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:Laos Geography

Total area:
    236,800 km2
Land area:
    230,800 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Utah
Land boundaries:
    5,083 km; 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:
    arable land 4%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and
    woodland 58%; other 35%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    deforestation; soil erosion; subject to floods
Note:
    landlocked

:Laos People

Population:
    4,440,213 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
    44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    16 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    107 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    49 years male, 52 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Lao(s) or Laotian(s); adjective - Lao or Laotian
Ethnic divisions:
    Lao 50%, Phoutheung (Kha) 15%, tribal Thai 20%, Meo, Hmong, Yao, and other
    15%
Religions:
    Buddhist 85%, animist and other 15%
Languages:
    Lao (official), French, and English
Literacy:
    84% (male 92%, female 76%) age 15 to 45 can read and write (1985 est.)
Labor force:
    1-1.5 million; 85-90% in agriculture (est.)
Organized labor:
    Lao Federation of Trade Unions is subordinate to the Communist party

:Laos Government

Long-form name:
    Lao People's Democratic Republic
Type:
    Communist state
Capital:
    Vientiane
Administrative divisions:
    16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (kampheng
    nakhon, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamsai, Champasak,
    Houaphan, Khammouan, Louang Namtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali,
    Saravan, Savannakhet, Sekong, Vientiane, Vientiane*, Xaignabouri,
    Xiangkhoang
Independence:
    19 July 1949 (from France)
Constitution:
    promulgated August 1991
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    National Day (proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic), 2
    December (1975)
Executive branch:
    president, chairman and two vice chairmen of the Council of Ministers,
    Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    Supreme People's Assembly
Judicial branch:
    People's Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President KAYSONE PHOMVIHAN (since 15 August 1991)
  Head of Government:
    Chairman of the Council of Ministers Gen. KHAMTAI SIPHANDON (since 15 August
    1991)
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:
    ACCT (associate), AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO,
    IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
    WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Charge d'Affaires LINTHONG PHETSAVAN; Chancery at 2222 S Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] or 6417
  US:
    Charge d'Affaires Charles B. SALMON, Jr.; Embassy at Rue Bartholonie,
    Vientiane (mailing address is B. P. 114, Vientiane, or AMEMB, Box V, APO AP
    96546); telephone [phone], 2357, 2384; FAX [phone]

:Laos Government

Flag:
    three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a
    large white disk centered in the blue band

:Laos Economy

Overview:
    One of the world's poorest nations, Laos has had a Communist centrally
    planned economy with government ownership and control of productive
    enterprises of any size. In recent years, however, the government has been
    decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise. Laos is a
    landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure; that is, it has no
    railroads, a rudimentary road system, limited external and internal
    telecommunications, and electricity available in only a limited area.
    Subsistence agriculture is the main occupation, accounting for over 60% of
    GDP and providing about 85-90% of total employment. The predominant crop is
    rice. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend for its
    survival on foreign aid from the IMF and other international sources; aid
    from the former USSR and Eastern Europe has been cut sharply.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $800 million, per capita $200; real growth rate
    4% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    10.4% (December 1991)
Unemployment rate:
    21% (1989 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $83 million; expenditures $188.5 million, including capital
    expenditures of $94 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
    $72 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    electricity, wood products, coffee, tin
  partners:
    Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, USSR, US, China
Imports:
    $238 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures
  partners:
    Thailand, USSR, Japan, France, Vietnam, China
External debt:
    $1.1 billion (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 12% (1991 est.); accounts for about 18% of GDP (1991 est.)
Electricity:
    226,000 kW capacity; 1,100 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing,
    construction
Agriculture:
    accounts for 60% of GDP and employs most of the work force; subsistence
    farming predominates; normally self-sufficient in nondrought years;
    principal crops - rice (80% of cultivated land), sweet potatoes, vegetables,
    corn, coffee, sugarcane, cotton; livestock - buffaloes, hogs, cattle,
    chicken
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producer of cannabis, opium poppy for the international drug trade,
    third-largest opium producer
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $276 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $605 million;
    Communist countries (1970-89), $995 million
Currency:
    new kip (plural - kips); 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at

:Laos Economy

Exchange rates:
    new kips (NK) per US$1 - 710 (May 1992), 710 (December 1991), 700 (September
    1990), 576 (1989), 385 (1988), 200 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Laos Communications

Railroads:
    none
Highways:
    about 27,527 km total; 1,856 km bituminous or bituminous treated; 7,451 km
    gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 18,220 km unimproved earth and
    often impassable during rainy season mid-May to mid-September
Inland waterways:
    about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional
    kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
Pipelines:
    petroleum products 136 km
Ports:
    none
Airports:
    57 total, 47 usable; 8 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:
    service to general public considered poor; radio communications network
    provides generally erratic service to government users; 7,390 telephones
    (1986); broadcast stations - 10 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station

:Laos Defense Forces

Branches:
    Lao People's Army (LPA; including naval, aviation, and militia elements),
    Air Force, National Police Department
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 946,289; 509,931 fit for military service; 45,232 reach
    military age (18) annually; conscription age NA
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

:Latvia Geography

Total area:
    64,100 km2
Land area:
    64,100 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
    1,078 km; Belarus 141 km, Estonia 267 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km
Coastline:
    531 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    NA nm
  Continental shelf:
    NA meter depth
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    NA nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    NA nm
  Territorial sea:
    NA nm
Disputes:
    the Abrene section of border ceded by the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
    to Russia in 1944
Climate:
    maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain:
    low plain
Natural resources:
    minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite
Land use:
    27% arable land; NA% permanent crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 39% forest
    and woodland; 21% other; includes NA% irrigated
Environment:
    heightened levels of air and water pollution because of a lack of waste
    conversion equipment; Gulf of Riga heavily polluted

:Latvia People

Population:
    2,728,937 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    15 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    19 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    65 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Latvian(s);adjective - Latvian
Ethnic divisions:
    Latvian 51.8%, Russian 33.8%, Byelorussian 4.5%, Ukrainian 3.4%, Polish
    2.3%, other 4.2%
Religions:
    Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
Languages:
    Latvian NA% (official), Lithuanian NA%, Russian NA%, other NA%
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write
Labor force:
    1,407,000; industry and construction 41%, agriculture and forestry 16%,
    other 43% (1990)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Latvia Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Latvia
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Riga
Administrative divisions:
    none - all districts are under direct republic jurisdiction
Independence:
    18 November 1918; annexed by the USSR 21 July 1940, the Latvian Soviet
    Socialist Republic declared independence 6 September 1991 from USSR
Constitution:
    April 1978, currently rewriting constitution, but readopted the 1922
    Constitution
Legal system:
    based on civil law system
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 18 November (1918)
Executive branch:
    Prime Minister
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Supreme Council
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Chairman, Supreme Council, Anatolijs GORBUNOVS (since October 1988);
    Chairmen, Andrejs KRASTINS, Valdis BIRKAVS (since NA 1992)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Ivars GODMANIS (since May 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    Democratic Labor Party of Latvia, Juris BOJARS, chairman; Inter-Front of the
    Working People of Latvia, Igor LOPATIN, chairman; note - Inter-Front was
    banned after the coup; Latvian National Movement for Independence, Eduards
    BERKLAVS, chairman; Latvian Social Democratic Party, Janis DINEVICS,
    chairman; Social Democratic Party of Latvia, Uldis BERZINS, chairman;
    Latvian People's Front, Romualdas RAZUKAS, chairman; Latvian Liberal Party,
    Georg LANSMANIS, chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held October 1988 (next to be held NA; note - elected by Parliament;
    new elections have not been scheduled; results - percent of vote by party NA
  Supreme Council:
    last held 18 March 1990 (next to be held NA); results - undetermined; seats
    - (234 total) Latvian Communist Party 59, Latvian Democratic Workers Party
    31, Social Democratic Party of Latvia 4, Green Party of Latvia 7, Latvian
    Farmers Union 7, 126 supported by the Latvia Popular Front
  Congress of Latvia:
    last held April 1990 (next to be held NA); note - the Congress of Latvia is
    a quasi-governmental structure; results - percent of vote by party NA%;
    seats - (231 total) number of seats by party NA
Member of:
    CSCE, IAEA, UN
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Dr. Anatol DINBERGS; Chancery at 4325 17th St. NW, Washington, DC
    20011; telephone [phone] and 8214

:Latvia Government

  US:
    Ambassador Ints SILINS; (mailing address is APO AE 09862); telephone [358]
    (49) 306-067 (cellular), (7) (01-32) 325-968/185; FAX [358] (49) 308-326
    (cellular), (7) (01-32) 220-502
Flag:
    two horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (middle, narrower than other two
    bands) and maroon (bottom)

:Latvia Economy

Overview:
    Latvia is in the process of reforming the centrally planned economy
    inherited from the former USSR into a market economy. Prices have been
    freed, and privatization of shops and farms has begun. Latvia lacks natural
    resources, aside from its arable land and small forests. Its most valuable
    economic asset is its work force, which is better educated and disciplined
    than in most of the former Soviet republics. Industrial production is highly
    diversified, with products ranging from agricultural machinery to consumer
    electronics. One conspicuous vulnerability: Latvia produces only 10% of its
    electric power needs. Latvia in the near term must retain key commercial
    ties to Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine while moving in the long run toward
    joint ventures, technological support, and trade ties to the West. Because
    of the efficiency of its mostly individual farms, Latvians enjoy a diet that
    is higher in meat, vegetables, and dairy products and lower in grain and
    potatoes than diets in the 12 non-Baltic republics of the USSR. Good
    relations with Russia are threatened by animosity between ethnic Russians
    (34% of the population) and native Latvians.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $NA; per capital NA; real growth rate - 8%
    (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    approximately 200% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)
Exports:
    $239 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    food 14%, railroad cars 13%, chemicals 12%
  partners:
    Russia 50%, Ukraine 15%, other former Soviet republics 30%, West 5%
Imports:
    $9.0 billion (c.i.f., 1989)
  commodities:
    machinery 35%, petroleum products 13%, chemicals 9%
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $650 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 0% (1991)
Electricity:
    1,975,000 kW capacity; 6,500 million kWh produced, 2,381 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    employs 33.2% of labor force; highly diversified; dependent on imports for
    energy, raw materials, and intermediate products; produces buses, vans,
    street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery,
    fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals,
    processed foods, textiles
Agriculture:
    employs 23% of labor force; principally dairy farming and livestock feeding;
    products - meat, milk, eggs, grain, sugar beets, potatoes, and vegetables;
    fishing and fish packing
Illicit drugs:
    transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and Southwest Asia to
    Western Europe

:Latvia Economy

Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $NA billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-86), $NA million;
    Communist countries (1971-86), $NA million
Currency:
    as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency but planning early introduction
    of ``lat''
Exchange rates:
    NA
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Latvia Communications

Railroads:
    2,400 km (includes NA km electrified) does not include industrial lines
    (1990)
Highways:
    59,500 km total (1990); 33,000 km hard surfaced 26,500 km earth
Inland waterways:
    300 km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
    crude oil NA km, refined products NA km, natural gas NA km
Ports:
    maritime - Riga, Ventspils, Liepaja; inland - Daugavpils
Merchant marine:
    96 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 917,979 GRT/1,194,666 DWT; includes 14
    cargo, 29 refrigerated cargo, 2 container, 9 roll-on/roll-off, 42 petroleum
    tanker
Civil air:
    NA major transport aircraft
Airports:
    NA total, NA usable; NA with permanent-surface runways; NA with runways over
    3,659 m; NA with runways 2,440-3,659 m; NA with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    broadcast stations - NA; international traffic carried by leased connection
    to the Moscow international gateway switch and the Finnish cellular net

:Latvia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard,
    Russian Forces (Ground, Navy, Air, Air Defense, Border Guard
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)
    annually
Defense expenditures:
    NA% of GDP; 3-5% of Latvia's budget (1992)

:Lebanon Geography

Total area:
    10,400 km2
Land area:
    10,230 km2
Comparative area:
    about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
    454 km; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Coastline:
    225 km
Maritime claims:
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli troops in southern
    Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in northern Lebanon since October
    1976
Climate:
    Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers
Terrain:
    narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa` (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and
    Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Natural resources:
    limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state in a water-deficit region
Land use:
    arable land 21%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and
    woodland 8%; other 61%; includes irrigated 7%
Environment:
    rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous
    factional groups based on religion, clan, ethnicity; deforestation; soil
    erosion; air and water pollution; desertification
Note:
    Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international
    boundary

:Lebanon People

Population:
    3,439,115 (July 1992), growth rate 1.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    28 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -5 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    43 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    66 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Lebanese (singular and plural); adjective - Lebanese
Ethnic divisions:
    Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Religions:
    Islam 75%, Christian 25%, Judaism NEGL%; 17 legally recognized groups - 5
    Islam (Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Isma`ilite, Shi`a, Sunni); 11 Christian,
    consisting of 4 Orthodox Christian (Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox,
    Nestorean, Syriac Orthodox), 6 Catholic (Armenian Catholic, Caldean, Greek
    Catholic, Maronite, Roman Catholic, and Syrian Catholic) and the
    Protestants; 1 Jewish
Languages:
    Arabic and French (both official); Armenian, English
Literacy:
    80% (male 88%, female 73%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    650,000; industry, commerce, and services 79%, agriculture 11%, government
    10% (1985)
Organized labor:
    250,000 members (est.)

:Lebanon Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Lebanon; note - may be changed to Lebanese Republic
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Beirut
Administrative divisions:
    5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Biqa, `Al Janub, Ash
    Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
Independence:
    22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French
    administration)
Constitution:
    26 May 1926 (amended)
Legal system:
    mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no
    judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
    jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Cabinet; note - by custom, the president is a
    Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker 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:
    President Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Rashid SULH (since 13 May 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
    political party activity is organized along largely sectarian lines;
    numerous political groupings exist, consisting of individual political
    figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic
    considerations; most parties have well-armed militias, which are still
    involved in occasional clashes
Suffrage:
    compulsory for all males at age 21; authorized for women at age 21 with
    elementary education
Elections:
  National Assembly:
    elections should be held every four years, but security conditions have
    prevented elections since May 1972; in June 1991, the Cabinet appointed 40
    new deputies to fill vacancies and balance Christian and Muslim
    representation; the legislature's mandate expires in 1994
Communists:
    the Lebanese Communist Party was legalized in 1970; members and sympathizers
    estimated at 2,000-3,000
Member of:
    ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
    ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
    ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU,
    WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

:Lebanon Government

Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador - no ambassador at present; Mission is headed by Charge; Chancery
    at 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone];
    there are Lebanese Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles
  US:
    Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER; Embassy at Antelias, Beirut (mailing address is
    P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut, or Box B, FPO AE 09836); telephone [961] 417774 or
    415802, 415803, 402200, 403300
Flag:
    three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a
    green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band

:Lebanon Government

Note:
    Between early 1975 and late 1976 Lebanon was torn by civil war between its
    Christians - then aided by Syrian troops - and its Muslims and their
    Palestinian allies. The cease-fire established in October 1976 between the
    domestic political groups generally held for about six years, despite
    occasional fighting. Syrian troops constituted as the Arab Deterrent Force
    by the Arab League have remained in Lebanon. Syria's move toward supporting
    the Lebanese Muslims, and the Palestinians and Israel's growing support for
    Lebanese Christians, brought the two sides into rough equilibrium, but no
    progress was made toward national reconciliation or political reforms - the
    original cause of the war. Continuing Israeli concern about the Palestinian
    presence in Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982.
    Israeli forces occupied all of the southern portion of the country and
    mounted a summer-long siege of Beirut, which resulted in the evacuation of
    the PLO from Beirut in September under the supervision of a multinational
    force (MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops. Within days of the
    departure of the MNF, Lebanon's newly elected president, Bashir Gemayel, was
    assassinated; his elder brother Amin was elected to succeed him. In the
    immediate wake of Bashir's death, however, Christian militiamen massacred
    hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two Beirut camps. This prompted the
    return of the MNF to ease the security burden on Lebanon's weak Army and
    security forces. In late March 1984 the last MNF units withdrew. In 1988,
    President Gemayel completed his term of office. Because parliamentarians
    failed to elect a presidential successor, Gemayel appointed then Lebanese
    Armed Forces (LAF) Commander Gen. Michel Awn acting president. Lebanese
    parliamentarians met in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia, in late 1989 and concluded a
    national reconciliation pact that codified a new power-sharing formula,
    specifying reduced powers for the Christian president and giving Muslims
    more authority. Rene MUAWAD was subsequently elected president on 4 November
    1989, ending a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no president and
    rival Muslim and Christian governments. MUAWAD was assassinated 17 days
    later, on 22 November; on 24 November, Ilyas Harawi was elected to succeed
    MUAWAD. In October 1990, the civil war was apparently brought to a
    conclusion when Syrian and Lebanese forces ousted renegade Christian General
    Awn from his stronghold in East Beirut. Awn had defied the legitimate
    government and established a separate ministate within East Beirut after
    being appointed acting Prime Minister by outgoing President Gemayel in 1988.
    Awn and his supporters feared Ta'if would diminish Christian power in
    Lebanon and increase the influence of Syria. Awn was granted amnesty and
    allowed to travel in France in August 199l. Since the removal of Awn, the
    Lebanese Government has made substantial progress in strengthening the
    central government, rebuilding government institutions, and extending its
    authority throughout the nation. The LAF has deployed from Beirut north
    along the coast road to Tripoli, southeast into the Shuf mountains, and
    south to Sidon and Tyre. Many militiamen from Christian and Muslim groups
    have evacuated Beirut for their strongholds in the north, south, and east of
    the country. Some heavy weapons possessed by the militias have been turned
    over to the government, or sold outside the country, which has begun a plan
    to integrate some militiamen into the military and the internal security
    forces. Lebanon and Syria signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation in
    May 1991. Lebanon continues to be partially occupied by Syrian troops, which
    are deployed in Beirut, its southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and northern
    Lebanon. Iran also maintains a small contingent of revolutionary guards in
    the Bekaa Valley to support Lebanese Islamic fundamentalist groups. Israel
    withdrew the bulk of its forces from the south in 1985, although it still
    retains troops in a 10-km-deep security zone north of its border with
    Lebanon. Israel arms and trains the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), which also
    occupies the security zone and is Israel's first line of defense against
    attacks on its northern border. The following description is based on the
    present constitutional and customary practices of the Lebanese system.

:Lebanon Economy

Overview:
    Since 1975 civil war has seriously damaged Lebanon's economic
    infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's
    position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. Following October
    1990, however, a tentative peace has enabled the central government to begin
    restoring control in Beirut, collect taxes, and regain access to key port
    and government facilities. The battered economy has also been propped up by
    a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale
    manufacturers. Family remittances, banking transactions, manufactured and
    farm exports, the narcotics trade, and international emergency aid are main
    sources of foreign exchange. In the relatively settled year of 1991,
    industrial production, agricultural output, and exports showed substantial
    gains. The further rebuilding of the war-ravaged country could provide a
    major stimulus to the economy in 1992, provided that the political and
    military situation remains reasonably calm.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $4.8 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate
    NA (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    30% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    35% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $533 million; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $700 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    agricultural products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semiprecious metals
    and jewelry, metals and metal products
  partners:
    Saudi Arabia 16%, Switzerland 8%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 6%, US 5%
Imports:
    $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    NA
  partners:
    Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3%
External debt:
    $900 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    1,381,000 kW capacity; 3,870 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita
    (1989)
Industries:
    banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals,
    jewelry, some metal fabricating
Agriculture:
    accounts for about one-third of GDP; principal products - citrus fruits,
    vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish), sheep, and goats; not
    self-sufficient in grain
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producer of opium and hashish for the international drug trade;
    opium poppy production in Al Biqa` is increasing; hashish production is
    shipped to Western Europe, Israel, US, and the Middle East

:Lebanon Economy

Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $356 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $664 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $962 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $9
    million
Currency:
    Lebanese pound (plural - pounds); 1 Lebanese pound (#L) = 100 piasters
Exchange rates:
    Lebanese pounds (#L) per US$1 - 879.00 (January 1992), 928.23 (1991), 695.09
    (1990), 496.69 (1989), 409.23 (1988), 224.60 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Lebanon Communications

Railroads:
    system in disrepair, considered inoperable
Highways:
    7,300 km total; 6,200 km paved, 450 km gravel and crushed stone, 650 km
    improved earth
Pipelines:
    crude oil 72 km (none in operation)
Ports:
    Beirut, Tripoli, Ra'Sil`ata, Juniyah, Sidon, Az Zahrani, Tyre
Merchant marine:
    56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 236,196 GRT/346,760 DWT; includes 36
    cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off, 1
    container, 8 livestock carrier, 1 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 3
    bulk, 1 combination bulk
Civil air:
    19 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    9 total, 8 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
    3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m; none
    under the direct control of the Lebanese Government
Telecommunications:
    rebuilding program disrupted; had fair system of microwave relay, cable;
    325,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 3 FM (numerous AM and FM
    radio stations are operated inconsistently by various factions), 13 TV; 1
    Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station,
    erratic operations; 3 submarine coaxial cables; radio relay to Jordan
    inoperable, but operational to Syria, coaxial cable to Syria

:Lebanon Defense Forces

Branches:
    Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (including Army, Navy, and Air Force)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 750,319; 465,938 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $271 million, 8.2% of GDP (1992 budget)

:Lesotho Geography

Total area:
    30,350 km2
Land area:
    30,350 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
    909 km; South Africa 909 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain:
    mostly highland with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
Natural resources:
    some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural and grazing land
Land use:
    arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 66%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 24%
Environment:
    population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in
    overgrazing, severe soil erosion, soil exhaustion; desertification
Note:
    landlocked; surrounded by South Africa; Highlands Water Project will
    control, store, and redirect water to South Africa

:Lesotho People

Population:
    1,848,925 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    35 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    74 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    60 years male, 63 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural); adjective - Basotho
Ethnic divisions:
    Sotho 99.7%; Europeans 1,600, Asians 800
Religions:
    Christian 80%, rest indigenous beliefs
Languages:
    Sesotho (southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu and Xhosa
Literacy:
    59% (male 44%, female 68%) age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
Labor force:
    689,000 economically active; 86.2% of resident population engaged in
    subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of active male labor force works in
    South Africa
Organized labor:
    there are two trade union federations; the government favors formation of a
    single, umbrella trade union confederation

:Lesotho Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Lesotho
Type:
    constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Maseru
Administrative divisions:
    10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek,
    Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Independence:
    4 October 1966 (from UK; formerly Basutoland)
Constitution:
    4 October 1966, suspended January 1970
Legal system:
    based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of
    legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted
    compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Executive branch:
    monarch, chairman of the Military Council, Military Council, Council of
    Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    none - the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the military coup in
    January 1986; note - a National Constituent Assembly convened in June 1990
    to rewrite the constitution and debate issues of national importance, but it
    has no legislative authority
Judicial branch:
    High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    King LETSIE III (since 12 November 1990 following dismissal of his father,
    exiled King MOSHOESHOE II, by Maj. Gen. LEKHANYA)
  Head of Government:
    Chairman of the Military Council Col. Elias Phisoana RAMAEMA (since 30 April
    1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Basotho National Party (BNP), Evaristus SEKHONYANA; Basutoland Congress
    Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE; National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI;
    Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), Bernard M. KHAKETLA; United Democratic
    Party, Charles MOFELI; Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), J. M. KENA
Suffrage:
    universal at age 21
Elections:
  National Assembly:
    dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; military has pledged
    elections will take place in June 1992
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
    ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD,
    UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Tseliso THAMAE; Chancery at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Sr.; Embassy at address NA, Maseru
    (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100 Lesotho); telephone [266]
    312-666; FAX [phone]

:Lesotho Government

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

:Lesotho Economy

Overview:
    Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no important natural
    resources other than water. Its economy is based on agriculture, light
    manufacturing, and remittances from laborers employed in South Africa ($153
    million in 1989). The great majority of households gain their livelihoods
    from subsistence farming and migrant labor. Manufacturing depends largely on
    farm products to support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries;
    other industries include textile, clothing, and light engineering.
    Industry's share of GDP rose from 6% in 1982 to 15% in 1989. Political and
    economic instability in South Africa raises uncertainty for Lesotho's
    economy, especially with respect to migrant worker remittances - typically
    about 40% of GDP.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $420 million, per capita $240; real growth rate
    4.0% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    15% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    at least 55% among adult males (1991 est.)
Budget:
    expenditures $399 million, including capital expenditures of $132 million
    (FY92-93)
Exports:
    $59 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets
  partners:
    South Africa 53%, EC 30%, North and South America 13% (1989)
Imports:
    $604 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines,
    petroleum
  partners:
    South Africa 95%, EC 2% (1989)
External debt:
    $370 million (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 7.8% (1989 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity:
    power supplied by South Africa
Industries:
    food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts, tourism
Agriculture:
    accounts for 18% of GDP and employs 60-70% of all households; exceedingly
    primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are
    corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $268 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $819 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $14
    million
Currency:
    loti (plural - maloti); 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente
Exchange rates:
    maloti (M) per US$1 - 2.8809 (March 1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990),
    2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987); note - the Basotho loti is at
    par with the South African rand

:Lesotho Economy

Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Lesotho Communications

Railroads:
    2.6 km; owned, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa
Highways:
    7,215 km total; 572 km paved; 2,337 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized
    soil; 1,806 km improved earth, 2,500 km unimproved earth (1988)
Civil air:
    1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    28 total, 28 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:
    rudimentary system consisting of a few landlines, a small microwave system,
    and minor radio communications stations; 5,920 telephones; broadcast
    stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Lesotho Defense Forces

Branches:
    Royal Lesotho Defense Force (RLDF; including Army, Air Wing), Royal Lesotho
    Mounted Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 408,003; 220,129 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 13.1% of GDP (1990 est.)

:Liberia Geography

Total area:
    111,370 km2
Land area:
    96,320 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
    1,585 km; Guinea 563 km, Ivory Coast 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
Coastline:
    579 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Territorial sea:
    200 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights;
    wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Terrain:
    mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low
    mountains in northeast
Natural resources:
    iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and
    woodland 39%; other 55%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    West Africa's largest tropical rain forest, subject to deforestation

:Liberia People

Population:
    2,462,276 (July 1992), growth rate 29.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    265 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    119 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    54 years male, 59 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Liberian(s); adjective - Liberian
Ethnic divisions:
    indigenous African tribes, including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano,
    Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella 95%; descendants of
    repatriated slaves known as Americo-Liberians 5%
Religions:
    traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%
Languages:
    English (official); more than 20 local languages of the Niger-Congo language
    group; English used by about 20%
Literacy:
    40% (male 50%, female 29%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    510,000, including 220,000 in the monetary economy; agriculture 70.5%,
    services 10.8%, industry and commerce 4.5%, other 14.2%; non-African
    foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs;
    52% of population of working age
Organized labor:
    2% of labor force

:Liberia Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Liberia
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Monrovia
Administrative divisions:
    13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru,
    Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, River Cess, Sinoe
Independence:
    26 July 1847
Constitution:
    6 January 1986
Legal system:
    dual system of statutory law based on Anglo-American common law for the
    modern sector and customary law based on unwritten tribal practices for
    indigenous sector
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 26 July (1847)
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower
    house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
    People's Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    interim President Dr. Amos SAWYER (since 15 November 1990); Vice President,
    vacant (since August 1991); note - this is an interim government appointed
    by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that will be
    replaced after elections are held under a West African - brokered peace
    plan; rival rebel factions led by Prince Y. JOHNSON and Charles TAYLOR are
    challenging the SAWYER government's legitimacy while observing a tenuous
    cease-fire; the former president, Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE, was killed on
    9 September 1990 by Prince Y. JOHNSON
Political parties and leaders:
    National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Augustus CAINE, chairman;
    Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel KOROMAH, chairman; Unity Party (UP),
    Carlos SMITH, chairman; United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus
    MATTHEWS, chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results - Gen. Dr. Samuel
    Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7%; note -
    President Doe was killed by rebel forces on 9 September 1990
  Senate:
    last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote
    by party NA; seats - (26 total) NDPL 21, LAP 3, UP 1, UPP 1
  House of Representatives:
    last held on 15 October 1985 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote
    by party NA; seats - (64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, UPP 2
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD,
    IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO

:Liberia Government

Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Eugenia A. WORDSWORTH-STEVENSON; Chancery at 5201 16th Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20011; telephone [phone] through 0440; there is a
    Liberian Consulate General in New York
  US:
    Ambassador Peter J. de VOS; Embassy at 111 United Nations Drive, Monrovia
    (mailing address is P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO AE 09813; telephone [231]
    222991 through 222994; FAX [phone]
Flag:
    11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white;
    there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side
    corner; the design was based on the US flag

:Liberia Economy

Overview:
    Civil war during 1990 destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the
    infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Expatriate businessmen fled the
    country, taking capital and expertise with them. Many will not return.
    Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate
    favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic
    products, while local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in
    scope. Political instability threatens prospects for economic reconstruction
    and repatriation of some 750,000 Liberian refugees who fled to neighboring
    countries. In 1991, the political impasse between the interim government and
    the rebel leader Charles Taylor prevented restoration of normal economic
    life.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $988 million, per capita $400; real growth rate
    1.5% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    12% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
    43% urban (1988)
Budget:
    revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including capital
    expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)
Exports:
    $505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
  commodities:
    iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee
  partners:
    US, EC, Netherlands
Imports:
    $394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.)
  commodities:
    rice, mineral fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other
    foodstuffs
  partners:
    US, EC, Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS
External debt:
    $1.6 billion (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 1.5% in manufacturing (1987); accounts for 22% of GDP
Electricity:
    410,000 kW capacity; 750 million kWh produced, 275 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm
    oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)
Agriculture:
    accounts for about 40% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); principal
    products - rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava, palm oil,
    sugarcane, bananas, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food, imports
    25% of rice consumption
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $665 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $870 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $77
    million
Currency:
    Liberian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1 - 1.00 (fixed rate since 1940); unofficial
    parallel exchange rate of L$7 = US$1, January 1992

:Liberia Economy

Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Liberia Communications

Railroads:
    480 km total; 328 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km 1.067-meter narrow
    gauge; all lines single track; rail systems owned and operated by foreign
    steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian Government
Highways:
    10,087 km total; 603 km bituminous treated, 2,848 km all weather, 4,313 km
    dry weather; there are also 2,323 km of private, laterite-surfaced roads
    open to public use, owned by rubber and timber companies
Ports:
    Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas)
Merchant marine:
    1,564 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 54,049,124 DWT/ 95,338,925 DWT;
    includes 19 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 145 cargo, 51 refrigerated
    cargo, 22 roll-on/roll-off, 62 vehicle carrier, 89 container, 4 barge
    carrier, 460 petroleum tanker, 105 chemical, 57 combination ore/oil, 50
    liquefied gas, 6 specialized tanker, 465 bulk, 1 multifunction large-load
    carrier, 27 combination bulk; note - a flag of convenience registry; all
    ships are foreign owned; the top 4 owning flags are US 18%, Japan 16%, Hong
    Kong 10%, and Norway 9%
Civil air:
    1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    66 total, 49 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network; main center is
    Monrovia; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
    earth stations; most telecommunications services inoperable due to
    insurgency movement

:Liberia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Monrovia-based Armed Forces of Liberia (Army only) along with a police
    force; rest of country controlled by the army of the National Patriotic
    Front of Liberia (NPFL) insurgent group
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 585,224; 312,420 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

:Libya Geography

Total area:
    1,759,540 km2
Land area:
    1,759,540 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
    4,383 km; Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan
    383 km, Tunisia 459 km
Coastline:
    1,770 km
Maritime claims:
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
  Gulf of Sidra closing line:
    32 degrees 30 minutes N
Disputes:
    claims and occupies the 100,000 km2 Aozou Strip in northern Chad; maritime
    boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern
    Niger; Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
Climate:
    Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
Terrain:
    mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Natural resources:
    crude oil, natural gas, gypsum
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 91%; includes irrigated NEGL%
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

:Libya People

Population:
    4,484,795 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    36 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    60 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    66 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Libyan(s); adjective - Libyan
Ethnic divisions:
    Berber and Arab 97%; some Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis,
    Turks, Indians, and Tunisians
Religions:
    Sunni Muslim 97%
Languages:
    Arabic; Italian and English widely understood in major cities
Literacy:
    64% (male 75%, female 50%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    1,000,000, includes about 280,000 resident foreigners; industry 31%,
    services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18%
Organized labor:
    National Trade Unions' Federation, 275,000 members; General Union for Oil
    and Petrochemicals; Pan-Africa Federation of Petroleum Energy and Allied
    Workers

:Libya Government

Long-form name:
    Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Digraph:
    Tripoli Administration divisions *** 25 municipalities (baladiyah, singular
    - baladiyat; Ajdabiya, Al `Aziziyah, Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al
    Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, An Nuqat al Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az
    Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan, Misratah, Murzuq, Sabha,
    Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq, Yafran, Zlitan
Type:
    Jamahiriya (a state of the masses); in theory, governed by the populace
    through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
Capital:
    Tripoli Administration divisions
Administrative divisions:
    25 municipalities (baladiyah, singular - baladiyat; Ajdabiya, Al 'Aziziyah,
    Al Fatih, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jufrah, Al Khums, Al Kufrah, An Nuqat al
    Khams, Ash Shati', Awbari, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi, Darnah, Ghadamis, Gharyan,
    Misratah, Murzuq Sabha, Sawfajjin, Surt, Tarabulus, Tarhunah, Tubruq,
    Yafran, Zlitan
Independence:
    24 December 1951 (from Italy)
Constitution:
    11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977
Legal system:
    based on Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate religious
    courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts;
    has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Revolution Day, 1 September (1969)
Executive branch:
    revolutionary leader, chairman of the General People's Committee (premier),
    General People's Committee (cabinet)
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) Abu Zayd `umar DURDA
    (since 7 October 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    none
Suffrage:
    universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
    national elections are indirect through a hierarchy of peoples' committees
Other political or pressure groups:
    various Arab nationalist movements and the Arab Socialist Resurrection
    (Ba'th) party with almost negligible memberships may be functioning
    clandestinely, as well as some Islamic elements
Member of:
    ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
    ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
    LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO,
    WIPO, WMO, WTO

:Libya Government

Diplomatic representation:
    none
Flag:
    plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)

:Libya Economy

Overview:
    The socialist-oriented economy depends primarily upon revenues from the oil
    sector, which contributes practically all export earnings and about
    one-third of GDP. Since 1980, however, the sharp drop in oil prices and the
    resulting decline in export revenues have adversely affected economic
    development. In 1988 per capita GDP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but
    GDP growth rates have slowed and fluctuate sharply in response to changes in
    the world oil market. Import restrictions and inefficient resource
    allocations have led to shortages of basic goods and foodstuffs, although
    the reopening of the Libyan-Tunisian border in April 1988 and the
    Libyan-Egyptian border in December 1989 have somewhat eased shortages.
    Austerity budgets and a lack of trained technicians have undermined the
    government's ability to implement a number of planned infrastructure
    development projects. Windfall revenues from the hike in world oil prices in
    late 1990 improved the foreign payments position and resulted in a current
    account surplus for the first time in five years. The nonoil manufacturing
    and construction sectors, which account for about 22% of GDP, have expanded
    from processing mostly agricultural products to include petrochemicals,
    iron, steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture accounts for about 5% of
    GDP, it employs about 20% of the labor force. Climatic conditions and poor
    soils severely limit farm output, and Libya imports about 75% of its food
    requirements.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $28.9 billion, per capita $6,800; real growth
    rate 9% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    7% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    2% (1988 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $8.1 billion; expenditures $9.8 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $11 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    petroleum, peanuts, hides
  partners:
    Italy, USSR, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium/Luxembourg, Turkey
Imports:
    $7.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    machinery, transport equipment, food, manufactured goods
  partners:
    Italy, USSR, Germany, UK, Japan
External debt:
    $3.5 billion, excluding military debt (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate - 4%; accounts for 22% of GDP (not including oil) (1989)
Electricity:
    4,700,000 kW capacity; 13,700 million kWh produced, 3,100 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
Agriculture:
    5% of GNP; cash crops - wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus fruits,
    peanuts; 75% of food is imported
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87),
    $242 million; no longer a recipient

:Libya Economy

Currency:
    Libyan dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
Exchange rates:
    Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1 - 0.2743 (March 1992), 0.2669 (1991), 0.2699
    (1990), 0.2922 (1989), 0.2853 (1988), 0.2706 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Libya Communications

Pipelines:
    crude oil 4,383 km; natural gas 1,947 km; petroleum products 443 km
    (includes liquid petroleum gas 256 km)
Ports:
    Tobruk, Tripoli, Banghazi, Misratah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf
Merchant marine:
    30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 684,969 GRT/1,209,084 DWT; includes 3
    short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 4 roll-on/roll-off, 10 petroleum tanker, 1
    chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas
Civil air:
    59 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    133 total, 120 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways; 9 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 28 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 46 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    modern telecommunications system using radio relay, coaxial cable,
    tropospheric scatter, and domestic satellite stations; 370,000 telephones;
    broadcast stations - 17 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV; satellite earth stations - 1
    Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 14 domestic; submarine
    cables to France and Italy; radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric
    scatter to Greece; planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik satellite stations

:Libya Defense Forces

Branches:
    Armed Peoples of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (including Army, Navy, Air and
    Air Defense Command), National Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 1,056,686; 624,027 fit for military service; 50,916 reach
    military age (17) annually; conscription now being implemented
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, 11.1% of GDP (1987)

:Liechtenstein Geography

Total area:
    160 km2
Land area:
    160 km2
Comparative area:
    about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    78 km; Austria 37 km, Switzerland 41 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to
    moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
Terrain:
    mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third
Natural resources:
    hydroelectric potential
Land use:
    arable land 25%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 38%; forest and
    woodland 19%; other 18%
Environment:
    variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation
Note:
    landlocked

:Liechtenstein People

Population:
    28,642 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    13 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    74 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Liechtensteiner(s); adjective - Liechtenstein
Ethnic divisions:
    Alemannic 95%, Italian and other 5%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 87.3%, Protestant 8.3%, unknown 1.6%, other 2.8% (1988)
Languages:
    German (official), Alemannic dialect
Literacy:
    100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 10 and over can read and write (1981)
Labor force:
    19,905, of which 11,933 are foreigners; 6,885 commute from Austria and
    Switzerland to work each day; industry, trade, and building 53.2%, services
    45%, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 1.8% (1990)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Liechtenstein Government

Long-form name:
    Principality of Liechtenstein
Type:
    hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Vaduz
Administrative divisions:
    11 communes (gemeinden, singular - gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin,
    Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz
Independence:
    23 January 1719, Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein established
Constitution:
    5 October 1921
Legal system:
    local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
    reservations
National holiday:
    Assumption Day, 15 August
Executive branch:
    reigning prince, hereditary prince, head of government, deputy head of
    government
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Diet (Landtag)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for criminal cases and Superior Court
    (Obergericht) for civil cases
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Prince Hans ADAM II (since 13 November 1989; assumed executive powers 26
    August 1984); Heir Apparent Prince ALOIS von und zu Liechtenstein (born 11
    June 1968)
  Head of Government:
    Hans BRUNHART (since 26 April 1978); Deputy Head of Government Dr. Herbert
    WILLE (since 2 February 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
    Fatherland Union (VU), Dr. Otto HASLER; Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP),
    Emanuel VOGT; Free Electoral List (FW)
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
Member of:
    CE, CSCE, EBRD, IAEA, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UPU,
    WIPO
Diplomatic representation:
    in routine diplomatic matters, Liechtenstein is represented in the US by the
    Swiss Embassy
  US:
    the US has no diplomatic or consular mission in Liechtenstein, but the US
    Consul General at Zurich (Switzerland) has consular accreditation at Vaduz
Flag:
    two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the
    hoist side of the blue band

:Liechtenstein Economy

Overview:
    The prosperous economy is based primarily on small-scale light industry and
    tourism. Industry accounts for 53% of total employment, the service sector
    45% (mostly based on tourism), and agriculture and forestry 2%. The sale of
    postage stamps to collectors is estimated at $10 million annually. Low
    business taxes (the maximum tax rate is 20%) and easy incorporation rules
    have induced about 25,000 holding or so-called letter box companies to
    establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein. Such companies, incorporated
    solely for tax purposes, provide 30% of state revenues. The economy is tied
    closely to that of Switzerland in a customs union, and incomes and living
    standards parallel those of the more prosperous Swiss groups.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $630 million, per capita $22,300; real growth
    rate NA% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    5.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    1.5% (1990)
Budget:
    revenues $259 million; expenditures $292 million, including capital
    expenditures of NA (1990)
Exports:
    $1.6 billion
  commodities:
    small specialty machinery, dental products, stamps, hardware, pottery
  partners:
    EFTA countries 20.9% (Switzerland 15.4%), EC countries 42.7%, other 36.4%
    (1990)
Imports:
    $NA
  commodities:
    machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    23,000 kW capacity; 150 million kWh produced, 5,340 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries:
    electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food
    products, precision instruments, tourism
Agriculture:
    livestock, vegetables, corn, wheat, potatoes, grapes
Economic 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 - 1.5079 (March 1992),
    1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Liechtenstein 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:
    limited, but sufficient automatic telephone system; 25,400 telephones;
    linked to Swiss networks by cable and radio relay for international
    telephone, radio, and TV services

:Liechtenstein Defense Forces

Branches:
    Police Department
Note:
    defense is responsibility of Switzerland

:Lithuania Geography

Total area:
    65,200 km2
Land area:
    65,200 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
    1,273 km; Belarus 502 km, Latvia 453 km, Poland 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad)
    227 km
Coastline:
    108 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    NA nm
  Continental shelf:
    NA meter depth
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    NA nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    NA nm
  Territorial sea:
    NA nm
Disputes:
    dispute with Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) over the position of the Neman
    River border presently located on the Lithuanian bank and not in midriver as
    by international standards
Climate:
    maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain:
    lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
Natural resources:
    peat
Land use:
    49.1% arable land; NA% permanent crops; 22.2% meadows and pastures; 16.3%
    forest and woodland; 12.4% other; includes NA% irrigated
Environment:
    NA

:Lithuania People

Population:
    3,788,542 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    15 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    18 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    66 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Lithuanian(s); adjective - Lithuanian
Ethnic divisions:
    Lithuanian 80.1%, Russian 8.6%, Poles 7.7%, Byelorussian 1.5%, other 2.1%
Religions:
    Catholic NA%, Lutheran NA%, unknown NA%, none NA%, other NA%
Languages:
    Lithuanian (official), Polish NA%, Russian NA%
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write
Labor force:
    1,836,000; industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 18%,
    other 40% (1990)
Organized labor:
    Lithuanian Trade Union Association; Labor Federation of Lithuania; Union of
    Workers

:Lithuania Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Lithuania
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Vilnius
Administrative divisions:
    none - all rayons are under direct republic jurisdiction
Independence:
    1918; annexed by the Soviet Union 3 August 1940; restored independence 11
    March 1990; and regained indpendence from the USSR 6 September 1991
Constitution:
    NA; Constitutional Commission has drafted a new constitution that will be
    sent to Parliament for ratification
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 16 February; Defenders of Freedom Day, 13 January
Executive branch:
    prime minister, Council of Ministers, Government,
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Supreme Council, Parliament
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; district and city courts; Procurator
    General of Lithuania
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Chairman, Supreme Council Vytautas LANDSBERGIS (since March 1990), Deputy
    Chairmen Bronius KUZMICKAS (since March 1990), Ceslovas STANKEVICIUS (since
    March 1990)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Gediminas VAGNORIUS (since January 1991); Deputy Prime
    Ministers Algis DOBROVOLSKAS (since January 1991), Vytantas PAKALNISKIS
    (since January 1991), Zigmas VAISVILA (since January 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Christian Democratic Party, FNU KATILIUS, chairman; Democratic Labor Party
    of Lithuania, Algirdas Mykolas BRAZAUSKAS, chairman; Lithuanian Democratic
    Party, Sauluis PECELIUNAS, chairman; Lithuanian Green Party, Irena
    IGNATAVICIENE, chairwoman; Lithuanian Humanism Party, Vytautas KAZLAUSKAS,
    chairman; Lithuanian Independence Party, Virgilijus CEPAITIS, chairman;
    Lithuanian Liberty League, Antanas TERLECKAS; Lithuanian Liberals Union,
    Vytautus RADZVILAS, chairman; Lithuanian Nationalist Union, Rimantas
    SMETONA, chairman; Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, Aloizas SAKALAS,
    chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held March 1990 (elected by Parliament); results - LANDSBERGIS,
    BRAZAUSKAS
  Supreme Council:
    last held 24 February 1990; results - Sajudis (nationalist movement won a
    large majority) (90) 63%; seats - (141 total)
Other political or pressure groups:
    Sajudis; Lithuanian Future Forum; Farmers Union
Member of:
    CSCE, IAEA, ILO, NACC, UN, UNCTAD

:Lithuania Government

Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Stasys LOZORAITIS, Jr.; Embassy at 2622 16th St. NW, Washington,
    DC 20009; telephone [phone], 2639
  US:
    Ambassador Darryl JOHNSON; Embassy at Mykolaicio putino 4, Vilnius; (mailing
    address is APO AE 09862); telephone [7] (01-22) 628-049
Flag:
    yellow, green, and red horizontal stripes

:Lithuania Economy

Overview:
    Lithuania is striving to become a small, independent, largely privatized
    economy rather than a segment of a huge, centrally planned economy. Although
    substantially above average in living standards and technology in the old
    USSR, Lithuania historically lagged behind Latvia and Estonia in economic
    development. It is ahead of its Baltic neighbors, however, in implementing
    market reform. The country has no important natural resources aside from its
    arable land and strategic location. Industry depends entirely on imported
    materials that have come from the republics of the former USSR. Lithuania
    benefits from its ice-free port at Klaipeda on the Baltic Sea and its rail
    and highway hub at Vilnius, which provides land communication between
    Eastern Europe and Russia, Latvia, Estonia, and Belarus. Industry produces a
    small assortment of high-quality products, ranging from complex machine
    tools to sophisticated consumer electronics. Thanks to nuclear power,
    Lithuania is presently self-sufficient in electricity, exporting its surplus
    to Latvia and Belarus; the nuclear facilities inherited from the USSR,
    however, have come under world scrutiny as seriously deficient in safety
    standards. Agriculture is efficient compared with most of the former Soviet
    Union. Lithuania holds first place in per capita consumption of meat, second
    place for eggs and potatoes, and fourth place for milk and dairy products.
    Grain must be imported to support the meat and dairy industries. As to
    economic reforms, Lithuania is pressing ahead with plans to privatize at
    least 60% of state-owned property (industry, agriculture, and housing)
    having already sold many small enterprises using a voucher system. Other
    government priorities include stimulating foreign investment by protecting
    the property rights of foreign firms and redirecting foreign trade away from
    Eastern markets to the more competitive Western markets. For the moment,
    Lithuania will remain highly dependent on Russia for energy, raw materials,
    grains, and markets for its products.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $NA; per capita NA; real growth rate -13%
    (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    200% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues 4.8 billion rubles; expenditures 4.7 billion rubles (1989 economic
    survey); note - budget revenues and expenditures are not given for other
    former Soviet republics; implied deficit from these figures does not have a
    clear interpretation
Exports:
    700 million rubles (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    electronics 18%, petroleum products 16%, food 10%, chemicals 6% (1989)
  partners:
    Russia 60%, Ukraine 15%, other former Soviet republics 20%, West 5%
Imports:
    2.2 billion rubles (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    oil 24%, machinery 14%, chemicals 8%, grain NA%
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $650 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -1.3% (1991)
Electricity:
    5,875,000 kW capacity; 25,500 million kWh produced, NA kWh per capita (1991)

:Lithuania Economy

Industries:
    employs 25% of the labor force; its shares in the total production of the
    former USSR are metal-cutting machine tools 6.6%; electric motors 4.6%;
    television sets 6.2%; refrigerators and freezers 5.4%; other production
    includes petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making,
    textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical
    equipment, electronic components, computers, and amber
Agriculture:
    employs 29% of labor force; sugar, grain, potatoes, sugarbeets, vegetables,
    meat, milk, dairy products, eggs, and fish; most developed are the livestock
    and dairy branches - these depend on imported grain; Lithuania is a net
    exporter of meat, milk, and eggs
Illicit drugs:
    transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and Southwest Asia to
    Western Europe
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (1992), $10 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-86), $NA million;
    Communist countries (1971-86), $NA million
Currency:
    as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency but planning early introduction
    of ``litas''
Exchange rates:
    NA
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Lithuania Communications

Railroads:
    2,010 km (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines
    (1990)
Highways:
    44,200 km total (1990); 35,500 km hard surfaced, 8,700 km earth
Inland waterways:
    600 km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
    NA
Ports:
    maritime - Klaipeda; inland - Kaunas
Merchant marine:
    66 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 268,854 GRT/315,690 DWT; includes 27
    cargo, 24 timber carrier, 1 container, 3 railcar carrier, 11 combination
    bulk
Civil air:
    NA
Airports:
    NA
Telecommunications:
    better developed than in most other former USSR republics; 22.4 telephones
    per 100 persons; broadcast stations - 13 AM, 26 FM, 1 SW, 1 LW, 3 TV;
    landlines or microwave to former USSR republics; leased connection to the
    Moscow international switch for traffic with other countries; satellite
    earth stations - (8 channels to Norway)

:Lithuania Defense Forces

Branches:
    Ground Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops),
    National Guard/Volunteers; Russian Forces (Ground, Navy, Air, and Air
    Defense)
Manpower availability:
    NA

:Luxembourg Geography

Total area:
    2,586 km
Land area:
    2,586 km
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
    359 km; Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
Terrain:
    mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to
    slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle floodplain in
    the southeast
Natural resources:
    iron ore (no longer exploited)
Land use:
    arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and
    woodland 21%; other 34%
Environment:
    deforestation
Note:
    landlocked

:Luxembourg People

Population:
    392,405 (July 1992), growth rate 1.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    12 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    73 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Luxembourger(s); adjective - Luxembourg
Ethnic divisions:
    Celtic base, with French and German blend; also guest and worker residents
    from Portugal, Italy, and European countries
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3%
Languages:
    Luxembourgisch, German, French; many also speak English
Literacy:
    100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Labor force:
    177,300; one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal,
    Italy, France, Belgium, and FRG; services 65%, industry 31.6%, agriculture
    3.4% (1988)
Organized labor:
    100,000 (est.) members of four confederated trade unions

:Luxembourg Government

Long-form name:
    Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Type:
    constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Luxembourg
Administrative divisions:
    3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
Independence:
    1839
Constitution:
    17 October 1868, occasional revisions
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    National Day (public celebration of the Grand Duke's birthday), 23 June
    (1921)
Executive branch:
    grand duke, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers
    (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes); note - the Council of
    State (Conseil d'Etat) is an advisory body whose views are considered by the
    Chamber of Deputies
Judicial branch:
    Superior Court of Justice (Cour Superieure de 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); Vice Prime Minister
    Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)
Political parties and leaders:
    Christian Social Party (CSV), Jacques SANTER; Socialist Workers Party
    (LSAP), Jacques POOS; Liberal (DP), Colette FLESCH; Communist (KPL), Andre
    HOFFMANN; Green Alternative (GAP), Jean HUSS
Suffrage:
    universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
  Chamber of Deputies:
    last held on 18 June 1989 (next to be held by June 1994); results - CSV
    31.7%, LSAP 27.2%, DP 16.2%, Greens 8.4%, PAC 7.3%, KPL 5.1%, other 4.1%;
    seats - (60 total) CSV 22, LSAP 18, DP 11, Greens 4, PAC 4, KPL 1
Other political or pressure groups:
    group of steel industries representing iron and steel industry, Centrale
    Paysanne representing agricultural producers; Christian and Socialist labor
    unions; Federation of Industrialists; Artisans and Shopkeepers Federation
Member of:
    ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC, CE, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB,
    EMS, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
    IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG,
    OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Alphonse BERNS; Chancery at 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; there are Luxembourg
    Consulates General in New York and San Francisco

:Luxembourg Government

  US:
    Ambassador Edward M. ROWELL; Embassy at 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 2535
    Luxembourg City; PSC 11 (mailing address is APO AE 09132-5380); telephone
    [352] 460123; FAX [352] 461401
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

:Luxembourg Economy

Overview:
    The stable economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and negligible
    unemployment. Agriculture is based on small but highly productive
    family-owned farms. The industrial sector, until recently dominated by
    steel, has become increasingly more diversified, particularly toward
    high-technology firms. During the past decade, growth in the financial
    sector has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Services,
    especially banking, account for a growing proportion of the economy.
    Luxembourg participates in an economic union with Belgium on trade and most
    financial matters and is also closely connected economically to the
    Netherlands.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $7.83 billion, per capita $20,200; real growth
    rate 2.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    3.7% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    1.3% (1990)
Budget:
    revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital
    expenditures of NA (1988)
Exports:
    $6.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other
    industrial products
  partners:
    EC 75%, US 5%
Imports:
    $7.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
  partners:
    Belgium 37%, FRG 31%, France 12%, US 2%
External debt:
    $131.6 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate - 0.5% (1990); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
    1,500,000 kW capacity; 1,163 million kWh produced, 3,170 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products,
    engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
Agriculture:
    accounts for less than 3% of GDP (including forestry); principal products -
    barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; cattle raising
    widespread
Economic aid:
    none
Currency:
    Luxembourg franc (plural - francs); 1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1 - 32.462 (January 1992), 34.148 (1991),
    33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987); note - the
    Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely
    in Luxembourg
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Luxembourg Communications

Railroads:
    Luxembourg National Railways (CFL) operates 270 km 1.435-meter standard
    gauge; 162 km double track; 162 km electrified
Highways:
    5,108 km total; 4,995 km paved, 57 km gravel, 56 km earth; about 80 km
    limited access divided highway
Inland waterways:
    37 km; Moselle River
Pipelines:
    petroleum products 48 km
Ports:
    Mertert (river port)
Merchant marine:
    49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,592,985 GRT/2,642,249 DWT; includes
    3 cargo, 5 container, 5 roll-on/roll-off, 6 petroleum tanker, 4 chemical
    tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 8 liquefied gas, 1 passenger, 8 bulk, 6
    combination bulk
Civil air:
    13 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over
    3,659 m; 1 with runways less than 1,220 m
Telecommunications:
    highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried
    cables; 230,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; 3
    channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable; 1 direct-broadcast
    satellite earth station; nationwide mobile phone system

:Luxembourg Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 100,994; 83,957 fit for military service; 2,320 reach military
    age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 1.4% of GDP (1991)

:Macau Geography

Total area:
    16 km2
Land area:
    16 km2
Comparative area:
    about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    0.34 km; China 0.34 km
Coastline:
    40 km
Maritime claims:
    not known
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Terrain:
    generally flat
Natural resources:
    negligible
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
    essentially urban; one causeway and one bridge connect the two islands to
    the peninsula on mainland
Note:
    27 km west-southwest of Hong Kong on the southeast coast of China

:Macau People

Population:
    473,333 (July 1992), growth rate 1.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
    17 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    78 years male, 84 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Macanese (singular and plural); adjective - Macau
Ethnic divisions:
    Chinese 95%, Portuguese 3%, other 2%
Religions:
    Buddhist 45%, Roman Catholic 7%, Protestant 1%, none 45.8%, other 1.2%
    (1981)
Languages:
    Portuguese (official); Cantonese is the language of commerce
Literacy:
    90% (male 93%, female 86%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
Labor force:
    180,000 (1986)
Organized labor:
    none

:Macau Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    overseas territory of Portugal; scheduled to revert to China in 1999
Capital:
    Macau
Administrative divisions:
    2 districts (concelhos, singular - concelho); Ilhas, 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
    systems and lifestyle for 50 years after transition
Constitution:
    17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau; basic law drafted primarily by
    Beijing awaiting final approval
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 SOARES (since 9 March 1986)
  Head of Government:
    Governor Gen. Vasco Joachim Rocha VIEIRA (since 20 March 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Association to Defend the Interests of Macau; Macau Democratic Center; Group
    to Study the Development of Macau; Macau Independent Group
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Legislative Assembly:
    last held on 10 March 1991; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
    (23 total; 8 elected by universal suffrage, 8 by indirect suffrage, and 7
    appointed by the governor) number of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups:
    wealthy Macanese and Chinese representing local interests, wealthy
    pro-Communist merchants representing China's interests; in January 1967 the
    Macau Government acceded to Chinese demands that gave China veto power over
    administration
Member of:
    IMO (associate), WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation:
    as Chinese territory under Portuguese administration, Macanese interests in
    the US are represented 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

:Macau Economy

Overview:
    The economy is based largely on tourism (including gambling) and textile and
    fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have spawned other small
    industries - toys, artificial flowers, and electronics. The tourist sector
    has accounted for roughly 25% of GDP, and the clothing industry has provided
    about two-thirds of export earnings; the gambling industry represented 36%
    of GDP in 1991. Macau depends on China for most of its food, fresh water,
    and energy imports. Japan and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw
    materials and capital goods.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $3.1 billion, per capita $6,900; real growth rate
    6% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    8.8% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    2% (1989 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $305 million; expenditures $298 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports:
    $1.5 billion (1990 est.)
  commodities:
    textiles, clothing, toys
  partners:
    US 33%, Hong Kong 15%, FRG 12%, France 10% (1987)
Imports:
    $1.8 billion (1990 est.)
  commodities:
    raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods
  partners:
    Hong Kong 39%, China 21%, Japan 10% (1987)
External debt:
    $91 million (1985)
Industrial production:
    NA
Electricity:
    220,000 kW capacity; 520 million kWh produced, 1,165 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    clothing, textiles, toys, plastic products, furniture, tourism
Agriculture:
    rice, vegetables; food shortages - rice, vegetables, meat; depends mostly on
    imports for food requirements
Economic aid:
    none
Currency:
    pataca (plural - patacas); 1 pataca (P) = 100 avos
Exchange rates:
    patacas (P) per US$1 - 8.034 (1991), 8.024 (1990), 8.030 (1989), 8.044
    (1988), 7.993 (1987); note - linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of
    1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Macau Communications

Highways:
    42 km paved
Ports:
    Macau
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
Airports:
    none useable, 1 under construction; 1 seaplane station
Telecommunications:
    fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and
    international services; 52,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 3 FM,
    no TV; 75,000 radio receivers (est.); international high-frequency radio
    communication facility; access to international communications carriers
    provided via Hong Kong and China; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Macau Defense Forces

Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 135,923; 76,414 fit for military service
Note:
    defense is responsibility of Portugal

:Macedonia Header

Note:
    Macedonia has proclaimed independent statehood but has not been formally
    recognized as a state by the United States.

:Macedonia Geography

Total area:
    25,333 km2
Land area:
    24,856 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Vermont
Land boundaries:
    748 km; Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 228 km, Serbia and
    Montenegro 221 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    Greece claims republic's name implies territorial claims against Aegean
    Macedonia
Climate:
    hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall
Terrain:
    territory covered with deep basins and valleys; there are three large lakes,
    each divided by a frontier line
Natural resources:
    chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, tungsten, nickel, low-grade iron ore,
    asbestos, sulphur, timber
Land use:
    arable land 5%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and
    woodland 30%; other 40%; includes irrigated NA%
Environment:
    Macedonia suffers from high seismic hazard; air pollution from metallurgical
    plants
Note:
    major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea

:Macedonia People

Population:
    2,174,000 (July 1992), growth rate NA% (1992)
Birth rate:
    NA births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    71 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    NA children born/woman (1992)
Ethnic divisions:
    Macedonian 67%, Albanian 20%, Turkish 4%, Serb 2%, other 7%
Religions:
    Eastern Orthodox 59%, Muslim 26%, Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%, unknown 10%
Languages:
    Macedonian 70%, Albanian 21%, Turkish 3%, Serbo-Croatian 3%, other 3%
Literacy:
    89.1% (male 94.2%, female 83.8%) age 10 and over can read and write (1992
    est.)
Labor force:
    507,324; agriculture 8%, manufacturing and mining 40% (1990)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Macedonia Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Macedonia
Type:
    emerging democracy
Capital:
    Skopje
Administrative divisions:
    NA
Independence:
    20 November 1991 from Yugoslavia
Constitution:
    adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
National holiday:
    NA
Executive branch:
    presidency, Council of Ministers, prime minister
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Assembly
Judicial branch:
    Constitutional Court, Judicial Court of the Republic
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Kiro GLIGOROV (since 27 January 1991)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Nikola KLJUSEV (since March 1991), Deputy Prime Ministers
    Jovan ANDONOV (since March 1991), Blaze RISTOVSKI (since March 1991), and
    Bezir ZUTA (since March 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Social Democratic Alliance (SDA; former Communist Party), Branko
    CRVENKOVSKI, chairman; Party of Democratic Prosperity, (PDP), Nevzat HALILI,
    chairman; National Democratic Party, Iliaz HALIMI, chairman; Alliance of
    Reform Forces of Macedonia (MARF), Sojan ANDOV, chairman; Socialist Party,
    chairman NA; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic
    Party for Macedonian National Unity (IMRO-DPMNU), Ljupco GEORGIEVSKI,
    chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 27 January 1991 (next to be held NA); results - Kiro GLIGOREV won
  Assembly:
    last held 11 November 1990 (next to be held NA);results - percent of vote by
    party NA; seats - (120 total) IMRO-DPMNU 37, SDA 31, PDP 25, MARF 17, Party
    of Yugoslavs 1, Socialists 5, others 4
Communists:
    NA
Other political or pressure groups:
    Movement for All Macedonian Action (MAAK), IMRU-Democratic Party, League for
    Democracy, Albanian Democratic Union-Liberal Party
Member of:
    none
Diplomatic representation:
    has not been formerly recognized by the US
Flag:
    NA

:Macedonia Economy

Overview:
    Macedonia, although the poorest among the six republics of a disintegrated
    Yugoslav federation, can meet basic food and energy needs through its own
    agricultural and coal resources. As a breakaway republic, however, it will
    move down toward a bare subsistence level of life unless economic ties are
    reforged or enlarged with its neighbors Serbia, Albania, Greece, and
    Bulgaria. The economy depends on outside sources for all of its oil and gas
    and its modern machinery and parts. Continued political turmoil, both
    internally and in the region as a whole, prevents any swift readjustments of
    trade patterns and economic rules of the game. Inflation in early 1992 was
    out of control, the result of fracturing trade links, the decline in
    economic activity, and general uncertainties about the future status of the
    country; prices rose 38% in March 1992 alone. Macedonia's geographical
    isolation, technological backwardness, and political instability place it
    far down the list of countries of interest to Western investors. Recognition
    of Macedonia by the EC and an internal commitment to economic reform would
    help to encourage foreign investment over the long run.
GDP:
    $7.1 billion, per capita $3,110; real growth rate -18% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    20% (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $578 million (1990)
  commodities:
    manufactured goods 40%, machinery and transport equipment 14%, miscellaneous
    manufactured articles 23%, raw materials 7.6%, food (rice) and live animals
    5.7%, beverages and tobacco 4.5%, chemicals 4.7%
  partners:
    principally Serbia and the other former Yugoslav republics, Germany, Greece,
    Albania
Imports:
    $1,112 million (1990)
  commodities:
    fuels and lubricants 19%, manufactured goods 18%, machinery and transport
    equipment 15%, food and live animals 14%, chemicals 11.4%, raw materials
    10%, miscellaneous manufactured articles 8.0%, beverages and tobacco 3.5%
  partners:
    other former Yugoslav republics, Greece, Albania, Germany, Bulgaria
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate -18% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
    1,600,000 kw capacity; 6,300 million kWh produced, 3,103 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    low levels of technology predominate, such as, oil refining by distillation
    only; produces basic fuels; mining and manufacturing processes result in the
    extraction and production of coal as well as metallic chromium, lead, zinc,
    and ferronickel; light industry produces basic textiles, wood products, and
    tobacco
Agriculture:
    provides 12% of Macedonia's GDP and meets the basic need for food; principal
    crops are rice, tobacco, wheat, corn, and millet; also grown are cotton,
    sesame, mulberry leaves, citrus fruit, and vegetables; Macedonia is one of
    the seven legal cultivators of the opium poppy for the world pharmaceutical
    industry, including some exports to the US; agricultural production is
    highly labor intensive

:Macedonia Economy

Illicit drugs:
    NA
Economic aid:
    $NA
Currency:
    denar (plural - denars); 1 denar (NA) = 100 NA
Exchange rates:
    denar (NA) per US$1 - 240 (January 1991)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Macedonia Communications

Railroads:
    NA
Highways:
    10,591 km total (1991); 5,091 km paved, 1,404 km gravel, 4,096 km earth
Inland waterways:
    NA km
Pipelines:
    none
Ports:
    none - landlocked
Airports:
    2 main
Telecommunications:
    125,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 2 FM, 5 (2 relays) TV;
    370,000 radios, 325,000 TV; satellite communications ground stations - none

:Macedonia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Air and Air Defense Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 590,613; NA fit for military service; 22,913 reach military age
    (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - 7.0 billion dinars (est.), NA% of GDP (1992);
    note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current
    exchange rate could produce misleading results

:Madagascar Geography

Total area:
    587,040 km2
Land area:
    581,540 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    4,828 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova
    Island, and Tromelin Island (all administered by France)
Climate:
    tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Terrain:
    narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Natural resources:
    graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious
    stones, mica, fish
Land use:
    arable land 4%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 58%; forest and
    woodland 26%; other 11%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
    subject to periodic cyclones; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
    desertification
Note:
    world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel

:Madagascar People

Population:
    12,596,263 (July 1992), growth rate 3.2% (1992)
Birth rate:
    46 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    14 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    93 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    51 years male, 55 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Malagasy (singular and plural); adjective - Malagasy
Ethnic divisions:
    basic split between highlanders of predominantly Malayo-Indonesian origin
    (Merina and related Betsileo) on the one hand and coastal tribes,
    collectively termed the Cotiers, with mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and
    Arab ancestry (Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), on the other;
    there are also small French, Indian, Creole, and Comoran communities; no
    current, accurate assessment of tribal numbers is available
Religions:
    indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian about 41%, Muslim 7%
Languages:
    French and Malagasy (official)
Literacy:
    80% (male 88%, female 73%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    4,900,000; 90% nonsalaried family workers engaged in subsistence
    agriculture; 175,000 wage earners - agriculture 26%, domestic service 17%,
    industry 15%, commerce 14%, construction 11%, services 9%, transportation
    6%, other 2%; 51% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
    4% of labor force

:Madagascar Government

Long-form name:
    Democratic Republic of Madagascar
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Antananarivo
Administrative divisions:
    6 provinces (plural - NA, singular - faritanin'); Antananarivo, Antsiranana,
    Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliary
Independence:
    26 June 1960 (from France; formerly Malagasy Republic)
Constitution:
    21 December 1975; note - a new constitution is to be in place before 1993
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, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Popular National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire); note -
    the National Assembly has suspended its operations during 1992 in
    preparation for new legislative and presidential elections. In its place, an
    interim High Authority of State and a Social and Economic Recovery Council
    have been established
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 Guy RASANAMAZY (since 8 August 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    some 30 political parties now exist in Madagascar, the most important of
    which are the Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier
    RATSIRAKA; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM),
    RAKOTOVAO-ANDRIATIANA; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence-Revival
    (AKFM-R), Pastor Richard ANDRIAMANJATO; Movement for National Unity (VONJY),
    Dr. Marojama RAZANABAHINY; Malagasy Christian Democratic Union (UDECMA),
    Norbert ANDRIAMORASATA; Militants for the Establishment of a Proletarian
    Regime (MFM), Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA; National Movement for the Independence
    of Madagascar (MONIMA), Monja JAONA; National Union for the Defense of
    Democracy (UNDD), Albert ZAFY
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held on 12 March 1989 (next to be held NA 1992); results - Didier
    RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 62%, Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA (MFM/MFT) 20%, Dr. Jerome
    Marojama RAZANABAHINY (VONJY) 15%, Monja JAONA (MONIMA) 3%
  Popular National Assembly:
    last held on 28 May 1989 (next to be held 1992); results - AREMA 88.2%, MFM
    5.1%, AKFM 3.7%, VONJY 2.2%, other 0.8%; seats - (137 total) AREMA 120, MFM
    7, AKFM 5, VONJY 4, MONIMA 1

:Madagascar Government

Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
    IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
    OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO; Chancery at 2374 Massachusetts
    Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] or 5526; there is
    a Malagasy Consulate General in New York
  US:
    Ambassador Howard K. WALKER; Embassy at 14 and 16 Rue Rainitovo,
    Antsahavola, Antananarivo (mailing address is B. P. 620, Antananarivo);
    telephone [261] (2) 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

:Madagascar Economy

Overview:
    Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Agriculture,
    including fishing and forestry, is the mainstay of the economy, accounting
    for over 40% of GDP, employing about 80% of the labor force, and
    contributing to more than 70% of total export earnings. Industry is largely
    confined to the processing of agricultural products and textile
    manufacturing; in 1990 it accounted for only 16% of GDP and employed almost
    5% of the labor force. In 1986 the government introduced a five-year
    development plan that stressed self-sufficiency in food (mainly rice) by
    1990, increased production for exports, and reduced energy imports. After
    mid-1991, however, output dropped sharply because of protracted
    antigovernment strikes and demonstrations for political reform.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate
    -3.8% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    10% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $390 million; expenditures $525 million, including capital
    expenditures of $240 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
    $290 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    coffee 45%, vanilla 15%, cloves 11%, sugar, petroleum products
  partners:
    France, Japan, Italy, Germany, US
Imports:
    $436 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    intermediate manufactures 30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 15%, consumer
    goods 14%, food 13%
  partners:
    France, Germany, UK, other EC, US
External debt:
    $4.4 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 5.2% (1990 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
Electricity:
    125,000 kW capacity; 450 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    agricultural processing (meat canneries, soap factories, breweries,
    tanneries, sugar refining plants), light consumer goods industries
    (textiles, glassware), cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum
Agriculture:
    accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops - coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves,
    cocoa; food crops - rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts; cattle raising
    widespread; almost self-sufficient in rice
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for
    domestic consumption
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $136 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3,125 million;
    Communist countries (1970-89), $491 million
Currency:
    Malagasy franc (plural - francs); 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100 centimes

:Madagascar Economy

Exchange rates:
    Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1 - 1,943.4 (March 1992), 1,835.4 (1991),
    1,454.6 (December 1990), 1,603.4 (1989) , 1,407.1 (1988), 1,069.2 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Madagascar Communications

Railroads:
    1,020 km 1.000-meter gauge
Highways:
    40,000 km total; 4,694 km paved, 811 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, Mahajanga, Toliara
Merchant marine:
    14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,255 GRT/81,509 DWT; includes 9
    cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1
    liquefied gas
Civil air:
    8 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    148 total, 103 usable; 30 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 34 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    above average system includes open-wire lines, coaxial cables, radio relay,
    and troposcatter links; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations
    - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and broadcast stations - 17 AM, 3 FM, 1 (36
    repeaters) TV

:Madagascar Defense Forces

Branches:
    Popular Armed Forces (including Intervention Forces, Development Forces,
    Aeronaval Forces - including Navy and Air Force), Gendarmerie, Presidential
    Security Regiment
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 2,730,713; 1,625,335 fit for military service; 114,687 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $37 million, 2.2% of GDP (1989 est.)

