US Embassy]
Bessarabia
Bijagos, Arquipelago dos
Bikini Atoll
Bilbao [US Consulate]
Bioko
Biscay, Bay of
Bishop Rock
Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Sea
Bissau [US Embassy]
Bjerneya (Bear Island)
Black Rock
Black Sea
Boa Vista
Bogota [US Embassy]
Bombay [US Consulate General]
Bonaire
Bonifacio, Strait of
Bonin Islands
Bonn [US Embassy]
Bophuthatswana
Bora- Bora
Bordeaux [US Consulate General]
Borneo
Bornholm
Bosporus
Bothnia, Gulf of
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Strait
Bounty Islands
Brasilia [US Embassy]
Brazzaville [US Embassy]
Bridgetown [US Embassy]
Brisbane [US Consulate]
British East Africa
British Guiana
British Honduras
British Solomon Islands
British Somaliland
Brussels [US Embassy, US Mission to European Commu-
nities, US Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organi-
zation (USNATO)]
Bucharest [US Embassy]
Budapest [US Embassy]
Buenos Aires [US Embassy]
Bujumbura [US Embassy]
Germany, Federal Republic of
Switzerland
Romania; Soviet Union
Guinea-Bissau
Marshall Islands
Spain
Equatorial Guinea
Atlantic Ocean
United Kingdom
Papua New Guinea
Pacific Ocean
Guinea-Bissau
Svalbard
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Atlantic Ocean
Cape Verde
Colombia
India
Netherlands Antilles
Atlantic Ocean
Japan
Federal Republic of Germany
South Africa
French Polynesia
France
Brunei; Indonesia; Malaysia
Denmark
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Papua New Guinea
Pacific Ocean
New Zealand
Brazil
Congo
Barbados
Australia
Kenya
Guyana
Belize
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Belgium
Romania
Hungary
Argentina
Burundi
Cabinda
Cabot Strait
Caicos Islands
Cairo [US Embassy]
Calcutta [US Consulate General]
Calgary [US Consulate General]
California, Gulf of
Campbell Island
Canal Zone
Canary Islands
Canberra [US Embassy]
Cancun [US Consular Agency]
Canton (Guangzhou)
Canton Island
Angola
Atlantic Ocean
Turks and Caicos Islands
Egypt
India
Canada
Pacific Ocean
New Zealand
Panama
Spain
Australia
Mexico
China
Kiribati
369
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Cape Town [US Consulate General]
Caracas [US Embassy]
Cargados Carajos Shoals
Caroline Islands
Caribbean Sea
Carpentaria, Gulf of
Casablanca [US Consulate General]
Cato Island
Cebu [US Consulate]
Celebes
Celebes Sea
Celtic Sea
Central African Empire
Ceuta
Ceylon
Chafarinas, Islas
Chagos Archipelago (Oil Islands)
Channel Islands
Chatham Islands
Cheju-do
Cheju Strait
Chengdu [US Consulate General]
Chesterfield Islands (lies Chesterfield)
Chiang Mai [US Consulate General]
Chihli, Gulf of (Bo Hai)
China, People's Republic of
China, Republic of
Choiseul
Christchurch [US Consular Agency]
Christmas Island [Indian Ocean]
Christmas Island [Pacific Ocean] (Kiritimati)
Chukchi Sea
Ciskei
Ciudad Juarez [US Consulate General]
Cochabamba [US Consular Agency]
Coco, Isla del
Cocos Islands
Colombo [US Embassy]
Colon [US Consular Agency]
Colon, Archipielago de (Galapagos Islands)
Commander Islands (Komandorskiye Ostrova)
Conakry [US Embassy]
Congo (Brazzaville)
Congo (Kinshasa)
Congo (Leopoldville)
Con Son Islands
Cook Strait
Copenhagen [US Embassy]
Coral Sea
Corn Islands (Islas del Maiz)
Corsica
Cosmoledo Group
Cote d'lvoire
Cotonou [US Embassy]
Crete
Crooked Island Passage
Crozet Islands (iles Crozet)
Cura9ao [US Consulate General]
Cusco [US Consular Agency]
South Africa
Venezuela