:Malawi Geography

Total area:
    118,480 km2
Land area:
    94,080 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:
    2,881 km; Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 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 mountains
Natural resources:
    limestone; unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Land use:
    arable land 25%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and
    woodland 50%; other 5%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    deforestation
Note:
    landlocked

:Malawi People

Population:
    9,605,342 (July 1992), growth rate 1.8% (1992); note - 900,000 Mozambican
    refugees in Malawi (1990 est.)
Birth rate:
    52 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    17 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -17 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    134 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    48 years male, 51 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    7.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Malawian(s); adjective - Malawian
Ethnic divisions:
    Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian,
    European
Religions:
    Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%; traditional indigenous
    beliefs are also practiced
Languages:
    English and Chichewa (official); other languages important regionally
Literacy:
    22% (male 34%, female 12%) age 15 and over can read and write (1966)
Labor force:
    428,000 wage earners; agriculture 43%, manufacturing 16%, personal services
    15%, commerce 9%, construction 7%, miscellaneous services 4%, other
    permanently employed 6% (1986)
Organized labor:
    small minority of wage earners are unionized

:Malawi 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, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza,
    Mzimba, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Rumphi, Salima,
    Thyolo, Zomba
Independence:
    6 July 1964 (from UK; formerly 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 Government:
    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), Wadson DELEZA, administrative
    secretary; John TEMBO, treasurer general; top party position 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); results - MCP is the
    only party; seats - (133 total, 112 elected) MCP 133
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
    ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS,
    NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA; Chancery at 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Michael T. F. PISTOR; Embassy in new capital city development
    area, address NA (mailing address is P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe); telephone
    [265] 730-166; FAX [265] 732-282
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

:Malawi Economy

Overview:
    Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The
    economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90% of the population
    living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of export
    revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved
    significantly in 1988-91 as a result of good weather and a broadly based
    economic adjustment effort by the government. The economy depends on
    substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and
    individual donor nations.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.9 billion, per capita $200; growth rate 4.2%
    (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    9% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $398 million; expenditures $510 million, including capital
    expenditures of $154 million (FY91 est.)
Exports:
    $390 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts
  partners:
    US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, Germany
Imports:
    $560 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    food, petroleum, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
  partners:
    South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe
External debt:
    $1.8 billion (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.); accounts for about 18% of GDP (1988)
Electricity:
    185,000 kW capacity; 550 million kWh produced, 60 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    agricultural processing (tea, tobacco, sugar), sawmilling, cement, consumer
    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
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $215 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2,150 million
Currency:
    Malawian kwacha (plural - kwacha); 1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala
Exchange rates:
    Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1 - 2.7200 (January 1992), 2.8033 (1991), 2.7289
    (1990), 2.7595 (1989), 2.5613 (1988), 2.2087 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Malawi 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 improved 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:
    5 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    48 total, 43 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 communications
    stations; 42,250 telephones; broadcast stations - 10 AM, 17 FM, no TV;
    satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean
    INTELSAT
Note:
    a majority of exports would normally go through Mozambique on the Beira or
    Nacala railroads, but now most go through South Africa because of insurgent
    activity and damage to rail lines

:Malawi Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army (including Air Wing and Naval Detachment), Police (including
    paramilitary Mobile Force Unit), paramilitary Malawi Young Pioneers
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 2,000,406; 1,016,901 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 1.6% of GDP (1989 est.)

:Malaysia Geography

Total area:
    329,750 km2
Land area:
    328,550 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
    2,669 km; Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782, Thailand 506 km
Coastline:
    4,675 km; Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation, specified boundary in the South
    China Sea
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China,
    Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; State of Sabah claimed by
    the Philippines; Brunei may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that
    divides Brunei into two parts; two islands in dispute with Singapore
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:
    arable land 3%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and
    woodland 63%; other 24%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    subject to flooding; air and water pollution
Note:
    strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

:Malaysia People

Population:
    18,410,920 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    29 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    27 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    66 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Malaysian(s); adjective - Malaysian
Ethnic divisions:
    Malay and other indigenous 59%, Chinese 32%, Indian 9%
Religions:
    Peninsular Malaysia - Malays nearly all Muslim, Chinese predominantly
    Buddhists, Indians predominantly Hindu; Sabah - Muslim 38%, Christian 17%,
    other 45%; Sarawak - tribal religion 35%, Buddhist and Confucianist 24%,
    Muslim 20%, Christian 16%, other 5%
Languages:
    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:
    78% (male 86%, female 70%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    7,258,000 (1991 est.)
Organized labor:
    640,000; 10% of total labor force (1990)

:Malaysia Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    Federation of Malaysia formed 9 July 1963; constitutional monarchy nominally
    headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral Parliament; Peninsular
    Malaysian states - hereditary rulers in all but Melaka, where governors are
    appointed by Malaysian Pulau Pinang Government; 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 government; Sarawak -
    self-governing state within Malaysia, holds 27 seats in House of
    Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other
    powers delegated to federal government
Capital:
    Kuala Lumpur
Administrative divisions:
    13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) and 2 federal territories*
    (wilayah-wilayah persekutuan, singular - wilayah persekutuan); Johor, Kedah,
    Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau
    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 August (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 Rakyat)
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'AFAR 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 Bin Baba (since 7 May 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
  Peninsular Malaysia:
    National Front, a confederation of 13 political parties dominated by United
    Malays National Organization Baru (UMNO Baru), MAHATHIR bin Mohamad;
    Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), LING Liong Sik; Gerakan Rakyat
    Malaysia, Datuk LIM Keng Yaik; Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), Datuk S.
    Samy VELLU
  Sabah:
    Berjaya Party, Datuk Haji Mohammed NOOR Mansor; Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Joseph
    Pairin KITINGAN; United Sabah National Organizaton (USNO), leader NA

:Malaysia Government

  Sarawak:
    coalition Sarawak National Front composed of the Party Pesaka Bumiputra
    Bersatu (PBB), Datuk Patinggi Amar Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud; Sarawak United
    People's Party (SUPP), Datuk Amar James WONG Soon Kai; Sarawak National
    Party (SNAP), Datuk Amar James WONG; Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), Datuk
    Leo MOGGIE; major opposition 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 21 October 1990 (next to be held by August 1995); results -
    National Front 52%, other 48%; seats - (180 total) National Front 127, DAP
    20, PAS 7, independents 4, other 22; note - within the National Front, UMNO
    got 71 seats and MCA 18 seats
Member of:
    APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
    ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
    INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
    UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Abdul MAJID Mohamed; Chancery at 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; there are Malaysian
    Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York
  US:
    Ambassador Paul M. CLEVELAND; Embassy at 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala
    Lumpur (mailing address is P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur);
    telephone [60] (3) 248-9011; FAX [60] (3) 242-2207
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 symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of
    the US

:Malaysia Economy

Overview:
    During the period 1988-91 booming exports helped Malaysia continue to
    recover from the severe 1985-86 recession. Real output grew by 8.8% in 1989,
    10% in 1990, and 8.6% in 1991, helped by vigorous growth in manufacturing
    output, further increases in foreign direct investment - particularly from
    Japanese and Taiwanese firms facing higher costs at home - and increased oil
    production. Malaysia has become the world's third-largest producer of
    semiconductor devices (after the US and Japan) and the world's largest
    exporter of semiconductor devices. Inflation has remained low; unemployment
    has stood at 6% of the labor force; and the government has followed prudent
    fiscal/monetary policies. The country is not self-sufficient in food, and
    some of the rural population subsist at the poverty level. Malaysia's high
    export dependence leaves it vulnerable to a recession in the OECD countries
    or a fall in world commodity prices.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $48.0 billion, per capita $2,670; real growth
    rate 8.6% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    4.5% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    5.8% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $12.2 billion; expenditures $14.4 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $3.2 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $35.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    electrical manufactures, crude petroleum, timber, rubber, palm oil, textiles
  partners:
    Singapore, US, Japan, EC
Imports:
    $38.7 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    food, crude oil, consumer goods, intermediate goods, capital equipment,
    chemicals
  partners:
    Japan, US, Singapore, Germany, UK
External debt:
    $21.3 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 18% (1990); accounts for 40% of GDP
Electricity:
    5,600,000 kW capacity; 16,500 million kWh produced, 940 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
  Peninsular Malaysia:
    rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing
    industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging and processing
    timber
  Sabah:
    logging, petroleum production
  Sarawak:
    agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging
Agriculture:
  Peninsular Malaysia:
    natural rubber, palm oil, rice
  Sabah:
    mainly subsistence, but also rubber, timber, coconut, rice

:Malaysia Economy

  Sarawak:
    rubber, timber, pepper; there is a deficit of rice in all areas; fish catch
    of 608,000 metric tons in 1987
Illicit drugs:
    transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe,
    and the Third World
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-84), $170 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.7 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $42 million
Currency:
    ringgit (plural - ringgits); 1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen
Exchange rates:
    ringgits (M$) per US$1 - 2.6930 (January 1992), 2.7501 (1991), 1.7048
    (1990), 2.7088 (1989), 2.6188 (1988), 2.5196 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Malaysia Communications

Railroads:
  Peninsular Malaysia:
    1,665 km 1.04-meter gauge; 13 km double track, government owned
Railroads:
  Sabah:
    136 km 1.000-meter gauge
Highways:
  Peninsular Malaysia:
    23,600 km (19,352 km hard surfaced, mostly bituminous-surface treatment, and
    4,248 km unpaved)
  Sabah:
    3,782 km
  Sarawak:
    1,644 km
Inland waterways:
  Peninsular Malaysia:
    3,209 km
  Sabah:
    1,569 km
  Sarawak:
    2,518 km
Pipelines:
    crude oil 1,307 km; natural gas 379 km
Ports:
    Tanjong Kidurong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Pasir Gudang, Penang, Port Kelang,
    Sandakan, Tawau
Merchant marine:
    167 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,653,633 GRT/2,444,393 DWT; includes
    1 passenger-cargo, 1 short-sea passenger, 64 cargo, 27 container, 2 vehicle
    carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off, 1 livestock carrier, 37 petroleum tanker, 5
    chemical tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 21 bulk
Civil air:
    53 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    115 total, 108 usable; 33 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    good intercity service provided to Peninsular Malaysia mainly by radio
    relay; adequate intercity radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via
    Brunei; international service good; good coverage by radio and television
    broadcasts; 994,860 telephones (1984); broadcast stations - 28 AM, 3 FM, 33
    TV; submarine cables extend to India and Sarawak; SEACOM submarine cable
    links to Hong Kong and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean
    INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 domestic

:Malaysia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Royal Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal
    Malaysian Police Force, Marine Police, Sarawak Border Scouts
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 4,728,103; 2,878,574 fit for military service; 179,486 reach
    military age (21) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, about 5% of GDP (1992 budget)

:Maldives 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 economic zone:
    35-310 nm (defined by geographic coordinates; segment of zone coincides with
    maritime boundary with India)
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy,
    southwest monsoon (June to August)
Terrain:
    flat with elevations only as high as 2.5 meters
Natural resources:
    fish
Land use:
    arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and
    woodland 3%; other 84%
Environment:
    1,200 coral islands grouped into 19 atolls
Note:
    archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in
    Indian Ocean

:Maldives People

Population:
    234,371 (July 1992), growth rate 3.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
    45 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    61 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    62 years male, 64 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Maldivian(s); adjective - Maldivian
Ethnic divisions:
    Maldivians are a generally homogenous admixture of Sinhalese, Dravidian,
    Arab, Austrolasian, and African
Religions:
    Sunni Muslim
Languages:
    Divehi (dialect of Sinhala; script derived from Arabic); English spoken by
    most government officials
Literacy:
    92% (male 92%, female 92%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
Labor force:
    66,000 (est.); 25% engaged in fishing industry
Organized labor:
    none

:Maldives 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, Naviyani, 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 primarily in
    commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Executive branch:
    president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Citizens' Council (Majlis)
Judicial branch:
    High Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (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 September 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results -
    President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected
  Citizens' Council:
    last held on 7 December 1989 (next to be held 7 December 1994); results -
    percent of vote NA; seats - (48 total, 40 elected)
Member of:
    AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF,
    IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
    WHO, WMO, WTO
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
    visits there; US Consular Agency, Midhath Hilmy, Male; telephone 2581
Flag:
    red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white
    crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag

:Maldives Economy

Overview:
    The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and shipping. Agriculture is
    limited to the production of a few subsistence crops that provide only 10%
    of food requirements. Fishing is the largest industry, employing 25% 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 5% of GDP. Real GDP is officially estimated to have
    increased by about 10% annually during the period 1974-90.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $174 million, per capita $770 (1988); real growth
    rate 10.1% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    10.7% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    NEGL%
Budget:
    revenues $67 million; expenditures $82 million, including capital
    expenditures of $45 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
    $52.0 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    fish 57%, clothing 25%
  partners:
    US, UK, Sri Lanka
Imports:
    $128.9 million (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    consumer goods 54%, intermediate and capital goods 33%, petroleum products
    13%
  partners:
    Singapore, Germany, Sri Lanka, India
External debt:
    $70 million (December 1989)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -5.0% (1988); accounts for 6% of GDP
Electricity:
    5,000 kW capacity; 11 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    fishing and fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, some coconut
    processing, garments, woven mats, coir (rope), handicrafts
Agriculture:
    accounts for almost 30% of GDP (including fishing); fishing more important
    than farming; limited production of coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes; most
    staple foods must be imported; fish catch of 67,000 tons (1990 est.)
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $28 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $125 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $14 million
Currency:
    rufiyaa (plural - rufiyaa); 1 rufiyaa (Rf) = 100 laaris
Exchange rates:
    rufiyaa (Rf) per US$1 - 10.234 (January 1992), 10.253 (1991), 9.509 (1990),
    9.0408 (1989), 8.7846 (1988), 9.2230 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Maldives Communications

Highways:
    Male has 9.6 km of coral highways within the city
Ports:
    Male, Gan
Merchant marine:
    13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 37,293 GRT/56,246 DWT; includes 11
    cargo, 1 container, 1 petroleum tanker
Civil air:
    1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    2 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications:
    minimal domestic and international facilities; 2,804 telephones; broadcast
    stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Maldives Defense Forces

Branches:
    National Security Service (paramilitary police force)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 52,195; 29,162 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.8 million, NA% of GDP (1984 est.)

:Mali 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; 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;
    Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary 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 November to February
Terrain:
    mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south,
    rugged hills in northeast
Natural resources:
    gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium; bauxite, iron ore,
    manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
Land use:
    arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and
    woodland 7%; other 66%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    hot, dust-laden harmattan; haze common during dry seasons; desertification
Note:
    landlocked

:Mali People

Population:
    8,641,178 (July 1992), growth rate 2.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
    52 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    21 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -5 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    110 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    43 years male, 47 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    7.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Malian(s); adjective - Malian
Ethnic divisions:
    Mande (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole) 50%, Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%,
    Tuareg and Moor 5%, other 10%
Religions:
    Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%
Languages:
    French (official); Bambara spoken by about 80% of the population; numerous
    African languages
Literacy:
    32% (male 41%, female 24%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    2,666,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 80%, services 19%, industry and commerce
    1% (1981); 50% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
    National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) is umbrella organization for over 13
    national unions

:Mali Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Mali
Type:
    republic; an interim government appointed by the national reform conference
    has organized a series of democratic elections and is scheduled to hand over
    power to an elected government on 26 March 1992
Capital:
    Bamako
Administrative divisions:
    8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti,
    Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou
Independence:
    22 September 1960 (from France; formerly French Sudan)
Constitution:
    2 June 1974, effective 19 June 1979; amended September 1981 and March 1985;
    new constitution presented during national reform conference in August 1991;
    a constitutional referendum is scheduled for 16 January 1992
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 compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 22 September (1960)
Executive branch:
    Transition Committee for the Salvation of the People (CTSP) composed of 25
    members, predominantly civilian
Legislative branch:
    Transition Committee for the Salvation of the People (CTSP)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Lt. Col. Amadou Toumani TOURE
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Soumana SAKO (since 2 April 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    formerly the only party, the Democratic Union of Malian People (UDPM), was
    disbanded after the coup of 26 March 1991, and the new regime legalized the
    formation of political parties on 5 April 1991; new political parties are
    Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), Demba DIALLO; Union for Democracy and
    Development (UDD), Moussa Bala COULIBALY; Sudanese Union/African Democratic
    Rally (US-RDA), Mamadou Madeira KEITA; African Party for Solidarity and
    Justice (ADEMA), Alpha Oumar KONARE; Party for Democracy and Progress (PDP),
    Idrissa TRAORE; Democratic Party for Justice (PDJ), Abdul BA; Rally for
    Democracy and Progress (RDP), Almany SYLLA; Party for the Unity of Malian
    People (PUPM), Nock AGATTIA; Hisboulah al Islamiya, Hamidou DRAMERA; Union
    of Progressive Forces (UFP), Yacouba SIDIBE; National Congress of Democratic
    Initiative (CNID), Mountaga TALL; Assembly for Justice and Progress, Kady
    DRAME; Sudanese Progressive Party (PPS), Sekene Mody SISSOKO; numerous small
    parties formed in 1991; 46 total parties
Suffrage:
    universal at age 21
Elections:
  President:
    last held on 9 June 1985 (next to be held March 1992); results - Gen. Moussa
    TRAORE was reelected without opposition

:Mali Government

  National Assembly:
    last held on 26 June 1988 (next to be held NA 1992); results - UDPM was the
    only party; seats - (82 total) UDPM 82; note - following the military coup
    of 26 March 1991, President TRAORE was deposed and the UDPM was disbanded;
    the 25-member CTSP has instituted a multiparty system, and presidential
    elections are to be held on 26 March 1992 and legislative elections on 9
    February 1992 (new National Assembly to have 116 seats)
Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
    IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
    OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Mohamed Alhousseyni TOURE; Chancery at 2130 R Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] or 939-8950
  US:
    Ambassador Herbert D. GELBER; Embassy at Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed
    V., Bamako (mailing address is B. P. 34, Bamako); telephone [223] 225470;
    FAX [233] 22-80-59
Flag:
    three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the
    popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

:Mali Economy

Overview:
    Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with about 70% 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 live as
    nomads and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture and
    fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.2 billion, per capita $265; real growth rate
    2.2% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    -1.6% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $329 million; expenditures $519 million, including capital
    expenditures of $178 (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $285 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
  commodities:
    livestock, peanuts, dried fish, cotton, skins
  partners:
    mostly franc zone and Western Europe
Imports:
    $513 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
  commodities:
    textiles, vehicles, petroleum products, machinery, sugar, cereals
  partners:
    mostly franc zone and Western Europe
External debt:
    $2.2 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 19.9% (1989 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
Electricity:
    260,000 kW capacity; 750 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    small local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold,
    fishing
Agriculture:
    accounts for 50% of GDP; most production based on small subsistence farms;
    cotton and livestock products account for over 70% of exports; other crops -
    millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; livestock - cattle, sheep, and
    goats
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $349 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3,020 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $190
    million
Currency:
    Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF)
    = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January
    1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54
    (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Mali 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 paved, 3,670 km gravel and improved earth,
    10,360 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
    1,815 km navigable
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
Airports:
    35 total, 27 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    domestic system poor but improving; provides only minimal service with radio
    relay, wire, and radio communications stations; expansion of radio relay in
    progress; 11,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV;
    satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean
    INTELSAT

:Mali Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Guard, National
    Police, Surete Nationale
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 1,701,050; 966,293 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $41 million, 2% of GDP (1989)

:Malta 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 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    25 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
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:
    arable land 38%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 59%; includes irrigated 3%
Environment:
    numerous bays provide good harbors; fresh water very scarce - increasing
    reliance on desalination
Note:
    strategic location in central Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily, 290 km
    north of Libya

:Malta People

Population:
    359,231 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    14 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    74 years male, 79 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Maltese (singular and plural); adjective - Maltese
Ethnic divisions:
    mixture of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, English
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 98%
Languages:
    Maltese and English (official)
Literacy:
    84% (male 86%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
Labor force:
    127,200; government (excluding job corps) 37%, services 26%, manufacturing
    22%, training programs 9%, construction 4%, agriculture 2% (1990)
Organized labor:
    about 40% of labor force

:Malta Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Malta
Type:
    parliamentary democracy
Capital:
    Valletta
Administrative divisions:
    none (administration 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 reservations
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 21 September
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
    Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Vincent (Censu) TABONE (since 4 April 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Dr. Edward (Eddie) FENECH ADAMI (since 12 May 1987); Deputy
    Prime Minister Dr. Guido DE MARCO (since 14 May 1987)
Political parties and leaders:
    Nationalist Party (NP), Edward FENECH ADAMI; Malta Labor Party (MLP), Alfred
    SANT
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  House of Representatives:
    last held on 22 February 1992 (next to be held by February 1997); results -
    NP 51.8%, MLP 46.5%; seats - (usually 65 total) MLP 36, NP 29; note -
    additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular vote to
    ensure a legislative majority; current total 69 (MLP 33, NP 36 after
    adjustment)
Member of:
    C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO,
    IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
    WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Albert BORG OLIVIER DE PUGET; Chancery at 2017 Connecticut Avenue
    NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] or 3612; there is a
    Maltese Consulate General in New York
  US:
    Ambassador Sally J. NOVETZKE; Embassy at 2nd Floor, Development House, Saint
    Anne Street, Floriana, Valletta (mailing address is P. O. Box 535,
    Valletta); telephone [356] 240424, 240425, 243216, 243217, 243653, 223654;
    FAX same as phone numbers
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

:Malta Economy

Overview:
    Significant resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and a
    productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has
    limited freshwater supplies, and has no domestic 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 27% of GDP, with the electronics and
    textile industries major contributors. In 1990 inflation was held to a low
    3.0%. Per capita GDP at $7,000 places Malta in the middle-income range of
    the world's nations.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion, per capita $7,000 (1991 est.); real
    growth rate 5.5% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    3.0% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    3.8% (1990)
Budget:
    revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $380 million (1992 plan)
Exports:
    $l.1 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    clothing, textiles, footwear, ships
  partners:
    Italy 30%, Germany 22%, UK 11%
Imports:
    $2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods
  partners:
    Italy 30%, UK 16%, Germany 13%, US 4%
External debt:
    $90 million, medium and long term (December 1987)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 19.0% (1990); accounts for 27% of GDP
Electricity:
    328,000 kW capacity; 1,110 million kWh produced, 2,990 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    tourism, electronics, ship repair yard, construction, food manufacturing,
    textiles, footwear, clothing, beverages, tobacco
Agriculture:
    accounts for 3% of GDP; overall, 20% self-sufficient; main products -
    potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers,
    green peppers, hogs, poultry, eggs; generally adequate supplies of
    vegetables, poultry, milk, pork products; seasonal or periodic shortages in
    grain, animal fodder, fruits, other basic foodstuffs
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $172 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $336 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $76 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $48
    million
Currency:
    Maltese lira (plural - liri); 1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Maltese liri (LM) per US$1 - 0.3257 (March 1992), 0.3004 (1991), 0.3172
    (1990), 0.3483 (1989), 0.3306 (1988), 0.3451 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Malta 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:
    658 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,003,001 GRT/15,332,287 DWT;
    includes 3 passenger, 13 short-sea passenger, 241 cargo, 14 container, 2
    passenger-cargo, 16 roll-on/roll-off, 2 vehicle carrier, 1 barge carrier, 15
    refrigerated cargo, 11 chemical tanker, 12 combination ore/oil, 2
    specialized tanker, 3 liquefied gas, 124 petroleum tanker, 176 bulk, 23
    combination bulk; note - a flag of convenience registry; China owns 2 ships,
    former republics of the USSR own 52 ships, Cuba owns 10, Vietnam owns 6,
    Yugoslavia owns 9, Romania owns 4
Civil air:
    7 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications:
    automatic system satisfies normal requirements; 153,000 telephones;
    excellent service by broadcast stations - 8 AM, 4 FM, and 2 TV; submarine
    cable and radio relay between islands; international service by 1 submarine
    cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Malta Defense Forces

Branches:
    Armed Forces, Maltese Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 95,661; 76,267 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $21.9 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.)

:Man, Isle of 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:
    113 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    3 nm
Disputes:
    none
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:
    arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and
    woodland NA%; other NA%; extensive arable land and forests
Environment:
    strong westerly winds prevail
Note:
    located in Irish Sea equidistant from England, Scotland, and Ireland

:Man, Isle of People

Population:
    64,068 (July 1992), growth rate 0.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    11 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    14 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    9 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    72 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Manxman, Manxwoman; adjective - Manx
Ethnic divisions:
    native Manx of Norse-Celtic descent; British
Religions:
    Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of
    Friends
Languages:
    English, Manx Gaelic
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education ages 5 to 16
Labor force:
    25,864 (1981)
Organized labor:
    22 labor unions patterned along British lines

:Man, Isle of Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    British crown dependency
Capital:
    Douglas
Administrative divisions:
    none (British crown dependency)
Independence:
    none (British crown dependency)
Constitution:
    1961, Isle of Man Constitution Act
Legal system:
    English law and local statute
National holiday:
    Tynwald Day, 5 July
Executive branch:
    British monarch, lieutenant governor, prime minister, Executive Council
    (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    bicameral 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 Governor Air Marshal Sir Laurence JONES (since NA 1990)
  Head of Government:
    President of the Legislative Council Sir Charles KERRUISH (since NA 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    there is no party system and members sit as independents
Suffrage:
    universal at age 21
Elections:
  House of Keys:
    last held in 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote NA;
    no party system; seats - (24 total) independents 24
Member of:
    none
Diplomatic representation:
    none (British crown dependency)
Flag:
    red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three
    legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes
    pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used
    ria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the
    knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the
    flag, a two-sided emblem is used

:Man, Isle of Economy

Overview:
    Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy.
    The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies
    and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding
    employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture
    and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, 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:
    exchange rate conversion - $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; expenditures $114.4 million, including capital
    expenditures of $18.1 million (FY85 est.)
Exports:
    $NA
  commodities:
    tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, meat
  partners:
    UK
Imports:
    $NA
  commodities:
    timber, fertilizers, fish
  partners:
    UK
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    61,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced, 2,930 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries:
    an important offshore financial center; financial services, light
    manufacturing, tourism
Agriculture:
    cereals and vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
Economic aid:
    NA
Currency:
    Manx pound (plural - pounds); 1 Manx pound (#M) = 100 pence
Exchange rates:
    Manx pounds (#M) per US$1 - 0.5799 (March 1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603
    (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0. 6102 (1987); the Manx pound is at
    par with the British pound
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Man, Isle of Communications

Railroads:
    36 km electric track, 24 km steam track
Highways:
    640 km motorable roads
Ports:
    Douglas, Ramsey, Peel
Merchant marine:
    79 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,436,196 GRT/2,479,432 DWT; includes
    12 cargo, 7 container, 10 roll-on/roll-off, 30 petroleum tanker, 4 chemical
    tanker, 5 liquefied gas, 11 bulk; note - a captive register of the United
    Kingdom, although not all ships on the register are British owned
Airports:
    1 total; 1 usable with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    24,435 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV

:Man, Isle of Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the UK

:Marshall Islands Geography

Total area:
    181.3 km2
Land area:
    181.3 km2; includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetok, and Kwajalein
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    370.4 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    24 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    claims US territory of Wake Island
Climate:
    wet season May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt
Terrain:
    low coral limestone and sand islands
Natural resources:
    phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 60%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 40%
Environment:
    occasionally subject to typhoons; two archipelagic island chains of 30
    atolls and 1,152 islands
Note:
    located 3,825 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about
    two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea; Bikini and
    Eniwetok are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War
    II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range

:Marshall Islands People

Population:
    50,004 (July 1992), growth rate 3.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
    47 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    52 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    61 years male, 64 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    7.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Marshallese (singular and plural); adjective - Marshallese
Ethnic divisions:
    almost entirely Micronesian
Religions:
    predominantly Christian, mostly Protestant
Languages:
    English universally spoken and is the official language; two major
    Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family; Japanese
Literacy:
    93% (male 100%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
    4,800 (1986)
Organized labor:
    none

:Marshall Islands Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of the Marshall Islands
Type:
    constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of
    Free Association entered into force 21 October 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:
    1 May 1979
Legal system:
    based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal,
    common, and customary laws
National holiday:
    Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 May (1979)
Executive branch:
    president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Nitijela (parliament)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    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 6 January 1992 (next to be held NA; results - President Amata
    KABUA was reelected
  Parliament:
    last held 18 November 1991 (next to be held November 1995); results -
    percent of vote NA; seats - (33 total)
Member of:
    AsDB, ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Wilfred I. KENDALL; Chancery at 2433 Massachusetts Avenue, NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador William BODDE, Jr.; Embassy at NA address (mailing address is P.
    O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379); telephone
    [phone]; FAX [phone]
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

:Marshall Islands 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 processing, 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:
    exchange rate conversion - $63 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate
    NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $55 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA
    (1987 est.)
Exports:
    $2.5 million (f.o.b., 1985)
  commodities:
    copra, copra oil, agricultural products, handicrafts
  partners:
    NA
Imports:
    $29.2 million (c.i.f., 1985)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, beverages, building materials
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    42,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 1,840 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    copra, fish, tourism; craft items from shell, wood, and pearls; offshore
    banking (embryonic)
Agriculture:
    coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, copra; pigs, chickens
Economic aid:
    under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US is to provide
    approximately $40 million in aid annually
Currency:
    US currency is used
Exchange rates:
    US currency is used
Fiscal year:
    1 October - 30 September

:Marshall Islands Communications

Highways:
    paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-,
    or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks
Ports:
    Majuro
Merchant marine:
    32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,347,312 GRT/4,630,172 DWT; includes
    2 cargo, 1 container, 9 petroleum tanker, 18 bulk carrier, 2 combination
    ore/oil; note - a flag of convenience registry
Airports:
    17 total, 16 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 8 with runways
    1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    telephone network - 570 lines (Majuro) and 186 (Ebeye); telex services;
    islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government
    purposes); broadcast stations - 1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Pacific
    Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; US Government satellite communications system
    on Kwajalein

:Marshall Islands Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US

:Martinique 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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
    mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Natural resources:
    coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
Land use:
    arable land 10%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 30%; forest and
    woodland 26%; other 26%; includes irrigated 5%
Environment:
    subject to hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity that result in an
    average of one major natural disaster every five years
Note:
    located 625 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea

:Martinique People

Population:
    371,803 (July 1992), growth rate 1.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    19 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    11 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    75 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Martiniquais (singular and plural); adjective - Martiniquais
Ethnic divisions:
    African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture 90%, Caucasian 5%, East Indian,
    Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
Languages:
    French, Creole patois
Literacy:
    93% (male 92%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
Labor force:
    100,000; service industry 31.7%, construction and public works 29.4%,
    agriculture 13.1%, industry 7.3%, fisheries 2.2%, other 16.3%
Organized labor:
    11% of labor force

:Martinique Government

Long-form name:
    Department of Martinique
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 commissioner
Legislative branch:
    unicameral General Council
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
  Head of Government:
    Government Commissioner Jean Claude ROURE (since 5 May 1989); President of
    the General Council Emile MAURICE (since NA 1988)
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  General Council:
    last held in 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 16 March 1986 (next to be held by March 1992); results -
    UDF/RPR coalition 49.8%, PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 41.3%, other 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:
    Proletarian 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:
    FZ, WCL
Diplomatic representation:
    as an overseas department of France, Martiniquais interests are represented
    in the US by France

:Martinique Government

  US:
    Consul General Raymond G. ROBINSON; Consulate General at 14 Rue Blenac,
    Fort-de-France (mailing address is B. P. 561, Fort-de-France 97206);
    telephone [596] 63-13-03
Flag:
    the flag of France is used

:Martinique Economy

Overview:
    The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry.
    Agriculture accounts for about 12% 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, going mostly to
    France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be
    imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual
    transfers of aid from France. Tourism has become more important than
    agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. The majority of the
    work force is employed in the service sector and in administration. In 1986
    per capita GDP was relatively high at $6,000. During 1986 the unemployment
    rate was 30% and was particularly severe among younger workers.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.0 billion, per capita $6,000; real growth rate
    NA% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    2.9% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
    30% (1986)
Budget:
    revenues $268 million; expenditures $268 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $196 million (f.o.b., 1988)
  commodities:
    refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples
  partners:
    France 65%, Guadeloupe 24%, Germany (1987)
Imports:
    $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
  commodities:
    petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing
    and other consumer goods
  partners:
    France 65%, UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, US (1987)
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    113,100 kW capacity; 588 million kWh produced, 1,703 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism
Agriculture:
    including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 12% of GDP; principal
    crops - pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, and sugarcane
    for rum; dependent on imported food, particularly meat and vegetables
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $10.1 billion
Currency:
    French franc (plural - francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.3801 (January 1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453
    (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Martinique 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 runway
    2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways less than 2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    domestic facilities are adequate; 68,900 telephones; interisland radio relay
    links to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 6
    FM, 10 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

:Martinique Defense Forces

Branches:
    French Forces, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 95,235; NA fit for military service
Note:
    defense is the responsibility of France

:Mauritania 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; 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
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    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:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 38%; forest and
    woodland 5%; other 56%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April;
    desertification; only perennial river is the Senegal

:Mauritania People

Population:
    2,059,187 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    48 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    17 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    89 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    44 years male, 50 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    7.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Mauritanian(s); adjective - Mauritanian
Ethnic divisions:
    mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%
Religions:
    Muslim, nearly 100%
Languages:
    Hasaniya Arabic (official); Hasaniya Arabic, Pular, Soninke, Wolof
    (official)
Literacy:
    34% (male 47%, female 21%) age 10 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    465,000 (1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980); agriculture 47%, services
    29%, industry and commerce 14%, government 10%; 53% of population of working
    age (1985)
Organized labor:
    30,000 members claimed by single union, Mauritanian Workers' Union

:Mauritania 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 12 December 1984 brought President Taya to
    power; he was elected in 1992
Capital:
    Nouakchott
Administrative divisions:
    12 regions(regions, singular - region); Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet
    Nouadhibou, 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:
    currently 12 July 1991; 20 May 1961 Constitution abrogated after coup of 10
    July 1978; provisional constitution published 17 December 1980 but abandoned
    in 1981; constitutional charter published 27 February 1985 after Taya came
    to power; latest constitution approved after general referendum 12 July 1991
Legal system:
    based on Islamic law
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
Executive branch:
    president
Legislative branch:
    National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) and Senate
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
Political parties and leaders:
    legalized by constitution passed 12 July 1991; emerging parties include
    Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS), led by President Col. Maaouya
    Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA; Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), coalition of seven
    opposition factions, three leaders: Mohameden Ould BABAH, Diop Mamadou
    AMADOU, and Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR; Assembly for Democracy (RDU), Mohamed
    Ould SIDI BABA; Rally for Democracy and Unity (RDUN), Mohamed Ould Sidi
    BABA; Popular Social and Democratic Union (UPSD), Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH;
    Progressive Popular Alliance (APP), Taleb Ould Jiddou Ould Mohamed LAGHDAF;
    Mauritanian Party for Renewal (PMR), Moulaye El Hassan Ould JEYID; National
    Avant-Garde Party (PAN or PAGN), Khattry Ould Taleb JIDDOU; Mauritanian
    Party of the Democratic Center (PCDM), Bamba Ould SIDI BADI; Union for
    Planning and Construction (UPC), Mohamed Ould EYAHA; Democratic Justice
    Party (PJD), Mohamed Abdallahi Ould EL BANE; Party for Liberty, Equality,
    and Justice (PLEJ), Ba Mamadou ALASSANE; Labor and National Unity Party
    (PTUN), Ali Bouna Ould OUENINA
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held January 1992 (next to be held NA)
  results:
    President Col. Maabuya Ould Sid`Ahmed TAYA elected
  Senate:
    last held 3 and 10 April 1992 (next to be held April 1998)

:Mauritania Government

  National Assembly:
    last held 6 and 13 March 1992 (next to be held NA 1997)
Member of:
    ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, CEAO,
    ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
    IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
    UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Mohamed Fall OULD AININA; Chancery at 2129 Leroy Place NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Gordon S. BROWN; Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott (mailing
    address is B. P. 222, Nouakchott); telephone [222] (2) 526-60 or 526-63; FAX
    [222] (2) 515-92
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 traditional symbols of Islam

:Mauritania 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 droughts in the 1970s and 1980s.
    Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for almost 50%
    of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led
    to cutbacks in production. 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. In recent years, the droughts, the endemic conflict with
    Senegal, rising energy costs, and economic mismanagement have resulted in a
    substantial buildup of foreign debt. The government has begun the second
    stage of an economic reform program in consultation with the World Bank, the
    IMF, and major donor countries. But the reform process suffered a major
    setback following the Gulf war of early 1991. Because of Mauritania's
    support of Saddam Husayn, bilateral aid from its two top donors, Saudi
    Arabia and Kuwait, was suspended, and multilateral aid was reduced.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, per capita $535; real growth rate
    3% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    6.5% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    20% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $280 million; expenditures $346 million, including capital
    expenditures of $61 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $436 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum; unrecorded
    but numerically significant cattle exports to Senegal
  partners:
    EC 43%, Japan 27%, USSR 11%, Ivory Coast 3%
Imports:
    $389 million (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, capital goods
  partners:
    EC 60%, Algeria 15%, China 6%, US 3%
External debt:
    $1.9 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.); accounts for almost 20% of GDP
Electricity:
    190,000 kW capacity; 135 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    fishing, fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
Agriculture:
    accounts for 29% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming 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
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $168 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.3 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $277
    million; Arab Development Bank (1991), $20 million

:Mauritania Economy

Currency:
    ouguiya (plural - ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums
Exchange rates:
    ouguiya (UM) per US$1 - 79.300 (January 1992), 81.946 (1991), 80.609 (1990),
    83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Mauritania Communications

Railroads:
    690 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 1,290 GRT/1,840 DWT
Civil air:
    3 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    28 total, 28 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor radio relay links, and radio
    communications stations (improvements being made); broadcast stations - 2
    AM, no FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2
    ARABSAT, with six planned

:Mauritania Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National
    Police, Presidential Guard
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 436,897; 213,307 fit for military service; conscription law not
    implemented
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $40 million, 4.2% of GDP (1989)

:Mauritius Geography

Total area:
    1,860 km2
Land area:
    1,850 km2; includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint
    Brandon), and Rodrigues
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
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    claims UK-administered 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 (November to May)
Terrain:
    small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central
    plateau
Natural resources:
    arable land, fish
Land use:
    arable land 54%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and
    woodland 31%; other 7%; includes irrigated 9%
Environment:
    subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by
    reefs
Note:
    located 900 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean

:Mauritius People

Population:
    1,092,130 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    19 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    22 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    66 years male, 73 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Mauritian(s); adjective - Mauritian
Ethnic divisions:
    Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
Religions:
    Hindu 52%, Christian (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%) 28.3%, Muslim
    16.6%, other 3.1%
Languages:
    English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Literacy:
    82.8 % (male 88.7%, female 77.1%) age 13 and over can read and write (1985
    UNESCO estimate)
Labor force:
    335,000; government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing
    22%, other 22%; 43% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
    35% of labor force in more than 270 unions

:Mauritius Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    parliamentary democracy
Capital:
    Port Louis
Administrative divisions:
    9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados
    Carajos*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port
    Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne
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, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
    Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
    Sir Veerasamy RINGADOO (since 17 January 1986)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982); Deputy Prime
    Minister Prem NABABSING (since 26 September 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
  government coalition:
    Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. JUGNAUTH; Mauritian Militant Movement
    (MMM), Paul BERENGER; Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR), Louis
    Serge CLAIR; Democratic Labor Movement (MTD), Anil BAICHOO
  opposition:
    Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Navin RAMGOOLMAN; Socialist Workers Front,
    Sylvio MICHEL; Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), G. DUVAL
Elections:
  Legislative Assembly:
    last held on 15 September 1991 (next to be held by 15 September 1996);
    results - MSM/MMM 53%, MLP/PMSD 38%; seats - (70 total, 62 elected) MSM/MMM
    alliance 59 (MSM 29, MMM 26, OPR 2, MTD 2); MLP/PMSD 3
Communists:
    may be 2,000 sympathizers
Other political or pressure groups:
    various labor unions
Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA,
    IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
    LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
    WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING; Chancery at Suite 134, 4301 Connecticut
    Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] or 1492

:Mauritius Government

  US:
    Ambassador Penne Percy KORTH; Embassy at 4th Floor, Rogers House, John
    Kennedy Street, Port Louis; telephone [230] 208-9763 through 208-9767; FAX
    [230] 208-9534
Flag:
    four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green

:Mauritius Economy

Overview:
    The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism.
    Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for
    40% of export earnings. The government's development strategy is centered on
    industrialization (with a view to exports), agricultural diversification,
    and tourism. Economic performance in FY91 was impressive, with 6% real
    growth and low unemployment.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion, per capita $2,300; real growth rate
    6.1% (FY91 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    13.2% (FY91 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    2.4% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $557 million; expenditures $607 million, including capital
    expenditures of $111 million (FY90)
Exports:
    $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%
  partners:
    EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%
Imports:
    $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum
    products 8%, chemicals 7%
  partners:
    EC, US, South Africa, Japan
External debt:
    $869 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 12.9% (FY87); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
    235,000 kW capacity; 425 million kWh produced, 395 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel,
    chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery,
    tourism
Agriculture:
    accounts for 10% of GDP; about 90% of cultivated land in sugarcane; 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
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $76 million; Western (non-US)
    countries (1970-89), $709 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $54
    million
Currency:
    Mauritian rupee (plural - rupees); 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 15.198 (January 1992), 15.652 (1991),
    14.839 (1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988), 12.878 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Mauritius 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 94,710 GRT/150,345 DWT; includes 1
    passenger-cargo, 3 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 1 liquefied gas, 3 bulk
Civil air:
    7 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; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    small system with good service utilizing primarily radio relay; new
    microwave link to Reunion; high-frequency radio links to several countries;
    over 48,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 4 TV; 1 Indian
    Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Mauritius Defense Forces

Branches:
    paramilitary Special Mobile Force, Special Support Unit, National Police
    Force, National Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 307,237; 157,246 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $5 million, 0.2% of GDP (FY89)

:Mayotte 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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 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:
    arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and
    woodland NA%; other NA%
Environment:
    subject to cyclones during rainy season
Note:
    part of Comoro Archipelago; located in the Mozambique Channel about halfway
    between Africa and Madagascar

:Mayotte People

Population:
    86,628 (July 1992), growth rate 3.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    50 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    84 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    55 years male, 59 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Mahorais (singular and plural); adjective - Mahoran
Religions:
    Muslim 99%; remainder Christian, mostly Roman Catholic
Languages:
    Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    NA

:Mayotte Government

Long-form name:
    Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
Type:
    territorial collectivity of France
Capital:
    Mamoutzou
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 commissioner
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:
    Commissioner, Representative of the French Government Jean-Paul COSTE (since
    NA 1991); President of the General Council Youssouf BAMANA (since NA 1976)
Political parties and leaders:
    Mahoran Popular Movement (MPM), Younoussa BAMANA; Party for the Mahoran
    Democratic Rally (PRDM), Daroueche MAOULIDA; Mahoran Rally for the Republic
    (RMPR), Mansour KAMARDINE; Union of the Center (UDC)
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  General Council:
    last held June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results - percent of vote
    by party NA; seats - (17 total) MPM 9, RPR 6, other 2
  French Senate:
    last held on 24 September 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 NA; seats - (1 total) UDC 1
Member of:
    FZ
Diplomatic representation:
    as a territorial collectivity of France, Mahoran interests are represented
    in the US by France
Flag:
    the flag of France is used

:Mayotte Economy

Overview:
    Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including
    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:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $NA; expenditures $37.3 million, including capital expenditures of
    $NA (1985)
Exports:
    $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1984)
  commodities:
    ylang-ylang, vanilla
  partners:
    France 79%, Comoros 10%, Reunion 9%
Imports:
    $21.8 million (f.o.b., 1984)
  commodities:
    building materials, transportation equipment, rice, clothing, flour
  partners:
    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; provides all export earnings; crops - vanilla,
    ylang-ylang, coffee, copra; imports major share of food needs
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $402 million
Currency:
    French franc (plural - francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.3801 (January 1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453
    (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Mayotte Communications

Highways:
    42 km total; 18 km bituminous
Ports:
    Dzaoudzi
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    small system administered by French Department of Posts and
    Telecommunications; includes radio relay and high-frequency radio
    communications for links to Comoros and international communications; 450
    telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV

:Mayotte Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of France

:Mexico 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; 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
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    claims Clipperton Island (French possession)
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:
    arable land 12%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and
    woodland 24%; other 24%; includes irrigated 3%
Environment:
    subject to tsunamis along the Pacific coast and destructive earthquakes in
    the center and south; natural water resources scarce and polluted in north,
    inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast;
    deforestation; erosion widespread; desertification; serious air pollution in
    Mexico City and urban centers along US-Mexico border
Note:
    strategic location on southern border of US

:Mexico People

Population:
    92,380,721 (July 1992), growth rate 2.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    29 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    30 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    69 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Mexican(s); adjective - Mexican
Ethnic divisions:
    mestizo (Indian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%,
    Caucasian or predominantly Caucasian 9%, other 1%
Religions:
    nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%
Languages:
    Spanish; various Mayan dialects
Literacy:
    87% (male 90%, female 85%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985 est.)
Labor force:
    26,100,000 (1988); services 31.4%, agriculture, forestry, hunting, and
    fishing 26%, commerce 13.9%, manufacturing 12.8%, construction 9.5%,
    transportation 4.8%, mining and quarrying 1.3%, electricity 0.3% (1986)
Organized labor:
    35% of labor force

:Mexico Government

Long-form name:
    United Mexican States
Type:
    federal republic operating under a centralized government
Capital:
    Mexico
Administrative divisions:
    31 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito
    federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche,
    Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, 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:
    16 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 reservations
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 Diputados)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Carlos SALINAS de Gortari (since 1 December 1988)
Political parties and leaders:
    (recognized parties) Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Genaro BORREGO
    Estrada; National Action Party (PAN), Luis ALVAREZ; Popular Socialist Party
    (PPS), Indalecio SAYAGO Herrera; Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD),
    Cuauhtemoc CARDENAS Solorzano; Cardenist Front for the National
    Reconstruction Party (PFCRN), Rafael AGUILAR Talamantes; Authentic Party of
    the Mexican Revolution (PARM), 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%; other 1.39%; note - several of the smaller
    parties ran a common candidate under a coalition called the National
    Democratic Front (FDN)
  Senate:
    last held on 18 August 1988 (next to be held midyear 1994); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats in full Senate - (64 total) number of
    seats by party; PRI 61, PRD 2, PAN 1
  Chamber of Deputies:
    last held on 18 August 1991 (next to be held midyear 1994); results - PRI
    53%, PAN 20%, PFCRN 10%, PPS 6%, PARM 7%, PMS (now part of PRD) 4%; seats -
    (500 total) PRI 320, PAN 89, PRD 41, PFCRN 23, PARM 15, PPS 12

:Mexico Government

Other political or pressure groups:
    Roman Catholic Church, Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), Confederation
    of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN), Confederation of National Chambers of
    Commerce (CONCANACO), National Peasant Confederation (CNC), UNE (no
    expansion), Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT), Mexican Democratic Party
    (PDM), Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC), Regional
    Confederation of Mexican Workers (CROM), Confederation of Employers of the
    Mexican Republic (COPARMEX), National Chamber of Transformation Industries
    (CANACINTRA), Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations (COECE)
Member of:
    AG (observer), CARICOM (observer) CCC, CDB, CG, EBRD, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-6,
    G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
    IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
    LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
    UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Gustavo PETRICIOLI Iturbide; Chancery at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue
    NW, Washington, DC 20006; telephone [phone]; there are Mexican
    Consulates General in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, El 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 (Missouri),
    Laredo, McAllen (Texas), Miami, Nogales (Arizona), Oxnard (California),
    Philadelphia, Phoenix, Presidio (Texas), Sacramento, St. Louis, St. Paul
    (Minneapolis), 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,
    06500 Mexico, D.F. (mailing address is P. O. Box 3087, Laredo, TX
    78044-3087); telephone [52] (5) 211-0042; FAX [52] (5) 511-9980, 208-3373;
    there are US Consulates General in Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey,
    and Tijuana, and Consulates in Hermosillo, 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 in its beak) is centered
    in the white band

:Mexico 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 agriculture. 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 supply;
    and inflation, unemployment, and pressures to emigrate became more acute.
    Growth in national output, however, is recovering, rising from 1.4% in 1988
    to 4% in 1990 and again in 1991. The US is Mexico's major trading partner,
    accounting for two-thirds of its exports and imports. After petroleum,
    border assembly plants and tourism are the largest earners of foreign
    exchange. The government, in consultation with international economic
    agencies, is implementing programs to stabilize the economy and foster
    growth. In 1991 the government began negotiations with the US and Canada on
    a free trade agreement.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $289 billion, per capita $3,200; real growth rate
    4% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    18.8% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    14-17% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $41.0 billion; expenditures $47.9 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $6.3 billion (1990)
Exports:
    $27.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    crude oil, oil products, coffee, shrimp, engines, motor vehicles, cotton,
    consumer electronics
  partners:
    US 68%, EC 14%, Japan 6% (1990 est.)
Imports:
    $36.7 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    grain, metal manufactures, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment
  partners:
    US 69%, EC 13%, Japan 6% (1990)
External debt:
    $98.4 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 5.5% (1991 est.); accounts for 28% of GDP
Electricity:
    26,150,000 kW capacity; 114,277 million kWh produced, 1,270 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining,
    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 active
    government eradication program; major supplier to the US market; continues
    as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America

:Mexico Economy

Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.1 billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.7 billion;
    Communist countries (1970-89), $110 million
Currency:
    Mexican peso (plural - pesos); 1 Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
    market rate of Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1 - 3,068.5 (January 1992),
    3,018.4 (1991) 2,940.9 (January 1991), 2,812.6 (1990), 2,461.3 (1989),
    2,273.1 (1988), 1,378.2 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Mexico Communications

Railroads:
    24,500 km total; breakdown NA
Highways:
    212,000 km total; 65,000 km paved, 30,000 km semipaved or cobblestone,
    62,000 km rural roads (improved earth) or roads under construction, 55,000
    km unimproved earth roads
Inland waterways:
    2,900 km navigable rivers and coastal canals
Pipelines:
    crude oil 28,200 km; petroleum products 10,150 km; natural gas 13,254 km;
    petrochemical 1,400 km
Ports:
    Acapulco, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada, Guaymas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso,
    Puerto Vallarta, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Veracruz
Merchant marine:
    58 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 875,239 GRT/1,301,355 DWT; includes 4
    short-sea passenger, 3 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off, 30
    petroleum tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 1 bulk, 1 combination
    bulk, 4 container
Civil air:
    186 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    1,815 total, 1,505 usable; 200 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with
    runways over 3,659 m; 33 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 284 with runways
    1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    highly developed system with extensive radio relay links; privatized in
    December 1990; connected into Central America Microwave System; 6,410,000
    telephones; broadcast stations - 679 AM, no FM, 238 TV, 22 shortwave; 120
    domestic satellite terminals; earth stations - 4 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and
    1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

:Mexico Defense Forces

Branches:
    National Defense (including Army and Air Force), Navy (including Marines)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 23,023,871; 16,852,513 fit for military service; 1,138,455
    reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.6 billion, less than 1% of GDP (1982 budget)

:Micronesia, Federated States of 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:
    6,112 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands;
    located 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 products, deep-seabed minerals
Land use:
    arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and
    woodland NA%; other NA%
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

:Micronesia, Federated States of People

Population:
    114,694 (July 1992), growth rate 3.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    29 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    12 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    39 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    65 years male, 69 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Micronesian(s); adjective - Micronesian; Kosrae(s), Pohnpeian(s),
    Trukese (singular and plural), Yapese (singular and plural)
Ethnic divisions:
    nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups
Religions:
    predominantly Christian, divided between Roman Catholic and Protestant;
    other churches include Assembly of God, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day
    Adventist, Latter-Day Saints, and the Baha'i Faith
Languages:
    English is the official and common 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:
    90% (male 90%, female 85%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
    NA; two-thirds are government employees; 45,000 people are between the ages
    of 15 and 65
Organized labor:
    NA

:Micronesia, Federated States of 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 November 1986
Capital:
    Kolonia (on the island of Pohnpei); note - a new capital is being built
    about 10 km southwest in the Palikir valley
Administrative divisions:
    4 states; Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap
Independence:
    3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship; formerly 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, municipal,
    common, and customary laws
National holiday:
    Proclamation of the Federated States of Micronesia, 10 May (1979)
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Congress
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Bailey OLTER (since 21 May 1991); Vice President Jacob NENA (since
    21 May 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    no formal parties
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held ll May 1991 (next to be held March 1995); results - President
    Bailey OLTER elected president; Vice-President Jacob NENA
  Congress:
    last held on 5 March 1991 (next to be held March 1993); results - percent of
    vote NA; seats - (14 total)
Member of:
    ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Jesse B. MAREHALAU; Embassy at 1725 N St., NW, Washington, DC
    20036; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Aurelia BRAZEAL; Embassy at address NA, Kolonia (mailing address
    is P. O. Box 1286, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia 96941); telephone
    691-320-2187; FAX [phone]
Flag:
    light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are
    arranged in a diamond pattern

:Micronesia, Federated States of Economy

Overview:
    Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The
    islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, 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.
    Financial assistance from the US is the primary source of revenue, with the
    US pledged to spend $1 billion in the islands in the l990s. Geographical
    isolation and a poorly developed infrastructure are major impediments to
    long-term growth.
GNP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $150 million, per capita $1,500; real growth
    rate NA% (1989 est.); note - GNP numbers reflect US spending
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    NA
Budget:
    revenues $165 million; expenditures $115 million, including capital
    expenditures of $20 million (1988)
Exports:
    $2.3 million (f.o.b., 1988)
  commodities:
    copra
  partners:
    NA
Imports:
    $67.7 million (c.i.f., 1988)
  commodities:
    NA
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    18,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh produced, 380 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    tourism, construction, fish processing, craft items from shell, wood, and
    pearls
Agriculture:
    mainly a subsistence economy; copra, black pepper; tropical fruits and
    vegetables, coconuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, pigs, chickens
Economic aid:
    under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US will provide $1.3
    billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001
Currency:
    US currency is used
Exchange rates:
    US currency is used
Fiscal year:
    1 October - 30 September

:Micronesia, Federated States of Communications

Highways:
    39 km of paved roads on major islands; also 187 km stone-, coral-, or
    laterite-surfaced roads
Ports:
    Colonia (Yap), Truk (Kosrae), Okat (Kosrae)
Airports:
    6 total, 5 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
    2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439
Telecommunications:
    telephone network - 960 telephone lines total at Kolonia and Truk; islands
    interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes);
    16,000 radio receivers, 1,125 TV sets (est. 1987); broadcast stations - 5
    AM, 1 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

:Micronesia, Federated States of Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US

:Midway Islands 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:
    15 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    12 nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth)
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical, but moderated by prevailing easterly winds
Terrain:
    low, nearly level
Natural resources:
    fish and wildlife
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%
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

:Midway Islands People

Population:
    453 US military personnel (1992)

:Midway Islands Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Navy, under
    command of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station in Hawaii and managed
    cooperatively by the US Navy and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US
    Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System;
    legislation before Congress in 1990 proposed inclusion of territory within
    the State of Hawaii
Capital:
    none; administered from Washington, DC
Diplomatic representation:
    none (territory of the US)
Flag:
    the US flag is used

:Midway Islands Economy

Overview:
    The economy is based on providing support services for US naval operations
    located on the islands. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
Electricity:
    supplied by US Military

:Midway Islands 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

:Midway Islands Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US

:Moldova Geography

Total area:
    33,700 km2
Land area:
    33,700 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly more than twice the size of Hawaii
Land boundaries:
    1,389 km; Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    potential dispute with Ukraine over former southern Bessarabian areas;
    northern Bukovina ceded to Ukraine upon Moldova's incorporation into USSR;
    internal with ethnic Russians in the Trans-Dnestr and Gagauz Muslims in the
    South
Climate:
    mild winters, warm summers
Terrain:
    rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Natural resources:
    lignite, phosphorites, gypsum
Land use:
    NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest
    and woodland; NA% other; includes NA% irrigated
Environment:
    NA

:Moldova People

Population:
    4,458,435 (July 1992), growth rate 0.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
    19 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    35 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    64 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Moldovan(s); adjective - Moldovan
Ethnic divisions:
    Moldavian (Moldovan) 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13.0%, Gagauz 3.5%,
    Jews 1.5%, Bulgarian 2.0%, other 1.0% (1989 figures)
Religions:
    Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist only about 1,000 members, other
    1.0%; note - almost all churchgoers are ethnic Moldovan; the Slavic
    population are not churchgoers (1991 figures)
Languages:
    Romanian; (Moldovan official), Russian
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write
Labor force:
    2,095,000; agriculture 34.4%, industry 20.1%, other 45.5% (1985 figures)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Moldova Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Moldova
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Chisinau (Kishinev)
Administrative divisions:
    previously divided into 40 rayons; now to be divided into 7-9 larger
    districts at some future point
Independence:
    27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union; formerly Soviet Socialist Republic of
    Moldova)
Constitution:
    formulating a new constitution; old constitution is still in effect but has
    been heavily amended during the past few years
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts; does not
    accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and CSCE documents
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 27 August 1991
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch:
    Moldovan Supreme Soviet
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (highest civil court in Moldova)
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Valeriy MURAVSKY (since 28 May 1991), 1st Deputy Prime
    Minister Constantin OBOROC (since June 1990); 1st Deputy Prime Minister
    Constantin TAMPIZA (since June 1990); 1st Deputy Prime Minister Andrei
    SANGHELI (since June 1990)
  Chief of State:
    President Mircea SNEGUR (since 3 September 1990)
  Head of Legislature:
    Chairman of the Supreme Soviet (Premier) Valeriy MURAVSKIY (since May 1991);
    1st Deputy Prime Minister Ian HADIRCA (since 11 May 1990); Deputy Prime
    Minister Victor PUSCASU, 21 November 1989; Deputy Prime Minister Mihial
    PLASICHUK, NA
Political parties and leaders:
    Moldovan Popular Front, Yuriy ROSHKA, chairman (since summer 1990);
    Unitatea-Yedinstvo Intermovement, V. YAKOVLEV, chairman; Bulgarian Rebirth
    Society, Ivan ZABUNOV, chairman; Democratic Group, five cochairmen
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 8 December 1991; results - Mircea SNEGUR won 98.17% of vote
  Moldovan Supreme Soviet:
    last held 25 February 1990; results - Moldovan Popular Front 33%,
    Intermovement 34%, Communist Party 32%; seats - (366 total) Popular Front
    Club 35; Sovereignty Club 35; Club of Independent Deputies 25; Agrarian Club
    110; Club Bujak 15; Reality Club 25; Soviet Moldova 80; remaining 41 seats
    probably belong to Onestr region deputies who usually boycott Moldovan
    legislative proceedings

:Moldova Government

Other political or pressure groups:
    United Council of Labor Collectives (UCLC), Igor SMIRNOV, chairman; Social
    Democratic Party of Moldova (SDPM), V. CHIOBATARU, leader; The Ecology
    Movement of Moldova (EMM), G. MALARCHUK, chairman; The Christian Democratic
    League of Women of Moldova (CDLWM), L. LARI, chairman; National Christian
    Party of Moldova (NCPM), D. TODIKE, M. BARAGA, V. NIKU, leaders; The Peoples
    Movement Gagauz Khalky (GKh), S. GULGAR, leader; The Democratic Party of
    Gagauzia (DPG), G. SAVOSTIN, chairman; The Alliance of Working People of
    Moldova (AWPM), G. POLOGOV, president
Member of:
    CSCE, UN
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador vacant
  US:
    Charge Howard Steers; Interim Chancery at #103 Strada Alexei Mateevich,
    Kishinev (mailing address is APO AE 09862); telephone [phone]
    at Hotel Seabeco in Kishinev
Flag:
    same color scheme as Romania - 3 equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side),
    yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle carrying a
    cross in its beak and an olive branch in its claws

:Moldova Economy

Overview:
    Moldova, the next-to-smallest of the former Soviet republics in area, is the
    most densely inhabited. Moldova has a little more than 1% of the population,
    labor force, capital stock, and output of the former Soviet Union. Living
    standards have been below average for the European USSR. The country enjoys
    a favorable climate, and economic development has been primarily based on
    agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Industry
    accounts for 20% of the labor force, whereas agriculture employs more than
    one-third. Moldova has no major mineral resources and has depended on the
    former Soviet republics for coal, oil, gas, steel, most electronic
    equipment, machine tools, and major consumer durables such as automobiles.
    Its industrial and agricultural products, in turn, have been exported to the
    other former Soviet republics. Moldova has freed prices on most goods and
    has legalized private ownership of property, including agricultural land.
    Moldova's economic prospects are dimmed by the difficulties of moving toward
    a market economy and the political problems of redefining ties to the other
    former Soviet republics and Romania.
GDP:
    NA; per capita NA; real growth rate -12% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    97% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $NA million; expenditures $NA million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA million (1992)
Exports:
    $400 million rubles (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery, chemicals
    (1991)
  partners:
    NA
Imports:
    $1.9 billion rubles (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    oil, gas, coal, steel machinery, foodstuffs, automobiles, and other consumer
    durables
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $650 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -7% (1991)
Electricity:
    3,000,000 kW capacity; 13,000 million kWh produced, 2,806 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    key products (with share of total former Soviet output in parentheses where
    known): agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and
    freezers (2.7%), washing machines (5.0%), hosiery (2.0%), refined sugar
    (3.1%), vegetable oil (3.7%), canned food (8.6%), shoes, textiles
Agriculture:
    Moldova's principal economic activity; products (shown in share of total
    output of the former Soviet republics): Grain (1.6%), sugar beets (2.6%),
    sunflower seed (4.4%), vegetables (4.4%), fruits and berries (9.7%), grapes
    (20.1%), meat (1.7%), milk (1.4%), and eggs (1.4%)
Illicit drugs:
    transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

:Moldova Economy

Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (1991), $NA, Western (non-US) countries, ODA
    and OOF bilateral commitments (1991), $NA million
Currency:
    as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Moldova Communications

Railroads:
    1,150 km (includes NA km electrified) (1990); does not include industrial
    lines
Highways:
    20,000 km total (1990); 13,900 km hard-surfaced, 6,100 km earth
Inland waterways:
    NA km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
    NA
Ports:
    none - landlocked
Merchant marine:
    NA
Civil air:
    NA major transport aircraft
Airports:
    NA
Telecommunications:
    poorly supplied with telephones; 215,000 unsatisfied applications for
    telephone installations (31 January 1990); connected to Ukraine by landline
    and countries beyond the former USSR through the switching center in Moscow

:Moldova Defense Forces

Branches:
    Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops); Russian Forces
    (Ground, Navy, Air, and Air Defense)
Manpower availability:
    NA
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP

:Monaco 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 boundaries:
    4.4 km; France 4.4 km
Coastline:
    4.1 km
Maritime claims:
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers
Terrain:
    hilly, rugged, rocky
Natural resources:
    none
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
    almost entirely urban
Note:
    second-smallest independent state in world (after Vatican City)

:Monaco People

Population:
    29,965 (July 1992), growth rate 0.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
    7 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    9 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    72 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Monacan(s) or Monegasque(s); adjective - Monacan or Monegasque
Ethnic divisions:
    French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 95%
Languages:
    French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    4,000 members in 35 unions

:Monaco Government

Long-form name:
    Principality of Monaco
Type:
    constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Monaco
Administrative divisions:
    4 quarters (quartiers, 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 November
Executive branch:
    prince, minister of state, Council of Government (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    National Council (Conseil National)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Tribunal (Tribunal Supreme)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Prince RAINIER III (since November 1949); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT
    Alexandre Louis Pierre (born 14 March 1958)
  Head of Government:
    Minister of State Jean AUSSEIL (since 16 September 1985)
Political parties and leaders:
    National and Democratic Union (UND), Democratic Union Movement (MUD), Monaco
    Action, Monegasque Socialist Party (PSM)
Suffrage:
    universal adult at age 25
Elections:
  National Council:
    last held on 24 January 1988 (next to be held 24 January 1993); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (18 total) UND 18
Member of:
    ACCT, CSCE, IAEA, ICAO, IMF (observer), IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
    IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO
Diplomatic representation:
    Monaco maintains honorary consulates general in Boston, Chicago, Los
    Angeles, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and honorary 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, 13286 Marseille Cedex (mailing address APO AE
    09777); telephone [33] (91) 549-200
Flag:
    two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of
    Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and
    red

:Monaco Economy

Overview:
    Monaco, situated on the French Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort,
    attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. The Principality has
    successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added,
    nonpolluting 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 companies that have set up businesses and offices.
    About 50% of Monaco's annual revenue comes from value-added taxes on hotels,
    banks, and the industrial sector; about 25% of revenue comes from tourism.
    Living standards are high, that is, roughly comparable to those in
    prosperous French metropolitan suburbs.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $475 million, per capita $16,000; real growth
    rate NA% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    full employment (1989)
Budget:
    revenues $424 million; expenditures $376 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1991)
Exports:
    $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates
    Monacan trade duties; also participates in EC market system through customs
    union with France
Imports:
    $NA; 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:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    10,000 kW standby capacity (1991); power supplied by France Indus
Agriculture:
    NA
Economic aid:
    NA
Currency:
    French franc (plural - francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.3801 (January 1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453
    (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Monaco Communications

Railroads:
    1.6 km 1.435-meter gauge
Highways:
    none; city streets
Ports:
    Monaco
Merchant marine:
    1 petroleum tanker (1,000 GRT 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 cable into the French communications system; automatic telephone
    system; 38,200 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; no
    communication satellite earth stations

:Monaco Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of France

:Mongolia Geography

Total area:
    1,565,000 km2
Land area:
    1,565,000 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
    8,114 km; China 4,673 km, Russia 3,441 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
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:
    oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc,
    wolfram, fluorspar, gold
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 79%; forest and
    woodland 10%; other 10%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    harsh and rugged
Note:
    landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

:Mongolia People

Population:
    2,305,516 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    34 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    47 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    63 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Mongolian(s); adjective - Mongolian
Ethnic divisions:
    Mongol 90%, Kazakh 4%, Chinese 2%, Russian 2%, other 2%
Religions:
    predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim (about 4%); previously limited
    religious activity because of Communist regime
Languages:
    Khalkha Mongol used by over 90% of population; minor languages include
    Turkic, Russian, and Chinese
Literacy:
    90% (male NA%, female NA%) (1989 est.)
Labor force:
    NA, but primarily herding/agricultural; over half the adult population is in
    the labor force, including a large percentage of women; shortage of skilled
    labor
Organized labor:
    425,000 members of the Central Council of Mongolian Trade Unions (CCMTU)
    controlled by the government (1984); independent labor organizations now
    being formed

:Mongolia Government

Long-form name:
    Mongolia
Type:
    in transition from Communist state to republic
Capital:
    Ulaanbaatar
Administrative divisions:
    18 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 3 municipalities* (hotuud,
    singular - hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*,
    Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd,
    Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
Independence:
    13 March 1921 (from China; formerly Outer Mongolia)
Constitution:
    12 February 1992
Legal system:
    blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law; no constitutional
    provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted
    compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Mongolian People's Revolution (NAADAM) 11-13 July; observed 13 July
Executive branch:
    premier, deputy premiers, Cabinet, president, vice president
Legislative branch:
    State Great Hural
Judicial branch:
    High Court; serves as appeals court for people's and provincial courts, but
    to date rarely overturns verdicts of lower courts
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (since 3 September 1990); Vice President
    Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJ (since 7 September 1990)
  Head of Government:
    Premier Dashiyn BYAMBASUREN (since 11 September 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
  ruling party:
    Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), Budragchagiin DASH-YONDON,
    general secretary
  opposition:
    Social Democratic Party (SDP), BATBAYAR; Mongolian Democratic Association,
    Ts. ELBEGDORJ, chief coordinator; Mongolian Party of National Progress,
    GANBOLD
  other:
    Mongolian Democratic Party (MDP), BATUUL; Free Labor Party, C. DUL; note -
    opposition parties were legalized in May 1990; additional parties exist: The
    Green Party, The Buddhist Party, The Republican Party, Mongolian People's
    Party, and Mongolian Revival Party; these were formed but may not be
    officially registered because of low rates of membership
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 3 September 1990 (next to be held NA July 1994); results -
    Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT elected by the People's Great Hural
  State Great Hural:
    first time held June 1992; note - according to the new present Constitution,
    the two parliamentary bodies are to be combined into a single popularly
    elected house consisting of 76 members; results - NA

:Mongolia Government

  People's Small Hural:
    last held on 29 July 1990 (next to be held June 1992); results - MPRP 62.3%,
    MDP 24.5%, SDP 7. 5%, PNP 5.7%; seats - (50 total) MPRP 33, other 17; note -
    People's Small Hural will not exist after State Great Hural is assembled
Communists:
    MPRP membership 90,000 (1990 est.)
Member of:
    AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, G-77, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, ILO, IMF, IOC, ISO,
    ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Luvsandorj DAWAGIV; Chancery, [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Joseph E. LAKE; Deputy Chief of Mission Thomas E. DOWLING;
    Embassy at Ulaanbaatar, c/o American Embassy Beijing; PSC 461, Box 300, FPO
    AP 06521-0002; telephone [phone] and 29639
Flag:
    a new flag of unknown description reportedly has been adopted

:Mongolia Economy

Overview:
    Mongolia's severe climate, scattered population, and wide expanses of
    unproductive land have constrained economic development. 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 mineral resources have been developed with Soviet
    support. The mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin,
    tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production. Timber
    and fishing are also important sectors. In 1991-92 Mongolian leadership is
    struggling with severe economic dislocations, mainly attributable to the
    economic crumbling of the USSR, by far Mongolia's leading trade and
    development partner. Moscow almost certainly cut aid in 1991, and the
    dissolution of the USSR at yearend 1991 makes prospects for aid quite bleak
    for 1992. Industry in 1991-92 has been hit hard by energy shortages, mainly
    due to disruptions in coal production and shortfalls in petroleum imports.
    The government is moving away from the Soviet-style centrally planned
    economy through privatization and price reform.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.1 billion, per capita $900; real growth rate
    -3% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    100% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    15% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    deficit of $67 million (1991)
Exports:
    $279 million (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    copper, livestock, animal products, cashmere, wool, hides, fluorspar, other
    nonferrous metals
  partners:
    USSR 75%, China 10%, Japan 4%
Imports:
    $360 million (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods,
    chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea
  partners:
    USSR 75%, Austria 5%, China 5%
External debt:
    $16.8 billion (yearend 1990); 98.6% with USSR
Industrial production:
    growth rate -12% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
    1,238,000 kW capacity; 3,700 million kWh produced, 1,692 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    copper, processing of animal products, building materials, food and
    beverage, mining (particularly coal)
Agriculture:
    accounts for about 20% of GDP and provides livelihood for about 50% of the
    population; livestock raising predominates (primarily sheep and goats, but
    also cattle, camels, and horses); crops - wheat, barley, potatoes, forage

:Mongolia Economy

Economic aid:
    about $300 million in trade credits and $34 million in grant aid from USSR
    and other CEMA countries, plus $7.4 million from UNDP (1990); in 1991, $170
    million in grants and technical assistance from Western donor countries,
    including $30 million from World Bank and $30 million from the IMF; over
    $200 million from donor countries projected in 1992
Currency:
    tughrik (plural - tughriks); 1 tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos
Exchange rates:
    tughriks (Tug) per US$1 - 7.1 (1991), 5.63 (1990), 3.00 (1989)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Mongolia Communications

Railroads:
    1,750 km 1.524-meter broad gauge (1988)
Highways:
    46,700 km total; 1,000 km hard surface; 45,700 km other surfaces (1988)
Inland waterways:
    397 km of principal routes (1988)
Civil air:
    25 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    81 total, 31 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with
    runways over 3,659 m; fewer than 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with
    runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    63,000 telephones (1989); broadcast stations - 12 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (with 18
    provincial repeaters); repeat of Russian TV; 120,000 TVs; 220,000 radios; at
    least 1 earth station

:Mongolia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Mongolian People's Army (includes Border Guards), Air Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 551,548; 359,904 fit for military service; 25,275 reach
    military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $22.8 million of GDP (1992 budget)

:Montserrat 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
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
    volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Natural resources:
    negligible
Land use:
    arable land 20%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and
    woodland 40%; other 30%
Environment:
    subject to severe hurricanes from June to November
Note:
    located 400 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea

:Montserrat People

Population:
    12,617 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4 (1992)
Birth rate:
    17 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    11 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    74 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Montserratian(s); adjective - Montserratian
Ethnic divisions:
    mostly black with a few Europeans
Religions:
    Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist,
    other Christian denominations
Languages:
    English
Literacy:
    97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over having ever attended school
    (1970)
Labor force:
    5,100; community, social, and personal services 40.5%, construction 13.5%,
    trade, restaurants, and hotels 12.3%, manufacturing 10.5%, agriculture,
    forestry, and fishing 8.8%, other 14.4% (1983 est.)
Organized labor:
    30% of labor force, three trade unions with 1,500 members (1984 est.)