Mauritius
Micronesia, Federated States of; Pacific Islands, Trust
Territory of the
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Morocco
Australia
Philippines
Indonesia
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Central African Republic
Spain
Sri Lanka
Spain
British Indian Ocean Territory
Guernsey; Jersey
New Zealand
Korea, South
Pacific Ocean
China
New Caledonia
Thailand
Pacific Ocean
China
Taiwan
Solomon Islands
New Zealand
Australia
Kiribati
Arctic Ocean
South Africa
Mexico
Bolivia
Costa Rica
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Sri Lanka
Panama
Ecuador
Soviet Union
Guinea
Congo
Zaire
Zaire
Vietnam
Pacific Ocean
Denmark
Pacific Ocean
Nicaragua
France
Seychelles
Ivory Coast
Benin
Greece
Atlantic Ocean
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Netherlands Antilles
Peru
D
Dahomey
DaitO Islands
Benin
Japan
370
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Dakar [US Embassy]
Daman (Damao)
Damascus [US Embassy]
Danger Atoll
Danish Straits
Danzig (Gdansk)
Dao Bach Long Vi
Dardanelles
Dar es Salaam [US Embassy]
Davis Strait
Deception Island
Denmark Strait
D'Entrecasteaux Islands
Devon Island
Dhahran [US Consulate General]
Dhaka [US Embassy]
Diego Garcia
Diego Ramirez
Diomede Islands
Diu
Djibouti [US Embassy]
Dodecanese
Doha [US Embassy]
Douala [US Consulate General]
Dover, Strait of
Drake Passage
Dubai [US Consulate General]
Dublin [US Embassy]
Durango [US Consular Agency]
Durban [US Consulate General]
Dusseldorf [US Consulate General]
Dutch East Indies
Dutch Guiana
Senegal
India
Syria
Cook Islands
Atlantic Ocean
Poland
Vietnam
Atlantic Ocean
Tanzania
Atlantic Ocean
Antarctica
Atlantic Ocean
Papua New Guinea
Canada
Saudi Arabia
Bangladesh
British Indian Ocean Territory
Chile
Soviet Union [Big Diomede]; United States
[Little Diomede]
India
Djibouti
Greece
Qatar
Cameroon
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
United Arab Emirates
Ireland
Mexico
South Africa
Federal Republic of Germany
Indonesia
Suriname
East China Sea
Easter Island (Isla de Pascua)
Eastern Channel (East Korea Strait or Tsushima Strait)
East Germany
East Korea Strait (Eastern Channel or Tsushima Strait)
East Pakistan
East Siberian Sea
East Timor (Portuguese Timor)
Edinburgh [US Consulate General]
Elba
Ellef Ringnes Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellice Islands
Elobey, Islas de
Enderbury Island
Enewetak Atoll (Eniwetok Atoll)
England
English Channel
Eniwetok Atoll
Epirus, Northern
Eritrea
Essequibo [claimed by Venezuela]
Estonia
Etorofu
Pacific Ocean
Chile
Pacific Ocean
German Democratic Republic
Pacific Ocean
Bangladesh
Arctic Ocean
Indonesia
United Kingdom
Italy
Canada
Canada
Tuvalu
Equatorial Guinea
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
United Kingdom
Atlantic Ocean
Marshall Islands
Albania; Greece
Ethiopia
Guyana
Soviet Union [de facto]
Soviet Union [de facto]
Farquhar Group
Fernando de Noronha
Fernando Po (Bioko)
Finland, Gulf of
Seychelles
Brazil
Equatorial Guinea
Atlantic Ocean
371
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Florence [US Consulate General]
Florida, Straits of
Formosa
Formosa Strait (Taiwan Strait)
Fort-de-France [US Consulate General]
Frankfurt am Main [US Consulate General]
Franz Josef Land
Freetown [US Embassy]
French Cameroon
French Indochina
French Guinea
French Sudan
French Territory of the Afars and Issas (F.T.A.I.)