:Montserrat 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 (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution:
    1 January 1960
Legal system:
    English common law and statute law
National holiday:
    Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday of June)
Executive branch:
    monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet), chief minister
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor David
    TAYLOR (since NA 1990)
  Head of Government:
    Chief Minister Reuben T. MEADE (since October 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    National Progressive Party (NPP) Reuben T. MEADE; People's Liberation
    Movement (PLM), Noel TUITT; National Development Party (NDP), Bertrand
    OSBORNE; Independent (IND), Ruby BRAMBLE
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Legislative Council:
    last held on 8 October 1991; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
    (11 total, 7 elected) NPP 4, NDP 1, PLM 1, independent 1
Member of:
    CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, OECS, WCL
Diplomatic representation:
    none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag:
    blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the
    Montserratian 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

:Montserrat Economy

Overview:
    The economy is small and open with economic activity centered on tourism 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 10%. The
    economy is heavily dependent on imports, making it vulnerable to
    fluctuations in world prices. Exports consist mainly of electronic parts
    sold to the US.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $54.2 million, per capita $4,500 (1988); real
    growth rate 10% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    6.8% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    3.0% (1987)
Budget:
    revenues $12.1 million; expenditures $14.3 million, including capital
    expenditures of $3.2 million (1988)
Exports:
    $2.3 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.)
  commodities:
    electronic parts, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle
  partners:
    NA
Imports:
    $30 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.)
  commodities:
    machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods,
    fuels, lubricants, and related materials
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $2.05 million (1987)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 8.1% (1986); accounts for 10% of GDP
Electricity:
    5,271 kW capacity; 12 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    tourism; light manufacturing - rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Agriculture:
    accounts for 4% of GDP; small-scale farming; food crops - tomatoes, onions,
    peppers; not self-sufficient in food, especially livestock products
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $90
    million
Currency:
    East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Montserrat Communications

Highways:
    280 km total; about 200 km paved, 80 km gravel and earth
Ports:
    Plymouth
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runways 1,036 m
Telecommunications:
    3,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 8 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV

:Montserrat Defense Forces

Branches:
    Police Force
Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the UK

:Morocco Geography

Total area:
    446,550 km2
Land area:
    446,300 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
    2,002 km; Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km
Coastline:
    1,835 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    24 nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved; the UN
    is attempting to hold a referendum; the UN-administered cease-fire has been
    currently in effect since September 1991 Spain controls five places of
    sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - the
    coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla which Morocco contests as well as the
    islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas
    Chafarinas
Climate:
    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:
    arable land 18%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 28%; forest and
    woodland 12%; other 41%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes;
    desertification
Note:
    strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

:Morocco People

Population:
    26,708,587 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    29 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    56 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    63 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Moroccan(s); adjective - Moroccan
Ethnic divisions:
    Arab-Berber 99.1%, non-Moroccan 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
Religions:
    Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
Languages:
    Arabic (official); several Berber dialects; French is often the language of
    business, government, and diplomacy
Literacy:
    50% (male 61%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    7,400,000; agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry 15%, other 9% (1985)
Organized labor:
    about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union of Moroccan Workers (UMT)
    and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT)

:Morocco Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Morocco
Type:
    constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Rabat
Administrative divisions:
    37 provinces and 5 municipalities* (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Agadir, Al
    Hoceima, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen,
    El Jadida, El Kelaa des Srarhna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Fes*, Figuig,
    Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Larache,
    Marrakech, Marrakech*, Meknes, Meknes*, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda,
    Rabat-Sale*, Safi, 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; judicial
    review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court
National holiday:
    National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne), 3
    March (1961)
Executive branch:
    monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Chamber of Representatives (Majlis Nawab)
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, M'Hamed
    BOUCETTA; Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP); Popular Movement (MP),
    Secretariat General; National Assembly of Independents (RNI), Ahmed OSMAN;
    National Democratic Party (PND), Mohamed Arsalane EL-JADIDI; Party for
    Progress and Socialism (PPS); 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
    postponed 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,
    other 14
Communists:
    about 2,000
Member of:
    ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, FAO,
    G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IIB, ILO,
    IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS (observer), NAM,
    OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

:Morocco Government

Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Mohamed BELKHAYAT; Chancery at 1601 21st Street NW, Washington,
    DC 20009; telephone [phone]; there is a Moroccan Consulate General in
    New York
  US:
    Ambassador Frederick VREELAND; Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat
    (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat, or PSC 74, APO AE 09718; telephone
    [212] (7) 76-22-65; FAX [212] (7) 76-56-61; there is a US Consulate General
    in Casablanca
Flag:
    red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Solomon's
    seal in the center of the flag; green is the traditional color of Islam

:Morocco Economy

Overview:
    The economy had recovered moderately in 1990 because of: the resolution of a
    trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid sales, a rebound in textile
    sales to the EC, lower prices for food imports, a sharp increase in worker
    remittances, increased Arab donor aid, and generous debt rescheduling
    agreements. Economic performance in 1991 was mixed. A record harvest helped
    real GDP advance by 4.2%, although nonagricultural output grew by less than
    1%. Inflation accelerated slightly as easier financial policies triggered
    rapid credit and monetary growth. Despite recovery of domestic demand,
    import volume growth slowed while export volume was adversely affected by
    phosphate marketing difficulties. In January 1992, Morocco reached a new
    12-month standby arrangement for $129 million with the IMF. In February
    1992, the Paris Club rescheduled $1.4 billion of Morocco's commercial debt.
    This is thought to be Morocco's last rescheduling. By 1993 the Moroccan
    authorities hope to be in a position to meet all debt service obligations
    without additional rescheduling. Servicing this large debt, high
    unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external economic forces remain
    severe long-term problems.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $27.3 billion, per capita $1,060; real growth
    rate 4.2% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    8.1% (1991 )
Unemployment rate:
    16% (1991)
Budget:
    revenues $7.5 billion; expenditures $7.7 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $1.9 billion (1992)
Exports:
    $4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer goods 21%,
    phosphates 17%
  partners:
    EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%
Imports:
    $6.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and
    lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 9%
  partners:
    EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%
External debt:
    $20 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 4% (1989 est.); accounts for an estimated 20% of GDP
Electricity:
    2,270,000 kW capacity; 8,170 million kWh produced, 310 kWh per capita (1991)
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 predominate; barley, wheat, citrus
    fruit, wine, vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in
    1987

:Morocco Economy

Illicit drugs:
    illicit producer of hashish; trafficking on the increase for both domestic
    and international drug markets; shipments of hashish mostly directed to
    Western Europe; occasional transit point for cocaine from South America
    destined for Western Europe.
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.3 billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.5 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.5
    billion; $2.8 billion debt canceled by Saudi Arabia (1991); IMF standby
    agreement worth $13 million; World Bank, $450 million (1991)
Currency:
    Moroccan dirham (plural - dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 8.889 (March 1992), 8.707 (1991), 8.242
    (1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Morocco Communications

Railroads:
    1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double track, 974 km
    electrified)
Highways:
    59,198 km total; 27,740 km paved, 31,458 km gravel, crushed stone, improved
    earth, and unimproved earth
Pipelines:
    crude oil 362 km; petroleum products (abandoned) 491 km; natural gas 241 km
Ports:
    Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Safi,
    Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla
Merchant marine:
    51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 315,249 GRT/487,479 DWT; includes 10
    cargo, 2 container, 12 refrigerated cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off, 3 petroleum
    tanker, 11 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger
Civil air:
    28 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    75 total, 67 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over
    3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    good system composed 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; broadcast stations - 20 AM,
    7 FM, 26 TV and 26 additional rebroadcast sites; 5 submarine cables;
    satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; radio
    relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave
    to Algeria; microwave network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia,
    Algeria, and Morocco

:Morocco Defense Forces

Branches:
    Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air Force, Royal
    Gendarmerie, Auxiliary Forces
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 6,604,712; 4,196,449 fit for military service; 293,204 reach
    military age (18) annually; limited conscription
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.1 billion, 4.2% of GDP (1992 budget)

:Mozambique 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, Swaziland 105 km,
    Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km
Coastline:
    2,470 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical to subtropical
Terrain:
    mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest,
    mountains in west
Natural resources:
    coal, titanium
Land use:
    arable land 4%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 56%; forest and
    woodland 20%; other 20%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    severe drought and floods occur in south; desertification

:Mozambique People

Population:
    15,469,150 (July 1992), growth rate 4.1% (1992); note - 1.5 million
    Mozambican refugees; 900,000 in Malawi (1991 est.)
Birth rate:
    46 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    17 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    12 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    134 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    46 years male, 49 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Mozambican(s); adjective - Mozambican
Ethnic divisions:
    majority from indigenous tribal groups; Europeans about 10,000,
    Euro-Africans 35,000, Indians 15,000
Religions:
    indigenous beliefs 60%, Christian 30%, Muslim 10%
Languages:
    Portuguese (official); many indigenous dialects
Literacy:
    33% (male 45%, female 21%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    NA, but 90% engaged in agriculture
Organized labor:
    225,000 workers belong to a single union, the Mozambique Workers'
    Organization (OTM)

:Mozambique Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Mozambique
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Maputo
Administrative divisions:
    10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Cabo Delgado, Gaza,
    Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
Independence:
    25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
Constitution:
    30 November 1990
Legal system:
    based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
Judicial branch:
    People's Courts at all levels
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6 November 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) - formerly a Marxist
    organization with close ties to the USSR - was the only legal party before
    30 November 1990 when the new Constitution went into effect establishing a
    multiparty system; note - the government plans multiparty elections as early
    as 1993; 14 parties, including the Liberal Democratic Party of Mozambique
    (PALMO), the Mozambique National Union (UNAMO), and the Mozambique National
    Movement (MONAMO) have already emerged
Suffrage:
    universal adult at age 18
Elections:
    draft electoral law provides for periodic, direct presidential and Assembly
    elections
Communists:
    about 200,000 FRELIMO members; note - FRELIMO no longer considers itself a
    Communist party
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
    INMARSAT, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Hipolito PATRICIO; Chancery at Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20036; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Townsend B. FRIEDMAN, Jr.; Embassy at Avenida Kenneth Kuanda, 193
    Maputo (mailing address is P. O. Box 783, Maputo); telephone [258] (1)
    49-27-97, 49-01-67, 49-03-50; FAX [258] (1) 49-01-14

:Mozambique Government

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

:Mozambique Economy

Overview:
    One of Africa's poorest countries, Mozambique has failed to exploit the
    economic potential of its sizable agricultural, hydropower, and
    transportation resources. Indeed, national output, consumption, and
    investment declined throughout the first half of the 1980s because of
    internal disorders, lack of government administrative control, and a growing
    foreign debt. A sharp increase in foreign aid, attracted by an economic
    reform policy, has resulted in successive years of economic growth since
    1985. Agricultural output, nevertheless, is at about only 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.
    The continuation of civil strife through 1991 has dimmed chances of foreign
    investment, and growth was a mere 1%. Living standards, already abysmally
    low, dropped by 3-4% in both 1990 and 1991.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, per capita $120; real growth rate
    1.0% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    40.5% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    50% (1989 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $369 million; expenditures $860 million, including capital
    expenditures of $432 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $117 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    shrimp 48%, cashews 21%, sugar 10%, copra 3%, citrus 3%
  partners:
    US, Western Europe, GDR, Japan
Imports:
    $870 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.), including aid
  commodities:
    food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum
  partners:
    US, Western Europe, USSR
External debt:
    $4.9 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
Electricity:
    2,270,000 kW capacity; 1,745 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), petroleum products,
    textiles, nonmetallic mineral products (cement, glass, asbestos), tobacco
Agriculture:
    accounts for 80% of the labor force, 50% of GDP, and about 90% of exports;
    cash crops - cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, shrimp; other crops -
    cassava, corn, rice, tropical fruits; not self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $350 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.4 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $37 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $890
    million
Currency:
    metical (plural - meticais); 1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
    meticais (Mt) per US$1 - 2,358 (1 May 1992), 1,811.18 (1991), 929.00 (1990),
    800.00 (1989), 528.60 (1988), 289.44 (1987)

:Mozambique Economy

Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Mozambique 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, stabilized
    soil; 21,076 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
    about 3,750 km of navigable routes
Pipelines:
    crude oil (not operating) 306 km; petroleum products 289 km
Ports:
    Maputo, Beira, Nacala
Merchant marine:
    5 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,806 GRT/12,873 DWT
Civil air:
    7 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    195 total, 137 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 26 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    fair system of troposcatter, open-wire lines, and radio relay; broadcast
    stations - 29 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and
    3 domestic Indian Ocean INTELSAT

:Mozambique Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Naval Command, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guards, Militia
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 3,490,554; 2,004,913 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $107 million, 6-7% of GDP (1989)

:Namibia 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 Africa 966 km,
    Zambia 233 km
Coastline:
    1,489 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; disputed island with
    Botswana in the Chobe River; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
    is in disagreement; claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands
    administered by South Africa; Namibia and South Africa have agreed to
    jointly administer the area for an interim period; the terms and dates to be
    covered by joint administration arrangements have not been established at
    this time, and Namibia will continue to maintain a claim to sovereignty over
    the entire area; recent dispute with Botswana over uninhabited Sidudu Island
    in the Linyanti River
Climate:
    desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
Terrain:
    mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
Natural resources:
    diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt,
    vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of oil, natural gas, coal,
    and iron ore
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 64%; forest and
    woodland 22%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification
Note:
    Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia

:Namibia People

Population:
    1,574,927 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
    45 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    66 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    58 years male, 63 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Namibian(s); adjective - Namibian
Ethnic divisions:
    black 86%, white 6.6%, mixed 7.4%; about 50% of the population belong to the
    Ovambo tribe and 9% from the Kavangos tribe
Religions:
    predominantly Christian
Languages:
    English is official language; Afrikaans is common language of most of
    population and about 60% of white population, German 32%, English 7%;
    several indigenous languages
Literacy:
    38% (male 45%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1960)
Labor force:
    500,000; agriculture 60%, industry and commerce 19%, services 8%, government
    7%, mining 6% (1981 est.)
Organized labor:
    20 trade unions representing about 90,000 workers

:Namibia Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Namibia
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Windhoek
Administrative divisions:
    the former administrative structure of 26 districts has been abolished and
    14 temporary regions are still being determined; note - the 26 districts
    were Bethanien, Boesmanland, Caprivi Oos, Damaraland, Gobabis, Grootfontein,
    Hereroland Oos, Hereroland Wes, Kaokoland, Karasburg, Karibib, Kavango,
    Keetmanshoop, Luderitz, Maltahohe, Mariental, Namaland, Okahandja, Omaruru,
    Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Owambo, Rehoboth, Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Windhoek
Independence:
    21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
Constitution:
    ratified 9 February 1990
Legal system:
    based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 21 March (1990)
Executive branch:
    president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    bicameral; House of Review (upper house, to be established with elections in
    late 1992 by planned new regional authorities); National Assembly (lower
    house elected by universal suffrage)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Sam NUJOMA; Democratic
    Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Dirk MUDGE; United Democratic Front (UDF), Justus
    GAROEB; Action Christian National (ACN), Kosie PRETORIUS; National Patriotic
    Front (NPF), Moses KATJIUONGUA; Federal Convention of Namibia (FCN), Hans
    DIERGAARDT; Namibia National Front (NNF), Vekuii RUKORO
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 16 February 1990 (next to be held March 1995); results - Sam
    NUJOMA was elected president by the Constituent Assembly (now the National
    Assembly)
  National Assembly:
    last held on 7-11 November 1989 (next to be held by November 1994); results
    - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (72 total) SWAPO 41, DTA 21, UDF 4,
    ACN 3, NNF 1, FCN 1, NPF 1
Other political or pressure groups:
    NA
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, CECA (associate), ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ILO,
    IMF, ITU, NAM, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, WCL, WFTU, WHO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Tuliameni KALOMOH; Chancery at 1605 New Hampshire Ave. NW,
    Washington, DC 20009 (mailing address is PO Box 34738, Washington, DC
    20043); telephone [phone]

:Namibia Government

  US:
    Ambassador Genta Hawkins HOLMES; Embassy at Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen St.,
    Windhoek (mailing address is P. O. Box 9890, Windhoek 9000, Namibia);
    telephone [264] (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680; FAX [264] (61) 229-792
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 separated by a red stripe that is contrasted by two narrow
    white-edge borders

:Namibia Economy

Overview:
    The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and
    process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 25% of GDP. Namibia
    is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa and the world's
    fifth-largest producer of uranium. Alluvial diamond deposits are among the
    richest in the world, making Namibia a primary source for gem-quality
    diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver,
    and tungsten, and it has substantial resources of coal. More than half the
    population depends on agriculture (largely subsistence agriculture) for its
    livelihood.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $2 billion, per capita $1,400; real growth rate
    5.1% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    17% (1991 - Windhoek)
Unemployment rate:
    over 25% (1991)
Budget:
    revenues $864 million; expenditures $1,112 million, including capital
    expenditures of $144 million (FY 92)
Exports:
    $1,021 million (f.o.b., 1989)
  commodities:
    uranium, diamonds, zinc, copper, cattle, processed fish, karakul skins
  partners:
    Switzerland, South Africa, FRG, Japan
Imports:
    $894 million (f.o.b., 1989)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment
  partners:
    South Africa, FRG, US, Switzerland
External debt:
    about $250 million; 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 - 6% (1990 est.); accounts for 35% of GDP, including mining
Electricity:
    490,000 kW capacity; 1,290 million kWh produced, 850 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining (copper, lead, zinc,
    diamond, uranium)
Agriculture:
    mostly subsistence farming; livestock raising major source of cash income;
    crops - millet, sorghum, peanuts; fish catch potential of over 1 million
    metric tons not being fulfilled, 1988 catch reaching only 384,000 metric
    tons; not self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87),
    $47.2 million
Currency:
    South African rand (plural - rand); 1 South African rand (R) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    South African rand (R) per US$1 - 2.8809 (March 1992), 2.7653 (1991), 2.5863
    (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986)
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Namibia 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:
    NA major transport aircraft
Airports:
    137 total, 112 usable; 21 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 63 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns, wires
    extend to other population centers; 62,800 telephones; broadcast stations -
    4 AM, 40 FM, 3 TV

:Namibia Defense Forces

Branches:
    National Defense Force (Army), Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 320,277; 189,997 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $66 million, 3.4% of GDP (FY 92)

:Nauru Geography

Total area:
    21 km2
Land area:
    21 km2
Comparative area:
    about one-tenth the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    30 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
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:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
    only 53 km south of Equator
Note:
    located 500 km north-northeast of Papua New Guinea, Nauru is one of the
    three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are
    Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia

:Nauru People

Population:
    9,460 (July 1992), growth rate 1.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    18 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    41 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    64 years male, 69 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Nauruan(s); adjective - Nauruan
Ethnic divisions:
    Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
Religions:
    Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
Languages:
    Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Island language (official); English widely
    understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    NA

:Nauru Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Nauru
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    no capital city as such; government offices in Yaren District
Administrative divisions:
    14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu,
    Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Independence:
    31 January 1968 (from UN trusteeship under Australia, New Zealand, 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 Government:
    President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    none
Suffrage:
    universal and compulsory at age 20
Elections:
  President:
    last held 9 December 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:
    C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador-designate Theodore Conrad MOSES resident in Melbourne
    (Australia); there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam)
  US:
    the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru
Flag:
    blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large
    white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; the star indicates
    the country's location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and
    the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru

: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 are serious long-term problems.
    Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help
    cushion the transition.
GNP:
    exchange rate conversion - 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; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)
Exports:
    $93 million (f.o.b., 1984)
  commodities:
    phosphates
  partners:
    Australia, NZ
Imports:
    $73 million (c.i.f., 1984)
  commodities:
    food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery
  partners:
    Australia, UK, NZ, Japan
External debt:
    $33.3 million
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    14,000 kW capacity; 50 million kWh produced, 5,430 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts
Agriculture:
    negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries (1970-89), $2 million
Currency:
    Australian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3177 (March 1992), 1.2834 (1991),
    1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Nauru 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:
    1 bulk ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,426 GRT/5,750 DWT
Civil air:
    3 major transport aircraft, one on order
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    adequate local and international radio communications provided via
    Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radios; broadcast stations -
    1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Nauru Defense Forces

Branches:
    no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    $NA - no formal defense structure

:Navassa Island Geography

Total area:
    5.2 km2
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:
    12 nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth)
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    claimed by Haiti
Climate:
    marine, tropical
Terrain:
    raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical
    white cliffs (9 to 15 meters high)
Natural resources:
    guano
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 90%
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

:Navassa Island People

Population:
    uninhabited; transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island

:Navassa Island Government

Long-form name:
    none (territory of the US)
Type:
    unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Coast Guard
Capital:
    none; administered from Washington, DC

:Navassa Island Economy

Overview:
    no economic activity

:Navassa Island Communications

Ports:
    none; offshore anchorage only

:Navassa Island Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US

:Nepal Geography

Total area:
    140,800 km2
Land area:
    136,800 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Arkansas
Land boundaries:
    2,926 km total; China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers
    and mild winters in south
Terrain:
    Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region,
    rugged Himalayas in north
Natural resources:
    quartz, water, timber, hydroelectric potential, scenic beauty; small
    deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Land use:
    arable land 17%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and
    woodland 33%; other 37%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
    contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion;
    water pollution
Note:
    landlocked; strategic location between China and India

:Nepal People

Population:
    20,086,455 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    38 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    14 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    90 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    51 years male, 51 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    5.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Nepalese (singular and plural); adjective - Nepalese
Ethnic divisions:
    Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus,
    Sherpas, as well as many smaller groups
Religions:
    only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between
    many Hindu (about 90% of population) and Buddhist groups (about 5% of
    population); Muslims 3%, other 2% (1981)
Languages:
    Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects
Literacy:
    26% (male 38%, female 13%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    8,500,000 (1991 est.); agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry 2%; severe
    lack of skilled labor
Organized labor:
    Teachers' Union and many other nonofficially recognized unions

:Nepal Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Nepal
Type:
    parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991
Capital:
    Kathmandu
Administrative divisions:
    14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri,
    Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti,
    Sagarmatha, Seti
Independence:
    1768, unified by Prithyi Narayan Shah
Constitution:
    9 November 1990
Legal system:
    based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted
    compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Birthday of His Majesty the King, 28 December (1945)
Executive branch:
    monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or National Council and a
    lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (since 31 January 1972, crowned King 24
    February 1985); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, son
    of the King (born 21 June 1971)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 29 May 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
  ruling party:
    Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Girija Prasad KOIRALA, Ganesh Man SINGH,
    Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI
  center:
    the NDP has two factions: National Democratic Party/Chand (NDP/Chand),
    Lokinra Bahadur CHAND, and National Democratic Party/Thapa (NDP/Thapa),
    Surya Bahadur THAPA - the two factions announced a merger in late 1991;
    Terai Rights Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, G. N. Naryan SINGH
  Communist:
    Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist and Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan
    ADIKHARY; United People's Front (UPF), N. K. PRASAI, Lila Mani POKHAREL;
    Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, leader NA; Rohit Party, N. M. BIJUKCHHE;
    Democratic Party, leader NA
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  House of Representatives:
    last held on 12 May 1991 (next to be held May 1996); results - NCP 38%,
    CPN/UML 28%, NDP/Chand 6%, UPF 5%, NDP/Thapa 5%, Terai Rights Sadbhavana
    Party 4%, Rohit 2%, CPN (Democratic) 1%, independents 4%, other 7%; seats -
    (205 total) NCP 110, CPN/UML 69, UPF 9, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 6,
    NDP/Chand 3, Rohit 2, CPN (Democratic) 2, NDP/Thapa 1, independents 3; note
    - the new Constitution of 9 November 1990 gives Nepal a multiparty democracy
    system for the first time in 32 years

:Nepal Government

Communists:
    Communist Party of Nepal (CPN)
Other political or pressure groups:
    numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small,
    radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
Member of:
    AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
    INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
    UNIFIL, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Yog Prasad UPADHYAYA; Chancery at 2131 Leroy Place NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; there is a Nepalese
    Consulate General in New York
  US:
    Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH; Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu; telephone
    [977] (1) 411179 or 412718, 411604, 411613, 413890; FAX [977] (1) 419963
Flag:
    red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right
    triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the
    larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun

:Nepal Economy

Overview:
    Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world.
    Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over
    90% of the population and accounting for 60% of GDP. Industrial activity is
    limited, mainly involving the processing of agricultural produce (jute,
    sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Production of textiles and carpets has
    expanded recently and accounted for 87% of foreign exchange earnings in
    FY89. Apart from agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable
    natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Agricultural production
    in the late 1980s grew by about 5%, as compared with annual population
    growth of 2.6%. Forty percent or more of the population is undernourished
    partly because of poor distribution. Since May 1991, the government has been
    encouraging privatization and foreign investment. It has introduced policies
    to eliminate many business licenses and registration requirements in order
    to simplify domestic and foreign investment procedures. Economic prospects
    for the 1990s remain poor because the economy starts from such a low base.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $3.2 billion, per capita $165; real growth rate
    3.5% (FY91)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    15.0% (December 1991)
Unemployment rate:
    5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)
Budget:
    revenues $294.0 million; expenditures $624.0 million, including capital
    expenditures of $396 (FY92 est.)
Exports:
    $180 million (f.o.b., FY91) but does not include unrecorded border trade
    with India
  commodities:
    clothing, carpets, leather goods, grain
  partners:
    US, India, Germany, UK
Imports:
    $545 million (c.i.f., FY91 est.)
  commodities:
    petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%
  partners:
    India, Singapore, Japan, Germany
External debt:
    $2.5 billion (April 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 6% (FY91 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
Electricity:
    280,000 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textile, carpet,
    cement, and brick production; 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
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $304 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $2,230 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $286
    million

:Nepal Economy

Currency:
    Nepalese rupee (plural - rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates:
    Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1 - 42.7 (January 1992), 37.255 (1991), 29.370
    (1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    16 July - 15 July

:Nepal Communications

Railroads:
    52 km (1990), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Terai close to Indian
    border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned
Highways:
    7,080 km total (1990); 2,898 km paved, 1,660 km gravel or crushed stone;
    also 2,522 km of seasonally motorable tracks
Civil air:
    5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft
Airports:
    37 total, 37 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radio communication and broadcast
    service; international radio communication service is poor; 50,000
    telephones (1990); broadcast stations - 88 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean
    INTELSAT earth station

:Nepal Defense Forces

Branches:
    Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 4,798,984; 2,488,749 fit for military service; 225,873 reach
    military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $34 million, 2% of GDP (FY92)

:Netherlands Geography

Total area:
    37,330 km2
Land area:
    33,920 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
    1,027 km total; Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Coastline:
    451 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    not specific
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain:
    mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Natural resources:
    natural gas, crude oil, fertile soil
Land use:
    arable land 26%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 32%; forest and
    woodland 9%; other 32%; includes irrigated 16%
Environment:
    27% of the land area is below sea level and protected from the North Sea by
    dikes
Note:
    located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse,
    Schelde)

:Netherlands People

Population:
    15,112,064 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    13 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    75 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective - Dutch
Ethnic divisions:
    Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 36%, Protestant 27%, other 6%, unaffiliated 31% (1988)
Languages:
    Dutch
Literacy:
    99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
Labor force:
    5,300,000; services 50.1%, manufacturing and construction 28.2%, government
    15.9%, agriculture 5.8% (1986)
Organized labor:
    29% of labor force

:Netherlands Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of the Netherlands
Type:
    constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government
Administrative divisions:
    12 provinces (provincien, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland,
    Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland,
    Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland
Independence:
    1579 (from Spain)
Constitution:
    17 February 1983
Dependent areas:
    Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Legal system:
    civil law system incorporating French penal theory; judicial review in the
    Supreme Court of legislation of lower order rather than Acts of the States
    General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
    Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Executive branch:
    monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch:
    bicameral legislature (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 BEATRIX 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); Vice
    Prime Minister 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; a
    host of minor parties
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  First Chamber:
    last held on 9 June l991 (next to be held 9 June 1995); results - elected by
    the country's 12 provincial councils; seats - (75 total) percent of seats by
    party NA
  Second Chamber:
    last held on 6 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1993); results -
    CDA 35.3%, PvdA 31. 9%, VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, other 10.3%; seats - (150
    total) CDA 54, PvdA 49, VVD 22, D'66 12, other 13
Communists:
    about 6,000

:Netherlands Government

Other political or pressure groups:
    large multinational firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement
    (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade
    union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the
    nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and IKV -
    Interchurch Peace Council
Member of:
    AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN,
    COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMS, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, G-10, GATT,
    IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
    INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO,
    NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
    UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Johan Hendrick MEESMAN; Chancery at 4200 Linnean Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; there are Dutch Consulates
    General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
  US:
    Ambassador C. Howard WILKINS, Jr.; Embassy at Lange Voorhout 102, The Hague
    (mailing address PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715); telephone [31] (70)
    310-9209; FAX [31] (70) 361-4688; 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

:Netherlands Economy

Overview:
    This highly developed and affluent economy is based on private enterprise.
    The government makes its presence felt, however, through many regulations,
    permit requirements, and welfare programs affecting most aspects of economic
    activity. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of
    GDP. Industrial activity provides about 25% of GDP and is led by the
    food-processing, oil-refining, and metalworking industries. The highly
    mechanized agricultural sector employs only 5% of the labor force, but
    provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing
    industry. An unemployment rate of 6.2% and a sizable budget deficit are
    currently the most serious economic problems.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $249.6 billion, per capita $16,600; real
    growth rate 2.2% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    3.6% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    6.2% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $98.7 billion; expenditures $110.8 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1991)
Exports:
    $131.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    agricultural products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals,
    metal products, textiles, clothing
  partners:
    EC 74.9% (FRG 28.3%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14.2%, France 10.7%, UK 10.2%), US
    4.7% (1988)
Imports:
    $125.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation
    equipment, crude oil, food products
  partners:
    EC 63.8% (FRG 26.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 23.1%, UK 8.1%), US 7.9% (1988)
External debt:
    none
Industrial production:
    growth rate 1.7% (1991 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
    22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,570 million kWh produced, 4,300 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and
    equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics
Agriculture:
    accounts for 4% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops - grains,
    potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain, fats, and
    oils
Illicit drugs:
    European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synethic drugs
Economic aid:
    donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $19.4 billion
Currency:
    Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (plural - guilders, gulden, or
    florins); 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents

:Netherlands Economy

Exchange rates:
    Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1 - 1.7753 (January
    1992), 1.8697 (1991), 1.8209 (1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766 (1988), 2.0257
    (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Netherlands Communications

Railroads:
    3,037 km track (includes 1,871 km electrified and 1,800 km double track);
    2,871 km 1.435-meter standard gauge operated by Netherlands Railways (NS);
    166 km privately owned
Highways:
    108,360 km total; 92,525 km paved (including 2,185 km of limited access,
    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:
    crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural gas 10,230 km
Ports:
    maritime - Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Den Helder, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Ijmuiden,
    Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Terneuzen, Vlissingen; inland - 29 ports
Merchant marine:
    345 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,630,962 GRT/3,687,598 DWT; includes
    3 short-sea passenger, 191 cargo, 30 refrigerated cargo, 24 container, 12
    roll-on/roll-off, 2 livestock carrier, 10 multifunction large-load carrier,
    22 oil tanker, 27 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 9
    bulk, 3 combination bulk; note - many Dutch-owned ships are also registered
    on the captive Netherlands 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; 11 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive redundant
    system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by radio relay links;
    9,418,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 (3 relays) AM, 12 (39
    repeaters) FM, 8 (7 repeaters) TV; 5 submarine cables; 1 communication
    satellite earth station operating in INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic
    Ocean antenna) and EUTELSAT systems; nationwide mobile phone system

:Netherlands Defense Forces

Branches:
    Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (including Naval Air Service
    and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 4,144,477; 3,649,746 fit for military service; 111,952 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $7.2 billion, 2.9% of GDP (1991)

:Netherlands Antilles 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:
    none
Coastline:
    364 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    12 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Terrain:
    generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Natural resources:
    phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use:
    arable land 8%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 92%
Environment:
    Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so rarely
    threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes
    from July to October
Note:
    consists of two island groups - Curacao and Bonaire are located off the
    coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to
    the north

:Netherlands Antilles People

Population:
    184,325 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    18 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -9 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    11 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    73 years male, 77 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective - Netherlands Antillean
Ethnic divisions:
    mixed African 85%; remainder Carib Indian, European, Latin, and Oriental
Religions:
    predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages:
    Dutch (official); Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect
    predominates; English widely spoken; Spanish
Literacy:
    94% (male 94%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
Labor force:
    89,000; government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)
Organized labor:
    60-70% of labor force

:Netherlands Antilles Government

Long-form name:
    none
Digraph:
    political parties are indigenous to each island ***
Type:
    part of the Dutch realm - full autonomy 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, governor, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of
    Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    legislature (Staten)
Judicial branch:
    Joint High Court of Justice
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen BEATRIX 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 parties are indigenous to each island
  Bonaire:
    Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB), Rudy ELLIS; Democratic Party of Bonaire
    (PDB), Franklin CRESTIAN
  Curacao:
    National People's Party (PNP), Maria LIBERIA-PETERS; New Antilles Movement
    (MAN), Domenico Felip Don MARTINA; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson
    (Papa) GODETT; Socialist Independent (SI), George HUECK and Nelson MONTE;
    Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustin DIAZ; Nos Patria, Chin BEHILIA
  Saba:
    Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Will JOHNSON; Saba
    Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon HASSELL; Saba Unity Party, Carmen SIMMONDS
  Sint Eustatius:
    Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius (DP-St.E), K. Van PUTTEN; Windward
    Islands People's Movement (WIPM); St. Eustatius Alliance (SEA), Ralph BERKEL
  Sint Maarten:
    Democratic Party of Sint Maarten (DP-St.M), Claude WATHEY; Patriotic
    Movement of Sint Maarten (SPA), Vance JAMES
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18

:Netherlands Antilles Government

Elections:
  Staten:
    last held on 16 March 1990 (next to be held March 1994); results - percent
    of vote by party NA; seats - (22 total) PNP 7, FOL-SI 3, UPB 3, MAN 2,
    DP-St. M 2, DP 1, SPM 1, WIPM 1, DP-St. E 1, Nos Patria 1; note - the
    government of Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS is a coalition of several
    parties
Member of:
    CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO
    (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation:
    as an autonomous part of the Netherlands, Netherlands Antillean interests in
    the US are represented by the Netherlands
  US:
    Consul General Sharon P. WILKINSON; Consulate General at Sint Anna Boulevard
    19, Willemstad, Curacao (mailing address P. O. Box 158, Willemstad,
    Curacao); telephone [599] (9) 613066; FAX [599] (9) 616489
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 pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the
    five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint
    Maarten

:Netherlands Antilles Economy

Overview:
    Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the
    economy. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed
    infrastructure as compared with other countries in the region. Unlike many
    Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles has avoided large
    international debt. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with
    the US being the major supplier.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion, per capita $7,600; real growth rate
    1.5% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    5% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    21% (1991)
Budget:
    revenues $454 million; expenditures $525 million, including capital
    expenditures of $42 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
  commodities:
    petroleum products 98%
  partners:
    US 40%, Italy 6%, The Bahamas 5%
Imports:
    $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
  commodities:
    crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures
  partners:
    Venezuela 42%, US 18%, Netherlands 6%
External debt:
    $701.2 million (December 1987)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,985 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum
    transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing
    (Curacao)
Agriculture:
    hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief products - aloes,
    sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not self-sufficient in
    food
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $513 million
Currency:
    Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (plural - guilders, gulden,
    or florins); 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100
    cents
Exchange rates:
    Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1 - 1.79
    (fixed rate since 1989; 1.80 fixed rate 1971-88)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Netherlands Antilles Communications

Highways:
    950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth
Ports:
    Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk
Merchant marine:
    80 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 607,010 GRT/695,864 DWT; includes 4
    passenger, 27 cargo, 13 refrigerated cargo, 7 container, 9 roll-on/roll-off,
    11 multifunction large-load carrier, 4 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas, 1
    bulk, 1 oil tanker; note - all but a few are foreign owned, mostly in the
    Netherlands
Civil air:
    8 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    7 total, 6 usable; 6 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;
    broadcast stations - 9 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean
    INTELSAT earth stations

:Netherlands Antilles Defense Forces

Branches:
    Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National
    Guard, Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49 49,082; 27,656 fit for military service; 1,673 reach military
    age (20) annually
Note:
    defense is responsibility of the Netherlands

:New Caledonia 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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain:
    coastal plains with interior mountains
Natural resources:
    nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land use:
    arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 14%; forest
    and woodland 51%; other 35%
Environment:
    typhoons most frequent from November to March
Note:
    located 1,750 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean

:New Caledonia People

Population:
    174,805 (July 1992), growth rate 1.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
    23 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    17 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    70 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - New Caledonian(s); adjective - New Caledonian
Ethnic divisions:
    Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%,
    Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Languages:
    French; 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Literacy:
    91% (male 91%, female 90%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
Labor force:
    50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna,
    Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)
Organized labor:
    NA

:New Caledonia Government

Long-form name:
    Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
Type:
    overseas territory of France since 1956
Capital:
    Noumea
Administrative divisions:
    none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative
    divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named
    Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud
Independence:
    none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence
    will be held in 1998, with 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:
    French President, high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Territorial Assembly
Judicial branch:
    Court of Appeal
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
  Head of Government:
    High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Alain
    CHRISTNACHT (since 15 January 1991)
Suffrage:
    universal adult at age 18
Elections:
  Territorial Assembly:
    last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held 1993); results - RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS
    28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats - (54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19,
    FN 3, other 5; note - election boycotted by FULK
  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
  French National Assembly:
    last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results - RPR
    83.5%, FN 13.5%, other 3%; seats - (2 total) RPCR 2
Member of:
    FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    as an overseas territory of France, New Caledonian interests are represented
    in the US by France
Flag:
    the flag of France is used

:New Caledonia Economy

Overview:
    New Caledonia has more than 25% of the world's known nickel resources. In
    recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international
    demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a
    negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts
    for about 25% of imports.
GNP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.0 billion, per capita $6,000 (1991 est.); real
    growth rate 2.4% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    4.1% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
    16.0% (1989)
Budget:
    revenues $224.0 million; expenditures $211.0 million, including capital
    expenditures of NA (1985)
Exports:
    $671 million (f.o.b., 1989)
  commodities:
    nickel metal 87%, nickel ore
  partners:
    France 52.3%, Japan 15.8%, US 6.4%
Imports:
    $764 million (c.i.f., 1989)
  commodities:
    foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment
  partners:
    France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced, 12,790 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    nickel mining
Agriculture:
    large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60%
    self-sufficient in beef
Illicit drugs:
    illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal source of income for
    some families
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $4,185 million
Currency:
    Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural - francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF)
    = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    Comptoirs Francais duPacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 97.81 (January
    1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27
    (1987); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:New Caledonia Communications

Highways:
    6,340 km total; only about 10% paved (1987)
Ports:
    Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
Civil air:
    1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    29 total, 27 usable; 1 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:
    32,578 telephones (1987); broadcast stations - 5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1 Pacific
    Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:New Caledonia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Gendarmerie, Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 46,388; NA fit for military service
Note:
    defense is the responsibility of France

:New Zealand Geography

Total area:
    268,680 km2
Land area:
    268,670 km2; includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands,
    Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Comparative area:
    about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    15,134 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    edge of continental margin or 200 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 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:
    arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 53%; forest and
    woodland 38%; other 7%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    earthquakes are common, though usually not severe

:New Zealand People

Population:
    3,347,369 (July 1992), growth rate 0.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
    16 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    9 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    72 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - New Zealander(s); adjective - New Zealand
Ethnic divisions:
    European 88%, Maori 8.9%, Pacific Islander 2.9%, other 0.2%
Religions:
    Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist
    2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 9% (1986)
Languages:
    English (official), Maori
Literacy:
    99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970)
Labor force:
    1,603,500 (June 1991); services 67.4%, manufacturing 19.8%, primary
    production 9.3% (1987)
Organized labor:
    681,000 members; 43% of labor force (1986)

:New Zealand 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, Eketahuna, Ellesmere, Eltham, Eyre, Featherston,
    Franklin, Golden Bay, Great Barrier Island, Grey, Hauraki Plains, Hawera*,
    Hawke's Bay, Heathcote, Hikurangi**, Hobson, Hokianga, Horowhenua, Hurunui,
    Hutt, Inangahua, Inglewood, Kaikoura, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Lake, Mackenzie,
    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, Southland,
    Stewart Island, Stratford, Strathallan, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo,
    Tauranga, Thames-Coromandel*, Tuapeka, Vincent, Waiapu, Waiheke, Waihemo,
    Waikato, Waikohu, Waimairi, Waimarino, Waimate, Waimate West, Waimea, Waipa,
    Waipawa*, Waipukurau*, Wairarapa South, Wairewa, Wairoa, Waitaki, Waitomo*,
    Waitotara, Wallace, Wanganui, Waverley**, Westland, Whakatane*, Whangarei,
    Whangaroa, Woodville
Independence:
    26 September 1907 (from UK)
Constitution:
    no formal, written constitution; consists of various documents, including
    certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; Constitution Act 1986
    was to have come into force 1 January 1987, but has not been enacted
Dependent areas:
    Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
Legal system:
    based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for
    Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
    Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6
    February (1840)
Executive branch:
    British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
    Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral House of Representatives (commonly called Parliament)
Judicial branch:
    High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
    Dame Catherine TIZARD (since 12 December 1990)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister James BOLGER (since 29 October 1990); Deputy Prime Minister
    Donald McKINNON (since 2 November 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    National Party (NP; government), James BOLGER; New Zealand Labor Party
    (NZLP; opposition), Michael MOORE; NewLabor Party (NLP), Jim ANDERTON;
    Democratic Party, Dick RYAN; New Zealand Liberal Party, Hanmish MACINTYRE
    and Gilbert MYLES; Green Party, no official leader; Mana Motuhake, Martin
    RATA; Socialist Unity Party (SUP; pro-Soviet), Kenneth DOUGLAS; note - the
    New Labor, Democratic, and Mana Motuhake parties formed a coalition in
    September 1991; the Green Party joined the coalition in May 1992

:New Zealand Government

Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  House of Representatives:
    last held on 27 October 1990 (next to be held October 1993); results - NP
    49%, NZLP 35%, Green Party 7%, NLP 5%; seats - (97 total) NP 67, NZLP 29,
    NLP 1
Member of:
    ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC,
    AsDB, Australia Group, C, CCC, CP, COCOM, (cooperating country), EBRD,
    ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
    IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS,
    MTCR, OECD, PCA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU,
    WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador - Denis Bazely Gordon McLEAN; Chancery at 37 Observatory Circle
    NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; there are New Zealand
    Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York
  US:
    Ambassador Della M. NEWMAN; Embassy at 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon,
    Wellington (mailing address is P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1,
    FPO AP 96531-1001); telephone [64] (4) 722-068; FAX [64] (4) 723-537; there
    is a US Consulate General in Auckland
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 represent the Southern Cross constellation

:New Zealand Economy

Overview:
    Since 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy dependent
    on a guaranteed British market to an open free market economy that can
    compete on the global scene. The government has hoped that dynamic growth
    would boost real incomes, reduce inflationary pressures, and permit the
    expansion 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 exceeded 10% since May
    1991. In 1988, GDP fell by 1%, in 1989 grew by a moderate 2.4%, and was flat
    in 1990-91.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $46.2 billion, per capita $14,000; real growth
    rate - 0.4% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    1.0% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    10.7% (September 1991)
Budget:
    revenues $17.6 billion; expenditures $18.3 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
Exports:
    $9.4 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
  commodities:
    wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fruit, fish, cheese, manufactures, chemicals,
    forestry products
  partners:
    EC 18.3%, Japan 17.9%, Australia 17.5%, US 13.5%, China 3.6%, South Korea
    3.1%
Imports:
    $8.4 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
  commodities:
    petroleum, consumer goods, motor vehicles, industrial equipment
  partners:
    Australia 19.7%, Japan 16.9%, EC 16.9%, US 15.3%, Taiwan 3.0%
External debt:
    $17.4 billion (1989)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 1.9% (1990); accounts for about 20% of GDP
Electricity:
    7,800,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced, 8,500 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery,
    transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Agriculture:
    accounts for about 9% of GDP 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 503,000 metric tons in 1988
Economic aid:
    donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $526 million
Currency:
    New Zealand dollar (plural - dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100
    cents
Exchange rates:
    New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.8245 (March 1992), 1.7265 (1991),
    1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:New Zealand Communications

Railroads:
    4,716 km total; all 1.067-meter gauge; 274 km double track; 113 km
    electrified; over 99% government owned
Highways:
    92,648 km total; 49,547 km paved, 43,101 km gravel or crushed stone
Inland waterways:
    1,609 km; of little importance to transportation
Pipelines:
    natural gas 1,000 km; petroleum products 160 km; condensate 150 km
Ports:
    Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, Tauranga
Merchant marine:
    18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 182,206 GRT/246,446 DWT; includes 2
    cargo, 5 roll-on/roll-off, 1 railcar carrier, 4 oil tanker, 1 liquefied gas,
    5 bulk
Civil air:
    about 40 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    118 total, 118 usable; 34 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    excellent international and domestic systems; 2,110,000 telephones;
    broadcast stations - 64 AM, 2 FM, 14 TV; submarine cables extend to
    Australia and Fiji; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

:New Zealand Defense Forces

Branches:
    New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 874,703; 739,923 fit for military service; 30,297 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $792 million, 2% of GDP (FY92)

:Nicaragua Geography

Total area:
    129,494 km2
Land area:
    120,254 km2
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 Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y
    Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; unresolved maritime boundary in Golfo de
    Fonseca
Climate:
    tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain:
    extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains;
    narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Natural resources:
    gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use:
    arable land 9%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and
    woodland 35%; other 12%; including irrigated 1%
Environment:
    subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasional
    severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

:Nicaragua People

Population:
    3,878,150 (July 1992), growth rate 2.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    37 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    57 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    60 years male, 66 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Nicaraguan(s); adjective - Nicaraguan
Ethnic divisions:
    mestizo 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
Languages:
    Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic
    coast
Literacy:
    57% (male 57%, female 57%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
Labor force:
    1,086,000; service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)
Organized labor:
    35% of labor force

:Nicaragua Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Nicaragua
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Managua
Administrative divisions:
    9 administrative regions encompassing 17 departments (departamentos,
    singular - departamento); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli,
    Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, North Atlantic
    Coast Autonomous Zone (RAAN), Nueva Segovia, Rio San Juan, Rivas, South
    Atlantic Coast Autonomous Zone (RAAS)
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 president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) and municipal courts
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (since 25 April 1990); Vice President
    Virgilio GODOY (since 25 April 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
  ruling coalition:
    National Opposition Union (UNO) is a 14-party alliance - National
    Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano MATAMOROS; Conservative Popular Alliance
    Party (PAPC), Myriam ARGUELLO; National Conservative Action Party (PANC),
    Hernaldo ZUNIGA; National Democratic Confidence Party (PDCN), Augustin
    JARQUIN; Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO; Neo-Liberal
    Party (PALI), Andres ZUNIGA; Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose
    Ernesto SOMARRIBA; National Action Party (PAN), Eduardo RIVAS; Nicaraguan
    Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo TABLADA; Communist Party of Nicaragua
    (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO; Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Luis
    Humberto GUZMAN; Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ; Social
    Democratic Party (PSD), Guillermo POTOY; Central American Integrationist
    Party (PIAC), Alejandro PEREZ
  opposition parties:
    Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), Daniel ORTEGA; Central American
    Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS; Democratic Conservative Party of
    Nicaragua (PCDN), Jose BRENES; Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN),
    Eduardo CORONADO; Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco SAMPER;
    Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick RAMIREZ; Revolutionary Workers' Party
    (PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA; Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando
    AGUERRO; Popular Action Movement - Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ;
    Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio DIAZ
Suffrage:
    universal at age 16

:Nicaragua Government

Elections:
  President:
    last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results -
    Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra (FSLN)
    40.8%, other 4.5%
  National Assembly:
    last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 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:
    15,000-20,000
Other political or pressure groups:
    National Workers Front (FNT) is a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor
    unions: Sandinista Workers' Central (CST), Farm Workers Association (ATC),
    Health Workers Federation (FETASALUD), National Union of Employees (UNE),
    National Association of Educators of Nicaragua (ANDEN), Union of Journalists
    of Nicaragua (UPN), Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional
    Associations (CONAPRO), and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers
    (UNAG); Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT) is an umbrella group of four
    non-Sandinista labor unions: Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS),
    Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN-A), Independent General
    Confederation of Labor (CGT-I), and Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS);
    Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN) is an independent labor union; Superior
    Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is a confederation of business groups
Member of:
    BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA,
    IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LORCS,
    NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
    WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Ernesto PALAZIO; Chancery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20009; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Harry W. SHLAUDEMAN; Embassy at Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur.,
    Managua (mailing address is APO AA 34021); telephone [505] (2) 666010 or
    666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027, 666032 through 34; FAX [505] (2)
    666046
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 encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA 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 REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN
    LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of
    Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the
    white band

:Nicaragua Economy

Overview:
    Government control of the economy historically has been extensive, although
    the CHAMORRO government has pledged to greatly reduce intervention. Four
    private banks have been licensed, and the government has liberalized foreign
    trade and abolished price controls on most goods. Over 50% of the
    agricultural and industrial firms remain state owned. Sandinista economic
    policies and the war had produced a severe economic crisis. The foundation
    of the economy continues to be the export of agricultural commodities,
    largely coffee and cotton. Farm production fell by roughly 7% in 1989 and 4%
    in 1990, and remained about even in 1991. The agricultural sector employs
    44% of the work force and accounts for 15% of GDP and 80% of export
    earnings. Industry, which employs 13% of the work force and contributes
    about 25% to GDP, showed a drop of 7% in 1989, fell slightly in 1990, and
    remained flat in 1991; output still is below pre-1979 levels. External debt
    is one of the highest in the world on a per capita basis. In 1991 the
    inflation rate was 766%, down sharply from the 13,490% of 1990.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.6 billion, per capita $425; real growth rate
    -1.0% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    766% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    13%; underemployment 50% (1991)
Budget:
    revenues $347 million; expenditures $499 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA million (1991)
Exports:
    $342 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, seafood, meat, chemicals
  partners:
    OECD 75%, USSR and Eastern Europe 15%, other 10%
Imports:
    $738 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    petroleum, food, chemicals, machinery, clothing
  partners:
    Latin America 30%, US 25%, EC 20%, USSR and Eastern Europe 10%, other 15%
    (1990 est.)
External debt:
    $10 billion (December 1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA; accounts for about 25% of GDP
Electricity:
    423,000 kW capacity; 1,409 million kWh produced, 376 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum
    refining and distribution, beverages, footwear
Agriculture:
    accounts for 15% of GDP and 44% of work force; cash crops - coffee, bananas,
    sugarcane, cotton; food crops - rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans;
    variety of animal products - beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy; normally
    self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1,381 million;
    Communist countries (1970-89), $3.5 billion
Currency:
    cordoba (plural - cordobas); 1 cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos

:Nicaragua Economy

Exchange rates:
    cordobas (C$) per US$1 - 25,000,000 (March 1992), 21,354,000 (1991), 15,655
    (1989), 270 (1988), 102.60 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Nicaragua Communications

Railroads:
    373 km 1.067-meter narrow 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, 2,170 km gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km
    earth or graded earth, 14,335 km unimproved; Pan-American highway 368.5 km
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:
    9 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    228 total, 155 usable; 11 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:
    low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into
    Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; broadcast stations -
    45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; earth stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1
    Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

:Nicaragua Defense Forces

Branches:
    Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 878,066; 541,090 fit for military service; 42,997 reach
    military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $70 million, 3.8% of GDP (1991 budget)

:Niger Geography

Total area:
    1,267,000 km2
Land area:
    1,266,700 km2
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; demarcation of
    international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border
    incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon,
    Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary
    demarcation, including 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:
    arable land 3%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and
    woodland 2%; other 88%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal
    agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
Note:
    landlocked

:Niger People

Population:
    8,052,945 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
    58 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    23 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    115 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    42 years male, 45 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    7.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Nigerien(s); adjective - Nigerien
Ethnic divisions:
    Hausa 56%; Djerma 22%; Fula 8.5%; Tuareg 8%; Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%; Arab,
    Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%; about 4,000 French expatriates
Religions:
    Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
Languages:
    French (official); Hausa, Djerma
Literacy:
    28% (male 40%, female 17%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    2,500,000 wage earners (1982); agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%,
    government 4%; 51% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
    negligible

:Niger Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Niger
Type:
    as of November 1991, transition government appointed by national reform
    conference; scheduled to turn over power to democratically elected
    government in January 1993
Capital:
    Niamey
Administrative divisions:
    7 departments (departements, singular - departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso,
    Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder
Independence:
    3 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution:
    December 1989 constitution revised November 1991 by National Democratic
    Reform Conference
Legal system:
    based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted
    compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Executive branch:
    president (ceremonial), prime minister (interim), Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    National Assembly
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); ceremonial post
    since national conference (1991)
  Head of Government:
    Interim Prime Minister Amadou CHEIFFOU (since November 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    National Movement of the Development Society (MNSD-NASSARA), Tanda MAMADOU;
    Niger Progressive Party - African Democratic Rally (PPN-RDA), Harou KOUKA;
    Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress (UDFP-SAWABA), Djibo
    BAKARY; Niger Democratic Union (UDN-SAWABA), Mamoudou PASCAL; Union of
    Patriots, Democrats, and Progressives (UPDP), Andre SALIFOU; Niger Social
    Democrat Party (PSDN-ALHERI), Mallam Adji WAZIRI; Niger Party for Democracy
    and Socialism (PNDS-TARAYA), Issoufou MAHAMADOU; Democratic and Social
    Convention (CDS-RAHAMA), Mahamane OUSMANE; Union for Democracy and Progress
    (UDP), Bello TCHIOUSSO; Union for Democracy and Social Progress
    (UDPS-AMANA), Akoli DAOUEL; Masses Union for Democratic Action (UMAD-AIKI),
    Belko GARBA; Worker's Liberation Party (PLT), Idi Ango OUMAROU; Convention
    for Social Rehabilitation (CRS), Abdoul Karim SEYNI; Popular Movement for
    Democracy in Niger (MPDN), Abdou SANDA; Popular Front for National
    Liberation (FPLN), Diallo SABO; Republican Party for Freedom and Progress in
    Niger (PRLPN), Alka ALMOU; other parties forming
Suffrage:
    universal adult at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    President Ali SAIBOU has been in office since December 1989, but the
    presidency is now a largely ceremonial position

:Niger Government

  National Assembly:
    last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held NA); results - MNSD was the only
    party; seats - (150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected); note - Niger held
    a national conference from July to November 1991 to decide upon a
    transitional government and an agenda for multiparty elections
Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
    IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
    LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
    WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Chancery at 2204 R Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] through 4227
  US:
    Ambassador Jennifer C. WARD; Embassy at Avenue des Ambassades, Niamey
    (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone [227] 72-26-61 through
    64
Flag:
    three equal horizontal bands of orange (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 centered in the white band

:Niger Economy

Overview:
    About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock raising,
    activities that generate almost half the national income. The economy also
    depends heavily on exploitation of large uranium deposits. Uranium
    production grew rapidly in the mid-1970s, but tapered off in the early 1980s
    when world prices declined. France is a major customer, while Germany,
    Japan, and Spain also make regular purchases. The depressed demand for
    uranium has contributed to an overall sluggishness in the economy, a severe
    trade imbalance, and a mounting external debt.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, per capita $300; real growth rate
    -3.4% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $220 million; expenditures $446 million, including capital
    expenditures of $190 million (FY89 est.)
Exports:
    $320 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    uranium 75%, livestock products, cowpeas, onions
  partners:
    France 65%, Nigeria 11%, Ivory Coast, Italy
Imports:
    $439 million (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    petroleum products, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts,
    electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, cereals,
    foodstuffs
  partners:
    France 32%, Ivory Coast 11%, Germany 5%, Italy 4%, Nigeria 4%
External debt:
    $1.8 billion (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 18% of GDP
Electricity:
    105,000 kW capacity; 230 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a
    few other small light industries; 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;
    livestock - cattle, sheep, goats; self-sufficient in food except in drought
    years
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3,165 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $61
    million
Currency:
    Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF)
    = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January
    1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54
    (1987)

:Niger Economy

Fiscal year:
    1 October - 30 September

:Niger Communications

Highways:
    39,970 km total; 3,170 km bituminous, 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 Benin frontier
    from mid-December through March
Civil air:
    2 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    29 total, 27 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links
    concentrated in southwestern area; 14,260 telephones; broadcast stations -
    15 AM, 5 FM, 18 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1
    Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 3 domestic, with 1 planned

:Niger Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Republican National Guard, National police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 1,724,293; 928,177 fit for military service; 83,528 reach
    military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $27 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989)

:Nigeria 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 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    30 nm
Disputes:
    demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has
    led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification
    by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; boundary commission created with
    Cameroon to discuss unresolved land and maritime boundaries - has not yet
    convened
Climate:
    varies - equatorial in south, tropical 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, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural
    gas
Land use:
    arable land 31%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and
    woodland 15%; other 28%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural
    activities; desertification; soil degradation, rapid deforestation

:Nigeria People

Population:
    126,274,589 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992); note - a new population
    figure of 88.5 million is in the process of being incorporated into revised
    Census Bureau figures (April 1992)
Birth rate:
    46 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    16 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    110 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    48 years male, 50 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.5 children born/woman (1992)
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
Religions:
    Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages:
    English (official); Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and several other languages
    also widely used
Literacy:
    51% (male 62%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    42,844,000; agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%,
    government 15%; 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)

:Nigeria Government

Long-form name:
    Federal Republic of Nigeria
Type:
    military government since 31 December 1983
Capital:
    Abuja; note - on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially moved from
    Lagos to Abuja; many government offices remain in Lagos pending completion
    of facilities in Abuja
Administrative divisions:
    30 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Abuja Capital Territory*, Adamawa, Akwa
    Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo,
    Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo,
    Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe
Independence:
    1 October 1960 (from UK)
Constitution:
    1 October 1979, amended 9 February 1984, revised 1989
Legal system:
    based on English common law, Islamic law, 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 Government:
    President and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Ibrahim BABANGIDA
    (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:
    first presidential elections since the 31 December 1983 coup scheduled for
    late 1992
  National Assembly:
    first elections since it was dissolved after the 31 December 1983 coup
    scheduled for 4 July 1992
Communists:
    the pro-Communist underground 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 the government
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
    IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
    INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
    UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Zubair Mahmud KAZAURE; Chancery at 2201 M Street NW, Washington,
    DC 20037; telephone [phone]; there is a Nigerian Consulate General in
    New York

:Nigeria Government

  US:
    Ambassador Lannon WALKER; Embassy at 2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos (mailing
    address is P. O. Box 554, Lagos); telephone [234] (1) 610097; FAX [234] (1)
    610257; there is a US Consulate General in Kaduna; note - the US Government
    has requested Nigerian Government permission to open an Embassy Branch
    Office in Abuja; the US Embassy will remain in Lagos until a later date,
    when the Branch Office in Abuja will become the Embassy and the Embassy in
    Lagos will become a Consulate General
Flag:
    three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green

:Nigeria Economy

Overview:
    Although Nigeria is Africa's leading oil-producing country, it remains poor
    with a $250 per capita GDP. In 1991 massive government spending, much of it
    to help ensure a smooth transition to civilian rule, ballooned the budget
    deficit and caused inflation and interest rates to rise. The lack of fiscal
    discipline forced the IMF to declare Nigeria not in compliance with an
    18-month standby facility started in January 1991. Lagos has set ambitious
    targets for expanding oil production capacity and is offering foreign
    companies more attractive investment incentives. Government efforts to
    reduce Nigeria's dependence on oil exports and to sustain noninflationary
    growth, however, have fallen short because of inadequate new investment
    funds and endemic corruption. Living standards continue to deteriorate from
    the higher level of the early 1980s oil boom.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $30 billion, per capita $250; real growth rate
    5.2% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    40% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $10 billion; expenditures $10 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Exports:
    $13.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    oil 95%, cocoa, rubber
  partners:
    EC 51%, US 32%
Imports:
    $6.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    consumer goods, capital equipment, chemicals, raw materials
  partners:
    EC, US
External debt:
    $32 billion (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 7.2% (1990); accounts for 8.5% of GDP
Electricity:
    4,740,000 kW capacity; 11,280 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    crude oil and mining - coal, tin, columbite; primary processing industries -
    palm oil, peanut, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins; manufacturing
    industries - textiles, cement, building materials, food products, footwear,
    chemical, printing, ceramics, steel
Agriculture:
    accounts for 32% of GDP 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, rubber; food crops - corn, rice,
    sorghum, millet, cassava, yams; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs;
    fishing and forestry resources extensively exploited
Illicit drugs:
    illicit heroin and some cocaine trafficking; marijuana cultivation for
    domestic consumption and export; major transit country for heroin en route
    from southeast and southwest Asia via Africa to Western Europe and the US;
    growing transit route for cocaine from South America via West Africa to
    Western Europe and the US

:Nigeria Economy

Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $705 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.0 billion;
    Communist countries (1970-89), $2.2 billion
Currency:
    naira (plural - naira); 1 naira (N) = 100 kobo
Exchange rates:
    naira (N) per US$1 - 10.226 (February 1992), 9.909 (1991), 8.038 (1990),
    7.3647 (1989), 4.5370 (1988), 4.0160 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Nigeria Communications

Railroads:
    3,505 km 1.067-meter gauge
Highways:
    107,990 km total 30,019 km paved (mostly bituminous-surface treatment);
    25,411 km laterite, gravel, crushed stone, improved earth; 52,560 km
    unimproved
Inland waterways:
    8,575 km consisting of Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks
Pipelines:
    crude oil 2,042 km; natural gas 500 km; petroleum products 3,000 km
Ports:
    Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Onne, Sapele
Merchant marine:
    28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 418,046 GRT/664,949 DWT; includes 17
    cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 7 petroleum tanker, 1
    chemical tanker, 1 bulk
Civil air:
    57 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    76 total, 64 usable; 33 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over
    3,659 m; 15 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    above-average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in
    progress; radio relay and cable routes; broadcast stations - 35 AM, 17 FM,
    28 TV; satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean
    INTELSAT, 20 domestic stations; 1 coaxial submarine cable

:Nigeria Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 28,778,532; 16,451,582 fit for military service; 1,256,440
    reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 1% of GDP (1990 est.)
\

:Niue 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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain:
    steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Natural resources:
    fish, arable land
Land use:
    arable land 61%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and
    woodland 19%; other 12%
Environment:
    subject to typhoons
Note:
    one of world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km east of Tonga

:Niue People

Population:
    1,751 (July 1992), growth rate - 6.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    NA births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    NA years male, NA years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    NA children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Niuean(s); adjective - Niuean
Ethnic divisions:
    Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans
Religions:
    Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church) - a Protestant church closely related to the
    London Missionary Society 75%, Mormon 10%, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's
    Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%
Languages:
    Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education age 5 to 14
Labor force:
    1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in
    government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Organized labor:
    NA

:Niue Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully
    responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for
    external affairs
Capital:
    Alofi
Administrative divisions:
    none
Independence:
    became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand on 19
    October 1974
Constitution:
    19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Legal system:
    English common law
National holiday:
    Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6
    February (1840)
Executive branch:
    British monarch, premier, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch:
    Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand
    Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974)
  Head of Government:
    Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since October 1974)
Political parties and leaders:
    Niue Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN
Suffrage:
    universal adult at age 18
Elections:
  Legislative Assembly:
    last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held March 1993); results - percent of
    vote NA; seats - (20 total, 6 elected) NIP 1, independents 5
Member of:
    ESCAP (associate), SPC, 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

:Niue Economy

Overview:
    The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New Zealand. Government
    expenditures regularly exceed revenues, with the shortfall made up by grants
    from New Zealand - the grants are used to pay wages to public employees. The
    agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some
    cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small
    factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The
    sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of
    revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of
    population because of migration of Niueans to New Zealand.
GNP:
    exchange rate conversion - $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; expenditures $6.3 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (FY85 est.)
Exports:
    $175,274 (f.o.b., 1985)
  commodities:
    canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root
    crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts
  partners:
    NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia
Imports:
    $3.8 million (c.i.f., 1985)
  commodities:
    food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants,
    chemicals, drugs
  partners:
    NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Western Samoa, Australia, US
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,490 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    tourist, handicrafts
Agriculture:
    copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops - taro,
    yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $62
    million
Currency:
    New Zealand dollar (plural - dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100
    cents
Exchange rates:
    New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.8245 (March 1992), 1.7265 (1991),
    1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Niue Communications

Highways:
    123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation roads
Ports:
    none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m
Telecommunications:
    single-line telephone system connects all villages on island; 383
    telephones; 1,000 radio receivers (1987 est.); broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1
    FM, no TV

:Niue Defense Forces

Branches:
    Police Force
Note:
    defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

:Norfolk 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:
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    3 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
    volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
Natural resources:
    fish
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 75%
Environment:
    subject to typhoons (especially May to July)
Note:
    located 1,575 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean

:Norfolk Island People

Population:
    2,620 (July 1992), growth rate 1.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
    NA births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    NA years male, NA years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    NA children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Norfolk Islander(s); adjective - Norfolk Islander(s)
Ethnic divisions:
    descendants of the Bounty mutiny; more recently, Australian and New Zealand
    settlers
Religions:
    Anglican 39%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 16.4%,
    Seventh-Day Adventist 4.4%, none 9.2%, unknown 16.9%, other 2.4% (1986)
Languages:
    English (official) and Norfolk - a mixture of 18th century English and
    ancient Tahitian
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    NA

:Norfolk Island 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 executive responsibility under the Norfolk Island Act
    of 1979; Supreme Court
National holiday:
    Pitcairners Arrival Day Anniversary, 8 June (1856)
Executive branch:
    British monarch, governor general of Australia, administrator, Executive
    Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Administrator H.
    B. MACDONALD (since NA 1989), who is appointed by the Governor General of
    Australia
  Head of Government:
    Assembly President and Chief Minister John Terence BROWN (since NA)
Political parties and leaders:
    NA
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Legislative Assembly:
    last held 1989 (held every three years); results - percent of vote by party
    NA; seats - (9 total) percent of seats by party NA
Member of:
    none
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

:Norfolk Island 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 29,000 in FY89.
    Revenues from tourism have given the island a favorable balance of trade and
    helped the agricultural sector to become self-sufficient in the production
    of beef, poultry, and eggs.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $NA; expenditures $4.2 million, including capital expenditures of
    $400,000 (FY89)
Exports:
    $1.7 million (f.o.b., FY86)
  commodities:
    postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia Palm, small
    quantities of avocados
  partners:
    Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
Imports:
    $15.6 million (c.i.f., FY86)
  commodities:
    NA
  partners:
    Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
External debt:
    NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    7,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 3,160 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    tourism
Agriculture:
    Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit,
    cattle, poultry
Economic aid:
    none
Currency:
    Australian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3177 (March 1992), 1.2835 (1991),
    1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Norfolk Island Communications

Highways:
    80 km of roads, including 53 km paved; remainder are earth formed or coral
    surfaced
Ports:
    none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m (Australian owned)
Telecommunications:
    1,500 radio receivers (1982); radio link service with Sydney; 987 telephones
    (1983); broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV

:Norfolk Island Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of Australia

:Northern Mariana Islands Geography

Total area:
    477 km2
Land area:
    477 km2; comprises 16 islands including 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:
    12 nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth)
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    3 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal
    temperature 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; highest elevation is 471 meters (Mt. Tagpochu
    on Saipan)
Natural resources:
    arable land, fish
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and
    woodland NA%; other NA%
Environment:
    active volcanos on Pagan and Agrihan; subject to typhoons during the rainy
    season
Note:
    strategic location 5,635 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific
    Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines

:Northern Mariana Islands People

Population:
    47,168 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    35 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    38 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    66 years male, 69 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    undetermined
Ethnic divisions:
    Chamorro majority; Carolinians and other Micronesians; Spanish, German,
    Japanese admixtures
Religions:
    Christian with a Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and
    taboos may still be found
Languages:
    English, but Chamorro and Carolinian are also spoken in the home and taught
    in school
Literacy:
    96% (male 97%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
    12,788 local; 18,799 foreign workers (1990 est.)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Northern Mariana Islands Government

Long-form name:
    Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Type:
    commonwealth in political union with the US and administered by the Office
    of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Capital:
    Saipan
Administrative divisions:
    none
Independence:
    none (commonwealth in political union with the US)
Constitution:
    Covenant Agreement effective 3 November 1986
Legal system:
    based on US system except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation
National holiday:
    Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)
Executive branch:
    US President; governor, lieutenant governor
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Legislature consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house
    or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
    Commonwealth Court and the Federal District Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE
    (since 20 January 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Governor Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO (since 9 January 1990); Lieutenant
    Governor Benjamin T. MANGLONA (since 9 January 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    Republican Party, Alonzo IGISOMAR; Democratic Party, Felicidad OGUMORO
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote
    in US presidential elections
Elections:
  Governor:
    last held in November 1989 (next to be held November 1993); results -
    Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO, Republican Party, was elected governor
  Senate:
    last held on November 1991 (next to be held November 1993); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (9 total) Republications 6, Democrats 3
  House of Representatives:
    last held in November 1991 (next to be held November 1993); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) Republicans 5, Democrats 10
  US House of Representatives:
    the Commonwealth does not have a nonvoting delegate in Congress; instead, it
    has an elected official ``resident representative'' located in Washington,
    DC; seats - (1 total) Republican (Juan N. BABAUTA)
Member of:
    ESCAP (associate), SPC
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

:Northern Mariana Islands Economy

Overview:
    The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. An
    agreement for the years 1986 to 1992 entitles the islands to $228 million
    for capital development, government operations, and special programs.
    Another major source of income is the tourist industry, which employs about
    10% of the work force. Japanese tourists predominate. The agricultural
    sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts,
    breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Industry is small scale in nature - mostly
    handicrafts and fish processing.
GNP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $165 million, per capita $3,498; real growth
    rate NA% (1982); note - GNP numbers reflect US spending
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $NA; expenditures $112.2 million, including capital expenditures of
    $NA (February 1990)
Exports:
    $153.9 million (1989)
  commodities:
    manufactured goods, garments, vegetables, beef, pork
  partners:
    NA
Imports:
    $313.7 million, a 43% increase over previous year (1989)
  commodities:
    NA
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    none
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    25,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 740 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    tourism, construction, light industry, handicrafts
Agriculture:
    coffee, coconuts, fruits, tobacco, cattle
Economic aid:
    none
Currency:
    US currency is used
Exchange rates:
    US currency is used
Fiscal year:
    1 October - 30 September

:Northern Mariana Islands Communications

Highways:
    381.5 km total (134.5 km first-grade primary, 55 km secondary, 192 km local)
    (1991)
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:
    broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM (1984), 1 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth
    stations

:Northern Mariana Islands Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US

:Norway Geography

Total area:
    324,220 km2
Land area:
    307,860 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
    2,515 km total; Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 167 km
Coastline:
    21,925 km; includes mainland 3,419 km, large islands 2,413 km, long fjords,
    numerous small islands, and minor indentations 16,093 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    10 nm
  Continental shelf:
    to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    4 nm
Disputes:
    territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land); Denmark has challenged
    Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen; maritime boundary
    dispute with Russia over portion of Barents Sea
Climate:
    temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior;
    rainy year-round on west coast
Terrain:
    glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile
    valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords;
    arctic tundra in north
Natural resources:
    crude oil, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish,
    timber, hydropower
Land use:
    arable land 3%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and
    woodland 27%; other 70%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    air and water pollution; acid rain; note - strategic location adjacent to
    sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest
    coastlines in world; Norway and Turkey only NATO members having a land
    boundary with Russia

:Norway People

Population:
    4,294,876 (July 1992), growth rate 0.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
    14 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    74 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Norwegian(s); adjective - Norwegian
Ethnic divisions:
    Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic) and racial-cultural minority of 20,000
    Lapps
Religions:
    Evangelical Lutheran (state church) 87.8%, other Protestant and Roman
    Catholic 3.8%, none 3.2%, unknown 5.2% (1980)
Languages:
    Norwegian (official); small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Literacy:
    99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)
Labor force:
    2,167,000 (September 1990); services 34.7%, commerce 18%, mining and
    manufacturing 16.6%, banking and financial services 7.5%, transportation and
    communications 7.2%, construction 7.2%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing
    6.4% (1989)
Organized labor:
    66% of labor force (1985)