French Togo
Friendly Islands
Fukuoka [US Consulate]
Funchal [US Consular Agency]
Fundy, Bay of
Futuna Islands (Hoorn Islands)
Italy
Atlantic Ocean
Taiwan
Pacific Ocean
Martinique
Federal Republic of Germany
Soviet Union
Sierra Leone
Cameroon
Cambodia; Laos; Vietnam
Guinea
Mali
Djibouti
Togo
Tonga
Japan
Portugal
Atlantic Ocean
Wallis and Futuna
Gaborone [US Embassy]
Galapagos Islands (Archipielago de Colon)
Galleons Passage
Gambier Islands (lies Gambier)
Caspar Strait
Geneva [Branch Office of the US Embassy, US Mission to
European Office of the UN and Other International
Organizations]
Genoa [US Consulate General]
George Town [US Consular Agency]
Georgetown [US Embassy]
Gibraltar, Strait of
Gilbert Islands
Goa
Gold Coast
Golan Heights
Good Hope, Cape of
Goteborg [US Consulate General]
Gotland
Gough Island
Grand Banks
Grand Cayman
Grand Turk [US Consular Agency]
Great Australian Bight
Great Belt (Store Baelt)
Great Britain
Great Channel
Greater Sunda Islands
Green Islands
Greenland Sea
Grenadines, Northern
Grenadines, Southern
Guadalajara [US Consulate General]
Guadalcanal
Guadalupe, Isla de
Guangzhou [US Consulate General]
Guantanamo [US Naval Base]
Guatemala [US Embassy]
Gubal, Strait of
Guinea, Gulf of
Guayaquil [US Consulate General]
Botswana
Ecuador
Atlantic Ocean
French Polynesia
Indian Ocean
Switzerland
Italy
Cayman Islands
Guyana
Atlantic Ocean
Kiribati
India
Ghana
Syria
South Africa
Sweden
Sweden
St. Helena
Atlantic Ocean
Cayman Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
United Kingdom
Indian Ocean
Brunei; Indonesia; Malaysia
Papua New Guinea
Arctic Ocean
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Grenada
Mexico
Solomon Islands
Mexico
China
Cuba
Guatemala
Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Ecuador
H
Ha'apai Group
Habomai Islands
Tonga
Soviet Union [de facto]
372
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Hague,The [US Embassy]
Haifa [US Consular Agency]
Hainan Dao
Halifax [US Consulate General]
Halmahera
Hamburg [US Consulate General]
Hamilton [US Consulate General]
Hanoi
Harare [US Embassy]
Hatay
Havana [US post not maintained, representation by US
Interests Section (USINT) of the Swiss Embassy]
Hawaii
Heard Island
Helsinki [US Embassy]
Hermosillo [US Consulate]
Hispaniola
Hokkaido
Holy See, The
Hong Kong [US Consulate General]
Honiara [US Consulate]
Honshu
Hormuz, Strait of
Horn, Cape (Cabo de Hornos)
Home, lies de
Horn of Africa
Hudson Bay
Hudson Strait
Netherlands
Israel
China
Canada
Indonesia
Federal Republic of Germany
Bermuda
Vietnam
Zimbabwe
Turkey
Cuba
United States
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Finland
Mexico
Dominican Republic; Haiti
Japan
Vatican City
Hong Kong
Solomon Islands
Japan
Indian Ocean
Chile
Wallis and Futuna
Ethiopia; Somalia
Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Inaccessible Island
Indochina
Inner Mongolia (Nei Mongol)
Ionian Islands
Ionian Sea
Irian Jaya
Irish Sea
Islamabad [US Embassy]
Islas Malvinas
Istanbul [US Consulate General]
Italian Somaliland
Iwo Jima
Izmir [US Consulate General]
St. Helena
Cambodia; Laos; Vietnam
China
Greece
Atlantic Ocean
Indonesia
Atlantic Ocean
Pakistan
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Turkey
Somalia
Japan
Turkey
Jakarta [US Embassy]
Japan, Sea of
Java
Java Sea
Jeddah [US Consulate General]
Jerusalem [US Consulate General]
Johannesburg [US Consulate General]
Juan de Fuca, Strait of
Juan Fernandez, Isla de
Juventud, Isla de la (Isle of Youth)
Indonesia
Pacific Ocean
Indonesia
Indian Ocean
Saudi Arabia
Israel; West Bank
South Africa
Pacific Ocean
Chile
Cuba
Kabul [US Embassy now closed]
Kaduna [US Consulate General]
Kalimantan
Kamchatka Peninsula (Poluostrov Kamchatka)
Kampala [US Embassy]
Kampuchea