:Norway Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Norway
Type:
    constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Oslo
Administrative divisions:
    19 provinces (fylker, singular - fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder, Buskerud,
    Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland, Nord-Trondelag,
    Oppland, Oslo, OCstfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sor-Trondelag,
    Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold
Independence:
    26 October 1905 (from Sweden)
Constitution:
    17 May 1814, modified in 1884
Dependent areas:
    Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
Legal system:
    mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions;
    Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts
    compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
    Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
Executive branch:
    monarch, prime minister, State Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Parliament (Storting) with an Upper Chamber (Lagting) and a Lower
    Chamber (Odelsting)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Hoiesterett)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON
    MAGNUS (born 20 July 1973)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND (since 3 November 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    Labor, Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND; Conservative, Kaci Kullmann FIVE; Center
    Party, Anne Enger LAHNSTEIN; Christian People's, Kjell Magne BONDEVIK;
    Socialist Left, Erick SOLHEIM; Norwegian Communist, Kare Andre NILSEN;
    Progress, Carl I. HAGEN; Liberal, Odd Einar DORUM; Finnmark List, leader NA
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Storting:
    last held on 11 September 1989 (next to be held 6 September 1993); results -
    Labor 34.3%, Conservative 22.2%, Progress 13.0%, Socialist Left 10.1%,
    Christian People's 8.5%, Center Party 6.6%, Finnmark List 0.3%, other 5%;
    seats - (165 total) Labor 63, Conservative 37, Progress 22, Socialist Left
    17, Christian People's 14, Center Party 11, Finnmark List 1
Communists:
    15,500 est.; 5,500 Norwegian Communist Party (NKP); 10,000 Workers Communist
    Party Marxist-Leninist (AKP-ML, pro-Chinese)
Member of:
    AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, ECE,
    EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
    IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
    MTCR, NACC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
    UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

:Norway Government

Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Kjeld VIBE; Chancery at 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC
    20008; telephone [phone]; there are Norwegian Consulates General in
    Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco, and
    Consulates in Miami and New Orleans
  US:
    Ambassador Loret Miller RUPPE; Embassy at Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo 2
    (mailing address is APO AE 09707); telephone [47] (2) 44-85-50; FAX [47] (2)
    43-07-77
Flag:
    red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the
    flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the
    style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

:Norway Economy

Overview:
    Norway has a mixed economy involving a combination of free market activity
    and government intervention. The government controls key areas, such as the
    vital petroleum sector, through large-scale state enterprises and
    extensively subsidizes agricultural, fishing, and other sectors. Norway also
    maintains an extensive welfare system that helps propel public-sector
    expenditures to slightly more than 50% of the GDP and results in one of the
    highest average tax burdens in the world (54%). A small country with a high
    dependence on international trade, Norway is basically an exporter of raw
    materials and semiprocessed goods, with an abundance of small- and
    medium-sized firms, and is ranked among the major shipping nations. The
    country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum, hydropower,
    fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on its oil sector to
    keep its economy afloat. Although one of the government's main priorities is
    to reduce this dependency, this situation is not likely to improve for years
    to come. The government also hopes to reduce unemployment and strengthen and
    diversify the economy through tax reform and an expansionary 1992 budget.
    Forecasters predict that economic growth will rise slightly in 1992 because
    of public-sector expansion and moderate improvements in private investment
    and demand. Inflation will remain about 3%, while unemployment continues at
    record levels of over 5% because of the weakness of the economy outside the
    oil sector. Oslo, a member of the European Free Trade Area, is continuing to
    deregulate and harmonize with EC regulations to prepare for the European
    Economic Area (EEA) - which creates a EC/EFTA market with free movement of
    capital, goods, services, and labor - which takes effect in 1993.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $72.9 billion, per capita $17,100; real growth
    rate 4.1% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    3.5% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    5.4% (1991, excluding people in job-training programs)
Budget:
    revenues $47.9 billion; expenditures $52.7 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1991)
Exports:
    $34.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    petroleum and petroleum products 36.5%, natural gas 7.5%, fish 7%, aluminum
    6%, ships 6.2%, pulp and paper
  partners:
    EC 66.5%, Nordic countries 19.5%, developing countries 7.8%, US 4.6%, Japan
    1.9% (1991)
Imports:
    $25.1 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    machinery, fuels and lubricants, transportation equipment, chemicals,
    foodstuffs, clothing, ships
  partners:
    EC 46.8%, Nordic countries 26.1%, developing countries 12.3%, US 7.8%, Japan
    4.7% (1991)
External debt:
    $10.2 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 4.7% (1991)
Electricity:
    26,735,000 kW capacity; 121,685 million kWh produced, 28,950 kWh per capita
    (1991)

:Norway Economy

Industries:
    petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products,
    metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing
Agriculture:
    accounts for 2.8% of GDP and 6.4% 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 1.76 million metric tons in 1989
Economic aid:
    donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $4.4 billion
Currency:
    Norwegian krone (plural - kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 re
Exchange rates:
    Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 6.1956 (January 1992), 6.4829 (1991),
    6.2597 (1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Norway Communications

Railroads:
    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; 38,580 km paved; 40,960 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth
Inland waterways:
    1,577 km along west coast; 2.4 m draft vessels maximum
Pipelines:
    refined products 53 km
Ports:
    Oslo, Bergen, Fredrikstad, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Trondheim
Merchant marine:
    864 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,978,202 GRT/40,128,177 DWT;
    includes 12 passenger, 20 short-sea passenger, 118 cargo, 2 passenger-cargo,
    19 refrigerated cargo, 16 container, 49 roll-on/roll-off, 22 vehicle
    carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 180 oil tanker, 93 chemical tanker, 83 liquefied
    gas, 28 combination ore/oil, 211 bulk, 10 combination bulk; note - the
    government has created a captive register, the Norwegian International Ship
    Register (NIS), as a subset of the Norwegian register; ships on the NIS
    enjoy many benefits of flags of convenience and do not have to be crewed by
    Norwegians; the majority of ships (777) under the Norwegian flag are now
    registered with the NIS
Civil air:
    76 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    103 total, 102 usable; 64 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    high-quality domestic and international telephone, telegraph, and telex
    services; 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 3,102,000 telephones; broadcast
    stations - 46 AM, 350 private and 143 government FM, 54 (2,100 repeaters)
    TV; 4 coaxial submarine cables; 3 communications satellite earth stations
    operating in the EUTELSAT, INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean), MARISAT, and
    domestic systems

:Norway Defense Forces

Branches:
    Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Home Guard
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 1,129,871; 944,290 fit for military service; 33,175 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $3.8 billion, 3.8% of GDP (1991)

:Oman Geography

Total area:
    212,460 km2
Land area:
    212,460 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries:
    1,374 km total; Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Coastline:
    2,092 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    to be defined
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    no defined boundary with most of UAE; Administrative Line with UAE in far
    north; there is a proposed treaty with Yemen (which has not yet been
    formally accepted) to settle the Omani-Yemeni boundary
Climate:
    dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest
    summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Terrain:
    vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Natural resources:
    crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum,
    natural gas
Land use:
    arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest
    and woodland NEGL%; other 95%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse
    natural freshwater resources
Note:
    strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling
    Strait of Hormuz (17% of world's oil production transits this point going
    from Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea)

:Oman People

Population:
    1,587,581 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
    41 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    40 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    65 years male, 69 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Omani(s); adjective - Omani
Ethnic divisions:
    mostly Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and South Asian (Indian,
    Pakistani, Bangladeshi) groups
Religions:
    Ibadhi Muslim 75%; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shi`a Muslim, some Hindu
Languages:
    Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    430,000; agriculture 60% (est.); 58% are non-Omani
Organized labor:
    trade unions are illegal

:Oman Government

Long-form name:
    Sultanate of Oman
Type:
    absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence
Capital:
    Muscat
Administrative divisions:
    there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
    Government, but there are 3 governorates (muhafazah, singular - muhafazat);
    Musqat, Musandam, Zufar
Independence:
    1650, expulsion of the Portuguese
Constitution:
    none
Legal system:
    based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan;
    has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    National Day, 18 November
Executive branch:
    sultan, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    National Assembly
Judicial branch:
    none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Sa`id Al Sa`id (since 23 July 1970)
Suffrage:
    none
Elections:
    elections scheduled for October 1992
Other political or pressure groups:
    outlawed Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), based in Yemen
Member of:
    ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
    IFC, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
    NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Awadh bin Badr AL-SHANFARI; Chancery at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue
    NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] through 1982
  US:
    Ambassador Richard W. BOEHM; Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address
    is P. O. Box 50202 Madinat Qaboos, Muscat); telephone [968] 698-989; FAX
    [968] 604-316
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

:Oman Economy

Overview:
    Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry.
    Petroleum accounts for more than 90% of export earnings, about 80% of
    government revenues, and roughly 40% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of
    4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the current rate
    of extraction. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population,
    urban centers depend on imported food.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $10.6 billion, per capita $6,925 (1990); real
    growth rate 0.5% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    1.3% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $4.9 billion; expenditures $4.9 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $825 million (1990)
Exports:
    $5.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    petroleum, reexports, fish, processed copper, fruits and vegetables
  partners:
    Japan 35%, South Korea 21%, Singapore 7%, US 6%
Imports:
    $2.5 billion (f.o.b, 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock,
    lubricants
  partners:
    UK 20%, UAE 20%, Japan 17%, US 7%
External debt:
    $3.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 10% (1989), including petroleum sector
Electricity:
    1,120,000 kW capacity; 5,000 million kWh produced, 3,800 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction,
    cement, copper
Agriculture:
    accounts for 6% 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, cattle); not self-sufficient in food;
    annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $137 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $148 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million
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

:Oman Communications

Highways:
    26,000 km total; 6,000 km paved, 20,000 km motorable track
Pipelines:
    crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
Ports:
    Mina' Qabus, Mina' Raysut
Merchant marine:
    1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT
Civil air:
    19 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    134 total, 127 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over
    3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 73 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    fair system of open-wire, microwave, and radio communications stations;
    limited coaxial cable 50,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 7
    TV; satellite earth stations - 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, and 8
    domestic

:Oman Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 359,394; 204,006 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.73 billion, 16% of GDP (1992 budget)

:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the 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 (depth)
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    3 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    wet season May to November; hot and humid
Terrain:
    about 200 islands varying geologically from the high, mountainous main
    island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier
    reefs
Natural resources:
    forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products; deep-seabed minerals
Land use:
    arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and
    woodland NA%; other NA%
Environment:
    subject to typhoons from June to December; archipelago of six island groups
    totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain
Note:
    important location 850 km southeast of the Philippines; includes World War
    II battleground of Peleliu and world-famous rock islands

:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the People

Population:
    15,775 (July 1992), growth rate 1.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
    23 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    25 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    69 years male, 73 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Palauan(s); adjective - Palauan
Ethnic divisions:
    Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian races
Religions:
    predominantly Christian, including Catholics, Seventh-Day Adventists,
    Jehovah's Witnesses, the Assembly of God, the Liebenzell Mission, and
    Latter-Day Saints; a third of the population observes the Modekngei
    religion, indigenous to Palau
Languages:
    English is an official language, though Palauan is also official in 13 of
    Palau's 16 states, and Tobi and Sonsorolese are official in the 3 other
    states
Literacy:
    92% (male 93%, female 91%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    NA

:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the Government

Long-form name:
    Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (no short-form name); may change to
    Republic of Palau after independence; 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, which was never
    approved in a series of UN-observed plebiscites; until the UN trusteeship is
    terminated with entry into force of the Compact, Palau remains 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:
    there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
    Government, but there are 16 states; Aimeliik, Airai, Angaur, Kayangel,
    Koror, Melekeok, Ngaraard, Ngardmau, Ngaremlengui, Ngatpang, Ngchesar,
    Ngerchelong, Ngiwal, Peleliu, Sonsorol, Tobi
Independence:
    still part of the US-administered UN trusteeship (the last polity remaining
    under the trusteeship; the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated
    States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas have left);
    administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US
    Department of Interior
Constitution:
    1 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, National Court, and Court of Common Pleas
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); represented by the Assistant
    Secretary for Territorial Affairs, US Department of the Interior, Stella
    GUERRA (since 21 July 1989) and J. Victor HOBSON Jr., Director (since 16
    December 1990)
  Head of Government:
    President Ngiratkel ETPISON (since 2 November 1988), Vice-President Kuniwo
    NAKAMURA (since 2 November 1988)
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  House of Delegates:
    last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held NA November 1992); results -
    percent of vote NA; seats - (16 total); number of seats by party NA
  President:
    last held on 2 November 1988 (next to be held NA November 1992); results -
    Ngiratkel ETPISON 26.3%, Roman TMETUCHL 25.9%, Thomas REMENGESAU 19.5%,
    other 28.3%

:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the Government

  Senate:
    last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held NA November 1992); results -
    percent of vote NA; seats - (14 total); number of seats by party NA
Member of:
    ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF (observer)
Diplomatic representation:
    none
  US:
    US Liaison Officer Lloyed W. MOSS; US Liaison Office at Top Side, Neeriyas,
    Koror (mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Koror, PW 96940); telephone (680)
    488-2920; [phone]
Flag:
    light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly
    to the hoist side

:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the 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 hindered development. The
    government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on
    financial assistance from the US.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $31.6 million, per capita $2,260; real growth
    rate NA% (1986); note - GDP numbers reflect US spending
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    20% (1986)
Budget:
    revenues $6.0 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA
    (1986)
Exports:
    $0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986)
  commodities:
    NA
  partners:
    US, Japan
Imports:
    $27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986)
  commodities:
    NA
  partners:
    US
External debt:
    about $100 million (1989)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    16,000 kW capacity; 22 million kWh produced, 1,540 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and
    agriculture
Agriculture:
    subsistence-level production of coconut, copra, cassava, sweet potatoes
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2,560 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $92 million
Currency:
    US currency is used
Exchange rates:
    US currency is used
Fiscal year:
    1 October - 30 September

:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the Communications

Highways:
    22.3 km paved, some stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads (1991)
Ports:
    Koror
Airports:
    2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth
    station

:Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US and that will not change when the UN
    trusteeship terminates if the Compact of Free Association with the US goes
    into effect

:Pacific Ocean Geography

Total area:
    165,384,000 km2
Land area:
    165,384,000 km2; includes Arafura Sea, Banda Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Bering
    Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Makassar
    Strait, Philippine Sea, Ross Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China
    Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Comparative area:
    slightly less than 18 times the size of the US; the largest ocean (followed
    by the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean); covers about
    one-third of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the
    world
Coastline:
    135,663 km
Disputes:
    some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
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
    counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; sea ice occurs in the Bering Sea and Sea
    of Okhotsk during winter and reaches maximum northern extent from Antarctica
    in October; 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, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, 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;
    dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the
    southwestern Pacific Ocean; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in
    southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to
    October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) 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;
    occasional El Nino phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade
    winds slacken and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent moves south, killing
    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 Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait,
    and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the
    North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships subject to
    superstructure icing 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 hazard to shipping; surrounded by a zone of violent
    volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring
    of Fire

:Pacific Ocean Economy

Overview:
    The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and
    particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides cheap
    sea transportation 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, which is the only ocean where the fish
    catch has increased every year since 1978. Exploitation of offshore oil and
    gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of
    Australia, New Zealand, China, US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering
    offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil
    since 1985, has slowed but not stopped new drillings.
Industries:
    fishing, oil and gas production

:Pacific Ocean 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 (Russia), Wellington (NZ),
    Yokohama (Japan)
Telecommunications:
    several submarine cables with network focused on Guam and Hawaii

:Pakistan 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; Afghanistan 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
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    boundary with India; border question (Durand line); 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; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan
    plateau in west
Natural resources:
    land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited crude oil, poor quality coal,
    iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Land use:
    arable land 26%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and
    woodland 4%; other 64%; includes irrigated 19%
Environment:
    frequent earthquakes, occasionally 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

:Pakistan People

Population:
    121,664,539 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
    43 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    105 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    56 years male, 57 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Pakistani(s); adjective - Pakistani
Ethnic divisions:
    Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India
    and their descendents)
Religions:
    Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi`a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
Languages:
    Urdu and English (both official); total spoken languages - Punjabi 64%,
    Sindhi 12%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu 7%, Balochi and other 9%; English is lingua
    franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries, but official
    policies are promoting its gradual replacement by Urdu
Literacy:
    35% (male 47%, female 21%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    28,900,000; agriculture 54%, mining and manufacturing 13%, services 33%;
    extensive export of labor (1987 est.)
Organized labor:
    about 10% of industrial work force

:Pakistan Government

Long-form name:
    Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Type:
    parliamentary with strong executive, federal republic
Capital:
    Islamabad
Administrative divisions:
    4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally
    Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West
    Frontier, Punjab, Sindh; note - the Pakistani-administered portion of the
    disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern
    Areas
Independence:
    14 August 1947 (from UK; formerly West Pakistan)
Constitution:
    10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments, 30 December
    1985
Legal system:
    based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's
    stature as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
    reservations
National holiday:
    Pakistan Day (proclamation of the republic), 23 March (1956)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora) consists of 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 GHULAM ISHAQ Khan (since 13 December 1988)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Mian Nawaz SHARIF (since 6 November 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    Islamic Democratic Alliance (Islami Jamuri Ittehad or IJI) - the Pakistan
    Muslim League (PML) led by Mohammed Khan JUNEJO is the main party in the
    IJI; Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Benazir BHUTTO; note - in September 1990
    the PPP announced the formation of the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA),
    an electoral alliance including the following four parties - PPP, Solidarity
    Movement (Tehrik Istiqlal), Movement for the Implementation of Shi`a
    Jurisprudence (Tehrik-i-Nifaz Fiqh Jafariya or TNFJ), and the PML (Malik
    faction); Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf HUSSAIN; Awami National Party
    (ANP), Khan Abdul Wali KHAN; Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI), Fazlur RAHMAN;
    Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), Mohammad Akbar Khan BUGTI; Pakistan National
    Party (PNP), Mir Ghaus Bakhsh BIZENJO; Pakistan Khawa Milli Party (PKMP),
    leader NA; Assembly of Pakistani Clergy (Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Pakistan or JUP),
    Maulana Shah Ahmed NOORANI; Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain AHMED
Suffrage:
    universal at age 21
Elections:
  President:
    last held on 12 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1993); results -
    Ghulam Ishaq KHAN was elected by Parliament and the four provincial
    assemblies

:Pakistan Government

  Senate:
    last held March 1991 (next to be held NA March 1994); seats - (87 total) IJI
    57, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, PPP 5, ANP 5, JWP 4, MQM 3,
    PNP 2, PKMP 1, JUI 1, independent 1
Elections:
  National Assembly:
    last held on 24 October 1990 (next to be held by NA October 1995); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (217 total) IJI 107, PDA 45, MQM 15,
    ANP 6, JUI 2, JWP 2, PNP 2, PKMP 1, independents 14, religious minorities
    10, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, vacant 1
Communists:
    the Communist party is officially banned but is allowed to operate openly
Other political or pressure groups:
    military remains dominant political force; ulema (clergy), industrialists,
    and small merchants also influential
Member of:
    AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
    ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
    IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD,
    UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Abida HUSSAIN; Chancery at 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; there is a Pakistani
    Consulate General in New York
  US:
    Ambassador Nicholas PLATT; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
    (mailing address is P. O. Box 1048, PSC 1212, Box 2000, Islamabad or APO AE
    09812-2000); telephone [92] (51) 826161 through 79; FAX [92] (51) 822004;
    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 traditional symbols of Islam

:Pakistan Economy

Overview:
    Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of
    rapidly increasing population, sizable government 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
    enabled the country to cope with these problems. Almost all agriculture and
    small-scale industry is in private hands. In 1990, Pakistan embarked on a
    sweeping economic liberalization program to boost foreign and domestic
    private investment and lower foreign aid dependence. The SHARIF government
    has denationalized several state-owned firms and has attracted some foreign
    investment. Pakistan likely will have difficulty raising living standards
    because of its rapidly expanding population. At the current rate of growth,
    population would double in 25 years.
GNP:
    exchange rate conversion - $45.4 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate
    4.8% (FY91 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    12.3% (FY91)
Unemployment rate:
    10% (FY91 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $6.4 billion; expenditures $10 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $2.6 billion (FY92 est.)
Exports:
    $6.0 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
  commodities:
    cotton, textiles, clothing, rice
  partners:
    EC 31%, Japan 9%, US 13% (FY90)
Imports:
    $7.9 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
  commodities:
    petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation, equipment,
    vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals
  partners:
    EC 21%, US 14%, Japan 13% (FY90)
External debt:
    $20.1 billion (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 5.7% (FY91); accounts for almost 20% of GNP
Electricity:
    8,500,000 kW capacity; 35,000 million kWh produced, 300 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing,
    paper products, shrimp
Agriculture:
    25% of GNP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous irrigation
    system; major crops - cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and
    vegetables; live-stock products - milk, beef, mutton, eggs; self-sufficient
    in food grain
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producer of opium and hashish for the international drug trade;
    government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of limited success

:Pakistan Economy

Economic aid:
    (including Bangladesh only before 1972) US commitments, including Ex-Im
    (FY70-89), $4.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
    commitments (1980-89), $9.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3
    billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.2 billion
Currency:
    Pakistani rupee (plural - rupees); 1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates:
    Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1 - 24.980 (March 1992), 23.801 (1991), 21.707
    (1990), 20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988), 17.399 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Pakistan Communications

Railroads:
    8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km 1-meter gauge, and 610 km less
    than 1-meter gauge; 1,037 km broad-gauge double track; 286 km electrified;
    all government 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:
    crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,044 km; petroleum products 885 km (1987)
Ports:
    Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
Merchant marine:
    28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 334,227 GRT/495,425 DWT; includes 3
    passenger-cargo, 24 cargo, 1 petroleum tanker
Civil air:
    40 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    112 total, 104 usable; 75 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    good international communication service over microwave and INTELSAT
    satellite; domestic communications poor; 813,000 telephones (1990);
    broadcast service good; broadcast stations - 19 AM, 8 FM, 29 TV; satellite
    earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT

:Pakistan Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 27,811,099; 17,064,073 fit for military service; 1,287,041
    reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.9 billion, 6% of GNP (1992 budget)

:Palmyra Atoll Geography

Total area:
    11.9 km2
Land area:
    11.9 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:
    12 nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth)
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Terrain:
    low, with maximum elevations of about 2 meters
Natural resources:
    none
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 100%; other 0%
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,
    almost halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa

:Palmyra Atoll People

Population:
    uninhabited

:Palmyra Atoll Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    unincorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered by the
    Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the
    Interior
Capital:
    none; administered from Washington, DC

:Palmyra Atoll Economy

Overview:
    no economic activity

:Palmyra Atoll Communications

Ports:
    the main harbor is West Lagoon, which is entered by a channel on the
    southwest side of the atoll; both the channel and harbor will accommodate
    vessels drawing 4 meters of water; much of the road and many causeways built
    during the war are unserviceable and overgrown
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m

:Palmyra Atoll Defense Forces

Branches:
  Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US

:Panama 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
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged 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 forests, shrimp
Land use:
    arable land 6%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and
    woodland 54%; other 23%; includes irrigated NEGL%
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 Panama Canal that links North Atlantic
    Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean

:Panama People

Population:
    2,529,902 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    25 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    17 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    73 years male, 77 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Panamanian(s); adjective - Panamanian
Ethnic divisions:
    mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 70%, West Indian 14%, white
    10%, Indian 6%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic over 93%, Protestant 6%
Languages:
    Spanish (official); English as native tongue 14%; many Panamanians bilingual
Literacy:
    88% (male 88%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    770,472 (1987); government and community services 27.9%; agriculture,
    hunting, and fishing 26.2%; commerce, restaurants, and hotels 16%;
    manufacturing and mining 10.5%; construction 5.3%; transportation and
    communications 5.3%; finance, insurance, and real estate 4.2%; Canal Zone
    2.4%; shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
Organized labor:
    17% of labor force (1986)

:Panama Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Panama
Type:
    centralized republic
Capital:
    Panama
Administrative divisions:
    9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca);
    Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama,
    San Blas*, Veraguas
Independence:
    3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November
    1821)
Constitution:
    11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the
    Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
    reservations
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
Executive branch:
    president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) currently being
    reorganized
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    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 President Guillermo FORD Boyd (since 20 December
    1989, elected 7 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
  government alliance:
    Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA), Alfredo RAMIREZ;
    Authentic Liberal Party (PLA), Arnulfo ESCALONA; Arnulfista Party (PA),
    Mireya MOSCOSO DE GRUBER;
  opposition parties:
    Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Ricardo ARIAS Calderon; Democratic
    Revolutionary Party (PRD, ex-official government party), Gerardo GONZALEZ;
    Agrarian Labor Party (PALA), Carlos LOPEZ Guevara; Liberal Party (PL),
    Roderick ESQUIVEL; Popular Action Party (PAPO); Socialist Workers Party
    (PST, leftist), Jose CAMBRA; 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 NA May
    1994); results - anti-NORIEGA coalition believed to have won about 75% of
    the total votes cast
  Legislative Assembly:
    last held on 27 January 1991 (next to be held NA May 1994); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (67 total)
  progovernment parties:
    PDC 28, MOLIRENA 16, PA 7, PLA 4

:Panama Government

  opposition parties:
    PRD 10, PALA 1, PL 1; note - the PDC went into opposition after President
    Guillermo ENDARA ousted the PDC from the coalition government in April 1991
Communists:
    People's Party (PdP), mainline Communist party, did not obtain the necessary
    3% of the total vote in the 1984 election to retain its legal status; about
    3,000 members
Other political or pressure groups:
    National Council of Organized Workers (CONATO); National Council of Private
    Enterprise (CONEP); Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE);
    National Civic Crusade; National Committee for the Right to Life
Member of:
    AG (associate), CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA,
    IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES,
    LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
    UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Jaime FORD; Chancery at 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC
    20008; telephone [phone]; the status of the Consulates General and
    Consulates 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 AA 34002); telephone
    (507) 27-1777; FAX [phone]
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

:Panama Economy

Overview:
    GDP expanded by roughly 9.3% in 1991, following growth of 4.6% in 1990 and a
    0.4% contraction in 1989. Delay in coming to terms with the international
    financial institutions on policies to implement structural reform in Panama
    generated uncertainty in the private sector and tempered the pace of
    business expansion in 1991. Public investment was limited as the
    administration kept the fiscal deficit below 3% of GDP. Unemployment and
    economic reform are the two major issues the government must face in
    1992-93.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $5.0 billion, per capita $2,040; real growth rate
    9.3% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    2.0% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    17% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.7 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $140 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $380 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    bananas 28%, shrimp 14%, sugar 12%, clothing 5%, coffee 4%
  partners:
    US 44%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1991 est.)
Imports:
    $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    capital goods 13%, crude oil 12%, foodstuffs 10%, consumer goods, chemicals
    (1990)
  partners:
    US 37%, Japan, EC, Central America and Caribbean, Mexico, Venezuela (1989
    est.)
External debt:
    $5.4 billion (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 7.2% (1991 est.); accounts for almost 9.4% of GDP
Electricity:
    1,135,000 kW capacity; 3,397 million kWh produced, 1,372 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing,
    cement and other construction material, sugar mills
Agriculture:
    accounts for 12% of GDP (1991 est.), 25% of labor force (1989); crops -
    bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food
    grain, vegetables
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $516 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $582 million;
    Communist countries (1970-89), $4 million
Currency:
    balboa (plural - balboas); 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates:
    balboas (B) per US$1 - 1.000 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Panama 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 Canal
Pipelines:
    crude oil 130 km
Ports:
    Cristobal, Balboa, Puerto de La Bahia de Las Minas
Merchant marine:
    3,004 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 41,314,623 GRT/73,325,176 DWT;
    includes 20 passenger, 22 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger-cargo, 1,046
    cargo, 205 refrigerated cargo, 175 container, 65 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 111
    vehicle carrier, 9 livestock carrier, 4 multifunction large-load carrier,
    340 petroleum tanker, 177 chemical tanker, 23 combination ore/oil, 101
    liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 659 bulk, 35 combination bulk, 1 barge
    carrier; note - all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign
    owners are Japan 36%, Greece 8%, Hong Kong 8%, and the US 7%; (China owns at
    least 128 ships, Vietnam 4, former Yugoslavia 4, Cuba 4, Cyprus 5, and the
    republics of the former USSR 12)
Civil air:
    5 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    112 total, 102 usable; 39 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 international facilities well developed; connection into
    Central American Microwave System; 220,000 telephones; broadcast stations -
    91 AM, no FM, 23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite ground stations -
    2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

:Panama Defense Forces

Branches:
    note - the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist as a military
    institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December
    1989; President ENDARA has restructured the forces into a civilian police
    service under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF); a Council of
    Public Security and National Defense under Menalco SOLIS in the office of
    the president coordinates the activities of the security forces; the
    Institutional Protection Service under Carlos BARES is attached to the
    presidency
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 661,101; 455,412 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $75.5 million, 1.5% of GDP (1990)

:Papua New Guinea Geography

Total area:
    461,690 km2
Land area:
    451,710 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
    820 km; Indonesia 820 km
Coastline:
    5,152 km
Maritime claims:
    (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to
    October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
    mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
Natural resources:
    gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential
Land use:
    arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest
    and woodland 71%; other 28%
Environment:
    one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos;
    frequent earthquakes
Note:
    shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia

:Papua New Guinea People

Population:
    4,006,509 (July 1992), growth rate 2.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    34 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    67 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    55 years male, 56 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Papua New Guinean(s); adjective - Papua New Guinean
Ethnic divisions:
    predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and
    Polynesian
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary
    Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%,
    other Protestant sects 10%; indigenous beliefs 34%
Languages:
    715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin English widespread,
    Motu spoken in Papua region
Literacy:
    52% (male 65%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20 members

:Papua New Guinea 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, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New
    Ireland, Northern, North Solomons, Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western,
    Western Highlands, West New Britain
Independence:
    16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)
Constitution:
    16 September 1975
Legal system:
    based on English common law
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
Executive branch:
    British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
    National Executive Council (cabinet)
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
    Wiwa KOROWI (since NA November 1991)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Paias WINGTI (since 17 July 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
    Papua New Guinea United Party (Pangu Party), Rabbie NAMALIU; People's
    Democratic Movement (PDM), Paias WINGTI; People's Action Party (PAP), Akoka
    DOI; People's Progress Party (PPP), Sir Julius CHAN; United Party (UP), Paul
    TORATO; Papua Party (PP), Galeva KWARARA; National Party (NP), Paul PORA;
    Melanesian Alliance (MA), Fr. John MOMIS
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  National Parliament:
    last held 13-26 June 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent by
    party NA; seats - (109 total) Pangu Party 24, PDM 17, PPP 10, PAP 10,
    independents 30, others 18
Member of:
    ACP, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
    IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM
    (observer), SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at 3rd floor, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue
    NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing
    address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, or APO AE 96553); telephone [675]
    211-455 or 594, 654; FAX [675] 213-423

:Papua New Guinea Government

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

:Papua New Guinea Economy

Overview:
    Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation
    has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing an
    infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the
    population. Mining of numerous deposits, including copper and gold, accounts
    for about 60% of export earnings. Budgetary support from Australia and
    development aid under World Bank auspices have helped sustain the economy.
    Robust growth in 1991 was led by the mining sector; the opening of a large
    new gold mine featured in the advance.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $3.1 billion, per capita $800; real growth rate
    9% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    6.8% (first half 1991)
Unemployment rate:
    5% (1988)
Budget:
    revenues $1.26 billion; expenditures $1.46 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $273 million (1992 est.)
Exports:
    $1.14 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    copper ore, gold, coffee, logs, palm oil, cocoa, lobster
  partners:
    FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US
Imports:
    $1.18 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and transport equipment, food, fuels, chemicals, consumer goods
  partners:
    Australia, Singapore, Japan, US, New Zealand, UK
External debt:
    $2.2 billion (April 1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 2.4% (1990 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
    397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    copra crushing, oil palm processing, plywood processing, wood chip
    production, gold, silver, copper, construction, 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 products - tea, rubber, sweet
    potatoes, fruit, vegetables, poultry, pork; net importer of food for urban
    centers
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $40.6 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $6.5 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million
Currency:
    kina (plural - kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea
Exchange rates:
    kina (K) per US$1 - 1.0413 (March 1992), 1.0508 (1991), 1.0467 (1990),
    1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Papua New Guinea Communications

Railroads:
    none
Highways:
    19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or
    stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
    10,940 km
Ports:
    Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul
Merchant marine:
    8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 14,102 GRT/16,016 DWT; includes 2
    cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 combination ore/oil, 1 bulk, 1 container
Civil air:
    about 15 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    503 total, 460 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 39 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast,
    radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and
    international radiocommunication services; submarine cables extend to
    Australia and Guam; 51,700 telephones (1985); broadcast stations - 31 AM, 2
    FM, 2 TV (1987); 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Papua New Guinea Defense Forces

Branches:
    Papua New Guinea Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 1,013,812; 564,081 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $42 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.)

:Paracel Islands Geography

Total area:
    NA
Land 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:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%
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 Philippines

:Paracel Islands People

Population:
    no permanent inhabitants

:Paracel Islands Government

Long-form name:
    none

:Paracel Islands Economy

Overview:
    no economic activity

:Paracel Islands Communications

Ports:
    small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island currently
    under expansion
Airports:
    1 on Woody Island

:Paracel Islands Defense Forces

Note:
    occupied by China

:Paraguay Geography

Total area:
    406,750 km2
Land area:
    397,300 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries:
    3,920 km total; Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    short section of the boundary with Brazil (just west of Guaira Falls on the
    Rio Parana) has not been determined
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:
    arable land 20%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and
    woodland 35%; other 5%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains
    may become boggy (early October to June)
Note:
    landlocked; buffer between Argentina and Brazil

:Paraguay People

Population:
    4,929,446 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
    33 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    28 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    71 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Paraguayan(s); adjective - Paraguayan
Ethnic divisions:
    mestizo (Spanish and Indian) 95%, white and Indian 5%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 90%; Mennonite and other Protestant denominations
Languages:
    Spanish (official) and Guarani
Literacy:
    90% (male 92%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    1,418,000 (1991 est.); agriculture, industry and commerce, services,
    government (1986)
Organized labor:
    about 2% of labor force

:Paraguay Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Paraguay
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Asuncion
Administrative divisions:
    19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alto Paraguay, Alto
    Parana, Amambay, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Chaco,
    Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Nueva Asuncion,
    Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
Independence:
    14 May 1811 (from Spain)
Constitution:
    25 August 1967; Constituent Assembly rewrote the Constitution that was
    promulgated on 20 June 1992
Legal system:
    based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of
    legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; does not accept compulsory ICJ
    jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence Days, 14-15 May (1811)
Executive branch:
    president, Council of Ministers (cabinet), Council of State
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of
    Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies
    (Camara de Diputados)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Gen. Andres RODRIGUEZ Pedotti (since 15 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    Colorado Party, Luis Maria ARGANA, acting president; Authentic Radical
    Liberal Party (PLRA), Juan Manuel BENITEZ Florentin; Christian Democratic
    Party (PDC), Jose Angel BURRO; Febrerista Revolutionary Party (PRF), Victor
    BAREIRO; Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Hugo RICHER
Suffrage:
    universal and compulsory at age 18 and up to age 60
Elections:
  President:
    last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held NA February 1993); results - Gen.
    RODRIGUEZ 75.8%, Domingo LAINO 19.4%
  Chamber of Senators:
    last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held by NA May 1993); results - percent of
    vote by party NA; seats - (36 total) Colorado Party 24, PLRA 10, PLR 1, PRF
    1
  Chamber of Deputies:
    last held on 1 May 1989 (next to be held by NA May 1994); results - percent
    of vote by party NA; seats - (72 total) Colorado Party 48, PLRA 19, PRF 2,
    PDC 1, other 2
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:
    Confederation of Workers (CUT); Roman Catholic Church

:Paraguay Government

Member of:
    AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,
    IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, OAS,
    OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Juan Esteban Aguirre MARTINEZ; Chancery at 2400 Massachusetts
    Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] through 6962;
    there are Paraguayan Consulates General in New Orleans and New York, and a
    Consulate in Houston
  US:
    Ambassador Jon D. GLASSMAN; Embassy at 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Asuncion
    (mailing address is C. P. 402, Asuncion, or APO AA 34036-0001); telephone
    [595] (21) 213-715; FAX [595] (21) 213-728
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 Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words
    REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)

:Paraguay Economy

Overview:
    Agriculture, including forestry, accounts for about 25% of GDP, 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
    hydropower potential. Since 1981 economic performance has declined compared
    with the boom period of 1976-81, when real GDP grew at an average annual
    rate of nearly 11%. During the period 1982-86 real GDP fell in three of five
    years, inflation jumped to an annual rate of 32%, and foreign debt rose.
    Factors responsible for the erratic behavior of the economy were the
    completion of the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, bad weather for crops, and weak
    international commodity prices for agricultural exports. In 1987 the economy
    experienced a minor recovery because of improved weather conditions and
    stronger international prices for key agricultural exports. The recovery
    continued through 1990, on the strength of bumper crops in 1988-89. In a
    major step to increase its economic activity in the region, Paraguay in
    March 1991 joined the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR), which includes
    Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. During 1991 the government began to more
    seriously address its arrearages with international creditors and its
    domestic fiscal problems. Inflation was cut in third, but the foreign trade
    deficit widened to more than $1 billion. For the long run, the government
    must press forward with general market-oriented economic reforms.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $7.0 billion, per capita $1,460; real growth rate
    3.0% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    15% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    14% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.2 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $487 million (1991)
Exports:
    $642 million (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    cotton, soybean, timber, vegetable oils, coffee, tung oil, meat products
  partners:
    EC 37%, Brazil 25%, Argentina 10%, Chile 6%, US 6%
Imports:
    $1.85 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    capital goods 35%, consumer goods 20%, fuels and lubricants 19%, raw
    materials 16%, foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco 10%
  partners:
    Brazil 30%, EC 20%, US 18%, Argentina 8%, Japan 7%
External debt:
    $1.7 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 5.9% (1989 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
Electricity:
    5,578,000 kW capacity; 15,447 million kWh produced, 3,219 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    meat packing, oilseed crushing, milling, brewing, textiles, other light
    consumer goods, cement, construction
Agriculture:
    accounts for 25% of GDP and 44% of labor force; cash crops - cotton,
    sugarcane; other crops - corn, wheat, tobacco, soybeans, cassava, fruits,
    and vegetables; animal products - beef, pork, eggs, milk; surplus producer
    of timber; self-sufficient in most foods

:Paraguay Economy

Illicit drugs:
    illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; important
    transshipment point for Bolivian cocaine headed for the US and Europe
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $172 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.1 billion
Currency:
    guarani (plural - guaranies); 1 guarani (G) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates:
    guaranies (G) per US$ - 1,447.5 (March 1992), 1,325.2 (1991), 1,229.8
    (1990), 1,056.2 (1989), 550.00 (fixed rate 1986-February 1989),
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Paraguay Communications

Railroads:
    970 km total; 440 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 60 km 1.000-meter gauge,
    470 km various narrow gauge (privately 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:
    13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,747 GRT/19,865 DWT; includes 11
    cargo, 2 petroleum tanker; note - 1 naval cargo ship is sometimes used
    commercially
Civil air:
    9 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    845 total, 716 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 0 with runways over
    3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 66 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    principal center in Asuncion; fair intercity microwave net; 78,300
    telephones; broadcast stations - 40 AM, no FM, 5 TV, 7 shortwave; 1 Atlantic
    Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Paraguay Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy (including Naval Air and Marines), Air Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 1,172,813; 853,129 fit for military service; 49,917 reach
    military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $84 million, 1.4% of GDP (1988 est.)

:Peru Geography

Total area:
    1,285,220 km2
Land area:
    1,280,000 km2
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:
    three 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),
    eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Natural resources:
    copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate,
    potash
Land use:
    arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 21%; forest and
    woodland 55%; other 21%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    subject to earthquakes, tsunamis, 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
    Bolivia

:Peru People

Population:
    22,767,543 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    27 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    59 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    63 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Peruvian(s); adjective - Peruvian
Ethnic divisions:
    Indian 45%; mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 37%; white 15%;
    black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%
Religions:
    predominantly Roman Catholic
Languages:
    Spanish and Quechua (both official), Aymara
Literacy:
    85% (male 92%, female 29%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    6,800,000 (1986); government and other services 44%, agriculture 37%,
    industry 19% (1988 est.)
Organized labor:
    about 40% of salaried workers (1983 est.)

:Peru Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Peru
Type:
    in transition, President FUJIMORI on 5 April 1992 suspended the constitution
    and dissolved the legislative and judicial branches
Capital:
    Lima
Administrative divisions:
    24 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 constitutional
    province* (provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa,
    Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La
    Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura,
    Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali; note - the 1979 Constitution and
    legislation enacted from 1987 to 1990 mandate the creation of regions
    (regiones, singular - region) intended to function eventually as autonomous
    economic and administrative entities; so far, 12 regions have been
    constituted from 23 existing departments - Amazonas (from Loreto), Andres
    Avelino Caceres (from Huanuco, Pasco, Junin), Arequipa (from Arequipa),
    Chavin (from Ancash), Grau (from Tumbes, Piura), Inca (from Cusco, Madre de
    Dios, Apurimac), La Libertad (from La Libertad), Los Libertadores-Huari
    (from Ica, Ayacucho, Huancavelica), Mariategui (from Moquegua, Tacna, Puno),
    Nor Oriental del Maranon (from Lambayeque, Cajamarca, Amazonas), San Martin
    (from San Martin), Ucayali (from Ucayali); formation of another region has
    been delayed by the reluctance of the constitutional province of Callao to
    merge with the department of Lima; because of inadequate funding from the
    central government, the regions have yet to assume their responsibilities
    and at the moment coexist with the departmental structure
Independence:
    28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution:
    28 July 1980 (often referred to as the 1979 Constitution because the
    Constituent Assembly met in 1979, but the Constitution actually took effect
    the following year); suspended 5 April 1992
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 28 July (1821)
Executive branch:
    president, two vice presidents (vacant as of 19 May 1992), prime minister,
    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 (Camara de Diputados);
    note - dissolved on 5 April 1992; being reconstituted
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Alberto FUJIMORI (since 28 July 1990); note - slots for first and
    second Vice Presidents vacant as of 19 May 1992
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Oscar DE LA PUENTE Raygada (since 6 April 1992)

:Peru Government

Political parties and leaders:
    Change 90 (Cambio 90), Alberto FUJIMORI; Popular Christian Party (PPC), Luis
    BEDOYA Reyes; Popular Action Party (AP), Eduardo CALMELL del Solar; Liberty
    Movement (ML), Luis BUSTAMANTE; American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
    (APRA), Luis ALVA Castro, Alan GARCIA; National Front of Workers and
    Peasants (FNTC), Roger CACERES; United Left (IU), leader NA; Independent
    Moralizing Front (FIM), Fernando OLIVERA Vega; Socialist Left (IS), leader
    NA; note - Democratic Front (FREDEMO) was a loosely organized coalition of
    the PPC, AP, and ML during the 8 April 1990 elections, but the parties no
    longer maintain a formal alliance
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held on 10 June 1990 (next to be held NA April 1995); results - Alberto
    FUJIMORI 56.53%, Mario VARGAS Llosa 33.92%, other 9.55%
  Senate:
    last held on 8 April 1990; dissolved on 5 April 1992; because of suspension
    of constitutional role, next election not yet scheduled; results - percent
    of vote by party NA; seats - (62 total; 60 elected, 2 ex-presidents who are
    senators for life) FREDEMO 20, APRA 16, Change 90 14, IU 6, IS 3, FNTC 1;
    note - as a result of the dissolution of FREDEMO and defections and
    expulsions from the various parties, the seats have been reallocated: APRA
    17, Change 90 13, AP 8, IU 6, PPC 5, ML 4, IS 3, FNTC 1, independents 4,
    other 1 (January 1992)
  Chamber of Deputies:
    last held 8 April 1990 dissolved on 5 April 1992; because of suspension of
    constitutional role, next election not yet scheduled; results - percent of
    vote by party NA; seats - (180 total) FREDEMO 62, APRA 53, Change 90 32, IU
    16, IS 4, FNTC 3, other 10; note - as a result of the dissolution of FREDEMO
    and defections and expulsions from the various parties, the seats have been
    reallocated: APRA 53, AP 25, Change 90 25, PPC 23, IU 16, ML 7, FIM 3, IS 4,
    FNTC 3, independents 15, other 4, and 2 currently nonvoting deputies
Communists:
    Peruvian Communist Party-Unity (PCP-U), 2,000; other minor Communist parties
Other political or pressure groups:
  leftist guerrilla groups:
    Shining Path, Abimael GUZMAN; Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, Nestor
    SERPA and Victor POLAY
Member of:
    AG, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
    ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
    IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
    UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador vacant; Chancery at 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
    20036; telephone [phone] through 9869); Peruvian Consulates General
    are located in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New
    Jersey), San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
  US:
    Ambassador Anthony C. E. QUAINTON; Embassy at the corner of Avenida Inca
    Garcilaso de la Vega and Avenida Espana, Lima (mailing address is P. O. Box
    1991, Lima 1, or APO AA 34031); telephone [51] (14) 33-8000; FAX [51] (14)
    316682
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 quinine), and a yellow
    cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath

:Peru Economy

Overview:
    The Peruvian economy is becoming increasingly market oriented, with a large
    dose of government ownership remaining in mining, energy, and banking. In
    the 1980s the economy suffered from hyperinflation, declining per capita
    output, and mounting external debt. Peru was shut off from IMF and World
    Bank support in the mid-1980s because of its huge debt arrears. An austerity
    program implemented shortly after the FUJIMORI government took office in
    July 1990 contributed to a third consecutive yearly contraction of economic
    activity, but the slide halted late in the year, and output rose 2.4% in
    1991. After a burst of inflation as the austerity program eliminated
    government price subsidies, monthly price increases eased to the
    single-digit level and by December 1991 dropped to the lowest increase since
    mid-1987. Lima obtained a financial rescue package from multilateral lenders
    in September 1991, and, although it faces $14 billion in arrears on its
    external debt, is working to pay some $1.8 billion of these to the IMF and
    World Bank by 1993.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $20.6 billion, per capita $920; real growth rate
    2.4% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    139% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    15.0%; underemployment 65% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $1.8 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $250 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    copper, fishmeal, zinc, crude petroleum and byproducts, lead, refined
    silver, coffee, cotton
  partners:
    EC 28%, US 22%, Japan 13%, Latin America 12%, former USSR 2%
Imports:
    $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, machinery, transport equipment, iron and steel semimanufactures,
    chemicals, pharmaceuticals
  partners:
    US 32%, Latin America 22%, EC 17%, Switzerland 6%, Japan 3%
External debt:
    $19.4 billion (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 1.0% (1991 est.); accounts for almost 24% of GDP
Electricity:
    4,896,000 kW capacity; 15,851 million kWh produced, 709 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing,
    cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding, metal fabrication
Agriculture:
    accounts for 10% of GDP, about 35% of labor force; commercial crops -
    coffee, cotton, sugarcane; other crops - rice, wheat, potatoes, plantains,
    coca; animal products - poultry, red meats, dairy, wool; not self-sufficient
    in grain or vegetable oil; fish catch of 6.9 million metric tons (1990)

:Peru Economy

Illicit drugs:
    world's largest coca leaf producer with about 121,000 hectares under
    cultivation; source of supply for most of the world's coca paste and cocaine
    base; at least 85% of coca cultivation is for illicit production; most of
    cocaine base is shipped to Colombian drug dealers for processing into
    cocaine for the international drug market
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.3 billion;
    Communist countries (1970-89), $577 million
Currency:
    (S/.) nuevo sol (plural - nuevos soles); 1 nuevo sol (S/.) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
    nuevo sol (S/. per US$1 - 0.960 (March 1992), 0.772 (1991), 0.187 (1990),
    2.666 (1989), 0.129 (1988), 0.017 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Peru Communications

Railroads:
    1,801 km total; 1,501 km 1.435-meter gauge, 300 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways:
    69,942 km total; 7,459 km paved, 13,538 km improved, 48,945 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, Talara
Merchant marine:
    26 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 286,313 GRT/461,233 DWT; includes 14
    cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum tanker, 7
    bulk; note - in addition, 8 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo are sometimes
    used commercially
Civil air:
    44 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    221 total, 201 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 23 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    fairly adequate for most requirements; nationwide microwave system; 544,000
    telephones; broadcast stations - 273 AM, no FM, 140 TV, 144 shortwave;
    satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 12 domestic

:Peru Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army (Ejercito Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru), Air Force (Fuerza
    Aerea del Peru), National Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 5,863,227; 3,964,930 fit for military service; 236,484 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $430 million, 2.4% of GDP (1991)

:Philippines Geography

Total area:
    300,000 km2
Land area:
    298,170 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    36,289 km
Maritime claims:
    (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
  Continental shelf:
    to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    irregular polygon extending 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, Malaysia,
    Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; claims Malaysian state of Sabah
Climate:
    tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon
    (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:
    arable land 26%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and
    woodland 40%; other 19%; includes irrigated 5%
Environment:
    astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six
    cyclonic storms per year; subject to landslides, active volcanoes,
    destructive earthquakes, tsunami; deforestation; soil erosion; water
    pollution

:Philippines People

Population:
    67,114,060 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    28 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    53 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    62 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Filipino(s); adjective - Philippine
Ethnic divisions:
    Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 3%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3%
Languages:
    Pilipino (based on Tagalog) and English; both official
Literacy:
    90% (male 90%, female 90%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    24,120,000; agriculture 46%, industry and commerce 16%, services 18.5%,
    government 10%, other 9.5% (1989)
Organized labor:
    3,945 registered unions; total membership 5.7 million (includes 2.8 million
    members of the National Congress of Farmers Organizations)

:Philippines Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of the Philippines
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Manila
Administrative divisions:
    72 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, Batangas City*,
    Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Butuan*, Cabanatuan*, Cadiz*, Cagayan,
    Cagayan de Oro*, Calbayog*, Caloocan*, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur,
    Camiguin, Canlaon*, Capiz, Catanduanes, 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, Lanao
    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 Oriental, North Cotabato,
    Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*, Ormoc*, Oroquieta*,
    Ozamis*, Pagadian*, Palawan, Palayan*, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasay*, Puerto
    Princesa*, Quezon, Quezon City*, Quirino, 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
    Kudarat, 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 president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Congress (Kongreso) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senado)
    and a lower house or House of Representatives (Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Corazon C. AQUINO (since 25 February 1986); Vice President
    Salvador H. LAUREL (since 25 February 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
    Alliance of Philippine Democrats (LDP), Neptali GONZALES and Jose (Peping)
    COJUANGCO; Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), Fidel Valdes RAMOS; Liberal
    Party, Jovito SALONGA; New Society Movement (KBL), Amelda MARCOS
Suffrage:
    universal at age 15
Elections:
  President:
    last held 11 May 1992 (next election to be held NA May 1998);results - Fidel
    Valdes RAMOS won 23.6% of votes, a narrow plurality

:Philippines Government

  Senate:
    last held 11 May 1992 (next election to be held NA May 1998); results - LDP
    66%, NPC 20%, Lakas-NUCD 8%, Liberal 6%; seats - (24 total) LDP 24, NPC 5,
    Lakas-NUCD 2, Liberal 1
Elections:
  House of Representatives:
    last held 11 May 1992 (next election to be held NA May 1998); results - LDP
    43.5%; Lakas-NUCD 25%, NPC 23.5%, Liberal 5%, KBL 3%;seats - (200 total) LDP
    87, Lakas-NUCD 51, NPC 47, Liberal 10, KBL 5
Communists:
    the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) controls about 15,500-16,500
    full-time insurgents and is not recognized as a legal party; a second
    Communist party, Philippine Communist Party (PKP), has quasi-legal status
Member of:
    APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
    ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
    IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
    WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Emmanuel PELAEZ; Chancery at 1617 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20036; telephone [phone]; there are Philippine
    Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles,
    New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
  US:
    Ambassador Frank G. WISNER II; Embassy at 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila
    (mailing address is APO AP 96440); telephone [63] (2) 521-7116; FAX [63] (2)
    522-4361; there is a US Consulate in Cebu
Flag:
    two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral
    triangle based on the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow
    sun with eight primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in
    each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star

:Philippines Economy

Overview:
    Following the recession of 1984-85, the Philippine economy grew on the
    average of 5.0% per year during 1986-89. It slowed again during the period
    1990-91. The agricultural sector together with forestry and fishing, plays
    an important role in the economy, employing about 45% of the work force and
    providing almost 30% of GDP. The Philippines is the world's largest exporter
    of coconuts and coconut products. Manufacturing contributes about 35% of
    GDP. Major industries include food processing, chemicals, and textiles.
GNP:
    exchange rate conversion - $47 billion, per capita $720; real growth rate
    0.1% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    17.6% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    10.0% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    $8.4 billion; expenditures $9.36 billion, including capital expenditures of
    $1.8 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $8.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    electrical equipment 19%, textiles 16%, minerals and ores 11%, farm products
    10%, coconut 10%, chemicals 5%, fish 5%, forest products 4%
  partners:
    US 36%, EC 19%, Japan 18%, ESCAP 9%, ASEAN 7%
Imports:
    $12.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    raw materials 53%, capital goods 17%, petroleum products 17%
  partners:
    US 25%, Japan 17%, ESCAP 13%, EC 11%, ASEAN 10%, Middle East 10%
External debt:
    $28.9 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate - 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 35% of GNP
Electricity:
    7,500,000 kW capacity; 31,000 million kWh produced, 470 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing,
    electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing
Agriculture:
    accounts for about one-third of GNP and 45% of labor force; major crops -
    rice, coconut, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapple, mango; animal products -
    pork, eggs, beef; net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 2 million
    metric 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
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.6 billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $7.9 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1975-89), $123
    million
Currency:
    Philippine peso (plural - pesos); 1 Philippine peso (P) = 100 centavos

:Philippines Economy

Exchange rates:
    Philippine pesos (P) per US$1 - 25.810 (March 1992), 27.479 (1991), 24.311
    (1990), 21.737 (1989), 21.095 (1988), 20.568 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Philippines 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:
    petroleum products 357 km
Ports:
    Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras, Iloilo, Legaspi, Manila, Subic Bay
Merchant marine:
    552 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,150,425 GRT/13,624,527 DWT;
    includes 1 passenger, 11 short-sea passenger, 13 passenger-cargo, 155 cargo,
    22 refrigerated cargo, 23 vehicle carrier, 8 livestock carrier, 13
    roll-on/roll-off cargo, 8 container, 35 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical tanker,
    6 liquefied gas, 2 combination ore/oil, 247 bulk, 7 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 Japan and Germany
Civil air:
    53 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    278 total, 244 usable; 72 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 53 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    good international radio and submarine cable services; domestic and
    interisland service adequate; 872,900 telephones; broadcast stations - 267
    AM (including 6 US), 55 FM, 33 TV (including 4 US); submarine cables
    extended to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan; satellite earth
    stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 11
    domestic

:Philippines Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy (including Coast Guard and Marine Corps), Air Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 16,719,421; 11,816,366 fit for military service; 698,683 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $915 million, 1.9% of GNP (1991)

:Pitcairn Islands 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
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical, hot, humid, modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season
    (November to March)
Terrain:
    rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Natural resources:
    miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
Land use:
    arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and
    woodland NA%; other NA%
Environment:
    subject to typhoons (especially November to March)
Note:
    located in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Peru and New
    Zealand

:Pitcairn Islands People

Population:
    52 (July 1992), growth rate 0.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    NA births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    NA years male, NA years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    NA children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Pitcairn Islander(s); adjective - Pitcairn Islander
Ethnic divisions:
    descendants of Bounty mutineers
Religions:
    Seventh-Day Adventist 100%
Languages:
    English (official); also a Tahitian/English dialect
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    NA; no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence
    farming and fishing
Organized labor:
    NA

:Pitcairn Islands 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 1964
Legal system:
    local island by-laws
National holiday:
    Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June), 10 June
    1989
Executive branch:
    British monarch, governor, island magistrate
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Island Council
Judicial branch:
    Island Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Governor and
    UK High Commissioner to New Zealand David Joseph MOSS (since NA 1990)
  Head of Government:
    Island Magistrate and Chairman of the Island Council Brian YOUNG (since NA
    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
Other political or pressure groups:
    NA
Member of:
    SPC
Diplomatic representation:
    none (dependent 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

:Pitcairn Islands 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 revenue are the sale of
    postage stamps to collectors and the sale of handicrafts to passing ships.
GDP:
    $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $430,440; expenditures $429,983, including capital expenditures of
    $NA (FY87 est.)
Exports:
    $NA
  commodities:
    fruits, vegetables, curios
  partners:
    NA
Imports:
    $NA
  commodities:
    fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    110 kW capacity; 0.30 million kWh produced, 5,360 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    postage stamp sales, handicrafts
Agriculture:
    based on subsistence fishing and farming; wide variety of fruits and
    vegetables grown; must import grain products
Economic aid:
    none
Currency:
    New Zealand dollar (plural - dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100
    cents
Exchange rates:
    New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.8245 (March 1992), 1.7265 (1991),
    1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6866 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Pitcairn Islands Communications

Railroads:
    none
Highways:
    6.4 km dirt roads
Ports:
    Bounty Bay
Airports:
    none
Telecommunications:
    24 telephones; party line telephone service on the island; broadcast
    stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; diesel generator provides electricity

:Pitcairn Islands Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the UK

:Poland Geography

Total area:
    312,680 km2
Land area:
    304,510 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
    3,321 km total; Belarus 605 km, Czechoslovakia 1,309 km, Germany 456 km,
    Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Ukraine 428 km
Coastline:
    491 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
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:
    arable land 46%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and
    woodland 28%; other 12%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    plain crossed by a few north flowing, meandering streams; severe air and
    water pollution in south
Note:
    historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of
    natural barriers on the North European Plain

:Poland People

Population:
    38,385,617 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    14 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    14 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    68 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.0 children born/woman(1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Pole(s); adjective - Polish
Ethnic divisions:
    Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belorussian 0.5% (1990 est.)
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Russian Orthodox, Protestant, and
    other 5%
Languages:
    Polish
Literacy:
    98% (male 99%, female 98%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978)
Labor force:
    17,104,000; industry and construction 36.1%; agriculture 27.3%; trade,
    transport, and communications 14.8%; government and other 21.8% (1989)
Organized labor:
    trade union pluralism

:Poland Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Poland
Type:
    democratic state
Capital:
    Warsaw
Administrative divisions:
    49 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Biaa Podlaska, Biaystok,
    Bielsko, Bydgoszcz, Chem, Ciechanow, Czestochowa, Elblag, Gdansk, Gorzow,
    Jelenia Gora, Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin, Krakow, Krosno,
    Legnica, Leszno, odz, omza, Lublin, Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn, Opole, Ostroteka,
    Pia, Piotrkow, Pock, Poznan, Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow, Siedlce, Sieradz,
    Skierniewice, Supsk, Suwaki, Szczecin, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow, Torun, Wabrzych,
    Warszawa, Wocawek, Wrocaw, Zamosc, Zielona Gora
Independence:
    11 November 1918, independent republic proclaimed
Constitution:
    Communist-imposed Constitution of 22 July 1952; developing a democratic
    Constitution
Legal system:
    mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal
    theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader
    democratization process; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not
    accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Constitution Day, 3 May (1794)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    bicameral National Assembly (Zgromadzenie Narodowe) consists of an upper
    house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or Diet (Sejm)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Lech WALESA (since 22 December 1990)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Hanna SUCHOCKA (since 10 July 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
  Solidarity Bloc:
    Democratic Union (UD), Tadeusz MAZOWIECKI; Christian-National Union (ZCHN),
    Wieslaw CHRZANOWSKI; Centrum (PC), Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI; Liberal-Democratic
    Congress, Donald TUSK; Peasant Alliance (PL), Gabriel JANOWSKI; Solidarity
    Trade Union (NSZZ), Marian KRZAKLEWSKI; Solidarity Labor (SP), Ryszard
    BUGAJ; Christian-Democratic Party (PCHD), Pawel LACZKOWSKI;
    Democratic-Social Movement (RDS), Zbigniew BUJAK; Kracow Coalition in
    Solidarity with the President, Mieczyslaw GIL; Solidarity 80, Marian JURCZYK
  Non-Communist, Non-Solidarity:
    Confederation for an Independent Poland (KPN), Leszek MOCZULSKI; Beer
    Lovers' Party (PPPP), Janusz REWINSKI; Christian Democrats (CHD), Andrzej
    OWSINSKI; German Minority (MN), Henryk KROL; Western Union (KPN Front),
    Damian JAKUBOWSKI; RealPolitik (UPR), Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE; Democratic Party
    (SD), Antoni MACKIEWICZ
  Communist origin or linked:
    Social Democracy (SDRP, or SLD), Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz; Polish Peasants'
    Party (PSL), Waldermar PAWLAK; Party X, Stanislaw Tyminski
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18

:Poland Government

Elections:
  President:
    first round held 25 November 1990, second round held 9 December 1990 (next
    to be held NA November 1995); results - second round Lech WALESA 74.7%,
    Stanislaw TYMINSKI 25.3%
  Senate:
    last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held no later than NA October 1995);
    results -
  Solidarity Bloc:
    UD 21%, NSZZ 11%, ZCHN 9%, PC 9%, Liberal-Democratic Congress 6%, PL 7%,
    PCHD 3%, other local candidates 11%
  Non-Communist, Non-Solidarity:
    KPN 4%, CHD 1%, MN 1%, local candidates 5%
  Communist origin or linked:
    PSL 8%, SLD 4%; seats - (100 total)
  Solidarity Bloc:
    UD 21, NSZZ 11, ZCHN 9, Liberal-Democratic Congress 6, PL 7, PCHD 3, other
    local candidates 11;
  Non-Communist, Non-Solidarity:
    KPN 4, CHD 1, MN 1 local candidates 5
  Communist origin or linked:
    PSL 8, SLD 4
  Sejm:
    last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held no later than NA October 1995);
    results -
  Solidarity Bloc:
    UD 12.31%, ZCHN 8.73%, PL 8.71%, Liberal-Democratic Congress 7.48%, PL
    5.46%, NSZZ 5.05%, SP 2.05%, PCHD 1.11%
  Non-Communist, Non-Solidarity:
    KPN 7.50%, PPPP 3.27%, CHD 2.36%, UPR 2.25%, MN 1.70%
  Communist origin or linked:
    SLD 11.98%, PSL 8.67%; seats - (460 total)
  Solidarity Bloc:
    UD 62, ZCHN 9, PC 44, Liberal-Democratic Congress 37, PL 28, NSZZ 27, SP 4,
    PCHD 4, RDS 1, Krackow Coalition in Solidarity with the President 1, Piast
    Agreement 1, Bydgoszcz Peasant List 1, Solidarity 80 1
  Non-Communist, Non-Solidarity:
    KPN 46, PPPP 16, MN 7, CHD 5, Western Union 4, UPR 3, Autonomous Silesia 2,
    SD 1, Orthodox Election Committee 1, Committee of Women Against Hardships 1,
    Podhale Union 1, Wielkopolska Group 1, Wielkopolska and Lubuski Inhabitants
    1
  Communist origin or linked:
    SLD 60, PSL 48, Party X 3
Communists:
    70,000 members in the Communist successor parties (1990)
Other political or pressure groups:
    powerful Roman Catholic Church; Confederation for an Independent Poland
    (KPN), a nationalist group; Solidarity (trade union); All Poland Trade Union
    Alliance (OPZZ), populist program; Clubs of Catholic Intellectuals (KIKs)
Member of:
    BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE, ECE, FAO, GATT, Hexagonale, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD,
    ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, PCA,
    UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Kazimierz DZIEWANOWSKI; Chancery at 2640 16th Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20009; telephone [phone] through 3802; there are
    Polish Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

:Poland Government

  US:
    Ambassador Thomas W. SIMONS, Jr.; Embassy at Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, Warsaw
    (mailing address is American Embassy Warsaw, Box 5010, or APO AE
    09213-5010); telephone [48] (2) 628-8298; FAX [48] (2) 628-9326; there is a
    US Consulate General in Krakow and a Consulate in Poznan
Flag:
    two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of
    Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white

:Poland Economy

Overview:
    Poland is undergoing a difficult transition from a Soviet-style economy -
    with state ownership and control of productive assets - to a market economy.
    On January 1, 1990, the new Solidarity-led government implemented shock
    therapy by slashing subsidies, decontrolling prices, tightening the money
    supply, stabilizing the foreign exchange rate, lowering import barriers, and
    restraining state sector wages. As a result, consumer goods shortages and
    lines disappeared, and inflation fell from 640% in 1989 to 60% in 1991.
    Western governments, which hold two-thirds of Poland's $48 billion external
    debt, pledged in 1991 to forgive half of Poland's official debt by 1994, and
    the private sector grew, accounting for 22% of industrial production and 40%
    of nonagricultural output by 1991. Production fell in state enterprises,
    however, and the unemployment rate climbed steadily from virtually nothing
    in 1989 to 11.4% in December 1991. Poland fell out of compliance with its
    IMF program by mid-1991, and talks with commercial creditors stalled. The
    increase in unemployment and the decline in living standards led to popular
    discontent and a change in government in January 1991 and again in December.
    The new government has promised selective industrial intervention, some
    relaxation in monetary policy, and an improved social safety net, but will
    be constrained by the decline in output and the growing budget deficit.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $162.7 billion, per capita $4,300; real growth
    rate -5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    60% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    11.4% (end December 1991)
Budget:
    revenues $19.5 billion; expenditures $22.4 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $1.5 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $12.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    machinery 23%, metals 17%, chemicals 13%, fuels 11%, food 10% (1991 est.)
  partners:
    FRG 25.1%, former USSR 15.3%, UK 7.1%, Switzerland 4.7% (1990)
Imports:
    $12.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    machinery 35%, fuels 20%, chemicals 13%, food 11%, light industry 7% (1991
    est.)
  partners:
    FRG 20.1%, former USSR 19.8%, Italy 7.5%, Switzerland 6.4% (1990)
External debt:
    $48.5 billion (January 1992); note - Poland's Western government creditors
    promised in 1991 to forgive 30% of Warsaw's official debt - currently $33
    billion - immediately and to forgive another 20% by 1994, if Poland adheres
    to its IMF program
Industrial production:
    growth rate -14% (State sector 1991 est.)
Electricity:
    31,530,000 kW capacity; 136,300 million kWh produced, 3,610 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    machine building, iron and steel, extractive industries, chemicals,
    shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles

:Poland Economy

Agriculture:
    accounts for 15% of GDP and 27% 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 exporter of pork products; normally
    self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producers of opium for domestic consumption and amphetamines for the
    international market; emerging as a transshipment point for illicit drugs to
    Western Europe
Economic aid:
    donor - bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries, $2.2
    billion (1954-89); note - the G-24 has pledged $8 billion in grants and
    credit guarantees to Poland
Currency:
    Zoty (plural - Zotych); 1 Zoty (Z) = 100 groszy
Exchange rates:
    Zotych (z) per US$1 - 13,443 (March 1992), 10,576 (1991), 9,500 (1990),
    1,439.18 (1989), 430.55 (1988), 265.08 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Poland Communications

Railroads:
    27,041 km total; 24,287 km 1.435-meter gauge, 397 km 1.520-meter gauge,
    2,357 km narrow gauge; 8,987 km double track; 11,016 km electrified;
    government owned (1989)
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 rivers and canals (1989)
Pipelines:
    natural gas 4,500 km, crude oil 1,986 km, petroleum products 360 km (1987)
Ports:
    Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Swinoujscie; principal inland ports are Gliwice on
    Kana Gliwice, Wrocaw on the Oder, and Warsaw on the Vistula
Merchant marine:
    222 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,851,016 GRT/4,019,531 DWT; includes
    5 short-sea passenger, 79 cargo, 4 refrigerated cargo, 14 roll-on/roll-off
    cargo, 12 container, 1 petroleum tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 102 bulk, 1
    passenger; Poland owns 1 ship of 6,333 DWT operating under Liberian registry
Civil air:
    48 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    160 total, 160 usable; 85 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway over
    3,659 m; 35 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 65 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    severely underdeveloped and outmoded system; cable, open wire and microwave;
    phone density is 10.5 phones per 100 residents (October 1990); 3.1 million
    subscribers; exchanges are 86% automatic (February 1990); broadcast stations
    - 27 AM, 27 FM, 40 (5 Soviet repeaters) TV; 9.6 million TVs; 1 satellite
    earth station using INTELSAT, EUTELSAT, INMARSAT and Intersputnik

:Poland Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 9,785,823; 7,696,425 fit for military service; 294,191 reach
    military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - 19.2 trillion zotych, NA% of GDP (1991); note -
    conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current
    exchange rate could produce misleading results

:Portugal Geography

Total area:
    92,080 km2
Land area:
    91,640 km2; includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
    1,214 km; Spain 1,214 km
Coastline:
    1,793 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed 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:
    arable land 32%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and
    woodland 40%; other 16%; includes irrigated 7%
Environment:
    Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Note:
    Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea
    approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

:Portugal People

Population:
    10,448,509 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    12 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    71 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Portuguese (singular and plural); adjective - Portuguese
Ethnic divisions:
    homogeneous Mediterranean stock in mainland, Azores, Madeira Islands;
    citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during
    decolonization number less than 100,000
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%
Languages:
    Portuguese
Literacy:
    85% (male 89%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    4,605,700; services 45%, industry 35%, agriculture 20% (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 Socialists and Social Democrats and represents
    less than half of unionized labor

:Portugal Government

Long-form name:
    Portuguese Republic
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Lisbon
Administrative divisions:
    18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions*
    (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro, Acores (Azores)*,
    Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria,
    Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo,
    Vila Real, Viseu
Independence:
    1140; independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910
Constitution:
    25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982 and 1 June 1989
Legal system:
    civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality
    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 minister, Council
    of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Tribunal of Justice (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 November 1985)
Political parties and leaders:
    Social Democratic 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), Andriano MORREIRA (interim); National Solidarity Party, Manuel
    SERGIO; Center Democratic Party; United Democratic Coalition (CDU;
    Communists)
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 13 February 1991 (next to be held NA February 1996); results - Dr.
    Mario Lopes SOARES 70%, Basilio HORTA 14%, Carlos CARVALHAS 13%, Carlos
    MARQUES 3%
  Assembly of the Republic:
    last held 6 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1995); results - PSD
    50.4%, PS 29.3%, CDU 8.8%, Center Democrats 4.4%, National Solidarity Party
    1.7%, PRD 0.6%, other 4.8%; seats - (230 total) PSD 135, PS 72, CDU 17,
    Center Democrats 5, National Solidarity Party 1
Communists:
    Portuguese Communist Party claims membership of 200,753 (December 1983)

:Portugal Government

Member of:
    AfDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, FAO, GATT,
    IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
    INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest),
    NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
    WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Joao Eduardo M. PEREIRA BASTOS; Chancery at 2125 Kalorama Road
    NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; there are Portuguese
    Consulates General in Boston, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in
    Los Angeles, Newark (New Jersey), New Bedford (Massachusetts), and
    Providence (Rhode Island)
  US:
    Ambassador Everett E. BRIGGS; Embassy at Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600
    Lisbon (mailing address is PSC 83, APO AE 09726); telephone [351] (1)
    726-6600 or 6659, 8670, 8880; FAX [351] (1) 726-9109; there is a US
    Consulate 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

:Portugal Economy

Overview:
    Although Portugal has experienced strong growth since joining the EC in 1986
    - at least 4% each year through 1990 - it remains one of the poorest
    members. To prepare for the European single market, the government is
    restructuring and modernizing the economy and in 1989 embarked on a major
    privatization program. The global slowdown and tight monetary policies to
    counter inflation caused growth to slow in 1991, but it is likely to recover
    in 1992.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $87.3 billion, per capita $8,400; real growth
    rate 2.7% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    12.0% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    4.0% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $27.0 billion; expenditures $33.9 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $6.7 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $16.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    cotton textiles, cork and paper products, canned fish, wine, timber and
    timber products, resin, machinery, appliances
  partners:
    EC 74%, other developed countries 13.2%, US 4.8%
Imports:
    $25.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and transport equipment, agricultural products, chemicals,
    petroleum, textiles
  partners:
    EC 69.1%, other developed countries 11.4% less developed countries 15.1%, US
    3.9%
External debt:
    $15.0 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 9.1% (1990); accounts for 40% of GDP
Electricity:
    6,729,000 kW capacity; 16,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil
    refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
Agriculture:
    accounts for 6.1% of GDP and about 20% of labor force; small, inefficient
    farms; imports more than half of food needs; major crops - grain, potatoes,
    olives, grapes; livestock sector - sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, meat,
    dairy products
Illicit drugs:
    increasingly import gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the
    European market
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.8 billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.2 billion
Currency:
    Portuguese escudo (plural - escudos); 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100
    centavos