Karachi [US Consulate General]
Kara Sea
Karimata Strait
Kathmandu [US Embassy]
Afghanistan
Nigeria
Indonesia
Soviet Union
Uganda
Cambodia
Pakistan
Arctic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Nepal
373
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Kattegat
Kauai Channel
Keeling Islands
Kerguelen, iles
Kermadec Islands
Khabarovsk
Khartoum [US Embassy]
Khmer Republic
Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee Kanal)
Khuriya Muriya Islands (Kuria Muria Islands)
Khyber Pass
Kigali [US Embassy]
Kingston [US Embassy]
Kinshasa [US Embassy]
Kiritimati (Christmas Island)
Kithira Strait
Kodiak Island
Kola Peninsula (Kol'skiy Poluostrov)
Kolonia [US Special Office]
Korea Bay
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
Korea, Republic of
Korea Strait
Koror [US Special Office]
Kosovo
Kowloon
Krakow [US Consulate]
Kuala Lumpur [US Embassy]
Kunashiri (Kunashir)
Kuril Islands
Kuwait [US Embassy]
Kwajalein Atoll
Kyushu
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
New Zealand
Soviet Union
Sudan
Cambodia
Atlantic Ocean
Oman
Pakistan
Rwanda
Jamaica
Zaire
Kiribati
Atlantic Ocean
United States
Soviet Union
Micronesia, Federated States of
Pacific Ocean
Korea, North
Korea, South
Pacific Ocean
Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of
Yugoslavia
Hong Kong
Poland
Malaysia
Soviet Union [de facto]
Soviet Union [de facto]
Kuwait
Marshall Islands
Japan
Labrador
Laccadive Islands
Laccadive Sea
La Coruna [US Consular Agency]
Lagos [US Embassy]
Lahore [US Consulate General]
Lakshadweep
La Paz [US Embassy]
La Perouse Strait
Laptev Sea
Las Palmas [US Consular Agency]
Latvia
Lau Group
Leningrad [US Consulate General]
Lesser Sunda Islands
Leyte
Liancourt Rocks [claimed by Japan]
Libreville [US Embassy]
Ligurian Sea
Lilongwe [US Embassy]
Lima [US Embassy]
Lincoln Sea
Line Islands
Lisbon [US Embassy]
Lithuania
Lombok Strait
Lome [US Embassy]
London [US Embassy]
Lord Howe Island
Canada
India
Indian Ocean
Spain
Nigeria
Pakistan
India
Bolivia
Pacific Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Spain
Soviet Union [de facto]
Fiji
Soviet Union
Indonesia
Philippines
Korea, South
Gabon
Atlantic Ocean
Malawi
Peru
Arctic Ocean
Kiribati; Palmyra Atoll
Portugal
Soviet Union [de facto]
Indian Ocean
Togo
United Kingdom
Australia
374
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Louisiade Archipelago
Loyalty Islands (iles Loyaute)
Lubumbashi [US Consulate General]
Lusaka [US Embassy]
Luxembourg [US Embassy]
Luzon
Luzon Strait
Lyon [US Consulate General]
Papua New Guinea
New Caledonia
Zaire
Zambia
Luxembourg
Philippines
Pacific Ocean
France
M
Macao
Macedonia
Macquarie Island
Madeira Islands
Madras [US Consulate General]
Madrid [US Embassy]
Magellan, Strait of
Mahe Island
Maiz, Islas del (Corn Islands)
Majorca (Mallorca)
Majuro [US Special Office]
Makassar Strait
Malabo [US Embassy]
Malacca, Strait of
Malaga [US Consular Agency]
Malagasy Republic
Male [US post not maintained, representation from
Colombo, Sri Lanka]
Mallorca (Majorca)
Malpelo, Isla de
Malta Channel
Malvinas, Islas
Managua [US Embassy]
Manama [US Embassy]
Manaus [US Consular Agency]
Manchukuo
Manchuria
Manila [US Embassy]
Manipa Strait
Mannar, Gulf of
Manua Islands
Maputo [US Embassy]
Maracaibo [US Consulate]
Marcus Island (Minami-tori-shima)
Mariana Islands
Marion Island
Marmara, Sea of
Marquesas Islands (lies Marquises)
Marseille [US Consulate General]
Martin Vaz, Ilhas
Mas a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)
Mascarene Islands
Maseru [US Embassy]
Matamoros [US Consulate]
Mazatlan [US Consulate]
Mbabane [US Embassy]
McDonald Islands
Medan [US Consulate]
Mediterranean Sea
Melbourne [US Consulate General]
Melilla
Merida [US Consulate]
Messina, Strait of
Mexico [US Embassy]
Macau
Bulgaria; Greece; Yugoslavia
Australia
Portugal
India
Spain
Atlantic Ocean
Seychelles
Nicaragua
Spain
Marshall Islands
Pacific Ocean
Equatorial Guinea
Indian Ocean
Spain
Madagascar
Maldives
Spain
Colombia
Atlantic Ocean
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Nicaragua
Bahrain
Brazil
China
China
Philippines
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
American Samoa
Mozambique
Venezuela
Japan
Guam; Northern Mariana Islands
South Africa
Atlantic Ocean
French Polynesia
France
Brazil
Chile
Mauritius; Reunion
Lesotho
Mexico
Mexico
Swaziland
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Indonesia
Atlantic Ocean
Australia
Spain
Mexico
Atlantic Ocean
Mexico
375
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Mexico, Gulf of
Milan [US Consulate General]
Minami-tori-shima
Mindanao
Mindoro Strait
Minicoy Island
Mogadishu [US Embassy]
Mombasa [US Consulate]
Mona Passage
Monrovia [US Embassy]
Montego Bay [US Consular Agency]
Monterrey [US Consulate General]
Montevideo [US Embassy]
Montreal [US Consulate General, US Mission to the In-
ternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)]
Moravian Gate
Moroni [US Embassy]
Mortlock Islands
Moscow [US Embassy]
Mozambique Channel
Mulege [US Consular Agency]
Munich [US Consulate General]
Musandam Peninsula
Muscat [US Embassy]
Muscat and Oman
Myanma or Myanmar
Atlantic Ocean
Italy
Japan
Philippines
Pacific Ocean
India
Somalia
Kenya
Atlantic Ocean
Liberia
Jamaica
Mexico
Uruguay
Canada
Czechoslovakia
Comoros
Micronesia, Federated States of
Soviet Union
Indian Ocean
Mexico
Federal Republic of Germany
Oman; United Arab Emirates
Oman
Oman
Burma
N
Naha [US Consulate General]
Nairobi [US Embassy]
NampO-shotO
Naples [US Consulate General]
Nassau [US Embassy]
Natuna Besar Islands
N'Djamena [US Embassy]
Netherlands East Indies
Netherlands Guiana
Nevis
New Delhi [US Embassy]
Newfoundland
New Guinea
New Hebrides
New Siberian Islands
New Territories
New York, New York [US Mission to the United Nations
(USUN)]
Niamey [US Embassy]
Nice [US Consular Agency]
Nicobar Islands
Nicosia [US Embassy]
Nightingale Island
North Atlantic Ocean
North Channel
Northeast Providence Channel
Northern Epirus
Northern Grenadines
Northern Ireland
Northern Rhodesia
North Island
North Korea
North Pacific Ocean
North Sea
North Vietnam
Northwest Passage
Japan
Kenya
Japan
Italy
Bahamas, The
Indonesia
Chad
Indonesia
Suriname
St. Kitts and Nevis
India
Canada
Indonesia; Papua New Guinea
Vanuatu
Soviet Union
Hong Kong
United States
Niger
France
India
Cyprus
St. Helena
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Albania; Greece
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
United Kingdom
Zambia
New Zealand
Korea, North
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Vietnam
Arctic Ocean
376
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
North Yemen
Norwegian Sea
Nouakchott [US Embassy]
Novaya Zemlya
Nuevo Laredo [US Consulate]
Nyasaland
Yemen Arab Republic
Atlantic Ocean
Mauritania
Soviet Union
Mexico
Malawi
O
Oahu
Oaxaca [US Consular Agency]
Ocean Island (Banaba)
Ocean Island (Kure Island)
Ogaden
Oil Islands (Chagos Archipelago)
Okhotsk, Sea of
Okinawa
Oman, Gulf of
Ombai Strait
Oporto [US Consulate]
Oran [US Consulate]
Oresund (The Sound)
Orkney Islands
Osaka-Kobe [US Consulate General]
Oslo [US Embassy]
Otranto, Strait of
Ottawa [US Embassy]
Ouagadougou [US Embassy]
Outer Mongolia
United States
Mexico
Kiribati
United States
Ethiopia; Somalia
British Indian Ocean Territory
Pacific Ocean
Japan
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Portugal
Algeria
Atlantic Ocean
United Kingdom
Japan
Norway
Atlantic Ocean
Canada
Burkina
Mongolia
Pagan
Palau
Palawan
Palermo [US Consulate General]