:Portugal Economy

Exchange rates:
    Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1 - 143.09 (March 1992), 144.48 (1991),
    142.55 (1990), 157.46 (1989), 143.95 (1988), 140.88 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Portugal 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 (1.435-meter gauge) electrified, double track,
    privately owned
Highways:
    73,661 km total; 61,599 km surfaced (bituminous, gravel, and crushed stone),
    including 140 km of limited-access divided highway; 7,962 km improved earth;
    4,100 km unimproved earth (motorable tracks)
Inland waterways:
    820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to national economy, used by
    shallow-draft craft limited to 300-metric-ton cargo capacity
Pipelines:
    crude oil 11 km; petroleum products 58 km
Ports:
    Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Velas (Azores), Setubal,
    Sines
Merchant marine:
    53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 738,774 GRT/1,300,787 DWT; includes 1
    short-sea passenger, 20 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 1
    roll-on/roll-off cargo, 13 petroleum tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 8 bulk, 2
    vehicle carrier; 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 currently is 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
Civil air:
    43 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    65 total, 62 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over
    3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    generally adequate integrated network of coaxial cables, open wire and radio
    relay; 2,690,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 57 AM, 66 (22 repeaters)
    FM, 66 (23 repeaters) TV; 6 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT earth stations (2
    Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, domestic satellite systems
    (mainland and Azores); tropospheric link to Azores

:Portugal Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard, Fiscal
    Guard, Public Security Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 2,666,450; 2,166,341 fit for military service; 88,826 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 2.8% of GDP (1991)

:Puerto Rico 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:
    12 nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth)
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical marine, mild, little seasonal 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:
    arable land 8%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 41%; forest and
    woodland 20%; other 22%
Environment:
    many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered;
    south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
Note:
    important location between the Dominican 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

:Puerto Rico People

Population:
    3,776,654 (July 1992), growth rate 1.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    17 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    14 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    70 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Puerto Rican(s); adjective - Puerto Rican
Ethnic divisions:
    almost entirely Hispanic
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and other 15%
Languages:
    Spanish (official); English is widely understood
Literacy:
    89% (male 90%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
    1,068,000; government 28%, manufacturing 15%, trade 14%, agriculture 3%,
    other 40% (1990)
Organized labor:
    115,000 members in 4 unions; the largest is the General Confederation of
    Puerto Rican Workers with 35,000 members (1983)

:Puerto Rico Government

Long-form name:
    Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Type:
    commonwealth associated with the US
Capital:
    San Juan
Administrative divisions:
    none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Independence:
    none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Constitution:
    ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25
    July 1952
Legal system:
    based on Spanish civil code
National holiday:
    Constitution Day, 25 July (1952)
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 Colon (since 2 January 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    National Republican Party of Puerto Rico, Freddy VALENTIN; Popular
    Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon; New Progressive Party (PNP),
    Carlos ROMERO Barcelo; Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), Juan MARI Bras
    and Carlos GALLISA; Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben BERRIOS
    Martinez; Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leader(s) unknown; Puerto
    Rican Renewal Party (PRP, breakaway group from PNP), leader (vacant); Puerto
    Rico Democratic Party, Richard MACHADO
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18; citizens of Puerto Rico are also US citizens, but do
    not vote in US presidential elections
Elections:
  Governor:
    last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (PPD) 48.7%, Baltasar CORRADA Del Rio (PNP) 45.8%,
    Ruben BERRIOS Martinez (PIP) 5.5%
  Senate:
    last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (27 total) PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1
  US House of Representatives:
    last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) seats by party NA; note -
    Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of
    Representatives, Jaime B. FUSTER
  House of Representatives:
    last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (53 total) PPD 36, PNP 15, PIP 2

:Puerto Rico Government

Other political or pressure groups:
    all have engaged in terrorist activities - Armed Forces for National
    Liberation (FALN), Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution, Boricua
    Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros), Armed Forces of Popular
    Resistance
Member of:
    CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WFTU, WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation:
    none (commonwealth 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

:Puerto Rico Economy

Overview:
    Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region.
    Industry has surpassed agriculture as the primary sector of economic
    activity and income. Encouraged by duty free access to the US and by tax
    incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s.
    Important new industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles,
    petrochemicals, and processed foods. Sugar production has lost out to dairy
    production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the
    agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of
    income for the island. The economy has largely recovered from the
    disruptions caused by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989. The tourism
    infrastructure has been especially hard hit.
GNP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $21.6 billion, per capita $6,600; real growth
    rate 2.2% (FY90)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    1.3% (October 1990-91)
Unemployment rate:
    15.5% (October 1991)
Budget:
    revenues $5.8 billion; expenditures $5.8 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $258 million (FY89)
Exports:
    NA
  commodities:
    pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage
    concentrates, medical equipment, instruments
  partners:
    US 87% (FY90)
Imports:
    NA
  commodities:
    chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products
  partners:
    US 68% (FY90)
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate 3.8% (FY90)
Electricity:
    4,149,000 kW capacity; 14,844 million kWh produced, 4,510 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products,
    instruments; tourism
Agriculture:
    accounts for 3% of labor force; crops - sugarcane, coffee, pineapples,
    plantains, bananas; livestock - cattle, chickens; imports a large share of
    food needs
Economic aid:
    none
Currency:
    US currency is used
Exchange rates:
    US currency is used
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Puerto Rico Communications

Railroads:
    96 km rural narrow-gauge system for hauling sugarcane; no passenger
    railroads
Highways:
    13,762 km paved (1982)
Ports:
    San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo
Airports:
    30 total; 24 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    900,000 or 99% of total households have TV; 1,067,787 telephones (1988);
    broadcast stations - 50 AM, 63 FM, 9 TV (1990)

:Puerto Rico Defense Forces

Branches:
    paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 830,133; NA fit for military service
Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US

:Qatar Geography

Total area:
    11,000 km2
Land area:
    11,000 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
    60 km total; Saudi Arabia 40 km, UAE 20 km
Coastline:
    563 km
Maritime claims:
    *** No entry for this item ***
  Continental shelf:
    not specific
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    location and status of Qatar's southern boundaries with Saudi Arabia and UAE
    are unresolved; territorial dispute with Bahrain over the Hawar Islands;
    maritime boundary with Bahrain
Climate:
    desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer
Terrain:
    mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
Natural resources:
    crude oil, natural gas, fish
Land use:
    arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 95%
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

:Qatar People

Population:
    484,387 (July 1992), growth rate 3.2% (1992)
Birth rate:
    21 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    15 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    24 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    69 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Qatari(s); adjective - Qatari
Ethnic divisions:
    Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
Religions:
    Muslim 95%
Languages:
    Arabic (official); English is commonly used as second language
Literacy:
    76% (male 77%, female 72%) age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
Labor force:
    104,000; 85% non-Qatari in private sector (1983)
Organized labor:
    trade unions are illegal

:Qatar Government

Long-form name:
    State of Qatar
Type:
    traditional monarchy
Capital:
    Doha
Administrative divisions:
    there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
    Government, but there are 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular -
    baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Rayyan,
    Al Wakrah, Ash Shamal, Jarayan al Batnah, Umm Salal
Independence:
    3 September 1971 (from UK)
Constitution:
    provisional constitution enacted 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 Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)
Judicial branch:
    Court of Appeal
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    Amir and Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani (since 22 February 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 consultative body, but no
    elections have been held; seats - (30 total)
Member of:
    ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IFAD,
    ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC,
    OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Hamad `Abd al-`Aziz AL-KAWARI, Chancery at Suite 1180, 600 New
    Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Kenton W. KEITH; Embassy at 149 Ali Bin Ahmed St., Farig Bin
    Omran (opposite the television station), Doha (mailing address is P. O. Box
    2399, Doha); telephone [phone] through 864703; FAX [phone]
Flag:
    maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist
    side

:Qatar Economy

Overview:
    Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for more than 85% of export
    earnings and roughly 75% 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 $15,000, comparable
    to the leading industrial countries. Production and export of natural gas is
    becoming increasingly important.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $7.4 billion, per capita $15,000; real growth
    rate NA (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    4.9% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $2.1 billion; expenditures $3.2 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $490 million (FY91 est.)
Exports:
    $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    petroleum products 85%, steel, fertilizers
  partners:
    Japan 61%, Brazil 9%, UAE 3%, Singapore 3%
Imports:
    $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, beverages, animal and vegetable oils, chemicals, machinery and
    equipment
  partners:
    UK 13%, Japan 11%, US 8%, Italy 8%
External debt:
    $1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 0.6% (1987); accounts for 64% of GDP, including oil
Electricity:
    1,520,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced, 8,080 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel,
    cement
Agriculture:
    farming and grazing on small scale, less than 2% of GDP; commercial fishing
    increasing in importance; most food imported
Economic 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 - 31 March

:Qatar Communications

Highways:
    1,500 km total; 1,000 km paved, 500 km gravel or natural surface (est.)
Pipelines:
    crude oil 235 km, natural gas 400 km
Ports:
    Doha, Umm Sa'id, Halul Island
Merchant marine:
    23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 473,042 GRT/716,039 DWT; includes 14
    cargo, 5 container, 3 petroleum tanker, 1 refrigerated cargo
Civil air:
    3 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over
    3,659 m; none with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    modern system centered in Doha; 110,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter to
    Bahrain; radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and
    UAE; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations - 1
    Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT

:Qatar Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Security
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 211,812; 112,250 fit for military service; 3,414 reach military
    age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA%, of GDP

:Reunion 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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical, but moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November,
    hot and rainy from November to April
Terrain:
    mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Natural resources:
    fish, arable land
Land use:
    arable land 20%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and
    woodland 35%; other 39%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
    periodic devastating cyclones
Note:
    located 750 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean

:Reunion People

Population:
    626,414 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    70 years male, 77 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Reunionese (singular and plural); adjective - Reunionese
Ethnic divisions:
    most of the population is of intermixed French, African, Malagasy, Chinese,
    Pakistani, and Indian ancestry
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 94%
Languages:
    French (official); Creole widely used
Literacy:
    69% (male 67%, female 74%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
Labor force:
    NA; agriculture 30%, industry 21%, services 49% (1981); 63% of population of
    working age (1983)
Organized labor:
    General Confederation of Workers of Reunion (CGTR)

:Reunion 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, commissioner of the Republic
Legislative branch:
    General Council, Regional Council
Judicial branch:
    Court of Appeals (Cour d'Appel)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
  Head of Government:
    Commissioner of the Republic Jacques DEWATRE (since July 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Rally for the Republic (RPR), Francois MAS; Union for French Democracy
    (UDF), Gilbert GERARD; Communist Party of Reunion (PCR), Paul VERGES;
    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:
  General Council:
    last held September/October 1988 (next to be held NA 1994); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (44 total) PCR 9, PS 4, UDF 6, other
    left-wing 2, RPR 4, right-wing 19
  Regional Council:
    last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held NA March 1992); 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 NA September 1992); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (3 total) RPR-UDF 1, PS 1, independent
    1
  French National Assembly:
    last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held NA June 1993); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (5 total) PCR 2, RPR 1, UDF-CDS 1, FRA
    1; note - Reunion elects 3 members to the French Senate and 5 members to the
    French National Assembly who are voting members
Communists:
    Communist party small but has support among sugarcane cutters, the minuscule
    Popular Movement for the Liberation of Reunion (MPLR), and in the district
    of Le Port
Member of:
    FZ, WFTU

:Reunion Government

Diplomatic representation:
    as an overseas department of France, Reunionese interests are represented in
    the US by France
Flag:
    the flag of France is used

:Reunion 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 has been pushing the development of a tourist
    industry to relieve high unemployment, which recently amounted to one-third
    of the labor force. The gap in Reunion between the well-off and the poor is
    extraordinary and accounts for the persistent social tensions. The white and
    Indian communities are substantially better off than other segments of the
    population, often approaching European standards, whereas indigenous groups
    suffer the poverty and unemployment typical of the poorer nations of the
    African continent. The outbreak of severe rioting in February 1991
    illustrates the seriousness of socioeconomic tensions. The economic
    well-being of Reunion depends heavily on continued financial assistance from
    France.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $3.37 billion, per capita $6,000 (1987 est.);
    real growth rate 9% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    1.3% (1988)
Unemployment rate:
    35% (February 1991)
Budget:
    revenues $358 million; expenditures $914 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1986)
Exports:
    $166 million (f.o.b., 1988)
  commodities:
    sugar 75%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 4%, lobster 3%, vanilla and
    tea 1%
  partners:
    France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
Imports:
    $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
  commodities:
    manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, machinery and transportation
    equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products
  partners:
    France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%; about 25% of GDP
Electricity:
    245,000 kW capacity; 546 million 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
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $14.8 billion
Currency:
    French franc (plural - francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.6397 (March 1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453
    (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987)

:Reunion Economy

Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Reunion Communications

Highways:
    2,800 km total; 2,200 km paved, 600 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized
    earth
Ports:
    Pointe des Galets
Civil air:
    3 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
    3,659 m; 1 with runway 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    adequate system; modern open-wire and microwave network; principal center
    Saint-Denis; radiocommunication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new
    microwave route to Mauritius; 85,900 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM,
    13 FM, 1 (18 repeaters) TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Reunion Defense Forces

Branches:
    French Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 164,974; 85,370 fit for military service; 6,083 reach military
    age (18) annually
Note:
    defense is the responsibility of France

:Romania Geography

Total area:
    237,500 km2
Land area:
    230,340 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
    2,508 km total; Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia and
    Montenegro 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (south) 169 km
Coastline:
    225 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers
    with frequent showers and thunderstorms
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 being exhausted), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
    salt
Land use:
    arable land 43%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and
    woodland 28%; other 7%; includes irrigated 11%
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, Moldova,
    and the Ukraine

:Romania People

Population:
    23,169,914 (July 1992), growth rate 0.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    14 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    22 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    68 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Romanian(s); adjective - Romanian
Ethnic divisions:
    Romanian 89.1%, Hungarian 8.9%, German 0.4%, Ukrainian, Serb, Croat,
    Russian, Turk, and Gypsy 1.6%
Religions:
    Romanian Orthodox 70%, Roman Catholic 6%, Greek Catholic (Uniate) 3%,
    Protestant 6%, unaffiliated 15%
Languages:
    Romanian, Hungarian, German
Literacy:
    96% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)
Labor force:
    10,945,700; industry 38%, agriculture 28%, other 34% (1989)
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 CEAUSESCU'S overthrow, newly created trade and professional
    trade unions are joining umbrella organizations, including the Organization
    of Free Trade Unions, Fratia (Brotherhood), and the Alfa Cartel; many other
    trade unions have been formed

:Romania Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Bucharest
Administrative divisions:
    40 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu);
    Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov,
    Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna,
    Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi,
    Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu,
    Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea
Independence:
    1881 (from Turkey); republic proclaimed 30 December 1947
Constitution:
    8 December 1991
Legal system:
    former mixture of civil law system and Communist legal theory that
    increasingly reflected Romanian traditions is being revised
National holiday:
    National Day of Romania, 1 December (1990)
Executive branch:
    *** No entry for this item ***
    president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a
    lower house or House of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court of Justice
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 June 1990, previously President of
    Provisional Council of National Unity since 23 December 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Teodor STOLOJAN (since 2 October 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    National Salvation Front (FSN), Petre ROMAN; Democratuc National Salvation
    Front (DNSF), Olivia GHERMAN; Magyar Democratic Union (UDMR), Geza DOMOKOS;
    National Liberal Party (PNL), Radu CAMPEANU; National Peasants' Christian
    and Democratic Party (PNTCD), Corneliu COPOSU; Ecology Movement (MER), Toma
    Gheorghe MAIORESCU; Romanian National Unity Party (PUNR), Radu CEONTEA;
    there are now more than 100 other parties; note - although the Communist
    Party has ceased to exist, small proto-Communist parties, notably the
    Socialist Labor Party, have been formed
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 20 May 1990 (next to be held NA 1992); results - Ion ILIESCU 85%,
    Radu CAMPEANU 10.5%, Ion RATIU 3.8%
  Senate:
    last held 20 May 1990 (next to be held NA 1992); results - FSN 67%, other
    33%; seats - (118 total) FSN 92, UDMR 12, PNL 9, PUNR 2, PNTCD 1, MER 1,
    other 1
  House of Deputies:
    last held 20 May 1990 (next to be held NA 1992); results - FSN 66%, UDMR 7%,
    PNL 6%, MER 2%, PNTCD 2%, PUNR 2%, other 15%; seats - (387 total) FSN 263,
    UDMR 29, PNL 29, PNTCD 12, MER 12, PUNR 9, other 33

:Romania Government

Member of:
    BIS, CCC, CSCE, ECE, FAO, G-9, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD,
    IFC, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), PCA, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Aurel MUNTEANU; Chancery at 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC
    20008; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador John R. DAVIS; Embassy at Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest
    (mailing address is APO AE 09213-5260); telephone [40] (0) 10-40-40; FAX
    [40] (0) 12-03-95
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

:Romania Economy

Overview:
    Industry, which accounts for about one-third of the labor force and
    generates over half the GDP, suffers from an aging capital plant and
    persistent shortages of energy. The year 1991 witnessed about a 17% drop in
    industrial production because of energy and input shortages and labor
    unrest. In recent years the agricultural sector has had to contend with
    flooding, mismanagement, shortages of inputs, and disarray caused by the
    dismantling of cooperatives. A shortage of fuel and equipment in 1991
    contributed to a lackluster harvest, a problem compounded by corruption and
    a poor distribution system. The new government is loosening the tight
    central controls of CEAUSESCU'S command economy. It has instituted moderate
    land reforms, with more than one-half of cropland now in private hands, and
    it has liberalized private agricultural output. Also, the new regime is
    permitting the establishment of private enterprises, largely in services,
    handicrafts, and small-scale industry. A law providing for the privatization
    of large state firms has been passed. Most of the large state firms have
    been converted into joint-stock companies, but the selling of shares and
    assets to private owners has been delayed. While the government has halted
    the old policy of diverting food from domestic consumption to hard currency
    export markets, supplies remain scarce in some areas. Furthermore, real
    wages in Romania fell about 20% in 1991, contributing to the unrest which
    forced the resignation of ROMAN in September. The new government continues
    to impose price ceilings on key consumer items.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $71.9 billion, per capita $3,100; real growth
    rate - 12% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    215% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    4% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $19 billion; expenditures $20 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $2.1 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $4.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    machinery and equipment 29.3%, fuels, minerals and metals 32.1%,
    manufactured consumer goods 18.1%, agricultural materials and forestry
    products 9.0%, other 11.5% (1989)
  partners:
    USSR 27%, Eastern Europe 23%, EC 15%, US 5%, China 4% (1987)
Imports:
    $5.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    fuels, minerals, and metals 56.0%, machinery and equipment 25.5%,
    agricultural and forestry products 8.6%, manufactured consumer goods 3.4%,
    other 6.5% (1989)
  partners:
    Communist countries 60%, non-Communist countries 40% (1987)
External debt:
    $2 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -17% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
    22,700,000 kW capacity; 64,200 million kWh produced, 2,760 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine
    building, food processing, petroleum

:Romania Economy

Agriculture:
    accounts for 15% of GDP and 28% of labor force; major wheat and corn
    producer; other products - sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, milk,
    eggs, meat, grapes
Illicit drugs:
    transshipment point for southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route
Economic aid:
    donor - $4.4 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed
    countries (1956-89)
Currency:
    leu (plural - lei); 1 leu (L) = 100 bani
Exchange rates:
    lei (L) per US$1 - 198.00 (March 1992), 76.39 (1991), 22.432 (1990), 14.922
    (1989), 14.277 (1988), 14.557 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Romania Communications

Railroads:
    11,275 km total; 10,860 km 1.435-meter gauge, 370 km narrow gauge, 45 km
    broad gauge; 3,411 km electrified, 3,060 km double track; government owned
    (1987)
Highways:
    72,799 km total; 35,970 km paved; 27,729 km gravel, crushed stone, and other
    stabilized surfaces; 9,100 km unsurfaced roads (1985)
Inland waterways:
    1,724 km (1984)
Pipelines:
    crude oil 2,800 km, petroleum products 1,429 km, natural gas 6,400 km
Ports:
    Constanta, Galati, Braila, Mangalia; inland ports are Giurgiu, Drobeta-Turnu
    Severin, Orsova
Merchant marine:
    262 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,320,373 GRT/5,207,580 DWT; includes
    1 passenger-cargo, 174 cargo, 2 container, 1 rail-car carrier, 9
    roll-on/roll-off cargo, 13 petroleum tanker, 60 bulk, 2 combination ore/oil
Civil air:
    59 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    165 total, 165 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 15 with runways
    2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    poor service; about 2.3 million telephone customers; 89% of phone network is
    automatic; cable and open wire; trunk network is microwave; present phone
    density is 9.85 per 100 residents; roughly 3,300 villages with no service
    (February 1990); broadcast stations - 12 AM, 5 FM, 13 TV (1990); 1 satellite
    ground station using INTELSAT

:Romania Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 5,799,837; 4,909,642 fit for military service; 184,913 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - 50 billion lei (unofficial), NA% of GDP (1991);
    note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current
    exchange rate could produce misleading results

:Russia Geography

Total area:
    17,075,200 km2
Land area:
    16,995,800 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly more than 1.8 times the size of the US
Land boundaries:
    20,139 km total; Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605
    km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 290 km, Finland 1,313 km, Georgia 723 km,
    Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 19 km, Latvia 217 km, Lithuania
    (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,441 km, Norway 167 km, Poland
    (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Ukraine 1,576 km
Coastline:
    37,653 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    NA nm
  Continental shelf:
    200-meter depth or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    NA nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    inherited disputes from former USSR including: sections of the boundary with
    China, a section of the boundary with Tajikistan; boundary with Latvia,
    Lithuania, and Estonia; Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and the
    Habomai island group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, claimed by Japan;
    maritime dispute with Norway over portion of the Barents Sea; 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:
    ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of
    European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north;
    winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers
    vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast
Terrain:
    broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra
    in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions
Natural resources:
    wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas,
    coal, and many strategic minerals; timber; note - formidable obstacles of
    climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources
Land use:
    NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest
    and woodland; NA% other; includes NA% irrigated
Environment:
    despite its size, only a small percentage of land is arable and much is too
    far north; permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to
    development; catastrophic pollution of land, air, water, including both
    inland waterways and sea coasts
Note:
    largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in
    relation to major sea lanes of the world

:Russia People

Population:
    149,527,479 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    15 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    31 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    63 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Russian(s); adjective - Russian
Ethnic divisions:
    Estonian NA%, Latvian NA%, Lithuanian NA%, Russian NA%, other NA%
Religions:
    Russian Orthodox NA%, unknown NA%, none NA%, other NA%
Languages:
    Estonian NA%, Latvian NA%, Lithuanian NA%, Russian NA%, other NA%
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write
Labor force:
    78,682,000 (1989); industry and construction 43.0%, agriculture and forestry
    13.0%, transport and communication 7.9%, trade and distribution 7.9%, other
    28.2%
Organized labor:
    NA

:Russia Government

Long-form name:
    Russian Federation
Type:
    federation
Capital:
    Moscow
Administrative divisions:
    20 autonomous republics (avtomnykh respublik, singular - automnaya
    respublika); Adygea (Maykop), Bashkortostan (Ufa), Buryatia (Ulan-Ude),
    Checheno-Ingushetia (Groznyy), Chuvashia (Cheboksary), Dagestan
    (Makhachkala), Gorno-Altay (Gorno-Altaysk), Kabardino-Balkaria (Nal`chik),
    Kalmykia (Elista), Karachay-Cherkessia (Cherkessk), Karelia (Petrozavodsk),
    Khakassia (Abakan), Komi (Syktyvkar), Mari El (Yoshkar-Ola), Mordvinia
    (Saransk), North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz; formerly Ordzhonikidze), Tatarstan
    (Kazan'), Tuva (Kyzyl), Udmurtia (Izhevsk), Yakutia (Yakutsk); 49 oblasts
    (oblastey, singular - oblast'); Amur (Blagoveshchensk), Arkhangel'sk,
    Astrakhan', Belgorod, Bryansk, Chelyabinsk, Chita, Irkutsk, Ivanovo,
    Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Kamchata (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Kemerovo, Kirov,
    Kostroma, Kurgan, Kursk, Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Lipetsk, Magadan,
    Moscow, Murmansk, Nizhegorod (Nizhniy Novgorod; formerly Gor'kiy), Novgorod,
    Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orel, Orenburg, Penza, Perm', Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan',
    Sakhalin (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Samara (formerly Kuybyshev), Saratov,
    Smolensk, Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg), Tambov, Tomsk, Tula, Tver' (formerly
    Kalinin), Tyumen', Ul'yanovsk, Vladmir, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh,
    Yaroslavl'; 6 krays (krayer, singular - kray); Altay (Barnaul), Khabarovsk,
    Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Primorskiy (Vladivostok), Stavropol; note - the
    cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg have oblast status; an administrative
    division has the same name as its administrative center (exceptions have the
    administrative center name following in parentheses); it is possible that 4
    more administrative divisions will be added
Independence:
    24 August 1991, declared by Supreme Council (from Soviet Union; formerly
    Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic); 1 December 1991 referendum on
    independence passed
Constitution:
    a new constitution is in the process of being drafted
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; does not
    accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    NA
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, Security Council, President's Administration,
    Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
    Congress of People's Deputies, Supreme Soviet
Judicial branch:
    Constitutional Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    *** No entry for this item ***
    President Boris YEL'TSIN (since 12 June 1991), Vice President Aleksandr
    RUTSKOY (since 12 June 1991), State Secretary Gennadiy BURBULIS (since July
    1991); 1st Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Yegor GAYDAR (since
    March 1992), 2nd Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Aleksandr
    SHOKHIN (since 7 November 1991)

:Russia Government

Political parties and leaders:
    Democratic Russia, A. Lev PONOMAREV and Gleb YAKUNIN, cochairmen; Democratic
    Party of Russia, Nikolay TRAVKIN, chairman; People's Party of Free Russia,
    Aleksandr RUTSKOY, chairman; Russian Movement for Democratic Reforms,
    Gavriil POPOV, chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 12 June 1991 (next to be held 1996); results - percent of vote by
    party NA%
  Congress of People's Deputies:
    last held March 1990 (next to be held 1995); results - percent of vote by
    party NA%; seats - (1,063 total) number of seats by party NA
  Supreme Soviet:
    last held May 1990 (next to be held 1995); results - percent of vote by
    party NA%; seats - (252 total) number of seats by party NA
Communists:
    NA
Other political or pressure groups:
    NA
Member of:
    CIS, CSCE, ESCAP, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IMF, INTERPOL, IMO,
    INMARSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NSG, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNTSO,
    UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZG
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador LUKIN; Chancery at 1125 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036;
    telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Robert S. STRAUSS; Embassy at Ulitsa Chaykovskogo 19/21/23,
    Moscow (mailing address is APO AE 09721); telephone [7] [phone]
    through 59; there is a consulate at St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad);
    future consulates will be in Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok
Flag:
    tricolor; three equal bands of white (top), blue, red (bottom)

:Russia Economy

Overview:
    Russia, one of the world's largest economies, possesses a wealth of natural
    resources and a diverse industrial base. Within the now-dismantled USSR, it
    had produced 60% of total output, with 55% of the total labor force and 60%
    of the total capital stock. Russia depends on its world-class deposits of
    oil and gas not only for its own needs but also for vital hard currency
    earnings. Self-sufficient in coal and iron ore, it has a crude steel
    production capacity of about 95 million tons, second only to Japan. Russia's
    machine-building sector - 60% of the old USSR's - lags behind world
    standards of efficiency and quality of product. Other major industrial
    sectors - chemicals, construction materials, light industry, and food
    processing - also suffer from quality problems, obsolescent capital
    equipment, and pollution. Consumer goods have had lower priority, and the
    product mix has not mirrored household preferences. Furthermore, the
    transition to a more market-oriented economy has disrupted channels of
    supply to factories and distribution outlets; substantial imports of foods
    and medical supplies have helped maintain minimum standards of consumption.
    Russia inherited 70% of the former USSR's defense production facilities and
    is experiencing major social problems during conversion of many of these
    plants to civilian production. Russia produces almost half of the old USSR's
    farm products, but most warm-climate crops must be imported. Under the old
    USSR, production of industrial and agricultural goods often was concentrated
    in a single firm or a single republic. Today, producing units often have
    lost their major customers and their major sources of supply, and the market
    institutions and incentives for adjusting to the new political and economic
    situations are only slowly emerging. Rank-and-file Russians will continue to
    suffer major deprivations in 1992 and beyond before the country begins to
    realize its great economic potential. The comprehensive economic reform
    program enacted in January 1992 faces many economic and political hurdles
    before it will lead to sustained economic growth.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate - 9%
    (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    89% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    NA
Exports:
    $58.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood products, coal,
    nonferrous metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military
    manufactures
  partners:
    Western Europe, Japan, Eastern Europe
Imports:
    $43.5 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    machinery and equipment, chemicals, consumer goods, grain, meat,
    semifinished metal products
  partners:
    Western and Eastern Europe, Japan, Third World countries, Cuba
External debt:
    $40 billion (end of 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    -8% after adjustment for inflation due to shift to more expensive products,
    -2% before this adjustment (1991)

:Russia Economy

Electricity:
    42,500 MW capacity; 1,100 billion kWh produced, 7,430 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas,
    chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to
    high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; ship- building; road and rail
    transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery,
    tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and
    transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer
    durables
Agriculture:
    grain, meat, milk, vegetables, fruits; because of its northern location
    Russia does not grow citrus, cotton, tea, and other warm climate products
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producers of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption;
    government has active eradication program; used as transshipment point for
    illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $NA; Western (non-US) countries,
    ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-86), $NA; Communist countries
    (1971-86), $NA million
Currency:
    ruble (plural - rubles); 1 ruble (R) = 100 kopeks
Exchange rates:
    150 rubles per US$1 (20 July 1992) but subject to wide fluctuations
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Russia Communications

Railroads:
    87,180 km all 1.520-meter broad gauge (includes NA km electrified); does not
    include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
    879,100 km total (1990); 652,500 km hard-surfaced, 226,600 km earth
Inland waterways:
    NA km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
    crude oil and petroleum products 68,400 km, natural gas NA km
Ports:
    maritime - St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Arkhangel'sk,
    Novorossiysk, Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Kholmsk, Korsakov, Magadan, Tiksi,
    Tuapse, Vanino, Vostochnyy, Vyborg; inland - Astrakhan', Nizhniy Novgorod
    (Gor'kiy), Kazan', Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Samara (Kuybyshev), Moscow,
    Rostov, Volgograd
Merchant marine:
    842 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,151,393 GRT/11,308,812 DWT;
    includes 494 cargo, 39 container, 2 barge carrier, 3 roll-on/float-off, 69
    roll-on/roll-off, 131 petroleum tanker, 53 bulk cargo, 9 chemical tanker, 2
    specialized liquid carriers, 17 combination ore/oil, 23 passenger
Civil air:
    NA major transport aircraft
Airports:
    NA total, NA usable; NA with permanent-surface runways; NA with runways over
    3,659 m; NA with runways 2,440-3,659 m; NA with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    the telephone system is inadequate for a large industrial country,
    consisting of about 36 million lines of which only about 3% are switched
    automatically; as of 31 January 1990, 10.8 million applications for
    telephones for household use could not be satisfied; telephone density is 11
    per 100 persons; international connections are made via satellite, land
    line, microwave, and outdated submarine cables, and are generally
    unsatisfactory; the international gateway switch in Moscow handles
    international traffic for the other former Soviet republics as well as for
    Russia; broadcast stations - 1,050 AM/FM/SW (reach 98.6% of population), 310
    TV (580 repeaters) (reach 98% of population); satellite ground stations -
    INTELSAT, Intersputnik, INMARSAT, Orbita

:Russia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Russian defence forces will be comprised of those ground-, air-, and
    sea-based conventional assets currently on Russian soil and those scheduled
    to be withdrawn from other countries; strategic forces will remain under CIS
    control
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 36,288,000; 27,216,000 fit for military service; 1,020,341
    reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP

:Rwanda 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
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); 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:
    arable land 29%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and
    woodland 10%; other 32%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    deforestation; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; periodic droughts
Note:
    landlocked

:Rwanda People

Population:
    8,206,446 (July 1992), growth rate 3.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    52 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    14 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    108 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    51 years male, 55 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    8.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Rwandan(s); adjective - Rwandan
Ethnic divisions:
    Hutu 90%, Tutsi 9%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other
    25%
Languages:
    Kinyarwanda, French (official); Kiswahili used in commercial centers
Literacy:
    50% (male 64%, female 37%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    3,600,000; agriculture 93%, government and services 5%, industry and
    commerce 2%; 49% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Rwanda Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Rwanda
Type:
    republic; presidential system in which military leaders hold key offices; on
    31 December 1990, the government announced a National Political Charter to
    serve as a basis for transition to a presidential/parliamentary political
    system; the 1978 constitution was replaced in June 1991 via popular
    referendum by a new constitution creating a multiparty system with a
    president and prime minister
Capital:
    Kigali
Administrative divisions:
    10 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture in French; plural - NA,
    singular - prefegitura in Kinyarwanda); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro,
    Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Rigali, Ruhengeri
Independence:
    1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
Constitution:
    18 June 1991
Legal system:
    based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial
    review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory
    ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral National Development Council (Conseil National de Developpement)
Judicial branch:
    Constitutional Court (consists of the Court of Cassation and the Council of
    State in joint session)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Maj. Gen. Juvenal HABYARIMANA (since 5 July 1973)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Sylvestre NSANZIMANA (since NA October 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Republican Revolutionary Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND), Maj.
    Gen. Juvenal HABYARIMANA; formerly a one-party state, Rwanda legalized
    independent parties in mid-1991; since then, at least 10 new political
    parties have registered; President HABYARIMANA's political movement - the
    National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND) - reorganized itself
    as a political party and changed its name to the Republican National
    Movement for Democracy and Development (but kept the same initials - MRND);
    significant independent parties include: Democratic Republican Movement
    (MDR), leader NA; Liberal Party (PL), leader NA; Democratic and Socialist
    Party (PSD), leader NA; note - since October 1990, Rwanda has been involved
    in a low-intensity conflict with the Rwandan Patriotic Front/Rwandan
    Patriotic Army (RPF/RPA); the RPF/RPA is primarily an ethnically based
    organization
Suffrage:
    universal adult, exact age NA
Elections:
  President:
    last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1993); results -
    President Maj. Gen. Juvenal HABYARIMANA reelected

:Rwanda Government

  National Development Council:
    last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1993); results -
    MRND is the only party; seats - (70 total) MRND 70
Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
    IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Aloys UWIMANA; Chancery at 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20009; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Robert A. FLATEN; Embassy at Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali
    (mailing address is B. P. 28, Kigali); telephone [250] 75601 through 75603;
    FAX [250] 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

:Rwanda Economy

Overview:
    Almost 50% 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 only 17% to GDP. Manufacturing focuses
    mainly on the processing of agricultural products. The Rwandan economy
    remains dependent on coffee exports and foreign aid. Weak international
    prices since 1986 have caused the economy to contract and per capita GDP to
    decline. A structural adjustment program with the World Bank began in
    October 1990. An outbreak of insurgency, also in October, has dampened any
    prospects for economic improvement.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.1 billion, per capita $300; real growth rate
    -6.8% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    4.2% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $391 million; expenditures $491 million, including capital
    expenditures of $225 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $111.7 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    coffee 85%, tea, tin, cassiterite, wolframite, pyrethrum
  partners:
    Germany, Belgium, Italy, Uganda, UK, France, US
Imports:
    $279.2 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    textiles, foodstuffs, machines and equipment, capital goods, steel,
    petroleum products, cement and construction material
  partners:
    US, Belgium, Germany, Kenya, Japan
External debt:
    $911 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 1.2% (1988); accounts for 17% of GDP
Electricity:
    30,000 kW capacity; 130 million kWh produced, 15 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    mining of cassiterite (tin ore) and wolframite (tungsten ore), tin, cement,
    agricultural processing, small-scale beverage production, soap, furniture,
    shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Agriculture:
    accounts for almost 50% of GDP and about 90% of the labor force; cash crops
    - coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums); main food
    crops - bananas, 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
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $128 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.0 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $45 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $58
    million; note - in October 1990 Rwanda launched a Structural Adjustment
    Program with the IMF; since September 1991, the EC has given $46 million and
    the US $25 million in support of this program
Currency:
    Rwandan franc (plural - francs); 1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes

:Rwanda Economy

Exchange rates:
    Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1 - 121.40 (January 1992), 125.14 (1991), 82.60
    (1990), 79.98 (1989), 76.45 (1988), 79.67 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Rwanda 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:
    2 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    8 total, 8 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
    3,659 m; 1 with runway 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;
    broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 (7 repeaters) FM, no TV; satellite earth
    stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE

:Rwanda Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army (including Air Wing), Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 1,719,936; 876,659 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $37 million, 1.6% of GDP (1988 est.)

:Saint Helena Geography

Total area:
    410 km2
Land area:
    410 km2; includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible 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:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
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:
    arable land 7%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and
    woodland 3%; other 83%
Environment:
    very few perennial streams
Note:
    located 1,920 km west of Angola, about two-thirds of the way between South
    America and Africa; Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial; the
    remains were taken to Paris in 1840

:Saint Helena People

Population:
    6,698 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    10 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    40 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    72 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Saint Helenian(s); adjective - Saint Helenian
Ethnic divisions:
    NA
Religions:
    Anglican majority; also Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Roman Catholic
Languages:
    English
Literacy:
    98% (male 97%, female 98%) age 15 and over can read and write (1987)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    Saint Helena General Workers' Union, 472 members; crafts 17%, professional
    and technical 10%, service 10%, management and clerical 9%, farming and
    fishing 9%, transport 6%, sales 5%, and other 34%

:Saint Helena Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    dependent territory of the UK
Capital:
    Jamestown
Administrative divisions:
    1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan
    da Cunha*
Independence:
    none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution:
    1 January 1967
Legal system:
    NA
National holiday:
    Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June), 10 June
    1989
Executive branch:
    British monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  Head of Government:
    Governor A. N. HOOLE
Political parties and leaders:
    Saint Helena Labor Party, leader NA; Saint Helena Progressive Party, leader
    NA; note - both political parties inactive since 1976
Suffrage:
    NA
Elections:
  Legislative Council:
    last held October 1984 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
    party NA; seats - (15 total, 12 elected) number of seats by party NA
Member of:
    ICFTU
Diplomatic representation:
    none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag:
    blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint
    Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features
    a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship

:Saint Helena Economy

Overview:
    The economy depends primarily on financial assistance from the UK. The local
    population earns some income from fishing, the rearing of livestock, and
    sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, a large proportion of the
    work force has left to seek employment overseas.
GDP:
    $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    -1.1% (1986)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $3.2 million; expenditures $2.9 million, including capital
    expenditures of NA (1984)
Exports:
    $23.9 thousand (f.o.b., 1984)
  commodities:
    fish (frozen and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), handicrafts
  partners:
    South Africa, UK
Imports:
    $2.4 million (c.i.f., 1984)
  commodities:
    food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor
    vehicles and parts, machinery and parts
  partners:
    UK, South Africa
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    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; crawfishing
    on Tristan da Cunha
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $198 million
Currency:
    Saint Helenian pound (plural - pounds); 1 Saint Helenian pound (#S) = 100
    pence
Exchange rates:
    Saint Helenian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 0.5799 (March 1992), 0.5652 (1991),
    0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987); note - the Saint Helenian pound
    is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Saint Helena Communications

Highways:
    87 km paved roads, 20 km earth roads on Saint Helena; 80 km paved roads on
    Ascension; 2.7 km paved roads on Tristan da Cunha
Ports:
    Jamestown (Saint Helena), Georgetown (Ascension)
Airports:
    1 with permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 m on Ascension
Telecommunications:
    1,500 radio receivers; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 550
    telephones in automatic network; HF radio links to Ascension, then into
    worldwide submarine cable and satellite networks; major coaxial submarine
    cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension; 2
    Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

:Saint Helena Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the UK

:Saint Kitts and Nevis Geography

Total area:
    269 km2
Land area:
    269 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    135 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    24 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature
    variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain:
    volcanic with mountainous interiors
Natural resources:
    negligible
Land use:
    arable land 22%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and
    woodland 17%; other 41%
Environment:
    subject to hurricanes (July to October)
Note:
    located 320 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico

:Saint Kitts and Nevis People

Population:
    40,061 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    22 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -9 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    22 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    63 years male, 69 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s); adjective - Kittsian, Nevisian
Ethnic divisions:
    mainly of black African descent
Religions:
    Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic
Languages:
    English
Literacy:
    98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever attended school
    (1970)
Labor force:
    20,000 (1981)
Organized labor:
    6,700

:Saint Kitts and Nevis Government

Long-form name:
    Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis; formerly Federation of Saint
    Christopher 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 Windward, Saint John
    Capisterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capisterre,
    Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint
    Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point
Independence:
    19 September 1983 (from UK)
Constitution:
    19 September 1983
Legal system:
    based on English common law
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Executive branch:
    British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
    Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
    Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
    Sir Clement Athelston ARRINDELL (since 19 September 1983, previously
    Governor General of the Associated State since NA November 1981)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS (since 19 September 1983,
    previously Premier of the Associated State since NA February 1980); Deputy
    Prime Minister Michael Oliver POWELL (since NA)
Political parties and leaders:
    People's Action Movement (PAM), Kennedy SIMMONDS; Saint Kitts and Nevis
    Labor Party (SKNLP), Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS; 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); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (14 total, 11 elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2,
    NRP 2, CCM 1
Member of:
    ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF, INTERPOL,
    OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO
Diplomatic representation:
    Minister-Counselor (Deputy Chief of Mission), Charge d'Affaires ad interim
    Aubrey Eric HART; Chancery at Suite 608, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC
    20037; telephone [phone]
  US:
    no official presence since the Charge resides in Saint John's (Antigua and
    Barbuda)

:Saint Kitts and Nevis Government

Flag:
    divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing
    two white five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper
    triangle is green, the lower triangle is red

:Saint Kitts and Nevis Economy

Overview:
    The economy has 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:
    exchange rate conversion - $146.6 million, per capita $3,650; real growth
    rate 2.1% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    4.2% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    15% (1989)
Budget:
    revenues $38.1 million; expenditures $68 million, including capital
    expenditures of $31.5 million (1991)
Exports:
    $24.6 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    sugar, clothing, electronics, postage stamps
  partners:
    US 53%, UK 22%, Trinidad and Tobago 5%, OECS 5% (1988)
Imports:
    $103.2 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, intermediate manufactures, machinery, fuels
  partners:
    US 36%, UK 17%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, Canada 3%, Japan 3%, OECS 4% (1988)
External debt:
    $26.4 million (1988)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 11.8% (1988 est.); accounts for 17% of GDP
Electricity:
    15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 1,117 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear,
    beverages
Agriculture:
    cash crop - sugarcane; subsistence crops - rice, yams, vegetables, bananas;
    fishing potential not fully exploited; most food imported
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $10.7 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $67 million
Currency:
    East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Saint Kitts and Nevis Communications

Railroads:
    58 km 0.760-meter gauge on Saint Kitts for sugarcane
Highways:
    300 km total; 125 km paved, 125 km otherwise improved, 50 km unimproved
    earth
Ports:
    Basseterre (Saint 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; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections and international link via
    Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin; 2,400 telephones; broadcast stations -
    2 AM, no FM, 4 TV

:Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Forces

Branches:
    Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
    NA
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

:Saint Lucia 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:
    158 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    24 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to
    April, rainy season from May to August
Terrain:
    volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Natural resources:
    forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal
    potential
Land use:
    arable land 8%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and
    woodland 13%; other 54%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
    subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion
Note:
    located 700 km southeast of Puerto Rico

:Saint Lucia People

Population:
    151,774 (July 1992), growth rate 1.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
    26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    18 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    70 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Saint Lucian(s); adjective - Saint Lucian
Ethnic divisions:
    African descent 90.3%, mixed 5.5%, East Indian 3.2%, Caucasian 0.8%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%
Languages:
    English (official), French patois
Literacy:
    67% (male 65%, female 69%) age 15 and over having ever attended school
    (1980)
Labor force:
    43,800; agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983
    est.)
Organized labor:
    20% of labor force

:Saint Lucia Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    parliamentary democracy
Capital:
    Castries
Administrative divisions:
    11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet,
    Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Independence:
    22 February 1979 (from UK)
Constitution:
    22 February 1979
Legal system:
    based on English common law
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Executive branch:
    British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house
    or House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
    Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Acting Governor
    General Sir 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; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP),
    Julian HUNTE; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George ODLUM
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  House of Assembly:
    last held 6 April 1987 (next to be held by 27 April 1992); results - percent
    of vote by party NA; seats - (17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7
Member of:
    ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
    IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD,
    UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS; Chancery at Suite 309, 2100 M Street
    NW, Washington, DC 30037; telephone [phone] or 7379; there is a Saint
    Lucian Consulate General in New York
  US:
    no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)
Flag:
    blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges
    of the arrowhead have a white border

:Saint Lucia Economy

Overview:
    Since 1983 the economy has shown an impressive average annual growth rate of
    almost 5% because of strong agricultural and tourist sectors. Saint Lucia
    also possesses an expanding industrial 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. Saint Lucia is subject to periodic
    droughts and/or tropical storms, and its protected market agreement with the
    UK for bananas may end in 1992.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $295 million, per capita $1,930; real growth rate
    4.0% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    4.2% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    16.0% (1988)
Budget:
    revenues $131 million; expenditures $149 million, including capital
    expenditures of $71 million (FY90 est.)
Exports:
    $127 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    bananas 54%, clothing 17%, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
  partners:
    UK 51%, CARICOM 20%, US 19%, other 10%
Imports:
    $270 million (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    manufactured goods 23%, machinery and transportation equipment 27%, food and
    live animals 18%, chemicals 10%, fuels 6%
  partners:
    US 35%, CARICOM 16%, UK 15%, Japan 7%, Canada 4%, other 23%
External debt:
    $54.5 million (1989)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
Electricity:
    32,500 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced, 732 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated boxes,
    tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
Agriculture:
    accounts for 16% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops - bananas, coconuts,
    vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist
    industry
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $120 million
Currency:
    East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

:Saint Lucia Communications

Highways:
    760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km otherwise improved
Ports:
    Castries
Civil air:
    no 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 telephone system; 9,500 telephones; direct microwave link
    with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland
    troposcatter link to Barbados; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (cable)

:Saint Lucia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
    NA
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

:Saint Pierre and Miquelon Geography

Total area:
    242 km2
Land area:
    242 km2; includes eight small islands in the Saint 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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France
Climate:
    cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy
Terrain:
    mostly barren rock
Natural resources:
    fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
    arable land 13%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 4%; other 83%
Environment:
    vegetation scanty
Note:
    located 25 km south of Newfoundland, Canada, in the North Atlantic Ocean

:Saint Pierre and Miquelon People

Population:
    6,513 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    9 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    75 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective - French
Ethnic divisions:
    originally Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 98%
Languages:
    French
Literacy:
    99% (male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
Labor force:
    2,850 (1988)
Organized labor:
    Workers' Force trade union

:Saint Pierre and Miquelon Government

Long-form name:
    Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Type:
    territorial collectivity of France
Capital:
    Saint-Pierre
Administrative divisions:
    none (territorial collectivity of France)
Independence:
    none (territorial collectivity of France); note - has been under French
    control since 1763
Constitution:
    28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
    French law
National holiday:
    National Day, 14 July (Taking of the Bastille)
Executive branch:
    French president, commissioner of the Republic
Legislative branch:
    unicameral General Council
Judicial branch:
    Superior Tribunal of Appeals (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
  Head of Government:
    Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Pierre MARQUIE (since February 1989);
    President of the General Council Marc PLANTEGENET (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 NA 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 NA May 1995); results - (second
    ballot) Jacques CHIRAC 56%, Francois MITTERRAND 44%
  French Senate:
    last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA 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 NA June 1993); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) UDF/CDS 1; note - Saint
    Pierre and Miquelon elects 1 member each to the French Senate and the French
    National Assembly who are voting members
Member of:
    FZ, WFTU
Diplomatic representation:
    as a territorial collectivity of France, local interests are represented in
    the US by France
Flag:
    the flag of France is used

:Saint Pierre and Miquelon Economy

Overview:
    The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by fishing and by
    servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The
    economy has been declining, however, because the number of ships stopping at
    Saint Pierre has dropped steadily over the years. In March 1989, an
    agreement between France and Canada set fish quotas for Saint Pierre's
    trawlers fishing in Canadian and Canadian-claimed waters for three years.
    The agreement settles a longstanding dispute that had virtually brought fish
    exports to a halt. The islands are heavily subsidized by France. Imports
    come primarily from Canada and France.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $60 million, per capita $9,500; real growth rate
    NA% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    9.6% (1990)
Budget:
    revenues $18.3 million; expenditures $18.3 million, including capital
    expenditures of $5.5 million (1989)
Exports:
    $25.5 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    fish and fish products, fox and mink pelts
  partners:
    US 58%, France 17%, UK 11%, Canada, Portugal
Imports:
    $87.2 million (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials
  partners:
    Canada, France, US, Netherlands, UK
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    10,000 kW capacity; 25 million kWh produced, 3,970 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries:
    fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism
Agriculture:
    vegetables, cattle, sheep and pigs for local consumption; fish catch, 20,500
    metric tons (1989)
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $500 million
Currency:
    French franc (plural - francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.6397 (March 1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453
    (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Saint Pierre and Miquelon Communications

Highways:
    120 km total; 60 km paved (1985)
Ports:
    Saint Pierre
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
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; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 3 FM, no TV; radio
    communication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French
    domestic satellite system

:Saint Pierre and Miquelon Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of France

:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 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
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to
    November)
Terrain:
    volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent
Natural resources:
    negligible
Land use:
    arable land 38%; permanent crops 12%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and
    woodland 41%; other 3%; includes irrigated 3%
Environment:
    subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat
Note:
    some islands of the Grenadines group are administered by Grenada

:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines People

Population:
    115,339 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    23 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    19 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    71 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s); adjectives - Saint Vincentian
    or Vincentian
Ethnic divisions:
    mainly of black African descent; remainder mixed, with some white, East
    Indian, Carib Indian
Religions:
    Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages:
    English, some French patois
Literacy:
    96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over having ever attended school
    (1970)
Labor force:
    67,000 (1984 est.)
Organized labor:
    10% of labor force

:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Kingstown
Administrative divisions:
    6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George,
    Saint Patrick
Independence:
    27 October 1979 (from UK)
Constitution:
    27 October 1979
Legal system:
    based on English common law
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Executive branch:
    British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
    Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
    David JACK (since 29 September 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since 30 July 1984)
Political parties and leaders:
    New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) MITCHELL; Saint Vincent Labor Party
    (SVLP), Vincent BEACHE; 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 NA July 1994); results - percent of
    vote by party NA; seats - (21 total; 15 elected representatives and 6
    appointed senators) NDP 15
Member of:
    ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF,
    IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
    WCL, WFTU, WHO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Kingsley LAYNE; 1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 102,
    Washington, DC 20036; telephone NA
  US:
    no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)
Flag:
    three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green;
    the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern
    *** No entry for this item ***

:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Economy

Overview:
    Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is the most important sector of
    the economy. The services sector, based mostly on a growing tourist
    industry, is also important. The economy continues to have a high
    unemployment rate of 30% because of an overdependence on the weather-plagued
    banana crop as a major export earner. Government progress toward
    diversifying into new industries has been relatively unsuccessful.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $146 million, per capita $1,300; real growth rate
    5.9% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    3.0% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    30% (1989 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million, including capital
    expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.)
Exports:
    $75 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    bananas, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets, flour
  partners:
    UK 43%, CARICOM 37%, US 15%
Imports:
    $130 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and
    fuels
  partners:
    US 42%, CARICOM 19%, UK 15%
External debt:
    $50.9 million (1989)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 14% of GDP
Electricity:
    16,594 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 560 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    food processing (sugar, flour), cement, furniture, clothing, starch, sheet
    metal, beverage
Agriculture:
    accounts for 15% of GDP and 60% of labor force; provides bulk of exports;
    products - bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of
    cattle, sheep, hogs, goats; small fish catch used locally
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $81 million
Currency:
    East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year (as of January 1991); previously 1 July - 30 June

:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Communications

Highways:
    about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unimproved
Ports:
    Kingstown
Merchant marine:
    407 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,388,427 GRT/5,511,325 DWT; includes
    3 passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 222 cargo, 22 container, 19 roll-on/roll-off
    cargo, 14 refrigerated cargo, 24 petroleum tanker, 7 chemical tanker, 4
    liquefied gas, 73 bulk, 13 combination bulk, 2 vehicle carrier, 1 livestock
    carrier, 1 specialized tanker; note - China owns 3 ships; 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 automatic telephone system; 6,500 telephones; VHF/UHF
    interisland links from Saint Vincent to Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF
    links to Grenada and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV
    (cable)

:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Defense Forces

Branches:
    Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
    NA
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

:San Marino Geography

Total area:
    60 km2
Land area:
    60 km2
Comparative area:
    about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    39 km; Italy 39 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers
Terrain:
    rugged mountains
Natural resources:
    building stones
Land use:
    arable land 17%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 83%
Environment:
    dominated by the Appenines
Note:
    landlocked; world's smallest republic; enclave of Italy

:San Marino People

Population:
    23,404 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    8 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    5 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    74 years male, 79 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Sanmarinese (singular and plural); adjective - Sanmarinese
Ethnic divisions:
    Sanmarinese, Italian
Religions:
    Roman Catholic
Languages:
    Italian
Literacy:
    96% (male 96%, female 95%) age 14 and over can read and write (1976)
Labor force:
    about 4,300
Organized labor:
    Democratic Federation of Sanmarinese Workers (affiliated with ICFTU) has
    about 1,800 members; Communist-dominated General Federation of Labor, 1,400
    members

:San Marino 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 AD (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 accepted
    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 Great and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale)
Judicial branch:
    Council of Twelve (Consiglio dei XII)
Leaders:
  Co-Chiefs of State:
    Captain Regent Edda CETCOLI and Captain Regent Marino RICCARDI (since 1
    October 1991)
  Head of Government:
    Secretary of State Gabriele GATTI (since July 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
    Christian Democratic Party (DCS), Piermarino MENICUCCI; San Marino
    Democratic Progressive Party (PPDS) formerly San Marino Communist Party
    (PCS), Gilberto GHIOTTI; San Marino Socialist Party (PSS), Remy GIACOMINI;
    Unitary Socialst Party (PSU); Democratic Movement (MD), Emilio Della BALDA;
    San Marino Social Democratic Party (PSDS), Augusto CASALI; San Marino
    Republican Party (PRS), Cristoforo BUSCARINI
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Great and General Council:
    last held 29 May 1988 (next to be held by NA May 1993); results - percent of
    vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) DCS 27, PCS 18, PSU 8, PSS 7
Communists:
    about 300 members
Member of:
    CE, CSCE, ICAO, ICFTU, ILO, IMF (observer), IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS,
    NAM (guest), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    San Marino maintains honorary Consulates General in Washington and New York
    and an honorary Consulate in Detroit

:San Marino Government

  US:
    no mission in San Marino, but the Consul General in Florence (Italy) is
    accredited to San Marino; Consulate General at Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci,
    38, 50123 Firenze, Italy (mailing address is APO AE 09613; telephone [39]
    (55) 239-8276 through 8279 and 217-605; FAX [39] (55) 284-088
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
Flag:
    AS (Liberty)

:San Marino Economy

Overview:
    More than 2 million tourists visit each year, contributing about 60% to GDP.
    The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is another important income
    producer. The manufacturing sector employs nearly 40% of the labor force and
    agriculture less than 4%. The per capita level of output and standard of
    living are comparable to northern Italy.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $400 million, per capita $17,000; real growth
    rate NA% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    6% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    6.5% (1985)
Budget:
    revenues $99.2 million; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of
    $NA (1983)
Exports:
    *** No entry for this item ***
    trade data are included with the statistics for Italy; commodity trade
    consists primarily of exchanging building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts,
    wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, and ceramics for a wide variety of consumer
    manufactures
Imports:
    see
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    supplied by Italy
Industries:
    wine, olive oil, cement, leather, textile, tourism
Agriculture:
    employs less than 4% of labor force; products - wheat, grapes, corn, olives,
    meat, cheese, hides; small numbers of cattle, pigs, horses; depends on Italy
    for food imports
Economic aid:
    NA
Currency:
    Italian lira (plural - lire); 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi; also
    mints its own coins
Exchange rates:
    Italian lire (Lit) per US$1 - 1,248.4 (March 1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1
    (1990), 1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:San Marino Communications

Highways:
    104 km
Telecommunications:
    automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system; 11,700
    telephones; broadcast services from Italy; microwave and cable links into
    Italian networks; no communication satellite facilities

:San Marino Defense Forces

Branches:
    public security or police force of less than 50 people
Manpower availability:
    all fit men ages 16-60 constitute a militia that can serve as an army
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

:Sao Tome and Principe 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)
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Terrain:
    volcanic, mountainous
Natural resources:
    fish
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and
    woodland 75%; other 3%
Environment:
    deforestation; soil erosion
Note:
    located south of Nigeria and west of Gabon near the Equator in the North
    Atlantic Ocean

:Sao Tome and Principe People

Population:
    132,338 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
    38 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    58 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    64 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    5.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Sao Tomean(s); adjective - Sao Tomean
Ethnic divisions:
    mestico, angolares (descendents of Angolan slaves), forros (descendents of
    freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and
    Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), and
    Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
Religions:
    Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages:
    Portuguese (official)
Literacy:
    57% (male 73%, female 42%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
Labor force:
    21,096 (1981); most of population engaged in subsistence agriculture and
    fishing; labor shortages on plantations and of skilled workers; 56% of
    population of working age (1983)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Sao Tome and Principe Government

Long-form name:
    Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Sao Tome
Administrative divisions:
    2 districts (concelhos, singular - concelho); Principe, Sao Tome
Independence:
    12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Constitution:
    5 November 1975, approved 15 December 1982
Legal system:
    based on Portuguese law system and customary law; has not accepted
    compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral National People's Assembly (Assembleia Popular Nacional)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Miguel TROVOADA (since 4 April 1991)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Noberto COSTA ALEGRE (since 16 May 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
    Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group (PCD-GR), Prime Minister
    Daniel Lima Dos Santos DAIO, secretary general; Movement for the Liberation
    of Sao Tome and Principe (MLSTP), Carlos da GRACA; Christian Democratic
    Front (FDC), Alphonse Dos SANTOS; Democratic Opposition Coalition (CODO),
    leader NA; other small parties
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 3 March 1991 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - Miguel
    TROVOADA was elected without opposition in Sao Tome's first multiparty
    presidential election
  National People's Assembly:
    last held 20 January 1991 (next to be held NA January 1996); results -
    PCD-GR 54.4%, MLSTP 30.5%, CODO 5.2%, FDC 1.5%, other 8.3%; seats - (55
    total) PCD-GR 33, MLSTP 21, CODO 1; note - this was the first multiparty
    election in Sao Tome and Principe
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL,
    ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Joaquim Rafael BRANCO; Chancery (temporary) at 801 Second Avenue,
    Suite 603, New York, NY 10017; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident
    basis and makes periodic visits to the islands

:Sao Tome and Principe Government

Flag:
    three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with
    two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow
    band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular
    pan-African colors of Ethiopia

:Sao Tome and Principe Economy

Overview:
    The economy has remained dependent on cocoa since the country gained
    independence nearly 15 years ago. Since then, however, cocoa production has
    gradually deteriorated because of drought and mismanagement, so that by 1987
    output had fallen to less than 50% of its former levels. As a result, a
    shortage of cocoa for export has created a serious balance-of-payments
    problem. Production of less important crops, such as coffee, copra, and palm
    kernels, has also declined. The value of imports generally exceeds that of
    exports by a ratio of 4:1. The emphasis on cocoa production at the expense
    of other food crops has meant that Sao Tome has to import 90% of food needs.
    It also has to import all fuels and most manufactured goods. Over the years,
    Sao Tome has been unable to service its external debt, which amounts to
    roughly 80% of export earnings. Considerable potential exists for
    development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to
    expand facilities in recent years. The government also implemented a
    Five-Year Plan covering 1986-90 to restructure the economy and reschedule
    external debt service payments in cooperation with the International
    Development Association and Western lenders.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $46.0 million, per capita $400; real growth rate
    1.5% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    36% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $10.2 million; expenditures $36.8 million, including capital
    expenditures of $22.5 million (1989)
Exports:
    $4.4 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    cocoa 85%, copra, coffee, palm oil
  partners:
    FRG, GDR, Netherlands, China
Imports:
    $21.3 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    machinery and electrical equipment 54%, food products 23%, other 23%
  partners:
    Portugal, GDR, Angola, China
External debt:
    $147 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 7.1% (1986)
Electricity:
    5,000 kW capacity; 10 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    light construction, shirts, soap, beer, fisheries, shrimp processing
Agriculture:
    dominant sector of economy, primary source of exports; cash crops - cocoa
    (85%), coconuts, palm kernels, coffee; food products - bananas, papaya,
    beans, poultry, fish; not self-sufficient in food grain and meat
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $8 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $89 million
Currency:
    dobra (plural - dobras); 1 dobra (Db) = 100 centimos

:Sao Tome and Principe Economy

Exchange rates:
    dobras (Db) per US$1 - 260.0 (November 1991), 122.48 (December 1988), 72.827
    (1987), 36.993 (1986)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Sao Tome and Principe 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:
    10 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    minimal system; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 2 FM, no TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean
    INTELSAT earth station

:Sao Tome and Principe Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, National Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 30,188; 15,918 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

:Saudi Arabia Geography

Total area:
    1,945,000 km2
Land area:
    1,945,000 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Land boundaries:
    4,532 km total; Iraq 808 km, Jordan 742 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km,
    Qatar 40 km, UAE 586 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Coastline:
    2,510 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    18 nm
  Continental shelf:
    not specific
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    no defined boundaries with Yemen; location and status of Saudi Arabia's
    boundaries with Qatar and UAE are unresolved; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and
    Umm al Maradim Islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate:
    harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature
Terrain:
    mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Natural resources:
    crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and
    woodland 1%; other 59%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    no perennial rivers or permanent 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 Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

:Saudi Arabia People

Population:
    17,050,934 (July 1992), growth rate 3.3% (1992); note - the population
    figure is based on growth since the last official Saudi census of 1974 that
    reported a total of 7 million persons and included foreign workers;
    estimates from other sources may be 15-30% lower
Birth rate:
    39 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    59 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    65 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Saudi(s); adjective - Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Ethnic divisions:
    Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Religions:
    Muslim 100%
Languages:
    Arabic
Literacy:
    62% (male 73%, female 48%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    5,000,000; about 60% are foreign workers; government 34%, industry and oil
    28%, services 22%, and agriculture 16%
Organized labor:
    trade unions are illegal

:Saudi Arabia Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Type:
    monarchy
Capital:
    Riyadh
Administrative divisions:
    14 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah,
    Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Al Qurayyat, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah, `Asir,
    Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Independence:
    23 September 1932 (unification)
Constitution:
    none; governed according to Shari`a (Islamic law)
Legal system:
    based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial
    disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
    jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Unification of the Kingdom, 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 Justice
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    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 13 June 1982)
Suffrage:
    none
Elections:
    none
Member of:
    ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD,
    ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
    IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD,
    UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador BANDAR Bin Sultan; Chancery at 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20037; telephone [phone]; there are Saudi Arabian
    Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
  US:
    Ambassador Charles W. FREEMAN, Jr.; Embassy at Collector Road M, Diplomatic
    Quarter, Riyadh (mailing address is American Embassy, Unit 61307, Riyadh;
    International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693; or APO AE 09803-1307);
    telephone [966] (1) 488-3800; Telex 406866; there are US Consulates 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 Messenger of God) above a white horizontal
    saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of
    Islam

:Saudi Arabia Economy

Overview:
    The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 70% of budget revenues, 37% of
    GDP, and almost all export earnings. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves
    of petroleum in the world, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and
    plays a leading role in OPEC. For the 1990s the government intends to
    encourage private economic activity and to foster the gradual process of
    turning Saudi Arabia into a modern industrial state that retains traditional
    Islamic values.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $104 billion, per capita $5,800; real growth rate
    1.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    3% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    0% (1989 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $40.3 billion; expenditures $48.3 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports:
    $44.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    petroleum and petroleum products 85%
  partners:
    US 22%, Japan 22%, Singapore 7%, France 6%
Imports:
    $21.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    manufactured goods, transportation equipment, construction materials,
    processed food products
  partners:
    US 16%, UK 14%, Japan 14%, FRG 7%
External debt:
    $18.9 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -1.1% (1989 est.); accounts for 37% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity:
    30,000,000 kW capacity; 60,000 million kWh produced, 3,300 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement,
    small steel-rolling mill, construction, fertilizer, plastic
Agriculture:
    accounts for about 10% of GDP, 16% of labor force; fastest growing economic
    sector; subsidized by government; products - wheat, barley, tomatoes,
    melons, dates, citrus fruit, mutton, chickens, eggs, milk; approaching
    self-sufficiency in food
Economic aid:
    donor - pledged $64.7 billion in bilateral 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)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Saudi Arabia Communications

Railroads:
    886 km 1.435-meter standard gauge
Highways:
    74,000 km total; 35,000 km paved, 39,000 km gravel and improved earth
Pipelines:
    crude oil 6,400 km, petroleum products 150 km, natural gas 2,200 km,
    includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km
Ports:
    Jiddah, Ad Dammam, Ras Tanura, Jizan, Al Jubayl, Yanbu al Bahr, Yanbu al
    Sinaiyah
Merchant marine:
    8l ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 884,470 GRT/1,254,882 DWT; includes 1
    passenger, 7 short-sea passenger, 11 cargo, 14 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3
    container, 6 refrigerated cargo, 5 livestock carrier, 24 petroleum tanker, 7
    chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 1 bulk
Civil air:
    104 major transport aircraft available
Airports:
    211 total, 191 usable; 70 with permanent-surface runways; 14 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 37 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 105 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    good system with extensive microwave and coaxial and fiber optic cable
    systems; 1,624,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 43 AM, 13 FM, 80 TV;
    radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan;
    coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and
    Bahrain; earth stations - 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean
    INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 INMARSAT

:Saudi Arabia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Coast
    Guard, Frontier Forces, Special Security Force, Public Security Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 5,619,147; 3,118,261 fit for military service; 133,314 reach
    military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $14.5 billion, 13% of GDP (1992 budget)

:Senegal 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 813 km
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:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    short section of the boundary with The Gambia is indefinite; the
    International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 12 November 1991 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 rising to foothills in southeast
Natural resources:
    fish, phosphates, iron ore
Land use:
    arable land 27%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 30%; forest and
    woodland 31%; other 12%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    lowlands seasonally flooded; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
    desertification
Note:
    The Gambia is almost an enclave

:Senegal People

Population:
    8,205,058 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    80 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    54 years male, 57 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Senegalese (singular and plural); adjective - Senegalese
Ethnic divisions:
    Wolof 36%, Fulani 17%, Serer 17%, Toucouleur 9%, Diola 9%, Mandingo 9%,
    European and Lebanese 1%, other 2%
Religions:
    Muslim 92%, indigenous beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostly Roman Catholic)
Languages:
    French (official); Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo
Literacy:
    38% (male 52%, female 25%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    2,509,000; 77% subsistence agricultural workers; 175,000 wage earners -
    private sector 40%, government and parapublic 60%; 52% of population of
    working age (1985)
Organized labor:
    majority of wage-labor force represented by unions; however, dues-paying
    membership very limited; major confederation is National Confederation of
    Senegalese Labor (CNTS), an affiliate of the governing party

:Senegal Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Senegal
Type:
    republic under multiparty democratic rule
Capital:
    Dakar
Administrative divisions:
    10 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack,
    Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
Independence:
    20 August 1960 (from France); The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on
    12 December 1981 (effective 1 February 1982) that called for the creation of
    a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was
    dissolved on 30 September 1989
Constitution:
    3 March 1963, last revised in 1991
Legal system:
    based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in
    Supreme Court, which also audits the government's accounting office; has not
    accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 4 April (1960)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Abdou DIOUF (since 1 January 1981)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Habib THIAM (since 7 April 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Socialist Party (PS), President Abdou DIOUF; Senegalese Democratic Party
    (PDS), Abdoulaye WADE; 13 other small uninfluential parties
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 28 February 1988 (next to be held NA February 1993); results -
    Abdou DIOUF (PS) 73%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 26%, other 1%
  National Assembly:
    last held 28 February 1988 (next to be held NA February 1993); results - PS
    71%, PDS 25%, other 4%; seats - (120 total) PS 103, PDS 17
Other political or pressure groups:
    students, teachers, labor, Muslim Brotherhoods
Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
    ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
    (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
    UNIIMOG, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Ibra Deguene KA; Chancery at 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington,
    DC 20008; telephone [phone] or 0541
  US:
    Ambassador Katherine SHIRLEY; Embassy on Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of
    Avenue Kleber, Dakar (mailing address is B. P. 49, Dakar); telephone [221]
    23-42-96 or 23-34-24; FAX [221] 22-29-91

:Senegal Government

Flag:
    three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a
    small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular
    pan-African colors of Ethiopia

:Senegal Economy

Overview:
    The agricultural sector accounts for about 20% of GDP and provides
    employment for about 75% of the labor force. About 40% of the total
    cultivated land is used to grow peanuts, an important 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 important to the economy.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $5.0 billion, per capita $615; real growth rate
    3.6% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    2.0% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    3.5% (1987)
Budget:
    revenues $921 million; expenditures $1,024 million; including capital
    expenditures of $14 million (FY89 est.)
Exports:
    $814 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    manufactures 30%, fish products 27%, peanuts 11%, petroleum products 11%,
    phosphates 10%
  partners:
    France, other EC members, Mali, Ivory Coast, India
Imports:
    $1.05 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    semimanufactures 30%, food 27%, durable consumer goods 17%, petroleum 12%,
    capital goods 14%
  partners:
    France, other EC, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Algeria, China, Japan
External debt:
    $2.9 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 4.7% (1989); accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity:
    215,000 kW capacity; 760 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, petroleum refining,
    building materials
Agriculture:
    including fishing, accounts for 20% of GDP and more than 75% of labor force;
    major 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
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $551 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $5.23 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $589 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $295
    million
Currency:
    Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF)
    = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January
    1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54
    (1987)

:Senegal Economy

Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June; note - in January 1993, Senegal will switch to a calendar
    year

:Senegal Communications

Railroads:
    1,034 km 1.000-meter gauge; all single track except 70 km double track Dakar
    to Thies
Highways:
    14,007 km total; 3,777 km paved, 10,230 km laterite or improved earth
Inland waterways:
    897 km total; 785 km on the Senegal, 112 km on the Saloum
Ports:
    Dakar, Kaolack, Foundiougne, Ziguinchor
Merchant marine:
    2 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 7,676 GRT/12,310 DWT; includes 1
    cargo, 1 bulk
Civil air:
    3 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    25 total, 19 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 microwave and cable; broadcast stations -
    8 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 3 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth
    station

:Senegal Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie, National Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 1,814,452; 947,723 fit for military service; 88,271 reach
    military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 2% of GDP (1989 est.)

:Serbia and Montenegro Geography

Total area:
    102,350 km2
Land area:
    102,136 km2: note - Serbia has a total area and a land area of 88,412 km2
    while Montenegro has a total area of 13,938 km2 and a land area of 13,724
    km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Kentucky; note - Serbia is slightly larger than Maine
    while Montenegro is slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
    2,234 km total; Albania 287 km (114 km with Serbia, 173 km with Montenegro),
    Bosnia and Hercegovina 527 km (312 km with Serbia, 215 km with Montenegro),
    Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia (north) 239 km, Croatia (south) 15 km, Hungary 151
    km, Macedonia 221 km, Romania 476 km; note - the internal boundary between
    Montenegro and Serbia is 211 km
Coastline:
    199 km; Montenegro 199 km, Serbia 0 km
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
  Contiguous zone:
    NA nm
  Continental shelf:
    NA meter depth
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    NA nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    NA nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    Sandzak region bordering northern Montenegro and southeastern Serbia -
    Muslims seeking autonomy; Vojvodina taken from Hungary and awarded to the
    former Yugoslavia (Serbia) by Treaty of Trianon in 1920; disputes with
    Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia over Serbian populated areas; Albanian
    minority in Kosovo seeks independence from Serbian Republic
Climate:
    in the north, continental climate - cold winter and hot, humid summers with
    well distributed rainfall; central portion, continental and Mediterranean
    climate; to the south, Adriatic climate along the coast, hot, dry summers
    and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall inland
Terrain:
    extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone
    ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountain and hills; to the
    southwest, extremely high shoreline with no islands off the coast; home of
    largest lake in former Yugoslavia, Lake Scutari
Natural resources:
    oil, gas, coal, antimony, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, gold, pyrite, chrome
Land use:
    arable land 30%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and
    woodland 25%; other 20%; includes irrigated 5%
Environment:
    coastal water pollution from sewage outlets, especially in tourist related
    areas such as Kotor; air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial
    cities; water pollution along Danube from industrial waste dump into the
    Sava which drains into the Danube; subject to destructive earthquakes
Note:
    controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the
    Near East; strategic location along the Adriatic coast

:Serbia and Montenegro People

Population:
    10,642,000 (July 1992), growth rate NA% (1991)
Birth rate:
    NA births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    Serbia - 70.11 years male, 75.21 years female (1992); Montenegro - 76.33
    years male, 82.27 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    NA children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Serbian(s) and Montenegrin(s); adjective - Serbian and Montenegrin
Ethnic divisions:
    Serbs 63%, Albanians 14%, Montenegrins 6%, Hungarians 4%
Religions:
    Orthodox 65%, Muslim 19%, Roman Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%, other 11%
Languages:
    Serbo-Croatian 100%
Literacy:
    89% (male 95%, female 83%) age 10 and over can read and write (1991 est.)
Labor force:
    2,640,909; industry, mining 40%, agriculture 5% (1990)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Serbia and Montenegro Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Belgrade
Administrative divisions:
    2 provinces (pokajine, singular - pokajina); and 2 automous provinces*;
    Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, Vojvodina*
Independence:
    NA April 1992
Constitution:
    NA April 1992
Legal system:
    based on civil law system
National holiday:
    NA
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, prime minister, deputy prime minister
Legislative branch:
    Parliament
Judicial branch:
    NA
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Dobric COSIC (since NA), Vice President Branko KOSTIC (since July
    1991); note - Slobodan MILOSEVIC is president of Serbia
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Milan PANIC (since 14 July 1992), Deputy Prime Minister
    Aleksandr MITROVIC (since March 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    former Communisty Party, Slobodan MILOSEVIC; Serbian Radical Party, Vojislav
    SESELJ; Serbian Renewal Party, Vok DRASKOVIC
Suffrage:
    at age 16 if employed, universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    NA
  Parliament:
    last held 4 June 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
    party NA; seats - (138 total) former Community Party 73, Radical Party 33,
    other 32
Communists:
    NA
Other political or pressure groups:
    NA
Member of:
    CSCE, UN
Diplomatic representation:
    none; US does not recognize Serbia and Montenegro
Flag:
    NA

:Serbia and Montenegro Economy

Overview:
    The swift collapse of the Yugoslav federation has been accompanied by bloody
    ethnic warfare, the destabilization of republic boundaries, and the breakup
    of important interrepublic trade flows. The situation in Serbia and
    Montenegro remains fluid in view of the extensive political and military
    strife. This new state faces major economic problems. First, like the other
    former Yugoslav republics, Serbia and Montenegro depended on their sister
    republics for large amounts of foodstuffs, energy supplies, and
    manufactures. Wide varieties in climate, mineral resources, and levels of
    technology among the six republics accentuated this interdependence, as did
    the Communist practice of concentrating much industrial output in a small
    number of giant plants. The breakup of many of the trade links, the sharp
    drop in output as industrial plants lost suppliers and markets, and the
    destruction of physical assets in the fighting all have contributed to the
    economic difficulties of the republics. One singular factor in the economic
    situation of Serbia and Montenegro is the continuation in office of a
    Communist government that is primarily interested in political and military
    mastery, not economic reform. A further complication is the major economic
    sanctions by the leading industrial nations.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $44 billion, per capita $4,200; real growth rate
    NA% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    60% per month
Unemployment rate:
    25-40%
Budget:
    NA
Exports:
    $4.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and transport equipment 29%, manufactured goods 28.5%,
    miscellaneous manufactured articles 13.5%, chemicals 11%, food and live
    animals 9%, raw materials 6%, fuels and lubricants 2%, beverages and tobacco
    1%
  partners:
    principally the other former Yugoslav republics; Italy, Germany, other EC,
    the former USSR, East European countries, US
Imports:
    $6.4 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and transport equipment 26%, fuels and lubricants 18%,
    manufactured goods 16%, chemicals 12.5%, food and live animals 11%,
    miscellaneous manufactured items 8%, raw materials, including coking coal
    for the steel industry, 7%, beverages, tobacco, and edible oils 1.5%
  partners:
    principally the other former Yugoslav republics; the former USSR, EC
    countries (mainly Italy and Germany), East European countries, US
External debt:
    $4.2 billion (may assume some part of foreign debt of former Yugoslavia)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -20% or greater (1991 est.)
Electricity:
    8,633,000 kW capacity; 34,600 million kWh produced, 3,496 kWh per capita
    (1991)

:Serbia and Montenegro Economy

Industries:
    machine building (aircraft, trucks, and automobiles; armored vehicles and
    weapons; electrical equipment; agricultural machinery), metallurgy (steel,
    aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, antimony, bismuth, cadmium), mining
    (coal, bauxite, nonferrous ore, iron ore, limestone), consumer goods
    (textiles, footwear, foodstuffs, appliances), electronics, petroleum
    products, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals
Agriculture:
    the fertile plains of Vojvodina produce 80% of the cereal production of the
    former Yugoslavia and most of the cotton, oilseeds, and chicory; Vojvodina
    also produces fodder crops to support intensive beef and dairy production;
    Serbia proper, although hilly, has a well-distributed rainfall and a long
    growing season; produces fruit, grapes, and cereals; in this area, livestock
    production (sheep and cattle) and dairy farming prosper; Kosovo province
    produces fruits, vegetables, tobacco, and a small amount of cereals; the
    mountainous pastures of Kosovo and Montenegro support sheep and goat
    husbandry; Montenegro has only a small agriculture sector, mostly near the
    coast where a Mediterranean climate permits the culture of olives, citrus,
    grapes, and rice
Illicit drugs:
    NA
Economic aid:
    NA
Currency:
    Yugoslav New Dinar (plural - New Dinars); 1 Yugo New Dinar (YD) = 100 paras
Exchange rates:
    Yugoslav New Dinars (YD) per US $1 - 28.230 (December 1991), 15.162 (1990),
    15.528 (1989), 0.701 (1988), 0.176 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Serbia and Montenegro Communications

Railroads:
    NA
Highways:
    46,019 km total (1990); 26,949 km paved, 10,373 km gravel, 8,697 km earth
Inland waterways:
    NA km
Pipelines:
    crude oil 415 km, petroleum products 130 km, natural gas 2,110 km
Ports:
    maritime - Bar; inland - Belgrade
Merchant marine:
    43 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 866,915 GRT/1,449,094 DWT; includes 19
    cargo, 5 container, 16 bulk carriers, 2 combination/ore carrier and 1
    passenger ship, under Serbian and Montenegrin flag; note - Montenegro also
    operates 3 bulk carriers under the flags of Panama and Saint Vincent and the
    Grenadines
Civil air:
    NA
Airports:
    NA
Telecommunications:
    700,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 26 AM, 9 FM, 18 TV; 2,015,000
    radios; 1,000,000 TVs; satellite ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

:Serbia and Montenegro Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, and Air Forces
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 2,545,357; NA fit for military service; 96,832 reach military
    age (18) annually (est.)
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP

:Seychelles 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
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 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:
    arable land 4%; permanent crops 18%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 18%; other 60%
Environment:
    lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts
    possible; no fresh water - catchments collect rain; 40 granitic and about 50
    coralline islands
Note:
    located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean

:Seychelles People

Population:
    69,519 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    23 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -8 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    15 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    65 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Seychellois (singular and plural); adjective - Seychelles
Ethnic divisions:
    Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%
Languages:
    English and French (official); Creole
Literacy:
    85% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Labor force:
    27,700; industry and commerce 31%, services 21%, government 20%,
    agriculture, forestry, and fishing 12%, other 16% (1985); 57% of population
    of working age (1983)
Organized labor:
    three major trade unions

:Seychelles Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Seychelles
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Victoria
Administrative divisions:
    23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse
    Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel
    Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe Island), Grand' Anse (on
    Praslin Island), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri,
    Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint 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 (anniversary of coup), 5 June (1977)
Executive branch:
    president, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
    unicameral People's Assembly (Assemblee du Peuple)
Judicial branch:
    Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977)
Political parties and leaders:
    ruling party - Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), France Albert
    RENE; note - in December 1991, President RENE announced that the Seychelles
    would begin an immediate transition to a multiparty political system;
    registration of new political parties was scheduled to begin in January 1992
Suffrage:
    universal at age 17
Elections:
    election of delegates to a multiparty constitutional conference is scheduled
    for June 1992
  President:
    last held 9-11 June 1989 (next to be held NA June 1994); results - President
    France Albert RENE reelected without opposition
  People's Assembly:
    last held 5 December 1987 (next to be held NA December 1992); results - SPPF
    was the only legal party; seats - (25 total, 23 elected) SPPF 23
Other political or pressure groups:
    trade unions, Roman Catholic Church
Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
    IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Second Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Marc R. MARENGO; Chancery
    (temporary) at 820 Second Avenue, Suite 900F, New York, NY 10017; telephone
    [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Richard W. CARLSON; Embassy at 4th Floor, Victoria House,
    Victoria (mailing address is Box 148, Victoria, and Victoria House, Box 251,
    Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles, or APO AE 09815-2501); telephone [phone];
    FAX [phone]

:Seychelles Government

Flag:
    three horizontal bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band
    is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest

:Seychelles Economy

Overview:
    In this small, open, tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs
    about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency
    earnings. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment
    in order to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the
    government has moved to reduce the high dependence on tourism by promoting
    the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $350 million, per capita $5,200; real growth rate
    -4.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    1.8% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    9% (1987)
Budget:
    revenues $180 million; expenditures $202 million, including capital
    expenditures of $32 million (1989)
Exports:
    $40 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports)
  partners:
    France 63%, Pakistan 12%, Reunion 10%, UK 7% (1987)
Imports:
    $186 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    manufactured goods, food, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation
    equipment, petroleum products
  partners:
    UK 20%, France 14%, South Africa 13%, PDRY 13%, Singapore 8%, Japan 6%
    (1987)
External debt:
    $189 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 7% (1987); accounts for 10% of GDP
Electricity:
    30,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 1,160 kWh per capita (1991)
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 products - sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas;
    broiler chickens; large share of food needs imported; expansion of tuna
    fishing under way
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $26 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-89), $315 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $60
    million
Currency:
    Seychelles rupee (plural - rupees); 1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Seychelles rupees (SRe) per US$1 - 5.2946 (March 1992), 5.2893 (1991),
    5.3369 (1990), 5.6457 (1989), 5.3836 (1988), 5.6000 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Seychelles Communications

Highways:
    260 km total; 160 km paved, 100 km crushed stone or earth
Ports:
    Victoria
Merchant marine:
    1 refrigerated cargo totaling 1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT
Civil air:
    1 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; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    direct radio communications with adjacent islands and African coastal
    countries; 13,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 2 TV; 1
    Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station; USAF tracking station

:Seychelles Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force, Militia
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 17,739; 9,096 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $12 million, 4% of GDP (1990 est.)

:Sierra Leone 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
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry
    season (December to April)
Terrain:
    coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau,
    mountains in east
Natural resources:
    diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Land use:
    arable land 25%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 31%; forest and
    woodland 29%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    extensive mangrove swamps hinder access to sea; deforestation; soil
    degradation

:Sierra Leone People

Population:
    4,456,737 (July 1992), growth rate -0.2% (1992)
Birth rate:
    46 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    20 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -28 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    148 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    43 years male, 48 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Sierra Leonean(s); adjective - Sierra Leonean
Ethnic divisions:
    native African 99% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%); Creole, European, Lebanese, and
    Asian 1%; 13 tribes
Religions:
    Muslim 30%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%, other or none 30%
Languages:
    English (official); regular use limited to literate minority; principal
    vernaculars are Mende in south and Temne in north; Krio is the language of
    the resettled ex-slave population of the Freetown area and is lingua franca
Literacy:
    21% (male 31%, female 11%) age 15 and over can read and write English,
    Mende, Temne, or Arabic (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    1,369,000 (est.); agriculture 65%, industry 19%, services 16% (1981); only
    about 65,000 earn wages (1985); 55% of population of working age
Organized labor:
    35% of wage earners

:Sierra Leone Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Sierra Leone
Type:
    military government
Capital:
    Freetown
Administrative divisions:
    Western Area and 3 provinces; Eastern, Northern, Southern
Independence:
    27 April 1961 (from UK)
Constitution:
    1 October 1991; amended September 1991
Legal system:
    based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not
    accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Republic Day, 27 April (1961)
Executive branch:
    National Provisional Ruling Council
Legislative branch:
    unicameral House of Representatives (suspended after coup of 29 April 1992)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (suspended after coup of 29 April 1992)
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Gen. Joseph Saidu MOMOH was ousted in coup of 29 April 1992;
    succeeded by Chairman of the National Provisional Ruling Council Valentine
    STRASSER (since 29 April 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
    status of existing political parties are unknown following 29 April 1992
    coup
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
    suspended after 29 April 1992 coup; Chairman STRASSER promises multi-party
    elections sometime in the future
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
    IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU,
    OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador (vacant); Chancery at 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009;
    telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Johnny YOUNG; Embassy at the corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens
    Street, Freetown; telephone [232] (22) 226-481; FAX [232] (22) 225471
Flag:
    three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue

:Sierra Leone Economy

Overview:
    The economic and social infrastructure is not well developed. Subsistence
    agriculture dominates the economy, generating about one-third of GDP and
    employing about two-thirds of the working population. Manufacturing, which
    accounts for roughly 10% of GDP, consists mainly of the processing of raw
    materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Diamond mining
    provides an important source of hard currency. The economy suffers from high
    unemployment, rising inflation, large trade deficits, and a growing
    dependency on foreign assistance. The government in 1990 was attempting to
    get the budget deficit under control and, in general, to bring economic
    policy in line with the recommendations of the IMF and the World Bank. Since
    March 1991, however, military incursions by Liberian rebels in southern and
    eastern Sierra Leone have severely strained the economy and have undermined
    efforts to institute economic reforms.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion, per capita $330; real growth rate
    3% (FY91 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    110% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $134 million; expenditures $187 million, including capital
    expenditures of $32 million (FY91 est.)
Exports:
    $138 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    rutile 50%, bauxite 17%, cocoa 11%, diamonds 3%, coffee 3%
  partners:
    US, UK, Belgium, FRG, other Western Europe
Imports:
    $146 million (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    capital goods 40%, food 32%, petroleum 12%, consumer goods 7%, light
    industrial goods
  partners:
    US, EC, Japan, China, Nigeria
External debt:
    $572 million (1990)
Industrial production:
    NA
Electricity:
    85,000 kW capacity; 185 million kWh produced, 45 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    mining (diamonds, bauxite, rutile), small-scale manufacturing (beverages,
    textiles, cigarettes, footwear), petroleum 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
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $161 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $848 million; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $18 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $101
    million
Currency:
    leone (plural - leones); 1 leone (Le) = 100 cents

:Sierra Leone Economy

Exchange rates:
    leones (Le) per US$1 - 476.74 (March 1992), 295.34 (1991), 144.9275 (1990),
    58.1395 (1989), 31.2500 (1988), 30.7692 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Sierra Leone 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 paved, 490 km laterite (some gravel), remainder
    improved earth
Inland waterways:
    800 km; 600 km navigable year round
Ports:
    Freetown, Pepel, Bonthe
Merchant marine:
    1 cargo ship totaling 5,592 GRT/9,107 DWT
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
Airports:
    12 total, 7 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:
    marginal telephone and telegraph service; national microwave system
    unserviceable at present; 23,650 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1
    FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Sierra Leone Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, National Police Force, Special Security Detachment
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 976,147; 472,112 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $6 million, 0.7% of GDP (1988 est.)

:Singapore 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:
    12 nm
  Territorial sea:
    3 nm
Disputes:
    two islands in dispute with Malaysia
Climate:
    tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons;
    thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Terrain:
    lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and
    nature preserve
Natural resources:
    fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
    arable land 4%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 5%; other 84%
Environment:
    mostly urban and industrialized
Note:
    focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

:Singapore People

Population:
    2,792,092 (July 1992), growth rate 1.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    18 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    73 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Singaporean(s); adjective - Singapore
Ethnic divisions:
    Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Religions:
    majority of Chinese are Buddhists or atheists; Malays are nearly all Muslim
    (minorities include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, Confucianists)
Languages:
    Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English (all official); Malay (national)
Literacy:
    88% (male 93%, female 84%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    1,485,800; financial, business, and other services 30.2%, manufacturing
    28.4%, commerce 22.0%, construction 9.0%, other 10.4% (1990)
Organized labor:
    210,000; 16.1% of labor force (1989)

:Singapore Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Singapore
Type:
    republic within Commonwealth
Capital:
    Singapore
Administrative divisions:
    none
Independence:
    9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
Constitution:
    3 June 1959, amended 1965; based on preindependence State of Singapore
    Constitution
Legal system:
    based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    National Day, 9 August (1965)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, 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 GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990); Deputy Prime Minister
    LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990); Deputy Prime Ministers ONG Teng
    Cheong (since 2 January 1985) and LEE Hsien Loong
Political parties and leaders:
  government:
    People's Action Party (PAP), LEE Kuan Yew, secretary general;
  opposition:
    Workers' Party (WP), J. B. JEYARETNAM; Singapore Democratic Party (SDP),
    CHIAM See Tong; National Solidarity Party (NSP), leader NA; Barisan Sosialis
    (BS, Socialist Front), leader NA
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 opposition
  Parliament:
    last held 31 August 1991 (next to be held 31 August 1996); results - percent
    of vote by party NA; seats - (81 total) PAP 77, SDP 3, WP 1
Communists:
    200-500; Barisan Sosialis infiltrated by Communists; note - Communist party
    illegal
Member of:
    APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
    ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
    LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador S. R. NATHAN; Chancery at 1824 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009;
    telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Robert D. ORR; Embassy at 30 Hill Street, Singapore 0617 (mailing
    address is FPO AP 96534); telephone [65] 338-0251; FAX [65] 338-4550

:Singapore Government

Flag:
    two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of
    the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward
    the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged
    in a circle

:Singapore Economy

Overview:
    Singapore has an open entrepreneurial economy with strong service and
    manufacturing sectors and excellent international trading links derived from
    its entrepot history. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the economy expanded
    rapidly, achieving an average annual growth rate of 9%. Per capita GDP is
    among the highest in Asia. The economy grew at a respectable 6.5% in 1991,
    down from 8.3% in 1990, in part because of a slowdown in overseas demand and
    lower growth in the financial and business services sector.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $38.3 billion, per capita $13,900; real growth
    rate 6.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    3.4% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    1.5% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $9.8 billion; expenditures $9.0 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $2.8 billion (FY91 est.)
Exports:
    $57.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    includes transshipments to Malaysia - petroleum products, rubber,
    electronics, manufactured goods
  partners:
    US 20%, Malaysia 15%, Japan 9%, Hong Kong 7%, Thailand 6%
Imports:
    $65.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    includes transshipments from Malaysia - capital equipment, petroleum,
    chemicals, manufactured goods, foodstuffs
  partners:
    Japan 21%, US 16%, Malaysia 15%, Taiwan 4%
External debt:
    $3.8 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 9% (1991 est.); accounts for 29% of GDP (1990)
Electricity:
    4,000,000 kW capacity; 14,400 million kWh produced, 5,300 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    petroleum refining, electronics, oil drilling equipment, rubber processing
    and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot
    trade, financial 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
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $590 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.0 billion
Currency:
    Singapore dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Singapore dollars (S$) per US$1 - 1.6596 (March 1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125
    (1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988), 2.1060 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Singapore Communications

Railroads:
    38 km of 1.000-meter gauge
Highways:
    2,597 km total (1984)
Ports:
    Singapore
Merchant marine:
    468 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,751,619 GRT/14,195,718 DWT;
    includes 1 passenger-cargo, 126 cargo, 74 container, 7 roll-on/roll-off
    cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 18 vehicle carrier, 1 livestock carrier, 144
    petroleum tanker, 5 chemical tanker, 4 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized
    tanker, 5 liquefied gas, 74 bulk, 2 combination bulk, 1 short-sea passenger;
    note - many Singapore flag ships are foreign owned
Civil air:
    38 major transport aircraft (est.)
Airports:
    10 total, 10 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over
    3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    good domestic facilities; good international service; good radio and
    television broadcast coverage; 1,110,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 13
    AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; submarine cables extend to Malaysia (Sabah and peninsular
    Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations - 1
    Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

:Singapore Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 847,435; 626,914 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 4% of GDP (1990 est.)

:Slovenia Geography

Total area:
    20,296 km2
Land area:
    20,296 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
    998 km total; Austria 262 km, Croatia 455 km, Italy 199 km, Hungary 83 km
Coastline:
    32 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    NA nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    NA nm
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    NA nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    dispute with Croatia over fishing rights in the Adriatic; small vocal
    minority in northern Italy seeks the return of parts of southwestern
    Slovenia
Climate:
    Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot
    summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east
Terrain:
    a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to
    Italy, mixed mountain and valleys with numerous rivers to the east
Natural resources:
    lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver
Land use:
    arable land 10%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and
    woodland 45%; other 23%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; heavy metals and
    toxic chemicals along coastal waters; near Koper, forest damage from air
    pollutants originating at metallurgical and chemical plants; subject to
    flooding and earthquakes

:Slovenia People

Population:
    1,963,000 (July 1992), growth rate 0.2% (1992)
Birth rate:
    NA births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    70 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    NA children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Slovene(s); adjective - Slovenia
Ethnic divisions:
    Slovene 91%, Croat 3%, Serb 2%, Muslim 1%, other 3%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 94%, Orthodox Catholic 2%, Muslim 1%, other 3%
Languages:
    Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 7%, other 2%
Literacy:
    99.2% (male 99.3%, female 99.1%) age 10 and over can read and write
Labor force:
    786,036; 2% agriculture, manufacturing and mining 46%
Organized labor:
    NA

:Slovenia Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Slovenia
Type:
    emerging democracy
Capital:
    Ljubljana
Administrative divisions:
    62 provinces (pokajine, singular - pokajina)
Independence:
    25 June 1991; 15 January 1992 from Yugoslavia
Constitution:
    adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991
Legal system:
    based on civil law system
National holiday:
    NA
Executive branch:
    president, 4 vice presidents
Legislative branch:
    bicameral; consists of the State Assembly and the State Council; note - will
    take effect after next election
Judicial branch:
    NA
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Milan KUCAN (since 22 April 1990); Vice President Matjaz KMECL
    (since 11 April 1990); Vice President Ivan OMAN (since 11 April 1990); Vice
    President Dusan PLUT (since 11 April 1990); Vice President Ciril ZLOBEC
    (since 11 April 1990)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Janez DRNOVSEK (since 14 May 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
    Christian Democratic, Lozje PETERLE, chairman; Liberal Democratic, Janez
    DRNOVSEK, chairman; Social Democratic, Joze PUNIK, chairman; Socialist,
    Viktor ZAKELJ, chairman; Greens, Dusan PLUT, chairman; National Democratic,
    Rajko PIRNAT, chairman; Democratic Peoples Party, Marjan PODOBNIK, chairman;
    Reformed Socialists (former Communist Party), Ciril RIBICIC, chairman
Suffrage:
    at age 16 if employed, universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held NA (next to be held NA)
  State Assembly:
    last held NA (next to be held NA);
  State Council:
    last held NA (next to be held NA)
Communists:
    NA
Other political or pressure groups:
    NA
Member of:
    CSCE, IMF, UN
Diplomatic representation:
    Representative Ernest PETRIC; Chancery at 1300 19th Street NW, Washington,
    DC 20036; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Ignac GOLOB, Embassy at NA (mailing address is APO AE 09862);
    telephone NA

:Slovenia Government

Flag:
    a three color flag, white (hoist side), blue, and red of equal width with
    the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav in white against a
    blue background at the center; beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting
    seas and rivers; around it, there are three six-sided stars arranged in an
    inverted triangle); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the flag
    centered in the white and blue band

:Slovenia Economy

Overview:
    Slovenia was by far the most prosperous of the old Yugoslav republics, with
    a per capita income more than twice the Yugoslav average, indeed not far
    below the levels in neighboring Austria and Italy. Because of its strong
    ties to Western Europe and the small scale of damage during internecine
    fighting in Yugoslavia, Slovenia has the brightest prospects among the
    former Yugoslav republics for economic reform and recovery over the next few
    years. The political and economic disintegration of Yugoslavia, however, has
    led to severe short-term dislocations in production, employment, and trade
    ties. For example, overall industrial production fell 10% in 1991;
    particularly hard hit were the iron and steel, machine-building, chemical,
    and textile industries. Meanwhile, fighting has continued in other republics
    leading to further destruction of long-established trade channels and to an
    influx of tens of thousands of Croatian refugees. As in other former
    Communist areas in Eastern Europe, economic reform has often sputtered not
    only because of the vested interests of old bosses in retaining old rules of
    the game but also because of the tangible losses experienced by
    rank-and-file people in the transition to a more market-oriented system. The
    key program for breaking up and privatizing major industrial firms has not
    yet begun. Bright spots for encouraging Western investors are Slovenia's
    comparatively well-educated work force, its developed infrastructure, and
    its Western business attitudes. Slovenia in absolute terms is a small
    economy, and a little Western investment would go a long way.
GDP:
    $21 billion, per capita $10,700; real growth rate -10% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    15-20% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    10% (April 1992)
Budget:
    revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
    $4,120 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and transport equipment 38%, other manufactured goods 44%,
    chemicals 9%, food and live animals 4.6%, raw materials 3%, beverages and
    tobacco less than 1%
  partners:
    principally the other former Yugoslav republics, Austria, and Italy
Imports:
    $4,679 million (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and transport equipment 35%, other manufactured goods 26.7%,
    chemicals 14.5%, raw materials 9.4%, fuels and lubricants 7%, food and live
    animals 6%
  partners:
    principally the other former Yugoslav republics, Germany, former USSR, US,
    Hungary, Italy, and Austria
External debt:
    $2.5 billion
Industrial production:
    industrial production has been declining at a rate of about 1% per month
    (1991-92), mostly because of lost markets in the other former Yugoslav
    republics
Electricity:
    2,900,000 kW capacity; 12,250 million kWh produced, 6,447 kWh per capita
    (1991)

:Slovenia Economy

Industries:
    ferrous metallurgy and rolling mill products, aluminum reduction and rolled
    products, lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military
    electronics), trucks, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles,
    chemicals, machine tools
Agriculture:
    dominated by stock breeding (sheep and cattle) and dairy farming; main crops
    are potatoes, hops, hemp, and flax; although self-sufficient and having an
    export surplus in these commodities, Slovenia must import many other
    agricultural products and has a negative overall trade balance in this
    sector
Illicit drugs:
    NA
Economic aid:
    NA
Currency:
    Slovene Tolar (plural - Tolars); 1 Tolar (SLT) = 100 NA
Exchange rates:
    Tolars (SLT) per US$1 - 28 (January 1992)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Slovenia Communications

Railroads:
    NA
Highways:
    14,553 km total; 10,525 km paved, 4,028 km gravel
Inland waterways:
    NA
Pipelines:
    crude oil 290 km, natural gas 305 km
Ports:
    maritime - Koper
Merchant marine:
    0 ships (1,000 GRT or over) are under Slovenian flag; note - Slovenian
    owners control 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 334,995 GRT/558,621
    DWT; includes 14 bulk carriers and 7 general cargo ships all under Saint
    Vincent and the Grenadines flag
Civil air:
    NA major transport aircraft
Airports:
    3 main airports
Telecommunications:
    130,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 5 FM, 7 TV; 370,000 radios;
    330,000 TVs

:Slovenia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 444,030; NA fit for military service; 18,219 reach military age
    (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - 13.5 billion Slovene Tolars, 4.5% of GDP (1992);
    note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current
    exchange rate could produce misleading results

:Solomon Islands 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)
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain:
    mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Natural resources:
    fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and
    woodland 93%; other 4%
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

:Solomon Islands People

Population:
    360,010 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
    40 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    30 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    67 years male, 72 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Solomon Islander(s); adjective - Solomon Islander
Ethnic divisions:
    Melanesian 93.0%, Polynesian 4.0%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese
    0.3%, other 0.4%
Religions:
    almost all at least nominally Christian; Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%,
    Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%,
    other Protestant 5%
Languages:
    120 indigenous languages; Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua
    franca; English spoken by 1-2% of population
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    23,448 economically active; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 32.4%;
    services 25%; construction, manufacturing, and mining 7.0%; commerce,
    transport, and finance 4.7% (1984)
Organized labor:
    NA, but most of the cash-economy workers have trade union representation

:Solomon Islands Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    parliamentary democracy
Capital:
    Honiara
Administrative divisions:
    7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira,
    Malaita, Temotu, Western
Independence:
    7 July 1978 (from UK; formerly British Solomon Islands)
Constitution:
    7 July 1978
Legal system:
    common law
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Executive branch:
    British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral National Parliament
Judicial branch:
    High Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
    Sir George LEPPING (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
    Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since NA October 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    People's Alliance Party (PAP); United Party (UP), leader NA; Solomon Islands
    Liberal Party (SILP), Bartholemew ULUFA'ALU; Nationalist Front for Progress
    (NFP), Andrew NORI; Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU
Suffrage:
    universal at age 21
Elections:
  National Parliament:
    last held 22 February 1989 (next to be held NA February 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, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
    IOC, ITU, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
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 [phone]; FAX [phone]
Flag:
    divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner;
    the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars
    arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green

:Solomon Islands Economy

Overview:
    About 90% of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and
    forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Agriculture, fishing, and
    forestry contribute about 70% to GDP, with the fishing and forestry sectors
    being important export earners. The service sector contributes about 25% to
    GDP. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The
    islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc,
    nickel, and gold. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986
    that caused widespread damage to the infrastructure.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $200 million, per capita $600; real growth rate
    6.0% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    10.2% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $44 million; expenditures $45 million, including capital
    expenditures of $22 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $67.3 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    fish 46%, timber 31%, copra 5%, palm oil 5%
  partners:
    Japan 51%, UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%, Australia 2%, US 2% (1985)
Imports:
    $86.0 million (c.i.f., 1990)
  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); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
    21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    copra, fish (tuna)
Agriculture:
    including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 70% of GDP; mostly
    subsistence farming; cash crops - cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels,
    timber; other products - rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs;
    not self-sufficient in food grains; 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500
    metric tons was exported (1988)
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89),
    $250 million
Currency:
    Solomon Islands dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) =
    100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 2.8740 (March 1992), 2.7148 (1991),
    2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989), 2.0825 (1988), 2.0033 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Solomon Islands Communications

Highways:
    about 2,100 km total (1982); 30 km paved, 290 km gravel, 980 km earth, 800
    private logging and plantation roads of varied construction
Ports:
    Honiara, Ringi Cove
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
Airports:
    33 total, 30 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 2,439 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    3,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean
    INTELSAT earth station

:Solomon Islands Defense Forces

Branches:
    Police Force
Manpower availability:
    NA
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

:Somalia 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 and parts of Ethiopia and Kenya based on unification of ethnic
    Somalis
Climate:
    desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), cooler southwest monsoon
    (May to October); irregular rainfall; hot, humid periods (tangambili)
    between monsoons
Terrain:
    mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Natural resources:
    uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite,
    copper, salt
Land use:
    arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and
    woodland 14%; other 38%; includes irrigated 3%
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
    Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

:Somalia People

Population:
    7,235,226 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    46 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -12 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    115 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    56 years male, 57 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    7.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Somali(s); adjective - Somali
Ethnic divisions:
    Somali 85%, rest mainly Bantu; Arabs 30,000, Europeans 3,000, Asians 800
Religions:
    almost entirely Sunni Muslim
Languages:
    Somali (official); Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy:
    24% (male 36%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    2,200,000; very few are skilled laborers; pastoral nomad 70%, agriculture,
    government, trading, fishing, handicrafts, and other 30%; 53% of population
    of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
    General Federation of Somali Trade Unions was controlled by the government
    prior to January 1991; the fall of SIAD regime may have led to collapse of
    Trade Union organization

:Somalia Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    none
Capital:
    Mogadishu
Administrative divisions:
    16 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay,
    Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal,
    Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed
Independence:
    1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent
    from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became
    independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to
    form the Somali Republic)
Constitution:
    25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
National holiday:
    NA
Executive branch:
    president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers
    (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Interim President ALI Mahdi Mohamed (since 27 January 1991)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister OMAR Arteh Ghalib (since 27 January 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the former regime on 27 January
    1991; note - formerly the only party was the Somali Revolutionary Socialist
    Party (SRSP), headed by former President and Commander in Chief of the Army
    Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 23 December 1986 (next to be held NA); results - President SIAD
    was reelected without opposition
  People's Assembly:
    last held 31 December 1984 (next to be held NA); results - SRSP was the only
    party; seats - (177 total, 171 elected) SRSP 171; note - the United Somali
    Congress (USC) ousted the regime of Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre on 27
    January 1991; the provisional government has promised that a democratically
    elected government will be established
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
    IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU,
    LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador (vacant); Chancery at Suite 710, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20037; telephone [phone]; there is a Somali Consulate
    General in New York; note - Somalian Embassy ceased operations on 8 May 1991

:Somalia Government

  US:
    Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at K-7, AFGOI Road, Mogadishu (mailing address
    is P. O. Box 574, Mogadishu); telephone [252] (01) 39971; note - US Embassy
    evacuated and closed indefinitely in January 1991
Flag:
    light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based
    on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust territory)

:Somalia Economy

Overview:
    One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few
    resources. Agriculture 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 more than half of the population. Crop production
    generates only 10% of GDP and employs about 20% of the work force. The main
    export crop is bananas; sugar, sorghum, and corn are grown for the domestic
    market. The small industrial sector is based on the processing of
    agricultural products and accounts for less than 10% of GDP. Greatly
    increased political turmoil in 1991-92 has resulted in a substantial drop in
    output, with widespread famine a grim fact of life.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, per capita $210; real growth rate
    -1.4% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    210% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $190 million; expenditures $195 million, including capital
    expenditures of $111 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $58.0 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    bananas, livestock, fish, hides, skins
  partners:
    US 0.5%, Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)
Imports:
    $249 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials
  partners:
    US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)
External debt:
    $1.9 billion (1989)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -5.0% (1988); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
    75,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 10 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum
    refining
Agriculture:
    dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle, sheep, goats); crops -
    bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food;
    fishing potential largely unexploited
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $639 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.8 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $336
    million
Currency:
    Somali shilling (plural - shillings); 1 Somali shilling (So. Sh.) = 100
    centesimi
Exchange rates:
    Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1 - 3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7
    (1989), 170.45 (1988), 105.18 (1987), 72.00 (1986)

:Somalia Economy

Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Somalia Communications

Highways:
    15,215 km total; including 2,335 km paved, 2,880 km gravel, and 10,000 km
    improved earth or stabilized soil (1983)
Pipelines:
    crude oil 15 km
Ports:
    Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu, Bosaso
Merchant marine:
    3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,913 GRT/8,718 DWT; includes 2 cargo,
    1 refrigerated cargo
Civil air:
    1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    53 total, 40 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over
    3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    minimal telephone and telegraph service; microwave and troposcatter system
    centered on Mogadishu connects a few towns; 6,000 telephones; broadcast
    stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station;
    scheduled to receive an ARABSAT ground station

:Somalia Defense Forces

Branches:
    NA
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 1,673,542; 942,153 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

:South Africa Geography

Total area:
    1,221,040 km2
Land area:
    1,221,040 km2; includes Walvis Bay, Marion Island, and Prince Edward Island
Comparative area:
    slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
    4,973 km total; Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km,
    Namibia 1,078 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline:
    2,881 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    claim by Namibia to Walvis Bay exclave and 12 offshore islands administered
    by South Africa; South Africa and Namibia have agreed to jointly administer
    the area for an interim period; the terms and dates to be covered by joint
    administration arrangements have not been established at this time; and
    Namibia will continue to maintain a claim to sovereignty over the entire
    area
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, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates,
    tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Land use:
    arable land 10%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 65%; forest and
    woodland 3%; other 21%; includes irrigated 1%
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; South Africa completely
    surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

:South Africa People

Population:
    41,688,360 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992); includes the 10 so-called
    homelands, which are not recognized by the US
Population:
  four independent homelands:
    Bophuthatswana 2,489,347, growth rate 2.86%; Ciskei 1,088,476, growth rate
    2.99%; Transkei 4,746,796, growth rate 4.13%; Venda 718,207, growth rate
    3.81%
  six other homelands:
    Gazankulu 803,806, growth rate 3.96%; Kangwane 597,783, growth rate 3.60%;
    KwaNdebele 373,012, growth rate 3.40%; KwaZulu 5,748,950, growth rate 3.58%;
    Lebowa 2,924,584, growth rate 3.90%; QwaQwa 288,155, growth rate 3.60%
Birth rate:
    34 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    50 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    62 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - South African(s); adjective - South African
Ethnic divisions:
    black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
Religions:
    most whites and Coloreds and about 60% of blacks are Christian; about 60% of
    Indians are Hindu; Muslim 20%
Languages:
    Afrikaans, English (both official); many vernacular languages, including
    Zulu, Xhosa, North and South Sotho, Tswana
Literacy:
    76% (male 78%, female 75%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
    11,000,000 economically active (1989); services 34%, agriculture 30%,
    industry and commerce 29%, mining 7% (1985)
Organized labor:
    about 17% of total labor force belongs to a registered trade union (1989);
    African unions represent 15% of black labor force

:South Africa Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of South Africa; abbreviated RSA
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial)
Administrative divisions:
    4 provinces; Cape, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal; there are 10
    homelands not recognized by the US - 4 independent (Bophuthatswana, Ciskei,
    Transkei, Venda) and 6 other (Gazankulu, Kangwane, KwaNdebele, 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 compulsory ICJ
    jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
    Republic Day, 31 May (1910)
Executive branch:
    state president, Executive Council (cabinet), Ministers' Councils (from the
    three houses of Parliament)
Legislative branch:
    tricameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of the House of Assembly
    (Volksraad; whites), House of Representatives (Raad van Verteenwoordigers;
    Coloreds), and House of Delegates (Raad van Afgevaardigdes; Indians)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    State President Frederik W. DE KLERK (since 13 September 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
  white political parties and leaders:
    National Party (NP), Frederik W. DE KLERK (majority party); Conservative
    Party (CP), Dr. Andries P. TREURNICHT (official opposition party);
    Democratic Party (DP), Zach DE BEER
  Colored political parties and leaders:
    Labor Party (LP), Allan HENDRICKSE (majority party); Freedom Party; note -
    the Democratic Reform Party (DRP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP) were
    disbanded in May 1991
  Indian political parties and leaders:
    Solidarity, J. N. REDDY (majority party); National 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 NA March 1995); results - NP
    58%, CP 23%, DP 19%; seats - (178 total, 166 elected) NP 103, CP 41, DP 34;
    note - by February 1992 because of byelections, changes in number of seats
    held by parties were as follows: NP 102, CP 42, DP 33, vacant 1
  House of Representatives (Coloreds):
    last held 6 September 1989 (next to be held no later than March 1995);
    results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (85 total, 80 elected) LP 69,
    DRP 5, UDP 3, Freedom Party 1, independents 2; note - since the National
    Party became multiracial, by February 1992 many representatives from other
    parties have changed their allegiance causing the following changes in
    seating: LP 39, NP 38, Freedom Party 1, independents 7

:South Africa Government

  House of Delegates (Indians):
    last held 6 September 1989 (next to be held no later than March 1995);
    results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (45 total, 40 elected)
    Solidarity 16, NPP 9, Merit People's Party 3, independents 6, other 6; note
    - due to delegates changing party affiliation, seating as of February 1992
    is as follows: Solidarity 25, NPP 7, Merit People's Party 2, other 5,
    independents 5, vacancy 1
Communists:
    South African Communist Party, Chris HANI, secretary general, and Joe SLOVO,
    national chairman
Other political or pressure groups:
    African National Congress (ANC), Nelson MANDELA, president; Inkatha Freedom
    Party (IFP), Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president; Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC),
    Clarence MAKWETU, president
Member of:
    BIS, CCC, ECA, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO (suspended), ICC, IDA, IFC, IMF,
    INTELSAT, ISO, ITU (suspended), LORCS, SACU, UN, UNCTAD, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
    WMO (suspended)
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Harry SCHWARZ; Chancery at 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; there are South African
    Consulates General in Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, Houston, and New
    York
  US:
    Ambassador William L. SWING; Embassy at Thibault House, 225 Pretorius
    Street, Pretoria; telephone [27] (12) 28-4266, FAX [27] (12) 21-92-78; 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 horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags
    are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal
    flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old
    Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side

:South Africa Economy

Overview:
    Many of the white one-seventh of the South African population enjoy incomes,
    material comforts, and health and educational standards equal to those of
    Western Europe. In contrast, most of the remaining population suffers from
    the poverty patterns of the Third World, including unemployment, 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 less than 2% in output in recent years falls far short of
    the 5% to 6% level needed to absorb some 300,000 new entrants to the labor
    force annually. Economic developments in the 1990s will be driven partly by
    the changing relations among the various ethnic groups.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $104 billion, per capita $2,600; real growth rate
    - 0.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    15.7% (March 1992)
Unemployment rate:
    40% (1991); well over 50% in some homeland areas (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $29.4 billion; expenditures $35.0 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $1.1 billion (FY93 est.)
Exports:
    $24.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    gold 25-30%, minerals and metals 20-25%, food 5%, chemicals 3%
  partners:
    Italy, Japan, US, FRG, UK, other EC members, Hong Kong
Imports:
    $18.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    machinery 32%, transport equipment 15%, chemicals 11%, oil, textiles,
    scientific instruments, base metals
  partners:
    FRG, Japan, UK, US, Italy
External debt:
    $19.0 billion (December 1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%; accounts for about 40% of GDP
Electricity:
    46,000,000 kW capacity; 180,000 million kWh produced, 4,100 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile
    assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemical,
    fertilizer, foodstuffs
Agriculture:
    accounts for about 5% of GDP and 30% of labor force; diversified
    agriculture, with emphasis on livestock; products - cattle, poultry, sheep,
    wool, milk, beef, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables;
    self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
    NA
Currency:
    rand (plural - rand); 1 rand (R) = 100 cents

:South Africa Economy

Exchange rates:
    rand (R) per US$1 - 2.7814 (January 1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863 (1990),
    2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:South Africa 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:
    crude oil 931 km, petroleum products 1,748 km, natural gas 322 km
Ports:
    Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Richard's Bay, Saldanha, Mosselbaai,
    Walvis Bay
Merchant marine:
    5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 213,708 GRT/201,043 DWT; includes 4
    container, 1 vehicle carrier
Civil air:
    90 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    901 total, 732 usable; 132 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 224 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
    centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth,
    and Pretoria; over 4,500,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 14 AM, 286 FM,
    67 TV; 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
    and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

:South Africa Defense Forces

Branches:
    South African Defense Force (SADF; including Army, Navy, Air Force, Medical
    Services), South African Police (SAP)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 10,051,202; 6,133,484 fit for military service; 420,275 reach
    military age (18) annually; obligation for service in Citizen Force or
    Commandos begins at 18; volunteers for service in permanent force must be
    17; national service obligation is one year; figures include the so-called
    homelands not recognized by the US
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $3.5 billion, about 3% of GDP (FY92)

:South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Geography

Total area:
    4,066 km2
Land area:
    4,066 km2; includes Shag and Clerke Rocks, South Georgia, Bird Island, South
    Sandwich Islands
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    undetermined
Maritime claims:
  Territorial sea:
    12 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 precipitation falls as snow
Terrain:
    most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and
    mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered
    mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some
    active volcanoes
Natural resources:
    fish
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%; largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some
    sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen
Environment:
    reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia; weather
    conditions generally make it difficult to approach the South Sandwich
    Islands; the South Sandwich Islands are subject to active volcanism
Note:
    the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good
    anchorage

:South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 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

:South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Government

Long-form name:
    South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (no short-form name)
Type:
    dependent territory of the UK
Capital:
    none; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town
Administrative divisions:
    none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence:
    none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution:
    3 October 1985
Legal system:
    English common law
National holiday:
    Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Executive branch:
    British monarch, commissioner
Legislative branch:
    none
Judicial branch:
    none
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Commissioner
    William Hugh FULLERTON (since 1988; resident at Stanley, Falkland Islands)

:South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Economy

Overview:
    Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of
    income from harvesting fin fish and krill. The islands receive income from
    postage stamps produced in the UK.
Budget:
    revenues $291,777; expenditures $451,011, including capital expenditures of
    $NA (FY88 est.)
Electricity:
    900 kW capacity; 2 million kWh produced, NA kWh per capita (1990)

:South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Communications

Highways:
    NA
Ports:
    Grytviken on South Georgia
Airports:
    5 total, 5 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway
    2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications:
    coastal radio station at Grytviken; no broadcast stations

:South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the UK

:Spain Geography

Total area:
    504,750 km2
Land area:
    499,400 km2; includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of
    sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - Ceuta,
    Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la
    Gomera
Comparative area:
    slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Land boundaries:
    1,903.2 km total; Andorra 65 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal
    1,214 km
Coastline:
    4,964 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    Gibraltar question with UK; Spain controls five places of sovereignty
    (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - the coastal enclaves
    of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of
    Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
Climate:
    temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along
    coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Terrain:
    large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in
    north
Natural resources:
    coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc,
    lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower
Land use:
    arable land 31%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures 21%; forest and
    woodland 31%; other 7%; includes irrigated 6%
Environment:
    deforestation; air pollution
Note:
    strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

:Spain People

Population:
    39,118,399 (July 1992), growth rate 0.2% (1992)
Birth rate:
    11 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    74 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Spaniard(s); adjective - Spanish
Ethnic divisions:
    composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 99%, other sects 1%
Languages:
    Castilian Spanish; second languages include Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque
    2%
Literacy:
    95% (male 97%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    14,621,000; services 53%, industry 24%, agriculture 14%, construction 9%
    (1988)
Organized labor:
    less 10% of labor force (1988)

:Spain Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Spain
Type:
    parliamentary monarchy
Capital:
    Madrid
Administrative divisions:
    17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad
    autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla-La
    Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencia, Extremadura,
    Galicia, Islas Baleares, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco; note
    - there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco
    (Ceuta, Mellila, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de
    la Gomera) with administrative status unknown
Independence:
    1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
Constitution:
    6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Legal system:
    civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept compulsory ICJ
    jurisdiction
National holiday:
    National Day, 12 October
Executive branch:
    monarch, president of the government (prime minister), deputy prime
    minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet), 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 Diputados)
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 Narcis SERRA (since 13 March 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    principal national parties, from right to left - Popular Party (PP), Jose
    Maria AZNAR; Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Luis DE GRANDES; Social
    Democratic Center (CDS), Rafael Calvo ORTEGA; Spanish Socialist Workers
    Party (PSOE), Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez; Socialist Democracy Party (DS),
    Ricardo Garcia DAMBORENEA; 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 GARAICOETXEA Urizza; Basque Popular Unity (HB), Jon
    IDIGORAS; Basque Left (EE), Kepa AULESTIA; Andalusian Party (PA), Pedro
    PACHECO; Independent Canary Group (AIC); Aragon Regional Party (PAR);
    Valencian Union (UV)
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Senate:
    last held 29 October 1989 (next to be held NA October 1993); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (208 total) PSOE 106, PP 79, CiU 10,
    PNV 4, HB 3, AIC 1, other 5

:Spain Government

  Congress of Deputies:
    last held 29 October 1989 (next to be held NA October 1993); results - PSOE
    39.6%, PP 25.8%, CDS 9%, Communist-led coalition (IU) 9%, CiU 5%, PNV 1.2%,
    HB 1%, PA 1%, other 8.4%; seats - (350 total) PSOE 175, PP 106, CiU 18, IU
    17, CDS 14, PNV 5, HB 4, other 11
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;
    remaining strength is in labor, where it dominates the Workers Commissions
    trade union (one of the country's two major labor 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 Socialist General Union
    of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union (USO);
    the Catholic Church; business and landowning interests; Opus Dei; university
    students
Member of:
    AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC,
    EIB, ESA, FAO, G-8, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA,
    IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer),
    ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, OAS (observer),
    OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
    WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Jaime de OJEDA; Chancery at 2700 15th Street NW, Washington, DC
    20009; telephone [phone] 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, 28006 Madrid (mailing
    address is APO AE 09642); telephone [34] (1) 577-4000, FAX [34] (1)
    577-5735; 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

:Spain Economy

Overview:
    Spain has done well since joining the EC in 1986. In accordance with its
    accession treaty, Spain has almost wholly liberalized trade and capital
    markets. Foreign and domestic investment has spurred average growth of 4%
    per year. Beginning in 1989, Madrid implemented a tight monetary policy to
    fight inflation - around 7% in 1989 and 1990. As a result growth slowed to
    2.5% in 1991. Spanish policymakers remain concerned with inflation - still
    hovering at 6%. Government officials also are worried about 16%
    unemployment, although many people listed as unemployed work in the
    underground economy. Spanish economists believe that structural adjustments
    due to the ongoing integration of the European market are likely to lead to
    more displaced workers.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $487.5 billion, per capita $12,400; real
    growth rate 2.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    5.9% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    16.0% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $111.0 billion; expenditures $115.9 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $20.8 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $60.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    cars and trucks, semifinished manufactured goods, foodstuffs, machinery
  partners:
    EC 71.0%, US 4.9%, other developed countries 7.9%
Imports:
    $93.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery, transport equipment, fuels, semifinished goods, foodstuffs,
    consumer goods, chemicals
  partners:
    EC 60.0%, US 8.0%, other developed countries 11.5%, Middle East 2.6%
External debt:
    $45 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 2.0% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
    46,589,000 kW capacity; 157,040 million kWh produced, 3,980 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and
    metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools,
    tourism
Agriculture:
    accounts for about 5% of GDP and 14% of labor force; major products - grain,
    vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus fruit, beef, pork,
    poultry, dairy; largely self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 1.4 million
    metric tons is among top 20 nations
Illicit drugs:
    key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the
    European market
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1.9 billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $545.0 million; not
    currently a recipient

:Spain Economy

Currency:
    peseta (plural - pesetas); 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates:
    pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 104.79 (March 1992), 103.91 (1991), 101.93 (1990),
    118.38 (1989), 116.49 (1988), 123.48 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Spain Communications

Railroads:
    15,430 km total; Spanish National Railways (RENFE) operates 12,691 km
    1.668-meter gauge, 6,184 km electrified, and 2,295 km double track; FEVE
    (government-owned narrow-gauge railways) 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
    bituminous, 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:
    crude oil 265 km, petroleum products 1,794 km, natural gas 1,666 km
Ports:
    Algeciras, Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon
    de la Plana, Ceuta, El Ferrol del Caudillo, Puerto de Gijon, Huelva, La
    Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Mahon, Malaga, Melilla, Rota, Santa
    Cruz de Tenerife, Sagunto, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo, and 175 minor ports
Merchant marine:
    278 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,915,409 GRT/5,228,378 DWT; includes
    2 passenger, 9 short-sea passenger, 86 cargo, 13 refrigerated cargo, 15
    container, 32 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 vehicle carrier, 48 petroleum
    tanker, 14 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 3 specialized tanker, 45 bulk
Civil air:
    210 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    105 total, 99 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over
    3,659 m; 22 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    generally adequate, modern facilities; 15,350,464 telephones; broadcast
    stations - 190 AM, 406 (134 repeaters) FM, 100 (1,297 repeaters) TV; 22
    coaxial submarine cables; 2 communications satellite earth stations
    operating in INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean); MARECS, INMARSAT,
    and EUTELSAT systems; tropospheric links

:Spain Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal Civil
    Guard
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 10,205,741; 8,271,151 fit for military service; 337,407 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $8.7 billion, 2% of GDP (1991)

:Spratly Islands Geography

Total area:
    NA but 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:
    all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts
    of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei
    established an exclusive economic zone, which encompasses Louisa Reef, but
    has not publicly claimed the island
Climate:
    tropical
Terrain:
    flat
Natural resources:
    fish, guano; undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%
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

:Spratly Islands People

Population:
    no permanent inhabitants; garrisons

:Spratly Islands Government

Long-form name:
    none

:Spratly Islands Economy

Overview:
    Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing, proximity to nearby oil-
    and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas
    deposits, but the Spratlys region is largely unexplored, and there are no
    reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to
    be developed.
Industries:
    none

:Spratly Islands Communications

Ports:
    no natural harbors
Airports:
    2 total, 2 usable; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways
    1,220-2,439 m

:Spratly Islands Defense Forces

Note:
    44 small islands or reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines,
    Taiwan, and Vietnam

:Sri Lanka 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
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
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:
    arable land 16%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and
    woodland 37%; other 23%; includes irrigated 8%
Environment:
    occasional cyclones, tornados; deforestation; soil erosion
Note:
    only 29 km from India across the Palk Strait; near major Indian Ocean sea
    lanes

:Sri Lanka People

Population:
    17,631,528 (July 1992), growth rate 1.2% (1992); note - about 120,000 people
    fled to India in 1991 because of fighting between government forces and
    Tamil insurgents; about 200,000 Tamils will be repatriated in 1992
Birth rate:
    20 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    21 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    69 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Sri Lankan(s); adjective - Sri Lankan
Ethnic divisions:
    Sinhalese 74%; Tamil 18%; Moor 7%; Burgher, Malay, and Veddha 1%
Religions:
    Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%
Languages:
    Sinhala (official); Sinhala and Tamil listed as national languages; Sinhala
    spoken by about 74% of population, Tamil spoken by about 18%; English
    commonly used in government and spoken by about 10% of the population
Literacy:
    86% (male 91%, female 81%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
Labor force:
    6,600,000; agriculture 45.9%, mining and manufacturing 13.3%, trade and
    transport 12.4%, services and other 28.4% (1985 est.)
Organized labor:
    about 30% of labor force, over 50% of which are employed on tea, rubber, and
    coconut estates

:Sri Lanka Government

Long-form name:
    Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Colombo
Administrative divisions:
    the administrative structure now includes 9 provinces - Central, Eastern,
    North, North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, and
    Western and 24 districts - Amparai, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa,
    Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Jaffna, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalla,
    Kurunegala, Mannar, Matale, Matara, Moneragala, Mullaittivu, Nuwara Eliya,
    Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Vavuniya; note - in the
    future there may be only 8 provinces (combining the two provinces of North
    and Eastern into one province of North Eastern) and 25 districts (adding
    Kilinochchi to the existing 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,
    Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence and National Day, 4 February (1948)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Ranasinghe PREMADASA (since 2 January 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGE (since 6 March 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    United National Party (UNP), Ranasinghe PREMADASA; Sri Lanka Freedom Party
    (SLFP), Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), M. H. M.
    ASHRAFF; All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Kumar PONNAMBALAM; People's
    United Front (MEP, or Mahajana Eksath Peramuna), Dinesh GUNAWARDENE; Eelam
    Democratic Front (EDF), Edward Sebastian PILLAI; Tamil United Liberation
    Front (TULF), leader (vacant); Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students
    (EROS), Velupillai BALAKUMARAN; New Socialist Party (NSSP, or Nava Sama
    Samaja Party), Vasudeva NANAYAKKARA; Lanka Socialist Party/Trotskyite (LSSP,
    or Lanka Sama Samaja Party), Colin R. de SILVA; Sri Lanka People's Party
    (SLMP, or Sri Lanka Mahajana Party), Ossie ABEYGUNASEKERA; Communist Party,
    K. P. SILVA; Communist Party/Beijing (CP/B), N. SHANMUGATHASAN; note - the
    United Socialist Alliance (USA) includes the NSSP, LSSP, SLMP, CP/M, and
    CP/B
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1994); results -
    Ranasinghe PREMADASA (UNP) 50%, Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE (SLFP) 45%, other 5%

:Sri Lanka Government

  Parliament:
    last held 15 February 1989 (next to be held by NA February 1995); results -
    UNP 51%, SLFP 32%, SLMC 4%, TULF 3%, USA 3%, EROS 3%, MEP 1%, other 3%;
    seats - (225 total) UNP 125, SLFP 67, other 33
Other political or pressure groups:
    Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other smaller Tamil separatist
    groups; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or People's Liberation Front);
    Buddhist clergy; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups; labor unions
Member of:
    AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
    ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
    ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
    WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador W. Susanta De ALWIS; Chancery at 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] through 4028; there is a Sri
    Lankan Consulate in New York
  US:
    Ambassador Marion V. CREEKMORE, Jr.; Embassy at 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
    (mailing address is P. O. Box 106, Colombo); telephone [94] (1) 44180107,
    FAX [94] (1) 43-73-45
Flag:
    yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical
    bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red
    rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf
    in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border that goes around the
    entire flag and extends between the two panels

:Sri Lanka Economy

Overview:
    Agriculture, forestry, and fishing dominate the economy, employing half of
    the labor force and accounting for one quarter of GDP. The plantation crops
    of tea, rubber, and coconuts provide about one-third of export earnings. The
    economy has been plagued by high rates of unemployment since the late 1970s.
    Economic growth, which has been depressed by ethnic unrest, accelerated in
    1991 as domestic conditions began to improve.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $7.2 billion, per capita $410; real growth rate
    5.0% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    10% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    14% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $2.0 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $500 million (1992)
Exports:
    $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    textiles and garment, teas, petroleum products, coconut, rubber,
    agricultural products, gems and jewelry, marine products
  partners:
    US 25%, FRG, Japan, UK, Belgium, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China
Imports:
    $3.0 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    food and beverages, textiles and textile materials, petroleum, machinery and
    equipment
  partners:
    Japan, Iran, US 7.7%, India, Taiwan, Singapore, FRG, UK
External debt:
    $5.8 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 8% (1991 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP
Electricity:
    1,300,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities;
    cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco, clothing
Agriculture:
    accounts for 26% 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, coconuts; animal products
    - milk, eggs, hides, meat; not self-sufficient in rice production
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $169 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $369
    million
Currency:
    Sri Lankan rupee (plural - rupees); 1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Sri Lankan rupees (SLRes) per US$1 - 43.112 (March 1992), 41.372 (1991),
    40.063 (1990), 36.047 (1989), 31.807 (1988), 29.445 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Sri Lanka Communications

Railroads:
    1,948 km total (1990); all 1.868-meter broad gauge; 102 km double track; no
    electrification; government owned
Highways:
    75,749 km total (1990); 27,637 km paved (mostly bituminous treated), 32,887
    km crushed stone or gravel, 14,739 km improved earth or unimproved earth;
    several thousand km of mostly unmotorable tracks (1988 est.)
Inland waterways:
    430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft
Pipelines:
    crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)
Ports:
    Colombo, Trincomalee
Merchant marine:
    30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 310,173 GRT/489,378 DWT; includes 13
    cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 5 container, 3 petroleum 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; 114,000 telephones (1982); broadcast stations -
    12 AM, 5 FM, 5 TV; submarine cables extend to Indonesia and Djibouti; 2
    Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

:Sri Lanka Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 4,709,203; 3,678,952 fit for military service; 177,554 reach
    military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $432 million, 6% of GDP (1991)
\

:Sudan Geography

Total area:
    2,505,810 km2
Land area:
    2,376,000 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly more than one-quarter the size of the 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 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    administrative boundary with Kenya does not coincide with international
    boundary; administrative boundary with Egypt does not coincide with
    international boundary
Climate:
    tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April to October)
Terrain:
    generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in east and west
Natural resources:
    small reserves of crude oil, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten,
    mica, silver, crude oil
Land use:
    arable land 5%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and
    woodland 20%; other 51%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    dominated by the Nile and its tributaries; dust storms; desertification
Note:
    largest country in Africa

:Sudan People

Population:
    28,305,046 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    13 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    83 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    53 years male, 54 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Sudanese (singular and plural); adjective - Sudanese
Ethnic divisions:
    black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
Religions:
    Sunni Muslim (in north) 70%, indigenous beliefs 20%, Christian (mostly in
    south and Khartoum) 5%
Languages:
    Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic,
    Nilo-Hamitic, and Sudanic languages, English; program of Arabization in
    process
Literacy:
    27% (male 43%, female 12%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    6,500,000; agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 10%, government 6%; labor
    shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment (1983 est.); 52%
    of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
    trade unions suspended following 30 June 1989 coup; now in process of being
    legalized anew

:Sudan Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of the Sudan
Type:
    military; civilian government suspended and martial law imposed after 30
    June 1989 coup
Capital:
    Khartoum
Administrative divisions:
    9 states (wilayat, singular - wilayat or wilayah*); A'ali an Nil, Al Wusta*,
    Al Istiwa'iyah*, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah*, Ash Sharqiyah*, Bahr al
    Ghazal, Darfur, Kurdufan
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; as of 20 January 1991, the
    Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the six northern states
    of Al Wusta, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah, Ash Sharqiyah, Darfur, and
    Kurdufan; the council is still studying criminal provisions under Islamic
    law; Islamic law will apply to all residents of the six northern states
    regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts
    compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Executive branch:
    executive and legislative authority vested in a 12-member Revolutionary
    Command Council (RCC); chairman of the RCC acts as prime minister; in July
    1989, RCC appointed a predominately civilian 22-member cabinet to function
    as advisers
Legislative branch:
    appointed 300-member Transitional National Assembly; note - as announced 1
    January 1992 by RCC Chairman BASHIR, the Assembly assumes all legislative
    authority for Sudan until the eventual, unspecified resumption of national
    elections
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court, Special Revolutionary Courts
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    Revolutionary Command Council Chairman and Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Umar
    Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 30 June 1989); Deputy Chairman of the Command
    Council and Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH Ahmed
    (since 9 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    none; banned following 30 June 1989 coup
Suffrage:
    none
Elections:
    none
Member of:
    ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
    ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
    ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU,
    WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador `Abdallah Ahmad `ABDALLAH; Chancery at 2210 Massachusetts Avenue
    NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] through 8570; there is a
    Sudanese Consulate General in New York

:Sudan Government

  US:
    Ambassador James R. CHEEK (will be replaced summer of 1992); Embassy at
    Shar'ia Ali Abdul Latif, Khartoum (mailing address is P. O. Box 699,
    Khartoum, or APO AE 09829); telephone 74700 or 74611; Telex 22619
Flag:
    three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green
    isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

:Sudan Economy

Overview:
    Sudan is buffeted by civil war, chronic political instability, adverse
    weather, high inflation, 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 employs 80% of the work
    force. Industry mainly processes agricultural items. Sluggish economic
    performance over the past decade, attributable largely to declining annual
    rainfall, has reduced levels of per capita income and consumption. A high
    foreign debt and huge arrearages continue to cause difficulties. In 1990 the
    International Monetary Fund took the unusual step of declaring Sudan
    noncooperative because of its nonpayment of arrearages to the Fund. Despite
    subsequent government efforts to implement reforms urged by the IMF and the
    World Bank, the economy remained stagnant in FY91 as entrepreneurs lack the
    incentive to take economic risks.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $12.1 billion, per capita $450; real growth rate
    0% (FY91 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    95% (FY91 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    15% (FY91 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $2.1 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $505 million (FY91 est.)
Exports:
    $325 million (f.o.b., FY91 est.)
  commodities:
    cotton 52%, sesame, gum arabic, peanuts
  partners:
    Western Europe 46%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Eastern Europe 9%, Japan 9%, US 3%
    (FY88)
Imports:
    $1.40 billion (c.i.f., FY91 est.)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, petroleum products, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment,
    medicines and chemicals, textiles
  partners:
    Western Europe 32%, Africa and Asia 15%, US 13%, Eastern Europe 3% (FY88)
External debt:
    $14.6 billion (June 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%; accounts for 11% of GDP (FY89)
Electricity:
    610,000 kW capacity; 905 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling,
    shoes, petroleum refining
Agriculture:
    accounts for 35% of GDP and 80% of labor force; water shortages; two-thirds
    of land area suitable for raising crops and livestock; major products -
    cotton, oilseeds, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sheep; marginally
    self-sufficient in most foods
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.5 billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $588
    million

:Sudan Economy

Currency:
    Sudanese pound (plural - pounds); 1 Sudanese pound (#Sd) = 100 piasters
Exchange rates:
    official rate - Sudanese pounds (#Sd) per US$1 - 90.1 (March 1992), 5.4288
    (1991), 4.5004 (fixed rate since 1987), 2.8121 (1987); note - free market
    rate 83 (December 1991)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Sudan Communications

Railroads:
    5,500 km total; 4,784 km 1.067-meter gauge, 716 km 1.6096-meter-gauge
    plantation line
Highways:
    20,000 km total; 1,600 km bituminous treated, 3,700 km gravel, 2,301 km
    improved earth, 12,399 km unimproved earth and track
Inland waterways:
    5,310 km navigable
Pipelines:
    refined products 815 km
Ports:
    Port Sudan, Swakin
Merchant marine:
    5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 42,277 GRT/59,588 DWT; includes 3
    cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo
Civil air:
    18 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    72 total, 57 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 5 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 by modern standards; consists of microwave, cable, radio
    communications, and troposcatter; domestic satellite system with 14
    stations; broadcast stations - 11 AM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations - 1
    Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT

:Sudan Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 6,432,270; 3,949,518 fit for military service; 302,696 reach
    military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $610 million, 7.2% of GDP (1989 est.)

:Suriname Geography

Total area:
    163,270 km2
Land area:
    161,470 km2
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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and Riviere Marouini
    (both headwaters of the Lawa); claims area in Guyana between New (Upper
    Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Climate:
    tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
    mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Natural resources:
    timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and small
    amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold
Land use:
    arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest
    and woodland 97%; other 3%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    mostly tropical rain forest

:Suriname People

Population:
    410,016 (July 1992), growth rate 1.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
    26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -5 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    34 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    66 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Surinamer(s); adjective - Surinamese
Ethnic divisions:
    Hindustani (East Indian) 37.0%, Creole (black and mixed) 31.0%, Javanese
    15.3%, Bush black 10.3%, Amerindian 2.6%, Chinese 1.7%, Europeans 1.0%,
    other 1.1%
Religions:
    Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant (predominantly
    Moravian) 25.2%, indigenous beliefs about 5%
Languages:
    Dutch (official); English widely spoken; Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes
    called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles and much of the younger
    population and is lingua franca among others; also Hindi Suriname Hindustani
    (a variant of Bhoqpuri) and Javanese
Literacy:
    95% (male 95%, female 95%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    104,000 (1984)
Organized labor:
    49,000 members of labor force

:Suriname Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Suriname
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Paramaribo
Administrative divisions:
    10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne,
    Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini,
    Wanica
Independence:
    25 November 1975 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands Guiana 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
    significant power
Legislative branch:
    unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Ronald VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991); Vice President and
    Prime Minister Jules AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
  traditional ethnic-based parties:
    The New Front (NF), a coalition formed of four parties following the 24
    December 1990 military coup - Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath
    LACHMON; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck ARRON; Indonesian Peasants
    Party (KTPI), Willie SOEMITA; and Suriname Labor Party (SPA) Fred DERBY;
  promilitary:
    National Democratic Party (NDP), Orlando VAN AMSON; Democratic Alternative
    '91 (DA '91), Winston JESSURUN, a coalition of five parties formed in
    January 1991 - Alternative Forum (AF), Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN;
    Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalal PARMESSAR; Party for Brotherhood
    and Unity in Politics (BEP), Cipriano ALLENDY; Pendawalima, Marsha JAMIN;
    and Independent Progressive Group, Karam RAMSUNDERSINGH;
  leftists:
    Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael NAARENDORP; Progressive Workers
    and Farmers (PALU), Iwan KROLIS
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - elected
    by the National Assembly - Ronald VENETIAAN (NF) 80% (645 votes), Jules
    WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) 14% (115 votes), Hans PRADE (DA '91) 6% (49 votes)
  National Assembly:
    last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - percent of
    vote NA; seats - (51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9

:Suriname Government

Member of:
    ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
    IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT; Chancery at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut
    Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] or 7490 through
    7492; there is a Surinamese Consulate General in Miami
  US:
    Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD; Embassy at Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129,
    Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo); telephone [597]
    472900, 477881, or 476459; FAX [597] 410025
Flag:
    five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple
    width), white, and green (double width); there is a large yellow
    five-pointed star centered in the red band

:Suriname Economy

Overview:
    The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about
    70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The economy has been in
    trouble since the Dutch ended development aid in 1982. A drop in world
    bauxite prices which started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986
    was followed by the outbreak of a guerrilla insurgency in the interior that
    crippled the important bauxite sector. Although the insurgency has since
    ebbed and the bauxite sector recovered, a military coup in December 1990
    reflected continued political instability and deterred investment and
    economic reform. High inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market
    activity, and hard currency shortfalls continue to mark the economy.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion, per capita $3,400; real growth rate
    0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    50% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    33% (1990)
Budget:
    revenues $466 million; expenditures $716 million, including capital
    expenditures of $123 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $549 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
  commodities:
    alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products, shrimp and fish,
    bananas
  partners:
    Norway 33%, Netherlands 20%, US 15%, FRG 9%, Brazil 5%, UK 5%, Japan 3%,
    other 10%
Imports:
    $331 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
  commodities:
    capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
  partners:
    US 37%, Netherlands 15%, Netherlands Antilles 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%,
    Brazil 5%, UK 3%, other 20%
External debt:
    $138 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA; accounts for 22% of GDP
Electricity:
    458,000 kW capacity; 2,018 million kWh produced, 5,015 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food processing,
    fishing
Agriculture:
    accounts for 11% of GDP; paddy rice planted on 85% of arable land and
    represents 60% of total farm output; other products - bananas, palm kernels,
    coconuts, plantains, peanuts, beef, chicken; shrimp and forestry products of
    increasing importance; self-sufficient in most foods
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $2.5 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5 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, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1 - 1.7850 (fixed rate)

:Suriname Economy

Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Suriname 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 important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts
    ranging up to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways
Ports:
    Paramaribo, Moengo
Merchant marine:
    3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT; includes 2 cargo,
    1 container
Civil air:
    1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    46 total, 40 usable; 6 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:
    international facilities good; domestic microwave system; 27,500 telephones;
    broadcast stations - 5 AM, 14 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean
    INTELSAT earth stations

:Suriname Defense Forces

Branches:
    National Army (including Navy which is company-size, small Air Force
    element), Civil Police, People's Militia
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 109,551; 65,250 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP

:Svalbard Geography

Total area:
    62,049 km2
Land area:
    62,049 km2; includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    3,587 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway, not recognized by Russia
  Territorial sea:
    4 nm
Disputes:
    focus of maritime boundary dispute in the Barents Sea between Norway and
    Russia
Climate:
    arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters;
    North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen,
    keeping water open and navigable most of the year
Terrain:
    wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of
    ice about half the year; fjords along west and north coasts
Natural resources:
    coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%; there are no trees and the only bushes are
    crowberry and cloudberry
Environment:
    great calving glaciers descend to the sea
Note:
    located 445 km north of Norway where the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea,
    Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea meet

:Svalbard People

Population:
    3,181 (July 1992), growth rate -3.9% (1992); about one-third of the
    population resides in the Norwegian areas (Longyearbyen and Svea on
    Vestspitsbergen) and two-thirds in the Russian areas (Barentsburg and
    Pyramiden on Vestspitsbergen); about 9 persons live at the Polish research
    station
Birth rate:
    NA births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    NA years male, NA years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    NA children born/woman (1992)
Ethnic divisions:
    Russian 64%, Norwegian 35%, other 1% (1981)
Languages:
    Russian, Norwegian
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    none

:Svalbard Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    territory of Norway administered by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through
    a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9
    February 1920) sovereignty was given to Norway
Capital:
    Longyearbyen
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991)
  Head of Government:
    Governor Leif ELDRING (since NA)
Member of:
    none
Flag:
    the flag of Norway is used

:Svalbard Economy

Overview:
    Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. By treaty (9
    February 1920), the nationals of the treaty powers have equal rights to
    exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK,
    Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies
    still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are
    essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs
    nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local
    services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some
    trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus.
Budget:
    revenues $13.3 million, expenditures $13.3 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1990)
Electricity:
    21,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 11,420 kWh per capita (1989)
Currency:
    Norwegian krone (plural - kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ore
Exchange rates:
    Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1 - 6.5189 (March 1992), 6.4829 (1991), 6.2597
    (1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987)

:Svalbard Communications

Ports:
    limited facilities - Ny-Alesund, Advent 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; local telephone service; broadcast stations
    - 1 AM, 1 (2 repeaters) FM, 1 TV; satellite communication with Norwegian
    mainland

:Svalbard Defense Forces

Note:
    demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)

:Swaziland Geography

Total area:
    17,360 km2
Land area:
    17,200 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
    535 km total; Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    varies from tropical to near temperate
Terrain:
    mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Natural resources:
    asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and
    diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Land use:
    arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 67%; forest and
    woodland 6%; other 19%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
    overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Note:
    landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

:Swaziland People

Population:
    913,008 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -6 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    98 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    52 years male, 60 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Swazi(s); adjective - Swazi
Ethnic divisions:
    African 97%, European 3%
Religions:
    Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%
Languages:
    English and siSwati (official); government business conducted in English
Literacy:
    55% (male 57%, female 54%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
Labor force:
    195,000; over 60,000 engaged in subsistence agriculture; about 92,000 wage
    earners (many only intermittently), with agriculture and forestry 36%,
    community and social services 20%, manufacturing 14%, construction 9%, other
    21%; 16,800 employed in South Africa mines (1990)
Organized labor:
    about 10% of wage earners

:Swaziland Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Swaziland
Type:
    monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth
Capital:
    Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)
Administrative divisions:
    4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Independence:
    6 September 1968 (from UK)
Constitution:
    none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended on 12 April 1973; a new
    constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but has not been formally
    presented to the people
Legal system:
    based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts, Swazi
    traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted
    compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Somhlolo (Independence) Day, 6 September (1968)
Executive branch:
    monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Parliament is advisory and consists of an upper house or Senate
    and a lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
    High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Obed DLAMINI (since 12 July 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    none; banned by the Constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978
Suffrage:
    none
Elections:
    indirect parliamentary election through Swaziland's Tinkhundala System
    scheduled for November 1992
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
    IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADCC, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Absalom Vusani MAMBA; Chancery at 3400 International Drive NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Stephen H. ROGERS; Embassy at Central Bank Building, Warner
    Street, Mbabane (mailing address is P. O. Box 199, Mbabane); telephone [268]
    46441 through 5; FAX [268] 45959
Flag:
    three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red
    band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white
    shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all
    placed horizontally

:Swaziland Economy

Overview:
    The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which occupies most of the
    labor force and contributes nearly 25% to GDP. Manufacturing, which includes
    a number of agroprocessing factories, accounts for another quarter of GDP.
    Mining has declined in importance in recent years; high-grade iron ore
    deposits were depleted 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 75% of its imports and to which it sends about half of its exports.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $563 million, per capita $725; real growth rate
    5.0% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    13% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $335.4 million; expenditures $360.5 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (FY93 est.)
Exports:
    $557 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, citrus, canned fruit
  partners:
    South Africa 50% (est.), EC, Canada
Imports:
    $632 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products,
    foodstuffs, chemicals
  partners:
    South Africa 75% (est.), Japan, Belgium, UK
External debt:
    $290 million (1990)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA; accounts for 26% of GDP (1989)
Electricity:
    60,000 kW capacity; 155 million kWh produced, 180 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar
Agriculture:
    accounts for 23% of GDP and over 60% of labor force; mostly subsistence
    agriculture; cash crops - sugarcane, cotton, maize, tobacco, rice, citrus
    fruit, pineapples; other crops and livestock - corn, sorghum, peanuts,
    cattle, goats, sheep; not self-sufficient in grain
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $142 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million
Currency:
    lilangeni (plural - emalangeni); 1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    emalangeni (E) per US$1 - 2.7814 (January 1992), 2.7563 (1991), 2.5863
    (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987); note - the Swazi
    emalangeni is at par with the South African rand
Fiscal year:
    1 April - 31 March

:Swaziland 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 stabilized
    soil, and 1,113 km improved earth
Civil air:
    4 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    23 total, 21 usable; 1 with permanent-surfaced 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:
    system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity
    microwave links; 17,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 7 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV;
    1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Swaziland Defense Forces

Branches:
    Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force, Royal Swaziland Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 197,654; 114,204 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $11 million, about 2% of GNP (1989)

:Sweden Geography

Total area:
    449,964 km2
Land area:
    410,928 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries:
    2,205 km total; Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km
Coastline:
    3,218 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy
    summers; subarctic in north
Terrain:
    mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
Natural resources:
    zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential
Land use:
    arable land 7%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and
    woodland 64%; other 27%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    water pollution; acid rain
Note:
    strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

:Sweden People

Population:
    8,602,157 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    13 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    75 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Swede(s); adjective - Swedish
Ethnic divisions:
    homogeneous white population; small Lappish minority; foreign born or
    first-generation immigrants (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks,
    Turks) about 12%
Religions:
    Evangelical Lutheran 94%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Pentecostal 1%, other 3.5%
    (1987)
Languages:
    Swedish, small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities; immigrants speak
    native languages
Literacy:
    99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
Labor force:
    4,552,000 community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining and
    manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants 14.1%, banking,
    insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%, construction 7.0%, agriculture,
    fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991)
Organized labor:
    80% of labor force (1990 est.)