Palk Strait
Palma de Mallorca [US Consular Agency]
Pamirs
Panama [US Embassy]
Panama Canal
Panama, Gulf of
Paramaribo [US Embassy]
Parece Vela
Paris [US Embassy, US Mission to the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), US
Observer Mission at the UN Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)]
Pashtunistan
Pascua, Isla de (Easter Island)
Peking (Beijing)
Pemba Island
Pentland Firth
Perim
Perouse Strait, La
Persian Gulf
Perth [US Consulate]
Pescadores
Peshawar [US Consulate]
Peter I Island
Philip Island
Philippine Sea
Phoenix Islands
Pines, Isle of (Isla de la Juventud)
Piura [US Consular Agency]
Pleasant Island
Ponape (Pohnpei)
Ponta Delgada [US Consulate]
Northern Mariana Islands
Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the
Philippines
Italy
Indian Ocean
Spain
China; Soviet Union
Panama
Panama
Pacific Ocean
Suriname
Japan
France
Afghanistan; Pakistan
Chile
China
Tanzania
Atlantic Ocean
Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Australia
Taiwan
Pakistan
Antarctica
Norfolk Island
Pacific Ocean
Kiribati
Cuba
Peru
Nauru
Micronesia
Portugal
377
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Port-au-Prince [US Embassy]
Port Louis [US Embassy]
Port Moresby [US Embassy]
Porto Alegre [US Consulate]
Port-of-Spain [US Embassy]
Port Said [US Consular Agency]
Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Timor (East Timor)
Poznan [US Consulate]
Prague [US Embassy]
Praia [US Embassy]
Pretoria [US Embassy]
Pribilof Islands
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Islands
Prince Patrick Island
Principe
Puerto Plata [US Consular Agency]
Puerto Vallarta [US Consular Agency]
Pusan [US Consulate]
P'yongyang
Haiti
Mauritius
Papua New Guinea
Brazil
Trinidad and Tobago
Egypt
Guinea-Bissau
Indonesia
Poland
Czechoslovakia
Cape Verde
South Africa
United States
Canada
South Africa
Canada
Sao Tome and Principe
Dominican Republic
Mexico
South Korea
Korea, North
Quebec [US Consulate General]
Queen Charlotte Islands
Queen Elizabeth Islands
Queen Maud Land [claimed by Norway]
Quito [US Embassy]
Canada
Canada
Canada
Antarctica
Ecuador
R
Rabat [US Embassy]
Ralik Chain
Rangoon [US Embassy]
Ratak Chain
Recife [US Consulate]
Redonda
Red Sea
Revillagigedo Island
Revillagigedo Islands
Reykjavik [US Embassy]
Rhodes
Rhodesia
Rhodesia, Northern
Rhodesia, Southern
Rio de Janeiro [US Consulate General]
Rio de Oro
Rio Muni
Riyadh [US Embassy]
Robinson Crusoe Island (Mas a Tierra)
Rocas, Atol das
Rockall [disputed]
Rodrigues
Rome [US Embassy, US Mission to the UN Agencies for
Food and Agriculture (FODAG)]
Roncador Cay
Roosevelt Island
Ross Dependency [claimed by New Zealand]
Ross Island
Ross Sea
Rota
Rotuma
Ryukyu Islands
Morocco
Marshall Islands
Burma
Marshall Islands
Brazil
Antigua and Barbuda
Indian Ocean
United States
Mexico
Iceland
Greece
Zimbabwe
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Brazil
Western Sahara
Equatorial Guinea
Saudi Arabia
Chile
Brazil
United Kingdom
Mauritius
Italy
Colombia
Antarctica
Antarctica
Antarctica
Antarctica
Northern Mariana Islands
Fiji
Japan
Saba
Sabah
Sable Island
Netherlands Antilles
Malaysia
Canada
378
Name
Entry in The World Fact book
Sahel
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
St. Brandon
St. Christopher and Nevis
St. George's [US Embassy]
St. George's Channel
St. John's [US Embassy]
St. Lawrence, Gulf of
St. Lawrence Island
St. Lawrence Seaway
St. Martin
St. Martin (Sint Maarten)
St. Paul Island
St. Paul Island
St. Paul Island (lie Saint-Paul)
St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks (Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao
Paulo)
St. Vincent Passage
Saipan
Sakhalin Island (Ostrov Sakhalin)
Sala y Gomez, Isla
Salisbury (Harare)