:Sweden Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Sweden
Type:
    constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Stockholm
Administrative divisions:
    24 provinces (lan, singular and plural); Alvsborgs Lan, Blekinge Lan,
    Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs och Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan,
    Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan, Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan, Kristianstads
    Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan,
    Ostergotlands Lan, Skaraborgs Lan, Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan,
    Uppsala Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan,
    Vastmanlands Lan
Independence:
    6 June 1809, constitutional monarchy established
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 minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral parliament (Riksdag)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess
    VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Carl BILDT (since 3 October 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    ruling four-party coalition consists of the Moderate Party (conservative),
    Carl BILDT; Liberal People's Party, Bengt WESTERBERG; Center Party, Olof
    JOHANSSON; and the Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON; Social
    Democratic Party, Ingvar CARLSSON; New Democracy Party, Count Ian
    WACHTMEISTER; Left Party (VP; Communist), Lars WERNER; Swedish Communist
    Party (SKP), Rune PETTERSSON; Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL; Green
    Party, no formal leader
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Riksdag:
    last held 15 September 1991 (next to be held NA September 1994); results -
    Social Democratic Party 37.6%, Moderate Party (conservative) 21.9%, Liberal
    People's Party 9.1%, Center Party 8.5%, Christian Democrats 7.1%, New
    Democracy 6.7%, Left Party (Communist) 4.5%, Green Party 3.4%, other 1.2%;
    seats - (349 total) Social Democratic 138, Moderate Party (conservative) 80,
    Liberal People's Party 33, Center Party 31, Christian Democrats 26, New
    Democracy 25, Left Party (Communist) 16; note - the Green Party has no seats
    in the Riksdag because it received less than the required 4% of the vote
Communists:
    VP and SKP; VP, formerly the Left Party-Communists, is reported to have
    roughly 17,800 members and attracted 5.8% of the vote in the 1988 election;
    VP dropped the Communist label in 1990, but maintains a Marxist ideology

:Sweden Government

Member of:
    AfDB, AG (observer) AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA,
    FAO, G-6, G-8, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
    IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, INTELSAT, IOC, IOM
    (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU,
    WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Anders THUNBORG; Chancery at Suite 1200, 600 New Hampshire Avenue
    NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone [phone]; there are Swedish
    Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York
  US:
    Ambassador Charles E. REDMAN; Embassy at Strandvagen 101, S-115 89
    Stockholm; telephone [46] (8) 783-5300; FAX [46] (8) 661-1964
Flag:
    blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical
    part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog
    (Danish flag)

:Sweden Economy

Overview:
    Aided by a long period of peace and neutrality during World War I through
    World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a
    mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has
    essentially full employment, a modern distribution system, excellent
    internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber,
    hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy that is
    heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for
    about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for
    50% of output and exports. In the last few years, however, this
    extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by inflation, growing
    absenteeism, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets.
    The new center-right government, facing a sagging economic situation which
    is unlikely to improve until 1993, is pushing full steam ahead with economic
    reform proposals to end Sweden's recession and to prepare for possible EC
    membership in 1995. The free-market-oriented reforms are designed to spur
    growth, maintain price stability, lower unemployment, create a more
    efficient welfare state, and further adapt to EC standards. The measures
    include: cutting taxes, particularly the value-added tax (VAT) and levies on
    new and small business; privatization; liberalizing foreign ownership
    restrictions; and opening the welfare system to competition and private
    alternatives, which the government will still finance. Growth is expected to
    remain flat in 1992, but increase slightly in 1993, while inflation should
    remain around 3% for the next few years. On the down side, unemployment may
    climb to slightly over 4% in 1993, and the budget deficit will reach nearly
    $9 billion in 1992.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $147.6 billion, per capita $17,200; real
    growth rate -1.1% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    8.0% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    2.7% (1991)
Budget:
    revenues $67.5 billion; expenditures $78.7 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
Exports:
    $54.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel
    products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products
  partners:
    EC, (FRG, UK, Denmark), US, Norway
Imports:
    $50.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles,
    foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing
  partners:
    EC 55.3%, US 8.4% (1990)
External debt:
    $10.7 billion (November 1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -5.3% (1991)
Electricity:
    39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,000 million kWh produced, 16,700 kWh per capita
    (1991)

:Sweden Economy

Industries:
    iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts,
    armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles
Agriculture:
    animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy products accounting for
    37% of farm income; main crops - grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 100%
    self-sufficient in grains and potatoes, 85% self-sufficient in sugar beets
Economic aid:
    donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.3 billion
Currency:
    Swedish krona (plural - kronor); 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 ore
Exchange rates:
    Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 6.0259 (March 1992), 6.0475 (1991) 5.9188
    (1990), 6.4469 (1989), 6.1272 (1988), 6.3404 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Sweden Communications

Railroads:
    12,000 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; 117 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:
    natural gas 84 km
Ports:
    Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Malmo, Stockholm; numerous
    secondary and minor ports
Merchant marine:
    186 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,665,902 GRT/3,646,165 DWT; includes
    10 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 3 container, 43 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 12
    vehicle carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 33 petroleum tanker, 28 chemical tanker,
    4 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 7 combination ore/oil, 12 bulk, 1
    combination bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo
Civil air:
    115 major transports
Airports:
    254 total, 252 usable; 139 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 94 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    excellent domestic and international facilities; 8,200,000 telephones;
    mainly coaxial and multiconductor cables carry long-distance network;
    parallel microwave network carries primarily radio, TV and some telephone
    channels; automatic system; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 360 (mostly
    repeaters) FM, 880 (mostly repeaters) TV; 5 submarine coaxial cables;
    satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT

:Sweden Defense Forces

Branches:
    Swedish Army, Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 2,129,996; 1,858,944 fit for military service; 57,492 reach
    military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $6.2 billion, about 4% of GDP (FY91)

:Switzerland 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, Germany 334 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool
    to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Terrain:
    mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau
    of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Natural resources:
    hydropower potential, timber, salt
Land use:
    arable land 10%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and
    woodland 26%; other 23%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    dominated by Alps
Note:
    landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe

:Switzerland People

Population:
    6,828,023 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    12 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    76 years male, 83 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Swiss (singular and plural); adjective - Swiss
Ethnic divisions:
    total population - German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other
    6%; Swiss nationals - German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other
    1%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 47.6%, Protestant 44.3%, other 8.1% (1980)
Languages:
    total population - German 65%, French 18%, Italian 12%, Romansch 1%, other
    4%; Swiss nationals - German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other
    1%
Literacy:
    99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Labor force:
    3,310,000; 904,095 foreign workers, mostly Italian; services 50%, industry
    and crafts 33%, government 10%, agriculture and forestry 6%, other 1% (1989)
Organized labor:
    20% of labor force

:Switzerland Government

Long-form name:
    Swiss Confederation
Type:
    federal republic
Capital:
    Bern
Administrative divisions:
    26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular -
    cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau,
    Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve,
    Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden,
    Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino,
    Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich
Independence:
    1 August 1291
Constitution:
    29 May 1874
Legal system:
    civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative
    acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory
    character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
    Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, Federal Council (German - Bundesrat, French -
    Conseil Federal, Italian - Consiglio Federale)
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Federal Assembly (German - Bundesversammlung, French - Assemblee
    Federale, Italian - Assemblea Federale) consists of an upper council or
    Council of States (German - Standerat, French - Conseil des Etats, Italian -
    Consiglio degli Stati) and a lower council or National Council (German -
    Nationalrat, French - Conseil National, Italian - Consiglio Nazionale)
Judicial branch:
    Federal Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Rene FELBER (1992 calendar year; presidency rotates annually);
    Vice President Adolf OGI (term runs concurrently with that of president)
Political parties and leaders:
    Free Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno HUNZIKER, president; Social Democratic
    Party (SPS), Helmut HUBACHER, chairman; Christian Democratic People's Party
    (CVP), Eva SEGMULLER-WEBER, chairman; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans
    UHLMANN, president; Green Party (GPS), Peter SCHMID, president; Automobile
    Party (AP), DREYER; Alliance of Independents' Party (LdU), Dr. Franz JAEGER,
    president; Swiss Democratic Party (SD), NA; Evangelical People's Party
    (EVP), Max DUNKI, president; Workers' Party (PdA; Communist), Jean
    SPIELMANN, general secretary; Ticino League, leader NA Liberal Party (LPS),
    Gilbert COUTAU, president
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Council of States:
    last held throughout 1991 (next to be held NA 1995); results - percent of
    vote by party NA; seats - (46 total) FDP 18, CVP 16, SVP 4, SPS 3, LPS 3,
    LdU 1, Ticino League 1

:Switzerland Government

  National Council:
    last held 20 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1995); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (200 total) FDP 44, SPS 42, CVP 37, SVP
    25, GPS 14, LPS 10, AP 8, LdU 6, SD 5, EVP 3, PdA 2, Ticino League 2, other
    2
Communists:
    4,500 members (est.)
Member of:
    AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA,
    FAO, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IEA, IFAD, ILO, IMF,
    IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest),
    NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
    UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Edouard BRUNNER; Chancery at 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; there are Swiss Consulates
    General in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San
    Francisco
  US:
    Ambassador Joseph B. GILDENHORN; Embassy at Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern;
    telephone [41] (31) 437-011; FAX [41] (31) 437-344; 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
    extend to the edges of the flag

:Switzerland Economy

Overview:
    Switzerland's economic success is matched in few other nations. Per capita
    output, general living standards, education and science, health care, and
    diet are unsurpassed in Europe. Economic stability helps promote the
    important 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,
    particularly to the further economic integration of Western Europe and the
    amazingly rapid changes in East European political and economic prospects.
    After 8 years of growth, the economy experienced a mild recession in 1991
    because monetary policy was tightened to combat inflation and because of the
    weak international economy. In the second half of 1992, however, Switzerland
    is expected to resume growth, despite inflation and unemployment problems.
    GDP growth for 1992 may be just under 1%, inflation should drop from 5.9% to
    3.5%, and the trade deficit will continue to decline after dropping by over
    15% to $5 billion, due to increased exports to Germany. Unemployment,
    however, is forecast to rise to 1.6% in 1992, up from 1.3% in 1991 and 0.5%
    in 1990.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $147.4 billion, per capita $21,700; real
    growth rate -0.2% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    5.9% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    1.3% (1991)
Budget:
    revenues $24.0 billion; expenditures $23.8 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1990)
Exports:
    $62.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    machinery and equipment, precision instruments, metal products, foodstuffs,
    textiles and clothing
  partners:
    Western Europe 64% (EC 56%, other 8%), US 9%, Japan 4%
Imports:
    $68.5 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    agricultural products, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals,
    textiles, construction materials
  partners:
    Western Europe 78% (EC 71%, other 7%), US 6%
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate 0.4% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
    17,710,000 kW capacity; 59,070 million kWh produced, 8,930 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments
Agriculture:
    dairy farming predominates; less than 50% self-sufficient; food shortages -
    fish, refined sugar, fats and oils (other than butter), grains, eggs,
    fruits, vegetables, meat
Economic aid:
    donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $3.5 billion

:Switzerland Economy

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 - 1.4037 (January 1992),
    1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Switzerland Communications

Railroads:
    5,174 km total; 2,971 km are government owned and 2,203 km are nongovernment
    owned; the government 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 autobahn); 42,468 km are communal roads
Inland waterways:
    65 km; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Bodensee); 12 navigable
    lakes
Pipelines:
    crude oil 314 km, natural gas 1,506 km
Ports:
    Basel (river port)
Merchant marine:
    22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 325,234 GRT/576,953 DWT; includes 5
    cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 chemical tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 9
    bulk, 1 petroleum tanker
Civil air:
    89 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    66 total, 65 usable; 42 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over
    3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    excellent domestic, international, and broadcast services; 5,890,000
    telephones; extensive cable and microwave networks; broadcast stations - 7
    AM, 265 FM, 18 (1,322 repeaters) TV; communications satellite earth station
    operating in the INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean) system

:Switzerland Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Air Force, Frontier Guards, Fortification Guards
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 1,798,632; 1,544,191 fit for military service; 43,952 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $4.6 billion, about 2% of GDP (1990)

:Syria 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, Lebanon 375 km,
    Turkey 822 km
Coastline:
    193 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    6 nm beyond territorial sea limit
  Territorial sea:
    35 nm
Disputes:
    separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Golan Heights is Israeli
    occupied; Hatay question with Turkey; periodic disputes with Iraq over
    Euphrates water rights; ongoing dispute over water development plans by
    Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
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:
    arable land 28%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and
    woodland 3%; other 20%; includes irrigated 3%
Environment:
    deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Note:
    there are 38 Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights

:Syria People

Population:
    13,730,436 (July 1992), growth rate 3.8% (1992); in addition, there are at
    least 14,500 Druze and 14,000 Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied Golan
    Heights (1992 est.)
Birth rate:
    44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    45 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    65 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    6.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Syrian(s); adjective - Syrian
Ethnic divisions:
    Arab 90.3%; Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Religions:
    Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian
    (various sects) 10%, tiny Jewish communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and
    Aleppo
Languages:
    Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian; French widely
    understood
Literacy:
    64% (male 78%, female 51%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    2,400,000; miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%,
    industry and construction 32%; majority unskilled; shortage of skilled labor
    (1984)
Organized labor:
    5% of labor force

:Syria Government

Long-form name:
    Syrian Arab Republic
Type:
    republic; under leftwing military regime since March 1963
Capital:
    Damascus
Administrative divisions:
    14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah,
    Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar`a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab,
    Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus
Independence:
    17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration);
    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 jurisdiction
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 al-Chaab)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Constitutional Court, High Judicial Council, Court of Cassation,
    State Security Courts
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Hafiz al-ASAD (since 22 February 1971); Vice Presidents `Abd
    al-Halim KHADDAM, Vice President Rif`at al-ASAD, and Vice President 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 TALAS (since 11 March 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Salim
    YASIN (since NA December 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Mahmud QADDUR (since
    NA May 1985)
Political parties and leaders:
    ruling party is the Arab Socialist Resurrectionist (Ba`th) Party; the
    Progressive National Front is dominated by Ba`thists but includes
    independents and members of the Syrian Arab Socialist Party (ASP), Arab
    Socialist Union (ASU), Syrian Communist Party (SCP), Arab Socialist Unionist
    Movement, and Democratic Socialist Union Party
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held December 1998); results -
    President Hafiz al-ASAD was reelected for a fourth seven-year term with
    99.98% of the vote
  People's Council:
    last held 22-23 May 1990 (next to be held NA May 1994); results - Ba`th
    53.6%, ASU 3.2%, SCP 3.2%, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 2.8%, ASP 2%,
    Democratic Socialist Union Party 1.6%, independents 33.6%; seats - (250
    total) Ba`th 134, ASU 8, SCP 8, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 7, ASP 5,
    Democratic Socialist Union Party 4, independents 84; note - the People's
    Council was expanded to 250 seats total prior to the May 1990 election

:Syria Government

Communists:
    Syrian Communist Party (SCP)
Other political or pressure groups:
    non-Ba`th parties have little effective political influence; Communist party
    ineffective; conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood
Member of:
    ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
    ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
    LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
    WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Walid MOUALEM; Chancery at 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC
    20008; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS; Embassy at Abu Rumaneh, Al Mansur Street
    No. 2, Damascus (mailing address is P. O. Box 29, Damascus); telephone [963]
    (11) 333052 or 332557, 330416, 332814, 332315, 714108, 337178, 333232; FAX
    [963] (11) 718-687
Flag:
    three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with two small
    green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band;
    similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band and of Iraq,
    which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal
    line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which
    has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band

:Syria Economy

Overview:
    Syria's state-dominated Ba`thist economy has benefited from the Gulf war,
    increased oil production, good weather, and economic deregulation. Economic
    growth averaged nearly 12% annually in 1990-91, buoyed by increased oil
    production and improved agricultural performance. The Gulf war of early 1991
    provided Syria an aid windfall of several billion dollars from Arab,
    European, and Japanese donors. These inflows more than offset Damascus's
    war-related costs and will help Syria cover some of its debt arrears,
    restore suspended credit lines, and initiate selected military and civilian
    purchases. For the long run, Syria's economy is still saddled with a large
    number of poorly performing public sector firms; investment levels remain
    low; and industrial and agricultural productivity is poor. A major long-term
    concern is the additional drain of upstream Euphrates water by Turkey when
    its vast dam and irrigation projects are completed by mid-decade.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $30 billion, per capita $2,300; real growth rate
    11% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    25% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $5.4 billion; expenditures $7.5 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $2.9 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    petroleum 40%, farm products 13%, textiles, phosphates (1989)
  partners:
    USSR and Eastern Europe 42%, EC 31%, Arab countries 17%, US/Canada 2% (1989)
Imports:
    $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs and beverages 21%, metal and metal products 16%, machinery 14%,
    textiles, petroleum products (1989)
  partners:
    EC 42%, USSR and Eastern Europe 13%, other Europe 13%, US/Canada 8%, Arab
    countries 6% (1989)
External debt:
    $5.2 billion in hard currency (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 6% (1991 est.); accounts for 17% of GDP
Electricity:
    3,005,000 kW capacity; 8,800 million kWh produced, 680 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining,
    petroleum
Agriculture:
    accounts for 27% of GDP and one-third of labor force; all major crops
    (wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas) grown mainly on rainfed land
    causing wide swings in production; animal products - beef, lamb, eggs,
    poultry, milk; not self-sufficient in grain or livestock products
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $538 million; Western (non-US)
    ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.23 billion; OPEC bilateral
    aid (1979-89), $12.3 billion; former Communist countries (1970-89), $3.3
    billion
Currency:
    Syrian pound (plural - pounds); 1 Syrian pound (#S) = 100 piasters

:Syria Economy

Exchange rates:
    Syrian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 22.0 (promotional rate since 1991), 11.2250
    (fixed rate 1987-90), 3.9250 (fixed rate 1976-87)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Syria Communications

Railroads:
    2,350 km total; 2,035 km standard gauge, 315 km 1.050-meter (narrow) gauge
Highways:
    28,000 km total; 22,000 km paved, 3,000 km gravel or crushed stone, 3,000 km
    improved earth
Inland waterways:
    672 km; minimal economic importance
Pipelines:
    crude oil 1,304 km, petroleum products 515 km
Ports:
    Tartus, Latakia, Baniyas
Merchant marine:
    29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 85,417 GRT/138,078 DWT; includes 25
    cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 2 bulk
Civil air:
    35 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    104 total, 100 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 21 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    fair system currently undergoing significant improvement; 512,600
    telephones; broadcast stations - 9 AM, 1 FM, 17 TV; satellite earth stations
    - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Intersputnik, 1 submarine cable; coaxial
    cable and radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey

:Syria Defense Forces

Branches:
    Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air
    Defense Forces, Police and Security Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 3,012,671; 1,691,660 fit for military service; 145,976 reach
    military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion, 8% of GDP (1989)

:Taiwan 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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia,
    Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; Paracel Islands occupied by
    China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; Japanese-administered
    Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai) claimed by China and Taiwan
Climate:
    tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August);
    cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Terrain:
    eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in
    west
Natural resources:
    small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Land use:
    arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and
    woodland 55%; other 15%; irrigated 14%
Environment:
    subject to earthquakes and typhoons

:Taiwan People

Population:
    20,878,556 (July 1992), growth rate 1.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    16 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    72 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Chinese (singular and plural); adjective - Chinese
Ethnic divisions:
    Taiwanese 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%
Religions:
    mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
Languages:
    Mandarin Chinese (official); Taiwanese (Miu) and Hakka dialects also used
Literacy:
    91.2% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Labor force:
    7,900,000; industry and commerce 53%, services 22%, agriculture 15.6%, civil
    administration 7% (1989)
Organized labor:
    2,728,000 or about 44% (1991)

:Taiwan Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    multiparty democratic regime; opposition political parties legalized in
    March, 1989
Capital:
    Taipei
Administrative divisions:
    the authorities in Taipei claim to be the government of all China; in
    keeping with that claim, the central administrative divisions include 2
    provinces (sheng, singular and plural) and 2 municipalities* (shih, singular
    and plural) - Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province
    including Quemoy and Matsu), Kao-hsiung*, T'ai-pei*, and Taiwan (the island
    of Taiwan and the Pescadores islands); the more commonly referenced
    administrative divisions are those of Taiwan Province - 16 counties (hsien,
    singular and plural), 5 municipalities* (shih, singular and plural), and 2
    special municipalities** (chuan-shih, singular and plural); Chang-hua,
    Chia-i, Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*, Hua-lien, I-lan,
    Kao-hsiung, Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung,
    T'ai-chung, T'ai-chung*, T'ai-nan, T'ai-nan*, T'ai-pei, T'ai-pei**,
    T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin; the provincial capital is at
    Chung-hsing-hsin-ts'un; note - Taiwan uses the Wade-Giles system for
    romanization
Constitution:
    25 December 1947, presently undergoing revision
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
    reservations
National holiday:
    National Day (Anniversary of the Revolution), 10 October (1911)
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, premier of the Executive Yuan, vice premier of
    the Executive Yuan, Executive Yuan
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Legislative Yuan, unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch:
    Judicial Yuan
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President LI Teng-hui (since 13 January 1988); Vice President LI Yuan-zu
    (since 20 May 1990)
  Head of Government:
    Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) HAO Po-ts'un (since 2 May 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, chairman; Democratic Socialist
    Party and Young China Party controlled by Kuomintang; Democratic Progressive
    Party (DPP); Labor Party; 27 other minor parties
Suffrage:
    universal at age 20
Elections:
  President:
    last held 21 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - President
    LI Teng-hui was reelected by the National Assembly
  Vice President:
    last held 21 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - LI
    Yuan-zu was elected by the National Assembly

:Taiwan Government

  Legislative Yuan:
    last held 2 December 1989 (next to be held NA December 1992); results - KMT
    65%, DPP 33%, independents 2%; seats - (304 total, 102 elected) KMT 78, DPP
    21, independents 3
Elections:
  National Assembly:
    first National Assembly elected in November 1947 with a supplementary
    election in December 1986; second National Assembly elected in December 1991
Member of:
    expelled from UN General Assembly and Security Council on 25 October 1971
    and withdrew on same date from other charter-designated subsidiary organs;
    expelled from IMF/World Bank group April/May 1980; seeking to join GATT;
    attempting to retain membership in INTELSAT; suspended from IAEA in 1972,
    but still allows IAEA controls over extensive atomic development; APEC,
    AsDB, ICC, ICFTU, IOC
Diplomatic representation:
    none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US
    are maintained through a private instrumentality, the Coordination 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 Institute in Taiwan
    (AIT), which has offices in Taipei at #7, Lane 134, Hsiu Yi Road, Section 3,
    telephone [886] (2) 709-2000, and in Kao-hsiung at #2 Chung Cheng 3d Road,
    telephone [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, and the American Trade Center at
    Room 3207 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333
    Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10548, telephone [886] (2) 720-1550
Flag:
    red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a
    white sun with 12 triangular rays

:Taiwan Economy

Overview:
    Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with considerable government
    guidance of investment and foreign trade and partial government ownership of
    some large banks and industrial firms. Real growth in GNP has averaged about
    9% a year during the past three decades. Export growth has been even faster
    and has provided the impetus for industrialization. Agriculture contributes
    about 4% to GNP, down from 35% in 1952. Taiwan currently ranks as number 13
    among major trading countries. Traditional labor-intensive industries are
    steadily being replaced with more capital- and technology-intensive
    industries. Taiwan has become a major investor in China, Thailand,
    Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The tightening of labor markets
    has led to an influx of foreign workers, both legal and illegal.
GNP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $150.8 billion, per capita $7,380; real growth
    rate 5.2% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    4.1% (1990); 3.8% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    1.7% (1990); 1.5% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $30.3 billion; expenditures $30.1 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
Exports:
    $67.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    electrical machinery 18.2%, textiles 15.6%, general machinery and equipment
    14.8%, basic metals and metal products 7.8%, foodstuffs 1.7%, plywood and
    wood products 1.6% (1989)
  partners:
    US 36.2%, Japan 13.7% (1989)
Imports:
    $54.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and equipment 15.3%, basic metals 13.0%, chemical and chemical
    products 11.1%, crude oil 5%, foodstuffs 2.2% (1989)
  partners:
    Japan 31%, US 23%, FRG 5% (1989)
External debt:
    $1.1 billion (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 6.5% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
    17,000,000 kW capacity; 76,900 million kWh produced, 3,722 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plywood, sugar
    milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum
Agriculture:
    accounts for 4% of GNP and 16% of labor force (includes part-time farmers);
    heavily subsidized sector; major crops - vegetables, rice, fruit, tea;
    livestock - hogs, poultry, beef, milk, cattle; not self-sufficient in wheat,
    soybeans, corn; fish catch increasing, 1.4 million metric tons (1988)
Economic aid:
    US, including Ex-Im (FY46-82), $4.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA
    and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $500 million
Currency:
    New Taiwan dollar (plural - dollars); 1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents

:Taiwan Economy

Exchange rates:
    New Taiwan dollars per US$1 - 25.000 (February 1992), 25.748 (1991), 27.108
    (1990), 26.407 (1989) 28.589 (1988), 31.845 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Taiwan Communications

Railroads:
    about 4,600 km total track with 1,075 km common carrier lines and 3,525 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
    was completed in late 1991; common carrier lines owned by the government and
    operated by the Railway Administration under Ministry of Communications;
    industrial lines owned and operated by government enterprises
Highways:
    20,041 km total; 17,095 km bituminous or concrete pavement, 2,371 km crushed
    stone or gravel, 575 km graded earth
Pipelines:
    petroleum products 615 km, natural gas 97 km
Ports:
    Kao-hsiung, Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Su-ao, T'ai-tung
Merchant marine:
    213 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,491,539 GRT/9,082,118 DWT; includes
    1 passenger, 42 cargo, 15 refrigerated cargo, 73 container, 17 petroleum
    tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 58 bulk, 1
    roll-on/roll-off, 2 combination bulk
Airports:
    40 total, 39 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over
    3,659 m; 16 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    best developed system in Asia outside of Japan; 7,800,000 telephones;
    extensive microwave transmission links on east and west coasts; broadcast
    stations - 91 AM, 23 FM, 15 TV (13 repeaters); 8,620,000 radios; 6,386,000
    TVs (5,680,000 color, 706,000 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 Europe

:Taiwan Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, Taiwan General Garrison
    Headquarters, Ministry of National Defense
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 5,982,717; 4,652,586 fit for military service; about 180,706
    currently reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $9.16 billion, 4.5% of GNP (FY92)

:Tajikistan Geography

Total area:
    143,100 km2
Land area:
    142,700 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
    3,651 km total; Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km,
    Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    boundary with China under dispute
Climate:
    midlatitude semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain:
    Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in
    north, Kafirnigan and Vakhsh Valleys in southeast
Natural resources:
    significant hydropower potential, petroleum, uranium, mercury, small
    production of petroleum, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten
Land use:
    6% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest
    and woodland; NA% other; includes NA% irrigated
Environment:
    NA
Note:
    landlocked

:Tajikistan People

Population:
    5,680,242 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    40 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    74 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    64 years male, 70 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    5.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Tajik(s); adjective - Tajik
Ethnic divisions:
    Tajik 62%, Uzbek 24%, Russian 8%, Tatar 2%, other 4%
Religions:
    Sunni Muslim approximately 80%, Shi`a Muslim 5%
Languages:
    Tajik (official) NA%
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write
Labor force:
    1,938,000; agriculture and forestry 43%, industry and construction 22%,
    other 35% (1990)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Tajikistan Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Tajikistan
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Dushanbe
Administrative divisions:
    3 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast') and one autonomous oblast*;
    Gorno-Badakhshan*; Kurgan-Tyube, Kulyab, Leninabad (Khudzhand); note - the
    rayons around Dushanbe are under direct republic jurisdiction; an oblast
    usually has the same name as its administrative center (exceptions have the
    administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence:
    9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union); formerly Tajikistan Soviet Socialist
    Republic
Constitution:
    adopted NA April 1978
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
National holiday:
    NA
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Supreme Soviet
Judicial branch:
    NA
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Rakhman NABIYEV (since NA September 1991); note - a government of
    National Reconciliation was formed in May 1992; NABIYEV is titular head
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Akbar MIRZOYEV (since 10 January 1992); First Deputy Prime
    Minister Davlat USMON
Political parties and leaders:
    Tajik Democratic Party, Shodmon YUSUF, chairman; Rastokhez (Rebirth), Tohir
    ABDULJABAR, chairman; Islamic Revival Party, Sharif HIMMOT-ZODA, chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held NA); results - Rakhman NABIYEV,
    Communist Party 60%; Daolat KHUDONAZAROV, Democratic Party, Islamic Rebirth
    Party and Rastokhoz Party 30%
  Supreme Soviet:
    last held 25 February 1990 (next to be held NA); results - Communist Party
    99%, other 1%; seats - (230 total) Communist Party 227, other 3
Communists:
    NA
Other political or pressure groups:
    Kazi Kolon, Akbar TURAJON-SODA, Muslim leader
Member of:
    CSCE, IMF, UN
Diplomatic representation:
    NA
  US:
    Ambassador-designate Stan ESCUDERO; Embassy at Interim Chancery, #39 Ainii
    Street; Residences: Oktyabrskaya Hotel, Dushanbe (mailing address is APO AE
    09862); telephone [8] (011) 7-3772-24-32-23

:Tajikistan Government

Flag:
    NA; still in the process of designing one

:Tajikistan Economy

Overview:
    Tajikistan has had the lowest standard of living and now faces the bleakest
    economic prospects of the 15 former Soviet republics. Agriculture is the
    main economic sector, normally accounting for 38% of employment and
    featuring cotton and fruits. Industry is sparse, bright spots including
    electric power and aluminum production based on the country's sizable
    hydropower resources and a surprising specialty in the production of
    metal-cutting machine tools. In 1991 and early 1992, disruptions in food
    supplies from the outside have severely strained the availability of food
    throughout the republic. The combination of the poor food supply, the
    general disruption of industrial links to suppliers and markets, and
    political instability have meant that the republic's leadership could make
    little progress in economic reform in 1991 and early 1992.
GDP:
    $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate -9% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    84% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    25% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    $NA
Exports:
    $706 million (1990)
  commodities:
    aluminum, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles
  partners:
    Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Imports:
    $1.3 billion (1990)
  commodities:
    chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, textiles, foodstuffs
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $650 million (end of 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -2.0% (1991)
Electricity:
    4,575,000 kW capacity; 17,500 million kWh produced, 3,384 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil,
    metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers
Agriculture:
    cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, pigs, sheep and goats,
    yaks
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producers of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption;
    status of government eradication programs unknown; used as transshipment
    points for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
    NA
Currency:
    as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency
Exchange rates:
    NA
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Tajikistan Communications

Railroads:
    480 km all 1.520-meter (broad) gauge (includes NA km electrified); does not
    include industrial lines (1990); 258 km between Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and
    Termez (Uzbekistan), connects with the railroad system of the other
    republics of the former Soviet Union at Tashkent in Uzbekistan
Highways:
    29,900 km total (1990); 24,400 km hard surfaced, 8,500 km earth
Inland waterways:
    NA km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
    NA
Civil air:
    NA
Airports:
    NA
Telecommunications:
    poorly developed; telephone density NA; linked by landline or microwave with
    other CIS member states and by leased connections via the Moscow
    international gateway switch to other countries; satellite earth stations -
    Orbita and INTELSAT (TV receive only)

:Tajikistan Defense Forces

Branches:
    Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; CIS
    Forces (Ground, Air, and Air Defense)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)
    annually
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP

:Tanzania Geography

Total area:
    945,090 km2
Land area:
    886,040 km2; includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
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 claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 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 plateau; highlands in north, south
Natural resources:
    hydropower potential, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones,
    gold, natural gas, nickel
Land use:
    arable land 5%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and
    woodland 47%; other 7%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    lack of water and tsetse fly limit agriculture; recent droughts affected
    marginal agriculture; Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa

:Tanzania People

Population:
    27,791,552 (July 1992), growth rate 3.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    49 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    15 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    103 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    50 years male, 55 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    7.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Tanzanian(s); adjective - Tanzanian
Ethnic divisions:
    mainland - native African consisting of well over 100 tribes 99%; Asian,
    European, and Arab 1%
Religions:
    mainland - Christian 33%, Muslim 33%, indigenous beliefs 33%; Zanzibar -
    almost all Muslim
Languages:
    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 education is generally in
    Swahili
Literacy:
    46% (male 62%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978)
Labor force:
    732,200 wage earners; 90% agriculture, 10% industry and commerce (1986 est.)
Organized labor:
    15% of labor force

:Tanzania Government

Long-form name:
    United Republic of Tanzania
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Dar es Salaam; some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma,
    which is planned as the new national capital by the end of the 1990s
Administrative divisions:
    25 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro,
    Lindi, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza, Pemba North, Pemba South,
    Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar
    Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar Urban/West, Ziwa Magharibi
Independence:
    Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from UN trusteeship under
    British administration); Zanzibar became independent 19 December 1963 (from
    UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United
    Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania 29
    October 1964
Constitution:
    15 March 1984 (Zanzibar has its own Constitution but remains subject to
    provisions of the union Constitution)
Legal system:
    based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to
    matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Union Day, 26 April (1964)
Executive branch:
    president, first vice president and prime minister of the union, second vice
    president and president of Zanzibar, 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); First Vice President
    John MALECELA (since 9 November 1990); Second Vice President Salmin AMOUR
    (since 9 November 1990)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister John MALECELA (since 9 November 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    only party - Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM or Revolutionary Party), Ali Hassan
    MWINYI, party chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held NA October 1995); results - Ali
    Hassan MWINYI was elected without opposition
  National Assembly:
    last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held NA October 1995); results - CCM
    is the only party; seats - (241 total, 168 elected) CCM 168
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-6, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
    IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
    NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
    WTO

:Tanzania Government

Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador-designate Charles Musama NYIRABU; Chancery at 2139 R Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Edmund DE JARNETTE, Jr.; Embassy at 36 Laibon Road (off Bagamoyo
    Road), Dar es Salaam (mailing address is P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam);
    telephone [255] (51) 66010/13; FAX [255] (51)66701
Flag:
    divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower hoist-side
    corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is
    blue

:Tanzania Economy

Overview:
    Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is
    heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 47% of GDP,
    provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the work force. Industry
    accounts for 8% of GDP and is mainly limited to processing agricultural
    products and light consumer goods. The economic recovery program announced
    in mid-1986 has generated notable increases in agricultural production and
    financial support for the program by bilateral donors. The World Bank, the
    International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors have provided funds to
    rehabilitate Tanzania's deteriorated economic infrastructure. Growth in 1991
    was featured by a pickup in industrial production and a substantial increase
    in output of minerals led by gold.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $6.9 billion, per capita $260 (1989 est.); real
    growth rate 4.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    16.5% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $495 million; expenditures $631 million, including capital
    expenditures of $118 million (FY90)
Exports:
    $478 million (f.o.b., FY91 est.)
  commodities:
    coffee, cotton, sisal, tea, cashew nuts, meat, tobacco, diamonds, gold,
    coconut products, pyrethrum, cloves (Zanzibar)
  partners:
    FRG, UK, Japan, Netherlands, Kenya, Hong Kong, US
Imports:
    $1.5 billion (c.i.f., FY91 est.)
  commodities:
    manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, cotton piece
    goods, crude oil, foodstuffs
  partners:
    FRG, UK, US, Japan, Italy, Denmark
External debt:
    $5.2 billion (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 4.2% (1988); accounts for 8% of GDP
Electricity:
    405,000 kW capacity; 905 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine),
    diamond and gold mining, oil refinery, shoes, cement, textiles, wood
    products, fertilizer
Agriculture:
    accounts for over 45% 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 chrysanthemums), cashews, tobacco,
    cloves (Zanzibar); food crops - corn, wheat, cassava, bananas, fruits, and
    vegetables; small numbers of cattle, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient
    in food grain production
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $400 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $9.8 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $44 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $614
    million

:Tanzania Economy

Currency:
    Tanzanian shilling (plural - shillings); 1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100
    cents
Exchange rates:
    Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1 - 236.01 (February (1992), 219.16 (1991),
    195.06 (1990), 143.38 (1989), 99.29 (1988), 64.26 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July-30 June

:Tanzania 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 Tazara Railroad 1.067-meter gauge; 115 km 1.000-meter
    gauge planned by end of decade
Highways:
    total 81,900 km, 3,600 km paved; 5,600 km gravel or crushed stone; remainder
    improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
    Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa
Pipelines:
    crude oil 982 km
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:
    6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,185 GRT/22,916 DWT; includes 2
    passenger-cargo, 2 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum tanker
Civil air:
    8 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    104 total, 94 usable; 12 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:
    fair system operating below capacity; open wire, radio relay, and
    troposcatter; 103,800 telephones; broadcast stations - 12 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; 1
    Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Tanzania Defense Forces

Branches:
    Tanzanian People's Defense Force (TPDF; including Army, Navy, and Air
    Force); paramilitary Police Field Force Unit; Militia
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 5,747,542; 3,319,116 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $119 million, about 2% of GDP (FY89 budget)

:Thailand Geography

Total area:
    514,000 km2
Land area:
    511,770 km2
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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    boundary dispute with Laos; unresolved maritime boundary with Vietnam
Climate:
    tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry,
    cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot
    and humid
Terrain:
    central plain; eastern plateau (Khorat); mountains elsewhere
Natural resources:
    tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum,
    lignite, fluorite
Land use:
    arable land 34%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and
    woodland 30%; other 31%; includes irrigated 7%
Environment:
    air and water pollution; land subsidence in Bangkok area
Note:
    controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore

:Thailand People

Population:
    57,624,180 (July 1992), growth rate 1.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    20 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    35 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    67 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Thai (singular and plural); adjective - Thai
Ethnic divisions:
    Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions:
    Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6%
    (1991)
Languages:
    Thai; English is the secondary language of the elite; ethnic and regional
    dialects
Literacy:
    93% (male 96%, female 90%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    30,870,000; agriculture 62%, industry 13%, commerce 11%, services (including
    government) 14% (1989 est.)
Organized labor:
    309,000 union members (1989)

:Thailand Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Thailand
Type:
    constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Bangkok
Administrative divisions:
    72 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 Mahanakhon, Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong
    Son, Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon
    Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Khai,
    Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao,
    Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya,
    Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi,
    Rayong, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram,
    Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri,
    Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai
    Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon
Independence:
    1238 (traditional founding date); never colonized
Constitution:
    22 December 1978; new constitution approved 7 December 1991
Legal system:
    based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted
    compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; martial law in effect since 23 February 1991
    military coup
National holiday:
    Birthday of His Majesty the King, 5 December (1927)
Executive branch:
    monarch, interim prime minister, three interim deputy prime ministers,
    interim Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council; following the
    military coup of 23 February 1991 a National Peace-Keeping Council was set
    up
Legislative branch:
    bicameral National Assembly (Rathasatha) consists of an upper house or
    Senate (Vuthisatha) and a lower house or House of Representatives
    (Saphaphoothan-Rajsadhorn)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Sarndika)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    King PHUMIPHON Adunlayadet (since 9 June 1946); Heir Apparent Crown Prince
    WACHIRALONGKON (born 28 July 1952)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Anan PANYARACHUN (since 10 June 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
    Justice Unity Party (Samakki Tham); Chart Thai Party; Solidarity Party; Thai
    Citizens Party (TCP, Prachakorn Thai); Social Action Party (SAP); Democrat
    Party (DP); Force of Truth Party (Palang Dharma); New Aspiration Party;
    Rassadorn Party; Muanchon Party; Puangchon Chothai Party
Suffrage:
    universal at age 21

:Thailand Government

Elections:
  House of Representatives:
    last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held by NA); results - percent of vote
    by party NA; seats - (360 total) Samakki Tham 79, Chart Thai Party 74, New
    Aspiration Party 72, DP 44, Palang Dharma 41, SAP 31, TCP 7, Solidarity
    Party 6, Rassadorn 4, Muanchon 1, Puangchon Chotahi 1
Communists:
    illegal Communist party has 500 to 1,000 members; armed Communist insurgents
    throughout Thailand total 200 (est.)
Member of:
    APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
    ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO,
    ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador-designate PHIRAPHONG Kasemsi; Embassy at 2300 Kalorama Road NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; there are Thai Consulates
    General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
  US:
    Ambassador David F. LAMBERTSON; Embassy at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok
    (mailing address is APO AP 96546); telephone [66] (2) 252-5040; FAX [66] (2)
    254-2990; 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

:Thailand Economy

Overview:
    Thailand, one of the more advanced developing countries in Asia, enjoyed a
    year of 8% growth in 1991, although down from an annual average of 11%
    growth between 1987 and 1990. The increasingly sophisticated manufacturing
    sector benefited from export-oriented investment. The manufacturing and
    service sectors have accounted for the lion's share of economic growth.
    Thailand's traditional agricultural sector continued to become less
    important to the overall economy in 1991. The trade deficit continued to
    increase in 1991, to $11 billion; earnings from tourism and remittances grew
    marginally as a result of the Gulf War; and Thailand's import bill grew,
    especially for manufactures and oil. The government has followed fairly
    sound fiscal and monetary policies. Aided by increased tax receipts from the
    fast-moving economy; Bangkok recorded its fourth consecutive budget surplus
    in 1991. The government is moving ahead with new projects - especially for
    telecommunications, roads, and port facilities - needed to refurbish the
    country's overtaxed infrastructure. Political unrest and the military's
    shooting of antigovernment demonstrators in May 1992 have caused
    international businessmen to question Thailand's political stability.
    Thailand's general economic outlook remains good, however, assuming the
    continuation of the government's progrowth measures.
GNP:
    exchange rate conversion - $92.6 billion, per capita $1,630; real growth
    rate 8% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    5.6% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    4.1% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $17.9 billion; expenditures $17.9 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $5.0 billion (FY92 est.)
Exports:
    $27.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    machinery and manufactures 62%, food 28%, crude materials 7% (1990)
  partners:
    US 23.4%, Japan 17.2%, Singapore 7.3%, Germany 5.3%, Hong Kong 4.8%, UK
    4.4%, Netherlands 4.3%, Malaysia, France, China (1990)
Imports:
    $39.0 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    machinery and manufactures 67%, chemicals l0%, fuels 9%, crude materials 6%
    (1990)
  partners:
    Japan 30.2%, US 12%, Singapore 6.9%, Taiwan 5%, Germany 4.8%, China 3.2%,
    South Korea, Malaysia, UK (1990)
External debt:
    $25.1 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 14% (1990 est.); accounts for about 25% of GDP
Electricity:
    7,400,000 kW capacity; 37,500 million kWh produced, 660 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    tourism is the largest source of foreign exchange; textiles and garments,
    agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, other light
    manufacturing, such as jewelry; electric appliances and components,
    integrated circuits, furniture, plastics; world's second-largest tungsten
    producer and third-largest tin producer

:Thailand Economy

Agriculture:
    accounts for 12% of GDP and 60% of labor force; leading producer and
    exporter of rice and cassava (tapioca); other crops - rubber, corn,
    sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans; except for wheat, self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs:
    a minor producer, major illicit trafficker of heroin, particularly from
    Burma and Laos, and cannabis for the international drug market; eradication
    efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some
    production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been
    affected by eradication efforts
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $870 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $8.6 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million
Currency:
    baht (plural - baht); 1 baht (B) = 100 satang
Exchange rates:
    baht (B) per US$1 - 25.614 (March 1992), 25.517 (1991), 25.585 (1990),
    25.702 (1989), 25.294 (1988), 25.723 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 October-30 September

:Thailand 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, 11,386 km under
    development
Inland waterways:
    3,999 km principal waterways; 3,701 km with navigable depths of 0.9 m or
    more throughout the year; numerous minor waterways navigable by
    shallow-draft native craft
Pipelines:
    natural gas 350 km, petroleum products 67 km
Ports:
    Bangkok, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha
Merchant marine:
    151 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 628,225 GRT/957,095 DWT; includes 1
    short-sea passenger, 87 cargo, 11 container, 31 petroleum tanker, 9
    liquefied gas, 2 chemical tanker, 3 bulk, 4 refrigerated cargo, 2
    combination bulk, 1 passenger
Civil air:
    41 (plus 2 leased) major transport aircraft
Airports:
    115 total, 97 usable; 50 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over
    3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 28 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    service to general public inadequate; bulk of service to government
    activities provided by multichannel cable and radio relay network; 739,500
    telephones (1987); broadcast stations - over 200 AM, 100 FM, and 11 TV in
    government-controlled networks; satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean
    INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT domestic satellite system being
    developed

:Thailand Defense Forces

Branches:
    Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (including Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal
    Thai Air Force, Paramilitary Forces
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 16,361,393; 9,966,446 fit for military service; 612,748 reach
    military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $2.7 billion, about 3% of GNP (1992 budget)

:Togo 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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    30 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Terrain:
    gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low
    coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Natural resources:
    phosphates, limestone, marble
Land use:
    arable land 25%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and
    woodland 28%; other 42%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; recent
    droughts affecting agriculture; deforestation

:Togo People

Population:
    3,958,863 (July 1992), growth rate 3.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    48 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    94 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    54 years male, 58 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    7.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Togolese (singular and plural); adjective - Togolese
Ethnic divisions:
    37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabye; under 1%
    European and Syrian-Lebanese
Religions:
    indigenous beliefs about 70%, Christian 20%, Muslim 10%
Languages:
    French, both official and language of commerce; major African languages are
    Ewe and Mina in the south and Dagomba and Kabye in the north
Literacy:
    43% (male 56%, female 31%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    NA; agriculture 78%, industry 22%; about 88,600 wage earners, evenly divided
    between public and private sectors; 50% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor:
    Federation of Togolese Workers (CNTT) was only legal labor union until
    Spring 1991; at least two more groups established since then: Labor
    Federation of Togolese Workers (CSTT) and the National Union of Independent
    Syndicates (UNSIT), each with 10-12 member unions; four other civil service
    unions have formed a loose coalition known as the Autonomous Syndicates of
    Togo (CTSA)

:Togo Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Togo
Type:
    republic; under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Capital:
    Lome
Administrative divisions:
    21 circumscriptions (circonscriptions, singular - circonscription); Amlame
    (Amou), Aneho (Lacs), Atakpame (Ogou), Badou (Wawa), Bafilo (Assoli), Bassar
    (Bassari), Dapango (Tone), Kande (Keran), Klouto (Kloto), Pagouda (Binah),
    Lama-Kara (Kozah), Lome (Golfe), Mango (Oti), Niamtougou (Doufelgou), Notse
    (Haho), Pagouda, Sotouboua, Tabligbo (Yoto), Tchamba, Nyala, Tchaoudjo,
    Tsevie (Zio), Vogan (Vo); note - the 21 units may now be called prefectures
    (prefectures, singular - prefecture) and reported name changes for
    individual units are included in parentheses
Independence:
    27 April 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration, formerly
    French Togo)
Constitution:
    1980 constitution nullified during national reform conference; transition
    constitution adopted 24 August 1991; multiparty draft constitution sent to
    High Council of the Republic for approval in November 1991, scheduled to be
    put to public referendum in NA 1992
Legal system:
    French-based court system
National holiday:
    Independence Day 27 April (1960)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    National Assembly dissolved during national reform conference; 79-member
    interim High Council for the Republic (HCR) formed to act as legislature
    during transition to multiparty democracy; legislative elections scheduled
    to be held in NA
Judicial branch:
    Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel), Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA (since 14 April 1967)
  Head of Government:
    interim Prime Minister Joseph Kokou KOFFIGOH (since 28 August 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) led by President EYADEMA was the only
    party until the formation of multiple parties was legalized 12 April 1991;
    more than 10 parties formed as of mid-May, though none yet legally
    registered; a national conference to determine transition regime took place
    10 July-28 August 1991
Suffrage:
    universal adult at age NA
Elections:
  President:
    last held 21 December 1986 (next to be held NA 1992); results - Gen. EYADEMA
    was reelected without opposition
  National Assembly:
    last held 4 March 1990; dissolved during national reform conference (next to
    be held April/May 1992); results - RPT was the only party; seats - (77
    total) RPT 77

:Togo Government

Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT,
    IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
    ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
    WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Ellom-Kodjo SCHUPPIUS; Chancery at 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone] or 4213
  US:
    Ambassador Harmon E. KIRBY; Embassy at Rue Pelletier Caventou and Rue
    Vauban, Lome (mailing address is B. P. 852, Lome); telephone [228] 21-29-91
    through 94 and 21-77-17; FAX [228] 21-79-52
Flag:
    five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with
    yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper
    hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

:Togo Economy

Overview:
    The economy is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture, which accounts
    for about 35% of GDP and provides employment for 78% of the labor force.
    Primary agricultural exports 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. Togo
    serves as a regional commercial and trade center. The government, over the
    past decade, with IMF and World Bank support, has been implementing a number
    of economic reform measures, that is, actively encouraging foreign
    investment and attempting to bring revenues in line with expenditures.
    Political unrest throughout 1991, however, has jeopardized the reform
    program and has disrupted vital economic activity.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.5 billion, per capita $400; real growth rate
    2% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    1.0% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    2.0% (1987)
Budget:
    revenues $330 million; expenditures $363 million, including capital
    expenditures of $101 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
    $396 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    phosphates, cocoa, coffee, cotton, manufactures, palm kernels
  partners:
    EC 70%, Africa 9%, US 2%, other 19% (1985)
Imports:
    $502 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    food, fuels, durable consumer goods, other intermediate goods, capital goods
  partners:
    EC 61%, US 6%, Africa 4%, Japan 4%, other 25% (1989)
External debt:
    $1.3 billion (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 4.9% (1987 est.); 6% of GDP
Electricity:
    179,000 kW capacity; 209 million kWh produced, 60 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles,
    beverages
Agriculture:
    cash crops - coffee, cocoa, cotton; food crops - yams, cassava, corn, beans,
    rice, millet, sorghum; livestock production not significant; annual fish
    catch, 10,000-14,000 tons
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $132 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.9 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $51
    million
Currency:
    Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF)
    = 100 centimes

:Togo Economy

Exchange rates:
    Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 281.99 (March
    1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54
    (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Togo 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:
    50 km Mono River
Ports:
    Lome, Kpeme (phosphate port)
Merchant marine:
    3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,975 GRT/34,022 DWT; includes 2
    roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 multifunction 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 radio relay routes supplemented by open wire
    lines; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 3 (2 relays) TV; satellite earth
    stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE

:Togo Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 828,259; 435,113 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $43 million, about 3% of GDP (1989)

:Tokelau Geography

Total area:
    10 km2
Land area:
    10 km2
Comparative area:
    about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    101 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)
Terrain:
    coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
Natural resources:
    negligible
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
    lies in Pacific typhoon belt
Note:
    located 3,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about
    halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

:Tokelau People

Population:
    1,760 (July 1992), growth rate 0.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
    NA births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    NA years male, NA years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    NA children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Tokelauan(s); adjective - Tokelauan
Ethnic divisions:
    all Polynesian, with cultural ties to Western Samoa
Religions:
    Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%; on Atafu,
    all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman
    Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian
    Church predominant
Languages:
    Tokelauan (a Polynesian language) and English
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    NA

:Tokelau Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    territory of New Zealand
Capital:
    none; each atoll has its own administrative center
Administrative divisions:
    none (territory of New Zealand)
Independence:
    none (territory of New Zealand)
Constitution:
    administered under the Tokelau 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:
    British monarch, 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, Supreme Court in New Zealand
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
  Head of Government:
    Administrator Neil WALTER (since NA February 1988); Official Secretary
    Casimilo J. PEREZ, Office of Tokelau Affairs
Suffrage:
    NA
Elections:
    NA
Member of:
    SPC
Diplomatic representation:
    none (territory of New Zealand)
Flag:
    the flag of New Zealand is used

:Tokelau Economy

Overview:
    Tokelau's small size, isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain
    economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The
    people must rely on aid from New Zealand to maintain public services, annual
    aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue
    come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts.
    Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.4 million, per capita $800; real growth rate
    NA% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $430,830; expenditures $2.8 million, including capital expenditures
    of $37,300 (FY87)
Exports:
    $98,000 (f.o.b., 1983)
  commodities:
    stamps, copra, handicrafts
  partners:
    NZ
Imports:
    $323,400 (c.i.f., 1983)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, building materials, fuel
  partners:
    NZ
External debt:
    none
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    200 kW capacity; 300,000 kWh produced, 180 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    small-scale enterprises for copra production, wood work, plaited craft
    goods; stamps, coins; fishing
Agriculture:
    coconuts, copra; basic subsistence crops - breadfruit, papaya, bananas;
    pigs, poultry, goats
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $24
    million
Currency:
    New Zealand dollar (plural - dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100
    cents
Exchange rates:
    New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.8245 (March 1992), l.7265 (1991),
    1.6750 (1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 April-31 March

:Tokelau Communications

Ports:
    none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:
    none; lagoon landings by amphibious aircraft from Western Samoa
Telecommunications:
    telephone service between islands and to Western Samoa

:Tokelau Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

:Tonga 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
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool
    season (May to December)
Terrain:
    most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation;
    others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Natural resources:
    fish, fertile soil
Land use:
    arable land 25%; permanent crops 55%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and
    woodland 12%; other 2%
Environment:
    archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited); subject to cyclones (October 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

:Tonga People

Population:
    103,114 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -11 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    22 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    65 years male, 70 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Tongan(s); adjective - Tongan
Ethnic divisions:
    Polynesian; about 300 Europeans
Religions:
    Christian; Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents
Languages:
    Tongan, English
Literacy:
    100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can read and write a simple
    message in Tongan or English (1976)
Labor force:
    NA; 70% agriculture; 600 engaged in mining
Organized labor:
    none

:Tonga Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Tonga
Type:
    hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Nuku`alofa
Administrative divisions:
    three island groups; Ha`apai, Tongatapu, Vava`u
Independence:
    4 June 1970 (from UK; formerly 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 minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
    (cabinet), Privy Council
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Baron VAEA (since 22 August 1991); Deputy Prime Minister S.
    Langi KAVALIKU (since 22 August 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Democratic Reform Movement, 'Akilisi POHIVA
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 proreform, 3
    traditionalist
Member of:
    ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, INTERPOL,
    IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Siosaia a'Ulupekotofa TUITA resides in London
  US:
    the US has no offices in Tonga; the Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to
    Tonga and makes periodic visits
Flag:
    red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side
    corner

:Tonga Economy

Overview:
    The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the labor
    force and contributes 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 accounts for only 11% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard
    currency earnings, but the island remains dependent on sizable external aid
    and remittances to offset its trade deficit.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $92 million, per capita $900; real growth rate
    2.5% (FY90 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    8.9% (third quarter 1991)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $30.6 million; expenditures $48.9 million, including capital
    expenditures of $22.5 million (FY89 est.)
Exports:
    $9.6 million (f.o.b., FY90 est.)
  commodities:
    coconut oil, desiccated coconut, copra, bananas, taro, vanilla beans,
    fruits, vegetables, fish
  partners:
    NZ 35%, Australia 22%, US 13%, Fiji 5% (FY90)
Imports:
    $59.9 million (c.i.f., FY90 est.)
  commodities:
    food products, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels,
    chemicals
  partners:
    NZ 30%, Australia 23%, US 12%, Japan 7% (FY90)
External debt:
    $42.0 million (FY89)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 15% (FY86); accounts for 11% of GDP
Electricity:
    6,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    tourism, fishing
Agriculture:
    dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa,
    coffee, ginger, black pepper
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $258 million
Currency:
    pa'anga (plural - pa'anga); 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Exchange rates:
    pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.2987 (January 1992), 1.2961 (1991), 1.2809 (1990),
    1.2637 (1989), 1.2799 (1988), 1.4282 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July-30 June

:Tonga Communications

Highways:
    198 km sealed road (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vava`u); 94 km unsealed roads usable
    only in dry weather
Ports:
    Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai
Merchant marine:
    4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,511 GRT/17,816 DWT; includes 2
    cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 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 radios; no TV sets; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no
    FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Tonga Defense Forces

Branches:
    Tonga Defense Force, Tonga Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines, Royal
    Tongan Guard, Police
Manpower availability:
    NA
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

:Trinidad and Tobago 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:
    outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
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:
    arable land 14%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and
    woodland 44%; other 23%; includes irrigated 4%
Environment:
    outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
Note:
    located 11 km from Venezuela

:Trinidad and Tobago People

Population:
    1,299,301 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    21 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    17 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    68 years male, 73 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s); adjective - Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Ethnic divisions:
    black 43%, East Indian 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%,
    Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%
Languages:
    English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish
Literacy:
    95% (male 97%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
    463,900; construction and utilities 18.1%; manufacturing, mining, and
    quarrying 14.8%; agriculture 10.9%; other 56.2% (1985 est.)
Organized labor:
    22% of labor force (1988)

:Trinidad and Tobago 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 minister, 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 HASSANALI (since 18 March 1987)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Patrick Augustus Mervyn MANNING (since 17 December 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING; United National Congress
    (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY; National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), Carson
    CHARLES; Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH;
    National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), Makandal DAAGA
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  House of Representatives:
    last held 16 December 1991 (next to be held by December 1996);results - PNM
    32%, UNC 13%, NAR 2%; seats - (36 total) PNM 21, UNC 13, NAR 2
Communists:
    Communist Party of Trinidad and Tobago; Trinidad and Tobago Peace Council,
    James MILLETTE
Member of:
    ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO,
    ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
    LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
    WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Corinne BAPTISTE; Chancery at 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20036; telephone [phone]; Trinidad and Tobago has a
    Consulate General in New York
  US:
    Ambassador Sally GROOMS-COWAL; Embassy at 15 Queen's Park West,
    Port-of-Spain (mailing address is P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain); telephone
    [phone] through 6376, 6176; FAX [phone]

:Trinidad and Tobago Government

Flag:
    red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side

:Trinidad and Tobago Economy

Overview:
    Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy began to emerge from a lengthy
    depression in 1990 and 1991. The economy fell sharply through most of the
    1980s, largely because of the decline in oil prices. This sector accounts
    for 80% of export earnings and more than 25% of GDP. The government, in
    response to the oil revenue loss, pursued a series of austerity measures
    that pushed the unemployment rate as high as 22% in 1988. The economy showed
    signs of recovery in 1990, however, helped along by rising oil prices.
    Agriculture employs only about 11% of the labor force and produces about 3%
    of GDP. Since this sector is small, it has been unable to absorb the large
    numbers of the unemployed. The government currently seeks to diversify its
    export base.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $4.9 billion, per capita $3,600; real growth rate
    0.7% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    11.1% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    21% (1990)
Budget:
    revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.7 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $150 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    includes reexports - petroleum and petroleum products 82%, steel products
    9%, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus (1988)
  partners:
    US 54%, CARICOM 16%, EC 10%, Latin America 3% (1989)
Imports:
    $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    raw materials and intermediate goods 47%, capital goods 26%, consumer goods
    26% (1988)
  partners:
    US 41%, Latin America 10%, UK 8%, Canada 5%, CARICOM 6% (1989)
External debt:
    $2.5 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 2.3%, excluding oil refining (1986); accounts for 40% of GDP,
    including petroleum
Electricity:
    1,176,000 kW capacity; 3,480 million kWh produced, 2,708 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton
    textiles
Agriculture:
    highly subsidized sector; major crops - cocoa and sugarcane; sugarcane
    acreage is being shifted into rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry
    sector most important source of animal protein; must import large share of
    food needs
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $373 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $518 million
Currency:
    Trinidad and Tobago dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar
    (TT$) = 100 cents

:Trinidad and Tobago Economy

Exchange rates:
    Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1 - 4.2500 (March 1992), 4.2500
    (1991), 4.2500 (1990), 4.2500 (1989), 3.8438 (1988), 3.6000 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Trinidad and Tobago Communications

Railroads:
    minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando
Highways:
    8,000 km total; 4,000 km paved, 1,000 km improved earth, 3,000 km unimproved
    earth
Pipelines:
    crude oil 1,032 km, petroleum products 19 km, natural gas 904 km
Ports:
    Port-of-Spain, Point Lisas, Pointe-a-Pierre
Civil air:
    14 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    6 total, 5 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
    3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados
    and Guyana; good local service; 109,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2
    AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Trinidad and Tobago Defense Forces

Branches:
    Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (Army), Coast Guard, Air Wing, Trinidad
    and Tobago Police Service
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 344,990; 248,912 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $59 million, 1-2% of GDP (1989 est.)