Salvador de Bahia [US Consular Agency]
Salzburg [US Consulate General]
Sanaa [US Embassy]
San Ambrosio
San Andres y Providencia, Archipielago
San Bernardino Strait
San Felix, Isla
San Jose [US Embassy]
San Luis Potosi [US Consular Agency]
San Miguel Allende [US Consular Agency]
San Salvador [US Embassy]
Santa Cruz [US Consular Agency]
Santa Cruz Islands
Santiago [US Embassy]
Santo Domingo [US Embassy]
Sao Luis [US Consular Agency]
Sao Paulo [US Consulate General]
Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo, Penedos de
Sapporo [US Consulate General]
Sapudi Strait
Sarawak
Sardinia
Sargasso Sea
Sark
Scotia Sea
Scotland
Scott Island
Senyavin Islands
Seoul [US Embassy]
Serrana Bank
Serranilla Bank
Severnaya Zemlya (Northland)
Seville [US Consular Agency]
Shag Island
Shag Rocks
Shanghai [US Consulate General]
Shenyang [US Consulate General]
Shetland Islands
Shikoku
Shikotan (Shikotan-tO)
Burkina; Cape Verde; Chad; The Gambia; Guinea-Bissau;
Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Senegal
Vietnam
Mauritius
St. Kitts and Nevis
Grenada
Atlantic Ocean
Antigua and Barbuda
Atlantic Ocean
United States
Atlantic Ocean
Guadeloupe
Netherlands Antilles
Canada
United States
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Brazil
Atlantic Ocean
Northern Mariana Islands
Soviet Union
Chile
Zimbabwe
Brazil
Austria
Yemen Arab Republic
Chile
Colombia
Pacific Ocean
Chile
Costa Rica
Mexico
Mexico
El Salvador
Bolivia
Solomon Islands
Chile
Dominican Republic
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Japan
Indian Ocean
Malaysia
Italy
Atlantic Ocean
Guernsey
Atlantic Ocean
United Kingdom
Antarctica
Micronesia, Federated States of
Korea, South
Colombia
Colombia
Soviet Union
Spain
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
China
China
United Kingdom
Japan
Japan
379
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Sum
Sibutu Passage
Sicily
Sicily, Strait of
Sikltim
Sinai
Singapore [US Embassy]
Singapore Strait
Sinkiang (Xinjiang)
Sint Eustatius
Sint Maarten (St. Martin)
Skagerrak
Slovakia
Society Islands (lies de la Societe)
Socotra
Sofia [US Embassy]
Solomon Islands, northern
Solomon Islands, southern
Soloman Sea
Songkhla [US Consulate]
Sound, The (Oresund)
South Atlantic Ocean
South China Sea
Southern Grenadines
Southern Rhodesia
South Georgia
South Island
South Korea
South Orkney Islands
South Pacific Ocean
South Sandwich Islands
South Shetland Islands
South Tyrol
South Vietnam
South- West Africa
South Yemen
Spanish Guinea
Spanish Sahara
Spitsbergen
Stockholm [US Embassy]
Strasbourg [US Consulate General]
Stuttgart [US Consulate General]
Suez, Gulf of
Sulu Archipelago
Sulu Sea
Sumatra
Sumba
Sunda Islands (Soenda Isles)
Sunda Strait
Surabaya [US Consulate]
Surigao Strait
Surinam
Suva [US Embassy]
Swains Island
Swan Islands
Sydney [US Consulate General]
Thailand
Pacific Ocean
Italy
Atlantic Ocean
India
Egypt
Singapore
Pacific Ocean
China
Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
Atlantic Ocean
Czechoslovakia
French Polynesia
Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of
Bulgaria
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Pacific Ocean
Thailand
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Grenada
Zimbabwe
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
New Zealand
Korea, South
Antarctica
Pacific Ocean
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Antarctica
Italy
Vietnam
Namibia
Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of
Equatorial Guinea
Western Sahara
Svalbard
Sweden
France
Federal Republic of Germany
Indian Ocean
Philippines
Pacific Ocean
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia; Malaysia
Indian Ocean
Indonesia
Pacific Ocean
Suriname
Fiji
American Samoa
Honduras
Australia
Tahiti
Taipei
Taiwan Strait
Tampico [US Consular Agency]
Tanganyika
Tangier [US Consulate General]
French Polynesia
Taiwan
Pacific Ocean
Mexico
Tanzania
Morocco
380
Name
Entry in The World Factbook
Tarawa
Tartar Strait
Tasmania
Tasman Sea
Taymyr Peninsula (Poluostrov Taymyra)
Tegucigalpa [US Embassy]
Tehran [US post not maintained, representation by Swiss
Embassy]
Tel Aviv [US Embassy]
Terre Adelie (Adelie Land) [claimed by France]
Thailand, Gulf of
Thessaloniki [US Consulate General]
Thurston Island
Tibet (Xizang)
Tierra del Fuego
Tijuana [US Consulate General]
Timor
Timor Sea
Tinian
Tiran, Strait of
Tobago
Tokyo [US Embassy]
Tonkin, Gulf of
Toronto [US Consulate General]
Torres Strait
Trans-Jordan
Transkei
Transylvania
Trieste [US Consular Agency]
Trindade, Ilha de
Tripoli [US post not maintained, representation by Belgian
Embassy]
Tristan da Cunha Group
Trobriand Islands
Trucial States
Truk Islands
Tsugaru Strait
Tuamotu Islands (lies Tuamotu)
Tubuai Islands (lies Tubuai)
Tunis [US Embassy]
Turin [US Consulate]
Turkish Straits
Turks Island Passage
Tyrol, South
Tyrrhenian Sea
Kiribati
Pacific Ocean
Australia
Pacific Ocean
Soviet Union
Honduras
Iran
Israel
Antarctica
Pacific Ocean
Greece
Antarctica
China
Argentina; Chile
Mexico
Indonesia
Indian Ocean
Northern Mariana Islands
Indian Ocean
Trinidad and Tobago
Japan
Pacific Ocean
Canada
Pacific Ocean
Jordan
South Africa
Romania
Italy
Brazil
Libya
St. Helena
Papua New Guinea
United Arab Emirates
Micronesia
Pacific Ocean
French Polynesia
French Polynesia
Tunisia
Italy
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Italy
Atlantic Ocean
u
Udorn [US Consulate]
Ulaanbaatar
Ullung-do
Unimak Pass [strait]
United Arab Republic
Upper Volta
Thailand
Mongolia
Korea, South
Pacific Ocean
Egypt; Syria
Burkina
Vaduz [US post not maintained, representation from Liechtenstein
Zurich, Switzerland]
Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor) Afghanistan
Valencia [US Consular Agency] Spain
Valletta [US Embassy] Malta
Vancouver [US Consulate General] Canada
Vancouver Island Canada
Van Diemen Strait Pacific Ocean
Vatican City [US Embassy] Vatican City
Velez de la Gomera, Pefton de Spain
Venda South Africa
381
Name
Entry in The World Faclbook
W
Veracruz [US Consular Agency]
Verde Island Passage
Victoria [US Embassy]
Vienna [US Embassy, US Mission to International
Organizations in Vienna (UNVIE)]
Vientiane [US Embassy]
Volcano Islands
Vostok Island
Vrangelya, Ostrov (Wrangel Island)
Mexico
Pacific Ocean
Seychelles
Austria
Laos
Japan
Kiribati
Soviet Union
Wakhan Corridor (now V5kh5n)
Wales
Walvis Bay
Warsaw [US Embassy]
Washington, D. C. [The Permanent Mission of the USA
to the Organization of American States (OAS)]
Weddell Sea
Wellington [US Embassy]
Western Channel (West Korea Strait)
West Germany
West Korea Strait (Western Channel)
West Pakistan
Wetar Strait
White Sea
Windhoek
Windward Passage
Winnipeg [US Consular Agency]
Wrangel Island (Ostrov Vrangelya)
Afghanistan
United Kingdom
South Africa
Poland
United States
Atlantic Ocean
New Zealand
Pacific Ocean
Germany, Federal Republic of
Pacific Ocean
Pakistan
Pacific Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Namibia
Atlantic Ocean
Canada
Soviet Union
Yaounde [US Embassy]
Yap Islands
Yellow Sea
Yemen (Aden)
Yemen, North
Yemen (Sanaa)
Yemen, South
Youth, Isle of (Isla de la Juventud)
Yucatan Channel
Cameroon
Micronesia
Pacific Ocean
Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of
Yemen Arab Republic
Yemen Arab Republic
Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of
Canada
Atlantic Ocean
Zagreb [US Consulate General]
Zanzibar
Zurich [US Consulate General]
Yugoslavia
Tanzania
Switzerland
382
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