:Tromelin Island 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:
    3.7 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    12 nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    claimed by Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles
Climate:
    tropical
Terrain:
    sandy
Natural resources:
    fish
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other - scattered bushes 100%
Environment:
    wildlife sanctuary
Note:
    located 350 km east of Madagascar and 600 km north of Reunion in the Indian
    Ocean; climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones

:Tromelin Island People

Population:
    uninhabited

:Tromelin Island Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Jacques
    DEWATRE (since NA July 1991), resident in Reunion
Capital:
    none; administered by France from Reunion

:Tromelin Island Economy

Overview:
    no economic activity

:Tromelin Island Communications

Ports:
    none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:
    1 with runway less than 1,220 m
Telecommunications:
    important meteorological station

:Tromelin Island Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of France

:Tunisia Geography

Total area:
    163,610 km2
Land area:
    155,360 km2
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; land boundary disputes with Algeria
    under discussion
Climate:
    temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in
    south
Terrain:
    mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the
    Sahara
Natural resources:
    crude oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use:
    arable land 20%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and
    woodland 4%; other 47%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Note:
    strategic location in central Mediterranean; only 144 km from Italy across
    the Strait of Sicily; borders Libya on east

:Tunisia People

Population:
    8,445,656 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    25 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    38 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    70 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Tunisian(s); adjective - Tunisian
Ethnic divisions:
    Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%
Religions:
    Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish less than 1%
Languages:
    Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce)
Literacy:
    65% (male 74%, female 56%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    2,250,000; agriculture 32%; shortage of skilled labor
Organized labor:
    about 360,000 members claimed, roughly 20% of labor force; General Union of
    Tunisian Workers (UGTT), quasi-independent of Constitutional Democratic
    Party

:Tunisia Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Tunisia; note - may be changed to Tunisian Republic
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Tunis
Administrative divisions:
    23 governorates; Beja, Ben Arous, Bizerte, Gabes, Gafsa, Jendouba, Kairouan,
    Kasserine, Kebili, L'Ariana, Le Kef, Mahdia, Medenine, Monastir, Nabeul,
    Sfax, Sidi Bou Zid, Siliana, Sousse, Tataouine, Tozeur, Tunis, Zaghouan
Independence:
    20 March 1956 (from France)
Constitution:
    1 June 1959
Legal system:
    based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of
    legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
National holiday:
    National Day, 20 March (1956)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)
Judicial branch:
    Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President BEN ALI (official
    ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Mohammed MOUAADA;
    five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party
Suffrage:
    universal at age 20
Elections:
  President:
    last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA April 1994); results - Gen. Zine
    el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
  Chamber of Deputies:
    last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA April 1994); results - RCD 80.7%,
    independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other 2.4%; seats - (141 total) RCD
    141
Member of:
    ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
    IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
    INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
    UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Ismail KHELIL; Chancery at 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington DC 20005; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador John T. McCARTHY; Embassy at 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002
    Tunis-Belvedere; telephone [216] (1) 782-566; FAX [216] (1) 789-719
Flag:
    red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling
    a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of
    Islam

:Tunisia Economy

Overview:
    The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, tourism, and exports
    of light manufactures. Following two years of drought-induced economic
    decline, the economy made a strong recovery in 1990 as a result of a
    bountiful harvest, continued export growth, and higher domestic investment.
    Continued high inflation and unemployment have eroded popular support for
    the government, however, and forced Tunis to slow the pace of economic
    reform. Nonetheless, the government appears committed to implementing its
    IMF-supported structural adjustment program and to servicing its foreign
    debt.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $10.9 billion, per capita $1,320; real growth
    rate 3.5% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    8.2% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    15% (1991)
Budget:
    revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $5.4 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $970 million (1992 est.)
Exports:
    $3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals
  partners:
    EC 74%, Middle East 11%, US 2%, Turkey, USSR
Imports:
    $4.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer
    goods
  partners:
    EC 67%, US 6%, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey, Algeria
External debt:
    $8.6 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity:
    1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries:
    petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles,
    footwear, food, beverages
Agriculture:
    accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output subject to
    severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts; export crops - olives,
    dates, oranges, almonds; other products - grain, sugar beets, wine grapes,
    poultry, beef, dairy; not self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 99,200
    metric tons (1987)
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $730 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $5.2 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $410
    million
Currency:
    Tunisian dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes
Exchange rates:
    Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 0.9272 (March 1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783
    (1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287 (1987)

:Tunisia Economy

Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Tunisia Communications

Railroads:
    2,115 km total; 465 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge; 1,650 km 1.000-meter
    gauge
Highways:
    17,700 km total; 9,100 km bituminous; 8,600 km improved and unimproved earth
Pipelines:
    crude oil 797 km, petroleum products 86 km, natural gas 742 km
Ports:
    Bizerte, Gabes, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, La Goulette, Zarzis
Merchant marine:
    21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 160,069 GRT/218,791 DWT; includes 1
    short-sea passenger, 4 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum tanker,
    6 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk
Civil air:
    19 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    29 total, 26 usable; 13 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, coaxial cable, and radio relay; key centers are Sfax, Sousse,
    Bizerte, and Tunis; 233,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 7 AM, 8 FM, 19
    TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
    and 1 ARABSAT with back-up control station; coaxial cable to Algeria and
    Libya; radio relay to Algeria, and Libya

:Tunisia Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 2,117,864; 1,217,819 fit for military service; 88,619 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $520 million, 5% of GDP (1992 budget)

:Turkey Geography

Total area:
    780,580 km2
Land area:
    770,760 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries:
    2,627 km total; Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia
    252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 331 km, Syria 822 km
Coastline:
    7,200 km
Maritime claims:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    in Black Sea only - to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the former
    USSR
  Territorial sea:
    6 nm in the Aegean Sea, 12 nm in 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
    Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Climate:
    temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Terrain:
    mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)
Natural resources:
    antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulphur, iron ore
Land use:
    arable land 30%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and
    woodland 26%; other 28%; includes irrigated 3%
Environment:
    subject to severe earthquakes, especially along major river valleys in west;
    air pollution; desertification
Note:
    strategic location controlling the Turkish straits (Bosporus, Sea of
    Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas

:Turkey People

Population:
    59,640,143 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
    27 births/1,000 populatition (1992)
Death rate:
    6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    55 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    68 years male, 72 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Turk(s); adjective - Turkish
Ethnic divisions:
    Turkish 80%, Kurdish 17%, other 3% (est.)
Religions:
    Muslim (mostly Sunni) 99.8%, other (Christian and Jews) 0.2%
Languages:
    Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic
Literacy:
    81% (male 90%, female 71%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    20,700,000; agriculture 49%, services 30%, industry 15%; about 1,500,000
    Turks work abroad (1989)
Organized labor:
    10% of labor force

:Turkey Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Turkey
Type:
    republican parliamentary democracy
Capital:
    Ankara
Administrative divisions:
    73 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray,
    Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik,
    Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli,
    Diyarbakir, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep,
    Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahraman
    Maras, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir,
    Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir,
    Nigde, Ordu, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag,
    Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Urfa, Usak, Van, Yozgat, Zonguldak
Independence:
    29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
Constitution:
    7 November 1982
Legal system:
    derived from various continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ
    jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
    Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic, 29 October (1923)
Executive branch:
    president, Presidential Council, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
    Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Grand National Assembly (Buyuk Millet Meclisi)
Judicial branch:
    Court of Cassation
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Turgut OZAL (since 9 November 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Suleyman DEMIREL (since 30 November 1991); Deputy Prime
    Minister Erdal INONU (since 30 November 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Correct Way Party (DYP), Suleyman DEMIREL; Motherland Party (ANAP), Mesut
    YILMAZ; Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP), Erdal INONU; Refah Party
    (RP), Necmettin ERBAKAN; Democratic Left Party (DSP), Bulent ECEVIT;
    Nationalist Labor Party (MCP), Alpaslan TURKES; People's Labor Party (HEP),
    Feridun YAZAR; Socialist Unity Party (SBP), leader NA; Great Anatolia Party
    (BAP), leader NA; Democratic Center Party (DSP), Bedrettin DALAN; Grand
    National Party (GNP), leader NA
Suffrage:
    universal at age 21
Elections:
  Grand National Assembly:
    last held 20 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1996); results - DYP
    27.03%, ANAP 24.01%, SHP 20.75%, RP 16.88%, DSP 10.75%, SBP 0.44%,
    independent 0.14%; seats - (450 total) DYP 178, ANAP 115, SHP 86, RP 40, MCP
    19, DSP 7, other 5

:Turkey Government

Member of:
    AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN (observer), COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT,
    IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
    INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OECD,
    OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNRWA, UPU, WHO, WIPO,
    WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Nuzhet KANDEMIR; Chancery at 1606 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC;
    20008; telephone [phone]; there are Turkish Consulates General in
    Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
  US:
    Ambassador Richard C. BARKLEY; Embassy at 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Ankara
    (mailing address is PSC 88, Box 5000, Ankara, or APO AE 09823); telephone
    [90] (4) 126 54 70; FAX [90] (4) 167-0057; 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 just outside the crescent opening

:Turkey Economy

Overview:
    The impressive stream of benefits from the economic reforms that Turkey
    launched in 1980 have begun to peter out. Although real growth in per capita
    GDP averaged 5% annually between 1983 and 1988, recent economic performance
    has fallen substantially. Moreover, inflation and interest rates remain
    high, and a large budget deficit will continue to provide difficulties for a
    country undergoing a substantial transformation from a centrally controlled
    to a free market economy. Agriculture remains an important economic sector,
    employing about half of the work force, accounting for 18% of GDP, and
    contributing 19% to exports. The government has launched a
    multibillion-dollar development 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
    tapping of huge additional quantities of Euphrates water has raised serious
    concern in the downstream riparian nations of Syria and Iraq. The Turkish
    economy emerged from the Gulf War of early 1991 in stronger shape than
    Ankara had expected. Although the negative effects of the crisis were felt
    primarily in the politically sensitive southeast, aid pledges by the
    coalition allies of more than $4 billion have helped offset the burden.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $198 billion, per capita $3,400; real growth
    rate 1.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    71.1% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    11.1% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $41.9 billion; expenditures $49.7 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $9.9 billion (1992)
Exports:
    $13.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    industrial products (steel, chemicals) 81%; fruits, vegetables, tobacco and
    meat products 19%
  partners:
    EC countries 49%, US 7%, Iran 5%
Imports:
    $22.3 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, metals, chemicals,
    pharmaceuticals, dyes, plastics, rubber, fertilizers, grain
  partners:
    EC countries 49%, US 7%, Iran 5%
External debt:
    $49.0 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 10% (1990 est.); accounts for 29% of GDP
Electricity:
    14,400,000 kW capacity; 44,000 million kWh produced, 750 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    textiles, food processing, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron minerals),
    steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
Agriculture:
    accounts for 18% of GDP and employs about half of working force; products -
    tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulses, citrus fruit, variety
    of animal products; self-sufficient in food most years

:Turkey Economy

Illicit drugs:
    one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government
    maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output
    of poppy straw concentrate
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2.3 billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $10.1 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $665 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4.5
    billion; note - aid for Persian Gulf war efforts from coalition allies
    (1991), $4.1 billion; aid pledged for Turkish Defense Fund, $2.5 billion
Currency:
    Turkish lira (plural - liras); 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus
Exchange rates:
    Turkish liras (TL) per US$1 - 6,098.4 (March 1992), 4,171.8 (1991), 2,608.6
    (1990), 2,121.7 (1989), 1,422.3 (1988), 857.2 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Turkey Communications

Railroads:
    8,401 km 1.435-meter gauge; 479 km electrified
Highways:
    49,615 km total; 26,915 km paved; 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:
    crude oil 1,738 km, petroleum products 2,321 km, natural gas 708 km
Ports:
    Iskenderun, Istanbul, Mersin, Izmir
Merchant marine:
    353 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,056,455 GRT/7,143,096 DWT; includes
    7 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger-cargo, 191 cargo, 1 container, 5
    roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 livestock carrier, 37
    petroleum tanker, 9 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas, 10 combination
    ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 80 bulk, 4 combination bulk
Civil air:
    52 major transport aircraft (1991)
Airports:
    109 total, 104 usable; 65 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    fair domestic and international systems; trunk radio relay network; limited
    open wire network; 3,400,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 15 AM; 94 FM;
    357 TV; 1 satellite ground station operating in the INTELSAT (2 Atlantic
    Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems; 1 submarine cable

:Turkey Defense Forces

Branches:
    Land Forces, Navy (including Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast
    Guard, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 15,274,591; 9,330,851 fit for military service; 597,814 reach
    military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $5.2 billion, 3-4% of GDP (1992 budget)

:Turkmenistan Geography

Total area:
    488,100 km2
Land area:
    488,100 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
    3,736 km total; Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379 km,
    Uzbekistan 1,621 km
Coastline:
    0 km
  note:
    Turkmenistan does border the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    subtropical desert
Terrain:
    flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; borders Caspian Sea in west
Natural resources:
    petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulphur, salt, magnesium
Land use:
    NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest
    and woodland; NA% other; includes NA% irrigated
Environment:
    NA
Note:
    landlocked

:Turkmenistan People

Population:
    3,838,108 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    36 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    94 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    59 years male, 66 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Turkmen(s); adjective - Turkmen
Ethnic divisions:
    Turkmen 72%, Russian 9%, Uzbek 9%, other 10%
Religions:
    Islam 85%, Eastern Orthodox 10%, unknown 5%
Languages:
    Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA) age 15 and over can read and write
Labor force:
    1,542,000; agriculture and forestry 42%, industry and construction 21%,
    other 37% (1990)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Turkmenistan Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
Administrative divisions:
    4 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast'); Balkan (Nebit-Dag), Chardzhou,
    Mary, Tashauz; note - the rayons around Ashgabat are under direct republic
    jurisdiction; all oblasts have the same name as their administrative center
    except Balkan Oblast, centered at Nebit-Dag
Independence:
    27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union; formerly Turkmen Soviet Socialist
    Republic)
Constitution:
    adopted 18 May 1992
Legal system:
    NA
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 27 October (1991)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
    Majlis
Judicial branch:
    NA
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Saparmurad NIYAZOV (since 21 June 1992)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister (vacant), Deputy Prime Ministers V. G. OCHERTSOV and Atta
    CHARYYEV (since NA 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Democratic Party (formerly Communist), Saparmurad NIYAZOV, chairman
  opposition:
    Democratic Party, Durdymorad KHODZHA Mukhammed, chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held NA June 1997); results - Saparmurad
    NIYAZOV 99.5% (ran unopposed)
  Majlis:
    last held 7 January 1990 (next to be held NA 1995); results - percent of
    vote by party NA; seats - (175 total) elections not officially by party, but
    Communist Party members won nearly 90% of seats
Communists:
    renamed Democratic Party, 16 December 1990
Other political or pressure groups:
    Agzybirlik (Unity) Movement
Member of:
    CIS, CSCE, IBRD, IMF, NACC, UN, UNCTAD
Diplomatic representation:
    NA
  US:
    Ambassador-designate Joseph HULINGS; Embassy at Yubilenaya Hotel, Ashgabat
    (Ashkhabad) (mailing address is APO; AE 09862); telephone [8] (011)
    7-3630-24-49-08

:Turkmenistan Government

Flag:
    green field with five claret carpet gels (that is, a repeated carpet
    pattern) on the hoist side; a white crescent and five white stars in the
    upper left corner to the right of the carpet gels

:Turkmenistan Economy

Overview:
    Like the other 15 former Soviet republics, Turkmenistan faces enormous
    problems of economic adjustment - to move away from Moscow-based central
    planning toward a system of decisionmaking by private enterpreneurs, local
    government authorities, and, hopefully, foreign investors. This process
    requires wholesale changes in supply sources, markets, property rights, and
    monetary arrangements. Industry - with 10% of the labor force - is heavily
    weighted toward the energy sector, which produced 11% of the ex-USSR's gas
    and 1% of its oil. Turkmenistan ranked second among the former Soviet
    republics in cotton production, mainly in the irrigated western region,
    where the huge Karakumskiy Canal taps the Amu Darya.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate -0.6%
    (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    85% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    20-25% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    NA
Exports:
    $239 million (1990)
  commodities:
    natural gas, oil, chemicals, cotton, textiles, carpets
  partners:
    Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Imports:
    $970 million (1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and parts, plastics and rubber, consumer durables, textiles
  partners:
    NA
External debt:
    $650 million (end of 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 4.1% (1991)
Electricity:
    3,170,000 kW capacity; 14,900 million kWh produced, 4,114 kWh per capita
    (1990)
Industries:
    oil and gas, petrochemicals, fertilizers, food processing, textiles
Agriculture:
    cotton, fruits, vegetables
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producers of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption;
    status of government eradication programs unknown; used as transshipment
    points for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
    NA
Currency:
    As of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency
Exchange rates:
    NA
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Turkmenistan Communications

Railroads:
    2,120 km all 1.520-meter gauge
Highways:
    23,000 km total (1990); 18,300 km hard surfaced, 4,700 km earth
Inland waterways:
    NA km
Pipelines:
    NA
Ports:
    inland - Krasnovodsk
Civil air:
    NA
Airports:
    NA
Telecommunications:
    poorly developed; telephone density NA; linked by landline or microwave to
    other CIS member states and Iran, and by leased connections via the Moscow
    international gateway switch to other countries; satellite earth stations -
    Orbita and INTELSAT (TV receive only)

:Turkmenistan Defense Forces

Branches:
    Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; CIS
    Forces (Ground, Air and Air Defense)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)
    annually
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP

:Turks and Caicos Islands 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
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain:
    low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Natural resources:
    spiny lobster, conch
Land use:
    arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures; 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 98%
Environment:
    30 islands (eight inhabited); subject to frequent hurricanes
Note:
    located 190 km north of the Dominican Republic in the North Atlantic Ocean

:Turks and Caicos Islands People

Population:
    12,697 (July 1992), growth rate 3.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    16 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    22 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    13 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    73 years male, 77 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    no noun or adjectival forms
Ethnic divisions:
    majority of African descent
Religions:
    Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%,
    other 19.9% (1980)
Languages:
    English (official)
Literacy:
    98% (male 99%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever attended school
    (1970)
Labor force:
    NA; majority engaged in fishing and tourist industries; some subsistence
    agriculture
Organized labor:
    Saint George's Industrial Trade Union

:Turks and Caicos Islands 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 1976, suspended in 1986, and a Constitutional
    Commission is currently reviewing its contents
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, governor, Executive Council, chief minister
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Michael
    J. BRADLEY (since 1987)
  Head of Government:
    Chief Minister Washington MISSIC (since NA 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Oswald SKIPPINGS; Progressive National
    Party (PNP), Washington MISSIC; National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ariel
    MISSICK
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Legislative Council:
    last held on 3 April 1991 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
    party NA; seats - (20 total, 13 elected) PNP 8, PDM 5
Member of:
    CDB
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
Flag:
    blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the
    colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow
    and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus

:Turks and Caicos Islands Economy

Overview:
    The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and offshore banking. Only
    subsistence farming - corn and beans - exists on the Caicos Islands, so that
    most foods, as well as nonfood products, must be imported.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $44.9 million, per capita $5,000; real growth
    rate NA% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    12% (1989)
Budget:
    revenues $12.4 million; expenditures $15.8 million, including capital
    expenditures of $2.6 million (FY87)
Exports:
    $2.9 million (f.o.b., FY84)
  commodities:
    lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
  partners:
    US, UK
Imports:
    $26.3 million (c.i.f., FY84)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, drink, tobacco, clothing
  partners:
    US, UK
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%
Electricity:
    9,050 kW capacity; 11.1 million kWh produced, 1,140 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    fishing, tourism, offshore financial services
Agriculture:
    subsistence farming prevails, based on corn and beans; fishing more
    important than farming; not self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $110 million
Currency:
    US currency is used
Exchange rates:
    US currency is used
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Turks and Caicos Islands Communications

Highways:
    121 km, including 24 km tarmac
Ports:
    Grand Turk, Salt Cay, Providenciales, 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; broadcast stations - 3 AM,
    no FM, several TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth
    station

:Turks and Caicos Islands Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the UK

:Tuvalu 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:
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly
    gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain:
    very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Natural resources:
    fish
Land use:
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
    woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
    severe tropical storms are rare
Note:
    located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean

:Tuvalu People

Population:
    9,494 (July 1992), growth rate 1.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    28 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    34 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    61 years male, 64 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Tuvaluans(s); adjective - Tuvaluan
Ethnic divisions:
    96% Polynesian
Religions:
    Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i
    1%, other 0.6%
Languages:
    Tuvaluan, English
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    none

:Tuvalu Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    democracy
Capital:
    Funafuti
Administrative divisions:
    none
Independence:
    1 October 1978 (from UK; formerly Ellice Islands)
Constitution:
    1 October 1978
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Executive branch:
    British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
    Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Parliament (Palamene)
Judicial branch:
    High Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
    Tupua LEUPENA (since 1 March 1986)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 16 October 1989); Deputy Prime
    Minister Dr. Alesana SELUKA (since October 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    none
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Parliament:
    last held 28 September 1989 (next to be held by NA September 1993); results
    - percent of vote NA; seats - (12 total)
Member of:
    ACP, C (special), ESCAP, SPC, SPF, 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

:Tuvalu Economy

Overview:
    Tuvalu consists of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil.
    The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence
    farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. The islands are too
    small and too remote for development of a tourist industry. Government
    revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker
    remittances. Substantial income is received annually from an international
    trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the UK and
    supported also by Japan and South Korea.
GNP:
    exchange rate conversion - $4.6 million, per capita $530; real growth rate
    NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    3.9% (1984)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $4.3 million; expenditures $4.3 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports:
    $1.0 million (f.o.b., 1983 est.)
  commodities:
    copra
  partners:
    Fiji, Australia, NZ
Imports:
    $2.8 million (c.i.f., 1983 est.)
  commodities:
    food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
  partners:
    Fiji, Australia, NZ
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA
Electricity:
    2,600 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 330 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    fishing, tourism, copra
Agriculture:
    coconuts, copra
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $101 million
Currency:
    Tuvaluan dollar and Australian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Tuvaluan dollar
    ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3117 (March
    1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267
    (1987)
Fiscal year:
    NA

:Tuvalu Communications

Highways:
    8 km gravel
Ports:
    Funafuti, Nukufetau
Merchant marine:
    1 passenger-cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,043 GRT/450 DWT
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
Airports:
    1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 300 radiotelephones; 4,000 radios;
    108 telephones

:Tuvalu Defense Forces

Branches:
    Police Force
Manpower availability:
    NA
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GNP

:Uganda Geography

Total area:
    236,040 km2
Land area:
    199,710 km2
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
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June
    to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain:
    mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Natural resources:
    copper, cobalt, limestone, salt
Land use:
    arable land 23%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and
    woodland 30%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    straddles Equator; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion
Note:
    landlocked

:Uganda People

Population:
    19,386,104 (July 1992), growth rate 3.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
    51 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    14 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    91 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    50 years male, 52 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    7.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Ugandan(s); adjective - Ugandan
Ethnic divisions:
    African 99%, European, Asian, Arab 1%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, rest indigenous beliefs
Languages:
    English (official); Luganda and Swahili widely used; other Bantu and Nilotic
    languages
Literacy:
    48% (male 62%, female 35%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    4,500,000 (est.); 50% of population of working age (1983)
Organized labor:
    125,000 union members

:Uganda Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Uganda
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Kampala
Administrative divisions:
    10 provinces; Busoga, Central, Eastern, Karamoja, Nile, North Buganda,
    Northern, South Buganda, Southern, Western
Independence:
    9 October 1962 (from UK)
Constitution:
    8 September 1967, in process of constitutional revision
Legal system:
    government plans to restore system based on English common law and customary
    law and reinstitute a normal judicial system; accepts compulsory ICJ
    jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, prime minister, 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); Vice
    President Samson Babi Mululu KISEKKA (since NA January 1991)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister George Cosmas ADYEBO (since NA January 1991)
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
    Conservative Party (CP) are all proscribed from conducting public political
    activities
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  National Resistance Council:
    last held 11-28 February 1989 (next to be held by January 1995); results -
    NRM was the only party; seats - (278 total, 210 indirectly elected) 210
    members elected without party affiliation
Other political or pressure groups:
    Uganda People's Front (UPF), Uganda People's Christian Democratic Army
    (UPCDA), Ruwenzori Movement
Member of:
    ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA,
    IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
    OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Stephen Kapimpina KATENTA-APULI; 5909 16th Street NW, Washington,
    DC 20011; telephone [phone] through 7102
  US:
    Ambassador Johnnie CARSON; Embassy at Parliament Avenue, Kampala (mailing
    address is P. O. Box 7007, Kampala); telephone [256] (41) 259792, 259793,
    259795

:Uganda Government

Flag:
    six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and
    red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested
    crane (the national symbol) facing the staff side

:Uganda Economy

Overview:
    Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular
    rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. The economy has
    been devastated by widespread political instability, mismanagement, and
    civil war since independence in 1962, keeping Uganda poor with a per capita
    income of about $300. (GDP remains below the levels of the early 1970s, as
    does industrial production.) Agriculture is the most important sector of the
    economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee is the major export
    crop and accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986 the government
    has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency
    reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing petroleum
    prices, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially
    aimed at dampening inflation, which was running at over 300% in 1987, and
    boosting production and export earnings. During the period 1990-91, the
    economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the
    rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and
    exports, and gradually improving domestic security.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $5.6 billion, per capita $300; real growth rate
    4.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    35% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $365 million; expenditures $545 million, including capital
    expenditures of $165 million (FY89 est.)
Exports:
    $208 million (f.o.b., 1990)
  commodities:
    coffee 97%, cotton, tea
  partners:
    US 25%, UK 18%, France 11%, Spain 10%
Imports:
    $209 million (c.i.f., 1990)
  commodities:
    petroleum products, machinery, cotton piece goods, metals, transportation
    equipment, food
  partners:
    Kenya 25%, UK 14%, Italy 13%
External debt:
    $1.9 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 7.0% (1990); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
    175,000 kW capacity; 315 million kWh produced, 15 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement
Agriculture:
    mainly subsistence; accounts for 57% of GDP and over 80% of labor force;
    cash crops - coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco; food crops - cassava, potatoes,
    corn, millet, pulses; livestock products - beef, goat meat, milk, poultry;
    self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $145 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.4 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $169
    million

:Uganda Economy

Currency:
    Ugandan shilling (plural - shillings); 1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
    Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1 - 1,031.3 (March 1992), 734.0 (1991),
    428.85 (1990), 223.1 (1989), 106.1 (1988), 42.8 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July - 30 June

:Uganda Communications

Railroads:
    1,300 km, 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; principal inland water ports are at Jinja and Port Bell,
    both on Lake Victoria
Merchant marine:
    1 roll-on/roll-off (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,697 GRT
Civil air:
    6 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    35 total, 27 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over
    3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    fair system with microwave and radio communications stations; broadcast
    stations - 10 AM, no FM, 9 TV; satellite communications ground stations - 1
    Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

:Uganda Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, about 4,132,887; about 2,243,933 for military service
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP

:Ukraine Geography

Total area:
    603,700 km2
Land area:
    603,700 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
    4,558 km total; Belarus 891 km, Czechoslovakia 90 km, Hungary 103 km,
    Moldova 939 km, Poland 428 km, Romania (southwest) 169 km, Romania (west)
    362 km, Russia 1,576 km
Coastline:
    2,782 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    NA nm
  Continental shelf:
    NA meter depth
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    NA nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    NA nm
  Territorial sea:
    NA nm
Disputes:
    potential border disputes with Moldova and Romania in northern Bukovina and
    southern Odessa oblast
Climate:
    temperate continental; subtropical only on the southern Crimean coast;
    precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north,
    lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to
    cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the
    country, hot in the south
Terrain:
    most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaux, mountains
    being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean peninsula
    in the extreme south
Natural resources:
    iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulphur, graphite,
    titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber
Land use:
    56% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 12% meadows and pastures; NA% forest
    and woodland; 30% other; includes 3% irrigated
Environment:
    air and water pollution, deforestation, radiation contamination around
    Chernobyl nuclear plant
Note:
    strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second largest
    country in Europe

:Ukraine People

Population:
    51,940,426 (July 1992), growth rate 0.2% (1992)
Birth rate:
    14 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    22 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    65 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Ukrainian(s); adjective - Ukrainian
Ethnic divisions:
    Ukrainian 73%, Russian 22%, Jewish 1%, other 4%
Religions:
    Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Ukrainian
    Catholic (Uniate), Protestant, Jewish
Languages:
    Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish
Literacy:
    NA%
Labor force:
    25,277,000; industry and construction 41%, agriculture and forestry 19%,
    health, education, and culture 18%, trade and distribution 8%, transport and
    communication 7%, other 7% (1990)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Ukraine Government

Long-form name:
    none
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Kiev (Kyyiv)
Administrative divisions:
    24 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast') and 1 autonomous republic*
    (avtomnaya respublika); Chernigov, Cherkassy, Chernovtsy, Dnepropetrovsk,
    Donetsk, Ivano-Frankovsk, Khar'kov, Kherson, Khmel'nitskiy, Kiev,
    Kirovograd, Krym (Simferopol')*, Lugansk, L'vov, Nikolayev, Odessa, Poltava,
    Rovno, Sumy, Ternopol', Vinnitsa, Volyn' (Lutsk), Zakarpat (Uzhgorod),
    Zaporozh'ye, Zhitomir; note - an oblast usually has the same name as its
    administrative center (exceptions have the administrative center name
    following in parentheses)
Independence:
    24 August 1991; 1 December 1991 de facto from USSR; note - formerly the
    Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union
Constitution:
    currently being drafted
Legal system:
    based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 24 August (1991)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Supreme Council
Judicial branch:
    being organized
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Leonid M. KRAVCHUK (since 5 December 1991)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Vitol'd FOKIN (since 14 November 1991); two First Deputy
    Prime Ministers: Valentyn SYMONENKO and Konstantyn MASYK (since 21 May
    1991); two Deputy Prime Ministers: Oleh SLEPICHEV and Viktor SYTNYK (since
    21 May 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Ukrainian Republican Party, Levko LUKYANENKO, chairman; Green Party, Yuriy
    SHCHERBAK, chairman; Social Democratic Party, Andriy NOSENKO, chairman;
    Ukrainian Democratic Party, Yuriy BADZO, chairman; Democratic Rebirth Party,
    Oleksandr Volodymyr GRINEV, Oleksandr FILENKO, YEMETS, Miroslav POPOVICH,
    Sergei LYLYK, Oleksandr BAZYLYUK, Valeriy KHMELKO, leaders; People's Party
    of Ukraine, Leopold TABURYANSKIY, chairman; Peasant Democratic Party, Jerhiy
    PLACHYNDA, chairman; Ukrainian Socialist Party, Oleksandr MOROZ, chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Leonid
    KRAVCHUK 61.59%, Vyacheslav CHERNOVIL 23.27%, Levko LUKYANENKO 4.49%,
    Volodymyr GRINEV 4.17%, Iher YUKHNOVSKY 1.74%, Leopold TABURYANSKIY 0.57%
  Supreme Council:
    last held 4 March 1990 (next scheduled for 1995, may be held earlier in late
    1992 or 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (NA total)
    number of seats by party NA

:Ukraine Government

Communists:
    Communist Party of Ukraine was banned by decree of the Supreme Council on 30
    August 1991
Other political or pressure groups:
    Ukraninan People's Movement for Restructuring (RUKH)
Member of:
    CIS, CSCE, CE, ECE, IAEA, IMF, INMARSAT, IOC, ITU, NACC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
    UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Oleh H. BILORUS; Embassy at 1828 L Street, NW, Suite 711,
    Washington, DC 20036; telephone [phone]
  US:
    Ambassador Roman POPADIUK; Embassy at ;10 Vul. Yuriy Kotsubinskoho, Kiev
    (mailing address is APO AE 09862); telephone [phone]; FAX (044)
    244-7350
Flag:
    two horizontal bars of equal size: azure (sky blue) top half, golden yellow
    bottom half (represents grainfields under a blue sky)

:Ukraine Economy

Overview:
    Because of its size, geographic location, Slavic population, and rich
    resources, the loss of Ukraine was the final and most bitter blow to the
    Soviet leaders wishing to preserve some semblance of the old political,
    military, and economic power of the USSR. After Russia, the Ukrainian
    republic was far and away the most important economic component of the
    former Soviet Union producing more than three times the output of the
    next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one fourth
    of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities
    of meat, milk, grain and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its
    well-developed and diversified heavy industry supplied equipment and raw
    materials to industrial and mining sites in other regions of the USSR. In
    early 1992 the continued wholesale disruption of economic ties and the lack
    of an institutional structure necessary to formulate and implement economic
    reforms preclude a near-term recovery of output.
GDP:
    $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate -10% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    83% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    not finalized as of May 1992
Exports:
    $13.5 billion (1990)
  commodities:
    coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemicals, machinery
    and transport equipment, grain, meat
  partners:
    Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan
Imports:
    $16.7 billion (1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and parts, transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles
  partners:
    none
    *** No entry for this item ***
External debt:
    $10.4 billion (end of 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -4.5% (1991)
Electricity:
    NA kW capacity; 298,000 million kWh produced, 5,758 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport
    equipment, chemicals, food-processing
Agriculture:
    grain, vegetables, meat, milk
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producer of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption;
    status of government eradication programs unknown; used as transshipment
    points for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
    $NA

:Ukraine Economy

Currency:
    as of August 1992 using ruble and Ukrainian coupons as legal tender; Ukraine
    plans to withdraw the ruble from circulation and convert to a coupon-based
    economy on 1 October 1992; Ukrainian officials claim this will be an interim
    move toward introducing a Ukrainian currency - the hryvnya - possibly as
    early as January 1993
Exchange rates:
    NA
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Ukraine Communications

Railroads:
    22,800 km all 1.500-meter gauge; does not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
    273,700 km total (1990); 236,400 km hard surfaced, 37,300 km earth
Inland waterways:
    NA km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
    NA
Ports:
    maritime - Berdyansk, Il'ichevsk Kerch', Kherson, Mariupol' (formerly
    Zhdanov), Nikolayev, Odessa, Sevastopol', Yuzhnoye; inland - Kiev
Merchant marine:
    338 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,117,595 GRT/5,403,685 DWT; includes
    221 cargo, 11 container, 9 barge carriers, 59 bulk cargo, 9 petroleum
    tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas, 24 passenger
Civil air:
    NA major transport aircraft
Airports:
    NA
Telecommunications:
    inheriting part of the former USSR system, Ukraine has about 7 million
    telephone lines (13.5 telephones for each 100 persons); as of 31 January
    1990, 3.56 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied;
    international calls can be made via satellite, by landline to other CIS
    countries, and through the Moscow international switching center; satellite
    earth stations employ INTELSAT, INMARSAT, and Intersputnik

:Ukraine Defense Forces

Branches:
    Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; CIS
    Forces (Ground Navy, Air, and Defense)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)
    annually
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP

:United Arab Emirates 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
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    3 nm (assumed), 12 nm for Ash Shariqah (Sharjah)
Disputes:
    boundary with Qatar is unresolved; no defined boundary with Saudi Arabia; no
    defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north;
    claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran (Jazireh-ye Tonb-e
    Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb); claims
    island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (Jazireh-ye Abu
    Musa or Abu Musa,)
Climate:
    desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain:
    flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert
    waste- land; mountains in east
Natural resources:
    crude oil and natural gas
Land use:
    arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest
    and woodland NEGL%; other 98%; includes irrigated NEGL%
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

:United Arab Emirates People

Population:
    2,522,315 (July 1992), growth rate 5.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    29 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    3 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    27 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    23 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    70 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Emirian(s), adjective - Emirian
Ethnic divisions:
    Emirian 19%, other Arab 23%, South Asian (fluctuating) 50%, other
    expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8%; less than 20% of the
    population are UAE citizens (1982)
Religions:
    Muslim 96% (Shi`a 16%); Christian, Hindu, and other 4%
Languages:
    Arabic (official); Persian and English widely spoken in major cities; Hindi,
    Urdu
Literacy:
    68% (male 70%, female 63%) age 10 and over but definition of literacy not
    available (1980)
Labor force:
    580,000 (1986 est.); industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%,
    government 5%; 80% of labor force is foreign
Organized labor:
    trade unions are illegal

:United Arab Emirates Government

Long-form name:
    United Arab Emirates (no short-form name); abbreviated UAE
Type:
    federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central government and
    other powers reserved to member emirates
Capital:
    Abu Dhabi
Administrative divisions:
    7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), `Ajman, Al
    Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
Independence:
    2 December 1971 (from UK; formerly Trucial States)
Constitution:
    2 December 1971 (provisional)
Legal system:
    secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in several
    member shaykhdoms; Islamic law remains influential
National holiday:
    National Day, 2 December (1971)
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, Supreme Council of Rulers, prime minister, deputy
    prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad)
Judicial branch:
    Union Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan Al NUHAYYAN, (since 2 December 1971),
    ruler of Abu Dhabi; Vice President Shaykh Maktum bin Rashid al-MAKTUM (since
    8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Shaykh Maktum bin Rashid al-MAKTUM (since 8 October 1990),
    ruler of Dubayy; Deputy Prime Minister Sultan bin Zayid Al NUHAYYAN (since
    20 November 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    none
Suffrage:
    none
Elections:
    none
Other political or pressure groups:
    a few small clandestine groups may be active
Member of:
    ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
    IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
    (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
    UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn Al SHAALI; Chancery at Suite 740, 600 New
    Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone [phone]
  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,
    afterhours 338730; FAX [971] (2) 318441; there is a US Consulate General in
    Dubayy (Dubai)
Flag:
    three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker
    vertical red band on the hoist side

:United Arab Emirates Economy

Overview:
    The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest incomes per
    capita outside the OECD nations. This wealth is based on oil and gas, and
    the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities.
    Since 1973, when petroleum prices shot up, the UAE has undergone a profound
    transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to
    a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of
    production, crude oil reserves should last for over 100 years.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $33.7 billion, per capita $14,100 (1990); real
    growth rate 11% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    5.5% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    NEGL (1988)
Budget:
    revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $21.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    crude oil 65%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
  partners:
    Japan 35%, Singapore 6%, US 4%, Korea 3%
Imports:
    $11.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    food, consumer and capital goods
  partners:
    Japan 14%, UK 10%, US 9%, Germany 9%
External debt:
    $11.0 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production:
    NA
Electricity:
    5,800,000 kW capacity; 17,000 million kWh produced, 7,115 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat
    building, handicrafts, pearling
Agriculture:
    accounts for 2% of GDP and 5% of labor force; cash crop - dates; food
    products - vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25%
    self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
    donor - pledged $9.1 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries
    (1979-89)
Currency:
    Emirian dirham (plural - dirhams); 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils
Exchange rates:
    Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - 3.6710 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:United Arab Emirates Communications

Highways:
    2,000 km total; 1,800 km bituminous, 200 km gravel and graded earth
Pipelines:
    crude oil 830 km, natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km
Ports:
    Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal `Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid,
    Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid
Merchant marine:
    55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,033,866 GRT/1,772,646 DWT; includes
    18 cargo, 8 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off, 20 petroleum tanker, 4 bulk, 1
    refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier
Civil air:
    10 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    37 total, 34 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways; 7 with runways over
    3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    adequate system of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi
    and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; broadcast stations - 8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV;
    satellite communications ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2
    Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain,
    India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave to Saudi
    Arabia

:United Arab Emirates Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 974,288; 533,673 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.47 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1989 est.)

:United Kingdom Geography

Total area:
    244,820 km2
Land area:
    241,590 km2; includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
    360 km; Ireland 360 km
Coastline:
    12,429 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon
    boundaries
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    Northern Ireland question with Ireland; Gibraltar question with Spain;
    Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims South
    Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims island of Diego
    Garcia in British Indian Ocean Territory; Rockall continental shelf dispute
    involving Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland (Ireland and the UK have signed a
    boundary agreement in the Rockall area); territorial claim in Antarctica
    (British Antarctic Territory)
Climate:
    temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic
    Current; more than half of the days are overcast
Terrain:
    mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and
    southeast
Natural resources:
    coal, crude oil, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk,
    gypsum, lead, silica
Land use:
    arable land 29%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 48%; forest and
    woodland 9%; other 14%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    pollution control measures improving air, water quality; because of heavily
    indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
Note:
    lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now
    being linked by tunnel under the English Channel

:United Kingdom People

Population:
    57,797,514 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
    14 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    73 years male, 79 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Briton(s), British (collective pl.); adjective - British
Ethnic divisions:
    English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West
    Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
Religions:
    Anglican 27.0 million, Roman Catholic 5.3 million, Presbyterian 2.0 million,
    Methodist 760,000, Jewish 410,000
Languages:
    English, Welsh (about 26% of population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic
    (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Literacy:
    99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978 est.)
Labor force:
    26,177,000; services 60.6%, manufacturing and construction 27.2%, government
    8.9%, energy 2.1%, agriculture 1.2% (June 1991)
Organized labor:
    40% of labor force (1991)

:United Kingdom Government

Long-form name:
    United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; abbreviated UK
Type:
    constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    London
Administrative divisions:
    47 counties, 7 metropolitan counties, 26 districts, 9 regions, and 3 islands
    areas
  England:
    39 counties, 7 metropolitan counties*; Avon, Bedford, Berkshire, Buckingham,
    Cambridge, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derby, Devon, Dorset,
    Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucester, Greater London*, Greater
    Manchester*, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Hertford, Humberside, Isle
    of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester, Lincoln, Merseyside*, Norfolk,
    Northampton, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Nottingham, Oxford,
    Shropshire, Somerset, South Yorkshire*, Stafford, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne and
    Wear*, Warwick, West Midlands*, West Sussex, West Yorkshire*, Wiltshire
  Northern Ireland:
    26 districts; Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge,
    Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down,
    Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Londonderry, Magherafelt,
    Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane
  Scotland:
    9 regions, 3 islands areas*; Borders, Central, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife,
    Grampian, Highland, Lothian, Orkney*, Shetland*, Strathclyde, Tayside,
    Western Isles*
  Wales:
    8 counties; Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan, Powys, South
    Glamorgan, West Glamorgan
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, Jersey,
    Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and
    the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
Legal system:
    common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no
    judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
    with reservations
National holiday:
    Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June)
Executive branch:
    monarch, prime minister, 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 ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES
    (son of the Queen, born 14 November 1948)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister John MAJOR (since 28 November 1990)

:United Kingdom Government

Political parties and leaders:
    Conservative and Unionist Party, John MAJOR; Labor Party, John SMITH;
    Liberal Democrats (LD), Jeremy (Paddy) ASHDOWN; Scottish National Party,
    Alex SALMOND; Welsh National Party (Plaid Cymru), Dafydd Iwan WIGLEY; Ulster
    Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), James MOLYNEAUX; Democratic Unionist
    Party (Northern Ireland), Rev. Ian PAISLEY; Ulster Popular Unionist Party
    (Northern Ireland), James KILFEDDER; Social Democratic and Labor Party
    (SDLP, Northern Ireland), John HUME; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland), Gerry
    ADAMS; Alliance Party (Northern Ireland), John ALDERDICE; Democratic Left,
    Nina TEMPLE
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  House of Commons:
    last held 9 April 1992 (next to be held by NA April 1997); results -
    Conservative 41.9%, Labor 34.5%, Liberal Democratic 17.9%, other 5.7%; seats
    - (651 total) Conservative 336, Labor 271, Liberal Democratic 20, other 24
Communists:
    15,961
Other political or pressure groups:
    Trades Union Congress, Confederation of British Industry, National Farmers'
    Union, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Member of:
    AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, C, CCC, CDB, CE, CERN, COCOM, CP, CSCE,
    EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESCAP, ESA, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10,
    GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
    IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS,
    NATO, NEA, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UN
    Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Sir Robin RENWICK; Chancery at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone [phone]; 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 Raymond G. H. SEITZ; Embassy at 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London,
    W.1A1AE, (mailing address is FPO AE 09498-4040); telephone [44] (71)
    499-9000; FAX [phone]; there are US Consulates General in Belfast and
    Edinburgh
Flag:
    blue with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in
    white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint
    of Ireland) which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint
    Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union Flag or Union Jack;
    the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a
    number of other flags including dependencies, Commonwealth countries, and
    others
Note:
    Hong Kong is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in
    1997

:United Kingdom Economy

Overview:
    The UK is one of the world's great trading powers and financial centers, and
    its economy ranks among the four largest in Europe. The economy is
    essentially capitalistic with a generous admixture of social welfare
    programs and government ownership. Prime Minister MAJOR has continued the
    basic thrust of THATCHER's efforts to halt the expansion of welfare measures
    and promote extensive reprivatization of the government economic sector.
    Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient 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 27% of the work force and generating 22% of GDP. The UK is an
    energy-rich nation with large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary
    energy production accounts for 12% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any
    industrial nation. In mid-1990 the economy fell into recession after eight
    years of strong economic expansion, which had raised national output by one
    quarter. Britain's inflation rate, which has been consistently well above
    those of her major trading partners, declined significantly in 1991. Between
    1986 and 1990 unemployment fell from 11% to about 6%, but crept back up to
    8% in 1991 because of the economic slowdown. As a major trading nation, the
    UK will continue to be greatly affected by world boom or recession, swings
    in the international oil market, productivity trends in domestic industry,
    and the terms on which the economic integration of Europe proceeds.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $915.5 billion, per capita $15,900; real
    growth rate -1.9% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    5.8% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    8.1% (1991)
Budget:
    revenues $435 billion; expenditures $469 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
Exports:
    $186.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods,
    transport equipment
  partners:
    EC 53.2% (FRG 12.7%, France 10.5%, Netherlands 7.0%), US 12.4%
Imports:
    $211.9 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    manufactured goods, machinery, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer
    goods
  partners:
    EC 52.2% (FRG 15.6%, France 9.3%, Netherlands 8.4%), US 11.5%
External debt:
    $10.5 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 0% (1991)
Electricity:
    98,000,000 kW capacity; 316,500 million kWh produced, 5,520 kWh per capita
    (1991)

:United Kingdom Economy

Industries:
    production machinery including machine tools, electric power equipment,
    equipment for the automation of production, railroad equipment,
    shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and
    communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and
    paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer
    goods
Agriculture:
    accounts for only 1.5% of GDP and 1% of labor force; highly mechanized 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)
Economic aid:
    donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $21.0 billion
Currency:
    British pound or pound sterling (plural - pounds); 1 British pound (#) = 100
    pence
Exchange rates:
    British pounds (#) per US$1 - 0.5799 (March 1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603
    (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 April-31 March

:United Kingdom Communications

Railroads:
    Great Britain - 16,629 km total; British Railways (BR) operates 16,629 km
    1.435-meter (standard) gauge (4,205 km electrified and 12,591 km double or
    multiple track); several additional small standard-gauge and narrow-gauge
    lines are privately owned and operated; Northern Ireland Railways (NIR)
    operates 332 km 1.600-meter gauge, including 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 Waterways Board, 606 km; Port Authorities, 706 km;
    other, 979 km
Pipelines:
    crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km, petroleum products 2,993 km,
    natural gas 12,800 km
Ports:
    London, Liverpool, Felixstowe, Tees and Hartlepool, Dover, Sullom Voe,
    Southampton
Merchant marine:
    224 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,905,571 GRT/4,840,862 DWT; includes
    7 passenger, 21 short-sea passenger, 37 cargo, 27 container, 14
    roll-on/roll-off, 10 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar
    carrier, 66 petroleum tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 1
    combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 26 bulk, 1 combination bulk
Civil air:
    618 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    498 total, 385 usable; 249 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways
    over 3,659 m; 37 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 133 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    technologically advanced domestic and international system; 30,200,000
    telephones; equal mix of buried cables, microwave and optical-fiber systems;
    excellent countrywide broadcast systems; broadcast stations - 225 AM, 525
    (mostly repeaters) FM, 207 (3,210 repeaters) TV; 40 coaxial submarine
    cables; 5 satellite ground stations operating in INTELSAT (7 Atlantic Ocean
    and 3 Indian Ocean), MARISAT, and EUTELSAT systems; at least 8 large
    international switching centers

:United Kingdom Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 14,462,820; 12,122,497 fit for military service; no
    conscription
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $42 billion, 4.3% of GDP (FY91)

:United States 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 three-tenths the size of Russia; 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; Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,326
    km, Cuba (US naval base at Guantanamo) 29.1 km
Coastline:
    19,924 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    12 nm
  Continental shelf:
    not specified
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait
    of Juan de Fuca); US Naval Base at Guantanamo is leased from Cuba and only
    mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease;
    Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica
    (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of
    any other nation; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island
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;
    rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic
    topography in Hawaii
Natural resources:
    coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron,
    mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, crude oil, natural gas,
    timber
Land use:
    arable land 20%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 26%; forest and
    woodland 29%; other 25%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
    pollution control measures improving air and water quality; acid rain;
    agricultural fertilizer and pesticide pollution; management of sparse
    natural water resources in west; desertification; tsunamis, volcanoes, and
    earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; continuous permafrost in northern
    Alaska is a major impediment to development
Note:
    world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China)

:United States People

Population:
    254,521,000 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    14 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    72 years male, 79 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - American(s); adjective - American
Ethnic divisions:
    white 84.1%, black 12.4%, other 3.5% (1989)
Religions:
    Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)
Languages:
    predominantly English; sizable Spanish-speaking minority
Literacy:
    98% (male 97%, female 98%) age 25 and over having completed 5 or more years
    of schooling (1989)
Labor force:
    126,867,000 (includes armed forces and unemployed); civilian labor force
    125,303,000 (1991)
Organized labor:
    16,568,000 members; 16.1% of total wage and salary employment which was
    102,786,000 (1991)

:United States Government

Long-form name:
    United States of America; abbreviated US or USA
Type:
    federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital:
    Washington, DC
Administrative divisions:
    50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,
    Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia,
    Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
    Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
    Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,
    North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
    Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont,
    Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Independence:
    4 July 1776 (from England)
Constitution:
    17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789
Dependent areas:
    American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island; Jarvis Island, Johnston
    Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana
    Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island
Legal system:
    based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
    compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, 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 Government:
    President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE
    (since 20 January 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    Republican Party, Richard N. BOND, national committee chairman; Jeanie
    AUSTIN, co-chairman; Democratic Party, Ronald H. BROWN, national committee
    chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    George BUSH (Republican Party) 53.37%, Michael DUKAKIS (Democratic Party)
    45.67%, other 0.96%
  Senate:
    last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    Democratic Party 51%, Republican Party 47%, other 2%; seats - (100 total)
    Democratic Party 56, Republican Party 44
  House of Representatives:
    last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
    Democratic Party 52%, Republican Party 44%, other 4%; seats - (435 total)
    Democratic Party 267, Republican Party 167, Socialist 1

:United States Government

Communists:
    Communist Party (claimed 15,000-20,000 members), Gus HALL, general
    secretary; Socialist Workers Party (claimed 1,800 members), Jack BARNES,
    national secretary
Member of:
    AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD,
    ECE, ECLAC, FAO, ESCAP, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
    ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
    INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council,
    UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    US Representative to the UN, Ambassador Thomas R. PICKERING; Mission at 799
    United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017; telephone [phone], after
    hours [phone]; FAX [phone]
Flag:
    thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with
    white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50
    small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of
    six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars
    represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies;
    known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number
    of other flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
Note:
    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 Mariana Islands is a
    Commonwealth in political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986);
    Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US that was approved
    by the US Congress but to date the Compact process has not been completed in
    Palau, which continues to be administered by the US as the Trust Territory
    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)

:United States Economy

Overview:
    The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy
    in the world, with a per capita GDP of $22,470, the largest among major
    industrial nations. The economy is market oriented with most decisions made
    by private individuals and business firms and with government purchases of
    goods and services made predominantly in the marketplace. In 1989 the
    economy enjoyed its seventh successive year of substantial growth, the
    longest in peacetime history. The expansion featured moderation in wage and
    consumer price increases and a steady reduction in unemployment to 5.2% of
    the labor force. In 1990, however, growth slowed to 1% because of a
    combination of factors, such as the worldwide increase in interest rates,
    Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August, the subsequent spurt in oil prices, and
    a general decline in business and consumer confidence. In 1991 output failed
    to recover, unemployment grew, and signs of recovery proved premature.
    Ongoing problems for the 1990s include inadequate investment in economic
    infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs, and sizable budget and trade
    deficits.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $5,673 billion, per capita $22,470; real
    growth rate -0.7% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    4.2% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    6.6% (1991)
Budget:
    revenues $1,054 billion; expenditures $1,323 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (FY91)
Exports:
    $428.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer
    goods, agricultural products
  partners:
    Western Europe 27.3%, Canada 22.1%, Japan 12.1% (1989)
Imports:
    $499.4 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    crude and partly refined petroleum, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods,
    industrial raw materials, food and beverages
  partners:
    Western Europe 21.5%, Japan 19.7%, Canada 18.8% (1989)
External debt:
    NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate -1.9% (1991)
Electricity:
    776,550,000 kW capacity; 3,020,000 million kWh produced, 12,080 kWh per
    capita (1990)
Industries:
    leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified; petroleum, steel,
    motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food
    processing, consumer goods, fishing, lumber, mining
Agriculture:
    accounts for 2% of GDP 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 5.0 million metric tons (1988)

:United States Economy

Illicit drugs:
    illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption with 1987 production
    estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of the available marijuana;
    ongoing eradication program aimed at small plots and greenhouses has not
    reduced production
Economic aid:
    donor - commitments, including ODA and OOF, (FY80-89), $115.7 billion
Currency:
    United States dollar (plural - dollars); 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100
    cents
Exchange rates:
  British pounds:
    (#) per US$ - 0.5599 (March 1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099
    (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987)
  Canadian dollars:
    (Can$) per US$ - 1.1926 (March 1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840
    (1989), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987)
  French francs:
    (F) per US$ - 5.6397, (March 1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801
    (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987)
  Italian lire:
    (Lit) per US$ - 1,248.4 (March 1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990),
    1.372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987)
  Japanese yen:
    (Y) per US$ - 132.70 (March 1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96
    (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987)
  German deutsche marks:
    (DM) per US$ - 1.6611 (March 1992), 1.6595 (1991), 1.6157 (1990), 1.8800
    (1989), 1.7562 (1988), 1.7974 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 October - 30 September

:United States 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:
    petroleum 275,800 km, natural gas 305,300 km (1985)
Ports:
    Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Cleveland,
    Duluth, Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, 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:
    396 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,969 GRT/20,179 DWT; includes 3
    passenger-cargo, 38 cargo, 25 bulk, 174 tanker, 13 tanker tug-barge, 14
    liquefied gas, 129 intermodal; in addition, there are 231 government-owned
    vessels
Civil air:
    8,252 commercial multiengine transport aircraft (weighing 9,000 kg and over)
    including 6,036 jet, 831 turboprop, 1,382 piston (December 1989)
Airports:
    14,177 total, 12,417 usable; 4,820 with permanent-surface runways; 63 with
    runways over 3,659 m; 325 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2,524 with runways
    1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    182,558,000 telephones; broadcast 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
    ground stations - 45 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

:United States Defense Forces

Branches:
    Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including Marine Corps),
    Department of the Air Force
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 66,458,000; NA fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $323.5 billion, 5.7% of GNP (1991)

:Uruguay Geography

Total area:
    176,220 km2
Land area:
    173,620 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Washington State
Land boundaries:
    1,564 km total; Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Coastline:
    660 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) 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 temperatures almost unknown
Terrain:
    mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Natural resources:
    soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Land use:
    arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 78%; forest and
    woodland 4%; other 10%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
    subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods

:Uruguay People

Population:
    3,141,533 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    17 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    23 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    69 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Uruguayan(s); adjective - Uruguayan
Ethnic divisions:
    white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic (less than half adult population attends church regularly)
    66%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%
Languages:
    Spanish
Literacy:
    96% (male 97%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    1,355,000 (1991 est.); government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%,
    commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%,
    other services 21% (1988 est.)
Organized labor:
    Interunion Workers' Assembly/National Workers' Confederation (PIT/CNT) Labor
    Federation

:Uruguay Government

Long-form name:
    Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Montevideo
Administrative divisions:
    19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas, Canelones,
    Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado,
    Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano,
    Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres
Independence:
    25 August 1828 (from Brazil)
Constitution:
    27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new
    constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980
Legal system:
    based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Executive branch:
    president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General) consists of an upper chamber
    or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber
    of Representatives (Camera de Representantes)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State and Head of Government:
    President Luis Alberto LACALLE (since 1 March 1990); Vice President Gonzalo
    AGUIRRE Ramirez (since 1 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
    National (Blanco) Party, Carlos CAT; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez;
    Broad Front Coalition, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera - 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), Hugo BATALLA; Christian Democratic Party
    (PDC), leader NA; and Civic Union, Humberto CIGANDA
Suffrage:
    universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results -
    Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera (Blanco) 37%, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (Colorado)
    29%, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%
  Chamber of Senators:
    last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results -
    Blanco 40%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 23% New Space 7%; seats - (30 total)
    Blanco 12, Colorado 9, Broad Front 7, New Space 2
  Chamber of Representatives:
    last held NA November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results -
    Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%, other 1%; seats -
    (99 total) number of seats by party NA
Communists:
    50,000

:Uruguay Government

Member of:
    AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
    ICC, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO
    (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA,
    RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
    WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLICUDDY; Chancery at 1918 F Street NW, Washington,
    DC 20006; telephone [phone] through 1316; there are Uruguayan
    Consulates General in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, and a Consulate in
    New Orleans
  US:
    Ambassador Richard C. BROWN; Embassy at Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo
    (mailing address is APO AA 34035); telephone [598] (2) 23-60-61 or 48-77-77;
    FAX [598] (2) 48-86-11
Flag:
    nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with
    blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow
    sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately
    triangular and wavy

:Uruguay Economy

Overview:
    The economy is slowly recovering from the deep recession of the early 1980s.
    In 1988 real GDP grew by only 0.5% and in 1989 by 1.5%. The recovery was led
    by growth in the agriculture and fishing sectors, agriculture alone
    contributing 20% to GDP, employing about 11% of the labor force, and
    generating a large proportion of export earnings. Raising livestock,
    particularly cattle and sheep, is the major agricultural activity. In 1991,
    domestic growth improved somewhat over 1990, but various government factors,
    including concentration on the external sector, adverse weather conditions,
    and greater attention to bringing down inflation and reducing the fiscal
    deficit kept output from expanding rapidly. In a major step toward greater
    regional economic cooperation, Uruguay joined Brazil, Argentina, and
    Paraguay in forming the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur). President
    LACALLE continues to press ahead with a broad economic reform plan to reduce
    state intervention in the economy, but he faces strong opposition.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $9.1 billion, per capita $2,935; real growth rate
    2.3% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    60% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    8.5% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $165 million (1988)
Exports:
    $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    hides and leather goods 17%, beef 10%, wool 9%, fish 7%, rice 4%
  partners:
    Brazil, US, Argentina, Germany
Imports:
    $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    fuels and lubricants 15%, metals, machinery, transportation equipment,
    industrial chemicals
  partners:
    Brazil 23%, Argentina 17%, US 10%, EC 27.1% (1990)
External debt:
    $4.2 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -1.4% (1990), accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Electricity:
    2,065,000 kW capacity; 5,677 million kWh produced, 1,819 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel,
    tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine
Agriculture:
    large areas devoted to livestock grazing; wheat, rice, corn, sorghum;
    self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $420 million;
    Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million
Currency:
    new Uruguayan peso (plural - pesos); 1 new Uruguayan peso (N$Ur) = 100
    centesimos

:Uruguay Economy

Exchange rates:
    new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1 - 2,732.8 (March 1992), 2,018.8 (1991),
    1,171.0 (1990), 605.5 (1989), 359.4 (1988), 226.7 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Uruguay Communications

Railroads:
    3,000 km, all 1.435-meter (standard) 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:
    3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 56,737 GRT/104,143 DWT; includes 1
    cargo, 1 container, 1 petroleum tanker
Civil air:
    11 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    90 total, 83 usable; 16 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave
    network; 337,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 99 AM, no FM, 26 TV, 9
    shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

:Uruguay Defense Forces

Branches:
    Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, and Marines), Air Force,
    Grenadier Guards, Police
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 745,728; 605,392 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $168 million, 2.2% of GDP (1988)

:Uzbekistan Geography

Total area:
    447,400 km2
Land area:
    425,400 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
    6,221 km total; Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099
    km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km
Coastline:
    0 km
  note:
    Uzbekistan does border the Aral Sea (420 km)
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    mostly mid latitude desert; semiarid grassland in east
Terrain:
    mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; Fergana valley in east
    surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in
    west
Natural resources:
    natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc,
    tungsten, molybdenum
Land use:
    NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest
    and woodland; NA% other; includes NA% irrigated
Environment:
    drying up of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of chemical
    pesticides and natural salts
Note:
    landlocked

:Uzbekistan People

Population:
    21,626,784 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    34 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -2 migrants/1,000 population (1992); note - 179,000 persons left Uzbekistan
    in 1990
Infant mortality rate:
    65 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    64 years male, 70 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    4.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Uzbek(s); adjective - Uzbek
Ethnic divisions:
    Uzbek 71%, Russian 8%, Tajik 5%, other 16%; note - includes 70% of Crimean
    Tatars since their World War II deportation
Religions:
    Muslim (mostly Sunnis) 75-80%, other (includes Farsi) 20-25%
Languages:
    Uzbek 85%, Russian 5%, other 10%
Literacy:
    NA%
Labor force:
    7,941,000; agriculture and forestry 39%, industry and construction 24%,
    other 37% (1990)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Uzbekistan Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Uzbekistan
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Tashkent (Toshkent)
Administrative divisions:
    11 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast') and 1 autonomous republic*
    (avtomnaya respublika); Andizhan, Bukhara, Dzhizak, Fergana, Karakalpakstan*
    (Nukus), Kashkadar'ya (Karshi), Khorezm (Urgench), Namangan, Samarkand,
    Surkhandar'ya (Termez), Syrdar'ya (Gulistan), Tashkent; note - an
    administrative division has the same name as its administrative center
    (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence:
    31 August 1991 from the Soviet Union; note - formerly Uzbek Soviet Socialist
    Republic in the Soviet Union
Constitution:
    NA
Legal system:
    NA
National holiday:
    NA
Executive branch:
    president
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Supreme Soviet
Judicial branch:
    NA
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Islam KARIMOV (since 29 December 1991)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Abdulhashim MUTALOV (since 13 January 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
    People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (formerly Communist Party), Islam
    KARIMOV, chairman; ERK, Mukhammad SOLIKH, chairman
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 29 December 1991 (next to be held NA December 1996); results -
    Islam KARIMOV 86%, Mukhammad SOLIKH 12%, other 2%
  Supreme Soviet:
    last held NA March 1990 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
    party NA; seats - (500 total) Communist 450, ERK 10, other 40
Communists:
    NA
Other political or pressure groups:
    Birlik (Unity) Abdurakhim PULATOV, chairman; Islamic Renaissance Party,
    Abdulljon UTAEV, chairman
Member of:
    CIS, CSCE, IMF, NACC, UN UNCTAD
Diplomatic representation:
    NA
  US:
    Charge d'Affaires Michael MOZUR; Embassy at Hotel Uzbekistan, ;55
    Chelendarskaya, Tashkent (mailing address is APO AE 09862); telephone [8]
    (011) 7-3712-33-15-74

:Uzbekistan Government

Flag:
    three equal horizontal bands - blue (top), white, and green with a crescent
    moon and 12 stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

:Uzbekistan Economy

Overview:
    Although Uzbekistan accounted for only 3.4% of total Soviet output, it
    produced two-thirds of the USSR's cotton. Moscow's push for ever-increasing
    amounts of cotton included massive irrigation projects which caused
    extensive environmental damage to the Aral Sea and rivers of the republic.
    Furthermore, the lavish use of chemical fertilizers has caused extensive
    pollution and widespread health problems. Recently the republic has sought
    to encourage food production at the expense of cotton. The small industrial
    sector specializes in such items as agricultural machinery, mineral
    fertilizers, vegetable oil, and electrical cranes. Uzbekistan also has some
    important natural resources including gold (about 30% of Soviet production),
    uranium, and natural gas. The Uzbek government has encouraged land reform
    but has shied away from other aspects of economic reform.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate -0.9%
    (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    83% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    NA
Budget:
    revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
    $1.5 billion (1990)
  commodities:
    cotton, gold, textiles, chemical and mineral fertilizers, vegetable oil
  partners:
    Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe
Imports:
    $3.5 billion (1990)
  commodities:
    machinery and parts, consumer durables, grain, other foods
  partners:
    principally other former Soviet republics
External debt:
    $2 billion (end of 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 1.8% (1991)
Electricity:
    11,400,000 kW capacity; 54,100 million kWh produced, 2,662 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    chemical and mineral fertilizers, vegetable oil, textiles
Agriculture:
    cotton, with much smaller production of grain, fruits, vegetables, and
    livestock
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producers of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption;
    status of government eradication programs unknown; used as transshipment
    points for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
    $NA
Currency:
    as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency
Exchange rates:
    NA
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Uzbekistan Communications

Railroads:
    3,460 km all 1.520-meter gauge (includes NA km electrified); does not
    include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
    78,400 km total (1990); 67,000 km hard-surfaced, 11,400 km earth
Inland waterways:
    NA km
Pipelines:
    NA
Ports:
    none - landlocked
Civil air:
    NA
Airports:
    NA
Telecommunications:
    poorly developed; telephone density NA; linked by landline or microwave with
    CIS member states and by leased connection via the Moscow international
    gateway switch to other countries; satellite earth stations - Orbita and
    INTELSAT (TV receive only)

:Uzbekistan Defense Forces

Branches:
    Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; CIS
    Forces (Ground, Air and Air Defense)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)
    annually
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP

:Vanuatu Geography

Total area:
    14,760 km2
Land area:
    14,760 km2; includes more than 80 islands
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
    0 km
Coastline:
    2,528 km
Maritime claims:
    (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
  Contiguous zone:
    24 nm
  Continental shelf:
    edge of continental margin or 200 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds
Terrain:
    mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
Natural resources:
    manganese, hardwood forests, fish
Land use:
    arable land 1%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and
    woodland 1%; other 91%
Environment:
    subject to tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism
    causes minor earthquakes
Note:
    located 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about
    three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Australia

:Vanuatu People

Population:
    174,574 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    35 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    30 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    67 years male, 72 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    5.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural); adjective - Ni-Vanuatu
Ethnic divisions:
    indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, remainder Vietnamese, Chinese, and
    various Pacific Islanders
Religions:
    Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%,
    Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7%
Languages:
    English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)
Literacy:
    53% (male 57%, female 48%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979)
Labor force:
    NA
Organized labor:
    7 registered trade unions - largest include Oil and Gas Workers' Union,
    Vanuatu Airline Workers' Union

:Vanuatu Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Vanuatu
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Port-Vila
Administrative divisions:
    11 island councils; 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 systems
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 30 July (1980)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
    (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Parliament; note - the National Council of Chiefs advises on
    matters of custom and land
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Frederick TIMAKATA (since 30 January 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Maxime CARLOT (since 16 December 1991); Deputy Prime Minister
    Sethy REGENVANU (since 17 December 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Vanuatu Party (VP), Donald KALPOKAS; Union of Moderate Parties (UMP), Serge
    VOHOR; Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP), Barak SOPE; National United Party
    (NUP), Walter LINI; Tan Union Party (TUP), Vincent BOULEKONE; Nagriamel
    Party, Jimmy STEVENS; Friend Melanesian Party, leader NA
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Parliament:
    last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held by November 1995); note - after
    election, a coalition was formed by the Union of Moderate Parties and the
    National United Party to form new government on 16 December 1991; seats -
    (46 total) UMP 19; NUP 10; VP 10; MPP 4; TUP 1; Nagriamel 1; Friend 1
Member of:
    ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO,
    IOC, ITU, NAM, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, 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
    isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged
    yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face
    the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a
    boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves, all in yellow

:Vanuatu Economy

Overview:
    The economy is based primarily on subsistence farming which provides a
    living for about 80% of the population. Fishing and tourism are the other
    mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has
    no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the
    local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $142 million, per capita $900 (1988 est.); real
    growth rate 6% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    5% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $90.0 million; expenditures $103.0 million, including capital
    expenditures of $45.0 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
    $15.6 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    copra 59%, cocoa 11%, meat 9%, fish 8%, timber 4%
  partners:
    Netherlands, Japan, France, New Caledonia, Belgium
Imports:
    $60.4 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
  commodities:
    machines and vehicles 25%, food and beverages 23%, basic manufactures 18%,
    raw materials and fuels 11%, chemicals 6%
  partners:
    Australia 36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%, Fiji 8%
External debt:
    $30 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate NA%; accounts for about 10% of GDP
Electricity:
    17,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced, 180 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Agriculture:
    accounts for 40% of GDP; export crops - copra, cocoa, coffee, and fish;
    subsistence crops - copra, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, and vegetables
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
    $606 million
Currency:
    vatu (plural - vatu); 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
    vatu (VT) per US$1 - 112.55 (March 1992), 111.68 (1991), 116.57 (1990),
    116.04 (1989), 104.43 (1988), 109.85 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Vanuatu 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:
    121 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,093,443 GRT/3,168,822 DWT; includes
    26 cargo, 14 refrigerated cargo, 5 container, 11 vehicle carrier, 1
    livestock carrier, 5 petroleum tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas,
    51 bulk, 1 combination bulk, 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger; note - a
    flag of convenience registry
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
Airports:
    33 total, 31 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:
    broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, no TV; 3,000 telephones; satellite ground
    stations - 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

:Vanuatu Defense Forces

Branches:
    no military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF), paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile
    Force (VMF)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
    $NA, NA% of GDP

:Venezuela 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 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo river; maritime boundary dispute
    with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela
Climate:
    tropical; hot, humid; more moderate 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:
    arable land 3%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and
    woodland 39%; other 37%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
    subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts; increasing
    industrial pollution in Caracas and Maracaibo
Note:
    on major sea and air routes linking North and South America

:Venezuela People

Population:
    20,675,970 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
    27 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    23 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    71 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Venezuelan(s); adjective - Venezuelan
Ethnic divisions:
    mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Indian 2%
Religions:
    nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%
Languages:
    Spanish (official); Indian dialects spoken by about 200,000 Amerindians in
    the remote interior
Literacy:
    88% (male 87%, female 90%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.)
Labor force:
    5,800,000; services 56%, industry 28%, agriculture 16% (1985)
Organized labor:
    32% of labor force

:Venezuela Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Venezuela
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Caracas
Administrative divisions:
    21 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 territory* (territorios, 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,
    Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy,
    Zulia; note - the federal dependence consists of 11 federally 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 Cassation
    Court only; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Executive branch:
    president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
    bicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica) 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 Government:
    President Carlos Andres PEREZ (since 2 February 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
    Social Christian Party (COPEI), Hilarion CARDOZO, president, and Eduardo
    FERNANDEZ, secretary general; Democratic Action (AD), Humberto CELLI,
    president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretary general; Movement Toward
    Socialism (MAS), Argelia LAYA, president, and Freddy MUNOZ, secretary
    general
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  President:
    last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1993); results -
    Carlos Andres PEREZ (AD) 54.6%, Eduardo FERNANDEZ (COPEI) 41.7%, other 3.7%
  Senate:
    last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1993); results -
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (49 total) AD 23, COPEI 22, other 4;
    note - 3 former presidents (1 from AD, 2 from COPEI) hold lifetime senate
    seats
  Chamber of Deputies:
    last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1993); results - AD
    43.7%, COPEI 31.4%, MAS 10.3%, other 14.6%; seats - (201 total) AD 97, COPEI
    67, MAS 18, other 19
Communists:
    10,000 members (est.)

:Venezuela Government

Other political or pressure groups:
    FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederation of
    Workers, the Democratic Action - dominated labor organization
Member of:
    AG, CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA,
    IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
    IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Simon Alberto CONSALVI Bottaro; Chancery at 1099 30th Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20007; telephone [phone]; 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 Michael Martin SKOL; Embassy at Avenida Francisco de Miranda and
    Avenida Principal de la Floresta, Caracas (mailing address is P. O. Box
    62291, Caracas 1060-A, or APO AA 34037); telephone [58] (2) 285-2222; FAX
    [58] (2) 285-0336; there is a US Consulate in Maracaibo
Flag:
    three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of
    arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of seven white
    five-pointed stars centered in the blue band

:Venezuela Economy

Overview:
    Petroleum is the cornerstone of the economy and accounted for 23% of GDP,
    80% of central government revenues, and 80% of export earnings in 1991.
    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 threw the economy into
    confusion, causing an 8% decline in GDP in 1989. However, the economy
    recovered part way in 1990, and grew by 9.2% in 1991, led by the petroleum
    sector.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $52.3 billion, per capita $2,590; real growth
    rate 9.2% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    30.7% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    9.3% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $13.2 billion; expenditures $13.1 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (1991)
Exports:
    $15.1 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    petroleum 80%, bauxite and aluminum, iron ore, agricultural products, basic
    manufactures
  partners:
    US 50.7%, Europe 13.7%, Japan 4.0% (1989)
Imports:
    $10.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
  commodities:
    foodstuffs, chemicals, manufactures, machinery and transport equipment
  partners:
    US 44%, FRG 8.0%, Japan 4%, Italy 7%, Canada 2% (1989)
External debt:
    $30.9 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 5.4% (1991 est.); accounts for one-fourth of GDP, including
    petroleum
Electricity:
    20,128,000 kW capacity; 55,753 million kWh produced, 2,762 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    petroleum, iron-ore mining, construction materials, food processing,
    textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Agriculture:
    accounts for 6% of GDP and 16% of labor force; products - corn, sorghum,
    sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee, beef, pork, milk, eggs, fish;
    not self-sufficient in food other than meat
Illicit drugs:
    illicit producer of cannabis and coca leaf for the international drug trade
    on a small scale; however, large quantities of cocaine transit the country
    from Colombia
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488 million; Communist countries
    (1970-89), $10 million
Currency:
    bolivar (plural - bolivares); 1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates:
    bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 65.39 (March 1992), 56.82 (1991), 46.90 (1990),
    34.68 (1989), 14.50 (fixed rate 1987-88)

:Venezuela Economy

Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Venezuela Communications

Railroads:
    542 km total; 363 km 1.435-meter standard gauge all single track, government
    owned; 179 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 oceangoing vessels
Pipelines:
    crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas 4,010 km
Ports:
    Amuay Bay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, Puerto Ordaz
Merchant marine:
    57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 790,108 GRT/1,257,637 DWT; includes 1
    short-sea passenger, 1 passenger cargo, 22 cargo, 1 container, 2
    roll-on/roll-off, 17 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 8
    bulk, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 combination bulk
Civil air:
    56 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    308 total, 287 usable; 135 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 88 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    modern and expanding; 1,440,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 181 AM, no
    FM, 59 TV, 26 shortwave; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite ground
    stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic

:Venezuela Defense Forces

Branches:
    Ground Forces (Army), Naval Forces (including Navy, Marines, Coast Guard),
    Air Forces, Armed Forces of Cooperation (National Guard)
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 5,365,880; 3,884,558 fit for military service; 210,737 reach
    military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $1.95 billion, 4% of GDP (1991)

:Vietnam Geography

Total area:
    329,560 km2
Land area:
    325,360
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
    3,818 km total; Cambodia 982 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 1,555 km
Coastline:
    3,444 km; excludes islands
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    24 nm
  Continental shelf:
    edge of continental margin or 200 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    maritime boundary with Cambodia not defined; involved in a complex dispute
    over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and
    possibly Brunei; unresolved maritime boundary with Thailand; maritime
    boundary dispute with China in the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands occupied
    by China but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan
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, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil deposits,
    forests
Land use:
    arable land 22%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and
    woodland 40%; other 35%; includes irrigated 5%
Environment:
    occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding

:Vietnam People

Population:
    68,964,018 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    29 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    47 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    63 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Vietnamese (singular and plural); adjective - Vietnamese
Ethnic divisions:
    predominantly Vietnamese 85-90%; Chinese 3%; ethnic minorities include
    Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham; other mountain tribes
Religions:
    Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islamic,
    Protestant
Languages:
    Vietnamese (official), French, Chinese, English, Khmer, tribal languages
    (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Literacy:
    88% (male 92%, female 84%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
    32.7 million; agricultural 65%, industrial and service 35% (1990 est.)
Organized labor:
    reportedly over 90% of wage and salary earners are members of the Vietnam
    Federation of Trade Unions (VFTU)

:Vietnam Government

Long-form name:
    Socialist Republic of Vietnam; abbreviated SRV
Type:
    Communist state
Capital:
    Hanoi
Administrative divisions:
    50 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 3 municipalities* (thanh pho,
    singular and plural); An Giang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Bac Thai, Ben Tre, Binh
    Dinh, Binh Thuan, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Las, Dong Nai, Dong Tay, Gia Lai,
    Ha Bac, Ha Giang, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Hung, Hai Phong*, Ho Chi
    Minh*, Hoa Binh, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang
    Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Minh Hai, Nam Ha, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu
    Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam-Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc
    Trang, Son La, Song Be, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien, Tien
    Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phu, Yen Bai; note -
    diacritical marks are not included
Independence:
    2 September 1945 (from France)
Constitution:
    18 December 1980; new Constitution to be approved Spring 1992
Legal system:
    based on Communist legal theory and French civil law system
National holiday:
    Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
    unicameral National Assembly (Quoc-Hoi)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme People's Court
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Vo Chi CONG (since 18 June 1987)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister Vo Van KIET (since 9 August 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Phan
    Van KHAI (since 10 August 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    only party - Vietnam Communist Party (VCP), DO MUOI
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  National Assembly:
    last held 19 April 1987 (next to be held 19 July 1992); results - VCP is the
    only party; seats - (496 total) VCP or VCP-approved 496; note - number of
    seats under new government 395
Communists:
    nearly 2 million
Member of:
    ACCT, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IIB,
    IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
    UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
    none
Flag:
    red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center

:Vietnam Economy

Overview:
    This is a formerly centrally planned, developing economy with extensive
    government ownership and control of productive facilities. The economy is
    primarily agricultural; the sector employs about 70% of the labor force and
    accounts for half of GNP. Rice is the staple crop; substantial 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, including coal, which is an important
    export item. Oil was discovered off the southern coast in 1986 with
    production reaching 70,000 barrels per day in 1991 and expected to increase
    in the years ahead. 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 UN agencies, France, Australia, Sweden, and Communist
    countries. Inflation, although down from recent triple-digit levels, is
    still a major weakness and is showing signs of accelerating upwards again.
    Per capita output is among the world's lowest. Since late 1986 the
    government has sponsored a broad reform program that seeks to turn more
    economic activity over to the private sector.
GNP:
    exchange rate conversion - $15 billion, per capita $220; real growth rate
    2.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    80% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
    30% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $551 million; expenditures $830 million, including capital
    expenditures of $58 million (1990)
Exports:
    $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    agricultural and handicraft products, coal, minerals, crude petroleum, ores,
    seafood
  partners:
    Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Eastern Europe, USSR
Imports:
    $1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    petroleum products, steel products, railroad equipment, chemicals,
    medicines, raw cotton, fertilizer, grain
  partners:
    Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Eastern Europe, USSR
External debt:
    $16.8 billion (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
    growth rate -3.6% (1989); accounts for 30% of GNP
Electricity:
    3,300,000 kW capacity; 9,200 million kWh produced, 140 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
    food processing, textiles, machine 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%; since 1989 self-sufficient in food staple rice; fish
    catch of 943,100 metric tons (1989 est.)

:Vietnam Economy

Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-74), $3.1 billion; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.9 billion; OPEC
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $61 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $12.0
    billion
Currency:
    new dong (plural - new dong); 1 new dong (D) = 100 xu
Exchange rates:
    new dong (D) per US$1 - 11,100 (May 1992), 8,100 (July 1991), 7,280
    (December 1990), 3,996 (March 1990), 2,047 (1988), 225 (1987); note -
    1985-89 figures are end of year
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Vietnam Communications

Railroads:
    3,059 km total; 2,454 1.000-meter gauge, 151 km 1.435-meter (standard)
    gauge, 230 km dual gauge (three rails), and 224 km not restored to service
    after war damage
Highways:
    about 85,000 km total; 9,400 km paved, 48,700 km gravel or improved earth,
    26,900 k